Hong Kong: HK, Mexico pact to take effect

The Investment Promotion & Protection Agreement (IPPA) between Hong Kong and Mexico will enter into force on June 16.

The agreement with Mexico will enhance investors confidence, expand investment flows between Hong Kong and Mexico, and further strengthen bilateral economic and trade ties.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau said the 14th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong to foster co-operation and exchanges with countries and regions around the world.

He noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been making full use of the city's advantages under the Basic Law and one country, two systems, and has signed bilateral agreements, including IPPAs, with foreign economies to explore more opportunities for developing bilateral and multilateral co-operation benefits.

Mr Yau added that the agreement with Mexico is the fourth such agreement that the Hong Kong SAR Government has signed this term.

The other three were signed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, all of which have entered into force.

Taking into account the agreement with Mexico, the total number of IPPAs in force between Hong Kong and foreign economies will increase to 22, covering 31 foreign economies.

Under the agreement with Mexico, the two sides undertake to provide investors of the other side with fair, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment of investments, compensation in the event of expropriation of investments, and the right to free transfers abroad of investments and returns.

The agreement also provides for settlement of investment disputes under internationally accepted rules, including arbitration.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Xi calls for unprecedented efforts to improve global environmental governance

Xinhua) 09:07, June 06, 2021

Photo taken on Sept. 2, 2020 shows aerial roots in a tropical rainforest in south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday that the international community should work together with unprecedented ambition and action to strive for a fair and reasonable system of global environmental governance featuring win-win cooperation and promote the sustainable development of humanity.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the World Environment Day events held in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Noting that this year marks the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Xi said the World Environment Day events held in Pakistan under the theme of ecosystem restoration are of great significance.

Xi stressed that Earth is humanity's shared home, and a sound ecosystem is essential for the prosperity of civilizations.

Aerial photo taken on June 3, 2020 shows the Haizhu National Wetland Park in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

The human race should respect nature, follow its laws, protect it, and endeavor to foster a new relationship where humans and nature can both prosper and live in harmony, he added.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, worsening desertification and frequent extreme weather events have all posed severe challenges to human survival and development, Xi said, noting that the world is in fact a community with a shared future where everyone is in the same boat.

Xi pointed out that the Chinese civilization has always valued harmony between humans and nature, and that ecological conservation has been incorporated into China's overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Aerial photo taken on April 7, 2021 shows volunteers patrolling the lake to keep the water clean in Wuzhuang Village of Chun'an County, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Mao Yongfeng/Xinhua)

As a participant, contributor and trailblazer in global ecological conservation, China is firmly committed to putting multilateralism into action and defending the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law so as to enhance global governance on the environment, Xi said.

Noting that China will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity later this year, Xi said China stands ready to discuss and draw up plans together with all parties for ecological conservation, inject new impetus into global environmental governance, foster a community of life for man and nature, and jointly build a clean and beautiful world.

In 1972, the United Nations designated June 5 as World Environment Day. The UN Environment Programme selects a member state every year to hold celebration events. The theme of this year's World Environment Day is ecosystem restoration.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Hitlers Brown Shirts are alive and well, trolling the streets of America in keffiyehs, harassing and assaulting Jews, painting swastikas on walls, and vandalizing synagogues and Jewish-owned property. This is the image that comes to mind, a comparison between the activities of the Nazi Partys para-military troops of the 1930s who attacked Jewish citizens of Germany and vandalized Jewish-owned property, and the swarms of pro-Palestinian ruffians who have literally been hunting Jews in order to harass and assault them.

This sudden explosion of violent physical antisemitic behavior witnessed in recent days in a number of large American cities, but also in Toronto and London, was not a spontaneous expression of mass rage. It was almost certainly an orchestrated campaign emanating from somewhere within the Gaza-based Hamas terrorist organization.

An attack on a Jew in New York City (Photo credit: YouTube screengrab, cropped)

For over a half-century and throughout all of Israels wars, American Jews have felt secure when publicly demonstrating their support for the Jewish state, as secure as when walking down the street simply going about their daily business; there was no reason not to. Jews identifiable by their garb, a kippa, a Magen David, or a Hebrew necklace felt no threat to their person. Their homes were their castles. Jewish businesses were never singled out and targeted. Until recently American synagogues required no security. This idyll is no longer the case and it represents a watershed in American Jewish life.

It is natural to wish that this new reality be limited in both scope and time. It is understandable for Jews to think This is America, America is different, or perhaps It will never come to my neighborhood, or It will pass. It will pass we know was the belief clung to by far too many of Germanys Jews for far too long. It had to pass. After all, Germany was well, Germany. Germany was home, Germany was enlightened, Germany was the fatherland. Jews had been there so long, had come so far, and had proudly achieved and contributed so much to German culture, the sciences, the economy and they did so as Germans.

Their ultimate tragic fate brings to mind the parable of the frog who, ignoring the rising temperature of the water in the pot, remains until it is boiling. Yes, it is unrealistically alarmist to think that any future American government would round up Jews and send them to concentration camps, or worse. But the threat to Americas Jews need not take the form of state-sponsored antisemitism. It is enough, as witnessed during recent days, that local police are not able, perhaps not willing, to provide protection against the growing ongoing number of assaults.

Jews on the political left argue that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are separate matters and should not be conflated. This position emerged in response to the 2016 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances (IHRA) widely accepted definition of antisemitism, with examples that include the denial of the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. But it is not for Jews to parse the difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Hitler defined who was a Jew and who was not and acted upon it.

Those who promote this dichotomy might think it stands to reason that American Jews who feel no affinity to Israel, and especially those determinedly opposed to Zionism, should be above the fray and exempt from the wrath of the pro-Palestinian mobs. The fight is over Zionism, is it not?

The unprecedented physical attacks on American Jews, in which the assailants yell both anti-Zionist and antisemitic slogans at equal volume are a convincing rebuttal to that argument. The expressions of hatred coming from both the masses of pro-Palestinian marchers and from street-roving packs are Death to Israel and Kill the Jews, not Kill the Israelis. People who follow the Israeli-Palestinian conflict know that the lexicon of Palestinian terrorism speaks of murdering Jews, not Israelis. Zionist, non-Zionist, anti-Zionist, throughout all these attacks across America, politics make no difference; if you are recognized as a Jew, you are a target.

Unless this menace somehow passes quickly, this new reality is a game-changer for Americas Jews. Not to be cynical, but to be realistic, the number of Muslims in the United States, now at about 3.5 million, is growing. And with this growth comes greater support for Palestinian interests. They are increasingly finding ways to promote Palestinian nationalism and publicly challenging the legitimacy of Zionism at an unprecedented level, not only in the street but also in the halls of Congress, on university campuses, in corporate board rooms, and in the media. Their activities are well funded.

But more importantly, they are going about this with a passion that is reminiscent only of the support Jews in America gave to Israel during the Six-Day War or during the campaign to free Soviet Jewry. Tens of thousands of Muslims and their supporters participated in all the recent pro-Gaza demonstrations held in American cities. In contrast, pro-Israel rallies drew but a few thousand demonstrators, in some cases only hundreds. This relatively poor showing reflects the findings of the just-released Pew report on American Jews, specifically an overall weakening of Jewish organizational life and the waning commitment of younger American Jews to the State of Israel.

Americas Jews have reached a crossroads that points in four directions. First, some may go off to smaller cities or towns in search of anonymity, places where they relinquish all ties with organized Jewish life and can feel safe, far from any potential confrontation over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Without the need for Jewish camaraderie or institutions, a vast United States stands ready to accommodate them.

A second path requires significantly beefing up security at the grassroots level in Jewish communities throughout the United States. Recognizing that police patrols cannot be everywhere at once, more local Jewish communities would train volunteer residents to form neighborhood defense teams that would work in cooperation with Jewish organizations, governmental authorities, and local law enforcement to guard Jewish residential areas and institutions. Examples of this are New Yorks Community Security Service and Magen Am in Los Angeles.

A third road leads to Israel. This, of course, is the most daring route. This would resemble the increased immigration to Israel by Jews from France in response to that governments inability to quell a similar rise in violent antisemitism.

Finally, a fourth road really goes nowhere. It involves sticking it out and hoping for the best, hoping that it will pass. It is the one likely to be chosen by most American Jews. Why? Because the water isnt boiling yet.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
The romantic relationship between a man and a woman is one of life's greatest joys. This distinctive and valuable relationship needs a defense and a greater understanding, and Ronald Pisaturo provides it in his book Masculine Power, Feminine Beauty: The Volitional, Objective Basis for Heterosexuality in Romantic Love and Marriage.[1] He presents a positive theory of heterosexual romantic love and a cogent defense for marriage, fidelity, masculinity, femininity, and much more.

From his introduction:

I argue that heterosexuality in particular enables romantic love in a way that integrates with all aspects of a man and woman. I argue also that sexual orientation is the result of volition in the same way that other aspects of romantic love are volitional. I discuss implications of my theory for the judging of homosexuality, and I debunk the mainstream theories that "affirm" non-heterosexual orientations. I then argue that objective cognition requires that the concept of marriage refer only to relationships between one man and one woman.

The underlying theme of his book is to understand one's own underlying sex-specific sexual values. The more that is understood about our values and why we value what we value, the deeper will be our love and our emotional responses to those values. Romantic love is not mindless. It requires utmost selectivity, and in order to select a sexual partner, one must know which criteria are essential and consistent with one's deepest values.

There has been a gradual deterioration of romance between men and women because of the assaults on Western civilization and the resulting war on sexuality. Feminist activists have denigrated the concepts of masculinity and femininity with claims that men and women are the same. We have been told over and over again with no proof that homosexuality is not a choice. Homosexuals are calling themselves married, legally, to members of the same sex, and anyone who doubts that marriage can apply to people of the same sex is accused of homophobia. And now, the latest is that someone can change his sex. These assertions have been pushed on us, and we are supposed to accept them without question.

But perhaps there is one good thing that can come out of the LGBT movement. It challenges us to think more clearly about the unique virtue of a romantic relationship between a man and a woman. This book meets that challenge.

Pisaturo rejects the claim that men and women are the same. He begins his book by explaining the physical differences between men and women, and that choices made in childhood grounded in those dissimilarities lead to masculinity and femininity. One of the most obvious examples is strength. Men have bodies with superior muscular strength, and because of this, a man can use his body for heavy physical work required for survival and human advancement. A woman's body is not organized for heavy physical work; it is organized to gestate life. Therefore, women usually do not choose to become construction workers. Since the job requires more strength and endurance than they have, it is not work they enjoy, so they choose to do something else. Throughout childhood, the child makes many judgments and chooses what to value and what not to value; what enhances (or doesn't enhance) his life. For example, girls may choose to admire or resent boys for their superior physical strength. Those early choices form one's sense of life, and it is one's sense of life that determines sexual attraction and preferences in adulthood.

Pisaturo's theory that one's sexual orientation is the result of many years of individual value judgments and choices. He defies the assertion that homosexuality is outside an individual's control. Pisaturo points out that the psychological professionals who assess homosexuality as inborn or a result of social constructs are not asking homosexuals why they prefer a same-sex partner. The psychologists "are interested in feelings and behavior, and perhaps even conclusions; but they are not interested in thinking ... thinking is the only mental process that is subject to volition. If one discards thinking, one also discards volition."

Pisaturo goes on to describe the history of the gay activist movement, led by Marxists and Kantians. In 1973, homosexuality was taken off the list of mental illnesses after gay activists pressured and harassed the American Psychiatric Association. Even though the psychiatrists at that time made it clear that this didn't mean that homosexuality was normal, this has been ignored, and therefore its causes are not being explored, and those who do seek to understand it are verbally attacked. Pisaturo points out: "An individual who does not want to understand the cause of his sexual orientation is assuming that there is nothing good to be discovered about it." Pisaturo thinks the real agenda of the gay rights movement is not to promote goodwill towards homosexuality, nor to promote its understanding. The real agenda is the destruction of masculinity, capitalism, and all of Western civilization. Some of the quotations of some of its leaders suggest that pedophilia will be next on their list to be considered "normal."

Pisaturo is opposed to broadening the concept of marriage to include same-sex couples. He thinks that is "a killer of conceptual understanding of romantic love, and a killer of romance."

In a heterosexual relationship, unlike a homosexual one, there is a difference in sex between the two partners, and this difference is fundamental. The romantic concepts of a heterosexual are awash in the recognition and celebration of the difference between man and woman, between masculinity and femininity. To a heterosexual, a husband is not merely one of the two partners in a loving relationship; a husband is a masculine man united with a feminine woman. This union between husband and wife is marriage.

Words, which are symbols for concepts, have specific meanings for the purpose of clear thinking. Therefore, homosexuals should use a different term to designate their unions.

Pisaturo doesn't mince any words in his book. He is honest and forthright in his presentation and says exactly what he thinks. He gives an uncompromising, courageous explanation of real romantic love  the love between a man and a woman.

Good ideas fight bad ideas, and this book is the antidote to the LGBT activists who have dragged down the excitement and fulfillment of romance. The rise of Western civilization created a climate for romance to flourish. We need a renaissance, and Masculine Power, Feminine Beauty is an excellent start.

Charlotte Cushman is a Montessori educator and authored Montessori: Why It Matters for Your Child's Success and Happiness, Effective Discipline the Montessori Way, and Your Life Belongs to You. She has been involved in the study of Ayn Rand's philosophy since 1970.
This week much has been made of the thousands of emails to and from Dr. Anthony Fauci. These were obtained as a result of Freedom of Information Act requests. In my view, its not only that the emails prove what we all knew -- Dr. Fauci is a phony -- its the enormous national security failure and coverup that should concern us.

The Fauci Emails

Theres a caveat from Dr. Jeffrey Satinover on the emails:

1. Almost ALL of the emails are from others to Fauci with his reply. There are very few, if any (I will have to review) initiated by him. It is very unlikely this represents his full correspondence using his official NIH address. 2. The rough per-day number of emails in Jan and Feb, then May, greatly exceeds March and April. 3. A very large proportion of text with what looks to me likely to be scientific detail, in others comments to Fauci, has been blocked. 4. The largest proportion consists of requests to Fauci to speak either at scientific conferences or on major media television programs. Strikingly: (a) Fauci refuses almost every invite in a medical or scientific setting (b) Fauci accepts almost every invite to go on TV 5. The most striking feature by far, so far, is this: Faucis responses are utterly devoid of either scientific curiosity or depth. He shows no evidence in these pages at least, of anything but the most superficial familiarity with viral illnesses. Whenever someone proposes a helpful idea, he hands it off to a deputy to respond. He is temperate to the point of vacuity.

As good an analysis of what we do see in the emails as any comes from the Washington Free Beacon, which shows that he went from flippancy about the virus to hair on fire alarmist in a short period of time.

His public statements about the danger often contradicted his private statements; he downplayed the efficacy of a vaccine, and then when there was a dramatic decrease in infections after widespread vaccinations, he emphasized we must all stay vigilant.

I dont see how anyone could have paid attention to his public statements, rapid contradictions, unseemly mugging at pressers with then-President Trump, not to have seen this man for what he was -- shallow, over his head, and extremely political.

His alarmism, downplaying of the likelihood and efficacy of a vaccine and of remedial therapies like HCQ and Ivermectin, which proved very effective, cost him any credibility in my eyes long ago. Not to speak of his weird decision that social distancing was not required in such things as sexual hookups you arrange online with strangers or anti-Trump political rallies. Before the emails were public, we saw him falsely deny his role in funding gain of function research in Wuhan. If after all this, you thought he was following the science or a credible arbiter of public health measures, you were foolish.

The Political Effects of the Panicdema

The consequences of the panicdema certainly were to the advantage of the left, as Sundance of Conservative Treehouse notes:

The stalling of a fantastic economy that was benefiting every American voter.  Deployment of mail-in ballots that can be used and manipulated to achieve fraudulent results.  Controls over presidential debates to avoid a weak candidate being exposed or confronted.  The deployed excuse for a very visible lack of voter enthusiasm for the puppet (Biden). In short, without COVID as a tool the manipulated election outcome is more difficult. The never let a crisis go to waste strategy includes the necessary precursor of a crisis. Everything downstream was manipulated political opportunity. All roads lead to stop Trump.

No Longer Can the State Cover Up for China

So, you might expect skepticism on the right developed after a few months of watching him and the CDC in action.

But more significant to my mind was an eye-opening bit of information first appearing in tweets from Adam Housley. China is trying to produce variants that suggest it came from bats to cover up that coronavirus originally came from a lab. He later clarified: US intelligence has a Chinese defector with Wuhan info. AND China is trying to produce variants that suggest it came from bats to cover up that coronavirus originally came from a lab.

Jennifer Van Laar of Red State followed up with more information about the defector:

FBI Director Christopher Wray was ambushed with the information, they say, and Langley was also unaware. Sources say DIA leadership kept the defector within their Clandestine Services network to prevent Langley and the State Department from accessing the person, whose existence was kept from other agencies because DIA leadership believes there are Chinese spies or sources inside the FBI, CIA, and several other federal agencies.[snip] UPDATE 12:30 PM PDT, June 4, 2021 Sources tell RedState the defector has been with the DIA for three months and that he has provided an extensive, technically detailed debrief to US officials. In DIAs assessment, the information provided by the defector is legitimate. Sources say the level of confidence in the defectors information is what has led to a sudden crisis of confidence in Dr. Anthony Fauci, adding that U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) personnel detailed to DIA have corroborated very technical details of information provided by the defector.

The connection to the Wuhan lab was suspected by many scientists for a long time, and information about it was skillfully buried by persons in the Department of State and intelligence agencies, as Vanity Fair reported. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that probes into this were blocked by these same bureaucrats.

(Incidentally, Michael Walsh reports that the Vanity Fair article had to have been prepared three months before publication, which suggests Adam Housley was not the only one who knew what DIA was doing and what was about to hit the fan.)

Sheryl Attkisson, with documentary proof provided, asserts in three sections for which I list the headers below, that the U.S. and Dr. Fauci provided far more financial support for the Wuhan lab's gain of function work than has been admitted.

1. U.S. Taxpayer Money Did Go to Controversial Gain of Function Research 2. The Gain of Function Research with China Did Not Only Receive U.S. Support and Money Through the Nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance, but Also Directly Many media reports refer to several millions of dollars in tax money sent from the NIH to the Wuhan lab via the New York-based nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance. However, research with the lab, and the lab itself, received significant additional U.S. support including: Grants directly from the NIH.

Grants directly from Dr. Faucis National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the NIH. (See grant numbers highlighted below.) 3. The Chinese Wuhan Lab Received Direct U.S. Support, in Addition to the Indirect Grants from EcoHealth Alliance State Department cables from January 2018 detail assistance from the University of Texas Medical Branch, including university researchers helping train technicians who work in the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab. The Texas lab is supported by Dr. Faucis National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under NIH.

Like Paula Boyard, I think the information about the defector and the connection to Chinese bioweapons is very bad.

In DIAs assessment, the information provided by the defector is legitimate, wrote Van Laar. Sources say the level of confidence in the defectors information is what has led to a sudden crisis of confidence in Dr. Anthony Fauci, adding that U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) personnel detailed to DIA have corroborated very technical details of information provided by the defector. All of this raises many questions. Why, suddenly, did the U.S. legacy media en masse turn tail and start pointing fingers at China and doubting Fauci? Why did left-wing outlets like the Washington Post and BuzzFeed suddenly decide it was the right time to drop Faucis emails -- just days after the lab-leak story was suddenly no longer verboten on social media? Faucis emails revealed what weve been reporting here at PJ Media for months (mostly behind the paywall for our VIP subscribers to avoid the Gestapo social-media censors): that Fauci was working with a Chinese scientist from the Wuhan lab; that he asked Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg to help with COVID messaging; and that he signed off on funding for dangerous gain-of-function research in Wuhan. One gets the sense that a dam the size of Three Gorges on the Yangtze River is about to blow. The question will be, as it almost is when political figures are caught in a coverup: What did they know and when did they know it? And who knew what was really going on? If any of this turns out to be true -- particularly the suggestion that China may have intentionally unleashed the most deadly bioweapon in world history -- you might want to begin thinking about where youre going to spend the U.S.-Sino War. If, as Housley claims, the FBI, CIA, and other federal agencies are swarming with Chinese spies, it would constitute the biggest national security failure in U.S. history -- and the most deadly.

Many people question the 2020 election results as to which, for the first time, serious audits are underway and more promised. Anyone with functioning brain cells has lost faith in our public health apparat. It looks as if -- as so often has been the case -- our intelligence services have failed us, and, in fact, may be seriously infested with enemy spies or sources. And the White House is helmed by a man with dementia unlikely to effectively respond to these challenges. It looks like some scary times ahead.

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There are approximately 13.5 million people in the current geographical nation of Israel  about 9 million Israeli nationals and 4.5 million others known as Palestinians (primarily ethnic Egyptians and other Arabs who moved into the area early in the 20th century).

Due to some very peculiar agreements that would be unimaginable anywhere else on earth, this tiny country is currently divided into parts in which this external third of the population has been granted almost complete self-rule as The West Bank (actually, the provinces of Judea and Samaria) and The Gaza Strip. While these two areas are governed completely separately and somewhat differently, the rest of the world, out of ease or ignorance, refers to them together as the Palestinian Authority (PA).

It doesnt work.

For a number of reasons that have been analyzed to death already, this artificial construct, the Palestinian Authority, is already a failed state, long before it has even achieved statehood.

In election after election, the residents elect the terrorist leaders of Hamas, Fatah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), as their representatives (and even when they arent elected, these terrorists just seize power anyway, as Hamas has done in Gaza, without serious objection from their subjects).

The area they control is governed exactly as one would expect places ruled by terrorists to be governed: with minimal emphasis on economic opportunity, living conditions, and the rule of law, and instead, with primary emphasis on political power and a permanent state of war.

As the current conflict  a particularly hot moment within the constant conflict that has lasted the past century, to be honest  attracts more of the worlds attention than usual, the dream remedy known as the two-state solution returns to the fore.

Now, what all students of the Middle East should know already, though they often need to be reminded, is that the current map is already the result of a two-state solution. The British Mandate for Palestine of a century ago was first promised to be all Israel, then was debated, derailed, and divided as the years went on, as statecraft was practiced in country clubs and far-off retreats. The Mandate wound up split into an Arab state and a Jewish one, the Arab one substantially larger, with seaports in the Gulf of Aqaba, the Jewish one far smaller, but blessed at least with seaports on the Mediterranean.

Via Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The current map, in short, is the result of the two-state solution of the 1940s. Part of Israel  the lions share, in fact, geographically -- has already been carved out to become a Palestinian state  first called Trans Jordan, now simply known as Jordan.

So, when people say they favor a two-state solution, the most honest response is to say, Its already been done; its already in place. We forgive them for their incomplete understanding of history; we shake our heads at their naivete, but we accept it as the currency of the age, and we move on.

When foreign politicians  such as Joseph Biden and his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken  publicly call for a two-state solution as the only true answer to the problem, they are not challenged.

They should be.

When called for today, the two-state solution is in fact a euphemism, not for a peaceful, unicorn-powered world of kumbaya-singing hippies, but for the one path sure to terminate the nation of Israel once and for all.

To favor a new two-state solution today  in other words, to favor permanently turning over some large portion of Gaza, Judea, and Samaria to the politicians of the PA, really means that the advocates favor the most radical and destructive of positions. We know who such a new state would elect to rule it  the killers who lead Hamas, PIJ, and Fatah. To give them a state would mean to formally, intentionally, add another rogue state to the community of nations, as if the world didnt have more than enough Somalias, Cubas, and Venezuelas already.

We know where most of the lines would be drawn. There is no way to do it that would receive Arab support that didnt leave Israel with the same kind of virtually indefensible borders that it had before 1967. Its easy to forget, but when one looks at a map, its undeniable: the Arab geographical demands would leave the area in the same condition it was in before 1967, a condition that made a war unavoidable. To give the so-called Palestinians a nation along such lines is to render Israel indefensible, bisected in the middle by a strip of land so narrow, the country could be split in two on the first day of a conflict.

We know how the residents of the PA behave along their borders today. Ceasefire or no, they cannot resist the urge to lob chunks of concrete over the wall in hopes of crushing innocent Israeli pedestrians. They fire rockets at population centers, send suicide bombers into restaurants and nightclubs, shoot mortars at strip malls and buses. To give them a formal state would be to formally and permanently accept that this would forever be life along that border; it would never change.

We know human nature. All actions, all behavior, are precedent for the future. Knowing how the PA has behaved, reneging on agreement after agreement, ceasefire after ceasefire, especially since the unwise days of the Oslo Accords, the very idea of rewarding the PAs continuous treachery with formal, permanent statehood should be unthinkable. To give them a state would be to set a global precedent that 30 years of intifadas and relentless bombings are acceptable, that the very classification of both ones own civilians and ones rivals civilians as legitimate cannon fodder is no barrier to global approval of ones cause.

We know with whom the PA leadership would side in the global struggle against Islamofascist terrorism. At a time when we have made such great strides toward peace in the Middle East  with last falls groundbreaking accords between the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco, and Israel  there is true progress in the goal of isolating Iran and its jihadist acolytes on the world stage. To permanently reward the PA with statehood would be to reverse this course, and instead chalk up a significant victory for the terrorist psychopaths of Tehran.

Not that Messrs. Biden or Blinken would ever admit the above. Its entirely possible they havent thought it through enough to realize it themselves.

But this is what it means to support the two-state solution today: To reward violence with statehood. To grant Iran a new ally. To send a message to terrorists worldwide that terror is indeed the path to victory. And to condemn the innocent civilians of the PA to permanent poverty, the innocent civilians of Israel to a permanent state of war, and both to an endless life of fear.

We must stop showing polite respect for the advocates of a two-state solution. It is high time we recognize the reality of their stance, and censure them for espousing positions so diametrically opposed to both American interests and the interests of the peoples most directly affected.

John F. Di Leo is a Chicagoland-based trade compliance trainer, transportation manager, writer, and actor. A collection of his Illinois Review columns on vote fraud in America, The Tales of Little Pavel, is available in paperback or eBook on Amazon.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
A year ago, I told a friend that Dr. Fauci should be more like Dr. Birx. I'm not talking about wearing a scarf, but rather the fact that Dr. Birx was more discreet in her public comments. Not Dr. Fauci. He couldn't wait to do an interview and tell us how smart he was. Unfortunately, Dr. Fauci did not realize that many of the media were just using him to promote an anti-Trump agenda.

It probably would have worked out better for Dr. Fauci if President Trump had been re-elected. In other words, he would have kept his seat as the media's favorite anti-Trump critic. Instead, Dr. Fauci is now under the microscope, and it won't be pretty the rest of the way.

This is from Fox News:

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for Fauci to be removed from his post and for a Congressional inquiry into the origins of the virus. "Anthony Fauci's recently released emails and investigative reporting about #COVID19 origins are shocking," Hawley tweeted Friday. "The time has come for Fauci to resign and for a full congressional investigation into the origins of #COVID19 - and into any and all efforts to prevent a full accounting." "And Congress must also find out to what extent Fauci's NIAID was involved in financing research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology," he added.

We may not get that investigation with the Democrat majority in the House. It could change if more voters get angry about China's role in the virus and Dr. Fauci's contradictions.

As the song goes, "What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours." In this case, what a difference a year makes after reading a few emails.

To be fair, Dr. Fauci was working with incomplete information a year ago. In other words, no one really knew everything a year ago. Dr. Fauci would have been better off if he had spent his time shopping for a scarf rather than telling everyone how smart he was and suggest that President Trump was not.

As they say in Spanish, "se ha vuelto la tortilla." It literally means the tortilla has flipped, and now the other side is getting cooked. In practical terms, it means it's a different story now.

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

Image via Flickr, Public Domain.

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I am a reasonable person. I am in the middle of my sixth decade. I have lived a quiet, contented, successful life. There have been many challenges, ups and downs, and the usual rites of passage. I am a law-abiding American citizen who cherishes my freedom in this glorious country. I respect the law, I respect everyone's right to their own opinion, and I generally follow the golden rule when dealing with others.

This author, Katherine Eban, clearly considers herself an elite. She wrote a good article published in Vanity Fair on June 3, 2021, titled "The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover Covid-19's Origins." A bit wordy there, Katherine, but a decent article covering many aspects and many players in the ongoing saga to get to the bottom of the origins of the pandemic. Like any good deplorable, I had heard about the article on Steve Bannon's War Room, a conservative broadcast. Thanks to his broadcast, almost none of her information was news to me.

So here comes my real beef with Ms. Eban. First of all, I recommend that everyone read her article, as it is one of the first mainstream sources to come out with some of this information in what will probably be the biggest scandal in world history: whether or not the virus was manipulated by gain of function, and how and why it may have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology rather than from a bat. Ms. Eban does a pretty thorough job of presenting the evidence that has emerged of late. However, being an elite, she just can't control her inner snark toward Donald Trump and every American who voted for him.

It is so old now, and so worn out, this Trump-hatred, everything revolving around Trump-hatred, everything tainted with Trump-hatred. These people need to use a little introspection at some point. I want to tell this woman, and every haughty, smug, over-confident liberal out there just how petty they show themselves to be. Here she writes a decent article about a significant topic, and she dilutes it with insulting, derogatory, opinionated drivel that she just can't keep a lid on.

I really can't take it anymore. I am an intelligent, educated, well-read deplorable, and I find the likes of Katherine Eban reprehensible. She insults me  yes, me  every time she lowers herself to nasty little snipes at President Trump and anyone associated with him in any way. If these people only realized how much they belittle themselves by doing this.

Here are a few of her gems. "President Donald Trump's former political adviser Steve Bannon, for instance, joined forces with an exiled Chinese billionaire named Guo Wengui to fuel claims that China had developed the disease as a bioweapon and purposefully unleashed it on the world. As proof, they paraded a Hong Kong scientist around right-wing media outlets until her manifest lack of expertise doomed the charade." I believe she is denigrating Dr. Li-Meng Yan here, who risked her life to blow the whistle on the Wuhan lab. Here's another: "When Trump himself floated the lab-leak hypothesis last April, his divisiveness and lack of credibility made things more, not less, challenging for those seeking the truth." Lack of credibility? Really? Well, I guess we will see about that soon enough.

There's plenty more: "in the wake of the Lancet statement and under the cloud of Donald Trump's toxic racism, which contributed to an alarming wave of anti-Asian violence in the U.S., one possible answer to this all-important question remained largely off-limits until the spring of 2021." She is so full of hate for Trump that she can barely get through a paragraph without maligning him. Toward the end of the article, which is very long, she notes that a highly respected microbiologist, Dr. David Baltimore, had possibly found the "smoking gun." She had to highlight that since he was "about as far from Steve Bannon and the conspiracy theorists as it was possible to get. His judgment, that the furin cleavage site raised the prospect of gene manipulation, had to be taken seriously." I don't know about you, but I am sick to death of their self-importance and moralizing when it comes to anything and everything related to Donald Trump.

Here is her last insult, thrown in for good measure: "Thanks to their unprecedented track record of mendacity and race-baiting, Trump and his allies had less than zero credibility." All this from a "reputable" publication. I can't take it anymore. Can we just have honest, unbiased reporting, ever? No golden rule for these people.

Image via Pixabay.

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Dr. Jordan Peterson has the attention of many around the world, including America, with his psychological insights into the book of Genesis; his clear-eyed appraisal of the excesses of the left; and his three books, Twelve Rules for Life, 12 More Rules for Life, and Maps of Meaning. His record of wise and careful thought lends to all his pronouncements a certain gravitas.

On May 29 of this year, he tweeted:

The conservatives have to sacrifice Trump and the stolen election narrative. The liberals have to sacrifice DIE and CRT. The road to peace requires its pound of flesh from both parties.

(DIE stands for "Diversity, Inclusivity and Equity," CRT for "Critical Race Theory".)

I think Dr. Peterson lets himself down whenever he opines on U.S. politics and most especially here. He has been clear in condemning DIE and CRT as erroneous, divisive, and malign, yet he posits these philosophies as commensurate with support of our 45th president and a desire to thoroughly investigate our 2020 election. How dare he? To tens of millions of Americans, Donald Trump is objectively a stalwart champion of the Constitution, the country, and its citizens. Yet Dr. Peterson here presents him as a should-be pariah, just the other side of the coin to a collectivist, racist, un-American, and hateful ideology. By so saying, he slanders America, Trump, and us. Peterson owes us all an apology. Is he even aware of Trump's executive orders banning CRT from the federal government?

While Peterson is adept at describing the corruption of the state  usually archetypically referencing ancient Egypt  and recognizes the rot in the academy from the left, he is naive, ignorant, or willfully blind when it comes to Washington, D.C. He appears not to see that conservatives and regular Americans have been paying their pound of flesh for decades under both Republican and Democrat governments while the left advanced inexorably until Trump's arrival. Peterson mistakes the Uniparty game just described as a hierarchy of competence and prescribes to us the sacrifice of the one man who was brave enough to throw sand in its gears on our behalf. Peterson cannot apparently see the cardboard placed over the windows of the ballot-counting rooms to block the view of election-observers last year or that Biden was personally involved in Soviet-style political spying on Trump's campaign. (Biden reportedly personally unmasked Lt. Gen. Flynn while V.P.)

Dr. Peterson is a Canadian. One of the chapters in 12 Rules for Life is titled "Set Your Own House in Perfect Order Before Criticizing the World." Last I checked, Canada was arresting pastors for holding church services, has little to no international clout or cachet, and re-elected as its premiere an effeminate and unimpressive scion who stated that his country has "no core identity" and was roundly humiliated by Trump in the negotiations of USMCA.

So do we "have to sacrifice Trump"? The one politician with the spine and guts to confront the left, the swamp, and the globalists? How about no? How about Peterson heeds his own advice? How about Peterson gets off our lawn and returns to chatting with Matthew McConaughey and selling some more mugs on his website?

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

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Democrat dreams of flipping Texas blue took a body blow yesterday in a runoff election for mayor in the bluest part of the red state. McAllen, Texas, a border city whose population of over 143,000 is 85.3% Hispanic, handed victory to the Republican candidate, Javier Villalobos.

Yesterday, as the Progress Times reports:

City Commissioner Javier Villalobos won 51% of the vote during the mayoral runoff election  and defeated City Commissioner Veronica Vela Whitacre by just 206 votes, according to results announced by the City Secretarys Office on Saturday night. It was a tight one, so I congratulate my opponent, Villalobos said. It was a very well run campaign. But were very glad and fortunate that we prevailed.

KRGV-TV screengrab (cropped)

The results wont be certified until the city canvasses the votes on June 14, so there is always the possibility of shenanigans, I suppose. Republican Villalobos was defeated in 2015 when he first ran for City Commission (or city council, as it is called other places), but in 2018 won a special election when the incumbent resigned to run for judge. Now, the entire city has backed him as its chief executive, the first Republican, at least in the current era, to hold the office.

The election continues and amplifies the trend of heavily Hispanic border communities converting from solid support for Democrats to supporting Republican candidates. In 2016, surrounding Hidalgo County voters gave Hillary Clinton 68.12% of their votes, and of those who voted for a straight party ticket, 73.45% supported Democrats, but in 2020, Joe Biden got 58.04% of the vote.

Border residents of all ethnicities are suffering from the overwhelming of social services, schools, and public facilities and from the crime brought by the wave of illegal immigrants. Democrats have always presumed that ethnic identity alone would cause Hispanic voters to support their open border policies. That racist thinking is incorrect, and McAllen voters have once again reminded them that floods of illegal immigrants are damaging to everyone.

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There's nothing like a smarmy hypocrite getting exposed, and North Face, the virtue-signaling outdoor clothier, just got called out as an emperor with no clothes on, following its declaration of war on Big Oil.

Here's the must-see smackdown video, done by a think tank and featuring a Big Oil employee, exposing the company in all its naked glory.

WATCH: North Face refused to make jackets for an oil and gas company.



So the fossil fuel industry is fighting back with a new campaign thanking North Face for using so much petroleum in their products.



Watch the 1 minute explainer  #ThankYouNorthFace pic.twitter.com/cGcz9lUj3q  Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) June 4, 2021

North Face had declared war on Big Oil by sanctimoniously refusing to make custom jackets with their label on them for the employees of an oil firm that tried to give them some business. The oil and gas extractors wanted to give their employees Christmas gifts with the jackets. North Face, however, said 'no' and claiming such a request was the same as a request from a porno company and therefore didn't "align" with their values because the company was all about saving the planet.

By buying petroleum products, which are used to the tune of 90% to create its products. No pure cotton goodness for them, no silk or linen, no fresh-sheared sheep wool, it's all about nylon and polyester for those backpacks.

According to the Daily Wire:

The oil and gas industry is launching a campaign against North Face over the outdoor retailers refusal to associate with oil and gas despite heavily relying on the industry to make its products. A group of oil and gas companies led by Chris Wright, the CEO of Liberty Oilfield Services in Denver, is mounting a billboard and internet campaign mocking North Face for its reliance on oil and gas while distancing itself from the industry, according to Fox Business.

The incident happened in late 2020. The Washington Times reported:

A growing list of companies are bowing to pressure from climate-change groups to stiff-arm the oil-and-gas industry, but as far as Adam Anderson is concerned, The North Face shouldnt be one of them. Mr. Anderson, CEO of Innovex Downhole Solutions in Houston, went public last week after The North Face rejected an order for 400 jackets with the Innovex logo because, as he told CBS7 in Midland, we were an oil-and-gas services company. The denial came even though the vast majority of The North Face hoodies, coats, gloves, snow pants and other apparel, as well as tents and backpacks, are made with nylon, polyester and polyurethane  all of which come from petroleum. Fleece jackets are also polyester.

North Face advertises for that custom-cut business, at this point, probably now through its vaguely worded "Pro Program" here, urging companies with no restrictions to "partner" with them for duds, backpacks, tents, and stuff. Yet they have no intention of "baking the cake" for certain kinds of customers, whom they don't specify on their site. Which is kind of ironic: They've got their logo up there in big rainbow stripes, but we didn't hear from them when the baker in that gay cake case in Colorado got dragged through the court system over his refusal to bake a gay wedding cake based on his religious objections, or if you want to put it North Face's way, "corporate values." They like being hypocrites of many dimensions. Maybe they should change their name to Two Face.

The Washington Times notes several instances of comparable hypocrisy of these greenie virtue-signaling companies up to their ears in petroleum products, too.

What this video shows is that Big Oil is striking back. They're doing it through a think-tank, which is fine, but it would be nice to see big Exxon and Chevron logos placed there, too, it might be a force-multiplier. The industry has been kicked around by unelected leftists for years and much more in the wake of the fraudy Joe presidency.

Already leftists are licking their chops for Big Oil in the wake of a Eurotrash judge's ruling that Shell Oil is responsible for global warming and therefore must go out of business unless it can meet impossibly high standards for global emissions.

Big Oil needs to be fighting back now. It's good to see such a smackdown of North Face, a company founded by Doug Tompkins, the late co-founder of the Esprit empire, and husband (eventually ex-) of big-time Hillary Clinton bundler and BFF Susie Tompkins. As if Xinjiang slave labor in the cotton fields weren't bad enough on the Esprit front, this attack on Big Oil from a company that is supplied by Big Oil is hypocrisy to the max.

This video is a masterly production that ought to be repeated, again and again as the corporate wokester crowd attempts to shut down America with its virtue-signaling. Don't mess with Big Oil.

Image: Twitter screen shot

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How is this for petty spitefulness from a man too small for his office?

According to the Washington Free Beacon:

The Biden State Department discourages employees from referring to the historic peace agreements signed by Israel and its Arab neighbors by its official name, the Abraham Accords, according to one source with direct knowledge of the Biden administrations internal decision-making process and emails reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. The name has also been erased from a wide array of official State Department communications as the new administration presses officials to refer to the Trump-era deals as "normalization agreements." The Abraham Accords were brokered last year by the outgoing Trump administration and paved the way for Israel to make peace with traditional Arab foes, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and, later, other Muslim nations. The agreements were a capstone of former president Donald Trumps foreign policy legacy and created a shift in the region that brought leading Arab nations closer to the Jewish state and further from Iran.

So the man who brought peace to the Middle East after every president before him failed, is now seeing the name of his signature legacy accomplishment -- Arabs and Israelis finally becoming friends in what's known as the Abraham Accords-- erased?

What other president could get Arabs and Jews to become friends, and do all the things friendly states do for each other -- opening airspace, conducting trade, visiting each others' countries, in a treaty so convincing it triggered a big chain reaction of Arab states to follow on in, coming to join the party? It's as if the Bidenites liked things better when Arabs and Jews were hurling rockets at each other, and Palestinians were out bombing pizza parlors, hijacking cruise ships, singling out American passport holders for jet murders, torturing and killing Olympic athletes, and shooting up airport counters.

It's outrageous that the Bidenites are attempting to erase the wonderful name of this accord and call it a generic 'normalization' as if any boob could have done it, or it somehow just floated in and happened on its own.

It's spite all right, the same spite that prompted Joe Biden to break up all the treaties President Trump signed with Central American nations and Mexico to keep cartel human smuggling operations from dumping thousands of people into our country illegally, and then quietly pleading with Mexico to please stop the border surge he created for him. Countries such as Mexico saw right through him.

With his pen and his phone, he scrapped perfectly good treaties that had kept the border under control in favor of Getting Trump. Now he's doing the same for the Middle East.

The Beacon quotes former Trump-era National Security Staffer Victoria Coates explaining just why that's dangerous:

"The Biden administration's attempt to diminish and marginalize the Abraham Accords by referring to them as normalization deals is both unfortunate and insidious," Coates aid. "Its a shame to try to undermine such a monumental, historic achievement because it was reached by the previous administration. But the term normalization' is even worseas they are well aware, the term carries a regional stigma, particularly with the Palestinians, of being a sell-out. The Abraham Accords are so much more and should be given the same bipartisan support as the peace treaties between Israel, Jordan, and Egypt reached by Democrat administrations."

I don't quite follow her on the sellout explanation, people who watch the Middle East undoubtedly will.

But the erasure of the wonderful name 'Abraham accords' is infuriating. "Abraham" is a wonderful unifier of a name, referring to both the Israeli Jews and Muslim Arabs as parts of what are known as the "Abrahamic" faiths. It's a reference to religion, which is bound to make them want to think about what would please their common Creator, and it's face-saving for the Arabs who don't look defeated at all from it, but rather, raised up to their rightful identity as one of the great Abrahamic faith peoples -- Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

It's affirming to all sides, with Muslims, as well as Jews, considering Abraham their father in faith with descendants as numerous as the stars because of that faith in one God.

Biden wants to erase that and call it a generic 'normalization' agreement? This is disgusting because it separates the nations from their roots and offers a dreary gray secular name to them all instead.

Not because it's right. Not because it's true. Just because it'll Get Trump and presumably, try to make everyone forget just how great this treaty was.

Biden has shown himself a low, low man, petty, small, burning with jealousy and spite for the former president, trying to erase everything he's ever done, a sorry thing to see in someone with absolutely zero accomplishments of his own. He's a bitter little man well beneath his office. Maybe that's because he's actually not a legitimate president. He's there by fraud and that's why, as a priority no less, he's out to trash anything genuine that had been accomplished before him. To heck with the American people and their interests, he just wants to Get Trump.

Image: Screen shot from a camera aimed at a television set, then enhanced with Adobe Camera Raw

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Its becoming increasingly clear that Americas bureaucracies engaged in a cover-up about COVIDs origins. Whats also become clear is the fact that one of the main players in the entire COVID scandal is a British man, Peter Daszak. And I realized something when I thought about Daszaks involvement: Beginning more than 20 years ago, the British have taken lead roles in three leftist lies that have been used to remake America: Climate change, the Russia hoax and, now, COVIDs development and its subsequent cover-up.

For over a year, conservatives have been challenging the COVID narrative. Theyve said that the lock-ups wouldnt stop the virus but would destroy the economy, theyve said that the paper and cloth masks being used are simply theater and, most importantly, they very quickly realized that the Wuhan wet markets were not the source of COVID.

Once the first panic subsided, it was obvious to thinking people that the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), with its ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government and military, had a central role to play. (I incline to the theory that the viruss release was an accident because the Chinese are notoriously careless, but that, once the virus was loose, both the CCP and the Democrats saw it as an opportunity: The Chinese to destroy the global economy and Donald Trump; and the Democrats just to destroy Trump.)

And yet the people in the federal government who could have set things straight and let us weather the virus in a normal fashion (isolating the elderly and vulnerable, washing our hands more, using easily available drugs to treat symptoms, and getting on with life) didnt do that at all. Some, like Anthony Fauci, were protecting themselves lest people learn about their direct involvement using taxpayer money to fund the WIVs gain-of-function (GOF) experiments. Others seem to have been serving the Chinese government, rather than the American one. And still, others engaged in the cover-up to defeat Trump. All were willing to destroy America to achieve personal goals.

In addition to these domestic players, there turns out to have been one man who is Ground Zero for the Deep States involvement in the virus  and hes a Britisher, Peter Daszak. Heres just a portion of Scott Hounsells comprehensive article:

Dr. Peter Daszak funneled tens of millions of dollars in grants from the US government  including the Department of Defense  to the Wuhan Institute of Virology through his non-profit, EcoHealth Alliance.

Daszak performed gain-of-function research on SARS coronaviruses at WIV with Dr. Shi Zhengli, including on two trains [sic] nearly identical to COVID-19.

Daszak spearheaded the drafting and submission of a 2/19/20 letter in the Lancet from 27 scientists declaring that COVID-19 arose naturally, without declaring his conflict.

Many of the signatories of that letter had received emails from Daszak soliciting their signature and reminding them of all the research funding theyd received from EcoHealth Alliance.

Facebooks COVID-19 fact-checker, Science Feedback, used Daszak as one of their experts to shut down lab leak theory discussion.

Daszak emailed Dr. Fauci in the early days of the pandemic, thanking him for shutting down the lab leak theory.

Daszak influenced numerous other letters and statements in scientific journals that declared a lab leak was impossible.

Daszak was a member of the WHO investigative team that declared it highly unlikely that the pandemic originated in a lab  without even visiting China or seeing original documentation.

Daszak was recently tapped to head an investigation into COVID-19s origin by Lancet.

What I realized reading about Daszak, a Britisher, is that hes not the first British guy to try to destroy America. A large part of the initial research that led to the Climate Change madness that the Democrat party is using to destroy Americas economy and, indeed, its lifestyle, came from the Climatic Research Unit at Englands University of East Anglia. That was the same institution that falsified information to hide the fact that global temperatures were falling, not rising (Hide the decline).

Several years later, Democrats used the Steele Dossier, written by Christopher Steele, a former British spy, to try to destroy Trumps presidency. While Trump managed to stay in the White House, Steeles disinformation severely hampered Trumps ability to get things done. His presidency could have been beyond extraordinary without the pressure that the Russia hoax placed upon him.

Beginning in the 13th century, and especially in France in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many have called England perfidious Albion. The British nation as a whole may not deserve that epithet, but America has not been well-served by individual Britishers of late. Daszak is just another Brit who seems to be determined to get revenge for the Revolution.

Photo credit: National Academies (cropped) CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 license

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Since the establishment of the religious regime in Iran in 1979, Iran's relations with Middle Eastern countries have gone through many ups and downs. Tehran developed a two-pronged survival strategy: suppressing dissent inside its borders and exporting terrorism outside its borders. It had a particularly fraught relationship with Iraq, which invaded Iran in 1980. After eight bloody years, Iraq withdrew with as many as one million Iranians dead and almost $627 billion in economic losses.

Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Tehran and its Iraqi allies (who, ironically enough, were previously trained in Iran), have made every effort to use terrorism as leverage to gain political power in Iraq by taking over parliament, as well as the prime ministers and presidents positions. As well as the offices, they took control of all the economic institutions to prioritize the trade balance in favor of Iran, turning Iraq into Iran's backyard.

Next, the IRGC established a shadow military government against the Iraqi government by establishing weapons and missile depots and smuggling narcotics with the help of its proxy forces. Of the six prime ministers appointed in post-occupation Iraq, all followed Tehran's orders. Qassem Soleimani attended government meetings and dictated Khamenei's orders to them.

Since Trump became president, though, things have changed. Although the Iranian regime is still pursuing the above-described policies, it was badly shaken after the 2017/2018 and November 2019 uprisings in Iran and Qassem Soleimanis assassination in January 2020.

Additionally, beginning in October 2019, alongside the uprisings inside Iran, Iraqi youth have been holding nationwide demonstrations daily in the streets of Iraqi cities, especially oil-rich cities in the south, chanting slogans against the Iranian regime's proxy forces (Iran expelled, expelled, Baghdad free, free.) The Iraqi protesters tore up pictures of Soleimani and Khamenei and set fire to the regime's consulate in Karbala several times. Iraqi citizens openly curse the Iranian regime in the media.

In sum, the same Iranian regime that once inspired fear and awe across the Middle east. Is shaken. Both inside and outside of Iran, people are beginning to treat the regime as if it can be destroyed.

The regime is beginning to acknowledge the peoples concerns. At the end of May the Committee to Investigate the Killing of Protesters in Iraq revealed new details about how protesters were killed during the 2019 October Revolution protests. The Committee interrogated 22 high-ranking security officers, including majors and colonels. The committee will announce the names of the killers soon, the committee spokesman, Mohammad al-Janabi, said in a statement.

At much the same time, Iraqi security forces arrested a senior militia commander in Al-Anbar province, Qasim Musleh al-Khafaji, the commander of Hashd Al-Shaabi militia, in accordance with Iraqi counterterrorism laws. Musleh was arrested for his role in the assassination of civil activist Ihab Al-Wazni in the city of Karbala, as well as for attacking the US base of Ain al-Assad. Ihab Al-Wazni was the coordinator of the Karbala protests and running for office. Although Iranian pressure saw Musleh released soon after, the mere fact of his arrest was telling.

Following Muslehs arrest, several Hashd Al-Shaabi militias affiliated with the Iranian regime entered the Green Zone of Baghdad with a large number of vehicles and weapons to protest his detention. Iraqi forces used tanks to push back the Hashd Al-Shaabi militias. Iraqi security forces say they have put an end to the threatening move and taken control of the situation, restoring a fragile calm.

In other news, two sources say the Pentagon is seeking Biden approval to attack Tehran-backed militants in Iraq. The administration is looking hard at a broad range of responses to Shiite militia aggression against Americans in Iraq, one source with knowledge of the situation told the Daily Caller. Meanwhile, one of Ayatollah Sistanis top aides, Sheikh Abal-Mahdi al-Karbalai, rejected the Hashd Al-Shaabis request for mediation for Muslehs release. As a result, this arrest promises a significant change in the Iraqi government's relations with Hashd Al-Shaabi.

Prominent Shiite commanders affiliated with the Iranian regime are now talking about the state of confusion and unprecedented interference in positions, which has occurred for the first time between the leaders and commanders of the armed factions over Muslehs arrest. They said: A military parade in the Green Zone may lead to the disintegration of the Hashd Al-Shaabi.

So what does all of this mean? It means that, despite Bidens efforts to prop up the mullahs using American tax dollars (and illegally buying Iranian oil), people in the regime are beginning to realize that the regime is weakening. This is the time to tear it down, not built it up.

*Hassan Mahmoudi is a social analyst, researcher, independent observer, and commentator of Middle Eastern and Iranian Politics. He tweets under @hassan_mahmou1.

IMAGE: Qasim Musleh. YouTube screengrab.

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Fans of the Bafta television awards have been beamed on to the red carpet as holograms.

Television presenters Stacey Dooley and Vick Hope, who were hosting coverage, spoke to people at home as stars arrived for the awards ceremony.

They were not allowed to line the red carpet at this years ceremony at Television Centre in west London.

(Bafta/PA)

However they were able to speak to stars including Diversitys Ashley Banjo and professional dancer Oti Mabuse.

(Bafta/PA)

They also met RuPauls Drag Race UK stars Bimini Bon Boulash, Lawrence Chaney and AWhora.

(Bafta/PA)

Fans could apply to be a part of the red carpet experience before the ceremony.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are celebrating the arrival of their baby daughter, who they have named Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Meghan gave birth to her second child on Friday, June 4, at 11.40am at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.

The baby  a younger sister for the Sussexes two-year-old son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor  weighed 7lbs 11oz.

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A statement from the couples press secretary said: It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.

Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

She weighed 7lbs 11oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.

Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.

This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.

Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting a girl in March during their explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

It was a lighter moment during a series of bombshells that left the monarchy in crisis.

Meghan accused an unnamed member of the royal family  not the Queen nor Duke of Edinburgh  of racism, saying they expressed concern about how dark Archies skin tone might be before he was born.

The duchess also called out the institution for not helping her when she was suicidal.

The Queen responded by saying the issues were taken very seriously but that some recollections may vary and the matter would addressed by the family privately.

Harry and Meghan with Archie in South Africa (Toby Melville/PA)

The new baby is the Queens 11th great-grandchild  poignantly the first of the monarch and Philips great-grandchildren to be born since the death of the duke in April.

But with the Sussexes living in California and amid troubled relationships with their family, it is not known when or if the new addition will meet the Queen and the rest of the royals.

Harry has gone on to accuse the royal family of total neglect when his wife Meghan was feeling suicidal amid harassment on social media.

In his Apple TV mental health series, he lambasted the parenting skills of the Prince of Wales, criticising his father for expecting his sons to endure the pressures of royal life, just as Charles has done, instead of protecting them.

Just like Archie was not entitled to be a prince nor an HRH when he was born in 2018, the Sussexes daughter is not permitted to be a princess nor an HRH due to rules set down more than 100 years ago by George V.

Meghan controversially claimed during her Oprah broadcast that Archie had his right to be a prince taken away from him because of his race.

In fact, he was too far removed from the crown because although he is a great-grandchild of a sovereign, he is not the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales as George Vs rules required.

The new baby will be entitled to be a princess and Archie a prince  both with HRH styles  after the death of the Queen and when Charles becomes king.

The Sussexes with Harrys grandmother the Queen in 2018 (John Stillwell/PA)

This is because they will have moved up the line of succession to become the children of a son of a monarch.

Despite Harry and Meghan quitting as senior working royals, the baby still has a place in the line of succession.

She is eighth in line to the throne, coming after Archie, who is seventh in line, and before the Duke of York, who has dropped to ninth place.

The new baby is also a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and a fifth grandchild for Charles, but will grow up across the Atlantic, thousands of miles away from the royal family  at a time of heartbreak and division within the Windsors.

The Queen and Philip with seven of their great grandchildren  Prince George, Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips holding Lena Tindall, and Mia Tindall (Duchess of Cambridge/PA)

Harry told Winfrey he felt really let down by his father and how theres a lot of hurt thats happened but he wanted to try to heal the relationship.

He said of his rift with his brother the Duke of Cambridge that the relationship is space at the moment and that he hoped time would make things better.

Harry later appeared to suggest that his father and the Queen and Philip had failed as parents, while the family was still mourning the duke.

Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast that was broadcast in May, the duke said he wanted to break the cycle of genetic pain and suffering for the sake of his own children.

He said of Charles: Hes treated me the way he was treated, so how can I change that for my own kids?

The baby is the most senior royal in the current line of succession to be born overseas and would be eligible to become president of the United States.

Her arrival follows the heartache the couple suffered when the 39-year-old duchess suffered a miscarriage in the summer of 2020.

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In November, former Suits actress Meghan wrote, in a deeply personal article for the New York Times: I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.

The Sussexes announced on Valentines Day they were expecting again, releasing a black and white photo of themselves sitting under a tree in Los Angeles.

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in March 2020 in a quest for personal and financial freedom after struggling with royal life.

They have signed multimillion-pound deals with Netflix and Spotify, and set up their Archewell Foundation.

If Harry keeps true to his pledge, their daughter will be their last child.

He told activist and chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall in 2019 that he would only have two children for the sake of the planet.

Home for the new family-of-four is Harry and Meghans 11 million forever mansion in Montecito, California.

2021 is proving to be a bumper year for royal babies.

Princess Eugenie welcomed a son August in February, while Zara Tindall had a boy Lucas in March, and Princess Beatrice is expecting her first child, who will be the Queens 12th great grandchild, in the autumn.
The Bafta television awards are set to return, with Small Axe and I May Destroy You competing for a number of major prizes.

Coverage of the ceremony will be broadcast on BBC One.

Sir Steve McQueens Small Axe anthology leads the nominations after being shortlisted in six categories.

Sir Steve McQueen (Ian West/PA)

John Boyega is nominated for his portrayal of Metropolitan Police officer Leroy Logan in the Red, White And Blue episode, while Letitia Wright and Shaun Parkes are nominated for their performances in Mangrove.

Sir Steve is also nominated for best director.

Michaela Coels I May Destroy You secured four nods, while Normal People and Sex Education were each nominated in three categories.

Diversitys headline-grabbing performance on ITVs Britains Got Talent is in the running to be voted best TV moment.

The Black Lives Matter-inspired routine is among six nominees for Virgin Medias must-see moment award, which is voted for by the public.

Penelope being revealed as the mysterious Lady Whistledown in Netflixs raunchy period drama Bridgerton, abusive husband Gray Atkins killing Chantelle in EastEnders and Luke Skywalker appearing in The Mandalorian on Disney+ also make the shortlist.

Nigella Lawson (Matt Crossick/PA)

Nigella Lawson mispronouncing the word microwave as mee-cro-wah-vay is also included after the clip from her Cook, Eat, Repeat show became a hit on social media.

Channel 4s Gogglebox is also nominated for scenes showing its armchair critics responding to Prime Minister Boris Johnsons coronavirus press conferences.

Comedian Richard Ayoade is returning to host the ceremony for a second year.

Guest presenters will also include comedians Bill Bailey and Daisy May Cooper, Line Of Duty star Adrian Dunbar, television presenter Maya Jama and dancer Oti Mabuse.

Stars who will attend the event in person include Normal Peoples Paul Mescal, Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, I Hate Suzies Billie Piper and television presenter Graham Norton.

Richard Ayoade (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Organisers have also previously confirmed that stars who are unable to attend the awards in person will be able to make an appearance in hologram form.

Vick Hope and Stacey Dooley will present coverage from the red carpet before the ceremony gets under way.

However, TV fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite actors will not be allowed to line the red carpet this year.

Instead, fans will also be beamed on to the red carpet in hologram form.

The awards will also see Years & Years musician and Its A Sin star Olly Alexander perform his song Starstruck ahead of the ceremony.

The Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards ceremony takes place on Sunday on BBC One, with coverage beginning at 7pm.
The UKs traffic light rating system for international travel is confusing to the point of being dangerous, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy has said.

A risk-based system with red, amber and green ratings for countries around the world determines the quarantine and coronavirus testing requirements people face when returning to the UK.

Portugal being moved from the green to amber caught many holidaymakers by surprise this week and Ms Nandy said the amber list should be scrapped.

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, she said: I think weve got a real, real problem with the travel system that the Government has put in place.

Weve currently got countries on the amber list which the Government is basically urging people not to go to but allowing people to go to with very lax quarantine requirements when they come back.

We think the amber list should be scrapped. We think its pointless. We think its confusing and that confusion is actually dangerous at the moment.

It risks unravelling all of the progress that weve made.

Ms Nandy was asked if she thinks people who go on holiday to France should be quarantined in the UK on their return and she said: I think that we should have robust quarantine measures in place for people coming back into the country. Thats absolutely right.

I also think that we need to be much clearer with people that, at the moment, travelling overseas, particularly when youve got countries like Thailand and Vietnam on the amber list where new variants are emerging and being imported into the UK, is the wrong thing to do, and the Government ought to be absolutely clear about that.

(PA Graphics)

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London, said he does not understand the thinking behind removing Portugal from the green list.

He told Times Radio: If you travel from London to Manchester at the moment, its a much greater risk than going to Portugal, Spain, Italy, France.

Are we protecting the Portuguese from problems? Is it that way around? Because, otherwise, I dont really get it.

We cant stop variants coming into this country unless we completely lock down the country.

I think we just ought to start settling down and dealing with our own outbreaks and not try to have this haphazard travel policy which is causing a lot of fear and confusion.
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Ronald Verini is a local veterans advocate who writes a weekly column for The Argus Observer. He can be contacted at (541) 889-1978, help@veteranadvocates.org or 180 W. Idaho Ave., Ontario, OR 97914. The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily represent those of The Argus Observer.
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The super executive sedan was set loose between the apexes of the (in)famous German racetrack against the clock, with the sole purpose of proving its mettle. Riding on 275/35R20 front and 285/35R20 rear Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, it was driven across the finish line by SportAutos Christian Gebhardt in 7:29.57.Petrol heads know that the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series is the undisputed king of the circuit, having lapped it in 6:43.62. It stole the crown from the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (6:44.97), which in turn beat the Huracan Performante (6:52.01). So what does this time mean for the M5 CS? That it was a hair quicker than the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Mercedes-Benz SLSand Porsche 911 GT2 (997). These completed the course in 7:29.60, 7:30.00 and 7:31.00 respectively, according to FastestLaps The second-generation Audi R8 V10 Plus did a 7:32.00, alongside the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and Porsche 718 Cayman GT4. The BMW M8 Competition was driven by Christian Gebhardt across the finish line in 7:32.79, and the Pagani Zonda F is listed with 7:33.00. The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and Koenigsegg CCX did a 7:33.00 and 7:33.55 respectively.The M5 CS came behind the Porsche Carrera GT (7:28.71), 911 GT3 RS (991) (7:28.00) and Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 (7:28.00), and was also beaten by the Ferrari 712 Superfast (7:27.48), Nissan GT-R (7:26.70) and Ferrari Enzo (7:25.21). Keep in mind that these numbers, save for the ones posted by the GT Black Series, Aventador SVJ and Huracan Performante, are unofficial, and unrecognized by automakers.In a straight line, the 2022 M5 CS needs just 2.9 Mississippis to 60 mph (97 kph), and has a top speed of 190 mph (306 kph). The twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine has been upgraded , and it now pushes out 626(635 PS / 467) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.
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Based on pre-production mules captured while testing on the Nurburgring, in Scandinavia, and the public roads of Germany, Photoshop meister Bernhard Reichel imagined the EQE with door-mounted mirrors and red paintwork. The design study further benefits from a sporty front bumper complemented by a closed-off grille beautified by the Three-Pointed Star logo in the center.The only detail thats certain to differ from the rendering is the design of the C-pillars, which gives the EQE a sportier appearance than its bigger sibling. To be produced in Germany (Bremen) and China (Beijing), the all-electric brother of the E-Class will roll out with rear- and all-wheel drive.Twinned with the EQE, the soon-to-be-revealed EQE is based on the MEA vehicle architecture for electric-only vehicles. The skateboard-like platform can be adjusted in length and height to maximize the automakers investment into all-electric technologies, and in the all-new sedans case, the preliminary estimate for driving range is 600 kilometers (373 miles).Speculation in the automotive media further suggests 400 PS (395 horsepower) and 750 Nm (553 pound-feet) of torque, which seems to be more than adequate for the E-Class of EVs. For the sake of reference, the most exciting EQS of them all is the 580 4Matic with 523 PS (516 horsepower) and 855 Nm (631 pound-feet) from a dual-motor drivetrain.Its also worth mentioning that Mercedes performance divisionwill give the EQE a little more oomph, but not as much as the EQS AMG that may top 761 PS (751 horsepower). Regardless of what the future holds for the mid-sized interloper, youre better off with a Tesla Model 3 Performance or Model S Plaid if strip slaying is very high on your priorities list.Look forward to the EQEs premiere in September at the IAA in Munich.
Named the Pop Art Beast by the tuner , as it features a multi-color wrapping, with black and white geometric patterns, and the Beast logo in bright yellow on the sides, it is definitely something else. Additional upgrades make it an even bigger head-turner and improve its off-road prowess.Thanks to the new suspension kit, the L200s ground clearance has been improved by an extra 140 mm (5.5 in). The fenders have been widened by 40 mm (1.6 in) on each side, and leave room for the 9.5x18-inch Klassik wheels, wrapped in 35-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Boss tires.The black bull bar, rock sliders and metal piece attached to the rear are part of the makeover. The Beast can turn night into day at the flick of a switch with the two additional lights mounted on the front bar, and six trail lights that sit on the roof rack, which otherwise features two 50-liter (1.8 cu-ft) roof boxes and an awning for sunny days.Youll have to make your own sandwiches as there is no integrated stove, nor a fridge, sink and other such stuff. However, you wont have to sleep under the night sky or on the rear bench, because Delta 4x4 has equipped this pickup truck with a rooftop tent for two, complete with a mattress.The L200 in question is a big boy, by European standards anyway, as you are about to see on video below. And dont let the German language scare you, because its a good opportunity to see it in action towards the end of the clip.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves directly between the Sun and the Earth, fully or partially blocking the light that falls onto our planet. Next week we are going to see an annular eclipse (not to be confused with 'annual,' which refers to a phenomenon that occurs once a year or every year). An annular eclipse takes place when our natural satellite is the furthest away from Earth, making it appear smaller than the Sun.From the observer's perspective, the Moon will not cover the Sun's view entirely. This will make it look like there's a "ring of fire" around the Moon. The lucky skywatchers who will be able to view this phenomenon will be those located in parts of Canada, Greenland, and northern Russia.In some places, viewers won't get to see this ring around the Moon. What they'll be witnessing instead is a partial solar eclipse. This occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are not perfectly aligned. Only a portion of the Sun's surface will be obscured. The partial solar eclipse can be spotted in the eastern U.S. and northern Alaska, as well as much of Canada and portions of the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.The annular eclipse will be visible in the U.S. across the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, and Northern Alaska. The event will occur before, during, and shortly after sunrise in many of these areas. This implies that skywatchers must have a clear view of the horizon to actually be able to witness the eclipse. NASA advises people to wear special solar viewing or eclipse glasses throughout the entire celestial event if they want to face the Sun. Even if the Sun is partially or fully covered by the Moon, it is never safe to stare directly at its rays. Moreover, it's important to know that regular sunglasses do not protect the eyes and should not be used while watching the eclipse.If you don't have solar viewing or eclipse glasses, rest assured. NASA can also teach you how to DIY your own pinhole projector. According to the agency, Pinhole projectors should not be used to stare directly at the Sun, but rather to project sunlight onto a surface. Here's a video below where you can learn how to make one at home from a cereal box.
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Dont go jumping to conclusions just yet, because the technology doesnt come anywhere close to Teslas Autopilot , but it may get there in a few years. Meanwhile, it is a nice addition to the menacing electric four-door supercar, and can make the daily commute more pleasant.So, how does the world look like from inside the Taycan Turbo S as it takes care of the driving part on its own? Quite German, to say the least. The driver claims that it wont blow your mind, but it works. Lets just say that we wont be seeing any videos of people taking a nap in the zero-emission Porsche while it blasts down the highway anytime soon.Like it or not, fully autonomous cars are just around the corner, and they will revolutionize road transport. However, thats a completely different topic, one that has sparked numerous debates over the years, so we wont delve into it. Instead, we will remind about some of the hot numbers of the Taycan Turbo S , which sits at the top of the family, promising supercar-like performance on zero emissions, and a spacious and luxurious interior.Porsches electric executive model has an EPA-estimated range of 201 miles (323 km) for the Sedan (to-be-announced for the Cross Turismo estate ), which will rocket you to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.6 seconds, from a standstill, thanks to its 750(761 PS / 560) on Overboost. U.S. pricing starts at $185,000, and in its home market, it can be ordered from 186,336 (equal to $226,679). The Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo comes from $187,600 and 187,764 ($228,416) respectively.
Doing reckless, stupid or otherwise illegal stuff at the wheel on public roads, filming the whole thing and then posting video on social media should be in a 101 manual on modern life, but here we are. This is neither the first nor the last time it happens, but the situation is slightly different. This was an official event and the driver was wearing full Rimac gear, which, as Road And Track points out, could mean he was an employee of some sorts.The video first popped up on reddit but was eventually deleted. As these things go, once something is on the Internet, theres no taking it down, so the video has resurfaced on YouTube. You will find it at the bottom of the page.There are two people in the Nevera, with one the Rimac-geared driver and the other person filming the action. On a two-lane mountain road in Dubrovnik, Croatia, with light traffic from the opposite direction, the driver steps on it and takes the 1,914 hp electric hypercar all the way up to 232 kph (144 mph), close to the maximum stated of 258 kph (412 kph).As the video went viral, Mate Rimac, the CEO of Rimac Automobili , was forced to acknowledge the incident and apologize for it. He confirms it occurred during the official debut on a public road, but notes that there was no reason was justification for it since a session at the track was scheduled right afterwards. He also says that the driver in question has turned himself in to the police, and that hes facing legal action.The lesson here remains the obvious one: if you do stupid stuff, keep it to yourself. Dont post about it online, regardless of how cool you think it would make you look. On the other hand, at least this guy was decent enough to spare the cops the effort and time, and turned himself in.
The Sukhoi Su-57, which was first tested around 11 years ago, is Russias 5th generation multi-role fighter that can take on air, ground and naval threats, while flying at a supersonic cruising speed. Designed to be able to perform in any type of future combat scenarios, including electronic warfare , its not only equipped with an advanced onboard radio-electronic system, but even its aerodynamic silhouette gives it increased stealth, making it harder to be detected by radars.Now, the Su-57, which has entered service with the Russian Armed Forces only last year, is rumored to soon be able to coordinate the operations of 2 to 4 of the latest Okhotnik drones. According to the Russian media , representatives of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said that work is currently being done on the possibility of controlling up to 4 drones from the cockpit of a Su-57. In upcoming operations, the fighter jets pilot will be able to command multiple Okhotnik drone attacks, aimed at both aerial and ground targets.A few years ago, there were also rumors going on about the Okhotnik heavyweight drone, which made its official debut in 2019. Back then, there wasnt a lot of information released about this innovative drone, capable of surveillance as well as strikes, which was supposed to challenge the U.S.s military drone supremacy. Like the Su-57 fighter, Okhotnik also has a reduced radar signature, thanks to its special design, and, at 20 tons, its able to reach a 620 mph (1,000 kph) speed.The Su-57 and the Okhotnik strike drone first flew together in 2019, when the drone performed several maneuvers in automated mode, over a 30-minute flight. Serial deliveries of the Okhotnik wont start until 3 years from now, which means theres plenty of time to continue testing Su-57 coordinated drone attacks.
Cybertruck-ready products are not new. One of the best and most recent examples is for the CyberLandr overlander , which promises to turn the electric pickup into a legit home on wheels for far-off adventures, whether on or off the grid. Demand for this overlander proved incredible, even though the idea of selling an aftermarket product for a car thats not even in production yet might seem strange.Earlier this week, Canadian-American camper company Loki Basecamp announced the new Falcon lineup of campers . The Falcon is an all-season, modular, and highly complete solution for adventure-seekers, and its priced accordingly at $135,000. And thats just the starting price, mind you.When designing a camper for every truck out there, Loki Basecamp did not overlook the upcoming electric pickups, like the Rivian and the Cybertruck . So yes, those who placed pre-orders on either can start thinking about upgrading them for their next years adventures. Deliveries for the Cybertruck version are also slated (although tentatively so) for 2022.The Loki Cybertruck fits into the vast bed of the e-truck and, unlike the other entries on the list, features a more angular design that matches the one on the truck. With a pickup as distinctive as the Cybertruck, you cant just put any regular-looking rig on top of it. Climate control, solar panels, roof racks, pull-out drawers, tie tracks, a comfortable living space and a variety of extras will turn the combo into the perfect rig to explore the great outdoors regardless of weather conditions and terrain.Pre-orders for the Loki Cybertruck are currently underway, with the option of a $10,000 refundable deposit. Future Cybertruck owners will want to take into account the fact that Elon Musk has conceded that delays to the production are likely, as well as the fact that Tesla has a reputation (of sorts) for missing deadlines.
The main pic of this piece (click photo to enlarge) shows one of these Pave Hawks at the end of an improvised selfie stick. The shot was taken as the aircraft was getting ready to land, and responsible for it is Airman 1st Class Zachary Rufus.Part of the fleet fielded by the 34th Weapons Squadron of the Weapons School stationed at the Nellis Air Force Base, the helicopter was recently part of a training competition held at the Nevada Test and Training Range. It was one of those moments when USAFs Weapons School instructors had a chance to get out and show their skills.And it shows. The squadrons main job is to train Pave Hawk personnel for air rescue mission. The unit dates back to 1952, and was involved in rescue missions during the Korean War.As for the Pave Hawk, the 4-people helicopter comes with a maximum speed of 221 mph (357 kph) and a range of 373 miles (600 km). Even if its primary goal is insertion and extraction, it packs a punch, as usually these two operations involve some type of activity very near and even behind enemy lines. As such, the aircraft is packed with machine guns.As said, Sikorsky is presently working on a replacement for the Pave Hawk. Its called Jolly Green II , and should come with double the range, achieved thanks to an improved fuel system, and the latest hardware in terms of defenses, weapons, and cyber-security.
Former Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Dbayeh, north of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Lebanese judicial officials say a team of French investigators have begun questioning Ghosn in Beirut Monday, May 31, 2021, over suspicions of misconducts. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Former President Trump said Saturday that North Carolina Rep. Ted Budd has his "complete and total endorsement" to replace the state's retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

Why it matters: The 2022 race for Burr's seat is set to be one of the most watched in the U.S. It could determine the balance of power in the Senate, which is technically split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris having the tie-breaker vote.

Trump made the endorsement at the 2021 North Carolina GOP state convention in his first public appearance outside his home state of Florida since leaving office in January.

The big picture: Trump vowed on stage at the convention that "we're going to campaign with" Budd, who joins a packed Republican primary field.
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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.
It is now possible in coming years for a high school senior in Kern County to walk across the stage at her commencement ceremony, then later w
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Bluefield, WV (24701)

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Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

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Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Mark your calendars  a new marijuana-inspired sandwich shop is opening later this month.

Cheba Hut, a Colorado-based franchise that specializes in "toasted" munchies, told MySA.com it's opening its Alamo Ranch location on Tuesday, June 29. The new joint is located at 11911 Alamo Ranch Pkwy.

FINALLY: Costco welcoming back free samples, food court seating

According to its website, the "toasted" sub shop offers over 30 signature sub sandwiches, like the Chronic (roast beef, barbecue, green bell pepper, 'shrooms, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and house dressing) and dank (genoa salami, pepperoni, marinara, double provolone, and shake).

In addition to the subs, the shop also has a munchies menu with items like French onion soup and garlic cheese bread. The menu also features Rice Krispies treats and "Cottonmouth Cures" (sodas, ice tea, and Kool-Aid).

Cheba Hut was founded by Scott Jennings, established in 1998 in Tempe, Arizona. The first store was opened near the campus of Arizona State University where Jennings attended college. Now headquartered in Colorado, the company currently has more than 40 franchises across 14 states.

In Texas, Cheba Hut has a location in Dallas and Austin. Once open, the new location in San Antonio will have hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday, according to its Facebook page.
Beaumont police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place Saturday evening and sent two people to the hospital.

Officers received a call about a welfare concern around 7 p.m. at the Lindbergh overpass. When they arrived at the scene, according to a Facebook post from the Beaumont Police Department, officers attempted to de-escalate the situation.


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Myanmar armed forces chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (right) meets with Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Pehin Yusof (left) in Naypyidaw, June 4, 2021.

Updated at 9:18 a.m. ET on 2021-06-07

Top ASEAN officials met Burmese junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar late last week where they presented names of candidates the bloc could appoint as a special envoy to the country and called for the release of all political prisoners, the regional group said in a statement.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has not as a bloc made the demand so far about people thrown in jail by the Myanmar junta after the Feb. 1 military coup.

[I]ssues that were discussed include the appointment and the role of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair, said the statement issued late on Saturday about the Friday-Saturday meeting among Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting Erywan Pehin Yusof, and Secretary-General of ASEAN H. Lim Jock Hoi.

In this regard, the Chairman of the AMM submitted to Myanmar the nominations proposed by ASEAN Member States for the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar. He also called for the release of all political prisoners, including women and children and foreigners.

Erywan is also Bruneis foreign minister and Brunei is ASEAN chair this year.

The statement did not mention what the Myanmar juntas response was to a possible envoy or the release of prisoners.

The statement however said that ASEANs chairman welcomed Myanmars commitment to resume ASEAN collective humanitarian efforts, although it gave no timeline for when this may happen. The bloc also said it welcomed Myanmars commitment in maintaining open and effective communication channels.

Still, the Myanmar junta has said it would not agree to a visit by an ASEAN envoy until it could establish stability in the country. It also said, more than once, it would not implement a five-point consensus the bloc reached on April 24, until there was stability in the country.

This, despite Min Aung Hlaing being party to the consensus and being present at the ASEAN leaders meeting in Jakarta where the agreement was hammered out. Myanmar is one of 10 ASEAN member states.

The consensus had also called for an immediate end to violence, which the Myanmar junta has not abided by.

For its part, ASEAN has yet to name an envoy five weeks since the blocs leaders meeting. Critics had blamed ASEANs inability to name an envoy on divisions within the regional bloc.

And international rights groups and political analysts had roundly criticized ASEAN for trying to water down a U.N. resolution that included a clause calling for a halt to military arms sales to Myanmar, a development first reported by BenarNews on May 27.

Separately, Myanmars shadow government said on Friday that it has no expectation that ASEAN can help Myanmar, because the bloc has only engaged with the junta and has neglected the parallel civilian government, regional media outlet The Irrawaddy reported.

Frankly speaking, we no longer have any faith in ASEANs efforts, and we have no expectation, said U Moe Zaw Oo, deputy foreign minister of the National Unity Government.

ASEAN, he said, does not have a solid plan for their credibility.

The April 24 meeting of ASEAN leaders had not invited anyone from the NUG, for which it was criticized by several rights groups.

ASEAN member Thailand on Sunday said it was concerned about the violence in Myanmar, Reuters news agency reported.

We have been following developments in Myanmar closely with much concern, especially incidents of violence in many parts of the country, foreign ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said in a statement.

He also said that Thailand calls for the release of all detainees and the concrete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus as soon as possible.

The implementation of the five-point consensus was the objective of the ASEAN officials meeting in Myanmar with its junta chief on Friday-Saturday, the blocs statement said.

The objective of the working visit was to discuss how ASEAN could assist Myanmar in reaching a peaceful solution in the interests of its people through the effective and timely implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, particularly the appointment and role of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, the statement said.

The meeting was held also to discuss how ASEAN could assist in facilitating constructive dialogue among all parties in Myanmar and provide ASEANs humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers from ASEAN countries and China are set to meet in person on Monday and Tuesday for the first time in more than a year, amid the political crisis in Myanmar.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, some observers had said, would assist ASEAN foreign ministers in agreeing on an envoy to Myanmar at this meeting to be held in Chongqing, China.

Beijing wields great influence in many Southeast Asian countries, owing to China's proximity and large investments in the regions nations. China has many significant investments in Myanmar, as well.

On Saturday, the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar met with Myanmars junta chief who reportedly said he was open to working with ASEAN, according to an embassy statement posted on Facebook.

The Myanmar side is willing to work together with ASEAN to safeguard the domestic stability of Myanmar and implement the relevant consensus, the statement by the Chinese embassy in Myanmar said.

China sincerely hopes for the  restoration of peace and stability in Myanmar, and supports the implementation of consensus by ASEAN and Myanmar. China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.
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We often hear the belief in God is declining, that Christianity is something which belongs in the 1950s and science has replaced faith today.

Online comment threads decry religion as only useful before humans evolved and now our society has grown out of it.

But has the world really moved on?

Around the world, about 2.3 billion people will put their hands up to say they are Christian but thats more nominal than anything, half of all Australians say theyre Christian but what does it mean?

If we asked how many people went to church last week globally, the number would be around 1.1 billion.

Globally there is massive growth in Christianity in the south being South America, Africa, and Asia. Its not particularly newsworthy in Western media and perhaps even shocking to many but Christianity is booming.

But lets look at Australia, has our country moved on?

Census after census, the number of people putting No Religion is increasing and in 2016 it was 30% going up from 22% yet 52% of Australians identified as Christian declining from 88% in 1966.

While most people think Christianitys decline in Australia is the growing belief in science, the biggest factor is how wealthy Australians have become.

As weve become richer, we have come to believe in the pride of self-gratification and reduced our dependency on God. The world may not have moved on but Australia seems to be moving on to say the least.

Just because Australia has grown in privilege and status doesnt mean we should abscond from the deep question of truth.

This perhaps is one of the most important question of life and one which was asked by a famous Roman in a position of power. Pilate asked a question everyone alive has probably thought of at least once, what truth is?

We could look at what various philosophers have theorised about truth, but lets go with the Oxford dictionary. Truth is defined as something which is true or in accordance with fact or reality.

For many Australians, the question of spirituality is reduced into a mere thought of what just feels right for me now.

Not too long ago, there was a tee-shirt which started to make its way into Sunday School showing Jesus sitting among Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, The Flash, Superman and Spiderman. Jesus is saying and thats how I saved the world.

Notice Jesus is placed on the same level as all the fictitious superheroes?

Modern Australian Spirituality

Modern Australian spirituality and egalitarianism resembles something like this tee-shirt meaning we can just pick and choose one of the superheroes and everything will be okay. Its then no surprise around 60,000 Australians identified their religion as Jedi in the last census.

If we think about spiritual things in this way, then its easy to just say I feel like superman today and maybe tomorrow Ill like Jesus or vice versa.

The truth claims of Christianity is not just based on the private revelations to religious leaders but based on things which happened publicly in a time and place we know.

Jesus and Christianity are anchored in history and recounted by many. While todays sceptics of Christianity may view using the Bible to support Jesus is an unprovable circular argument, it should be noted the Gospels stand also as an excellent historical collection of evidence for Jesus.

An example is Luke, a doctor in the New Testament but a good historian who travelled with the apostle Paul. At the start of Lukes gospel account of Jesus, he makes it abundantly clear why he has written the things down and, in the way, he has done so.

Luke chapter 1 begins with, Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

We know where and when Jesus life happened including his birth, life, death, and resurrection. Beyond the Gospels itself as a collection of evidence for the existence of Jesus, we have the Jewish historian Josephus (who wasnt a Christian) and others who also wrote many things about the times which fits in well with the New Testament.

Johns gospel written separately to that of Luke telling us of the personal nature of the truth of Jesus. When Jesus was before Pilate and was asked whether he was the King of the Jews, Jesus replied, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. (John chapter 18 verse 37).

The word testify is the same word we get witness and martyr from. It gets even more personal than this, with Jesus disciples asking him the way to God. Jesus famous reply as recorded in John chapter 14 verse 6 is, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The New Testament claims everything recorded about Jesus is objectively true. Whether it be time, place or historical events can be publicly assessed, its as personal as Gods revelation and call to trust Him. But its also very much personal in terms of how we respond to this message.

Today our societys response to the Christian faith is often one of not merely scepticism of faith of whether it is true or false but rather I dont like it, or its offensive.

The Gospel offends our pride as we are reminded of our inability to save us from ourselves. The Gospel emphasises the need of a Saviour as we dwell among our fallen world with a sinful nature.

Jesus offers us the promise of knowing God and forgiveness for eternal life. He also says the way to get what he promises is to accept Him as Lord and master, and to live with Him as the ruler of our lives.

People often dont like that.

So, seeing the truth is to humble yourself before God which also means we put Jesus ahead of our mindset of fulfillment through earthly wealth.

Let us not forget John chapter 7 verse 17 where Jesus says, anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

Australia as a nation, we ought to humble ourselves before God once again to become the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit and come to know His word.

Even though it seems the world has moved on in wealth in enabling Australians to run life our own way, we can find truth from Jesus because He is the only one who promises and delivers true community, hope, forgiveness and peace, confidence, and eternal life.
Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Statehouse Reporter

Danny Jin is the Eagle's Statehouse reporter. A graduate of Williams College, he previously interned at the Eagle and The Christian Science Monitor. Danny can be reached at djin@berkshireeagle.com or on Twitter at @djinreports.
The Outlook is today's look ahead at the week's weather, its impact on the Berkshires and beyond. Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com.
Reparations for the enslavement of Black people in America has been a heated topic for decades, but in Louisville, Ky., the descendant of a slave-owning family has chosen to donate a six-figure amount as restitution for the people that their family enslaved.



Change Today, Change Tomorrow, an African American non-profit organization that helps marginalized communities, announced the donation on Monday, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported. The exact dollar amount was not disclosed.



"It is a blessing for us but also definitely owed," said executive director, Taylor Ryan.



Officials with Change Today, Change Tomorrow did not name the donor, but said in a press release that the person had come into a significant amount of money on their 25th birthday.

That person learned that their great-grandfather had held six people in slavery in Bourbon County, Ky., but the names of those people were never recorded so their descendants could not be identified.



"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," the nonprofit said in the press release. According to the statement, the donor told them their ancestor inflicted the trauma and violence of slavery on six people for his own monetary gain and did not even bother to record their names. Although no amount of money could ever right that wrong, their descendants deserve repayment for what was taken.

RELATED: The Tulsa Race Massacre 100 Years Later: Why Descendants Are Demanding Reparations For The Racial Terrorism Their Ancestors Faced



Ryan said that the nonprofit is planning to put 40 percent of the funds toward support for its staff, another 40 percent will go toward sustaining community outreach efforts and 20 percent will be placed on reserve.



"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 reparations coming in, we're going to continue to do the work and continue to show up, said Nannie Grace Croney Change Today, Change Tomorrows deputy director.



The donation, while generous, is not without precedent. In 2018, an anonymous donor gave $200,000 to the Denver non-profit Soul2Soul Sisters. That donor turned out to be a graduate student who found out her family had once enslaved a Black person.



In March, Evanston, Ill., reported that it approved payments of up to $25,000 in reparations payments to its Black citizens. Also the city council in Asheville, N.C., voted in favor of reparations payments.



In April, a U.S. House of Representatives panel advanced a resolution on creating a commission to study payment of reparations to descendants of enslaved Black people.
Two Black high school students in Mississippi are reportedly having to share their prestigious honor with their white classmates.

According to Mississippi Today, West Point High, which is located in the eastern portion of the state, is facing backlash for changing its class ranking system after it announced Ikeria Washington as valedictorian and Layla Temple as salutatorian for the Class of 2021 on May 24. On Thursday (June 3), the school wrote that it recognizes students with both the highest Quality Point Average (QPA) and Grade Point Average (GPA).

Washington and Temple reportedly had the two highest QPAs while two other white students had the highest GPAs, resulting in four students being recognized.

The two students with the highest QPA are Ikeria Washington and Layla Temple. The students with the highest GPA are Dominic Borgioli and Emma Berry, the school wrote in a Facebook post before deleting it, Mississippi Today reports. The WPCSD feels it necessary to recognize four seniors at graduation.

After a white parent questioned school officials about whether they were following guidelines in the school handbook in determining the top students, superintendent Burnell McDonald stated that the high school guidance counselor was given incorrect information about how to determine which students would be named valedictorian and salutatorian. He said Washington and Temple qualified based on quality point average rather than their grade point average. Rather than replace the two Black students, the two white students were added.

RELATED: Watch Princeton's First Black Valedictorian Nicholas Johnson Deliver Inspirational Commencement Speech

(The parents) argument was that based on our handbook, we shouldve been using semester averages, McDonald said. And when you generate the report from the system, it clearly shows the two white students wouldve been first and second based on that number.

He continued: If someone assumes I was discriminatory in my decisions, they are absolutely wrong. I dont know if you can tell on the phone, but Im African-American myself This is not based on who the parents are, the race of the kids  its based on doing whats right for all students.

On the other hand, Angela Washington and Lakira Temple, the mothers of the Black students, had questions.

Im still baffled, said Washington, according to MT. She told the newspaper she and Temple had a meeting with the West Point High School principal, an assistant superintendent and McDonald at lunch on the day of graduation. In that meeting, Washington says McDonald told how the school has made its calculations in the past, and that her and Temples daughters would be ranked first and second.

What it looks like is because the handbook doesnt specifically say GPA (grade point average) or QPA (quality point average), to make the other side happy, he changed the rules on his own, said Washington, who has requested a meeting with the school board this month.
The three living survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre are reportedly slated to be given $100,000 each from the Justice for Greenwood Foundation.

Viola Fletcher, Lessie Benningfield Randle, and Hughes Van Ellis recently testified before Congress, asking lawmakers to acknowledge the reality of racial violence in America.

This gift for the survivors of the Tulsa massacre shows that we have the power to demand justice for Black communities in Tulsa and all across the country, Justice for Greenwood Foundation founder and executive director Damario Solomon Simmons said, according to Bin News. The gift comes as a result of a partnership between the Foundation supporters, Color of Change, and national fundraising.

RELATED: Twitter Reacts To Tom Hanks Comments About Tulsa Race Massacre

I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street, I still smoke and see fire, Fletcher told Congress last month. 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.

Fletchers brother, Van Ellis, said the Massacre left their family in ruins. We were made refugees in our own country, he said in his testimony.

Earlier this week, a centennial commemoration was held to honor the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. President Joe Biden unveiled a multi-part approach to address economic inequality stemming from racial violence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Family and friends of Winston Boogie Smith Jr. want the body camera footage of his arrest attempt, which led to his death, released.

According to USA Today, authorities did not immediately release the mans name, however, people close to the 32-year-old father of three have. And they want answers.

In a statement to the news outlet, the U.S. Marshals Service said that its task force was trying to arrest the man on a state warrant for illegal possession of a firearm. They claim Smith failed to comply with officers commands and "produced a handgun resulting in task force members firing upon the subject.

RELATED: Ex-Police Officer Charged in Daunte Wright Shooting Makes First Court Appearance

Additionally, State investigators said a handgun and a spent cartridge found inside Smiths parked car indicate he also fired his gun. No footage of the incident has been released by authorities.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said there is no dash cam footage of the shooting, and the U.S. Marshals Service does not allow body cameras for officers on the task force.

A crowd of protesters formed on Thursday afternoon (June 3) as a result of the news of the shooting. Shelly Hopkins, who was in a longtime relationship with Smith, told the Associated Press he didn't deserve to be killed.

I dont know exactly what happened, she said. But I know him. And he didnt deserve that... He had the best heart out of anybody Ive ever met in my life.

Smiths family and friends are demanding transparency and called for the release of all footage from security and surveillance cameras in the area. They also want to know the identity of the officers involved and dont believe theres no video of what happened.
A mother in Spokane, Washington, is calling for the removal of school officials after a racially insensitive assignment for her daughters that reportedly involved picking cotton.

According to ABC News, the mother, Brandi Feazell, was informed by her 14-year-old twin daughters that their teacher at Sacajawea Middle School assigned them and other students to pick cotton in a race to see who could pick it the fastest. The assignment is a reminder of a time when Blacks were enslaved and forced to pick cotton on plantations in the South.

The offensive classroom assignment was given on May 3rd during Emzayia and Zyeshauwne Feazells social studies class. They told the news o utlet they were "hurt" and "shocked" during the lesson and told their mother.

RELATED: Alabama Student Uncovers Racist Bad A Bs Group Chat Among Teachers

"For you to pass out cotton and to my children [and tell them] that essentially, they're going to pick the cotton clean and it's a race of who can get it clean first, that was extremely bothersome to me and my children," Brandi Feazell told the network. "Under no circumstance ... do they need to be taught what it's like to be a slave or what it's like to be Black."

The mother reached out to Sacajaweas Principal Assistant Taylor Skidmore about their teachers tone-deaf lesson. Unfortunately, not only did the administration support the assignment, but also recommended that the two girls separate themselves from the teacher to avoid participating in the project, ABC reports.

"[The teacher] is still at work and yet my kids are being punished when I'm told that the best thing they could do for my kids at that point was to segregate them into a room by themselves away from the white teacher," Feazell tells the television news outlet.

Spokane Public School District released an open statement explaining that the lesson was to help students learn about the Industrial Revolution and the cotton gin. A representative of the district, however, tells ABC News that a third-party investigation was also taking place.

"We hope that these teachers and educators are going to fulfill and thrive and grow and help us create these children that are going to be productive citizens in the world and make it a better place," Feazell tells the network. "When I sent my children to school that day, they came back with their mental and their spirit and their emotional beings of themselves broken."

The twins are currently not attending school and Feazell. "The family is calling for the social studies teacher and other school administrators to be disciplined for how they handled the situation. They are also calling for the removal of Skidmore, as well as a formal apology from the school district," the report says


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A Pakistani court has acquitted a Christian couple of blasphemy after nearly eight years on death row.

Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar were accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in text messages in 2013.

Mosque leader Maulvi Mohammed Hussain said Emmanuel used his wife's phone to send him a number of blasphemous statements, including a message insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

However, the texts were written in English - a language the couple are not even able to speak.

Despite this, they were charged with "insulting the Quran" and "insulting the prophet".

The couple have always maintained their innocence, while Emmanuel claimed that he was tortured into giving a false confession.

After years in prison, the Lahore High Court acquitted the couple on Thursday and ordered their release.

Saif-ul-Malook, the couple's attorney, told International Christian Concern he was "just happy to get justice for this couple."

Accusations of blasphemy against Christians and other minorities are common in Pakistan. The charges are serious, carrying a death penalty but human rights advocates say the laws are often misused to make false accusations often for personal gain or to settle vendettas.

Even though blasphemy cases normally result in acquittals, it can be years before they reach the courts, and even after being acquitted, the accused are often forced to go into hiding because of death threats.

Another victim of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, Asia Bibi, had to seek asylum with her family in Canada after being released following nearly a decade on death row in terrible conditions.

ICC Regional Manager William Stark said it was "great to see such a prolonged blasphemy case justly resolved" but he said the couple remain unsafe, as do other Christians who are at risk of false blasphemy accusations.

He called for urgent reform of Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

"We remain deeply concerned for the safety of the Christian couple and their family," he said.

"Extremists in Pakistan are known to target individuals accused of religious crimes, like blasphemy, even after they have been acquitted.

"The abuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws must be curbed, and false allegations must be rooted out and punished.

"Too often these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minorities.

"Without reform, religious minorities will continue to face false blasphemy accusations and the violence that often accompanies these accusations."



Republished with permission from Christian Today
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JOSEPH, OR - Lightning activity from thunderstorms passing through the area Thursday night and into Friday morning ignited multiple wildfires near the Washington/Oregon border as well as another southeast of Lewiston. Responding resources have successfully contained some of the ignitions, however others remain active and uncontained.

The Joseph County Fire (Photo above), initially reported on the morning of Friday, June 4 by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is burning in steep rugged terrain in the Joseph Canyon area of northern Wallowa County, OR. Low humidity, warm temperatures and breezy winds hampered firefighting efforts Friday and the fire rapidly spready through the grassy vegetation within the canyon and cross over the state line into Washington. The fire continued to burn actively overnight into Saturday and is estimated to be approximately 2,000 acres in size.

The fire is burning on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management. A local interagency Type 3 team will shadow firefighters today and transition management of the fire to the team around 6:00pm on Saturday.

A second fire, deemed the Dry Creek Fire, is also burning just east of the Joseph Canyon Fire. It is estimated to be 328 acres in size and is located solely on Wallowa-Whitman National Forest land.

All jurisdictions involved share common objectives in managing these fires, which is to fight the fires aggressively while maximizing the safety of the public and all fire staff involved. Due to the remote location and steep, rugged terrain, the fires are mostly being fought by air attack.

Rappelers, smoke jumpers and air tankers were brought in for initial suppression efforts. Three large airtankers dropped retardant along the perimeter of the Joseph Canyon Fire on Friday to help slow the growth. In addition to firefighter delivery, Type 2 helicopters were used to drop water on hot spots. There aerial resources will continue to support firefighters on the ground, as well as the addition of Single Engine Air Tankers. Active fire behavior is expected throughout Saturday with low humidity and increasing winds as a cold front passes through.

A third fire located southeast of Lewiston, ID has also been reported according to Nez Perce County Fire crews and the US Wildfire Activity Map. The map shows the fire to be located near Hamilton Canyon outside of the Slickpoo area. Additional details on that fire will be added to this post as soon as they become available.

Note: Fire perimeters are evolving at the time of this release
The revelation shows American money was funding risky research on coronaviruses with Peoples Liberation Army scientists  including decorated military scientist Zhou Yusen and the Wuhan Institute of Virologys Bat Woman, Shi Zhengli.

Now we learn that Zhou, 54, is dead - three months after filing a patent for a COVID-19 vaccine in Feb. 2020.

Zhou Yusen, Zhengli Shi

According to the report, Zhou's May 2020 death went largely under the radar, despite the fact that he was an award-winning scientist at the PLA's Laboratory of Infection and Immunity at the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology. "There were no reports paying tribute to his life. His death was only mentioned in passing in a Chinese-media report in July and at the end of a December scientific paper. Both had the word deceased in brackets after his name."

And while Zhou's death may have been suspicious (or he may have simply died of COVID), the revelation that the US government was funding his research with the WIV may provide a clue as to why US officials - Dr. Fauci (backed by the 'scientific community' after his lapdog, EcoHelath Alliance's Peter Daszak, penned a 'natural origin or you're a lunatic' letter in the Lancet) - peddled the CCP's 'natural origin' theory, while any suggestion that it could have been created in and/or leaked from the very lab which received NIH dollars was strictly verboten.

Emails released under a Freedom of Information request from Buzzfeed this week showed that, in the early days of the pandemic, Dr Fauci was concerned that US funding had gone towards gain-of-function research in China. In other emails, scientists wrote to Dr Fauci expressing the preliminary view that the SARS-CoV-2 genome appeared inconsistent with expectations from evolutionary theory and that it had some features that potentially look engineered. -The Weekend Australian

In short, 'conflict of interest' doesn't even begin to explain what Fauci is now going to have to explain the next time Rand Paul has him in the hot seat.

The revelation shows American money was funding risky research on coronaviruses with Peoples Liberation Army scientists  including decorated military scientist Zhou Yusen and the Wuhan Institute of Virologys Bat Woman, Shi Zhengli. ... National security sources said the ties between Zhou and Dr Shi supported claims by US intelligence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was engaged in secret military activity. -The Australian

How long was China sitting on the genetic sequence for SARS-CoV-2?

SARS-CoV-2

If we're considering the timeline and its implications, Zhou died three months after filing a Feb. 24, 2020 patent application for a COVID-19 vaccine. While this could mean that he was working on a COVID-19 vaccine before the virus became public knowledge in December 2019, keep in mind that Moderna was able to design the sequence for their COVID-19 vaccine just two days after Chinese officials released its genetic sequence on Jan. 11, 2020 - filing for their first related patent in March, two months later.

Also note that Zhou had been working on coronavirus vaccines since at least 2006 in response the original SARS-CoV outbreak - authoring a study which found that "the vaccines containing the (receptor-binding domain) of SARS-CoV S protein may induce sufficient neutralising antibodies and long-term protective immunity against SARS-CoV challenge in the established mouse model."

So, assuming an expert would need approximately two months to go from genomic sequence to patent application, it implies that China withheld the genetic sequence for a month before its Jan. 11 public release. Or, Zhou may have had more of a 'head start' than that.

"This is something we have never seen achieved before, raising the question of whether this work may have started much earlier," said Nikolai Petrovsky from Flinders University.

(And if one wants to explore the implications assuming SARS-CoV-2 was genetically engineered, Karl Denninger has some thoughts below)

And while we may never know the full extent of Zhou's role in all of this, he and 'bat woman' Zhengli were working on a COVID vaccine right before the pandemic.

Per the Weekend Australian:

Right before the pandemic, Zhou and three other scientists from the PLA-run Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology  Yuehong Chen, Lei He and Shishui Sun  partnered with two Wuhan Institute of Virology scientists  Dr Shi and Jing Chen  and eight Chinese scientists now based in the US at the University of Minnesota and the Lindsley Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Centre. Their paper, titled Molecular Mechanism for Antibody-Dependent Enhancement of Coronavirus Entry, was submitted to the Journal of Virology on November 27, 2019, and was published on February 14, 2020. The research examined MERS and SARS coronaviruses as avenues for antibody-based antiviral drug therapy to treat coronaviruses. Their paper had some positive results: Taken together, our results show that RBD-specific neutralising MAbs bind to the same region on coronavirus spikes as viral receptors do, trigger conformational changes of the spikes as viral receptors do, and mediate ADE through the same pathways as viral-receptor-dependent viral entry. They found this novel molecular mechanism for antibody-enhanced viral entry could guide future vaccination and antiviral strategies. This study was conducted in vitro, meaning in a petri dish or test tube, using humanised kidney and lung cells. Their last paragraph indicated the next step in a future paper would be to conduct in vivo experiments with humanised mice or primates. A paper published in Nature Reviews Immunology 18 months later, in April this year, would find that neutralising monoclonal antibodies could help the treatment of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Zhou's patent application states: "The invention relates to the field of biomedicine, and relates to a Covid-19 vaccine, preparation methods and applications. The fusion protein provided by the invention can be used to develop the Covid-19 protein vaccine and a drug for preventing or treating the Covid-19."

Yusen Zhou () ()

1. Gain-of-function of viral entry (Shibo Jiang, and Fang Li, search them for more info)

2. Vaccine patent on 2020.02.24 (Wei Chen, Yusen Zhou, Ningyi Jin...)

3. Animal Model (Chuan Qin)

4. The NIH-PLA Network

left to right = infiltration pathway pic.twitter.com/M5E14ylSM9   (@dezying) June 4, 2021

What does this all mean now? Karl Denninger has a few thoughts via market-ticker.org, and is notably very suspicious of the patent timing (edited for brevity):

So what do we now know?

China's military was in fact involved at the Wuhan lab. It was not just a civilian operation. This, by the way, has been repeatedly denied over the last year and change.

was in fact involved at the Wuhan lab. It was not just a civilian operation. This, by the way, has been repeatedly denied over the last year and change. The lab's scientists knew not only the sequencing of the virus but in addition had a patentable way to create an alleged vaccine before the pandemic was public. It takes time to draft patents and figure them out. Quite a lot of time, in fact -- not a couple weeks or months.

before the pandemic was public. Quite a lot of time, in fact -- not a couple weeks or months. It takes time to prove up patent material, including in the case of a vaccine. To patent something you must be able to demonstrate it; you cannot patent ideas , only embodiments of ideas. In that case you would have to prove immunogenicity which isn't instantaneous; it takes weeks or even months to get through original science on this with animals and then humans, which means the date of knowledge was not February 24th it was months or even further before that.

patent material, including in the case of a vaccine. To patent something you must be able to demonstrate it; you cannot patent , only embodiments of ideas. In that case you would have to prove immunogenicity which isn't instantaneous; it takes weeks or even months to get through original science on this with animals and then humans, which means the date of knowledge was not February 24th That means they were working on this even before that time because to work on a vaccine you have to know you must or would want to work on it in the first place. This in turn means they knew damn well there was a virulent virus in the wild prior to that date, or they released it or intended to release it into the wild on purpose . Nobody comes up with a vaccine for a virus you intend to and have confined entirely within a laboratory in animal or cell culture testing; that's worthless. Without an isolate to create a vaccine for and a virus outside of a lab environment where vaccination becomes a "thing" that might be required and thus have value why would you do the work to create one?

What's the timeline on all this? Many, many months or even a couple of years.

That means either the virus was "out" for many months to a couple of years before February of 2020 (not a month or two) or the Chinese intended to release it in the fall of 2019. In either case the evidence is now overwhelming that this was not a virus that "magically appeared" one fine day in late December having come naturally from bats and perhaps pangolins. That is not just improbable anymore -- it is now, on the manifest weight of the evidence, impossible.

...

Next up is exactly what sort of vaccine patent we're talking about here?

Specifically how is it that the "stiffened" areas in the viral vector and mRNA shots we're using in the US came to be known and proved up? How did Moderna and Pfizer know they needed to do that? That sort of study takes months if not years too, not days or weeks, to both come up with it and then prove it actually works as expected.

Remember that Covid-19 has a rather-unique site on the spike called the "furin-cleavage" area which it uses to "fold" and get into the cell; the S1 unit attaches, the cleavage area "folds" and then the second part penetrates the cell wall like a spear. SARS and MERS both lack this structure so there was no "prior art" to use and in the first couple of months the characterizing of all of this was pretty darn new.

Yet the "official story" is that these folks had a proposed candidate configuration, including the replacement of encodings to "stiffen" that area within days of the publication of the viral RNA sequence for Covid-19.

Is the completed work in that area what the Chinese "gave" us complete with that part of the work already done? That would explain how it happened that quickly, wouldn't it? I'd sure like to understand how someone -- anyone -- does that sort of work complete with the lab verification in cell cultures and animals, reachig those conclusions in days.

What are the connections there? I'd like a full explanation of that please.

* * *

As would we.
American President Joe Biden flies to Europe next week for a series of major summits in what was being billed as a happy revival for the transatlantic alliance. Four years of bitter and divisive chaos under Trump were supposed to be sutured by the new president declaring the importance of a strong U.S.-European partnership and shared values.

Unfortunately for Biden, the scandal over U.S. spying on European governments looks like casting a shadow on the happy family reunion. Whats more, this American president is fully implicated in the illicit snooping.

The timing also upsets Bidens attempt to burnish Americas image as a defender of rules-based order and shared Western values when he meets Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Geneva for their first face-to-face presidential summit.

Several European media outlets published reports last week on how Denmarks intelligence services were spying on European neighbors on behalf of the American National Security Agency. The illegal surveillance is said to date back to 2013 when Barack Obama was in the White House and Joe Biden was his vice president. Whistleblower Edward Snowden, who formerly worked as a contractor for the NSA and who is now in exile in Russia to avoid persecution in the United States, claims that Biden was closely involved in the surveillance operations.

There was stunned silence among the European governments last week when the reports emerged. However, this week several leaders, including Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, have become more vocal in denouncing the reports of American spying as outrageous and unacceptable.

When Biden attends the G7 summit in England on June 11-13 and the NATO meeting in Brussels on June 14, his first in-person encounter with allies since becoming president will be strained by awkward questions about the reported U.S. tapping of private communications.

As Danish defense analyst Peter Viggo Jakobsen drily observed: This is an embarrassing matter for the Americans. Joe Biden must try to find a grimace useful for sweeping this under the carpet.

The Europeans bear some of the shame too. For their embarrassment stems from them being seen in the eyes of their own citizens as pathetic vassals under American domination.

Indeed, the latest reports of illicit spying on allies are hardly new. Snowden revealed as far back as 2013 that the Obama administration was tapping Merkels private phone conversations. Snowden also revealed that the British intelligence agency, GCHQ, has been acting as Washingtons ears and eyes over Europe for many years.

And as our columnist Ron Ridenour commented in Strategic Culture Foundation this week, the Danish intelligence services have been colluding with the American NSA for decades to spy on Danish citizens and European governments. In an article we published back in January 2021  five months before the latest media furore  Ridenour explained how Denmark has been serving U.S. wars for three decades, including by facilitating illegal surveillance across Europe.

See also his investigative report published in December 2020 in which he commented: Denmarks military allows the United States National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on the nations Finance Ministry, Foreign Ministry, private weapons company Terma, the entire Danish population, and Denmarks closest neighbors: Sweden, Norway, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Information that the NSA acquired, with the aid of Denmarks Defense Intelligence Service (FE) under the command of the Defense Department, was used to convince the government to buy Lockheed Martins Joint Strike Fighter F-35 capable of carrying nuclear weapons, albeit Denmark forbids the possession of nuclear weapons on its territory.

So, the latest scandal is actually an old  if under-reported  story of malign conduct by the Americans towards their European allies, and often with European assistance against their own citizens and neighbors. In this context, European leaders will scarcely be surprised by the supposed latest revelations. There is good reason to believe that all European intelligence agencies are in bed with their American counterpart.

What the Europeans are obliged to do at the forthcoming summits with Biden is to put on a public show of indignation and protest.

Not so much to actually challenge the American leader but to try to appear as less than mere vassals in the eyes of their own citizens.

In other words, the U.S. spying and European collusion will continue into the future. There will be no stopping the intrusion any time soon. Because European governments and their political establishments are not independent of American power. That is reflected in the way the European Union abjectly acquiesces to a reckless and criminal U.S. policy of hostility towards Russia, China, Iran, and other nations.

The political benefit from the reports of U.S. mass espionage and European collusion is the empowering perspective it gives to European citizens and others around the world.

Almost with comic timing, Biden is to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16 in Geneva only days after his embarrassing encounter with European vassals, er sorry, allies.

The White House and several U.S. lawmakers, as well as anti-Russian European lawmakers, were huffing and puffing that Biden would reproach Putin over allegations of the Kremlins malign conduct. Those allegations include Russian intelligence agencies and hackers interfering in Western democracies. How richly ironic! And for people willing to see the truth, how powerfully self-indicting of American and European actual malign conduct, as opposed to the baseless claims made against Moscow.
Christian leaders and media wasted not a moment in stating their unabashed support and rapturous applause for our Pentecostal PM, after his recent rock-star appearance at the Australian Christian Churches conference, held on the Gold Coast.

Personally, it left me wondering whether he walked home on water, or whether we should be more measured in our appraisal. (Oh, by the way the PM also gave the same speech at a United Israel fund raising event, but without the Christian parlance).

He pressed the right buttons. a voice for righteousness at last (maybe)

Scott Morrison hasnt earned the moniker Scotty from Marketing for no reason. Before an adoring audience he played the tune weve longed to hear from our Christian PM.

He started by revealing the names of the members in his Christian support group at Parliament, then went on to reveal his close friendship with celebrity Pastors, such as Pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston of Hillsong fame. And as a passing remark he mentioned his wife, Jenny, and then his father-in-law Roy, both examples of Christian compassion in action, thereby evincing his strong conviction of the importance of family (something the Left hates him for).

After these introductory comments he moved straight to his call-to-action, for which he desperately needs our help, if we are to save our nation from ruin at the hands of the ungodly.

What might the PM require of us? Well, youll have to wait a little before I reveal the secret sauce that will deliver us.

Firstly, lets look at the profundity of the problem, which Scotty sort of alluded to. Ready for it? Here it is; the Evil One aka the Devil is poisoning the minds our young people through social media. Dividing us into identity groups. You know LGBT+, Trans, Black, White communities etc. Mentioning the Evil One is definitely stroking the righteous desire of Christians to see the Evil One defeated. Well said PM, I now feel warm and fuzzy (maybe theres an election coming?).

Evidently, young people are more vulnerable than most to these falsehoods, and are saying nasty thing to each other on Facebook and other social media platforms.

The PM needs our help

Scotty needs our help, so hes calling us to live in community. According to him, this will stop the rot. Loving one another, having strong families and strong organisations and strong churches, all of which practise living in community. Where the individual is valued over his or her identity group.

Well at least we can be grateful that he didnt ask us to hold hands and sing Lennons Give Peace a Chance, we know that wouldnt work. And neither will his salvation by community fantasy.

Its one thing to define the problem correctly, its another to offer a viable solution to it. The PM made a reasonable attempt at the former, but fell far short when it comes to offering a solution.

Lessons from history (and political science)

Any student of history can tell you that those in power make decisions which change the destiny of nations for good or ill. The emperor Constantine set in motion policies that would give birth to Western Christian Civilisation from the Graeco-Roman womb, which was totally pagan.

Adolf Hitler led the world into a world war, wielding his power over the German state. I wont bore with an appalling litany of bloodshed, immorality and misery, inflicted upon humanity by our enlightened leaders.

In our generation its the Marxists, who are running the show. And I would aver that Scottys lack of commitment to a tangible, concrete action plan, to actually change the direction of our nation, means that the Left will eventually shipwreck us on the shoals of Marxist lies.

A reed blowing in the wind

Jesus said of John the Baptist, that he was not A reed blowing in the wind. Lamentably the same cant be said of our PM. John the Baptist called out Herods adultery with the wife of his brother Philip, regardless of the cost (even his head). Weve yet to see Scotty do anything of substance to deliver our nation from its godless course.

School children across our nation still suffer under LGBT+ and Transgender indoctrination on his watch. Did the PM have anything to say about this? Not a word. The National Curriculum Review is about to remove our Christian and Western heritage from its purview. Has our PM pledged his commitment to save it? Not a word.

Pornography is destroying the lives of our adolescents. Was there any mention from his government to stop this? Not a word (even Bill Shorten is lobbying for action on this issue). Transgender men continue to invade womens sport, under his government. Are there any plans to protect women? Not a word.

During his speech the PM frequently quoted the book of Esther And who knows, but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? It had a doleful and hollow ring. Esther marshalled all her courage to approach the royal court, in order to speak to the most powerful man in Persia, to avert genocide of the Jews. For Scotty . for a such a time as this means laying hands on people and praying for them in shelters during times of crisis, and not raising a banner for righteousness.

Will I be voting for Scotty from Marketing in the next election? Absolutely, the alternative is far worse. Notwithstanding, I know what Im voting for A reed blowing in the wind not a man with a character of steel like John the Baptist, who is prepared to defend righteousness, no matter the cost.
Direct from Drought.gov:

After two water years of dry conditions, both California and Nevada are now 100% in drought. And with dire drought conditions, rapidly decreasing snowpack, and low reservoir levels, concern for wildfire season is growing. Read the drought status update to learn more.

This is a dry spell not seen since the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl days. Because of the drought, Americans very likely will experience a shocking food shortage very soon.

As explained in my previous article, drought is also affecting Arizona, and Colorado and the prairie states like Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. However, other states such as those in the Midwest and areas considered the nations corn belt also suffer from the drought.

Midwest states suffering the most

Here are the states in the Midwest currently experiencing drought conditions:

Iowa  Iowa has been in a state of drought for some time. About 8% of the state is considered severe drought, an area spanning about 12 counties in the northwestern part of the state. About 64% of Iowa currently suffers from abnormally dry conditions, or worse.

Illinois  Drought in Illinois, particularly the northeastern portion, has intensified to severe is now covering about 6% of the state. Abnormally dry conditions are present across the northern region and east side of the state. About 27% of the state is suffering from abnormally dry conditions, or worse.

Nebraska  One of the lucky ones, Nebraska received some much-needed rain. Unfortunately, that wasnt enough to end the drought. Moderate drought is at 16%, while 45% of the state suffers from abnormally dry conditions, or worse.

Indiana  Probably the least dry state of the drought-stricken Midwest. Less than 1% of the state in drought conditions though about 21% reporting abnormally dry conditions.

Minnesota  The drought is getting worse in Minnesota. Two counties in the northwest of the state are in severe drought while moderate drought has spread to 21% of the state. Overall, about 55% of the state suffers from abnormally dry conditions, or worse.

Michigan  Michigan hasnt been spared either. 78% of the state is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, 64% moderate drought, and 6% severe drought.

Southeast U.S. is not as bad, but still not looking good

The Southeast United States is faring better. However:

Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina are experiencing drought conditions as well.

Texas , not mentioned as much: 52% experiencing abnormally dry conditions, 32% moderate drought, 20% severe drought, and 12% extreme drought. Nearly 6% of the state is experiencing exceptional drought.

Though typically a dry state, New Mexico is 100% experiencing abnormally dry conditions, 99% moderate drought, 96% severe drought, 77% extreme drought, and 47% exceptional drought.

Still dont believe the U.S. is suffering a severe dry spell?

The issue went before the U.S. Congress. From the AZ Mirror:

A drought crisis unfolding across the West will require short-term relief and massive, long-term federal funding to help states weather the effects of climate change, state water managers and lawmakers said at a U.S. House hearing on Tuesday. Nearly 90 percent of the West is now experiencing drought conditions, according to the federal U.S. Drought Monitor. The problem is particularly acute in the Southwest.

Many states suffer from the driest water year on record

According to the AZ Mirror:

Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah just had their driest year in 126 years. Colorado had its fourth-driest year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Snowpack is well below average this year, and early snowmelt is raising serious concerns for this summer. Droughts are not new, but many are experiencing the impact of one of the driest water years on record, Elizabeth Klein, a senior counselor at the Interior Department who is overseeing drought response, said at the hearing before a panel of the House Natural Resources Committee. Competing demands for water can lead to more conflict.

Water wars heat up as the dry spell worsens

The AZ Mirror also reported:

Among those conflicts are who gets priority for limited water resources: upstream users, farmers, endangered fish, tribes, or municipal water systems. In some cases, states are in conflict over who has rights to the water. The U.S. Supreme Court has several interstate water disputes on its docket, including cases between Mississippi and Tennessee and Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.

None of these issues are unforeseen consequences

They are the natural consequences of drought brought on, not by mythical CO2-based climate change. But a combination of natural phenomena, human action, and lack of preparation, problem-solving, and adaptation by governments and industry.

We shouldnt look to Congress to solve the repercussions of the drought. (Unless the solution is giving themselves a raise.) Instead, all we can do is prepare ourselves and our families as best we can.

In other words, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

I will say it again

Were facing famine conditions.

The drought isnt coming. Its HERE.

And whatever you think might be the causes, there are no signs that any reasonable solutions will be discovered or implemented any time soon. The best course of action is to prepare and plan. Now. Famine conditions are next on the list of things to worry about.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you see any way it could be avoidable? How do you plan to prep for this possibility? Lets talk about it in the comments.

About Robert

Robert Wheeler has been quietly researching world events for two decades. After witnessing the global network of NGOs and several Revolutions they engineered in a number of different countries, Wheeler began analyzing current events through these lenses.
So in case you havent been keeping up its been pretty thoroughly confirmed that the US governments highly anticipated UFO report due this month wont contain any significant revelations and certainly wont verify anyones ideas about these phenomena being extraterrestrial in origin, but it absolutely will contain fearmongering that UFOs could be evidence that the US has fallen dangerously behind Russian and Chinese technological development in the cold war arms race.

Unknown US officials have done a print media tour speaking to the press on condition of anonymity (of course), with first The New York Times reporting their statements about the contents of the UFO report and then CNN and The Washington Post. Each of these outlets reported the same thing: the US government doesnt know what these things are but is very concerned they constitute evidence that Russia and/or China have somehow managed to technologically leapfrog US military development by light years. All three mention these two nations explicitly.

This narrative was then picked up by cable news, with MSNBC inviting former CIA director and defense secretary Leon Panetta on to explain to their audience that the US government should assume UFOs are Russian or Chinese in origin until that possibility has been exhausted.

Is it your assumption that it is Russia or China testing some crazy technology that we somehow dont have, or are we sort of over-assuming the abilities of China and Russia and that the only other explanation is that if it is not us ourselves then it is something otherworldly? MSNBCs Chuck Todd asked Panetta.

I believe a lot of this stuff probably could be countries like Russia, like China, like others, who are using now drones, using the kind of sophisticated weaponry that could very well be involved in a lot of these sightings, Panetta replied. I think thats the area to go to very frankly in order to identify whats happening.

It sounds like you think we should exhaust that out, exhaust that hypothesis first before you start dealing with other hypotheses, Todd said.

Yeah, absolutely, said Panetta, who for the record is every bit as much of a tyrannical, thuggish imperialist cold warrior as any other CIA director.

This UFOs-as-Chinese/Russian-threat narrative has quickly been picked up and thrust into mainstream orthodoxy by all the major branches of the mass media, from Fox News to Reuters to The Guardian to Today to the BBC to USA Today. Whenever you see the imperial media converge to this extent upon a single narrative, thats the Official Narrative of the empire. We can expect to see a lot more of this going forward.

Interestingly, the only mass media segment Ive seen on this topic since the New York Times story broke which doesnt promote the UFOs-as-Chinese/Russian-threat narrative is a guest appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight by Lue Elizondo, the military intelligence veteran who got the ball rolling on the new UFO narrative which emerged in 2017. Elizondo goes out of his way to tell Carlson (who himself has been promoting the idea that UFOs may be a foreign adversarial threat with cartoonish melodrama) that theres no way these could be Russian or Chinese aircraft.

Elizondo, who seems to favor the UFOs-as-extraterrestrials narrative, argues that there are extensive records of military encounters with these phenomena stretching back seventy years, which rules out China since it could barely keep its head above water back then and rules out Russia because it shared its UFO knowledge with the US after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

I dont know whats going on with that last bit; I see no reason to trust that an American spook is acting in good faith on such an easily manipulated topic, but it is entirely possible that Elizondo set out on this road out of a sincere desire for government disclosure on UFOs and is now trying to regain control of the narrative now that he sees the cold war arms race direction it has taken.

Chris Melon, another major player in the new UFO narrative, recently complained on Twitter that some important information was not shared with the public in the UFO report. So who knows, maybe the initiators of this new UFO narrative were acting in good faith and their efforts were just swiftly hijacked by forces beyond their control to advance preexisting cold war agendas.

Regardless of whether or not thats true, it was always inevitable that this strange new rabbit hole of UFOs going mainstream was going to lead to more cold war propaganda. Ive been interacting a bit with the online UFO community for the first time ever, and it seems like theyre mostly decent people with good intentions and a lot of hope for this new governmental investigation. But it also seems like theyre largely a community which mostly just talks to itself and is only just beginning to meet the cold harsh light of day that is the impenetrable depravity of the US war machine.

The US government is pure swamp; you cant use the swamp to fix the swamp. Democrats were never going to use a Special Counsel to remove Trump, Trump was never going to take down the Deep State, and the US government isnt going to investigate itself and tell everyone that aliens are real.

If there are indeed extraterrestrials and they are indeed flying around our world in strange aircraft, we are more likely to get the truth about this from the extraterrestrials themselves than from the US military. The war machine only does killing and destruction; its not going to suddenly develop an interest in truth and transparency. The sooner UFO enthusiasts realize this the better.

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Seven teenage boys in the U.S. reportedly developed chest pain and heart inflammation within days of receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 shot, according to a new study published Friday, marking another possible, though yet unproven and rare, link between mRNA vaccines and heart conditions that authorities in Israel, Europe and the U.S. are investigating.

The seven boys, between the ages of 14 and 19, reported to hospital with chest pains after receiving the Pfizer shot, according to the study published in Pediatrics Friday.
Bing, the search engine owned by Microsoft, is not displaying image results for a search for "Tank man," even when searching from the United States. The apparent censorship comes on the anniversary of China's violent crackdown on protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

"There are no results for tank man," the Bing website reads after searching for the term. "Tank man" relates to the infamous image of a single protester standing in front of a line of Chinese tanks during the crackdown.

China censors and blocks distribution of discussion of tank man and Tiananmen Square more generally. This year, anniversary events in Hong Kong have dwindled in size after authorities banned a vigil.

IMAGE: A SCREENSHOT OF THE SEARCH RESULTS.

Bing displays ordinary, non-image search results for tank man when searching from a U.S. IP address; the issue only impacts the images and videos tabs. Google, for its part, displays both when connecting from the same IP address.

Motherboard verified that the issue also impacts image searches on Yahoo and DuckDuckGo, which both use Bing. Neither company immediately responded to a request for comment.

Do you work at Bing or know anything else about this incident? Wed love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, OTR chat on jfcox@ , or email .

Multiple Twitter users also sent Motherboard images of the lack of image results on Bing while connecting from France, Switzerland, and other countries.

Shane Huntley from Google's Threat Analysis Group first tweeted a screenshot of the Bing search result. Security researcher Kevin Beaumont also tweeted the same results from what he said was a search from a UK IP address. Motherboard also replicated the search on a U.S. IP address.
9 more months needed to achieve herd immunization despite 2 bln doses administered globally

Xinhua) 09:28, June 06, 2021

Photo taken on May 19, 2021 shows a sign for a COVID-19 vaccination facility in Bedford, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

The wealthiest 27 countries have administered about 29 percent of vaccinations globally but have only 10 percent of the world's population, Bloomberg said in a recent report.

NEW YORK, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Inoculations against COVID-19 have reached 2 billion as the world races to contain the pandemic, but at the current pace, it will take nine more months to vaccinate 75 percent of the global population needed to provide herd immunity, Bloomberg said in a recent report.

The vaccination rollout has been uneven, mainly benefiting the developed world while lower-income countries have struggled to source shots. The wealthiest 27 countries have administered about 29 percent of vaccinations globally but have only 10 percent of the world's population, said the report.

A woman enters a COVID-19 vaccination site at the Javits Center in New York, United States, April 6, 2021. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

The United States and Britain led the way with vaccinations early, China has given the most doses and European Union members have been catching up after a slow start, according to Bloomberg's Vaccine Tracker.

China now accounts for about two-thirds of the roughly 36 million shots given daily. The EU is administering the second-highest number, with about 3.6 million doses daily, followed by India with 2.6 million.

Faculty members and students receive COVID-19 vaccines at a vaccination site at Anhui Agricultural University in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, May 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)

In the United States, 89.4 doses have been administered for every 100 people. That compares with a global average of 23 doses per 100 people, said the report.

Although 2 billion doses would be equivalent to more than a quarter of the world's population, the proportion immunized is well below that level because most of the vaccines in use require two shots to be fully effective, and some people have received only one.

The virus has stricken almost 172 million people and killed close to 3.7 million since the first cases emerged.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Have you ever had the experience of being at the doctors and they start talking to a colleague of theirs while treating you, using medical jargon that goes completely over your head? I know I have! In particular, I remember being at the dentist while my dentist and hygienist discussed things together as I lay there trying not to feel too awkward!

The other day I was talking to a friend at church whose wife is a doctor specialising in brain tumours. I told him I was about to write an article on theology and he inspired me with the idea that medicine and theology are a lot alike. They both used specialised language and can make people who dont understand the language feel awkward, but they are also both essential for everyone!

Not everyone is a doctor, but everyone needs medical care sometimes; not everyone is a theologian, but everyone needs to understand theology to live a healthy Christian life! Theology can be thought of as something reserved for intellectuals in ivory towers, but at its core it is simply understanding who God is and what he has done for humanity.

What is theology and why does it matter?

The word theology comes from the Greek words theo (God) and logia (study of) so it simply means the study of God. How do we get to know God? By studying what he has revealed to us about himselfthe Bible, creation, and Jesus Christ (God the Son) who is revealed to us in the Bible.

Theology can be represented as a spider weball of the strands are interconnected. Pulling one out of its place affects the others and will damage the spider web; pulling on the ones in the centre does the most damage and can completely destroy the web.

In the centre of the web are things such as Jesus being an equal member of the GodheadFather, Son, and Holy Spirit; the reality of hell and eternal life, and Jesus having a bodily resurrection from the dead.

The further out the web goes the less damage is done by pulling on a strand but as they are still part of the web they are still connected to the structure and affected by being pulled out of their places. Such issues may cover whether baptism should be for believers babies or just for believers, and whether the Holy Spirit still gives the gift of tongues or not.

If we misunderstand who God is then we cannot worship him appropriately. For example, if we do not think that Jesus Christ is and has always been God the Sonequal with the other members of the Godheadthen we will be distorting the words of Scripture and changing the way we live out our faith. If Jesus is not God then we should not worship him and he cannot do things only God can dosuch as forgive our sins. This idea is throughout Scripture but one particular passage on this is John chapter 1, verses 13, 14:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Acts chapter 4, verses 1112 is also helpful:

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Why theology can seem confusing and complicated

Theology, like medicine, has its own language. Phrases such as penal substitutionary atonement may leave many of us scratching our heads and deciding to leave theology to the experts but they can be much simpler than they appear. Penal substitutionary atonement simply means that Jesus took our punishment so we could be made right with God.

One of the reasons for big words or phrases is for the sake of brevityit is much quicker and easier for someone to refer to penal substitutionary atonement than to have to describe what it is every time. Much like it is quicker and easier for a doctor to say to another doctor, I need a BNP done for this patient, instead of saying, I need to do a test for this patient to check how much Brain Natriuretic Peptide hormone is in their blood so I can see if their heart is showing signs of failure.

However, problems arise when people only ever use big words and phrases and never pause to explain the concepts in a way that a broader range of people can understand. Understanding that Jesus is God and that he is the only one who can forgive our sins is not something just for full time theologians to understand but it is a concept that even small children should be taught.

Colin Buchanan does a marvellous job of this for children through songs. A favourite song of mine is the Big words that end in Shun song which goes through big words like propitiation, substitution, and resurrection. It has a catchy and easy to understand phrase for each oneSubstitu-SHUNJesus takes our place.

Theology truly is for everyone and as Christians we need to love theology and teach it to our children for through it we learn about God and can live in a way that he has intended for us.
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Testing by West Australian health authorities is under way to determine whether a maritime worker who returned a positive result for COVID-19 after leaving hotel quarantine was infectious in the community.

The worker travelled to Perth on a flight from Colombia via the United States in May and was placed into hotel quarantine on arrival, where he returned a negative result on day 13.

WA Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson. Credit:ABC Perth

He was released from the Pan Pacific Hotel into the community on Friday but forced back into hotel quarantine less than 24 hours later after he returned a moderately strong positive PCR test he took for work.

The worker was one of two linked COVID-19 cases in the Pan Pacific Hotel in June, which prompted health authorities to wonder whether the virus could have spread between rooms.
Train drivers are increasingly running red lights and putting commuters lives in danger.

Queensland Rail data reveals the rate of signal passed at danger (SPAD)  the term used when a train passes through a red signal  has soared.

Incidents of Queensland Rail trains travelling through red lights have increased in recent months. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

At estimates in December, Queensland Rail chief executive Nick Easy said there was a slight increase in SPADs over the past two months but in November, the rate had dropped.

However, official data shows SPADs did not drop in November, and in fact remained higher for each of the seven months between September and March compared with the previous year.
Lansdale, PA (19446)

Today

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
When someone in Deepti Varma's family got affected with Covid-19 this year, it took her at least two days to find a hospital bed. The incident provided Varma, who is director of human resources at e-commerce giant Amazon India, with first-hand experience of the challenges that frontline employees would be going through and to find support.

That really hit me, said Varma. Because people like us have got the financial support, but still, we were finding it difficult to find support.

The experience helped her realise she had to look at the pandemic crisis holistically and reinforced the efforts of her team in making policies that support employees impacted by it.

Indeed, Jeff Bezos-led Amazon has been at the forefront of providing support to its employees and community in the country. These practices can also become a template for the corporate industry to manage the pandemic.

Being the frontline e-commerce firm, we have a huge responsibility not just to ensure the safety of our employees but also our communities around our customers and partners, said Varma.

The warrior ecosystem

Amazon Indias Covid Warriors are helping colleagues and the community with critical resources amid the medical emergency that has accompanied the country's second Covid-19 surge.

At Amazon, employees have stepped up to help colleagues in need. This has turned into a full-fledged cause. A dedicated group of Covid Warriors are reaching out to offer aid and collaborate across the country to support those who require urgent medical help.

Despite personal challenges, I am amazed to see how employees have come forward to help each other in the hour of need, said Varma.

The team works round the clock and directly with HR and Benefits teams to support colleagues, their families, and friends. They are helping to find hospital beds, ambulances and isolation centres. They are also addressing queries on claims, insurance, leave and salary advances.

The group now spans many cities and is made up of over a thousand volunteers, with a plan to offer support in additional cities. These city bands work together to ensure a coordinated response for those in need across cities. Some of these places include Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Mangalore. Other cities include Indore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Jaipur and Salem.

Each citys warrior band has a leader, a clear operating model, and rosters with a division of responsibilities and duty shifts. This decentralized framework is braced with central support from subject matter experts in HR, employee benefits, compliance, and other departments. They share regular updates and drive process improvements based on the Warriors feedback. There are also 100 plus volunteers whose role is to call people to support them and provide empathy.

These efforts had started with setting up a call centre to handle covid related calls. These calls were related to finding ambulances, hospital beds, medication, counselling and know-how of setting up an intensive care unit (ICU) at home.

We realised that we need to put in a mechanism in order for us to scale it up, said Varma.

Reaching out

What helped Amazon scale up these efforts is that it had conducted experiments related to remote working and setting up of virtual contact centres, before the outbreak of covid in India. It had also given the flexibility to the employees to work from home. After the pandemic hit the country, Amazon was one of the very few which were able to move 98 per cent of its employee base to work remotely within a few days.

Amazon employs almost 100,000 workers in India directly, including tens of thousands of employees in the many global technology teams based out of Bengaluru. Besides the staff in India, Amazon is also supporting the families of the employees who were transferred to different countries. One among them was an employee whose mother was admitted to the hospital. The employees father was alone at home and his oxygen level had started dipping.

The employee was on a video call with his father trying to help, said Varma. He gave us a call at 1:00 am and by 4:00 am, we had the oxygen concentrator at his home.

Sometimes the whole family is affected by covid. The firm has come up with a concept called listening circles where people can share with their peers about what they are going through.

Though the firm has implemented covid policies globally, India is facing its own unique challenges. It is providing information to the employees about India specific needs like oxygen concentrators and vaccines and the resources available.

is also taking its learnings from earlier on-site vaccination events for people above 45 years to bring Covid-19 vaccines to its front-line teams. It is hosting on-site vaccination events administered by licensed health care providers. It started the vaccine event with those on the frontline, delivering to its customers and will continue to expand when vaccines become more available.

The firm has made close to a hundred changes in its on-ground operations to maintain social distancing in its buildings and keep associates safe. Amazon said it adjusted practices within all its operations sites including fulfilment and sorting centres and delivery stations. This was done through new formats of communications, process changes, training methods and several policy changes.

In April, said it will cover the Covid-19 vaccine cost for more than a million people. This includes its India employees, associates and sellers with active listings since last year. It also includes the operations partner network of delivery service partner associates and their eligible dependents.

It had introduced extensive safety measures along with other financial support initiatives. This includes comprehensive support mechanisms for employees including cost coverage for Covid-19 treatment, hospital search and coverage of prescribed Covid-19 tests. It also set up Amazon Relief Fund and Partner Support Fund for its operation partner network.

Amazon recently announced that it is arranging Covid-19 health cover, completely free of cost for registered sellers on the Amazon.in marketplace, through Acko General Limited (Acko).

The firm is also working with sellers on its marketplace to help them bring in about 9,000 oxygen concentrators for customers in India. The aim is to address the growing customer demand and shortage of critical medical equipment.

Amazons global procurement teams are helping interested sellers from India connect with leading global suppliers to enable them to procure oxygen concentrators for customers in need. The firms global supply chain network is also helping urgently airlift these oxygen concentrators to India for these sellers.

As part of its commitment to help India fight the devastating second wave of Covid-19, Amazon recently announced it is importing and donating 100 ventilator units. The firm has also joined hands with multiple partners to urgently bring in over 10,000 oxygen concentrators and BiPAP (bi-level positive airway pressure) machines to India.

What the others are doing

Other such as Walmart, Flipkart, PhonePe and Walmart Foundation have also made commitments to support Covid-19 relief efforts in India. The have mobilised their efforts to fight the contagion in the country. They have taken efforts to strengthen the availability of oxygen, support the national vaccination drive, and donate to organisations that are working towards Covid relief in severely affected areas. These include smaller districts where the caseload is increasing.

Over the last few weeks, these companies have started distributing many of the supplies that were committed, which include 20 oxygen-generating plants, 20 cryogenic containers, more than 3,000 oxygen concentrators, and 500 oxygen cylinders.
Food-tech Daalchini Technologies plans to raise growth of up to USD 8 million (around Rs 58 crore) in the next 2-3 years to support its growth plans.

Daalchini Technologies, which provides home cooked food through IoT-enabled vending machines, is expecting an annual turnover rate of Rs 144 crore by the end of FY22.

"Daalchini plans to raise growth of up to USD 5-8 million in the next 2-3 years....As of now, we are planning to raise the growth and we are in early stage discussions with few prospective investors. As we adapt ourselves to the pandemic, we plan to raise fresh funds to expand our solution beyond 10 cities and the form-factor to more use-cases," Prerna Kalra, Co-founder and CEO, Daalchini technologies told PTI.

Daalchini, at present, has over 440 smart stores in 10 cities with more than 1.4 lakh monthly active-users. The company has over 190 franchises, 100 brands and more than 34 cloud kitchens selling on its platform.

In the midst of the pandemic, the company sees huge opportunity in installing its vending machines at hospitals.

"Our contactless, smart vending machines are being deployed at the city's key hospitals including Fortis, Max, Apollo, Dharamshila, Kailash, and Delhi Cancer Hospital. With this development, Daalchini will allow frontline workers, patients and visiting families access to healthy meals in a safe, contactless manner. Considering the current situation, and the dire need for maintaining social distancing, hospitals are increasingly turning to AI, robotics and other smart technologies within their premises," Kalra said.

With more that 43,000 private hospitals and 25,000 public hospitals in India, the demand is already high and further increasing especially in current challenging times, she added. Kalra said Daalchini is refilling its machines 3-4 times a day across all the hospitals.

Elaborating on the company's growth journey, Kalra said: "We grew from 2 kiosks to 50 in FY19, and from 50 to 200 in FY20. In Q4 of FY21, we grew from 200 to 310 and now 440+ kiosks by expanding the scope of our solution... The pace at which we are growing, we should be able to achieve an annual turnover rate of Rs 144 crore by the end of FY22".

Daalchini has raised Rs 11 crore so far in the last two years through Artha Venture Fund and a few angel-investors.

(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.)
Holisol, India's leading exchange-to-exchange tech-enabled solutions company, said it has raised USD 3 million from digital debt platform Northern Arc Capital, to scale up its network across the country.

"This is the fifth round of fund raise for Holisol," the company said in a statement.

The first angel round happened in 2013, raising USD 1.5 million from Sundeep Bhandari-promoted Datavision Systems Pvt Ltd. In 2015, Holisol raised USD 10 million from CLSA Partners; and in 2017, CLSA did a follow-on round of USD 10 million; followed by USD 2.74 million debt from Black Soil in 2019.

"Holisol has been consistently witnessing a surge in demand from its customers for its reliable digitised fulfilment services, and the new round of fund raise will help in fulfilling this demand and accelerate its growth further," the statement said.

The company is looking to double its revenue in the current year on the strength of strong demand pipeline from its existing and new customers.

Holisol offers multi-channel fulfilment solutions for B2C and B2B businesses spanning across retail, fashion, lifestyle, FMCG, online marketplaces and auto industries. It also provides integrated packaging, logistics and returnable solutions to automobile, farm equipment and heavy engineering businesses.

It has a pan-India presence and manages close to one million square feet of fulfilment space spread across over 25 fulfilment centres (FCs), more than 60 hyperlocal fulfilment centres (HFCs) and over 30 integrated packaging sites.

Northern Arc has been at the forefront of fighting the economic and social impact of the pandemic. It has disbursed over Rs 3,500 crores (USD 500 million) over the last financial year to underbanked MSMEs, households, financial institutions, and mid-market corporates.

Commenting on the debt fundraise, Holisol Logistics co-founder and Managing Director Rahul S Dogar said, "We are highly enthused of partnership with Northern Arc on our journey to get closer to our mission of setting up 100 fulfilment centres and 800 HFCs to create a seamlessly connected logistics super grid by 2025 and enable customer success through our platform."



Northern Arc Chief Operating Officer Bama Balakrishnan said, "Northern Arc is committed to supporting mid-market in India through customised debt solutions suiting their business requirements."



He added that logistics as a sector has shown tremendous resilience despite significant disruptions on account of COVID-19 and is "one of our focus sectors for the mid-market business".

Holisol, co-founded in June 2009 by Rahul S Dogar, Naveen Rawat and Manish Ahuja, has a workforce of over 200.

(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.)
Union Minister for Minority Affairs on Saturday said that no decision has been taken by the Central government on the 2021 yet, adding that India will stand with the Saudi Arabia government's decision for annual Hajj yatra amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"Hajj will depend on the decision of the Saudi Arabia government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India will stand by the side of the Saudi government in its decision. Last year Haj got cancelled. This year nothing has been decided yet," Naqvi said.

Last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Saudi government had announced that it would hold a "very limited" Hajj, with people already living in the kingdom allowed to take part in the pilgrimage that begins in late July.

The Union Minister for Minority Affairs had said last year that India would honour the decision of the Saudi Arabia Government to ban international pilgrims to perform Hajj.

More than two million people perform the annual pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca every year, including many travelling from abroad. About 2 lakh Indian Muslims had performed Hajj in 2019.

(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 recorded 414 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in over two-and-a-half months and 60 fatalities on Saturday, while the positivity rate dipped to 0.53 per cent, according to data shared by the health department here.

According to the latest health bulletin, these new fatalities pushed the death toll from COVID-19 here to 24,557.

On Friday, the city had recorded 523 cases with a positivity rate of 0.68 per cent, and 50 deaths.

On Thursday, Delhi had recorded 487 cases of COVID-19 and 45 fatalities fatalities. This was the first time the daily death count had gone below the 50-mark since April 11 when the tally was 48. The positivity rate on Thursday had stood at 0.61 per cent.

On March 16, Delhi had recorded 425 cases and on March 17, the tally was 536, according to official data.

The infection rate, which had reached to 36 per cent in the last week of April, has come down to below 1 per cent now.

Meanwhile, during the media briefing on Saturday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said around 400 fresh cases were reported in Delhi and positivity rate has come down to about 0.5 per cent, adding that the situation is quite under control.

"Bringing back the economy on tracks is crucial as the situation of is improving," he said.

Kejriwal had held two key meetings on Friday to discuss preparations for the anticipated third wave of the pandemic He held an important meeting with the expert committee and then with the preparation committee later.

Delhi has been reeling under a brutal second wave of the pandemic that is sweeping the country, claiming a massive number of lives daily, with the recent oxygen supply shortage issue at various hospitals, adding to the woes.

Since April 19, both daily cases and single-day deaths count had been spiralling up, with over 28,000 cases and 277 deaths recorded on April 20; rising to 306 fatalities on April 22. On May 3, the city registered a record 448 deaths, as per the official data.

However, the number of cases have shown a downward trend and the positivity rate too has been shrinking in the last several days. The number of deaths per day, has also been showing a decline in the last couple of days.

The national capital had recorded 648 cases and 86 fatalities on Monday, 623 cases and 62 deaths on Tuesday, 576 cases and 103 fatalities on Wednesday.

On May 15, Kejriwal had said,"The virus is reducing in Delhi slowly and steadily, and I hope it diminishes completely and does not rise again. However, we are not going to become negligent in anyway", while sounding a tone of caution.

A total of 77,694 tests, including 55,635 RT-PCR tests and 22,059 rapid antigen tests, were conducted a day ago, according to the health bulletin on Saturday.

The number of cumulative cases on Saturday stood at 14,28,863. Over 13.9 lakh patients have recovered from the virus.

The number of active cases decreased to 6,731 on Saturday from 8,060 a day before, the bulletin said.

The number of people under home isolation dipped to 2,855 from 3,813 on Friday while the number of containment zones dropped to 12,296 from 14,324 a day before, it 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 Sunday declined to provide relief to Rakesh Wadhawan on his petition seeking to quash an FIR in connection with a cheating case against a real estate company.

"We, after perusing the FIR and the rival contentions, are of the view that the contentions raised by the petitioner cannot be examined in this jurisdiction, as FIR prima facie discloses commission of cognizable offences. The writ petition lacks merit and is dismissed," a division bench of the Allahabad High Court, Justices Pankaj Naqvi and Jayant Banerji said.

"However, this order shall not be an impediment for the petitioner to seek anticipatory bail/bail as they may be advised," the Court added.

A Government Advocate had opposed the submissions on the ground that petitioners themselves admit that their custody has been sought under Warrant-B, which evidently presupposes that their names have been surfaced during investigation, thus the involvement of the petitioners cannot be ruled out at this stage.

Rakesh Wadhwan, Executive Chairperson of Development Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) and also a Director in HR Infracity Private Limited and UM Architecture and Contractors Limited, along with Rudra Group, launched a project named Sera Bella/Pavo Real, in which several victims were cheated.

An FIR was registered at Phase-III, Gautam Budh Nagar district and a production warrant was issued to the accused Rakesh Wadhawan. He had sought the quashing of this FIR before the

The FIR was lodged on October 3, 2020, under Sections 420 and 406 IPC.

The FIR alleged that one Rudra Building Private Ltd, a real estate company, along with its official, obtained money from the informant with a false promise to deliver possession of accommodation but neither is the possession being delivered nor is the amount deposited being refunded despite repeated requests.

The senior counsel for the petitioners submitted that neither were the petitioners named in the FIR nor were any allegation made against them. Since no offence was made out, the FIR quashed.

Mukesh Khurana, promoter of Rudra Group of companies had joined hands with Rakesh Wadhawan to construct the project in Ghaziabad named Sera Bella / Pavo Real. The accused Khurana had induced numerous home buyers to invest in its real estate Project. Despite cancellation of sanction plans and directions to maintain status quo, they continued to deceive customers to invest in their project and had received money on the promise of handing over immediate possession of the units to the innocent home buyers.

They said that the project was not completed even after a span of 7-10 years, hence the same landed them in legal trouble and an FIR was registered. Pertinently, even the other projects of Rudra Group of Companies, being Project Aqua Casa and Project Palace Heights have been similarly delayed and innocent home buyers have been running from pillar to post to get relief. Police complaints regarding the said projects are also registered by home buyers.

Subsequent to the registration of FIR, the accused Mukesh Khurana was arrested by UP Police on March 11 2021. His regular bail was rejected by the Sessions Court and the same is presently pending before the

(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 second wave of Covid-19 is now abating slowly but steadily across India, with both new cases and deaths decreasing. Unfortunately, economic output and the potential for economic growth is also continuing to fall further, hurting tens of millions of Indians across the country. The Center for Monitoring Indian Economy has told IndiaSpend recently that almost 97% of Indians are now poorer thanks to Covid-19. In this context, how can we emerge from the various lockdowns in several states and resume economic activity? Given that only about 223 million Indians are partly or fully vaccinated, with the majority (80%) having received only one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, what are the guardrails we should have in place to unlock? To understand the precautions we need to keep in mind, and what we should be doing to prepare for a potential third wave, we spoke with K. Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, adjunct professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and former president of the World Heart Federation.

Are we really reaching the end of the second wave? Or are we misinterpreting some of these early signs?

From several indicators, it does appear that the second wave is subsiding. We are seeing the Covid-19 case counts dropping. Despite the challenges in terms of actual testing and interpretation, there's a consistent directional change towards a drop in cases. We are also seeing deaths dropping. Again, despite some undercounting, the trend is visible. We are also seeing test positivity rates dropping over a period of time. And, most importantly, we are seeing that hospitals are no longer so crowded with people in intensive care, or waiting outside desperately pleading for admission. So all of these taken together would suggest that we are actually seeing a substantial decrease, at least in the larger cities where the [second] wave started. Even in some of the smaller towns, I believe we are now seeing a downward trend. The [situation in the] villages is a little more difficult to gauge because testing is inadequate and our data systems are not good enough, but even there, we are not seeing as many horror stories as we were about two or three weeks ago.

But this is in a period where a good part of India is under So it's difficult for us to say with surety that this is going to be the happy state of affairs when the is lifted. Because we saw in the first wave, that after the was relaxed in June 2020, the cases went up and peaked around mid-September. Covid-19 deaths [also] peaked around September. We do not know how much of a rise will happen now, though compared to 2020, we have had many more people exposed [to Covid-19] and thus at least partially immune. Many are vaccinated, [even if] not fully, but again are partially immune. So given that, it is likely that the number of susceptible people will not be as large as when we opened up after the first wave.

But a countervailing factor is that now we have [Covid-19] variants, which are much more infectious. In fact, even in January, as we were celebrating what appeared to be 'the great escape' from the pandemic, the Kent variant, now called the Alpha variant, came in and that started ramping up the case numbers. Then we saw the Delta variant emerge in Maharashtra, and started seeing what the challenge was in terms of that particular variant spreading across different parts of India. So, we now recognise that we still have the Delta variant, which emerged in Maharashtra but has now spread all across India and in many parts of the world. It has been declared to be much more infectious than even the Alpha variant and certainly much more infectious than the original virus, [which is] still on the prowl. Given that, we cannot lay firm bets that the second wave has ended. We have to wait and see what happens when the unlocking process begins. We have to keep a careful watch.

In Maharashtra, we've been under lockdown now for almost two months. In Mumbai, the number of new Covid-19 cases has evened out to 900-1,000 cases a day. But it's been at that level for several weeks. Does that suggest that lockdowns only work up to a point? What is the utility of keeping a lockdown going for a long time?

I don't think we ought to really prolong the lockdown. We cannot get stuck in a rut at this point in time. I think the lockdown last year was required to get systems in place, to prepare ourselves, whether with testing kits, or personal protective equipment, or ventilators. [We had to] get the systems in order, get the multiple departments and the Centre and states to coordinate much better. And it helped.

The lockdown this time was because suddenly we woke up. We had actually taken it for granted that there wouldn't be a second wave. We had dismantled many of the temporary structures that we had set up for hospital care. We had sort of let the coordination mechanisms go into slumber. As a result, we were caught off guard when the cases went up in such a huge surge. We were overwhelmed. In order to catch our breath and get the systems back in place, I think we went into lockdown. Now everybody is fairly cautious in the unlocking process. You hear the Maharashtra chief minister saying 'not yet, let's watch out'. Even the Delhi chief minister, who has generally been gung-ho about opening up, is saying we will keep a careful watch and we'll [unlock] in stages. Once bitten, twice shy. So, it is important for us to unlock, but do it in stages in a graduated manner, so that we can recoup the territory if suddenly there is a problem.

But do the numbers suggest that the lockdown has worked, or for instance in the case of Mumbai has stopped working, in terms of the virus spreading?

During the lockdown, the virus doesn't have much opportunity to infect the various susceptible persons who may still be there in the population, because the person-to-person spread is greatly limited. Most importantly, the superspreader events are limited. So the lockdown has achieved that purpose.

But the most important thing is how do we emerge from the lockdown, keeping some of the safeguards in place while getting on progressively with the resumption of our normal activities. That is where you require personal protection in terms of masking. Now, it's incontrovertible that masks are protective. Therefore, if you wear a good mask the right way, then you're likely to be substantially protected. That will happen if almost everybody universally masks outside of the home.

The second thing is to try and keep to ventilated areas as much as possible. It's not always possible. But even in an office, you can reduce crowds by having shifts. Even in schools you can operate in shifts. Try and keep as much free air flow as possible. If you can keep the doors and windows open, that's fine. For offices which are air-conditioned and engineering cannot be redone at short notice, again try and reduce the amount of time people spend in an office and certainly reduce the crowd. Continue work from home as much as possible, except for the absolutely essential functions. Also make sure that unnecessary travel is restricted.

Most importantly, this temptation that seems to happen to everybody, from the ordinary family which wants to celebrate a huge wedding or birthday party, to the politicians who want to have big rallies and the religious leaders who want to have big celebrations and processions, that temptation must be curbed with an iron will at least for several months from now. Because what's the point of predicting that there could be a third wave in November if we allow it to happen? So we should try and reduce the impact of the possible resurgence, even if it is a trivial resurgence, of the second wave on opening up. And also reduce the impact of a third wave when it comes by taking some of these precautions.

But do resume the economic activities. We ought to be able to do several of the economic activities also with some of these precautions. Farming can be resumed without much difficulty because farming is open-air, there is no major issue there. I think allowing construction activities to take place was not a bad idea, because most of it is done in the open, not in confined rooms.

We've seen that cases are coming down everywhere, but in some places and states the fall seems quite dramatic. Should we believe these numbers? Or should we be asking the counterfactual question, not 'why are your numbers so high', but 'why are your numbers so low'?

I think there's definitely undercounting, both for technical reasons and possibly non-technical reasons. The technical reasons are very clear. Even if you test well with the best techniques and intentions, you will still miss a number of cases because the RT-PCR test has false negatives in about 30 to 40% of cases and the Rapid Antigen Test in [even] more cases, for a variety of reasons. If you test too early or too late in the infection, you don't catch the replicating virus. If you don't collect the throat or nasal swab properly, don't transport it or store it in the laboratory properly, again you will not be able to get a positive test even if the virus is present. Then there are a number of people who may be asymptomatically infected and may never turn up for testing. Even some people with mild symptoms may not want to get tested. So we'll definitely have an undercount there. But apart from that, is there undercounting because of inadequate testing numbers or falsification of testing results, we do not know. Those are possibilities, but we cannot really put an estimate on that.

However, what I would like to say is that, assuming that there has been a considerable amount of undercounting in the cases and deaths, it is the direction that matters rather than the absolute precision. As long as the noise-to-signal ratio is reasonably constant, you can still follow the direction. And I think the downward direction is fairly clear in each one of these indicators, and also because the indicators are all convergent. But if you ask me, is state X really telling the truth, or is state Y better at telling the truth? Yes. I have my own guesses that there are some states which are definitely undercounting much more than others, whereas some others are being more open and truthful than others. But if you take the all-India figures, I think the directionality is reasonably certain.

Is it therefore safe to assume that the downward directionality would apply equally across India? Because the second wave started in western India, in states like Maharashtra, and then spread eastwards and elsewhere. Would it ease off in the same direction or differently?

It differs partly because the places [where Covid-19 cases] started [rising] late are likely to also have subsidence later than the places [where cases] started [rising] early. The places which are much more rural, have less transport and economic activity are unlikely to have as many cases for many more days, unless there are super-spreader events. If you organise super-spreader events with local body elections, assembly elections and religious festivals, even those places will become vulnerable, as we've seen. But in general, some of the states which have been relatively economically backward and more rural will have slower transmission. Therefore the pace may be slower, and then you may not see it drag on for a long time.

India now has 223 million people who are somewhat vaccinated, i.e. many of them have got at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and less than 50 million have got two doses. Can this be a contributor to the unlocking equation?

I would say that this is inadequate at the moment. But we have to live with the fact that we have to vaccinate many more people and much faster, while maintaining other precautions, which I've already mentioned, like masking, avoiding super-spreader events and so on. Because we still do not know what the threshold of protection is. We have already made big mistakes with the so-called herd immunity calculation last year and even early this year, because we depended upon natural infection to produce that herd immunity, which was a total mistake. And I have been repeatedly saying so.

Let's take two examples from Brazil, which are very interesting. In January this year, in Manaus, 76% of the people tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in a serosurveillance study. [Even with] 76%, the epidemic was still raging, the hospitals were crowded, many deaths were happening, the pandemic was out of control. So there was virtually no herd immunity at all. On the other hand, if you take the example of another province Serrana, where they systematically went about testing the impact of vaccination versus an adjoining province, they showed that by having 60% vaccination, they reduced deaths due to Covid-19 by 95% and infections by 86% between February and April. This was on the basis of immunisation. So compared to the uncertain protection provided by varying doses of viral count in a natural infection, if you have good vaccination, then your protection is much better. Two days back, Britain declared that for the first time since March 2020, they had not a single death from Covid-19. And Britain has now vaccinated about 60% of its people with at least one dose. So we now recognise that probably around 60% [vaccinated] is a reasonably good threshold. That is when we can breathe a little more confidently and comfortably. But till that time, we ought to maintain all our precautions.

We've seen breakouts like black fungus, we've also understood now that diabetes is a core contributor [to severe Covid-19], which you pointed out yourself in earlier interviews with us. Knowing all of this now, how can we be better prepared for the next wave?

I think it's very simple. Firstly, we ought to continue some of these precautions till we are sure that that third wave is coming or not, and what magnitude it will attain. Secondly, we ought to prepare our systems much better. Our primary healthcare systems must be much stronger for early detection of cases. You must have health care teams with citizen volunteers because our primary health care team is still understaffed. With the help of citizen volunteers, household surveillance of people with symptoms, or people with a history of very close contact with [Covid-19 positive persons] must be isolated on suspicion but also tested for verification. That early catching of cases is going to limit the spread.

Then, those who require it should be provided monitored home care with telemedicine, but the frontline health workers should also play a supportive role in that. And those who require hospitalisation must be assured of emergency transport so that they don't have to search for taxis which will charge them Rs 20,000, but be taken immediately to a hospital where they'll be assured of hospitalisation. And those hospitals must have adequate oxygen, drugs and other supplies. These are the things that we must ensure. No state should be caught unprepared at this point in time, after what we experienced in the second wave, and say that we will not have enough oxygen, or medicines, or ventilators, and so on. That's going to be critical, preparing all of that.

We may be over-prepared, for all we know. People are saying you must prepare a lot more paediatric intensive care units. Maybe children will not be affected in such large numbers and not seriously, we do not know. But we can never be over-prepared in a place like India, where our health system is anyway under-equipped and understaffed. If not for Covid, they'll be useful for something else. Children or adults will require hospital beds for something else. So by investing in improving our healthcare infrastructure from primary, secondary and tertiary care levels, making sure that hospitals have oxygen, we are actually going to be building into a more stable and steady health system. Covid or no Covid, it will all be in good stead.

In terms of medicine protocols, when you talk to doctors from other parts of the world, the feeling is that the medicines that doctors prescribe for Covid-19 in India, apart from over-prescribing, don't seem to be in sync with what is being practiced elsewhere. This causes its own problems, as we've seen with steroids. How can India address this going forward, in a more structured way?

Unfortunately, there is a virtual laissez-faire system that operates in most hospitals in India. While guidelines may be prepared by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, or by the Indian Council of Medical Research or the National Task Force: Covid-19, they're not binding on anybody. Each state, each hospital, each doctor can adopt his or her own strategy. There is a certain degree of individual judgment that comes into play but some broad, standard management guidelines should be followed, saying that this has evidence behind it, this has no evidence behind it. Those which are evidence-based must be used. Those where there is clear-cut evidence that they don't work, should not be used. Where there could be a slight grey zone in which evidence is a little uncertain, but could be of potential use, then individual judgments can be exercised based on the patient's profile. If you look at Britain, for example, there is the National Health Service, which, with the help of different experts from an institution called NICE, comes up with standard protocols. Most people follow those standard protocols. There could be some individual exceptions, of course. Depending on the patient, the treating team can make some exceptions, but those exceptions are very few.

Here, there is a system virtually which I call laissez-faire. I can even call it anarchy. The private drug and equipment companies can actually influence the medical practitioners' behaviour and sell drugs at exorbitant costs. And ultimately, the honest doctor also may overprescribe because they are anxious to do something and others may be in nexus with the pharmaceutical companies. So we ought to prevent that by having very clear cut, evidence-based guidelines, which are prepared with the help of experts from all across the country, not necessarily only in Delhi. All wisdom

doesn't lie in Delhi, whether in medicine or in any other field. So consult people from everywhere, and then get the best of expertise, and then prepare those guidelines.

Keep constantly talking and openly debating. There can be differences of opinion, but they should be aired. And then we must come up with clear-cut guidelines saying that, this is where we have absolutely certain evidence of benefit, or harm, or no use. And here, there are some flexibilities where you can use [this drug]. But they should generally be applicable across the country. And as experiences are being gathered in different parts of the country, that experience must constantly feed back into this process. If some doctor in Kerala or in Hyderabad or in Bhopal finds something is very useful, then that must be tried out and critically appraised. But again, just case series or individual experiences, that 'in my experience this has happened', doesn't really stand up as medical evidence. It should be subjected to scrutiny trials, even case series must be critically appraised. Those are the kinds of things that must be institutionalised across the country. And if we can bring in those standardisation elements, then we will find a lot of misuse and abuse of drugs being prevented.
The on Sunday demanded strict action against the authorities of a Hospital for issuing a circular that asked nursing staff not to speak in Malayalam at work, and termed it unconstitutional and denial of fundamental rights.

leaders led by Rahul Gandhi hit out at the authorities at the government-run G B Pant hospital and said language discrimination should end.

The hospital has revoked the controversial order.

"Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination," Rahul Gandhi said.

general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared concerns and posted the order of the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research that asked the nursing staff to use only Hindi and English for communication, and said serious action will be taken if that is not followed.

"This order violates the basic values of our country," she said in a tweet in Malayali and termed it as "racist, discriminatory and completely wrong."



She said the order is an insult to nurses and health workers from Kerala who made us secure by risking their own lives during Covid times.

"We owe them debt of gratitude and respect," she said, adding that the order should be withdrawn immediately and an apology should be issued.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the order is "totally bizarre". "This is unconstitutional, really...," he said.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal urged Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to take action against the hospital authorities.

In a letter to the Health minister, he said it is unbelievable that such an order has been issued by an institution denying basic fundamental rights to frontline health workers working there.

"I would urge you to look into this matter and take immediate measures to withdraw the atrocious and discriminatory circular. I would also urge you to take immediate disciplinary action against the persons who issued such a circular based on linguistic discrimination," Venugopal said in his letter to the health minister.

He said nurses from Kerala are serving across the world in Covid times and helping save people's lives, and their contribution cannot be ignored.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India on Sunday reported a net reduction of 77,449 in active cases to take its count to 1,477,799. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 11.24 per cent (one in 8). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Saturday, it added 114,460 cases to take its total caseload to 28,809,339. And, with 2,677 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 346,759, or 1.20 per cent of total confirmed infections.

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The (ICG) on Sunday airlifted a South Korean national, who needed urgent medical attention, from an oil tanker ship off the coast to a hospital near the state's Dabolim airport, an official statement said.

The oil tanker ship named ELIM, which sails under the South Korean flag, had left the Kandla port in Gujarat on June 3 and was near the coast when it sent a message for help.

"In a swift and coordinated rescue ops, Captain of MT ELIM, (South) Korean facing severe medical emergency airlifted by the ICG," it said on Twitter.

The ICG's Chetak helicopter airlifted the person amid gusting winds on Sunday morning, it said.

"Patient brought ashore and shifted to SMRC hospital, Condition stable," 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.)
India's rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015, a new report has said.

The State of India's Environment Report 2021 revealed that India's rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country.

ranks below four South Asian countries -- Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said. The overall SDG score of is 61.9 out of 100.

Elaborating state-wise preparedness, the report said Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030, which is the target year. While Jharkhand lags in five of the SDGs, Bihar lags in seven.

It said the states/UTs with the best overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.

The 17 SDGs adopted by UN member states are SDG1- no poverty, SDG 2-zero hunger, SDG3-good health and well-being, SDG4- quality education, SDG 5- gender equality, SDG 6- clean water and sanitation, SDG 7- affordable and clean energy, SDG 8 decent work and economic growth, SDG 9- industry, innovation and infrastructure.

SDG 10 reduced inequalities, SDG 11- sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12- responsible consumption and production, SDG 13- climate action, SDG 14- life below water, SDG 15- life on land, SDG 16- peace, justice and strong institutions and lastly SDG 17- strengthening global partnerships for the goals.

The report also said that ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which is calculated on various indicators, including environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc.

India's rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks.

According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat which assesses countries' actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the full range of biodiversity within their borders.

(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.)
Sputnik V. Photo: Reuters

Leading hospital chain Manipal Hospitals on Sunday said it has collaborated with Dr Reddy's Laboratories to add the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in its existing vaccine portfolio that consists of Covishield and Covaxin.

The roll-out of the Sputnik V vaccine by Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru is part of the limited pilot soft launch initiated by Dr Reddy's in Hyderabad last month, Manipal Hospitals said in a statement.

"Manipal Hospitals has worked closely with Dr Reddy's to create the state-of-the-art infrastructure to maintain Sputnik V vaccine," Manipal Health Enterprises Chief Operating Officer Karthik Rajagopal said.

He added that the hospital chain has successfully conducted vaccination drives with Covishield and Covaxin across the country till date and will continue the efforts along with the new addition of Sputnik V.

Manipal Hospitals expects the vaccine to be available for the public soon in the latter half of the month, Rajagopal said.

"We are pleased to collaborate with Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru as we scale up our soft pilot launch of the Sputnik V vaccine in India and extend it to more cities ahead of the commercial launch later in June.

"In the upcoming months, we hope to inoculate as many Indians as possible," Dr Reddy's Branded Markets (India and Emerging Markets) CEO M V Ramana 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.)
Odisha on Sunday registered



7,002 new COVID-19 cases, which pushed the tally to 8,13,096, while 42 fresh fatalities raised the toll to 2,994, a health department official said.

Accordingly, the number of active cases mounted to 78,031, he said.

Of the 7,002 new cases, 3,921 were reported from quarantine centres and the rest are local contact cases, the official said.

Khurda district, of which the state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the maximum number of new cases at 1,167, followed by Cuttack at 771 and Jajpur at 486.

As many as nine districts reported less than 100 cases each -- Jharsuguda (97), Malkangiri (95), Bolangir (89), Ganjam (74), Deogarh (64), Sonepur (59), Gajapati (48) and Nuapada (28).

Kandhamal recorded just three cases.

Taking to Twitter, the health department said, "Regret to inform about the demise of forty two Covid positive patients while under treatment in hospitals."



Four fatalities each were registered in Angul, Cuttack and Khurda, followed by three each in Boudh, Deogarh, Jharsuguda and Kalahandi, and two each in Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Rayagadda and Sundergarh.

One patient each succumbed to the infection in the districts of Bargarh, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Puri.

This apart, 53 other COVID-19 patients in the state have died due to comorbidities, the official said.

Odisha's positivity rate stands at 6.67 per cent.

Over 1.21 crore samples have been tested for COVID-19 thus far, including 71,973 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the state government, through a notification, has approved the extension of the third phase of the vaccination drive for 18-44 years to 22 more district headquarters, municipalities and notified area councils.

Underlining that that the state is set to receive 6,45,790 doses of Covishield doses in June in three trenches, the notification said that students and athletes aged between 18 and 44 years, who may have to travel abroad, should be given priority.

(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 Expresses have delivered more than 26,281 metric tonnes (MT) of Liquid Medical (LMO) in more than 1,534 tankers to various states across the country, the Railways Ministry informed on Sunday.

As per a statement, six loaded Expresses on run with more than 483 MT of LMO in 26 tankers. Southern States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka received more than 3000 MT of LMO each from Oxygen Expresses.

Meanwhile, Oxygen Expresses offloaded more than 2800 MT of LMO in Andhra Pradesh.

Oxygen Expresses started their deliveries 43 days back on April 24 in Maharashtra with a load of 126 MT.

Oxygen relief by Oxygen Expresses reached out to 15 states namely Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Assam.

So far, 614 MT of Oxygen has been offloaded in Maharashtra, nearly 3797 MT in Uttar Pradesh, 656 MT in Madhya Pradesh, 5790 MT in Delhi, 2212 MT in Haryana, 98 MT in Rajasthan, 3097 MT in Karnataka, 320 MT in Uttarakhand, 3237 MT in Tamil Nadu, 2804 MT in Andhra Pradesh, 225 MT in Punjab, 513 MT in Kerala, 2474 MT in Telangana, 38 MT in Jharkhand and 400 MT in Assam.

Till now Oxygen Expresses offloaded LMO in around 39 cities/towns in 15 states across the country.

Railways is picking up oxygen from places like Hapa, Baroda, Mundra in the West and Rourkela, Durgapur, Tatanagar, Angul in the East and then delivering it to several states.

(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 diesel prices increased across the four metros on Sunday, with price in the capital crossing the Rs 95-per-litre mark.

In Delhi, the fuel was sold for Rs 95.03 a litre, up from Rs 94.76 on Saturday.

Price of in Mumbai crossed the Rs 101-a-litre mark at Rs 101.25 per litre.

In Chennai and Kolkata, the fuel was sold for Rs 96.47, Rs 95.02, respectively, higher than the levels on Saturday.

Similarly, diesel prices also rose across the four cities.

In Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, rose to Rs 85.95, Rs 93.30, Rs 90.66 and Rs 88.80 per litre, respectively.

Mumbai is not the only city to have unique distinction of petrol breaching the Rs 100 per litre mark.

Thane reached the mark few days back while few other cities in Rajasthan (including Jaipur), Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra with the highest VAT levels on auto fuels in the country, have already been selling normal petrol for over Rs 100 a litre for past several days.

Premium petrol price had already crossed the Rs 100 per litre mark in several parts of the country through increase in the retail rates in the month of January and February.

--IANS

rrb/sn/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.)
An embattled Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday said he was ready to quit office if the high command wanted him to go.

"I will resign if the party high command directs me to do so. Till then, I will continue as chief minister and work for the state's development," Yediyurappa told reporters here in Kannada at an event outside the state secretariat.

Asserting that he would remain in office as long as the party high command had trust in him, the chief minister said he would not react to rumblings in the party over his leadership but will work for the state day and night.

"I don't want to react to such (dissident) activities. As long as the high command has trust in me, I will continue as chief minister," Yediyurappa reiterated after paying floral tributes to the portrait of former state chief minister D. Devaraj Urs on his 39th death anniversary.

Urs (1915-82) was the eighth chief minister of the southern state from 1972-80 for two terms of the Congress.

Noting that the party had provided him an opportunity to serve the state for the fourth time, Yediyurappa said as he was busy in fighting Covid pandemic, he was not concerned over activities or statements of some party members against him.

Admitting that there was no lack of alternate leaders in the party's state unit, Yediyurappa said he does not agree with the view that there were no leaders in the party other than him.

"I don't agree with those who say there are no alternate leaders. There is no dearth of leaders in our party at the state or level," he quipped, reacting to opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah's remark that the was forced to keep Yediyurappa in office for want of an alternate leader to replace him.

In a related development, party's general secretary and former state minister C.T. Ravi said Yediyurappa would continue in the post and there was no question of replacing him.

"Yediyurappa was unanimously elected as the legislative party leader and became the chief minister. Nobody can destabilise the government in the state," Ravi told reporters in New Delhi on Sunday after the party's meeting.

Yediyurappa,78, became chief minister for the fourth time on July 26, 2019 after the 14-month-old Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government fell when its chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy resigned after losing the confidence vote in the state legislative assembly on July 23, 2019.

Though Yediuyrappa took oath as chief minister for the third time on May 17, 2018, he resigned three days later on May 19, as the BJP was 8 seats short of simple majority (113) in the 225-member lower house.

--IANS

fb/skp/

(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.)
Teams will be deployed to ensure that all COVID-related protocols are followed and a close watch will be maintained on the which are set to to reopen after a gap of over one and half months on Monday, officials said.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced various relaxations including opening of markets, malls and standalone shops in Delhi from Monday.

The liquor vends in many parts of the city had witnessed huge crowds minutes after the was announced by the chief minister on April.

The ongoing imposed since April 19 has been extended further to June 16.

The Delhi government in a clarification said liquor stores in the city will open on odd-even basis from 10 AM to 8 PM.

"We will keep watch on the situation as open on Monday. Teams will be deployed to ensure that all COVID-related protocols are followed," said a senior government official.

The revenue services in districts like registry of properties will also resume from Monday.

The alcoholic beverages industry has welcomed reopening of in Delhi, saying it was vital for revenue generation.

"I feel there should be more clarity on the odd-even rule since there are standalone shops. But the first thing is reopening the shops and the ease of availability to the customers."



"I'd also say the instructions should be made clear to all the shops about social distancing and other guidelines," said Vinod Giri, director general of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies.

Delhi Disaster Management Authority(DDMA) has in its order directed that all COVID-appropriate behaviour, including use of face mask and social distancing, should be maintained at all the malls, markets, market complexes, standalone shops, and neighbourhood shops.

If the norms of COVID-appropriate behaviour are not maintained by any shop, then it will be liable to be closed and its owner may face prosecution under relevant laws, the order has said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A large number of farmers led by Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait continued their sit-in at Sadar police station in Fatehabad here on Sunday demanding the release of two farmers.

An FIR was registered after the farmers tried to gherao Jananayak Janata Party MLA Devendra Singh Babli's residence here on Wednesday night.

Vikas and Ravi Azad were arrested by the police in connection with the incident.

Addressing a gathering outside the police station on Sunday, Tikait said the protesting farmers will not move from here till the time the fellow farmers are released.

"We are ready for court arrest. We have been telling the police to either arrest us also or release them, the BKU leader said.

The protesting farmers had earlier also sought the registration of a case against Babli for allegedly hurling abuses at them.

Babli later expressed regret for uttering "inappropriate" words against farmers.

Tikait, along with some other farmer leaders, had assembled at the grain market here on Saturday night and then marched towards the police station.

Talking to the media outside the Sadar police station on Saturday, Yogendra Yadav, senior leader of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which is spearheading the farmers' agitation against the farm laws, said the issue of release of two farmers has not been resolved yet.

"There is a deadlock in talks between us and the police administration," he had said.

Yadav said Babli had not lodged any complaint against Vikas and Ravi Azad who had been arrested by the police.

But the government was not ready to withdraw the case against them, he added.

On Sunday, a group of women in Tikait's presence also sang songs highlighting the plight of the farmers.

They took a dig at the Centre and on the farmers' issue, and slammed Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala for not standing with the farmers.

Tikait said their agitation against the farm laws would continue till the government repeals the farm laws and enacts a law on minimum support price (MSP).

The BKU leader reiterated that the government wants to shift the farmers' agitation centre point from Delhi borders to Haryana's Rohtak-Jind belt, a "ploy" which he said will not be allowed to succeed.

On June 1, Babli had faced a protest by a group of farmers who showed black flags to him and raised slogans. Babli had alleged that some of the protesters resorted to unruly behaviour and smashed the windscreen of his SUV.

Farmers, however, accused Babli of publicly using abusive and threatening language.

Protesting farmers had on Wednesday said they would gherao all police stations across the state on June 7 if MLA Babli did not tender an apology by June 6.

Several farmer groups in the state have been opposing the public functions of the BJP-JJP leaders.

(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 has challenged before an English High Court an arbitration award over a cost recovery dispute in the western offshore Panna-Mukta and Tapti oil and gas fields of Shell and Ltd.

An arbitration "tribunal gave favourable award on January 29, 2021," Reliance said in its latest annual report.

Reliance and Shell had through the arbitration sought raising of the limit of cost that could be recovered from sale of oil and gas before profits are shared with the government. The award came this year.

Both sides filed clarification applications before the Tribunal.

"On April 9, 2021, Tribunal issued its decision on the Clarification Applications of both the parties. It granted the minor correction requested by the Claimants (Reliance and Shell) and has rejected all of the Government of India's clarification requests," it said without giving details.

Subsequent to that, the government of India (GoI) has challenged the award before the English High Court, it said.

Reliance and Shell-owned BG Exploration & Production India Ltd had on December 16, 2010, dragged the government to arbitration over cost recovery provisions, profit due to the State and amount of statutory dues including royalty payable.

The government of India also raised counter claims over expenditure incurred, inflated sales, excess cost recovery, and short accounting.

The three-member arbitration panel headed by Singapore-based lawyer Christopher Lau by majority issued a final partial award (FPA) on October 12, 2016.

It upheld the government view that the profit from the fields should be calculated after deducting the prevailing tax of 33 per cent and not the 50 per cent rate that existed earlier.

It also upheld that the cost recovery in the contract is fixed at USD 545 million in Tapti gas field and USD 577.5 million in Panna-Mukta The two firms wanted that cost provision be raised by USD 365 million in Tapti and USD 62.5 million in Panna-Mukta.

Royalty, it said, had to be calculated after inclusion of marketing margin charged over and above the wellhead price of natural gas.

The government used this award to seek USD 3.85 billion (about Rs 28,000 crore) in dues from Reliance and BGEPIL.

The two firms challenged the 2016 FPA before the English High Court, which on April 16, 2018, remitted one of the challenged issues back to the Arbitral Tribunal for reconsideration.

"The Arbitral Tribunal decided in favour of the Claimants in large part vide its final partial award dated October 1, 2018. GoI and Claimants filed an appeal before the English Commercial Court against this 2018 FPA.

"The English Commercial Court rejected GoI's challenges to 2018 Final Partial Award and upheld Claimants' challenge that Arbitration Tribunal had jurisdiction over the limited issue and remitted the issue back to the Arbitration Tribunal," the report said.

The final award on the issue came this year, it said.

The government had used the 2016 partial award not just to raise a USD 3.85 billion demand on Reliance and Shell but also sought to block Reliance's proposed USD 15 billion deal with Saudi Aramco on grounds that the company owed money to it.

Following this, the court asked company directors to file affidavits listing assets.

Reliance and Shell had countered the government petition in the Delhi High Court saying the petition is an abuse of process as no arbitration award has fixed any final liability of dues on the company.

"GoI has also filed an execution petition before the Delhi High Court... seeking enforcement and execution of the 2016 FPA," the annual report said. "The Claimants contend that GoI's Execution Petition is not maintainable."



The government's Execution Petition is currently sub judice.

"Claimants have also filed an application for recall /modification, challenging the Orders of Delhi High Court wherein directors were directed to file affidavits of assets. The matter is listed on July 13, 2021, for hearing," it said.

The Panna-Mukta (primarily an oil field) and Mid & South Tapti (gas field) are shallow-water fields located in the offshore Bombay basin. Discovered by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), they were bid out in 1994 to a consortium comprising of ONGC (40 per cent), Reliance (30 per cent) and Enron Oil & Gas India Ltd (30 per cent).

In February 2002, British Gas Exploration and Production India Limited (BGEPIL) acquired Enron's 30 per cent stake in the joint venture. BGEPIL was subsequently taken over by Shell.

The production sharing contract (PSC) for the fields stipulated deducting costs incurred on field operations from oil and gas sold before sharing profit with the government. Disallowing of certain items in the cost would result in higher profit petroleum for the government.

Reliance and BGEPIL sought raising of cost recovery limit through arbitration.

(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.)
Amid protests by islanders against its "reform" measures, the island administration has taken a set of decisions, including deputing government officials onboard local boats for intelligence gathering.

The administration also issued a new order on managing cleanliness and hygiene, on June 4, directing the people of the islands to scientifically dispose of the tender coconut shell, tree leaves, coconut husk, coconut shell, trunk etc in and around dwelling and public places.

MP Mohammed Faizal attacked the administration for its new directives, terming them as a "mockery" and urged the authorities to withdraw them immediately.

It was on May 28, a meeting chaired by Principal Secretary cum Advisor to the Administrator decided to depute responsible government servants onboard local boats for intelligence gathering.

The meeting also decided to strengthen the security measures to monitor the local boats and crews, intensify checking of passenger boats and vessels reaching the islands and strengthen the ship berthing points and helibase by installing CCTV cameras.

The administration later gave direction to officials concerned to initiate action as per decisions taken on the meeting.

He questioned the practicality of implementing the order, saying there are hundreds of fishing boats operating from the islands and how many officials are going to be deployed in such vessels.

Noting that a well established system of surveillance by the Navy and the Coast Guard was already in place in all the islands, the MP said the Coast Guard headquarter in islands have an effective radar system which can cover activities of any vessels operating in 30 nautical mile areas.

Faizal said every month or once in three months Coast Guard is having regular interaction with the local fishermen to train them on how to report the movement of suspected objects in the seas.

"All this training is given to the fishermen. They are very cooperative with the security agencies. By introducing such a law, what are they (administration) trying to establish?" he asked.

Faizal alleged thatthe administration's actions showed that they donot believe the innocent fishermen community of

"The recent order, which has come in the way of surveillance on the coastal areas of Lakshadweep, is really a mockery .. I feel", he told PTI.

Alleging discrimination, he asked why such surveillance using officials onboard fishing vessels were not happening in coastal states like Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Issuing the order on hygiene and cleanliness, the administration said whoever violates or contravenes any of the directions shall be liable for punishment with fine as per Schedule I of the Lakshadweep Solid Waste Management Bye-Law, 2018 and also be liable to criminal proceedings for offence punishable under Section 188 of IPC.

Questioning the provision in the order directing scientific disposal of biodegradable materials like coconut leaves, Faizal said the land of Lakshadweep became fertile because the forefathers who lived in the islands buried them in the soil.

He also said it is the responsibility of the administration to provide technology for scientifically managing the waste.

Asked whether he had taken up the matter with the Union Government, Faizal said, "I feel really ashamed of taking up such matters with them".

Meanwhile, the Congress has decided to step up its agitation against the administration for its "anti-people" reform measures in the islands.

According to party sources, the MPs from the Congress- led UDF in Kerala will organise a 'dharna' in front of the territorial administration office in Kochi on Monday.

Expressing solidarity with the people of Lakshadweep, the Kerala Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution demanding the recall of island administrator Praful Khoda Patel and requesting the Centres immediate intervention to protect the lives and livelihood of the islanders.

An archipelago located in the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep has been witnessing protests by locals for over the recent actions and administrative reforms being implemented by Patel.

Defending its action, the Lakshadweep administration has said it was laying the foundation for the future of islands in a planned way and to develop it on the lines of Maldives in two decades.

(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.)
Koo on Saturday said the Indian microblogging platform is available in Nigeria and is keen on adding new local languages for users in that country. The development comes a day after the Nigerian government announced an indefinite suspension of Koo's rival, Twitter in the country.

In a post on Koo on Saturday, its co-founder and CEO Aprameya Radhakrishna said the platform is available in Nigeria. We're thinking of enabling the local languages there too. What say? Radhakrishna said.

Speaking to PTI, Radhakrishna said: Now that there is an opportunity for microblogging platforms in Nigeria...Koo is looking at introducing local Nigerian languages in the app. He added that the platform is keen on making inroads in the Nigerian market.

Radhakrishna said Koo will abide by the local laws of each country that it operates in. Koo, founded by Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, was launched last year to allow users to express themselves and engage on the platform in Indian languages. It supports multiple languages including Hindi, Telugu and Bengali, among others.

The Nigerian government on Friday said it was suspending Twitter indefinitely, a day after the company removed a contentious tweet that President Muhammadu Buhari made about a secessionist movement. Koo has over 60 lakh users, and had recently raised USD 30 million (about Rs 218 crore) in a funding round led by Tiger Global.

Koo's popularity in India peaked amid clarion calls for expanding the ecosystem of homegrown digital platforms. The platform has seen a massive growth in its user base over the past few months after union ministers and government departments endorsed the homegrown microblogging platform, following a spat with Twitter. Notably, Radhakrishna's post on Saturday coincides with the Indian government issuing a notice to Twitter, giving it one last chance to "immediately" comply with the new IT rules. Twitter has also been warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act.

Koo had earlier said it has already complied with the IT rules and has shared necessary details as sought by the government on the issue.

Also Read: Koo raises $30 million in funding round led by Tiger Global
More than 9.2 lakh children in India are 'severely acute malnourished', with the most in Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar, according to government data, underscoring concerns that the Covid pandemic could exacerbate the health and nutrition crisis among the poorest of the poor.

An estimated 9,27,606 'severely acute malnourished' children from six months to six years were identified across the country till November last year, the Women and Child Development Ministry said in response to an RTI query.Of these, Uttar Pradesh counted for 3,98,359 and Bihar 2,79,427, according to the figures shared by the ministry. Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Nagaland, Manipur and Madhya Pradesh reported no severely malnourished children.

Except for Ladakh, none of the anganwadi centres in the other four, including Madhya Pradesh, one of India's largest states, reported any data on the matter, according to the RTI reply.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines 'severe acute malnutrition' (SAM) by very low weight-for-height or a mid-upper arm circumference less than 115 mm, or by the presence of nutritional oedema. Children suffering from SAM have very low weight for their height, and are nine times more likely to die in case of diseases due to their weakened immune system.

The Women and Child Development Ministry had last year asked all states and union territories to identify SAM children for their early referral to hospitals. The figure of 9,27,606 came following that exercise.

The worry is that the numbers could not just be an underestimation but also rise in view of the ongoing pandemic with fears that the third wave could impact children more than others.

"There is rise in unemployment, there is rise in an economic crisis which is bound to have repercussions on hunger and when there is hunger there will be malnutrition. The government has a clear cut protocol and they need to ramp that up," Enakshi Ganguly, co-founder of the HAQ Center for Child Rights, told .

While Uttar Pradesh and Bihar top the list for SAM children, they are also home to the highest number of children in the country. According to 2011 census data, Uttar Pradesh has 2,97,28,235 (2.97 crore/29.72 million) children aged 0-6 years while Bihar has 1,85,82,229 (1.85 crore/18.5 million).

According to the RTI response, Maharashtra reported 70,665 SAM children followed by Gujarat at 45,749, Chhattisgarh at 37,249, Odisha at 15,595, Tamil Nadu at 12,489, Jharkhand at 12,059, Andhra Pradesh at 11,201, Telangana at 9,045, Assam at 7,218, Karnataka at 6,899, Kerala at 6,188 and Rajasthan at 5,732.

The identification of SAM children was done by over 10 lakh Anganwadi centres from across the country.

Ganguly stressed on the role of anganwadi centres in helping improve the nutrition status of the children.

"The anganwadis have to become much more functional and if the possibility of children reaching anganwadis is going to become hard because of lockdowns, then the anganwadis need to reach the children. So what are the plans for that?" she asked.

"Malnutrition will be a huge comorbidity... if what they are saying that children will be affected more in the next wave holds true, then malnutrition will be a huge comorbidity and how are they going to address that?"

Dola Mohapatra, executive director, Rise Against Hunger India, agreed that COVID-19 could further exacerbate the situation with shrinking food diversity and low intake combined with episodes of missing food at times.

He said solutions have to be both home-based care and facility-based care.

"Since SAM has direct connection with food availability, utilisation and awareness - the immediate task is to appropriately build linkages with the government systems to ensure families receive not just ration/food, but required education and support," he said.

"COVID-19 has been a big impediment in organising community based interventions, so new ways/methods to disseminate info to the mothers and caregivers have to be found out," he said.

Mohapatra also stressed on the need to strengthen Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) which are meant to treat SAM cases

"There are studies that suggest that NRCs have not been very effective. In many cases, we have seen that SAM cases have been discharged early because either the centre could not continue to keep the same case for a continued period, or the caregivers could not stay for a longer duration at the facility, or there was simply not enough supervision by the higher ups."

He also stressed on the need for designing customised menus in consultation with experts for SAM cases and formulating guidelines.

"For administrative and operational convenience, as well as for better accountability, SAM cases could be segregated into smaller units and responsibility to manage/coordinate and monitor smaller units could be handed over to independent entities such as medical colleges, local NGOs, women's collectives - under the overall guidance of the District/Block health staff," Mohapatra said.

While data is not updated year on year, the last available figure of SAM children is from NFHS-4 (National Family Health Survey) in 2015-16 according to which prevalence of severe acute malnutrition among children was reported at 7.4 per cent.

NFHS-4 gathered information from 601,509 households, 699,686 women, and 112,122 men. Information on 265,653 children below age 5 has been collected in the survey

NFHS-5, released in December last year, which gave figures for 22 states and UTs also presented a grim scenario. It said malnutrition increased among children in 2019-20 from 2015-16 in 22 states and UTs.

Around 13 states and UTs out of the 22 surveyed recorded a rise in percentage of children under five years who are stunted in comparison to 2015-16; 12 states and UTs recorded a rise in percentage of children under five years who are wasted; 16 states and UTs recorded a rise in the percentage of children under five years who are severely wasted and underweight in 2019-20. The NFHS-5 was conducted on 6.1 lakh sample households.

Wasting is low weight for their height among children, reflecting acute undernutrition. Wasting is a strong predictor of mortality among children under five years of age.

To tackle high persistence of malnutrition in the country, the Centre launched the Poshan Abhiyan programme in 2018 to reduce low birth weight, stunting and undernutrition and anaemia among children, adolescent girls and women.

Also Read: Agri sector to remain unaffected by COVID-19 second wave: NITI Aayog
As many as 1,753 new trees will be transplanted and 2,000 tree saplings planted in the Central Vista area under the government's ambitious redevelopment plan, which will increase the overall green cover there, official sources said Sunday.

They also said that as per the proposed plan, 3,230 trees will be moved out of the Central Vista area and transplanted to the NTPC Eco Park in Badarpur after obtaining necessary clearance from the Ministry of Environment & Forest, and a permission from the Forest Department.

After all the transplantation and plantation, they said, the Central Vista area will have a net gain of 563 trees.

One of the sources said, "1,753 new trees will be transplanted within the project sites and 2,000 new tree saplings are to be planted within Central Vista area."

The proposed plan also includes compensatory plantation that will ensure a substantial increase in the overall green cover of the national capital, the sources said.

"A total of 36,083 tree (saplings) will be planted in the city and overall green cover will increase substantially, including 32,330 trees to be planted in the NTPC Eco Park in Badarpur as compensatory plantation," an official source said.

Also read: New drug for COVID-19 treatment? CSIR, Laxai Life begin phase II trials for Niclosamide

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the power corridor of the country -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.

The government has been facing criticism from the opposition for executing the Central Vista Redevelopment Project amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Slamming the opposition, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had 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.

Under the redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue which comprises Rajpath, leading from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, 48 trees are proposed to be transplanted and of them, permission has been granted for 25, including 22 Jamun trees, till date, sources said.

However, no old tree planted as per Lutyen's original plan, including Jamun trees, is proposed to be transplanted, they said.

Transplantation of the trees approved is in progress, they said.

On Sunday, the government sought to bust "myths" around the Central Vista project, saying that all laid down procedures have been followed.

"The cost for the PM's residential complex has been mischievously exaggerated in media. It is part of many projects, as mentioned earlier, whose neither the design has been approved nor the cost estimate or tendered cost has been firmed up," they said.

Also read: Emami raises product prices by 4% on higher input cost

Detailed environment impact assessment has been carried out for all the 10 Buildings under the Common Central Secretariat, Common Conferencing facility, Prime Minister's Residence, Prime Minister's Office and Vice President Enclave.

"The Expert Appraisal Committee which is an independent body of field experts has examined this and recommended for clearance on May 2 this year. Environmental Clearance has been granted by MoEF&CC on May 31.

"Therefore, these statements that piecemeal approach has been taken to surmise adverse impact of this project is unfound and totally false," they said.

The Congress has been asking the BJP-led Union government to shelve its plans on the central vista redevelopment project and give priority to improving medical infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic to save people's lives.

The government said that all the paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, collections and other significant heritage and cultural artefacts that are presently housed at the National Museum, National Archives of India and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) are carefully preserved.

According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, the entire project will be carried out in a heritage-sensitive manner. The existing documents and artefacts will be moved to upgraded facilities, with modern infrastructure, to ensure their longevity, it has said.

The entire exercise will be spearheaded and monitored by the Ministry of Culture, ensuring compliance to the heritage conservation guidelines.

All the relevant heritage-sensitive approvals and clearances will be obtained from Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) before initiating the project, it has said.

Also read: Delhi HC says Central Vista project essential; imposes Rs 1 lakh fine on petitioners
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government is identifying "newer, idle capacities" that can be put to use to boost production capacity of COVID-19 jabs to address the issue of vaccine shortage.

In an exclusive interview to Business Today, FM Sitharaman stated the Centre is "also importing vaccines, such as Sputnik V, for domestic production".

"We are finding newer, idle capacities which can be used to enhance production capacity, and coz of which we get more vaccines in June and even more in July. We are also importing vaccines, such as Sputnik V, for domestic production," the finance minister noted.

Also Read: 'Too early to assess impact of second Covid-19 wave': FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The Centre faced flak from all quarters, including Supreme Court, over its vaccine policy, comprising the delay in placing orders for sufficient doses and the confusion caused by states which were also being asked to procure jabs to meet their needs.

On being asked why the government didn't place orders early enough as countries like the US did, FM Sitharaman responded, "As regards not placing orders early, how could we have given vaccines by January 16 unless the entire backlog or stocks with the vaccine producers came in? What they are producing is what is being obtained, and that too is simultaneously being ramped up."

The finance minister further stated that the Centre has been holding negotiations with the vaccine manufacturers since October 2020. She added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "himself went to the factories of vaccine-makers in Gandhinagar, Pune, and Hyderabad and encouraged them".

Also Read: Should middle class get income tax relief? Here's what FM Sitharaman says

"The inventory they held helped in a big way to launch the vaccination drive on January 16 and inoculate all frontline workers and those above 60 years. The Centre bought these vaccines and distributed them free. In April, we opened up vaccination for the 45-plus segment, again for free in government hospitals. Even these doses were procured and sent by the Centre," FM Sitharaman noted.

She mentioned that there were growing calls since January that the Centre should not purchase COVID-19 vaccines on its own to inoculate people, and that states should take it up themselves.

"I am not holding them responsible, but it was a credible, repeated, loud voice. So, the policy was made in such a way that we take 50 per cent of the vaccines available and keep them going free, and the states take the remaining 50 per cent and do what they want with it. And in this, if a small quantum has to be left for the big hospitals, which can afford to buy and administer it to their patients, that should be opened up-that's exactly what was done. This was a change brought about after loud and clear voices from the state governments," FM Sitharaman stated.
The historic pact inked by G7, a group of the world's richest nations, to back a minimum global corporation tax rate of at least 15 per cent will benefit India as the effective domestic tax rate is above the threshold, and the country would continue to attract investment, as per tax experts.

The Group of Seven on Saturday reached a landmark deal to close cross-border tax loopholes used by some of the world's biggest companies. The Finance Ministers of G7 countries, which comprise of US, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Italy and Japan, said they would back a minimum global tax rate of 15 per cent for multinational companies.

Besides, they agreed to put in place measures to ensure taxes are paid in the countries where businesses operate, a move aimed at plugging loopholes in cross-border taxation.

Consulting firm AKM Global Tax Partner Amit Maheshwari said the pact is expected to benefit India as it is a big market for a large number of tech companies.

"It remains to be seen how the allocation would be between market countries. Also, the global minimum tax of at least 15 per cent means that in all probability the concessional Indian tax regime would still work, and India would continue to attract investment," Maheshwari

said.

Also read: 'Too early to assess impact of second Covid-19 wave': FM Nirmala Sitharaman

In September 2019, India cut corporate tax for domestic companies to 22 per cent and 15 per cent for new manufacturing units. The concessional tax rate was extended to existing domestic companies as well, subject to certain conditions.

Nangia Andersen India Chairman Rakesh Nangia said while the G7 commitment to global minimum tax rate of 15 per cent works well for US and most other countries in western Europe, it may face challenge from some low-tax European jurisdictions such as the Netherlands, Ireland and Luxembourg and some in the Caribbean which rely largely on tax rate arbitrage to attract MNCs.

"The global pact would face the challenge of getting other major nations on the same page, since this impinges on the right of the sovereign to decide a nation's tax policy," Nangia added.

Since India's effective tax rate is above the global minimum tax rate, it would not impact companies doing business in India. "The global minimum rate impacts companies using low-tax jurisdiction to achieve low global tax cost. Moreover, India attracts foreign investment owing to its large internal market, quality labour at competitive rates, strategic location for exports, and a thriving private sector," Nangia said.

EY India National Tax Leader Sudhir Kapadia said the global corporate tax pact is a path breaking one, especially for large and developing countries like India which would always find it very difficult to keep corporate tax rates artificially lower in a bid to increase much needed foreign direct investments in the country.

Also read: M-cap of 7 of top 10 most-valued firms up by over Rs 1.15 lakh cr; RIL top gainer

"Even the recently announced lower rate of 15 per cent for new manufacturing units in India just about meets this new threshold, thus, not affecting this much needed boost to manufacturing in India. Equally important is the explicit granting of taxing rights to "market countries" for a share of global profits of multinational corporations, thus aligning right to taxation with place of economic contribution," Kapadia said.

The decision taken by the G7 countries will be placed before G20 countries, a group of developing and developed nations, in a meeting scheduled for July in Venice.

While the G7 agreement will have a lot of weight in the G20/OECD discussions, it would require a lot of work to reach global consensus, Maheshwari said. "Countries like Ireland are expected to have a challenging time and may oppose this minimum tax rate. However, a minimum tax of 15 per cent may not raise substantial revenues and there is a possibility that other countries may want a higher minimum global tax rate," he added.

Deloitte India Partner Rohinton Sidhwa said the benefit of the minimum tax rate should accrue by first giving a right to tax a part of profit of large global digital MNCs.

Besides, it will also bring an end to various digital taxes that have proliferated around the world similar to the equalisation levy in India, he said, adding that it will also pave the way for changes in global tax treaties pursuant to the consensus being reached.

(With PTI inputs)

Also read: G7 nations reach historic tax deal, to back global corporation tax of at least 15%
Terrorists hurled grenade on a police party in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Sunday, injuring seven civilians. The attack took place near a bus station in Tral area of Pulwama.

The seven civilians suffered minor injuries in the attack and were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital.

Security forces have cordoned off the area and a search operation is underway to catch the terrorists.

Earlier on May 26, a similar attack was carried out by militants in Tral. Officials had later confirmed that militants lobbed a grenade in the direction of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) party.

The attack had not resulted in any injuries or loss of life.

Earlier this week, terrorists had shot dead Rakesh Pandita, BJP councillor and municipal chairman of Tral, when he was visiting a friend in Tral area.

Also read: M-cap of 7 of top 10 most-valued firms up by over Rs 1.15 lakh cr; RIL top gainer

Also read: G7 deal for minimum 15% global corporate tax to benefit India: Experts
Ministers from the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC on Saturday agreed to review trade barriers and expedite the cross-border transit of COVID-19 vaccines and related goods, but stopped short of a broad commitment to remove tariffs.

A meeting of trade ministers from the 21-economy group, which includes the United States, China, and Japan, also produced pledges to support World Trade Organization negotiations for an intellectual property waiver on COVID-19 vaccines.

In three statements issued after the meeting, the ministers said they would "expedite the flow and transit of all COVID-19 vaccines and related goods through their air, sea and land ports."

Also Read: Adar Poonawalla thanks Biden, Jaishankar for policy change to boost COVID-19 vaccine production

"We will consider voluntary actions to reduce the cost of these products for our people, particularly by encouraging each economy to review its own charges levied at the border on COVID-19 vaccines and related goods," one statement said.

The ministers also said they were committed to work to facilitate the movement of essential goods and minimize disruptions to networks critical to keeping supply chains operating smoothly.

"APEC economies should prioritise identifying unnecessary barriers to trade in any relevant services that may hinder expediting and facilitating the movement of essential goods, and should ensure consistency of any such barriers with their World Trade Organization" obligations, the statement said.

BEST PRACTICES

Vaccine-related trade barriers, including export restrictions, tariffs, and other import barriers, have been viewed as contributing to a relative lack of vaccine access in developing countries.

Average APEC tariffs on vaccines are low at around 0.8%, but other goods important in the vaccine supply chain face higher tariffs. Alcohol solutions, freezing equipment, packaging and storage materials, vials and rubber stoppers face average tariffs above 5%, and tariffs can be as high as 30% in some APEC economies.

Prior to the start of the virtual meeting, host New Zealand had wanted APEC members to agree on "best practices guidelines" on the movement of vaccines and related medical products across borders, a person familiar with the talks told Reuters.

APEC gatherings in recent years have struggled to reach agreements due to former U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with China. The new Biden administration has promised a more multilateral approach.

New Zealand viewed an agreement as important to show that APEC is responsive and relevant to the crisis facing the world.

Also Read: Pfizer, Moderna, Serum & the indemnity issue; what is it and what it means for India?

VACCINE IP WAIVER

The ministers said they will work proactively and urgently in WTO negotiations aimed at agreeing on a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights on vaccines "as soon as possible" and no later than the WTO's ministerial conference scheduled for the end of November.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who last month announced her support for a waiver, told a news conference before the meeting that she was encouraged by the progress of those talks.

"What I've heard from these few days of interaction with my fellow ministers from the APEC region is broadly an agreement that we need to increase access to vaccines, increase supply of vaccines," Tai said.

New Zealand's trade minister, Damien O'Connor, said there are a range of challenges around production and distribution of vaccines that can be addressed to improve supply around the world, but gaining patent waivers could still be an obstacle.

"Having looked at all those challenges, if it is IP that is holding us back, I think that there will be consensus reached at the WTO. And I think as APEC economies, we certainly are going to ask for that to be considered seriously," he said.

The APEC trade ministers also said the WTO needed to strengthen its credibility by concluding decades-long negotiations to curb harmful fisheries subsidies, with a "comprehensive and meaningful agreement" by July 31.

The group called on its member officials to explore options to undertake a "potential voluntary standstill on inefficient fossil fuel subsidies," with a progress report expected in November.
As Indian companies get ready to manufacture Russian-made Sputnik V anti-COVID vaccine to meet the staggering demand in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said Russia is the only country in the world which is ready to transfer technology and to expand production abroad, and noted that the vaccine was being sold in 66 countries.

The remarks by the Russian president came a day after officials in New Delhi said the Serum Institute of India has received preliminary approval from the country's drug regulator for manufacturing of Sputnik V.

Already Indian pharma company, Dr Reddy's Laboratories, in April, 2021 received the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Russian vaccine. Also Panacea Biotec in collaboration with Russian sovereign wealth fund RDIF has begun the production of Sputnik V vaccine in India.

Also Read: DCGI approves Serum's request to manufacture Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in India

Rejecting allegations over Sputnik V vaccine's efficacy, the Russian president during a virtual interaction with senior editors of major international news agencies, including the Press Trust of India, the Associated Press and Reuters, said that the delay in getting the vaccine registered in Europe was due to a "competitive struggle" and "commercial interests" there.

With China being blamed by some countries, especially the US, for the COVID-19 pandemic, Putin said too much has been said about the subject, and emphasised that the crisis should not be "politicised".

He was replying to a question on the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, US President Joe Biden announced that he had ordered further intelligence investigation into the origins of COVID-19 amidst allegations that coronavirus originated from a laboratory in China's Wuhan city, with former US president Donald Trump calling for imposing a fine on the Asian country for the "death and destruction" it has caused.

Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine: Brazil clears proposal to import Covaxin, Sputnik V

"Too many things have already been said on this subject, so it seems to me that making more comments about this would be pointless. I don't think that I can say something new or intriguing," Putin said through a translator.

Noting that there was a competitive struggle against Sputnik V, Putin said, "in 66 countries, we are selling our vaccine, it is a huge market for us. I am pretty sure the allegations are due to commercial reasons but we are following humanitarian reasons."

He further asserted that "it is recognised by international experts, the vaccine is efficient, its efficacy is 97.6 per cent. We are the only country in the world who is ready to transfer technology and is ready to expand our production abroad."

Putin also expressed hope that the challenges created by the novel coronavirus pandemic would spur countries to remove politically motivated restrictions against each other.
Petrol and diesel prices across the country were again hiked by the state-run Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) on Sunday, June 6, 48 hours after they were last revised on June 4. Petrol prices in Mumbai crossed Rs 101 for the first time. Petrol and diesel in the financial capital of the country are being retailed at Rs 101.25 and Rs 93.30 per litre, respectively.

Petrol price in Mumbai had crossed the Rs 100-mark on May 29, 2021.

Fuel prices have crossed Rs 100 in over a hundred districts across the country, especially in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

In these cities, retailers have been selling petrol for over Rs 100 per litre for several days now due to higher VAT level on auto fuels in the country. In Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, the price of petrol had breached Rs 100 on May 26. On Sunday, petrol was being sold at Rs 101.38 per litre in the city.

Fuel prices in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan remain the highest in the country, with a litre of petrol costing Rs 105.51 per litre and diesel trading at Rs 98.36 per litre as of June 6. Ratnagiri, Parbhani, Aurangabad, Jaisalmer, Banswara, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Guntur and Kakinada are some other cities where petrol is being sold at more than Rs 100 per litre.

Fuel prices were also hiked across major cities across the country. In Delhi, the price of petrol went up by 27 paise on Sunday, while that of diesel was hiked by 29 paise. Petrol now costs Rs 95.03 per litre in Delhi and diesel Rs 85.95 per litre.

In Chennai, petrol is being sold at Rs 96.47 per litre and diesel at Rs 90.66 per litre. In Kolkata, petrol is being sold at Rs 95.02 per litre and diesel at Rs 88.88 per litre.

After remaining stationary for 18 days due to the assembly elections in multiple states, fuel prices were hiked on May 4.

Oil extended gains on Friday, with Brent topping $72 a barrel for the first time since 2019, as OPEC+ supply discipline and recovering demand countered concerns about a patchy COVID-19 vaccination rollout around the globe.

Brent crude rose 58 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $71.89 a barrel, after touching $72.17, its highest since May 2019.

Also Read: Fuel prices on fire! Petrol nears Rs 101 per litre in Mumbai
Dakota graduated from Bret Harte in 2013 and went to Davidson College, NC where she earned a bachelor's degree in Arab studies. After spending time studying in the Middle East and Europe, she is happy to be home, writing about the community she loves.

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FILE - In this, Nov. 13 2019, file photo, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. talks to Donald Trump Jr. about his new book "Triggered" during convocation at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Falwell is asking a court in Virginia to dismiss a lawsuit Liberty University filed over his headline-grabbing departure last year as leader of the evangelical school his father founded. (Emily Elconin/The News & Advance via AP, File)
Republican Mattie Parker speaks to the crowd after Deborah Peoples conceded the Fort Worth mayoral race Saturday, June 5, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Yffy Yossifor/Star-Telegram via AP)
Trump gives updates on potential 2024 run, wont say whether Pence would be his running mate
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Photo: The Canadian Press Terry Lake, president of the B.C. Care Providers Association: ?We feel strongly that B.C. should follow the lead of other provinces and require vaccination for COVID or other measures to protect residents.?

B.C. should require health-care workers in long-term care to be vaccinated, or take steps to protect residents from being infected by them, says the president of the B.C. Care Providers Association.

We feel strongly that B.C. should follow the lead of other provinces and require vaccination for COVID or other measures to protect residents, Terry Lake said.

B.C.s former health minister pointed to thrice-weekly rapid testing in Quebec and new immunization policies for 626 long-term care homes in Ontario that, at a minimum, will require health-care workers who go unvaccinated  without a medical reason  to participate in an education program about the benefits of vaccines.

At the very least, care-home operators should be told how many staff are not vaccinated, which would help them assess risk, said Lake. Some association owners and operators, acting on legal advice, are requiring new staff members to be vaccinated prior to employment, Lake said.

On Wednesday, the prospect of care-home workers in the United Kingdom being required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 moved a step closer with a crucial endorsement from Britains human-rights watchdog, reported The Guardian newspaper.

Victorias Brenda Brophy, who pulled her 101-year-old mother out of long-term care due to visiting restrictions last year and who now acts as an advocate for long-term-care residents and their families, said visitors and health-care workers in direct contact with residents should be required to be vaccinated. If theyre not, residents and their families should be given the option to refuse care from them, she said.

B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie said mandatory vaccinations of health-care workers wont happen, adding: The courts have settled that.

As seniors advocate, I think it is a bona fide occupational requirement, but its going to be the courts that determine that question, not me, not the Ministry of Health, and not the public health officer, said Mackenzie. We couldnt even win the battle on compulsory flu shots.

She noted that unvaccinated health care staff also cannot be forced to wear masks during flu season.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said this week the province isnt considering mandatory immunizations for health-care workers who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID 19.

Dix said the government is employing a number of strategies to provide education and encouragement around vaccination, adding that 41,000 workers in long-term care have had at least a first dose.

Most long-term-care residents and staff were offered immunization in January and February and most residents have now had a second dose, along with a very significant number of health care workers.

Dr. Richard Stanwick, Island Healths chief medical health officer, said there is no plan to make vaccination mandatory for health-care providers, but unvaccinated individuals providing care will likely be required to wear appropriate protective equipment, such as masks.

Mike Old, interim secretary-business manager for the Hospital Employees Union, said COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective in making long-term care and assisted living safer for residents and workers. Because of this, we expect that high rates of vaccination among health-care workers will rise even higher.
Photo: Facebook/Ava Dava Police tape around Trina Hunt's Port Moody home on June 5, 2021, as her homicide investigation continues.

It appears investigators are searching in and around Trina Hunt's home as her homicide investigation continues.

According to reports, police have taped off the Port Moody residence with two PMPD vehicles parked on either side of the driveway.

Glacier Media has reached out to Port Moody police for comment.

We'll update this story as information becomes available.

Posts on social media are also indicating a makeshift memorial created to honour the 48-year-old was removed from the home earlier this week.

$50,000 REWARD

This update comes four days after four members of Hunt's family made an enticing appeal to the public in hoping someone who knows something will come forward.

Hunt's parents  Charles and Dianna Ibbott  as well her brother and sister-in-law, are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and subsequent charges in her murder.



Its now been more than a month since the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced her remains were found south of Silver Creek near Hope, B.C. on March 29.

She was originally reported missing on Jan. 18 by Port Moody police.



The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) had no new information to share with the public this week, though spokesperson Sgt. Frank Jang said the case is 'progressing.'

Hunts family also issued a public plea to coincide with the reward.



To the community, they stated they're grateful for the support and will continue to fight for answers to the 48-year-olds death.



To the person(s) responsible, the family urges them to come forward and take responsibility.



You have senselessly taken Trinas life and have ruined so many others. Own up to your actions and accept the consequences. Its the least you can do.



You can watch the full statement in the video below, read by family spokesperson Stephanie Ibbott.
Photo: The Canadian Press Cardinal Thomas Collins delivers at online Good Friday service in an empty St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto on April 10, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

The archbishop of Toronto expressed "great sorrow" Sunday for the abuse that took place at Canada's residential schools, though he insisted the prime minister was unfair in his calls for the Catholic Church to take more responsibility.

Cardinal Thomas Collins also said it was "very important" when Pope Francis held a moment of silent prayer Sunday in honour of Canadian Indigenous children who died at residential schools and the families who mourn them, despite the pontiff not offering an apology for the Church's participation in the schools.

Collins expressed sadness for the rampant suffering endured at the institutions, both in an interview with The Canadian Press and in remarks delivered at a service in Toronto.

He said the Church as a whole has also owned up to its role in the system and chastised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for seeking further action.

"I would think that Mr. Trudeau and his government ... should join with us and with the Indigenous people in our journey together," Collins said in a telephone interview. "We want to work together. These types of sharp comments, which are not based on real fact, are most unfortunate."

As the Pope addressed his congregation Sunday in the heart of Vatican City, Collins was inviting his own assembly from Toronto's St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica to bow their heads and honour those who died in Canadian residential schools.

The system targeted Indigenous children for decades, and some 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children were forcibly sent to the institutions where many suffered abuse and even death.

The issue was propelled back into the national spotlight 10 days ago when the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia announced that the remains of 215 Indigenous children are believed to be buried at an unmarked site at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Ground-penetrating radar confirmed the findings, the First Nation said.

Pope Francis said he is following news of the findings "with pain" after leading the Angelus prayer on Sunday. "I join the Canadian bishops and the entire Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my closeness to the Canadian people traumatized by the shocking news," he said.

He did not mention Trudeau's call for him to apologize for the Catholic Church's role in Canadian residential schools, which came at a Friday news conference. Saskatchewan's Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is also demanding an apology from the Pope, saying it is the right thing to do.

"This was genocide, and it should be acknowledged as such by the perpetrators, the Church, the Government, and the RCMP," the organization representing 74 of the province's First Nations said in a release Sunday.

In response to Trudeau, Collins pointed out that Pope Benedict XVI apologized in 2009 to a delegation from Canada's Assembly of First Nations for the abuse experienced by children in residential schools. Benedict called the children's treatment "deplorable" in the same address.

Collins also noted the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who ran the Kamloops residential school, apologized in 1991.

Trudeau also said Friday he was "deeply disappointed" with the Church's position on releasing residential school records.

"Were still seeing resistance from the Church, possibly from the Church in Canada," he said.

Collins called those remarks "unhelpful," noting that as far as he understands, the Oblates are releasing whatever documentation they have.

"But I totally agree that everything should be made known," he said, adding that any information that may be withheld should be released. "This whole residential school system was a terrible thing ... we have to repent of that and be deeply careful to ensure it never happens again."

Lawyer Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond said she appreciates what seems to be a "heartfelt commitment" from the Cardinal to provide unmitigated access to records that would help family members identify residential school victims, especially those from the school in Kamloops.

But those in power have "taken positions contrary to the words expressed today," Turpel-Lafond, the director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at the University of British Columbia, said in an email Sunday.

She, too, called on "the highest authority in the Church" to apologize and direct that all records and archival material be released without exceptions.

"Leaving First Nations in limbo to engage with the dozens of church congregations, past and present, does not reflect a fulsome human rights approach," she said. "Canada needs to do better."
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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For the longest time, Ive felt a certain kinship with the people in Asheville, N.C. I love Chattanooga; it is a great place to live and Ive always felt of Asheville as the same way  great outdoors, mountain trails, small restaurants with good food, great air to breathe, and a lots of friendly and kind people. Good manners in public, and to total strangers, gets my attention.

But in the past year, Asheville has been beset by the same group of stupids that have begun to sprout in good medium-sized and even small cities. Asheville (pop. 92,452) got a horrible dose of the defund the police epidemic  this due to sorry government leadership  and this week the city budget remained the same for FY 2022, but, just this year (since Jan.

1), 84 police officers have quit. Even better, the Asheville Police Department has just announced three officers quit at the main station and the APD cant possibly reopen to the public until November or December.

In other words, draw a line through Asheville on Americas list of real cool places you would love to live, but thats not the worst part: Rather than face the reason(s) for the police exodus, the geniuses that have allowed such a travesty to occur have issued rules that wont allow certain crimes to be reported on the 9-1-1 frequency. I kid you not! This is due to under-staffing, it is claimed, and the newest budget does little to remedy this crisis.

* * *

UNACCEPTABLE REASONS TO DIAL 9-1-1 IN ASHEVILLE

* -- Theft from a vehicle where there is no suspect information

* -- Minimal damage and/or graffiti to property where there is no suspect information

* -- Non-life-threatening harassing phone calls (does not include incidents that are related to domestic violence and/or stalking)

* -- Fraud, scams, or identity theft

* -- Simple assaults that are reported after they have occurred

* -- Reports that do not require immediate police actions and/or enforcement (information only reports)

* -- Funeral escorts

* -- Lost/found property

* -- Trespassing where the property owner does not want to press charges

(In addition, noise complaints made during normal business hours and after-hours may have a significant delay in response.)

* * *

Police Criminal Information Officer Christiana Hallingse said victims of these lesser matters should instead use a purported Police-to-Citizen line (828-252-1110) to have an officer respond when they are available. But, be warned, there could be a significant delay in police response. There was no mention in decreased taxes for decreased police services.

* * *

ATLANTA DEFUND THE POLICE SUPPORTER WAITS ON HOLD FOR 5 MINUTES

Last Wednesday Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown watched in shock as four kids hopped in his Mercedes at a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins store opening and drove away. Antonio, a leading advocate of Defund the Police, then waited over five minutes on hold after dialing 9-1-1 and police responded  45 minutes later. How are we doing, Antonio?

The four kids who swiped the activists Mercedes are believed to rank in age from 7 to 11 years old and neither have they been arrested nor has the councilmans car been recovered. Similar incidents in defund the police cities are rapidly proving the racist-driven sham is a major embarrassment.

* * *

HOMICIDES UP 300% IN OAKLAND BUT THEY DEFUND ANYWAY.

The free-thinking city government in Oakland is moving ahead with its vow to Defund the Police, despite homicides in May are up 300 percent over last year at this time. No wonder acceptance of the emotional defund effort in Oakland has fallen to a withering 18 percent.

- -

FROM THE GUARDIAN: On Wednesday the Oaklands Reimagine Public Safety taskforce finished approving dozens of recommendations to take to city council. Upping investments in proven community violence prevention strategies and creating a program to respond to mental health crises without police present are included in the panoply of alternatives.

Even with these lofty goals and efforts to acknowledge the heavy toll of gun violence, several members of Oaklands taskforce remain uneasy about measures that would significantly cut police presence, especially as the city loses ground in its years-long struggle to reduce gun violence.

Were supposed to address it all: the nonsense in policing and the nonsense in the community that is hurting us all. But it feels like the community issue is something that no one wants to touch, echoed Antoine Towers, chair of the Oakland Violence Prevention Coalition, a non-law enforcement collective striving to interrupt cycles of violence.

Once Californias shelter-in-place order began, gun violence in the San Francisco Bay Area began to creep upward, and by the end of 2020 homicides  mostly by firearm were up 35 percent compared with the year before. The increase was exceptionally painful in Oakland where gun deaths had been on a steady decline since 2012 and were on track to reach record lows in 2020. So far this year, 29 people have been murdered in the city - 22 more deaths than last year in the same time period, according to the police department.

* * *

QUICK & FUN FACTS FROM DEFUND THE POLICE CITIES

FROM FOX NEWS (via bearingarms.com)  Between Dec. 11, 2020, and March 28 of this year, murders in the city (Minneapolis) rose 46 percent  to 19  compared to the 13 reported during the same time period last year, statistics show.

(From Portland) There were 63 homicide offenses reported from July 2020 through Feb. 2021, but only 17 recorded from July 2019 through Feb. 2020, police data show.

Murders in New York City are up 11.8 percent year-to-date as of March 21, with 76 reported this year compared to the 68 from 2020, according to NYPD crime statistics.

And for 2021, (Los Angeles) murders are up 28.3 percent as of March 13, with 77 killings reported this year to date compared to the 60 reported during the same time in 2020, statistics show. The number of shooting victims nearly doubled, from 157 reported through March 13, 2020, compared to this years 303.

As of February 2021, the most recently available data showed there were 11 murders year-to-date in Austin compared to the 10 reported during the same time last year, statistics show. Meanwhile, aggravated assault reports were up 26 percent, from 415 reported year-to-date in 2020 compared to the 524 so far this year.

* * *

CONSENSUS CONCLUSION: That list only focused on the violent crimes and murders in those cities. Overall, property crimes have also skyrocketed. What does this all mean? Well for starters, the defund the police social experiment seems to be a complete failure.

* * *

IN ASHEVILLE, N.C  Lets trim our 9-1-1 calls. Thatll reduce crime.

Please.

* * *

CLICK HERE. EXTRA! EXTRA! About ten years ago a buddy of mine in Dallas sent me a recording of a salesman driving into work who witnessed a fender-bender. I happened across the tape not long ago and this play-by-play is maybe the best of all time.



Royexum@aol.com
Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report:

ANDERSON, DARRELL

9222 LOCKWOOD DR APT 1 HOUSTON, 77016

Age at Arrest: 52 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

---

BELCHER, TERRY LYNN

HOMELESS WOODBURY, 37190

Age at Arrest: 42 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY)

---

BERRY, ADRIAN CHANDLER

727 E 11TH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 37403

Age at Arrest: 53 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

---

BERRY, DEANDRA SIMONE

124 SOUTH LINER STREET APT A ROSSVILLE, 30741

Age at Arrest: 30 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

FAILURE TO APPEAR

---

BERRY, TAKOYA

,

Age at Arrest: 31 years old

Arresting Agency: Federal Marshall

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

---

BROWN, LASHONDA NICOLE

1814 COWARD STREET APT D CHATTANOOGA, 37408

Age at Arrest: 42 years old

Arresting Agency: Tenn Highway Patrol

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

---

CALDWELL, ALIXE

210 DUJE ST NASHVILLE,

Age at Arrest: 24 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

---

COLLINS, EDDIE REESE

303 ASHBURY DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 37411

Age at Arrest: 37 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

---

EVANS, RONEDRIA L

1111 E 32ND ST CHATTANOOGA, 37407

Age at Arrest: 31 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

THEFT OF PROPERTY

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE

POSS OF FIREARM DURING A FELONY

---

FAULKNER, BRIAN JORDAN

9227 SNOW HILL RD OOLTEWAH, 37363

Age at Arrest: 35 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

---

FOSTER, RAYMOND AUSTIN

3511 2ND AVE CHATTANOOGA,

Age at Arrest: 30 years old

Arresting Agency: Soddy Daisy

PUBLIC INTOXICATION

---

GOTHARD, JAMES WINDSOR

314 BELLE VISTA AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37411

Age at Arrest: 21 years old

Arresting Agency: Red Bank

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

RESISTING STOP, FRIST, HALT, ARREST OR SEARCH

---

GRAVITT, BRITTNEY NICOLE

159 TRACE LN ROSSVILLE, 30741

Age at Arrest: 23 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

---

HENLEY, CLAY WALKER

1803 VANCE AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37421

Age at Arrest: 27 years old

Arresting Agency: Red Bank

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS

---

HUDSON, JAMES A

107 ARLINGTON TER CHATTANOOGA, 374102208

Age at Arrest: 41 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE

DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE

POSS OF FIREARM DURING A FELONY

POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED

---

KEEN, AMANDA DAWN

71 FRANK SMITH ROAD DUNLAP, 37327

Age at Arrest: 36 years old

Arresting Agency:

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

---

KOPP, LAUREN ASHLEY

919 CHESTNUT WOOD LN CHATTANOOGA, 37421

Age at Arrest: 36 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE

---

LINGERFELT, JAMES ROBERT

6428 PLANTATION DR CHATTANOOGA, 37416

Age at Arrest: 30 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

BLOCKING OR IMPEDING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE

---

MACKENZIE, LUCINDA

2813 BENT OAK RD CHATTANOOGA, 374211239

Age at Arrest: 19 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

---

MARTIN, KEVIN DYLAN

111 MOUNTAIN RD SODDY DAISY, 373794615

Age at Arrest: 28 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

SPEEDING

DRIVING WITHOUT PROPER ENDORSEMENT

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

---

MARTINEZ, ALAN DENNIS

1379 PAIR RD SW MARIETTA, 300085703

Age at Arrest: 21 years old

Arresting Agency: Lookout Mountain

DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE

SPEEDING

POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE

---

PATTERSON, DARIUS JAMAL

207 TACOA AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37411

Age at Arrest: 29 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS

---

RAMIREZ, CHRISTIAN

9259 SCARLET RIDGE OOLTEWAH, 37363

Age at Arrest: 23 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION OR RESTRAINING OR

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

---

RITCHIE, KAITLYN ASHLEY

5432 STALLION LN HARRISON, 37341

Age at Arrest: 26 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

POSSESSION OF SCHEDULE 1

CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION

---

ROSS, DAYN MARTRELL

5225 FAGAN ST CHATTANOOGA, 374102032

Age at Arrest: 46 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

---

ROUNSAVILLE, MICHAEL SHANE

4017 MCCAHILL RD CHATTANOOGA, 37415

Age at Arrest: 41 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

FISHING WITHOUT LICENSE

REFUSING INSPECTION

---

RUSSELL, TIMOTHY LEN

1323 COFFELT ROAD HIXSON, 37343

Age at Arrest: 59 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS

POSSESSION OF SCHEDUKKE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE

---

SHAHAN, MARK ALLEN

2916 BOYNTON DRIVE RINGGOLD, 30736

Age at Arrest: 27 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

---

SMITH, CHRISTINE FAITH

1707 RIVERGATE TERR SODDY DAISY, 37379

Age at Arrest: 55 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

HARASSMENT

---

SMITH, FREDDIE GRADY

3210 13TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 374071809

Age at Arrest: 57 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION OR RESTRAINING OR

AGGRAVATED CRIMINAL TRESPASS

---

STANDIFER, MATINA RENEA NICOLE

266 NEW UNION CR DAYTON, 37321

Age at Arrest: 28 years old

Arresting Agency: East Ridge

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

---

STANFORD, JEROME LEE

727 E 11TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 374033104

Age at Arrest: 30 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION OR RESTRAINING OR

---

TARVER, RANDAL SHANE

9611 SMITH MORGAN ROAD SODDY DAISY, 37379

Age at Arrest: 29 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

---

WATKINS, ZACHARY TYLER KEY

3109 E 45TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37407

Age at Arrest: 29 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

VIOLATION OF PROBATION (THEFT OF PROPERTY OVER 250

VIOLATION OF PROBATION (POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED S

---

WOOD, CURTIS DEMONTION-CORTEZ

4776 CRESTRIDGE LN CLEVELAND, 37312

Age at Arrest: 30 years old

Arresting Agency: Hamilton County

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)
(John Anthony Smith, CEO of the fast-growing Conversant Group on the Southside, advises on Internet security. There have been recent attacks by cyber gangs - first on a U.S. pipeline company, then on a huge beef producer and, mostly recently, a large media group.)

Last month, hackers infiltrated Colonial Pipelines computer network, which resulted in the massive shutdown of its pipeline. The pipeline provides nearly one half of the fuel supply for the Southeastern United States. Colonial Pipeline elected to pay a ransom demand of nearly $4 million the same day. The pipeline was shut down for six days, and it resulted in a run on fuel stations throughout the Southeast.

In light of upcoming Congressional committee meetings, Colonial Pipeline made Joseph Blount, CEO, and Charles Carmakal, Mandiant senior vice president, available to speak publicly about the causes of the breach.

On Friday, Bloomberg reported that a compromised password for an inactive account was used to breach Colonial Pipelines network. An unused user account (the user no longer worked for Colonial Pipeline) had not been deactivated, and the account still had access to VPN. The user likely had reused his or her password on non-corporate accounts, which resulted in the users password being available on the Darkweb (after compromises of other non-corporate web sites). It isnt known how the attackers obtained the username; however, it is very easy to obtain usernames via other methods. As an example only (there is no proof of this being used at Colonial Pipeline), Exchange Server Outlook Web Access has error reporting that would allow an attacker to accurately guess a username.

The VPN system used to compromise the companys networks was not protected by multifactor authentication (MFA): at least for the user account that was leveraged in the attack. VPN (virtual private network) is used by many companies to provide remote access to users.

On assessment, more than 80 percent of the time, we find externally exposed systems without MFA (including cloud apps), and more than 90 percent of the time, we find poor password/user account hygiene.

Defense is always less expensive than recovery: our hand is always extended for either (defense or recovery). Please compute safely.
Ray Charles is considered a legend for many reasons. From his talent to his positive attitude, Charles was a star through and through. As some of the famous musicians fans may already know, he had a very interesting and tough upbringing. To this day doctors have never been able to confirm the mysterious way Charles lost his eyesight. Take a look back at the iconic musicians life and the mystery behind Charles vision.

Ray Charles | Michael Putland/Getty Images

A glimpse back into Ray Charles childhood

Brother Ray, the stars biography, gave his fans and followers an inside perspective to his childhood and journey. Charles was born in Georgia in 1930, but shortly after his arrival, his parents moved the family to Florida.

It was in Florida that Charles witnessed the tragic death of his little brother. Charles younger sibling, who was only four at the time, drowned in the familys bathtub. It wasnt very long after the traumatic event that Charles began experiencing problems with his vision. By the time he was 7 he had completely lost all of his eyesight. Fortunately, Charles never let that get in his way.

Ray Charles tragedies and triumphs

When Charles lost his eyesight he didnt let that affect his dream and goals. With the help of his mother, Charles began attending a school that supported students who were deaf and blind. Using Braille, Charles was able to learn how to read and write music. In no time Charles was playing the piano, sax, organ, trumpet, and clarinet. Talk about impressive.

Much of Charless determination and ambition stemmed from his parents and upbringing, but, unfortunately, Charles lost both of his parents by the time he was 15. Following the death of his mom, Charles began touring and so did his career.

Over the years Charles blew away countless audiences with his charm, charisma, and, of course, classical tunes. Nicknamed the Father of Soul, the celebrity was well-known for his ability to break boundaries with his music. Throughout his career, Charles overcame many stigmas as well as drug addiction. Hit the Road Jack, I Got a Woman, and Unchain My Heart were just a few of the many hits Charles released. Biography shared that Charles actually had recorded well over 60 albums throughout his lifetime.

Doctors have never been able to fully confirm the mysterious way Ray Charles lost his eyesight

Charles died in 2004 and was writing and producing music until the very end of his life. However, many years after the stars death, doctors still are not positive as to what caused Charless mysterious loss of vision.

Live About shared the known details behind the peculiar timeline. After experiencing excruciating eye pain and difficulty seeing, medical professionals made the decision to remove Charles right eye. However, the problems didnt stop there, and a short amount of time later, Charles lost all of his eyesight. At the time doctors suspected glaucoma to be the culprit, but given Charles economic and social status, it is likely he was given the care and attention he actually needed.

With that being said, sadly, doctors were never able to confirm the exact cause behind the famous musicians loss of eyesight. Fortunately, Charless eyesight never hindered him from making music. Many of Charles fans and listeners still listen to his music today and celebrate the stars legacy.

RELATED: 10 of the Biggest Grammy Upsets of All Time
Fans of MTVs The Challenge know all about Jordan Wiseley and Tori Deal. The couple seemed perfect for each other, and they even got engaged on the show. Unfortunately, they called it quits. But Jordan recently stated MTV definitely wants the exes back on reality TV together. Heres what he said.

Why did Jordan and Tori break up?

Fans of MTVs The Challenge will never forget Jordans iconic proposal to Tori. After winning an elimination challenge on War of the Worlds II, Jordan got down on one knee in front of the rest of the competition  and ecstatically accepted. The two then spent plenty of time planning out their future life together. Eventually, though, everything fell apart. Once they parted ways, they made their announcements via Instagram.

I thought I knew love when Jordan and I were together, but there is a different kind of love that two people feel when they decide its time to experience life apart, Tori explained via Instagram. Even though Jordan and I are going to be moving forward in separate ways, our love, support, and connection with one another only grows stronger and deeper.

While the two seemed friendly at first it quickly went downhill. 

My engagement got called off, Tori explained on MTVs Official Challenge Podcast which she co-hosts. Girl, you dont even know what thats like. That sh*t  its all cool, its all amicable on the outside, but on the inside, you know how bad it hurts to have your heart broken. And then the rumors, and then people making judgments.

Jordan said MTV wants him and Tori back on The Challenge

Marlon Williams and Jordan Wiseley at MTVs The Challenge: Rivals II final episode and reunion party | Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Toris talked about Jordan on a few podcasts now, and it seems Jordan is breaking his silence. While he posted a few remarks on Instagram, he doesnt keep up with interviews or social media to the extent Tori does. But on May 25, 2021, he posted an interview with Danny Pellegrino where he discusses the breakup and what the future of MTVs The Challenge looks like for both of them.

According to Jordan, he posted a photo to social media after he and Tori broke up that contained a mug. In the comments of the photo, Tori claimed the mug was hers. This caused a ton of discussion amongst fans, as it seemed to stir the pot between the exes. And Jordan got a call from MTV soon after the photo debacle.

I got a call, like, 10 minutes later, Jordan said. Then, when asked if hed go back on the show, he answered, Im not going back for Tori. And its not because I have a personal vendetta against them, its just that I know how television works.

Tori is reportedly part of The Challenge Season 37 cast

Tori Deal at MTVs Are You The One? Season 4 premiere | Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for MTV

RELATED: The Challenge 37: Rumors Suggest Eliminations Happened Prior to Production Shutdown

While rumors initially suggested Jordan could come back for MTVs The Challenge Season 37, it doesnt look like thats the case anymore. But it seems Tori will return. The rumored cast listings include Tori along with a number of other Double Agents veterans.

Not only will Tori return, but Fessy Shafaat is also on the rumored cast list. Fessy flirted with Tori on Double Agents, and major drama surrounded them after leaked photos showed them vacationing together. Tori noted they did spend time together but remain just friends now. Perhaps another season together could change that, though.

As for Jordans future with The Challenge, were not sure if hell take part in another season or not. Well have to wait and see.

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Serena Joy Waterford has proven herself to be an irredeemable villain in The Handmaids Tale. Even when she shows signs of improvement, she will revert back to her old ways to get what she wants. And given that what Serena Joy wants is so often changing, there is no logic in trusting her. Sam Jaegers Mark Tuello has learned this in seasons 3 and 4. And according to Jaeger, Serena Joy is only going to get more dangerous as The Handmaids Tale Season 4 goes on. Especially after her confrontation with June in episode 7.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for The Handmaids Tale Season 4.]

Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy and Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello in The Handmaids Tale Season 4 | Sophie Giraud/Hulu

June confronts Serena Joy in Canada in The Handmaids Tale Season 4

June is sharing what she knows with whats left of the United States government in Canada. In episode 7, she detailed the abuse the Waterfords inflicted on her and had the opportunity to face Serena Joy in her prison cell. The resulting conversation was venomous, as actor Yvonne Strahovski described it. And rightfully so.

In a move that Strahovski told The Wrap was pure strategy, the pregnant Serena Joy told June she believed God was giving her the opportunity to make amends. (Right, because one simple apology will make up for seven years of abuse.)

I brought myself here so I could tell you how much I hate you, June responds. You dont deserve to make amends. The only thing that you deserve is a life full of suffering and shame. You have destroyed my life, my family, my friends, my country, and my child. There is no one less worthy of redemption than you.

Things escalated from there. But showrunner Bruce Miller told TV Insider the intense moment mattered not one bit to Serena.

RELATED: The Handmaids Tale Season 4: June Confronting Serena Was the First Scene Shot Between Them All Season

Serena Joy is an increasing threat to Mark Tuello, Sam Jaeger says

Serena Joys actions after this conflict shows that. She responds by going back to Fred and teaming up with him to protect herself. Yet again, in the face of accountability, Serena Joy obfuscates it by retreating to where she feels more powerful. This serves as a reminder of how much of a threat she poses in the show.

While Serena Joy has had her moments of regret for her part in creating Gilead, her regret isnt about the harm shes caused. Its the fact that she couldnt get special treatment. Now that shes pregnant, shell be even more cutthroat in her efforts to get out of prison. And the longer Mark associates himself with Serena Joy, the more precarious the situation gets.

Serena is becoming more dangerous to Mark with each episode, Jaeger told TV Insider. Still, Mark feels Serena is the best avenue to getting Fred to spill damning information about Gilead. But Jaeger said his character will have to take a couple of steps under the dark side to get that information out of the Commander. This spells trouble for everyone in the last two episodes of The Handmaids Tale Season 4.

Joseph Fiennes as Fred Waterford and Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford in The Handmaids Tale Season 4 | Sophie Giraud/Hulu

RELATED: The Handmaids Tale: Fred Waterford Actor Joseph Fiennes Wants This Fred and Serena Flashback Episode

Will Serena Joy become a Handmaid?

In an interview with Variety, Miller said Serena Joy being pregnant is worst-case scenario for a lot of people, i.e. everyone who hates Gilead. Her pregnancy means Gileads practices to combat the infertility crisis are working. Serena Joy and Fred see it as an earned miracle; June sees it as the beginning of their just desserts. But what it really means is that Serena Joy and Fred have their ultimate reason to fight for their freedom. And look what they accomplished the first time they fought to change the world.

In a promo for The Handmaids Tale Season 4 Episode 9, Progress, Serena Joy is heard giving Fred a warning.

Gilead could come for our son, she says. They believe the baby belongs to the state. They could make me a Handmaid.

It will be a nail-biter waiting to see what the Waterfords do to prevent that future from happening.
And Just Like That is set to begin filming in New York City. The Sex and the City reboot has fans in a frenzy. While HBO Max has not revealed the reboots main storyline, news of Chris Noths return as Mr. Big has many fans feeling certain about one thing. They seem sure that Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big will still be just as in love as they were when the credits rolled on Sex and the City 2. While that is certainly a possibility, it seems just as likely that a divorce storyline could be on the horizon. At the very least, it would be fitting.

Will Mr. Big and Carrie be together in And Just Like That?

News of Noths return to the Sex and the City reboot has led most fans to assume Carrie and her longtime love are still happily married. Noths involvement in the series doesnt necessarily mean the couple has remained in love all this time. In fact, there is reason to believe circumstance will throw their relationship yet another curveball.

Mr. Big and Carrie Bradshaw | Mitchell Gerber/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

John Corbett, the actor who portrayed Aidan Shaw, will be back for several reboot episodes, leading fans to question how hell fit in. It seems pretty likely that a romance storyline between Carrie and Aidan will be playing out, but where does that leave Mr. Big? Divorce seems like a realistic and poetic way to end the couples on-again-off-again relationship.

Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big didnt actually belong together

Longtime fans of Sex and the City were mostly thrilled to see Mr. Big and Carrie end up together. They were even happier to finally get the ultimate happy ending in Sex and the City: The Movie. The couples love affair was realistic in its fire and its passion. However, their long-term success as a married couple feels a bit contrived, if we are being fair.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw and Chris Noth as Mr. Big on Sex and the City | Hulton Archive/Getty Images

RELATED: A Sex and the City Reboot Without Mr. Big Seems Closer To Darren Stars Original Vision

So, how could a writing team make their love more realistic? Well, in short, they could make it end. Simply put, Carrie and Big were not compatible. Allowing them to realize that, as mature adults, seems like a fitting way to end their story. It doesnt mean their relationship was a failure or that they didnt truly love each other.

Darren Star and Candace Bushnell stated that they dont believe Big and Carrie would end up together in real life. Sex and the City creator, Star, argued that the couple getting back together betrayed the shows premise. Bushnell, the columnist who created Carrie, admitted that the couple ending up together was unrealistic. Perhaps it is time to let that play out on the screen, too.

Carrie Bradshaw divorcing Mr. Big would certainly feel like art imitating life

Bushnell, the author of Sex and the City, the book that inspired the tv series and so much more, didnt marry her Mr. Big. Ron Galotti, a magazine executive, inspired Noths character. Bushnells on-again-off-again relationship with Galotti ended when he married and moved out of New York for a quieter life. She went on to marry Charles Askegard, a ballet dancer, in 2002.

Candace Bushnell and Charles Askegard | Evan Agostini / Getty Images

Bushnell and Askegard finalized their divorce in 2012. The famed author told the Daily Mail that her marriage to the dancer crumbled when he started seeing a much younger woman. Their marriage lasted 10 years. Mr. Big and Carrie would be married for 14 years by the time And Just Like Thatis released. Whether they will still be married when the first season of the reboot hits HBO Max is anyones guess. A divorce storyline would be an interesting plot point, though.
Loretta Brockhoff, left, Lavon Branshaw look through the 1950s scrapbook for the Tokeland Mothers Club. The groups two surviving members, aged 91 and 90, plan to present it to a museum. They were young mothers in the 1950s and delight in telling stories of adventures with their husbands, who were both commercial fishermen.
Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Soap (Personal Hygiene) Market in Saudi Arabia - Outlook to 2025; Market Size, Growth and Forecast Analytics under Consumer Goods Market in Saudi Arabia category. The Soap (Personal Hygiene) Market in Saudi Arabia is projected to exhibit highest growth rate over report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence and industry reports.

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Soap market in Saudi Arabia registered a positive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.96% during the period 2015 to 2020 with a sales value of SAR 500.77 Million in 2020, an increase of 7.15% over 2019. The market achieved its strongest performance in 2020, when it grew by 7.15% over its previous year and its weakest performance in 2016, when it increased by 2.91% over 2015.

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O God, from whom all good proceeds:

Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right,

and by your merciful guiding may do them;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God,

for ever and ever.

Amen.
A D-Day epiphany

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They gave us our world.

So said President Bill Clinton on June 6, 1994, at the 50th anniversary observance of the Allied landings on the Normandy beaches of France.

The world in 1994as nowhad forgotten the immense peril threatening the nations in the person of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

Those Clinton was referring to as having given us the world were the soldiers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Poland, and other countries who landed on the five invasion beaches that day.

More than ten thousand Allied troops died that day alone.

In 1995 on a trip to France, my wife and I drove from Paris to Normandy to visit the beaches where Clinton and other dignitaries had paid tribute a year earlier. As we drove through villages, we kept encountering large letters painted on rooftops, walls, fences, and signs: WELCOME TO OUR LIBERATORS.

I had to wipe away a tear as I realized that the elderly men and women still alive in 1994 were saluting the elderly soldiers who had risked their lives to stop Hitler in 1944. Rather than coming ashore from the English Channel, the old soldiers were now arriving at Normandy in cars and buses.

But the words on the French survivors signs reached beyond my physical senses of sight and pierced into my spirit. Suddenly I realized that this was a greeting the world should proclaim to the Lord Jesus Christ: WELCOME TO OUR LIBERATOR!

The moment Jesus was conceived in human flesh in the womb of Mary, the initial invasion of Gods Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and Spirit-given joy (Romans 14:17) had invaded the fallen world.

Somehow, amid the tears, I was able to keep driving toward Omaha Beach, the site of the largest invasion in 1944. The Normandy countryside is beautiful and peaceful now, but I tried to think about what it had been like on June 6, 1944, when soldiers left five thousand ships and motored in landing craft through barrages of firepower from Nazi guns.

Fifty-one years later, we pulled into a parking lot on the crest of Omaha Beach. Its important not to over-allegorize, but as we strolled from our car to the cemetery on the crest above the beach, I would see that history at times becomes parable through the work of the Holy Spirit.

I was not prepared for what we would see when we wound from the parking lot to the cemetery. Suddenly we stood before 9,388 graves marked by glistening white crosses and Stars of David.

A cold breeze whipped off the English Channel, and my wife took shelter behind a large memorial wall. I continued to walk among the graves, noting the young ages at which the soldiers had perished.

Among Hitlers demonic intents was the eradication of the Jewish race. The memorial stones shaped like Stars of David were an important testimony to Jewish young men who were among the liberators as the invasion pressed forward into Europe and ultimately to the beastly concentration camps where their own people were being slaughtered.

My tears turned cold on my face.

Then came the big D-Day epiphany that changed my life and ministry.

As I walked among the graves, my mind suddenly shifted to another French beach some 250 miles away: Dunkirk. There, in 1940, more than 300,000 British troops, with their allies and weaponry, were trapped before a surging German army. Winston Churchill was desperate to get his fighters off the beach so that the soldiers could be re-equipped and sent back to fight again.

The need was so urgent the King went on national radio, calling on the British people to pray.

On my walk at Omaha Beach that day in 1995, I reflected on the contrasts between the Normandy and Dunkirk mindsets. The primary focus at Dunkirk was evacuation, while the consuming aim at Normandy was advance on the strongholds of the enemy.

Suddenly my mind went to the church in our time. As a biblical conservative, I believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ, and our being taken up out of this world with Him. However, amid the spiritual, social, political, cultural battles of our time, much of the western church has become more escape-focused than advance-focused.

We should pray, as the Scriptures exhort us, Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20) Miraculously by the hand of God, Churchill was able to rescue his armies from Dunkirk, and assuredly Jesus will come for us at the timing known to the Father.

Until then we must watch for the Lords coming, but not fall into a mindset preoccupied with escape.

The Allied objective on June 6, 1944, was to establish a beachhead in Europe, and from there advance all the way to the bunker in Berlin where Hitler was holed up. This meant taking victory and liberation village by village, town by town, city by city, and country by country.

The church now must be reassured and inspired by the prospect of Christs Return. But we must not corrupt this great hope by falling into escapism.

While the victory would not reach Berlin until May 1945, it was over for Hitler the moment the first Allied soldier stepped boot and shed blood on the beaches of Normandy.

While the victory won for humanity is not yet manifest in all the world, it was over for the powers of darkness the moment Jesus Christ entered humanity and shed His blood at Calvary.

May churches not curl up within their walls waiting for the rapture, but let us anticipate it as we continue moving forward until the Gospel of the Kingdom is proclaimed and disciples made in all the inhabited world. According to Matthew 24:14 28:18-20, and Acts 1:8, that is the whole purpose (telos) in leaving us here.
Canadian church faces $183K in fines for holding worship in defiance of lockdown orders

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A congregation in Ontario has been slapped with a $66,000 fine for holding outdoor worship services after its church building was ordered closed by a judge, bringing the total that the church and its leaders have been fined to $183,000, according to the pastor.

Henry Hildebrandt, the pastor of The Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario, announced that his church was facing fines for refusing to abide by the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown orders in a YouTube video posted Wednesday.

We were back in court on Monday. We were back in court earlier in May, and the judge had fined us $117,000, and he also ordered that our meetinghouse would be locked, which happened later on that day.

After the doors to the meetinghouse were locked, the Church of God held outdoor worship services.

Hildebrandt defended the decision to continue holding services.

We must obey God rather than man," the pastor added. "We must continue to have meetings, which we did on the 16th of May, and he now fined us another $66,000, total now coming up to $183,000.

"The scripture that came to my mind when I saw those fines as the judge was speaking ... was that the Lord owns the cattle on 1,000 hills. So for the Lord, $183,000 ... He can work that out," the Hildebrandt added. "Maybe there is a way how He works it out where it doesn't get paid. If it needs to be paid, then there will be a way to do it. Whatever He wants, we are seeking His will in the matter to know what we need to do with that."

Hildebrandt said that the fact that the Church of God held outdoor worship services on the two subsequent Sundays did not come up in Mondays court hearing, maintaining that he was not sure if thats still coming. He estimated that attendance at the most recent outdoor worship services ranged from 850 to 1,000 people.

I wish that all of us would look with open eyes to see what is happening, he added. A revival has begun, an awakening is taking place, and God is using these things to kick out lukewarm Christianity, and like the Book of Revelation says, Its either we are hot or we are cold.

Hildebrandt indicated that the threat of additional fines would not deter the Church of God from continuing to hold church services.

Were looking forward to a wonderful, wonderful service this coming Sunday," he said.

As Hildebrandt noted in the video, The Church of God has already faced fines for failing to abide by a stay-at-home order in Canadas most populous province. Ontario Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas ordered the church to cease holding in-person worship services.

According to the Canadian website Global News, Thomas ruled on April 30 that the church had violated his orders by holding Sunday services streamed online. Two weeks later, Thomas imposed fines of more than $100,000 on the Church of God and two of its pastors. He ordered authorities to lock the church doors.

The ongoing lockdown orders limit worship gatherings in Ontario to 10 people for in-person religious services. More than 100 unmasked worshipers gathered at the April 25 service that led Thomas to hold the church in contempt five days later.

On the two Sundays immediately following the April 30 contempt order, The Church of God continued to hold in-person worship services, where attendance ranged from 166 people to more than 200.

On the three Sundays since May 14, when the fines were handed down and the church was ordered closed, the church held outdoor worship services.

Thomas held the church in contempt of court again last Friday. He subsequently ordered the place of worship to pay $66,000 in fines. The church itself will have to pay a fine of $35,000. Hildebrant was ordered to pay $20,000. Assistant Pastor Peter Wall will have to pay $6,000. The remaining $5,000 will go toward legal costs.

The Church of God is not the only Canadian church that has attempted to push back against the ongoing COVID-19 worship restrictions. Calgary, Alberta-based Pastor Artur Pawlowski has gone viral multiple times after sharing his encounters with local law enforcement officials who came to his church to enforce the restrictions.

An immigrant from Poland, Pawlowski likened the officials to Nazis and communist fascists and forcefully told them to leave his property.

Pawlowski was arrested for not abiding by the worship restrictions. Last month, his garage caught fire in an act that he said was an arson attack.

Another Canadian pastor, James Coates, spent about a month in prison for failing to abide by the ongoing worship restrictions.
CCP threatens 7 Hong Kong Catholic churches over Tiananmen Square remembrance mass

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Seven Hong Kong Catholic churches, which were to hold mass to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989 by the Chinese Communist Party, found threatening signs posted in front of their buildings, according to reports.

The posters that appeared on Thursday carried an image of Cardinal Joseph Zen, former bishop of Hong Kong who supported the democracy movement, and warned that public functions in remembrance of the Tiananmen Massacre violate the controversial national security law, which was passed last year, AsiaNews reported.

It's believed that a pro-CCP group was behind the threats.

The Justice and Peace Commission of the city diocese said the masses would go ahead as planned.

Hong Kong authorities had also banned an annual candlelight vigil Friday, which is held every year on June 4 to remember the sacrifice of thousands of Chinese citizens who were demanding freedom and democracy in 1989.

Despite the warnings, thousands of people in Hong Kong defied the ban and took part in the candlelight vigil, The Wall Street Journal reported, saying people started walking toward the citys Victoria Park, where it is held each year. Many people held their phones up with the flashlights shining at around 8 p.m. Friday.

Friday morning, police had arrested Chow Hang Tung, vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organizes the vigil, according to The Telegraph. Police also arrested a 20-year-old food delivery man for promoting an unauthorized assembly.

Last year, Hong Kong implemented the mainland China-imposed national security law after delaying legislative elections as pro-democracy candidates could have won due to anger among the citys people against that law.

The law, which went into effect without a review by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, has four categories of crimes: succession, subversion of state power, local terrorist activities and collaborating with foreign or external foreign forces to endanger national security.

In 1997, China had agreed to a one country, two systems arrangement to allow certain freedoms for Hong Kong when it received the city back from British control. The security law undercuts the promised autonomy.

The law also positions Beijing as over the Hong Kong judicial system in cases deemed related to national security, China Aid said earlier. This means that the judges in these cases must be Beijing-approved. Hong Kong residents can now also be taken to China, where they will face a courtroom with allegiance to the government.

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern also warned that Chinas notorious legal system and its lack of transparency can easily criminalize anybody and place them in jail. Many Chinese pastors and Christians, such as Pastor Wang Yi, elder Qin Derfu, Pastor John Cao, are now imprisoned for trumped-up charges, such as subversion of state power, illegal border crossing, and illegal business operation.

After the passage of the new security law, former U.S. President Donald Trump approved sanctions on Chinese officials and banks and also ended Hong Kongs preferential treatment, saying it will now be treated the same as mainland China.
Egyptian authorities seize centuries-old monastery over unpaid taxes

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Egyptian authorities have confiscated land and property belonging to a Coptic Orthodox monastery founded in 360 AD because the monks have not been able to pay taxes since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report.

Officials and police arrived at the Saint Macarius Monastery in Wadi Al-Rayyan in Al-Fayyoum Governorate with bulldozers on May 30 and demolished a fence and other constructions that had been erected by the monks who live there, the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported Friday.

A number of monks who protested and tried to stop the operation were arrested and released shortly afterwards, CSW added.

The monks received official permission from Egypts Ministry of Environment in 2017 to use the land on which the monastery stood with the condition that they would pay $32,000 a year for 3,000 acres of land and another $255,000 a year for a further 1,000 acres of the land outside the fenced area.

The monastery has failed to pay the rent since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

CSWs founder, President Mervyn Thomas, said the monastery has been on that site for centuries and that the rental levies were a relatively recent expense in its historic existence.

We encourage all parties to engage in a process of negotiation to ensure a just settlement in this matter, including a reappraisal of the rent that the monastery is required to pay, which is a considerable financial burden even outside the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has negatively impacted livelihoods in Egypt and across the world, Thomas said.

In recent months, Egypt has been seeking to woo tourists by presenting archaeological finds, which include ancient Christian monasteries.

The Copts, who make up about 10% of Egypts population, are the descendants of a long line of ancient Egyptians who later converted to Christianity in the early first century, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Christian monasticism first emerged in Egypt at the beginning of the fourth century, originating with St. Anthony, considered the founder and father of the practice. Anthony began the practice at age 20. After 15 years, he withdrew for absolute solitude to a mountain by the Nile River, where he lived from about 286 to 305.

The early monks who followed Anthony into the desert considered themselves the vanguard of Gods army, and, by fasting and performing other ascetic practices, they attempted to attain the same state of spiritual purity and freedom from temptation that they saw realized in Anthony.

When St. Anthony died (circa 356 or 357 A.D.), two types of monasticism flourished in Egypt  villages or colonies of hermits and monasteries that fostered community life.

However, according to the Christian persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA, Egypt is one of the 20 worst persecutors of Christians in the world.

Many Egyptian Christians encounter substantial roadblocks to living out their faith, it noted last year. There are violent attacks that make news headlines around the world, but there are also quieter, more subtle forms of duress that burden Egyptian believers. Particularly in rural areas in northern Egypt, Christians have been chased from villages, and subject to mob violence and intense familial and community pressure. This is even more pronounced for Christians who are converts from Islam.
Hobby Lobby sues Oxford professor for $7M over stolen Bible fragments

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Hobby Lobby Stores has filed a $7 million lawsuit in the United States against a former professor from the U.K.s Oxford University who was arrested last year after being accused of stealing ancient Bible fragments from the university and selling them to the U.S. arts and crafts retail chain.

In the lawsuit filed in New York, Hobby Lobby says Dirk Obbink, a 64-year-old professor of papyrology at Oxford, sold fragments of papyrus and ancient objects worth $7,095,100 in seven private sales between 2010 and 2013, The Sunday Times reported.

The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., which was founded in 2017 by the Green family, evangelical Christians who own Hobby Lobby, temporarily displayed the fragments, which belonged to the Oxyrhynchus collection in the Sackler Library.

The Oxyrhynchus Papyri is a group of manuscripts that were discovered during the late 19th and early 20th centuries at a spot where ancient inhabitants of the city of Oxyrhynchus dumped their garbage of over 1,000 years. The collection includes more than 500,000 fragments of literary and documentary texts  written in Greek, ancient Egyptian, Coptic, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew and other languages  dating from the third century BC to the seventh century.

Some of the fragments were stolen by Obbink from the Egyptian Exploration Society, the custodian of the largest collection of ancient papyri in the world, Hobby Lobby claims in the lawsuit.

The EES, a British nonprofit excavation organization that works in Egypt and Sudan which owns the collection, issued a statement in October 2019 accusing Obbink of selling fragments of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, after which the university suspended the professor.

The EES said 11 of the 13 missing fragments were sold without authorization to Hobby Lobby and they ended up in a collection belonging to the Museum of the Bible. The stolen fragments included extracts from Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Romans and I Corinthians, according to The Times.

Obbink was arrested last March and was later released under investigation.

Obbink had denied the accusations.

The allegations made against me that I have stolen, removed or sold items owned by the Egypt Exploration Society collection at the University of Oxford are entirely false, he told The Guardian earlier. I would never betray the trust of my colleagues and the values which I have sought to protect and uphold throughout my academic career in the way that has been alleged. I am aware that there are documents being used against me which I believe have been fabricated in a malicious attempt to harm my reputation and career.

Obbink is listed in court papers as owning a property beside Christ Church, the Times reported, adding that the colleges accounts for last year show that he owes $614,573 (434,000) under a joint-equity ownership agreement.

The MOTB returned the 13 fragments to the EES.

The Board of Trustees of the MOTB has accepted the EES claim to ownership of the thirteen pieces identified to date, and is arranging to return them to the EES. The EES is grateful to the MOTB for its co-operation, and has agreed that the research on these texts by scholars under the auspices of the MOTB will receive appropriate recognition when the texts are published in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri series, the EES said in its statement at the time.
In St. Louis, old churches rival Europes great cathedrals

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Forget going to Europe this summer to see old churches. Instead, stay much closer to home with a trip to St. Louis.

Missouris biggest city and the first American city west of the Mississippi River, the local history dates back to the mid-18th century when the continent was divided among the British, French and Spanish colonial powers.

As a result of this rich history, there are several historic churches in St. Louis. The most notable are Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal), the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (Roman Catholic) and the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (also Roman Catholic).

The seat of the Episcopal bishop of Missouri, Christ Church Cathedral features Gothic revival architecture fairly typical to when the core of the present-day edifice was built between 1859 and 1867.

The tower at the northwest corner of the exterior  erected in the early 20th century  is perhaps the most striking element of the design, if only because the Indiana limestone contrasts with the cathedrals original Illinois sandstone. Inside is a spectacular reredos or altar screen. Rising 35 feet above the high altar at the east end, the reredos was inspired by a similar screen at St. Albans Cathedral in England and sculpted by noted period ecclesiastical artist Harry Hems.

The Episcopal cathedral pales in comparison to the two Roman Catholic churches. Somewhat confusingly, both are dedicated to the citys namesake, Louis IX, king and saint.

The Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, almost universally called the Old Cathedral, is just that: The old cathedral. It was also the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River.

The Greek Revival edifice was built in the early 1830s a stones throw from the riverfront on land set aside for a church after Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau founded St. Louis in 1764. Today, it is overshadowed by Eero Saarinens landmark Gateway Arch (part of the Gateway Arch National Park). The green space was redeveloped in recent years through the construction of a beautiful so-called lid park that blankets a hideous postwar highway to seamlessly connect the riverfront and downtown.

Last but certainly not least is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, aka the New Cathedral.

Architect George Barnetts design, inspired by the Cathedral Basilica of St. Mark in Venice and the cathedral-turned-mosque-turned-museum-turned-mosque Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, combined Romanesque and Byzantine styles into an architectural masterpiece unrivaled anywhere in North America. So much so that the cathedral has been called the Rome of the West.

The interior feels heavenly, thanks to the 41.5 million pieces of glass used to create the mosaics. The mosaics, which depict various biblical stories and saints, were installed in the decades after then-Archbishop John Glennon initiated construction of the cathedral in 1907.

If you go

For now, public access to Christ Church Cathedral is almost nonexistent, as the cathedral shifted to virtual services during the pandemic. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France are open daily outside of services with no visitor admission charges. Be sure to also visit the very informative museum in the undercroft of the New Cathedral.

I stayed at the Le Meridien, a Marriott-branded property just outside St. Louis proper in Clayton. The relatively new hotel is located a short drive from the must-visit Forest Park, where the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (also known as the Worlds Fair) was held.

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Ever since ancient people groups from Asia crossed a land bridge near Alaska, America has been a land of immigrants. In fact, all of human history is the story of mass migrations across the planet.

But in the past several years, America has opened itself up to fewer and fewer immigrants. During this time, the Christian church in America has  for the most part  done little to oppose this diminishment in hospitality. In fact, certain sectors of the church have applauded it.

The God of Israel, however, puts a high premium on the care of immigrants. When we look closely at the Bible, we see a God who defines his church and his people by an ethic of care and welcome for the stranger, the foreigner and the refugee. For the church to truly be the church, we must put this ethic into practice in all we do.

Immigration is a crucial part of the Biblical story. Yahweh created his own people by means of three migrations. Abram moved his extended family from Ur to Canaan. Jacob moved his children and their large families to Egypt. And Moses brought this rapidly growing people group out of Egypt and back to Canaan. In fact, the defining event in the history of Israel was this mass migration from Egyptian slavery to the promised land of milk and honey.

Because the Hebrew people had a long history of immigration and because immigrants have always been a vulnerable population, the God of Israel was very clear about the importance of welcoming and protecting the alien and stranger. In the midst of Israels migration out of Egypt, God gave his people multiple, specific commands to protect the rights of immigrants.

One of these is in Deuteronomy 10:19, where God says, So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Notice the reason given for Gods protection: Israels own history of living as a vulnerable group of immigrants. Israel knows what it feels like to live as a persecuted minority, so she herself must always protect communities in danger in her midst. The Bible reiterates this point in Exodus 23:9 when it says, Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

The God of the Bible teaches an ethic of empathy, something sorely lacking in America today. In fact, empathy goes right to the heart of the character of God. Notice the three active verbs in this passage from Deuteronomy 10:17-18: The LORD your God ... executes justice for the fatherless and widow. He loves the foreigner. He gives them food and clothing. At the core of Gods being is an active and emotional commitment to care for those in need.

If, as Christians believe, the God of Israel became incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and if, as Christians believe, Jesus rose from the dead and is seated at Gods right hand, then Christians also have good reason to be committed to the well-being of immigrants. Perhaps the most famous parable of Jesus is a critique of his own people's intolerant attitude towards immigrants. Jesus spotlights an immigrant, a despised loathsome Samaritan, as the unlikely hero of the story who shows extraordinary compassion to a wounded Israelite.

Indeed, at the core of the Christian identity is the idea that we are immigrants in this world. Peter addresses his people as elect exiles (1 Peter 1:1), and Peter encourages them to assume the identity of an immigrant, saying, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile (1 Peter 1:17). No matter how comfortable a Christian gets within a certain culture, no matter how much cultural weight the church can throw around, Peter calls his brothers and sisters aliens and strangers (1 Peter 2:11).

In fact, the heart of the gospel is that the Son of God takes the form of an immigrant. Jesus Christ came to the world as a stranger who lived on the fringes of Jewish society and aided the most vulnerable and marginalized. The greatest motive of Christs life, the main reason that he came from heaven, was to rescue his angry and violent children from their own self-destructive exclusion.

Jesus was always an outsider. He was crucified outside the camp. Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come (Hebrews 13:12-14).

The Bible does not precisely prescribe any specific immigration policy, but its general thrust certainly would lead Christians to be pro-immigrant, guided by principles such as those advanced by the Evangelical Immigration Table. And regardless of whether or not our lawmakers take biblical principles into account as they legislate, the churchs role is clear: to love immigrants, emulating our God and remembering that our own identity is as aliens and strangers on earth. I hope Christians across the country will no longer be silent, and will instead embrace the ethic of empathy and care that is taught in the Bible.
Wisconsin gov. signs order banning state funding of conversion therapy for minors

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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has signed an executive order preventing state and federal funds from going to any programs that involve sexual orientation change efforts therapy for minors, or what's often derisively known as "conversion therapy" for unwanted same-sex attraction.

Known as Executive Order 122 and signed Tuesday, the measure directs the Department of Health Services, the Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Corrections to take appropriate steps to expressly disallow payment of state and federal funds allocated by their respective agencies for conversion therapy for individuals under eighteen (18) years of age to the extent allowable by state and federal law.

 the State has a strong interest in ensuring that state funds are used for evidence-based services, and not used to facilitate unethical, dangerous, contraindicated, or harmful practices that are no longer recognized as viable by practicing health professionals, especially where those services pose a particular risk of harm to minors, noted the order.

 my administration is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all young people, including LGBTQ young people, and taking action to stop the harmful practice of conversion therapy on minors in Wisconsin.

EO 122 was one of multiple measures that Evers signed to observe "LGBT pride month" in June, with others including the rainbow pride flag being raised over the Wisconsin state Capitol and directing state agencies to expand their use of gender-neutral language.

In addition to celebrating the resiliency and joy of the LGBTQ community, Pride also offers an opportunity for us to reflect on how the state and our communities can be better allies, stated the governor on Tuesday.

These executive orders today recognize the work we have to do as a state to protect, support, and celebrate all LGBTQ Wisconsinites, especially our kids, and ensure our state is a safe, inclusive, and just place where every person has the resources and support to thrive.

In an emailed statement to The Christian Post on Thursday, Julaine K. Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action, said: Governor Tony Evers is using every means possible to advance the LGBTQ+ agenda this month. This executive order is an end-run around the legislature shutting down a rule that his administration wanted approved that would have done what this EO purports to do. This EO actually harms minors rather than helps them because the governor is making it more difficult for parents to get help for their minor children who are struggling with same-sex attraction or gender confusion."

Appling added: "Conversion therapy, as defined in the EO, would mean a licensed Christian counselor whose agency receives any state funds could not offer true help and hope to these young people. True help and hope is not giving wholesale endorsement to same-sex attraction and gender reassignment. Its being able to point out harms both short-term and long-term and to offer real help in coming to terms with truth and biological realities. Governor Evers is trying to bully these counselors and their agencies with this threat of losing funding. In doing so, he hurts those he says he wants to protect.

Also called reparative therapy, sexual orientation change efforts therapy involves individuals undergoing talk therapy in counseling sessions with psychologists or psychiatrists to remove or diminish unwanted same-sex attraction.

The therapy has been rejected by American psychiatric organizations and several states, beginning with California in 2012, have passed bans on the practice for minors.

These bans, along with similar ones issued by localities, have garnered legal challenges from groups that believe they trample on parent rights and religious freedom.

In March, the Wisconsin state Legislature blocked the implementation of a rule by the Department of Safety and Professional Standards to ban the practice.

Mike Mikalsen, an aide to state Sen. Steve Nass of the rules committee, explained that blocking the rule was not about the debate over the effectiveness of the therapy.

(The committee) was not dealing with the pluses and minuses of conversion therapy, said Mikalsen to The Associated Press earlier this year.

The issue is until the Legislature adds that as a prohibited practice (in statute), someone should not lose their license for doing that.
The vaccination rate in the population where you live is one factor that can impact transmissibility and numbers of infection. The other factors are how much ventilation, distancing and masking you have, said Dr. Tom Balcezak, chief medical officer at Yale New Haven Health. So I would say that if youre in a population thats 70%-plus vaccinated then you are less likely to be exposed to someone who is ill, and that may have implications about how you feel about wearing a mask.
East Texas pastor finally gets high school diploma at 99

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It took him a while to achieve his dream, but Jack Hetzel, a 99-year-old World War II veteran who leads the First United Methodist Church in Big Sandy, Texas, is beaming with joy after recently achieving his dream of getting a high school diploma.

Its very exciting, said Hetzel, who joined Big Sandy High Schools graduation ceremony to collect his honorary diploma last Friday, to KETK.

According to Hetzel & Hetzel Enterprises, where the recent graduate is listed as president and CEO, the pastor had no more than a third-grade education but enjoyed a full military career spanning 20 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. He fought six major battles in World War II in Europe and the Korean War.

With no more than [a] third-grade education, Jack became an instructor of Military Science at Texas A&M University. Since retiring from the military, Jack has always been involved with entrepreneurship, creating many successful businesses and nonprofit charities which are still in operation today. Jack is happiest when helping people in need, the company noted.

Hetzel, who had received his GED in 1948, said he was forced to drop out of school in the third grade and could not get his diploma then because the school had no record of him attending.

"I have longed to get this diploma since 1948 when I passed my GED but the school that I have attended I'd only attended the third grade and they didn't have any record of me so I then couldn't get a diploma from that school," Hetzel said.

He explained that even though he always regretted not getting his diploma he took advantage of alternative ways to learn.

You see, when you have little education and then you have to come up through life and you have to front life with little education, you have to learn somehow, said the preacher who will turn 100 this fall. I used other people to be my teachers. So if I got a question, Id go to somebody that knew and asked them the question and then I would use it in everyday life.

On Memorial Day, Hetzel was recognized by the Texas Senate which adopted a resolution by state Sen. Bryan Hughes commending him for his achievement.

Getting his high school diploma at his age and his background, with all hes accomplished in life especially on this Memorial Day weekend, it seemed appropriate to give him special honors, Hughes told KETK. Were proud of him. Hes someone that I represent, so Im glad to brag about him and tell the story. It was fun for us.

Hetzel also told the television network earlier that in addition to his academic achievement he was blessed to be alive at 99.

99 years of age, thats something to be blessed about, he said. I know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thats enough to be blessed about. How much more do I need?
Psychiatrist says transgender medicalization is a folly that will collapse like eugenics movement

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A renowned psychiatrist who was instrumental in shutting down the sex change clinic at Johns Hopkins University in 1979 argues that the contemporary folly of transgender medicalization will soon collapse similar to how the eugenics movement crumbled.

In a recent interview that covered many areas of psychiatric medicine with Public Discourse, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Distinguished Service Professor Dr. Paul McHugh explained that the bodily process of puberty is one of the most mysterious stages of human development.

Gender dysphoric youth who are given drugs in pediatric gender clinics across the country to suppress their normal puberty are incapable of consenting to such interventions, as are their parents, he said.

Unlike other animals, [w]ith human beings, some of the most interesting individuating characteristics of themselves occur only after puberty, probably with a combination of the intellectual powers and the energy that sexual development brings, McHugh recounted.

I dont think any child  and any parent, for that matter  can make an informed consent to permit the blocking of puberty and the transmission of another sex. Thats the first thing: you dont have an idea what youre doing. So how can you have an informed consent about it? Because nobody knows.

McHugh co-authored a controversial 2017 report arguing that the treatment of gender-confused children with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones has not been adequately researched by the science and medical communities. He and his colleagues argued that treating kids with puberty blockers should be seen as "radical" and "experimental." The report received much opposition from the LGBT community. Other doctors and researchers have argued that the report misrepresents the state of scientific research.

McHugh has maintained that although he is not against transgender people, he believes that they should receive psychiatric help rather than hormone therapy and reassignment surgeries.

He explained in the interview that almost all children, 85% to 95%, who believe they are the opposite sex will grow out of it if allowed to go through the normal puberty process.

Yet, if a hormone blocker is introduced at age 9 or 10, only 5% to 10% of such children will refuse to go further down a medicalized pathway that may entail cross-sex hormones or body-altering surgery. He said the reason for this dramatic difference in percentages is because the pubertal processes shape the brain, and the normal signaling does not occur if thwarted by a blocker.

Transgender advocates frequently assert that puberty blockers are completely reversible, an idea McHugh says is still very debatable.

Moreover, he continued, puberty is an incredibly complex process that is being reduced by some to appear as though it is simple.

The vulnerability of scientists is that they can be dealing with the most complex issue and try to oversimplify it and make it seem like a simple issue" despite complex brain issues, hormones and neuroendocrine relationships, he said.

The psychiatrist added that he is amazed at how much money, medical institutions and political machinery the transgender movement has amassed to support its goals. But, he believes it will not succeed in the end.

Im absolutely convinced that this is folly and its going to collapse, just as the eugenics folly collapsed, he asserted.

McHugh was the director of the psychiatry and behavioral sciences department at Johns Hopkins University and was the psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1975 to 2001.

His comments come amid greater scrutiny of specific practices now occurring in some European nations.

Late last year, the High Court of Justice in the United Kingdom ruled in a judicial review brought in part by a young woman named Keira Bell that children under the age of 16 are unlikely to be mature enough to consent to chemical puberty blockade given the significant risks and repercussions to their health.



Bell, now 24, underwent the experimental practice as a teenager at the London-based Tavistock gender clinic. She went on to take cross-sex hormones and have her breasts surgically removed. Bell argued that she was not capable of understanding the consequences of what she was doing as a troubled youth battling depression and other social struggles.



A subsequent court ruling held that parents could give consent for their under-16 children for the hormone blockers.



Earlier this year in Sweden, the prominent Karolinska University Hospital said that as of April 1, puberty blockers would no longer be given to youth younger than 16 and reference the Bell ruling in the U.K.

These treatments are potentially fraught with extensive and irreversible adverse consequences such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, infertility, increased cancer risk, and thrombosis," the statement read. "This makes it challenging to assess the risk/benefit for the individual patient, and even more challenging for the minors and their guardians to be in a position of an informed stance regarding these treatments."



In June of last year, health authorities in neighboring Finland revised their professional guidelines by prioritizing psychological help and support over experimental medicine, especially for young people whose gender dysphoria came about after puberty, which is at present the most common form of gender confusion.

Although McHugh helped shut down the sex change clinic at Hopkins in 1979, the influential medical school relaunched the clinic in 2017.

Last month, an episode of "60 Minutes" aired the concerns of detransitioners, those who once identified as transgender but now regret their decisions to transition. They testified about how they felt rushed into a decision to undergo medicalized gender transition procedures.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Friday dismissed a fresh Republican infrastructure proposal that offered modestly more spending but fell short of his objectives to grow the economy, the White House said.

His reaction cast further doubt on the two parties prospects for striking compromise on one of the administrations chief legislative priorities as deadlines slip and time runs out to make progress toward a deal.

The White House released the statement after Biden spoke by phone with West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the chief GOP negotiator. Both sides said the two would speak again on Monday, but Bidens team made clear the president will be casting about for talks with other senators.

The President expressed his gratitude for her effort and goodwill, but also indicated that the current offer did not meet his objectives to grow the economy, tackle the climate crisis, and create new jobs, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

A Capito statement provided no detail about their discussion or the new offer.

Making the pitch for Republicans, Capito had suggested around a $50 billion boost above the previous Republican offer of $928 billion, the White House said, still leaving the GOP well short of the $1.7 trillion that Biden is seeking.

In a further sign that a deal with Capito was seeming increasingly less likely, the White House said Biden told Capito that he would continue to engage a number of Senators in both parties in the hopes of achieving a more substantial package.

For weeks, the president has been engaged in talks with GOP senators trying to strike a compromise on Bidens top legislative a priority, the big infrastructure investment package. While the two sides appear to have narrowed the price gap between his initial $2.3 trillion proposal and the GOPs $568 billion opening bid, they remain far apart on the scope of the deal and how to pay for it.

Biden wants to raise corporate taxes to generate revenues for the infrastructure investments, a nonstarter for Republicans. The GOP senators propose tapping unspent COVID-19 relief aid to pay for the roads, bridges and other projects, an idea rejected by Democrats.

Earlier in the day, after the release of a modest May jobs report, Biden made the case for his robust investment package to push the economy past the COVID-19 crisis and downturn, and into a new era.

Now is the time to build on the progress weve made, Biden told reporters in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. We need to make those investments today to continue to succeed tomorrow."

After returning to the White House, Biden spoke with Capito by telephone. The White House had been eyeing a deadline early next week as Congress returns from its Memorial Day break to see progress toward a deal. Meanwhile, Democrats are setting the ground work for a go-it-alone approach. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has indicated that Biden will look to act without Republican support if there is no consensus.

Psaki downplayed any hard-set deadline Friday and said the administration continues to talk to lawmakers from both parties.

There's runway left, Psaki told reporters at the White House. Were going to keep a range of pathways open.

Republicans are showing no interest in Biden's latest proposal for a 15% corporate minimum tax rate that would ensure all companies pay something in taxes, rather than allowing so many write-offs or deductions that they contribute zero to the Treasury.

A Republican familiar with the talks and granted anonymity to discuss the private assessment said the GOP senators view that idea as an unnecessary tax hike. They had already rejected his initial proposal to hike the corporate tax rate, from 21% to 28%,

Instead, Republicans are insisting on using untapped COVID-19 relief funds to pay for the infrastructure investments. Biden's team has rejected that approach.

Still, neither Biden nor the GOP senators appear ready to call off talks, even as Democrats prepare to use budget rules to pass any big package on their own, without Republican votes.

On Friday, House Democrats released a plan for spending $547 billion over the next five years on road, mass transit and rail projects, a blueprint of their priorities and a potential building block for Biden's broader package.

The proposal from Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, the Democratic chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, continues existing programs set to expire and adds key pieces of the larger measure Biden is negotiating with Republicans.

DeFazios legislation doesnt address how to pay for the projects. He called the effort a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move our transportation planning out of the 1950s and toward our clean energy future.

His bill would authorize up to $343 billion for roads, bridges and safety improvements. Another $109 billion would go to public transit programs and $95 billion would go to freight and passenger rail system, including a tripling of funding for Amtrak.

DeFazios bill is not expected to attract much GOP support, as Republicans unveiled their own legislation recently that would authorize about $400 billion over five years for road, bridge and transit programs.

Republicans on the House panel criticized the Democratic legislation in a statement. Instead of working with Republicans to find common ground on a bill that could earn strong bipartisan support  something our Senate counterparts did successfully last month  this bill moves even further to the left to appease the most progressive members in the Majoritys party."

Biden also called DeFazio on Friday to thank him for his work on key elements of the American Jobs Plan, Psaki said, adding that they agreed on the benefits of continuing to engage Democratic and Republican senators.

Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable have called on lawmakers to continue negotiations and work toward a bipartisan compromise.

But some Democrats have questioned the merits of that approach and are already unhappy with some of the compromises that Biden has offered. They support using a process that would allow Democrats to pass an infrastructure boost with a simple majority, which they did through a COVID-19 relief measure that delivered $1,400 payments to most Americans.

Getting Republicans on board is not necessary. Getting the American people back on their feet is, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., said.

__

Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.
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As his presidency was coming to a close, Trumps chief of staff, Mark Meadows, urged the Justice Department to investigate wild and unfounded conspiracy theories involving the 2020 presidential election, according to newly uncovered emails which were provided to Congress and reviewed by The New York Times.

Meadows repeatedly asked then-acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen to examine debunked claims of election fraud that spouted the lie that Trump had indeed won the election, the Times reported Saturday.

One of the baseless conspiracies included in the emails was an astonishing claim that people in Italy used military technology and satellites to remotely hack voting machines in the U.S. that flipped votes from Trump to Biden. According to the emails examined by the Times, Rosen did not move on any of Meadowss suggestions. And Rosen denied a request to set up a meeting with the FBI and a man who had posted videos online promoting the Italy conspiracy theory, known as Italygate.

Meadows also pressed Rosen about potential fraud in New Mexicos election results, a theory pushed by Trump pal Rudy Guiliani. Meadows communications with Rosen appear to violate established guidelines that bar nearly all White House personnel from contacting the Justice Department regarding investigations.

The emails came to light as part of a Senate Judiciary Committees investigation examining whether any Justice Department officials were involved with Trumps attempts to reverse the legitimate results of the election. Investigations into the matter are also taking place with the House Oversight Committee and DOJ inspector general.

Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, chairman of the Senate Judiciary, released a statement demanding all evidence on the matter be released.

This new evidence underscores the depths of the White Houses efforts to co-opt the department and influence the electoral vote certification, Durbin said. I will demand all evidence of Trumps efforts to weaponize the Justice Department in his election subversion scheme.
Dreaming that you've shown up in public buck-naked reveals a deep-seated fear of having your vulnerabilities unmasked.

At least, that's what the dream decoders say. Less clear is what it means to have that same totally exposed feeling in mixed company while wide-awake. But we seem poised to find out.

Americans are beginning to stir from their pandemic bunkers, drawn by the promise of safe socializing and - for those lucky enough to have worked remotely - the obligation to return to the office in person. There's just one problem: We've forgotten how to get dressed.

Oh, sure. Pants on one leg at a time and all that. But what if, when you pull those pants up to your waist, there is no soft ribbon of elastic to hold them in place? The muscles required to fasten buttons and other complicated garment closures atrophied many moons ago, along with our ability to make polite conversation and shower on the reg.

MORE LIFESTYLE: HOW TO DECORATE YOUR HOME BASED ON WHAT YOU WEAR

Not that those pants actually fit - ha! We've aged approximately 20 years in the last 15 months, all the while expanding and contracting according to our stress levels and snack stockpiles. And we hate pants now, anyway. (Who thought slim-fit khaki capri pants were a good idea in the first place? And God knows we have no idea what jeans we're supposed to be wearing these days.)

Which leads to our present conundrum. What happens when we have to go someplace where our current second skin - sweats and stretched-out T-shirts - might not be considered appropriate?

Panic happens. That's what.

"I think it's an excitement that is plagued with anxiety and fatigue," says Lauren A. Rothman, a personal stylist who runs the Washington firm Styleauteur. She says her clients are greeting her with an assortment of concerns: "I just don't know if that still fits. What am I going to do? Does that style still work? Is this dated? I'm a year and a half older now."

Rothman's phone went dead for the first couple months of the pandemic, but lately she's as busy as ever, helping confused clients navigate their way back out into a world that seems as changed as they are.

"I'm hearing about a lot of bar and bas mitzvahes held in parking lots. What do people wear to that? There's no precedent," she says. And even for less formal settings, Rothman is facing questions about whether the old fashion rules have been rewritten. " 'Is business casual dead?' 'Are sweatpants now acceptable?' People want information. They want clarity."

But clarity might not come easily. And certainly not quickly.

Last month Melissa Burton, a 38-year-old manager of a state government program in North Carolina, started going back in the office three days a week. And it has been a bumpy adjustment. For more than a year she wore what she calls her mullet uniform - "business up top, yoga pants on the bottom" - so she'd appear professional on Zoom meetings.

But Burton has now overhauled her schedule, not just for the commute but for the prep work involved in leaving the house. "I have to get dressed. Do hair, makeup, accessories. Find all the matching pieces," she says.

And she's not sure what she should be wearing. There are fewer people around, so it doesn't seem like the attire should be as button-downed as before, but it is still an office. "I've tried out different things. Like a T-shirt with a cardigan - in the past I wouldn't do that," she says. "I'm trying to be not too fancy. Just trying to see if I can get away with some things."

Once Burton tried to get away with sweatpants and a hoodie. It was late and she didn't expect anyone to be around. But she encountered a crowd of co-workers. Thankfully they barely recognized her with her mask up and hood on, covering undone hair. Burton had planned to stay a few hours to check some tasks off her to-do list. "But then I was like, 'Nope, that's my cue - it can be done later,' " she says.

Burton's biggest complaint has been physical. Her back began hurting every day she spent in the office. At first she wondered if she needed a more ergonomic chair. Then she realized the pain persisted as she drove home. "And it hit me: 'Oh! It's this bra. I'm not used to this.' " Burton doesn't make a lot of pit stops on the way home these days; she races there as fast as possible to pull the bra off and the sweats on.

Everett Sotelo's moment of panic came just two weeks ago. The 26-year-old software engineer from Phoenix was packing for a wedding in Pennsylvania. He'd thought through all of his outfits and then, 30 hours before his plane was scheduled to take off, he actually tried them on.

"The shirt felt really tight. I was like, 'Wait a minute, this doesn't feel right.' I went through a couple more. All my dress shirts felt really tight. And my pants - it was a struggle to put them on, which was something I hadn't experienced before," he says. "That put me in a bit of a stressful situation."

Sotelo's been ordering takeout a lot during the pandemic. And he learned how to bake, which has been fun, except it's really only him and his brother around to consume all the treats. And the gym shorts he wears day-to-day didn't signal his altered dimensions.

HOUSTON EATS: THIS HOUSTON CHAIN WAS JUST NAMED BEST BURGER IN THE NATION

Sotelo raced to shop that night to find something to wear. He doesn't love the new ensemble, but at least it fits.

And finding something that fits is half the battle right now. In a February Axios-Ipsos poll, 32 percent of Americans said they'd gained weight over the past few weeks. The number was even higher in August.

Musa Tariq is among those who've added a few pounds - though unlike Sotelo he realized it a little too late. Tariq started a new job in January as head of marketing for GoFundMe. Last month the 38-year-old traveled from San Francisco to San Diego to meet members of his team in person for the first time.

"So you start thinking about, 'What are you going to wear on your first day of school?' " says Tariq. But he didn't begin to pack until the hour before he needed to leave for the airport, and discovered that not only were his old shirts too tight, he didn't have anything in the bright colors that reflect his renewed optimism.

En route to San Diego he tweeted out a word of warning: "Just spent 45 mins looking at my clothes screaming 'I have nothing to wear.' This coming back to work thing is more stressful than I thought. Brace yourself."

Tariq's followers replied in solidarity. "Am so confused if I should wear sweatpants or a dress," one tweeted. "I have no in-between clothes for this new in-between world."

Rothman, the stylist, says this is a sentiment she's hearing frequently. Some clients aren't sure if or when they'll return to the office. Should they invest in more casual wear or aim for pieces that would also work in professional settings? Should they buy clothes to fit their new shape or assume they'll eventually return to their pre-pandemic size? And if they can't ever envision going back to three-piece suits or four-inch heels, what are the appropriate alternatives?

"One of the things I tell my clients now is, 'Tell me what the next six weeks look like on your calendar. I don't want you worrying yet about fall.' We have to have grace with ourselves and say, 'This is a transition period,' " she says.

It feels more like limbo to Diana Rohini LaVigne, a government communications executive in Fremont, Calif. At the start of the pandemic she was working 14-hour days, seven days a week, while also overseeing her two daughters' online education. There was no time to cook healthy meals or exercise.

Since January she's taken a six-month sabbatical to focus on her family. It's given her the time to start taking long walks, and reflect. When she looks in her closet, it's not just the sizes of clothes that don't feel right, but also the styles and fabrics.

Freed from the requirement to dress in business attire, Rohini LaVigne, who is in her mid-50s, began to wear mostly organic fabrics, like cottons and linens, and realized how much less agitating they were to her skin than synthetics. And as with Tariq, the muted colors of her old wardrobe don't feel like they embody her spirit, at least not anymore.

"Now I feel a pull toward being authentic, being taken as truthful and legitimate," she says. "I want to wear colors that represent who I truly am - yellows and oranges and bright canary reds."

SWIMSUIT SEASON: ROYAL CARIBBEAN SETS 2021 CRUISES

There is still the small matter of shopping. With two unvaccinated kids at home, she's not comfortable yet wandering into stores to try on options. So she's bought "a ton" of things online. And then sent the vast majority of them right back.

She made one recent purchase that she did find satisfying. A member of her local "Buy Nothing" group on Facebook, where people offer up items they no longer need, asked if anyone had a pair of used Torrid jeans to give away - her teenage daughter was returning to school and facing her own wardrobe challenges. Rohini LaVigne privately sent the woman a Torrid gift card so the girl could pick out a new pair of jeans.

"I just felt so connected to her daughter's need," says Rohini LaVigne. "And her daughter is in high school. The pressure must be so intense."

Even for adults the pressure can feel intense. And we certainly don't have our old shopping stamina. A typical session with Rothman generally clocks in around three hours. Now, she says, people are fatigued after two. "They're tired, they're thirsty, they're out of practice."

Out of practice - precisely. Out of practice with zippers and buttons and the specter of being seen by others in our full, three-dimensional forms.

It's enough to make you want to crawl back in bed. Where our vulnerabilities can only be unmasked in our dreams.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  Carson City sheriff's deputies have arrested two suspects in connection with three stabbings during a fight at a carnival that injured three people, two of them critically.

Sheriff Ken Furlong said 24-year-old Zachary Foore and 22-year-old Kenneth Frank were taken into custody without incident Saturday night, the Nevada Appeal reported.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  The second teenager who was shot last week in Omaha has died from his injuries.

Omaha police said 17-year-old Javondre McIntosh died Saturday. Omaha police found McIntosh and Jiaquan Williams, also 17, with gunshot wounds just after 8 p.m. Thursday in north Omaha.
CHICAGO (AP)  Eight people standing on a Chicago street corner were wounded Sunday when occupants of a passing vehicle opened fire on them, according to police.

Among the wounded in the shooting that occurred in the South Side Burnside neighborhood were two women, according to the Chicago Police Department. The victims, ranging in age 28 to 38, were hospitalized in serious to critical condition.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  A street mural saying All Black Lives Matter is being installed in downtown Providence.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza was on hand Saturday for the unveiling of the public art project in Kennedy Plaza, the transit hub overlooking City Hall, which came as the city kicked off PVDFest, its summerlong art festival.

Rodney Davis, who helped organize the project, told WPRI-TV the mural will incorporate designs reflecting indigenous, Pan-African, and LGBTQ communities.

"This is a very silent but very loud protest, he said.

The project has been in the works for more than a year and was made possible by local artists and the Providence Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism, Elorza and organizers said. A ribbon cutting and celebration of the completed mural is slated for the weekend of the Juneteenth holiday.

I think that what we are doing here is really, really special, Elorza told the station. As a way to continue the conversation to make sure this message of all black lives matter, we center it literally in our city.

Earlier this week, some members of Black Lives Matter Rhode Island voiced criticism of the effort, saying they weren't consulted. But a leading member of the group told WPRI-TV Saturday that was merely a miscommunication.
CHICAGO (AP)  An activist Roman Catholic priest cleared by an Archdiocese of Chicago investigation into claims that he sexually abused several boys decades ago returned to the pulpit of his longtime church on Sunday for the first time in five months.

Its good to be home, the Rev. Michael Pfleger repeatedly told congregants of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, describing his time away during the investigation as a painful nightmare.

Pfleger, 72, was placed on leave in January amid allegations from two brothers who said Pfleger sexually abused them as children starting in the 1970s. A third man later also alleged that Pfleger molested him once in 1979 when he was 18. Last month, the archdiocese concluded there was insufficient reason to suspect that Pfleger had abused children. A police investigation remains open.

His first service back at the largely Black church on Chicago's South Side was as spirited as ever, with live music, dancing and reenergized congregants who have fiercely backed their priest. Pfleger, who is white, thanked congregants for supporting him and vowed to resume his activism, especially against gun violence, with even more gusto.

Im going to fight harder, because Im stronger, Im better and Im wiser. ... The last five months have been a roller coaster of hurt and anger and depression and pain and not knowing what people are thinking about you," he said, his voice breaking at times.

To support Pfleger, church members have held rallies, flooded archdiocese phone lines, threatened to withhold church dues and launched a letter-writing campaign. On Sunday, some wore T-shirts featuring the priest's photo and the message Pfleger is back. Among those in attendance was filmmaker Spike Lee, who is friends with Pfleger and whose 2015 movie Chi-raq featured a character inspired by Pfleger and played by John Cusack.

Pfleger is known for his anti-violence activism and for bolstering neighborhood development in the largely low-income neighborhood surrounding the church. He's also been in the spotlight for clashing with church leaders, having been suspended twice before this year, including in 2008 during Barack Obamas presidential campaign when he mocked Obamas primary opponent Hillary Clinton.

Ordained in 1975 and assigned to St. Sabina, Pfleger became pastor six years later and lived at the nearby rectory until earlier this year, when he temporarily moved to an apartment during the investigation.

Police have said their investigation remains open and active, but they haven't provided any details about it. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx has said police havent presented any information for her office to review or determine if criminal charges are appropriate. Illinois has no statute of limitations for filing charges in major sex crimes.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services completed its review in February, concluding there was no credible evidence of child abuse or neglect. The agency, which doesn't investigate allegations of abuse by an adult victim, focused on whether children were currently at risk.

During Sunday's service, Pfleger talked about street violence in Chicago. He also acknowledged the damage that the abuse allegations did to his reputation.

He didn't talk about the allegations in detail, aside from saying the false accusations to destroy his character began with an extortion letter. One of the brothers, who are in their 60s, has acknowledged that he asked Pfleger for a $20,000 payment in December.

I know my name will be damaged for the rest of my life, Pfleger said as congregants booed. But most of that is by people that hated me anyway. There are people watching today that are not happy that I'm back. But take off your party hat and blow out the candles. I'm back.

___

Follow Sophia Tareen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiatareen
In a key compromise, all adults over the age of 21 would be allowed to grow marijuana in their homes  which was not permitted under some other versions of the bill. Those who use medical marijuana could grow plants in their home starting in January 2022, while those using marijuana recreationally could grow six plants per person starting in July 2023. The maximum number per household would be 12 plants  in order to prevent a large scale marijuana-growing operation by multiple roommates.
SALT LAKE (AP)  Police are investigating an overnight shooting in Salt Lake City that left a 20-year-old man dead and four other people with injuries.

The shooting occurred at about 1:40 a.m. Sunday in front of a home where people were gathered in a residential neighborhood near Salt Lake City International Airport, KSL-TV reported.
MIAMI (AP)  Three people are dead and at least five others injured following a shooting at a Florida graduation party, the latest in a string of such violence in the Miami area, police said Sunday.

One of those killed was a state corrections officer, Miami-Dade police Director Alfredo Freddy Ramirez told news outlets. He said the party at a strip mall lounge was ending when one or more vehicles pulled up and began to fire into the crowd.

The identities of all of those killed and wounded were not immediately released Sunday. The shooting happened about 2 a.m. in the suburb of Kendall.

State corrections officials identified the officer who died as Tyleisha Taylor, 20, who had worked at Dade Correctional Institution since January 2020.

Florida Secretary of Corrections Mark Inch said in a statement that we are devastated to learn a member of our FDC family, Officer Taylor, was killed in a fatal shooting. Our prayers are with her family as they navigate this unimaginable loss.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she was horrified by this latest shooting.

We will not allow a small group of violent actors to terrorize our community, and violent offenders will face the full weight of the law," she said in a statement Sunday.

Im fully committed to making sure Miami-Dade Police Department has all the resources they need to end this cycle of gun violence and prevent more tragedy by getting violent criminals off the street, she added.

Two of those who died were in one of the cars police believe was involved in the shooting. The vehicle sped off and crashed into a nearby wall. Authorities found at least one gun in the car, but its exact connection to the shooting was unclear.

Sunday's shooting follows a bloody Memorial Day weekend in the Miami area that saw three people killed and 20 wounded in a still-unsolved mass shooting at a banquet hall.

Another shooting on May 28 in the Wynwood area killed one person and injured six others.

Every weekend, it's the same thing. We have to band together, Ramirez said. There's a lot of work to do. We have to come together as a community and make this stop.

___

This version corrects spelling of police directors first name.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Eight people in New Orleans were wounded by gunfire, including one woman who got shot in the face, police said Sunday.

New Orleans police said the shootings happened early Sunday shortly after midnight along a service road near Interstate 10.
NEW YORK (AP)  Twenty-three people were arrested in one night over the weekend as police officers enforced a new 10 p.m. curfew in New York's Washington Square Park, authorities said.

Videos tweeted Saturday night showed a line of helmeted officers moving into the park to enforce the curfew. Officers could be seen grabbing and pushing people as an order to disperse was announced.
DOVER, Del. (AP)  If you know anything about Star Wars beyond the fact that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalkers father, theres a good chance you know what a Mandalorian is.

Even if you dont, you might still be familiar with Grogu, better known as Baby Yoda, from the popular Disney show The Mandalorian.

The series, which follows a proud bounty hunter belonging to the same secretive warrior society as Boba Fett, has been a hit, and Mandalorians have since gone mainstream.

And now, its influenced the creation of a political party. Yes, a political party  even though its founder acknowledges theres an element of absurdity to it.

The Mandalorians of Delaware, the First States newest political group, seeks to educate individuals about campaigns and key issues. Formed at the start of the year by Will McVay of Dover, who has been active in the Libertarian Party of Delaware for years, the organization was just recognized this week by the Department of Elections as a party that one can join.

The group is still in its infancy, but Mr. McVay is hopeful about its prospects, despite the fact he started it largely as a joke.

Mr. McVay, who created several short-lived parties in 2012 to make a point about Delawares campaign finance laws, believes the Mandalorians of Delaware can serve as a less dogmatic alternative to the Libertarian Party. The intention is not to have a forum for parroting his own views but to use it to get people involved in politics and to teach them about important subjects, he said.

While Mr. McVay is still listed as a Libertarian, he expects to change his registration very soon. The Libertarian Party in Delaware has shifted to the right, he said, with some of its members imitating the rhetoric and behavior of former President Donald Trump.

He said many people already have a negative association of Libertarians, stemming in part from the partys inflexibility, which can make it difficult to grow the brand.

Thats where he believes the Mandalorians can come in. The name, instantly recognizable to many, is kind of a way to grab their attention and make them think thats interesting, what is the link, what are they trying to do, he said.

Though Libertarians have historically been more associated with the Republican Party, Mr. McVay sees that as changing, thanks to the GOPs shift to the far right and increased focus on social issues and nationalism.

In the long run, he is hopeful the Mandalorians can form an alliance of sorts with progressives. Both Libertarian-minded individuals and those on the left support criminal justice reform and social equity, and Mr. McVay believes they can find some common ground in regard to economics, welfare and even gun rights.

He is hoping to grow the party through social media and other avenues, aided by the cultural touchstone that is Star Wars. The name is a way to capture the cultural zeitgeist that can draw attention to the party in a way a more typical name wouldnt, Mr. McVay said.

In some ways, its also intended as a rebuke of how seriously most political parties take themselves.

In his view, the party is a vehicle to teach Delawareans about politics and get them involved in local campaigns and working on issues that affect them.

Its not so much about what were trying to accomplish but how you go about trying to accomplish it, he said.

In a sense, it is a nonpartisan political party. In that way, its distinct from the Libertarian Party, which focuses on promoting its candidates, Mr. McVay explained.

The party first received some minor attention after Mr. McVay testified during a General Assembly committee hearing in April. Since then, he has taken part in a gun-rights rally outside Legislative Hall while wearing a faux suit of Mandalorian armor.

The partys online presence makes no secret about its origins, with frequent references to the fictional Mandalorian culture and other aspects of the Disney show, which begs the question: What does Disney, one of the worlds largest companies, think about all this?

Mr. McVay has not consulted a lawyer or reached out to the company, but he believes the use of the word Mandalorian and related elements from Star Wars qualify as fair use through the parody exemption in copyright law.

If the party ever grows to a point where its on Disneys radar, well, in Mr. McVays view, thats a good problem to have.

Since some people go as far as listing their religion as Jedi, why cant there be a political party that attributes its founding to Star Wars? As the ultra-orthodox Mandalorians say, This is the way.
VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his pain over the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 Indigenous students of church-run residential schools and pressed religious and political authorities to shed light on this sad affair. But he didnt offer the apology sought by the Canadian prime minister.

Francis, in remarks to faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, also called on the authorities to foster healing but made no reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's insistence, two days earlier, that the Vatican apologize and take responsibility.

From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools, the majority of them run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations, in a campaign to assimilate them into Canadian society.

The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant in the schools, with students beaten for speaking their native languages.

Ground-penetrating radar was used to confirm the remains of the children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, last month. The school was Canada's largest such facility and was operated by the Catholic Church between 1890 and 1969.

"I am following with pain the news that arrives from Canada about the upsetting discovery of the remains of 215 children," Francis said in his customary Sunday noon remarks to the public.

I join with the Canadian bishops and the entire Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my closeness to the Canadian people traumatized by the shocking news,'' Francis said.

This sad discovery adds to the awareness of the sorrows and sufferings of the past," he added.

Trudeau on Friday blasted the church for being silent and not stepping up, and called on it to formally apologize and to make amends for its prominent role in his nations former system of church-run Indigenous residential schools.

He noted that when he met with Francis at the Vatican in 2017, he had asked him to move forward on apologizing and on making records available. But, Trudeau said, were still seeing resistance from the church, possibly from the church in Canada.

Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia has said her nation wants a public apology from the Catholic Church. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, which ran nearly half of Canadas residential schools, has yet to release any records about the Kamloops school, she also said.

Francis comments spoke of healing but not of apology.

May the political and religious authorities continue to collaborate with determination to shed light on this sad affair and to commit humbly to a path of reconciliation and healing, Francis said.

These difficult moments represent a strong call to distance ourselves from the colonial model and from todays ideological colonizing and to walk side by side in dialogue, in mutual respect and in recognizing rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada, the pope said.

Let's entrust to the Lord the souls of all those children, deceased in the residential schools of Canada,'' the pontiff added. "Let us pray for the families and for the indigenous Canadian communities overcome by sorrow. Francis then asked the public in the square below his window to join him in silent prayer.

Last week, the Vatican spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment about the demands for a formal apology from the pope.

On Wednesday, Vancouver Archbishop Michael Miller tweeted his "deep apology and profound condolences to the families and communities that have been devastated by this horrific news. The churchman, who leads Catholics in that British Columbia archdiocese, added that the church was "unquestionably wrong in implementing a government colonialist policy which resulted in devastation for children, families and communities.

The United, Presbyterian and Anglican churches have apologized for their roles in the abuse, as has the Canadian government, which has offered compensation.

Among the many recommendations of a government-established Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a papal apology.

In 2009, then Pope Benedict XVI met with former students and survivors and told them of his personal anguish over their suffering. But his words weren't described as an apology.
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP)  Management at a Virginia restaurant being investigated for reports that customers were drugged says it is taking extra precautions to ensure a safe experience at the restaurant.

Police said Thursday that there had been multiple complaints and social media reports of people being affected by something put in their drinks that caused cognitive impairment during their visit to Centro Taco Bar in Blacksburg. No evidence has been found to substantiate the drugging, but police said there is an ongoing investigation involving town police, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority and the state Department of Forensic Science.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP)  Elon Musk is converting two oil rigs into floating launch pads for his SpaceX program  and work on one is being done in Mississippi.

The Sun Herald reports that ST Engineering Halter Marine & Offshore Inc. in Pascagoula is involved in a six-month project to remove drilling equipment from the semi-submersible rig, Phobus.
As a white kid who grew up in the suburbs, I am (obviously) a fan of the "Back to the Future" films  but not for the reasons you might expect.

Sure, they offer zippy entertainment and ingenious plotting, as well as the repeated pleasure of studying the clean lines of a vintage Delorean sports car. But they are also sneakily subversive (or at least they were for me) in the way they present a pocket history of a community  the paradoxically named Hill Valley, an inland southwestern small city as generic as the dreams of decades of TV sitcom writers  as a place that was shaped and changed by the decisions of the powerful, in ways that could be either beneficial or damaging.

Because these are time travel stories, we see this process in stark relief: The main square can be a slightly crumbling but nonetheless walkable center or a blaring hellscape dominated by a thoroughly Trumpish casino tower, depending on who wields power and influence. As a teen who grew up in a neighborhood that was only about a decade from being untracked forest when my family moved in, it was a notion that could crack your head open. And did I mention the Delorean?

All of which is a slightly unserious way to talk about a very serious undertaking that begins in the Times Union on Sunday and continues through the week: "A City Divided," a series examining how Albany came to be splintered along racial lines.

The project's roots go back about four years, when reporter Massarah Mikati was in the middle of her year-long rotation as a Hearst Fellow and expressed interest in doing a broad series on the subject. Massarah was, however, busy in other quarters: She had upon arrival been handed a newly created beat we dubbed "New Americans," covering the Capital Region's immigrant communities. She excelled at that work, contributing stories that portrayed challenges and triumphs, and then went off to do equally strong journalism for the Houston Chronicle.

Lucky for us she ended up back in upstate New York, and rejoined the Times Union as a staff writer at the beginning of 2020. Because of her experience covering minoritized communities, she has been a key player in the paper's coverage of the racial reckoning that followed the killing of George Floyd, and our internal work overhauling many of the ways we cover communities of color.

For "A City Divided," she teamed up with Eduardo Medina, a Hearst Fellow with similar skills and interests who since last summer produced several deeply reported stories on life in Albany's neighborhoods  from a pandemic Friday night in the Pine Hills student zone to a profile of a West Hill 19-year-old trying to make his way through an especially perilous summer. (Eduardo recently jumped from the Hearst program to begin an internship with the New York Times, which indicates that they also have high standards for young talent.)

To produce "A City Divided," they spent five months interviewing local residents as well as historians, community organizations and elected officials. They devoured data on racial demographics and homeownership from the U.S. Census, as well as Brown Universitys Diversity and Disparities project and Mapping Inequality, a remarkable collaboration between multiple universities that lays out the process of "redlining" across the nation.

One of the most compelling elements in the first story is a digital version of the 1938 map drawn up by the federal Home Owners' Loan Corp., which classified neighborhoods in cities across the nation in terms of the security of real estate investment. Zones shaded in red were deemed "hazardous" for such investment. On Albany's map, the '38 redlined neighborhoods are the ones that almost a century later continue to struggle with the legacy of disinvestment.

I live in an Albany neighborhood that the Depression-era map describes as "still desirable": "Market is very poor on two family houses although rentals are good," some long-ago bureaucrat wrote. "This is still regarded as a desirable and convenient neighborhood." And so it remains, 83 years later: Back to the future, anyone?

To give the broadest possible explanation of how the city changed  or, more to the point, failed to change  the reporters reviewed documents you've probably never heard of, such as a 1961 State Investigative Commission report on Albany Countys tax delinquency (a major factor in the current epidemic of structurally deficient buildings in the city) and combed the archives of this newspaper to uncover work we can be proud of and a few things that made us cringe.

A community that does not understand its past can't realistically hope to comprehend its present  and almost certainly imperils its future.

No single news story or series can capture the experience of an entire community, but we hope these articles will contribute to the ongoing public debate over how this city  and others grappling with similar issues  can be a vibrant, prosperous and more equitable community for all of its citizens.

cseiler@timesunion.com
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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APEC trade ministers unite on fast flow of COVID-19 vaccines, related goods

Xinhua) 10:29, June 06, 2021

WELLINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- APEC trade ministers have committed to speeding up the cross-border flow of vaccines and related goods to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pledge came following the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor on Saturday.

"As we face the biggest health and economic crisis of our lifetimes, I was greatly heartened to see how we united to make progress. We represent half of global GDP and wanted to use trade as a force for good," O'Connor said in a statement.

"We know nobody is safe until everybody is safe from COVID-19, and we know that our region prospers economically by keeping our markets open to one another rather than closing ourselves off."

He said the APEC trade ministers agreed to speed up the flow of vaccines and vaccine-related goods by eliminating trade restrictions that increase the cost of vaccines and the goods that support them.

They also agreed to a set guidelines for the customs authorities to ensure quick vaccines flow, and to remove barriers to freight and logistics services to support trade in vaccines and vaccine-related goods.

"It is encouraging to see APEC trade ministers working together to respond in practical, concrete terms to the COVID pandemic and rebuild our economies," he said.

New Zealand Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth Phil Twyford said the APEC had returned to its traditional role of championing multilateralism by rejuvenating the World Trade Organization (WHO) and injecting momentum into a series of trade negotiations with the aim of concluding these by the end of this year.

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said at the joint virtual press conference that China has continued to further open up to the outside world amid the pandemic.

He said efforts have been made by China on broadening market access, optimizing the business environment, enhancing the level of customs clearance facilitation, and shortening the time of customs clearance.

China is willing to work with all APEC members and send positive signals to the international community that the Asia-Pacific region is working together to fight the COVID-19, keep the regional industrial chain supply stable, and promote the regional economic recovery.

China will also speed up the fostering of a new development paradigm, promote the opening up to a higher level, and create more opportunities for global and regional development, Wang said.

New Zealand is hosting APEC 2021 with more than 300 meetings scheduled across the country.

APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific region. APEC's 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Drew also said that going forward, the families in such situations should be given the name of the person who took their loved ones life as soon as possible. I think the victims family should know who that individual is, he said. They should have it.
FAQ: Criminal Inadmissibility to Canada Some answers to frequently asked questions on coming to Canada with a criminal record. Michael Schwartz Matt Hendler Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Anyone planning to enter Canada to immigrate, study, work, or simply visit may be prohibited from doing so if they have been charged or convicted of a criminal offence. Even minor offences may render a person inadmissible to Canada.

Here are some of the most common questions asked by individuals who may be considered inadmissible to Canada:

1. Does a criminal offence of any kind make me inadmissible to Canada?

It depends on several factors, such as the type of crime for which you were charged or convicted, the length and type of sentence you received, and how long has passed since you committed the act and/or completed your sentence.

Contact the Law Firm of Campbell Cohen for a free consultation with a criminality specialist

The key, however, is to translate the crime or conviction into Canadian law. Criminal law in Canada groups offences into two categories: those prosecuted by summary process, and those by indictment. An indictable offence is more serious. The distinction is very similar to that between misdemeanors and felonies in the U.S.A. Canadian immigration officers can ignore a single summary offence crime or conviction. However, if you have been convicted of more than one summary offence, or any indictable offence, you become inadmissible to Canada.

Fortunately, there are ways to overcome inadmissibility.

2. How can I tell if my offence is summary or indictable?

You or your lawyer will consult Canadas Criminal Code, or other applicable federal legislation, to find the equivalent to your crime in Canadian law. This translation is important as it can be an influential factor in your ability to enter Canada. In the event the translation is to a hybrid crime, meaning that it is punishable by either summary or indictment, it is considered indictable for the purposes of Canadian immigration law.

3. I think I am criminally inadmissible to Canada. Are there any options to overcome this status?

The short answer is yes, the Canadian Government offers potential short- and long-term solutions named Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) and Criminal Rehabilitation.

The TRP is designed for people who are inadmissible and require temporary access into Canada. TRPs are typically granted to individuals who demonstrate compelling reasons for entry  that the benefits of their visit to Canada outweigh any risks.

The criminal rehabilitation application is available to those who are eligible for permanent clearance of past criminal history. If you have been convicted of a crime or crimes in a foreign country, and it has been more than five years since completing your sentence, you are likely eligible to apply for criminal rehabilitation in Canada.

4. I was recently arrested in the United States, am I able to travel to Canada?

Anyone that has been charged with an offence (with no prior criminal history) but has not yet been convicted can take steps to avoid becoming inadmissible to Canada. A Canadian immigration lawyer can draft a legal opinion letter with details concerning the persons charge and the lawyers legal conclusions on the situation. The purpose of the letter is to clarify the legal matter, identify risks and relevant Canadian law, and explain why the person should be deemed admissible to Canada.

5. How was the Canadian border officer aware of my past conviction when I attempted to enter Canada?

When Canadians attempt to enter the United States, their passport is linked to their RCMP criminal record. A similar linkage occurs for U.S. residents trying enter Canada from the United States. Upon entry to Canada, a U.S. citizen is required to present a U.S passport or travel document to an immigration officer for screening purposes. This persons passport has a direct link to an FBI background record, where recent or past DUIs can appear. Even if your charge or conviction is from several decades ago, it can still appear on this criminal record and be held against your desire to enter the Country.

6. Do I need to hire an immigration lawyer?

Nobody needs to hire an immigration lawyer. Much like a doctor, there are times when you should probably see one and other times you might be fine without. Every person with a criminal record presents a unique situation. The Canadian governments decision on whether or not to allow you entry is a balance between national security and compassion.

A Canadian immigration attorney cannot guarantee that you will be rendered admissible to Canada, but they can help you understand how your criminal history translates into Canadian law. They can tell you whether or not your criminal history will prevent you from entering the country. If so, then a criminality specialist can explain your options for overcoming inadmissibility.

Contact the Law Firm of Campbell Cohen for a free consultation with a criminality specialist

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Discover your Canadian immigration options at CanadaVisa.com.
Grace Louise Archer, age 90, a resident of Aurora, Colorado, a former resident of Chillicothe, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at Shalom Park, Aurora, Colorado. Grace was born the daughter of Maurice P. Martin, Sr., and Margaret (O'Connor) Martin on October 10, 1930, in Chi
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 78F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 61F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Rain showers this morning with some sunshine during the afternoon hours. High 77F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
The universitys pandemic data scientists say a factor that could lead to another uptick is the so-called delta variant, a form of the virus spreading in India. The World Health Organization has deemed it a global concern, now identified in 62 countries. The variant represents perhaps 1.3% of COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to the UVA report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  The Department of Health assured on Sunday that the healthcare utilization rate for COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila is still manageable or at low-risk status.

The clarification came after the agency's June 2 data showed that eight out of 15 hospitals in the National Capital Region are now 100% full.

Health Undersecretary and treatment czar Dr. Leopoldo Vega explained the hospitals that made the list were level one to level two hospitals, which are not equipped to deal with severe to critical COVID-19 cases.

"But for smaller level one hospitals, you'd expect that because they only have a number of critical care beds and they don't have the capacity to do that, so you have to look at it from the perspective that Metro Manila is not an isolated or borderless kind of community," said Vega in a phone interview with CNN Philippines.

Hospitals such as the Calalang General Hospital in Valenzuela City; Metro North Medical Center Hospital Inc. in Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City; and the Valenzuela Citicare Medical Center confirmed they currently do not accept severe COVID-19 cases.

They instead refer patients to the government's One Hospital Command Center which helps infected patients transfer to bigger hospitals.

Vega said level three hospitals in NCR or hospitals which have dedicated more than a hundred beds for COVID-19 patients still have vacancies.

"So, if you take a look at the number of ICU beds or critical beds that we saved for the two months, we have actually expanded to 400 plus. So, if you take it as a whole, the whole of Metro Manila, it is low risk. The healthcare utilization rate is in low risk. And even the ICU capacity is low risk. This means there is still a lot of vacancies in bigger hospitals," says Vega.

Meanwhile, the DOH admitted it sees a continuing rise in COVID-19 cases in the Visayas and Mindanao. It has now augmented level three hospitals such as the Western Visayas Medical Center to increase its capacity.

"So, what we are doing right now especially in the Western Visayas Medical Center, which is the biggest one there, we have asked them to allocate more critical care beds. Usually, they were just starting off with seven, so they are starting off with more allocation," says Vega.

The Health Department said it has also positioned healthcare workers in different areas in the regions, starting off with doctors, medical technologists, and nurses.

The agency said it is continuously coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways to create more modular hospitals to accommodate more patients.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  The Office of the Vice President is in talks with the Manila City government for the pilot implementation of the COVID-19 "jab cabs," which are mobile vaccination units designed to help more people get inoculated.

In a radio show on Sunday, Vice President Leni Robredo said they are now coordinating with Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso over the project, with non-medical essential workers eyed as the first beneficiaries. This month, the government is expected to start the vaccination of this sector, which is considered as priority group A4 in the national vaccination drive.

"So ngayon, 'yun, nagta-time and motion study kami, naghahanap kami ng mga lugar na pwede 'yun gawin," Robredo said. "Pero ang gusto naming unahin 'yung mga ibang frontliners, non-medical frontliners na kailangan talaga ng proteksyon."

[Translation: Right now, we're doing a time and motion study, we're looking for areas where we can do that. But those we want to prioritize are the other frontliners, the non-medical ones, who really need protection.]

Earlier, Robredo said her office is open to partnering with local government units for such a program, noting that while the OVP is ready to convert its "swab cabs" to vaccination cabs, the problem lies in securing vaccine supply.

"Yung first target namin parang mga 24,000. Parang parating ata mid-month 'yung supply ng Manila, so pag dumating na 'yung supply, kasa na kami," she said.

"Pinaplano na 'yun since last week. So, hopefully, mapakita namin na pwede siyang gawin," she added.

[Translation: Our first target is around 24,000. I think the additional vaccine supply for Manila will arrive mid-month, so when that comes, we're ready. We've been planning it since last week. So, hopefully, we can show that it can be done.]

The vice president previously said they also want to deploy the cabs to communities of people who would have difficulty going to designated vaccination sites, such as persons with disabilities. The OVP also eyes sending the mobile units to areas with an indigent population who may not have the capacity to sign up for the immunization program online.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6) - The country recorded 7,228 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total tally to 1,269,478, the Department of Healths latest bulletin showed.

The number of active infections is now at 59,337 or 4.7% of the total nationwide count. Of the active cases, 93.5% are experiencing mild symptoms, 2.4% are asymptomatic, 1.3% are critical, 1.7% are in severe condition, and 1.15% are experiencing moderate symptoms.

Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 21,898 after 166 more patients succumbed to coronavirus infection. The number of deaths is 1.72% of the total COVID-19 cases in the country.

The recovery count rose to 1,188,243 or 93.6% of the COVID-19 total after 7,372 more patients survived infection.

All laboratories were operation on June 4, but three laboratories failed to submit their data to the COVID-19 Document Repository System. The DOH said the three non-reporting laboratories contribute, on average, 0.68% of samples tested and 1.27% of positive individuals.

The DOH also said that 23 duplicates were removed from the total tally, of which 18 were recoveries.

It added that 109 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were reclassified as deaths after final validation.

The daily positivity rate or rate of people who tested positive stood at 13.2% -- still within the same 11 to 14% range since May 5 -- based on 43,442 tests done as of June 4. The World Health Organization recommends a rate below 5%, as higher rates may mean high transmission.

On the other hand, the Department of Foreign Affairs has received no new reports of COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos.

To date, there are 19,878 confirmed COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos. Meanwhile, the death toll is at 1,194 and the number of recoveries remains at 12,056.

This is a breaking story. Please refresh for updates.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  Over 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses are expected to be delivered to the country this June, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. confirmed on Sunday.

One million doses of Sinovac vaccines arrived on Sunday morning, which is part of the 5.5 million doses of the China-made shots that would be brought in this month. Galvez said another shipment of one million will arrive on June 10 while the remaining 3.5 million doses will be delivered later this month.

Sinovac recently secured emergency use authorization of its vaccine from the World Health Organization, making it the second Chinese manufacturer to be given the green light by the WHO after Sinopharms approval in early May. Malacanang earlier said the development would help boost the confidence of Filipinos in getting China-made vaccines.

Meanwhile, over 4.2 million vaccine doses from the WHO-backed COVAX facility are also set to arrive in the country. Of the total, about 2.28 million Pfizer doses will be delivered on June 10 while around 2 million AstraZeneca shots will arrive on the third week of June.

Also set to arrive this month are 100,000 doses of Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines on June 8 and 250,000 doses of Moderna shots on June 21.

Government data as of June 2 showed that over 5.3 million doses have been administered nationwide to around 4 million people, including nearly 1.3 million who have already received their second shot.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  Eight Cebuano congressmen want local government units to manage the COVID-19 response in the province instead of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"As we inch back towards normalcy, it is high time for local government units who handled the pandemic well to return to the driver's seat and be given full confidence to manage the COVID-19 situation within their respective jurisdictions free of any intrusion by the IATF," reads the manifesto signed by the solons on Sunday.

The signatories of the manifesto include all congressmen in Cebu province, which are First District Rep. Eduardo Gullas, 2nd District Rep. Wilfredo Caminero, 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia, 4th District Rep. Janice Salimbangon, 5th District Rep. Duke Frasco, 6th District Rep. Emarie Ouano-Dizon, and 7th District Rep. Peter John Calderon.

Ako Bisaya party-list Rep. Sonny Lagon, who is a Cebuano, also signed the manifesto.

The manifesto supported the Cebu provincial government's policies in curbing the spread of COVID-19 in the province, particularly the "swab-upon-arrival-policy" in Cebu which allows returning Filipino migrant workers to be swabbed immediately upon their arrival.

"A significant proportion of our constituent OFWs and ROFs (Returning Overseas Filipinos) come back to Cebu due to deaths in the family and other family emergencies where it is critical for them to immediately return home. This, notwithstanding the limitation of time their work abroad permits them to stay in Cebu," the congressmen said.

The Swab-Upon-Arrival Policy provincial ordinance also allows Filipino overseas workers to return to their homes after the release of their negative RT-PCR test results, where they can continue the remainder of their quarantine under the supervision of barangay health workers.

On the other hand, the IATF through its Resolution No. 116 wanted OFWs and ROFs quarantined for fourteen days upon their arrival, where the first ten days are to be spent in an accredited quarantine facility. An RT-PCR test shall be conducted on the seventh day from arrival.

Because of such conflict and the limited number of hotel rooms in Cebu, the Palace decided to divert all incoming international flights bound for Mactan-Cebu International Airport to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

"Worse, such actuations by the IATF are an encroachment upon the local autonomy enjoyed by the Province of Cebu as enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and under Republic Act No. 7160," the congressmen's manifesto added.

They claimed that Cebu province having been under a modified general community quarantine classification status for more than ten months reflects "the efficacy of the provincial government's sound and practical policies."

"As representatives of the people, we can no longer sit idle while our constituent OFWs and ROFs are further burdened by unsound and impractical policies that greatly ignore their own personal and financial circumstances," the solons said.

Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia previously said the IATF's rule of testing OFWs six days after their return was repressive and would strain their finances as they come home to Cebu.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on May 28 that Malacanang sees no "defiance" regarding Garcia's protocols for Filipinos arriving in Cebu province amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

CNN Philippines Cebu Correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this report.
(CNN)  Group of Seven finance ministers gathering in London agreed Saturday to back a global minimum tax of at least 15% on multinational companies. The G7 group also agreed that the biggest companies should pay tax where they generate sales, and not just where they have a physical presence.

UK finance minister Rishi Sunak announced the agreement in a video posted on Twitter Saturday, saying G7 finance ministers  hailing from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US  had "reached a historic agreement to reform the global tax system to make it fit for the global digital age and, crucially, to make sure that it's fair so that the right companies pay the right tax in the right places."

The agreement was made during a G7 meeting of finance ministers in London, attended by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, where she sought backing for the administration's efforts to rewrite international tax rules and discourage American companies from booking earnings abroad.

Yellen said Saturday that the agreement was a "significant, unprecedented commitment," from the world's richest economies aimed at preventing companies from avoiding taxes by shifting profits overseas.

"The G7 Finance Ministers have made a significant, unprecedented commitment today that provides tremendous momentum towards achieving a robust global minimum tax at a rate of at least 15%," Yellen wrote in the statement.

"That global minimum tax would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporate taxation, and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the U.S. and around the world," she said, adding that the tax would also level "the playing field for businesses and encouraging countries to compete on positive bases, such as educating and training our work forces and investing in research and development and infrastructure."

Tech giants such as Apple, Facebook and Google might be affected by the agreement. Foreign governments have long complained that large digital companies should pay them more in taxes. Some have recently passed taxes specifically targeting revenue generated by such companies, including those based in the US such as Facebook, Google and Amazon.

Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president for global affairs, said in a statement the company had "long called for reform of the global tax rules and we welcome the important progress made at the G7."

"We want the international tax reform process to succeed and recognize this could mean Facebook paying more tax, and in different places," Clegg added.

Google said it strongly supported the work done to update international tax rules, and hopes "countries continue to work together to ensure a balanced and durable agreement will be finalized soon," Google spokesperson, Jose Castaneda, said in a statement to CNN.

And a spokeperson for Amazon said that "we believe an OECD-led process that creates a multilateral solution will help bring stability to the international tax system. The agreement by the G7 marks a welcome step forward in the effort to achieve this goal. We hope to see discussions continue to advance with the broader G20 and Inclusive Framework alliance."

Building consensus

The agreement marks a significant win for the Biden administration ahead of next week's G7 leaders summit in Cornwall, demonstrating an initial ability to build consensus among the group.

Led by Yellen, the US had been pushing very hard for such an agreement ahead of the G7. While this is separate from a US corporate minimum tax of 15% that Biden has proposed as part of ongoing infrastructure negotiations, officials do view it as a critical element of his broader tax agenda.

Biden's plan to pay for at least $1.4 billion in new infrastructure spending hinges in large part on garnering backing for a global minimum tax on corporations that increases payments to the Treasury.

Establishing a minimum rate could help discourage companies from shifting their profits to countries where they would pay less tax.

Saturday's agreement could help accelerate parallel tax negotiations among roughly 140 countries that are being led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann welcomed Saturday's announcement, calling it a "landmark step toward the global consensus necessary to reform the international tax system." He added in the statement that the decision added "important momentum" to the upcoming parallel tax negotiations.

Ireland, which has successfully recruited global companies  including big US tech firms  by offering a corporate tax rate of just 12.5%, is one country that has expressed significant reservations over the Biden proposal.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "G7 backs Biden's sweeping overhaul of global tax system."
The seafood sector in Andhra Pradesh contributed 38.16 per cent of the total export revenue in the sector during the financial year 2020-21. (DC file Photo)

Nellore: Despite the Covid pandemic casting its shadow on business and trading activities, the seafood sector in Andhra Pradesh contributed 38.16 per cent of the total export revenue in the sector during the financial year 2020-21.

While the country exported 11,49,341 metric tonnes of marine products worth Rs 43,717.26 crore ($ 5.96 billion), AP share was 2,89,655 MT worth Rs

16,683.11 crore. In terms of quantity, Vizag port share was 18.83 per cent

and 28.28 per cent value-wise.

Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) officials said that

Vizag port stood first in seafood export in terms of value. AP has also

secured first place in the export at all India level. Similarly,

Krishnapatnam Port bagged a fourth place in the export of seafood

products.

In a statement, K S Srinivas, the chairman of MPEDA, said India registered a

contraction of 10.88 per cent in volume as compared to the previous year.

USA, China and the European Union (EU) were the leading importers, while

frozen shrimp retained its position as the major export item followed by

frozen fish.

In 2019-20, India exported 12,89,651 MT seafood worth Rs 46,662.85 crore

(US$ 6.68 billion), marking a decline of 6.31 per cent in rupee terms and

10.81 per cent in dollar value in 2020-21.

The pandemic drastically affected seafood exports during the first half of

the year, but it revived well in the last quarter of 2020-21.

Also, the aquaculture sector performed better during this fiscal by

contributing 67.99 per cent of exported items in dollar terms and 46.45 per

cent in quantity, which is 4.41 per cent and 2.48 per cent higher,

respectively when compared to 2019-20, the chairman said.

According to Srinivasan, frozen shrimp contributed 51.36 per cent in

quantity and 74.31 per cent of the total dollar earnings.

USA remained its largest importer (2,72,041 MT), followed by China (1,01,846

MT), EU (70,133 MT), Japan (40,502 MT), South East Asia (38,389 MT), and the

Middle East (29,108 MT).

However, shrimp exports declined by 9.47 per cent in dollar value and 9.50

per cent in quantity. The overall shrimp export was 5,90,275 MT worth

$4,426.19 million. The export of Vannamei (white leg) shrimp, which is

widely cultured in AP, decreased from 5,12,204 MT to 4,92,271 MT in 2020-21.

Of the total Vannamei shrimp exports in dollar value, 56.37 per cent was

exported to the USA, China accounted for 15.13 per cent, EU 7.83 per cent,

South-East Asia 5.76 per cent, Japan 4.96 per cent and the Middle East 3.59

per cent.
Denver Hunter, Emily Taylor and Carlie Tibbetts are members of the Coleman EDC Leadership TMCN and have chosen to raise money for the display of the 1928 Fire Truck. (Not pictured is Gus Allen) (Photo courtesy of the City of Coleman Website)
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.
Clutty was hired by Englands MI9, not because of his record, but because of his interest in magicians and escapology  and even more specifically because he once challenged Houdini to escape from a box he and his father personally built. Also, he was a notorious pain in the ass and free spirit who said things like, Lets smuggle radio parts into a cribbage board! (Which, yknow, they did.)

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Waddington, meanwhile, was the U.K. licensor of Monopoly and, more importantly, knew how to print things on silk. In fact, he was already printing maps for the Royal Air Force, the silk sewn into the linings of their jackets in case they were downed behind enemy lines. Silk didnt wear out like paper and made a hell of a lot less noise  both things one would want when breaking out of a POW camp.

The two men created a bunch of fake humanitarian aid organizations  using the addresses of buildings burned down in the Blitz  and got to work. They created an elaborate code system to get messages to POWs, to let them know altered games were on the way. Eventually, they cut out the middle man and just told soldiers what to look for during basic training.

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Using designs dreamed up by Clutty, Waddington printed the Monopoly board on one side of the silk and maps for various European countries on the back. They even figured out how to sneak a working compass, saw, and freaking wire cutters into the thin cardboard beneath. Real money was stashed in with all the fake stuff. The prisoners would simply steam the map off the board and, boom, something a whole hell of a lot better than Free Parking.
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Hyderabad: Minister of state for home G. Kishan Reddy fumed at finance minister T. Harish over his comments against the Centre on the issue of global tenders for procuring vaccines.

Kishan Reddy said that Harish Rao had no idea about the vaccine situation in the country and stated that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's family making baseless allegations against the Union government has become a routine matter.

Kishan Reddy inspected the process being followed in high-risk group vaccination centres at Sitaphalmandi on Sunday.

Speaking to the media, he said that shortage of vaccines was not just in India but prevalent all over the world. He said that vaccines are being supplied from other countries, thanks to the good offices of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. He expressed confidence that the Union government would vaccinate every individual in the country by the end of the year. Towards this, it was targeting production of 250 crore doses till December and was in talks with 16 companies to accomplish the target. He said that Telangana had bought 4.5 lakh doses while the Centre had allotted 82.43 lakh doses free of cost to the state.

He urged everyone to support lockdowns, which are important to reduce the number of positive cases. He said that the Centre was giving free rice to poor people so that they would not face any problems during lockdown.
There has never been a better time in recent history for minority-owned businesses to seek government contracting opportunities than now. To put this into its proper context, we must first understand that federal, state and local governments have laws and provisions in place that requires agencies and departments to allocate a portion of their budgets to minority-owned businesses.

But what defines a minority-owned business? According to the Small Business Administration, a minority-owned business is classified as a business that is owned by individuals that are a part of a disadvantaged community.

Laws and provisions to provide better access to opportunities for minority-owned businesses have been on the books for decades. However, in practice, the access to opportunities were not always as readily available or apparent as they might seem, especially when it came to government contracting. High-cost barriers to entry (ex. hiring the right consultants and legal advisors to assist the business) made it difficult for most minority businesses to gain access to opportunities due to the lack of adequate capital resources available to them and the difficulty they have had in securing credit facilities from financial institutions at market rates.

Thankfully, the sociological dynamics has shifted dramatically since the times that these laws, policies and provisions were initially brought to fruition. In todays climate, governments from the federal level to the local level are more interested and motivated than ever to assist minority-owned businesses in successfully gaining access to contracting opportunities with them. Large, institutional shareholders across the board have been demanding better, more robust, actionable Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) methodologies that produce tangible results. Companies who did not take these demands seriously paid the price by way of their share prices plummeting in the wake of large shareholder divestitures.

The demonstration of large shareholders to exit companies that were not implementing strong DEI methodologies forced companies to take notice, pivot and adapt to the change in investor sentiment. Not only do shareholders require the company to have a strong DEI methodology in place, but they require that the company hold its supply chain, major business association and affiliations to the same standards. In order for politicians to continue to enjoy the generous contributions of corporations, they had to develop even more robust programs and initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure that not only were the opportunities available, but that access was attainable for the average minority business.

Related: 3 Ways to Support Minority-Owned Businesses

Colorado: an example

A great example of how governments have rolled out the red carpet for minority businesses in the contracting space is Colorado. I spoke extensively with Wael Khalifa, who is currently a special aide to the mayor of Denver. In his capacities within the government of Colorado, he has worked extensively on Colorados DEI framework and implementation.

Wael shared with me that Colorado's Minority Business Office (MBO) provides free one-on-one consulting services as well as an online learning platform to help minority business owners understand and attain the different types of certifications available to them. For minority contractors, the office even educates them on the process of selecting, writing and submitting bid proposals to the state. The MBO also has an advisory council which is designed to provide a forum for which the perspectives of minority business owners can be brought to the attention of the state. In addition, the MBO also maintains a comprehensive database of all minority businesses that are certified as such with the state.

Related: The Government Wants You to Become an Entrepreneur

The state of Colorado also hosts the Advance Colorado Procurement Expo, which is a day-long event designed for businesses to showcase their products and services to state and local governments, attend workshops and network. Finally, in 2020, the state legislature passed SB20B-001 - COVID-19 Relief Small And Minority Businesses Arts Organizations in which the Colorado legislature allocated an additional $4 million to the MBO to provide direct relief payments, grants, loans, technical assistance and consulting support to minority-owned business.

Colorado is just one example of how states are strongly encouraging engagement with minority-owned businesses through legislation, regulation, guidance and funding to provide measurable access to opportunity at an unprecedented level as a part of their deepening DEI initiatives. Because many states are currently doing similar things to support minority businesses, the possibilities and opportunities for minority-owned businesses are limitless.

Related: These City Programs Are Giving Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses Access to Capital

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
BERLIN (AP)  Police are appealing for witnesses after a man allegedly tried to set fire to a synagogue in the southern city of Ulm early Saturday.

Ulm police said the man was spotted pouring a bottle of liquid onto a synagogue wall and setting it alight. A witness immediately called firefighters who were able to extinguish the fire within minutes.
BRIDGEPORT  Since April the city has been recruiting new police cadets through a campaign dubbed Make the Shift.

Now, Acting Chief Rebeca Garcia is also looking into whether she can require these new officers to stay for a specific period of time so the city gets its moneys worth from the costs of training them. On average, it costs up to $40,000 to train each officer.

Other municipalities are getting our expertise (and) training, Councilwoman Jeanette Herron said this week. She said if officers had to remain on the job a minimum of five years they would become vested in the community and will hopefully settle down in the city.

According to the Police Officer Standards and Training Council, municipalities can try to recoup half of training expenses from a new recruits new employer if that officer leaves within two years for another law enforcement position. Garcia said she has attempted this, but did not indicate whether she has had success.

But the acting chief is now recommending Bridgeport impose a new contractual restriction on future recruits preventing them from transferring out of Bridgeport to other departments for around five years. She informed the City Council of her idea in April and confirmed last month to Hearst Connecticut Media that she still wants to do it.

And based on some data she provided, there is growing cause for concern that retention is a problem. According to Garcia, a total of three officers departed Bridgeport for other municipalities in 2019 and again in 2020. But as of mid-May of this year, six had already transferred. She said Hamden, Shelton and Stamford have been popular destinations.

Her proposal has support from some on the council. But some private labor attorneys have raised questions about either the legality or practicality of such a limitation, while the police union urged Garcia and the city instead focus on making the job of policing Bridgeport more appealing.

Were researching the legality of the issue, Larry Dorman, spokesman for the unions parent organization, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said in a statement. The best thing the city and the department can do to retain officers is to offer an attractive compensation package and good working conditions.

Garcia has repeatedly stated that departing officers in exit interviews have told her the cost of healthcare is a big factor. New recruits are faced with annually rising rates capped at 50 percent and retiring without continued coverage  contractual changes negotiated a few years ago to try and reduce municipal insurance costs.

This matter (of healthcare costs) has to be addressed by other entities, Garcia told Hearst last month. In other words, Mayor Joe Ganims administration, which has begun contract talks with the union. The current five-year pact expires at the end of this month.

Meanwhile, Eric Amado, the citys labor relations director, said there have been no firm decisions related to a length-of-employment requirements for new police officers.

There remains the need for significant engagement with the city attorneys office, labor relations and administration prior to enacting something like this, he said.

Professor John DeCarlo, director of the University of New Havens masters program in criminal justice, said he understands the rationale behind Garcias 5-year requirement.

Theres more chance of employee mobility under seven years ... than there is over seven years, he said. You become invested in the department after that time. You settle in a community and it becomes less advantageous or more energy for you to move.

But DeCarlo questioned the legality of requiring officers to remain on any force for a set length of time.

Two prominent Bridgeport labor attorneys  Thomas Bucci and Edward Gavin  in separate interviews offered their own thoughts on the concept.

Bucci noted non-compete agreements exist within the private healthcare and other industries barring employees from seeking similar work within a year or 15 miles of their current job. But he questioned whether such an arrangement could occur in the public sector, and if it could exist between the city and individual officers, or would have to be agreed to by the police union.

Id imagine the union would argue any restriction on an officers conditions of employment has to be negotiated, Bucci said.

Gavin said he believes Garcias approach would be enforceable, citing the military Reserve Officers Training Corps as a precedent.

Well pay your college but you owe us three years (of military service), Gavin said.

But he questioned whether doing something similar with police cadets in Bridgeport would be successful given he was not aware of any other cities or towns imposing such restrictions.

Why would any of the recruits take a conditional appointment to the academy knowing they were locked into Bridgeport for five years? he said.

And he also wondered if the city would take an officer who left early to court to try to recoup the training costs, and if a young officer would be able to pay.

While Garcia blames transfers on healthcare, the police union  which in March voted no confidence in her leadership  has complained about low morale within the department.

As reported in April, police union grievances are up. Also last September then-Police Chief Armando Perez was arrested for cheating to get that job in 2018. He pleaded guilty and reported to federal prison May 24 to begin his one year, one day sentence.

And this month the president of the Bridgeport Guardians, the forces minority officer organization, called for Garcias removal, alleging the groups members  especially Black officers  have been subjected to disparate treatment and a hostile work environment.

Bucci is currently representing some officers in a court challenge to Garcias promotion to assistant chief in December, 2019. That promotion put her in line to become acting top cop following Perezs arrest and resignation.

Instead of forcing people to stay that dont want to stay, lets get to the underlying issues and study why they are leaving, Bucci said. I dont remember officers leaving in the numbers weve seen in this recent year.
(BPT) - In 2021, an estimated 1.9 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. Thanks to a groundbreaking new blood test that can detect over 50 types of cancer, more people could learn about a cancer diagnosis sooner, which is important because early detection helps save lives.

Unmet need in early cancer screening

Currently, there are early screening tests for just five cancers, and they screen for a single cancer at a time: PSA test for prostate cancer, colonoscopy for colorectal cancer, mammography for breast cancer, pap smear for cervical cancer, and a low-dose CT scan for people at high risk for lung cancer.

Because there are no early detection tests for people with other types of cancer, these diseases are often only detected after symptoms arise or when cancer has spread. And once a cancer has spread, it is far more difficult to treat.

Existing screening tests save lives, and the greatest opportunity to bend the mortality curve in cancer is finding those not screened for today.

Finding cancer early, when treatment is more likely to be successful, and potentially even curative, is one of the most critical medical priorities of our time, said Dr. Josh Ofman, chief medical officer and head of external affairs at GRAIL, a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early.

A revolution in cancer detection technology

After years of rigorous research and sharing our data with the scientific and medical community, we are a step closer to fulfilling our mission to greatly reduce late-stage cancer diagnoses through the introduction of Galleri, our groundbreaking multi-cancer early detection blood test," Ofman said.

In a clinical study, Galleri demonstrated the ability to detect more than 50 types of cancer with a low false positive rate of less than 1%. When a cancer signal is detected, the test can determine where in the body the cancer is located with high accuracy.

First results from PATHFINDER, an interventional study of Galleri that confirmed its performance in the clinical setting, were recently presented at the 2021 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Galleri requires a prescription and is available to U.S. patients.

The positive impact of early detection

Healthcare leaders are hopeful this new screening test could transform how cancer is discovered and treated, helping to potentially save many lives through early detection.

The interim results of PATHFINDER demonstrate that a routine blood test is capable of detecting many different cancers even before symptoms arise, an approach that has significant potential advantages, said Dr. Tomasz M. Beer, deputy director at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and presenting author. Most importantly, it can detect cancers that have no recommended screening tests today, and more than two-thirds of cancers go unscreened for this reason. These results are a pivotal step towards extending early detection to many more types of cancer.

More information is available at www.Galleri.com.

This sponsored article is presented by Brandpoint.
Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Dorothy Maskara, a high-school student, skateboarded over to Washington Square Park on Wednesday afternoon and wrote NO C*PS IN WASH in purple chalk on the ground next to the fountain. She was reacting to what she had seen on the night of May 22, when police vans and dozens of baton-wielding cops in riot gear arrived to clear the park of people at midnight. It was Saturday night! It was just a bunch of teenagers and stuff, says Maskara, 17, who said she saw officers use a bike to push an older man to the ground, and spent part of the evening trying to find a medic for someone who began having an anxiety attack after the surge. It was just an abuse of power.

The following weekend, the NYPD showed up in force to close the park two hours earlier, at 10 p.m., and the police have since announced that it will maintain that curfew on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays into the immediate future. An NYPD spokesperson said that the large, sometimes violent gatherings of people who refused to leave the park had made the clampdown necessary.

The decision to close one of Manhattans most iconically anarchic spaces at the same hour as your average Gristedes has riled up many, like Maskara, who see the park as a second home. Many also questioned the logic of shutting down an open space like Washington Square while a pandemic is technically still going on. But others who live in the neighborhood think the response is long overdue  and still inadequate. Its gnarly, says Kim Hastreiter, a writer and editor whos lived near the park since 1995 and used a park bench as her office during the pandemic. Its definitely like a wild rave or something every night. Others told Curbed that theyre sick of trying to fall asleep to fireworks, booming sound systems, and revving dirt bikes, only to wake up to a trash-strewn landscape in the morning.

Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Washington Square Park has become a flashpoint of debates about policing and public space in the city as the warm weather and vaccine-fueled optimism are awakening debaucherous impulses in New Yorkers after the longest year. On a per-square-foot basis, its one of the most intensively used parks in the world, says Adrian Benepe, the former Parks commissioner who is now on the board of the Washington Square Park Conservancy, the public-private partnership that helps with management and upkeep. I think the issue here is, the city allowed basically an anything-goes policy for the past year because of the pandemic and protests, and now theyre trying to reel it back in.

The loud weekend parties seem to be at the center of this fight. A guy selling nutcrackers in light-up bottles in the park on Wednesday night told me that some are planned ragers that spread the word on social media, whereas others are dance parties that just break out spontaneously. One park regular who goes by the name of Grimmey Sheisty and was selling weed edibles from a folding table said that he sees people filming loud music videos on the weekends, which often get rowdy and might be the source of some complaints.

However, several park regulars and neighbors question whether things are any wilder than in a normal June. On a Facebook group for the neighborhood, some members speculated that the Citizen app, which blasts users with unconfirmed crime reports, may be amplifying these fears.

The park parties may begin to peter out now that bars are open until 4 a.m., but the other complaints arent as easy to address. Neighbors say theyre worried about the increased presence of unhoused people and drug use in the park. That unease was on full display last week in a classic New York Post front-page story, headlined PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK and alleging that the flowerbeds were full of syringes, accompanied by photos of mostly Black people smoking unidentified drugs (which could be newly legal weed). After the Post story ran, the Parks department fenced off the parks northwest quadrant, the dimly lit section known as a place to buy, use, and sleep off hard drugs. The Conservancy posted on Facebook that the area was closed so it could be deep-cleaned, but there were no signs of any cleaning going on this week.

But according to police, it was not open drug use that precipitated the closures. Asked for an official reason, the NYPD provided a list of five specific incidents of disorderly behavior that led to the 10 p.m. shutdowns, including one on April 10 when officers faced off with a group that refused to leave and threw about 15 bottles and other objects at the cops, according to the NYPD. (The other four incidents on the list took place after police were sent in to clear the park during the first crackdown in May.)

By contrast, the weeknights since the crackdown have offered a different scene altogetherone with barely any cops at all. I spent several hours in the park on Tuesday and Wednesday night and could not find a single police officer, even as fireworks showered over the fountain and a crowd of about 100 people danced to Gasolina around midnight on Wednesday. Thats actually been a sore spot for nearby residents. Theres no fucking cops, says Joanne Milazzo, 75, whos lived a block away from the park for 50 years. She says the park is in worse shape than shes ever seen it. Ive never seen cops on foot patrol in the Village, ever.

The biggest police presence, according to Hastreiter, actually seemed to appear last June, when a throng of officers guarded the arch after it was vandalized during the Black Lives Matter protests. Shes pro-anarchy, she says, but was scared off from walking her dog in the park after a neighbor shared a video of a shirtless man manically hurling empty beer bottles into the plaza in the morning hours. Its maybe not fixable, because a lot of it has to do with social services, she says.

As the clock ticked past midnight on Wednesday, no one came to close the park, and the crowd dancing near the fountain grew larger. Several people hoisted light-up nutcrackers into the air and fist pumped along to an Icona Pop song blasting out of a giant speaker, screaming the chorus into the night: I dont care, I love it.
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Patients who have recovered from moderate to severe Covid-19 are advised to visit an ENT specialist between one and two weeks after recovery to treat potential black fungus infections at the early stage. (Photo:AFP)

HYDERABAD: Around 20 per cent of patients diagnosed with mucormycosis are losing their vision in one eye before going to see a doctor. Therefore patients who have recovered from moderate to severe Covid-19 are advised to visit an ENT specialist between one and two weeks after recovery to treat potential black fungus infections at the early stage, said superintendent of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital Dr V. Rajalingam.

Most mucormycosis cases were found between 14 and 18 days post-recovery from Covid, he said, adding that a check-up by an ENT doctor would help in detecting this infection early. If anyone is experiencing any symptom including facial pain, one side nasal congestion or discharge that is red or black, pain in their teeth or an eye, swelling of the eye or even drooping of the upper eyelid, or if they experience blurriness of vision, or loss of vision, they must immediately consult an ENT surgeon, he said.

The SD Eye Hospital, is currently serving as the post-operative care unit for mucormycosis patients, who underwent surgeries at the Government ENT Hospital at Koti. Once they are here, it takes about a week for recovery, Dr Rajalingam said.

Currently, in these two hospitals and the Gandhi Hospital  where Covid positive patients are also affected by mucormycosis  there are around 600 patients receiving treatment for the fungal infection.

About 20 per cent of all black fungus patients are losing vision in one eye, and so far, around 35 surgeries for removing the fungus-hit eyes have been performed in the government hospitals in the city.

Dr Modini, a professor from SD Eye Hospital who is heading the ophthalmology team at the ENT Hospital, said removal of the eye creates a lot of psychological trauma for the patient. It is not easy for the surgeons either. Each time such a surgery is performed, it is like we lose a piece of ourselves, she said.

She explained that not everyone who was infected with the black fungus, had to lose an eye. It is only when the infection begins spreading to the brain from the eye  with the eye itself getting infected because it is close to the sinuses in the face where the infection first takes hold  that serious loss of vision may occur, and it is only when the infected eye becomes a threat to the brain, is it required to be removed, she explained.

Dr Rajalingam said around half the patients who lost their vision might not get it back, but it had also been seen that the other half was slowly regaining their sight.

Meanwhile, Dr T. Shankar, the ENT Hospital superintendent said that so far surgeries, draining of the black fungus from the sinuses, or involving eyes, had been performed at the hospital in the last 10 days. Despite the challenges faced as most patients have compromised lung function, the care taken by the multidisciplinary surgical teams is ensuring best possible care to every patient.
Dalton, GA (30720)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.
Beds donated by Ashley HomeStore in Middletown, N.Y., are packaged and ready to be transported to The Children's Home of Kingston.
The following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
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Technical Forecast for the US Dollar: Neutral

The US Dollar (via the DXY Index) saw all of its weekly gains evaporate following the May US nonfarm payrolls report as US Treasury yields receded.

Net-long US Dollar positioning has climbed for four consecutive weeks.

The IG Client Sentiment Index s uggests that the US Dollar has a neutral bias across the board, but for USD/JPY rates, which is bearish.

US Dollar Rates Week in Review

The US Dollar (via the DXY Index) was off to a strong start through the first week of June until it ran into the May US nonfarm payrolls report on Friday. Receding US Treasury yields around the data provoked a significant technical reversal in the DXY Index, seeing the gauge close out the week only up by +0.09% after being up by +0.63% at its weekly high. As a result, many USD-pairs have long wicks on the weekly charts, suggesting that US Dollar selling pressure remains as the calendar moves into the second week of June.

For full US economic data forecasts, view the DailyFX economic calendar.

EUR/USD RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (March 2020 to June 2021) (CHART 1)

EUR/USD rates retraced their early week losses to settle above former consolidation resistance that defined price action starting in mid-April. Bullish momentum has waned, with the pair intertwined among daily 5-, 8-, 13-, and 21-EMA envelope, which is still in neither bearish nor bullish sequential order. Daily MACD is falling while above its signal line, and daily Slow Stochastics are dropping through their median line. More stability in price action is sought before it be discerned if EUR/USD rates are tracking towards the 2021 high at 1.2350.

IG Client Sentiment Index: EUR/USD Rate Forecast (June 4, 2021) (Chart 2)

EUR/USD: Retail trader data shows 36.61% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.73 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 21.22% lower than yesterday and 7.24% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 10.59% higher than yesterday and 2.23% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/USD prices may continue to rise.

Positioning is more net-short than yesterday but less net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed EUR/USD trading bias.

GBP/USD RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (March 2020 to June 2021) (CHART 3)

Its been previously noted that more gains may be ahead as the pair seeks to reclaim the base of the aforementioned descending triangle as well as the yearly high at 1.4241. GBP/USD rates traded higher through 1.4241 on Monday, June 1, fulfilling our expectation.

Now, GBP/USD rates continue to hug the ascending trendline from the March and November 2020 lows, the pandemic uptrend, which has started to serve as more formidable resistance in recent days.But there is technical evidence that GBP/USD rates may still have bullish tendencies in the short-term.

GBP/USD rates are still treating the daily 21-EMA as support, which has been the case for the past five weeks. Daily MACD is falling while above its signal line, and daily Slow Stochastics are dropping through their median line. The context of price action and the technical studies suggests that GBP/USD rates are likely working off short-term overbought conditions before continuing higher.

IG Client Sentiment Index: GBP/USD Rate Forecast (June 4, 2021) (Chart 4)

GBP/USD: Retail trader data shows 37.62% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.66 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 29.11% lower than yesterday and 13.83% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 16.01% higher than yesterday and 4.86% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests GBP/USD prices may continue to rise.

Positioning is more net-short than yesterday but less net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed GBP/USD trading bias.

USD/JPY RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (June 2020 to June 2021) (CHART 5)

In the prior USD/JPY rate forecast update, it was noted that USD/JPY rates may be starting to funnel into the vertex of a symmetrical triangle thats materialized against the downtrend from the March and April swing highs and the uptrend from January, February, and April swing lows. Contextually, the expected outcome is for a bullish resolution, given that the preceding move was a rally following the break of the descending trendline from the June 2015 and September 2018 highs.If US Treasury yields can turn higher, USD/JPY may be one of the few places of solace for USD bulls, even if other USD-pairs are suffering.

While USD/JPY rates did indeed trade higher out of the symmetrical triangle, price action at the end of last week yielded a shooting star candle on the weekly timeframe. Concurrently, the pair fell back to the ascending trendline from the January, February, and April swing lows, as well as a cluster of Fibonacci retracements. Even if USD/JPYs technical studies point to bullish momentum, theres good reason to have doubt; failure below the daily 21-EMA at 109.31 would be a topping signal.

IG Client Sentiment Index: USD/JPY Rate Forecast (June 4, 2021) (Chart 6)

USD/JPY: Retail trader data shows 55.26% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.24 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 6.22% higher than yesterday and 22.71% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 22.25% lower than yesterday and 15.20% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests USD/JPY prices may continue to fall.

Traders are further net-long than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger USD/JPY-bearish contrarian trading bias.

CFTC COT US Dollar Futures Positioning (June 2020 to June 2021) (Chart 7)

Finally, looking at positioning, according to the CFTCs COT for the week ended June 1, speculators increased their net-long US Dollar positions for the fourth week in a row to 4.259 contracts, up from 2,780 contracts held in the week prior. Net-long US Dollar positioning has been holding steady for the past 10 weeks.

--- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Currency Strategist
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 77F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Many Adivasis from Jannaram and Dandepalli areas migrated to other places in search of work or livelihood since they cannot stay idle in their villages. (DC file photo)

ADILABAD: The landless poor Adivasis are migrating to Hyderabad and surrounding areas in search of livelihood even during the Covid pandemic by risking their lives from old Adilabad district.

An Adivasi couple with their three-month-old baby was seen on their way to Devarakonda to work in agriculture fields for a salary of Rs15,000 per month for the man.

On Saturday afternoon, Atram Jyotiram and wife Laxmi of Jainoor mandal were waiting for Krishna Express train that was scheduled to depart at 9 pm to Hyderabad from Adilabad railway station.

Atram said there were eight Adivasi families right now working in agriculture fields in the areas around Hyderabad and added that many Adivasis were working as laborers for cultivation of vegetables, Soya, cotton and red gram crops.

Jyotiram said they came to Jainoor for his wifes delivery and now they were going back along with their male baby and added that going back to Hyderabad for work was a must for them since there was no work in Jainoor and he had no land.

Adivasis are migrating to various places in Maharashtra and Telangana in search of livelihood even during the Covid pandemic for their survival. Many Adivasis from Jannaram and Dandepalli areas migrated to other places in search of work or livelihood since they cannot stay idle in their villages.

It is said that landowners will pay up to Rs 300 as daily wage for the women agriculture workers around Hyderabad city.
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Beneath a sunny sky and the patriotic vapour trails of the Red Arrows, with the Channel calmly lapping the distant hulks of the Mulberry defences, it all looked utterly magnificent.

Precisely 77 years earlier, this stretch of the Normandy coast had been a scene of chaos, horror  and great gallantry, too. It was only a mile from this spot above Gold Beach that Company Sergeant-Major Stan Hollis of the Green Howards charged one enemy machine gun after another to win the only Victoria Cross of D- Day. He would make it home (albeit wounded), unlike 22,440 men and two women under British command.

Yesterday morning, they finally received their due when the long (the very long)-awaited Normandy Memorial was unveiled at last. Engraved on its walls and 160 pillars are the names of all of them. Just one crucial element was missing yesterday  the veterans and the families of the fallen. For them, this moment was a monumental victory in every sense of the word.

As the sun rises over the French village of Ver-Sur-Mer, British piper Steve Black plays to commemorate the fallen soldiers in a poignant scene. The names of those 22,442 men and women who lost their lives during the invasion of Nazi-occupied France are now inscribed on the pillars at the British Normandy Memorial

A pair of veterans speak during the ceremony to commemmorate 77 years since the D-Day landings

A veteran visably moved by the memorial event on Sunday June 6. 'For them, this moment was a monumental victory in every sense of the word'

The Royal British Legion's Commemoration of D-Day 77 with the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial ion Ver-sur-Mer, above Gold Beach in Normandy.Madame Arlette Gondree-Prichett, Proprietor of Cafe Gondree with George Payne from Manchester

D-Day veteran Joe Cattini raises his walking stick like a machine gun as he and other veterans are welcomed to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

D-Day veterans arrive to watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire

Donald Redstone, 96, receives the Legion d'Honneur during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire

Veterans share a joke during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire on Sunday

A veteran watches the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed on Sunday

Mr Black stands alone as he looks out on to Gold Beach on top of a hillside in Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy, where thousands lost their lives

D-Day veterans George Chandler, Joe Cattini, John Dennett and Jack Quinn arrive on a landing craft at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Sunday

The French air force's aerobatics squad 'Patrouille de France' fly over the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer in France on Sunday

Due to Covid, though, they could not be there to witness it in person. So they had gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in front of a drumhead altar and giant video screens linking them up to Normandy. There, the British ambassador, Lord Llewellyn, saluted those who had lifted the shackles of tyranny, mile by bloody mile, before declaring the memorial open.

Everything has conspired against this lot over the years. First, there was the inertia of officialdom which meant that the UK was, for decades, the only allied nation without a national memorial in Normandy  until a dogged campaign by the surviving veterans, supported by the Mail and its readers.

Then came the coronavirus. That not only scuppered plans for last autumns informal opening but wrecked the grand royal unveiling scheduled for yesterday  on the anniversary of D-Day itself.

Finally, even the weather had a go. While it was sunshine on the Normandy coast, it was chucking it down in Staffordshire yesterday morning, so much so that a Spitfire flypast over the arboretum had to be called off. Not that this lot were downhearted. When you have saved the free world and buried your pals along the way, a spot of summer rain is neither here nor there.

Hence a splendid turnout of 110 veterans  none of them a day under 95  including 101-year-old Donald Sheppard, the oldest on parade. Such an important day, and well be over in France to see it soon enough, he said cheerfully. For this old soldier from the 51st Highland Division, D-Day is absolutely not in the past. Like everyone there yesterday, he had come for those in Normandy forever.

Peggy Eckert was there to honour two of them  her big brothers, Stan and Cyril, late of the Parachute Regiment. Peggy still has the letter which 19-year-old Stan scribbled in pencil to his mother, Mary, moments before the enemy charged his position on June 6, 1944. It begins: Do you know mum dear, I have never realised how much you meant to me, until now... Cyril, 22, died of his wounds after a firefight at Pont lEveque six weeks later.

My parents never got over it, says Peggy, who was 11 at the time. She has been back many times to the Paras cemetery at Ranville, where both boys are buried. Now she cant wait to see them on the memorial, even if it has been a long old wait. Chris Bates, 60, had come in memory of his uncle, Corporal Sidney Basher Bates, a Camberwell lad serving with the Norfolks and the only VC -holder on the memorial. On August 6, 1944, Bates had charged into machine gun and mortar fire, again and again, before being mortally wounded.

The French Air Force Patrouille de France Team fly over the Normandy coast at the official opening ceremony at Ver-sur-Mer

Veterans watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire on Sunday

Handout photo issued by the Normandy Memorial Trust of French Air Force Patrouille de France Team performing at the official opening ceremony of the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer in France on the anniversary of the D-Day landings

My poor Nan, said Chris. Ten days after his death, the family were bombed out in Camberwell. Churchill wanted to make an anonymous donation when he read about it.

Troops from the 48th Royal Marines at Saint-Aubin-sur-mer on Juno Beach, Normandy, France, during the D-Day landings, 6th June 1944

Commandos of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division of the British Army coming ashore from Landing Craft Infantry at Gold Beach in Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944

As a stonemason himself, Chris Bates, was delighted with the quality of the memorial. Now, like everyone else, he wants to ensure that future generations understand why it is there, even if its been a while coming. The Americans put their memorial up back in 1956 and its taken us until today, chuckled Frank Baugh of Doncaster. The former Royal Navy signalman has vivid memories of his landing craft taking a direct hit at Sword Beach on the morning of D-Day, of limping back to Newhaven with the wounded of the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, of patching up the hole in the side overnight and returning to the fray the next morning.

A born raconteur, he was chosen to address the big 75th anniversary ceremony at Bayeux in 2019. Yesterday, he told me he had a confession. You know, I originally opposed this memorial because I thought they should build it at Sword Beach, he said. All I can say is Im very glad they ignored my letter! Because this thing is wonderful.

This was such a proud day for George Batts, the former secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association. He was the chap who collared prime minister David Cameron at the 70th anniversary in 2014 and persuaded him to back the idea of a Normandy Memorial Trust. The Governments LIBOR fund (of banking fines) got the ball rolling. Then the Daily Mail came on board and our readers donated an astonishing 1million.

Other donations followed and a further grant from the LIBOR fund ensured that this sacred 52-acre site could take shape.

Yesterday, the trusts chairman, Lord Ricketts, and the master of ceremonies, Nicholas Witchell, singled out Mail readers for special thanks. Many of the veterans wanted to thank Witchell himself. The BBC journalist was a founding member of the trust and has been a great driver of this project, at one point administering the whole appeal from his kitchen table.

Over in Normandy, the British ambassador, accompanied by the French minister of defence, addressed his remarks to all those back in Blighty. I can assure you, standing here, that it is truly a memorial fit for heroes, said Lord Llewellyn. A more tranquil, beautiful scene it would be hard to imagine. Peace  thanks to you, and thanks to all those whose names surround us.

The Prince of Wales, royal patron of the appeal, had been planning to unveil the memorial himself. He sent them a lengthy video message, talking in both English and French, saluting their achievement and adding: It has, for many years, been a concern to me that the memory of these remarkable individuals should be preserved for future generations.

Eyewitness accounts were read out by serving soldiers and also by two genuine eyewitnesses, former RAF sergeant, Bernard Morgan, and Arlette Gondree. The latter had been a small girl living with her parents at the Cafe Gondree in Benouville, next to Pegasus Bridge, when it was the first piece of French soil to be liberated by the men of the Ox and Bucks.

Their faces appeared in black camouflage cream  frightening, she recalled. Who were they? They were our liberators. Our heroes. The British had arrived and we were free!

After the ceremony, a couple of elderly Paras gave her a hug. This was a day of great happiness and, in a sense, closure  though not for all. Ill only get real closure when I find out what happened to my father, said Peter Blyth, who was four when his father, Guardsman David Blyth, was killed. His tank got knocked out on June 30, 1944 and three of the crew were never found, including my father. So hes still missing in action.

Dont tell Mr Blyth that D-Day is all in the past. However, as of yesterday, this proud Yorkshireman feels that justice has certainly been done with this memorial. His verdict? I think its just grand.

How the Allies used a Spanish double agent and a dead tramp to fool the Germans over D-Day landings Allied soldiers are pictured landing on the French coast in Normandy during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 The Allied invasion of Normandy beginning on D-Day, June 6, 1944, has gone down in history as a spectacular military success. But less well known are the extraordinary efforts the Allies and their intelligence services had made to deceive Hitler about their plans. Operation Mincemeat was a spectacular plot used to deceive the Germans and helped change the course of World War Two. It started when a homeless tramp from South Wales was found dying in an abandoned warehouse near King's Cross in London and was taken to St Pancras Hospital, where he died. He was believed to have swallowed rat poison in a suicide attempt, which caused fluid to build up in his lungs - consistent with death at sea. The dead man's name was Glyndwr Michael, and he was 34 years of age a the time of his death. The coroner agreed to keep Michael's body in a cold store while the architects of the plan - Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley - set about the task of creating a new identity for their corpse. Glyndwr Michael was turned into Captain William 'Bill' H.N. Martin of the Royal Marines. He was given an identity card, no. 148228. They chose the name because there was a number of William Martins on the Navy List for 1942, and they wanted German intelligence to be able to check. He was given a suitcase full of fake documents which indicated the Allied armies massed in North Africa were aiming for Greece. Montagu even gave 'The Man Who Never Was' a romance, complete with a bill for an engagement ring, and two carefully prepared love letters, plus a photograph of his 'fiancee'. In April 1943, the body was dropped into the sea from a Royal Navy submarine and then floated towards the coast of Spain. Operation Mincemeat fooled Hitler completely: German troops were deployed to the wrong place; thousands of British, Canadian and American lives were saved; Mussolini was deposed; and the course of World War Two was changed. The operation was not related to the newly revealed German message. Meanwhile, Agent Garbo was the most successful double agent of the Second World War, running a network of fictional spies who helped pull off D-Day. After developing a loathing of the Fascist regimes in Europe during the Spanish Civil War, Pujol became a spy for the Allies to do something 'for the good of humanity'. Agent Garbo, real name Juan Pujol Garcia, was the most successful double agent of the Second World War, running a network of fictional spies who helped pull off D-Day Pujol and his wife contacted the British and American intelligence agencies, but each rejected his offer. Undeterred, he created a false identity as a fanatically pro-Nazi Spanish government official and successfully became a German agent. Pujol soon established himself as a trustworthy agent and began inventing fictional sub-agents who could be blamed for false information and mistakes. But Garbo, the colourful Spaniard at the centre of Operation Double Cross, had more important things to worry about than the Nazis. His 'highly emotional and temperamental' wife nearly derailed D-Day after threatening to unmask him when he refused to let her go to a party at the Spanish Embassy. She even left the gas taps on in an apparent suicide attempt because she was homesick, according to secret service files released by the National Archives at Kew in 2016. Garbo, whose real name was Juan Pujol Garcia, almost single-handedly ran a network of fictional spies who fed the Germans false information. Once he had earned their trust, he sent misleading intelligence in the run-up to D-Day that convinced the Nazis to deploy troops away from real landing sites. The elaborate deception was conducted from his semi-detached home in Hendon, north west London. Advertisement
A fit and healthy father diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer has shared the warning signs everyone should know after he mistakenly assumed his headaches were caused by his high-powered job.

Lee Whitehorn, 44, resigned from his position as a business development manager in April after attributing intermittent migraines to the stress of his career.

But one week later, around 6am on Anzac Day, he had a seizure that caused him to fall and hit his head while making a bottle for his youngest son Jack, one, at their home in Brisbane, Queensland.

In hindsight, the dad-of-two said he also experienced bouts of blurred vision in the months leading up to his seizure - a telltale sign he wants others to know about.

Business development manager Lee Whitehorn with his wife Laura and their two sons Max (left) and Jack (right) at their home in Brisbane, Queensland

Unable to carry him to the car, Lee's wife Laura, 32, called an ambulance to take him to hospital where scans showed a large tumour in his hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls learning and memory.

Two weeks later the couple's world was shattered when Lee was diagnosed with advanced glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer that gives sufferers an average life expectancy of 12 months.

Doctors say Lee's tumour is inoperable due to its size and position embedded deep in the lower half of the brain, where it has wrapped 'like spiders legs' around life-sustaining blood vessels and complex nerve systems.

They say trying to remove the growth would almost certainly cause irreparable damage to vital components which govern abilities such as speech and emotion that make him who he is.

Lee's tumour is a diffused astrocytoma, which grows outwards in shoots instead of in a neat, round shape.

After suffering a seizure around 6am on Anzac Day, Lee's wife Laura (pictured on their wedding day) called an ambulance to take him to hospital where scans showed a tumour in his brain

'It's spidering out, almost like legs wrapping around different parts of the brain. That's what makes it inoperable,' Laura explained.

She recalled finding her husband 'dazed and confused' on the morning of his seizure, still trying to feed their son while blood dripped down his face.

'He just kept saying "I don't know what happened", his eyes couldn't focus. It was so bizarre, I've never seen him like that,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'He's a really strong, fit, muscular guy so you just don't imagine someone like that being the way he was that day.'

The doting dad (pictured with his youngest son, Jack) had headaches and blurred vision in the months leading up to his diagnosis but mistakenly assumed they were caused by stress from his high-powered job

Lee is one of roughly 1,879 Australians diagnosed with a brain tumour each year, government health data shows.

While figures for glioblastoma patients are not regularly recorded, one 2013 report lists 982 new cases in Australia that year alone.

Glioblastoma is a rare and highly malignant form of cancer that typically develops in the cerebral hemispheres - the main body - of the brain, but it can also grow in any area or in the spinal cord.

The tumours are particularly malignant because they grow rapidly, supported by an extensive network of blood vessels that run throughout the brain.

Glioblastoma is most common in older adults, but has been known to occur in children and teens.

Warning signs include headaches, fatigue and light sensitivity, as well as nausea, vomiting, double vision and confusion.

But as Lee's story proves, the disease can progress rapidly and insidiously with scarcely any symptoms.

Once glioblastoma has advanced to level four, patients are typically given a prognosis of 12 to 14 months.

Symptoms of glioblastoma Glioblastoma is a rare and highly malignant brain tumour that typically develops in the cerebral hemispheres of the brain (the main body), but can also occur in any area of the brain or spinal cord. They are particularly malignant because they grow rapidly, supported by an extensive network of blood vessels connected to the brain. It is most common in older adults, but can also occur in children and teens. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, double vision and confusion or sudden change in mental clarity. More specific symptoms depend on the location of the tumour and the functions affected. For example, glioblastoma that occur near the motor cortex - the part of the brain involved in movement - can cause loss of sensation on one side of the body. Source: Cure Brain Cancer Australia Advertisement

Doctors say trying to remove the growth would almost certainly cause irreparable damage to vital components that govern abilities such as speech and emotion that make him who he is

On June 10, Lee is due to begin a combined treatment of chemotherapy and radiation which doctors believe is the best chance at slowing the growth of his tumour.

Tests to determine how far his cancer has progressed are still ongoing, but the couple have been told it is at least stage three, and likely stage four.

When glioblastoma has advanced to this level, patients are given a life expectancy of just 12 to 14 months.

Laura said she is humbled by her husband's bravery and strength.

'I'm so proud of the way he's handling it all,' she said.

Laura said her husband (pictured with eldest son, Max) is showing incredible bravery

Lee has also amazed doctors by displaying none of the degenerative signs typically associated with advanced glioblastoma, which usually causes slurred speech and largescale memory loss.

'He's still talking a mile a minute, the consultants are just entranced by him,' Laura said.

A crowdfunding campaign launched by Laura's friend Amy has raised $36,540 at the time of writing.

Donations will help Laura and her sons Max, three, and Jack, one, stay afloat while Lee undergoes treatment.

Laura described her husband as 'an incredibly positive person' and said he is cherishing every day he spends with their family.

For more information on glioblastoma and other types of brain tumours, please visit the Australian Cancer Council or Brain Foundation.


Thomas Markle and Prince Charles are unlikely to meet their new grandchild anytime soon due to ongoing rifts with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, royal experts have claimed.

Prince Harry and Meghan who are based in Montecito, California, welcomed their second child Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, on Friday 4 June.

Their daughter weighed 7 lbs 11 oz, and the couple announced her birth at 5pm today through their Archewell website, rather than through Buckingham Palace, like they did for their son, Archie.

The statement from the couple - who have quit royal duties since the birth of their firstborn - also used american spellings such as honor when revealing the news.

It's thought that Meghan's mother Doria Ragland has been among the first relatives to greet the newborn, as she was close by her daughter's side after the arrival of Archie in 2019.

However, royal biographer Robert Jobson, has explained why it's unlikely we'll see the other grandparents sharing in the joy of a face-to-face meeting.

He told FEMAIL: 'As it stands it seems unlikely that either grandfather will meet their new granddaughter for some time. Thomas is not the only one facing problems with Harry and Meghan.'

Thomas Markle hasn't met Prince Harry or Archie, having appeared in a series of explosive interviews about his strained relationship with his daughter. Pictured: Meghan with her father

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed their second child, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten Windsor, weighing 7lbs 11oz

In the early days of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's relationship, Thomas Markle was rarely seen in public and seemed to be making a conscience effort to maintain his privacy.

However, the 76-year-old was said to have collaborated with a British paparazzi photographer to stage a series of snaps just days before Harry and Meghan's wedding at Windsor Castle in 2018.

Among the photos was Thomas being measured for a suit to wear to the monumental event, browsing for a book of British landmarks and working out to get in shape.

He was supposed to walk Meghan down the aisle, but pulled out of the ceremony because of health problems.

In an interview, he claimed to have hung up on Prince Harry, who he has still not met, in a heated exchange following the staged snaps for cash.

Royal author Nigel Cawthorne, said Thomas Markle is likely to meet his grandchildren in the future but not at the moment. Pictured: Meghan and Harry with baby Archie

Thomas's relationship with his daughter seemed to have soured following the row as he gave interviews following the wedding, claiming he had been 'cut off' as a punishment.

The retired Hollywood lighting director who lives in Mexico, went on to give an interview, claiming he didn't receive an invitation to Harry and Meghan's wedding, meanwhile his ex-wife Doria Ragland was hand delivered a scroll bearing the Queen's formal announcement by two representatives at her Los Angeles home.

Thomas said: 'No one came to my door in Mexico. I would have liked the engagement announcement too.'

He has appeared in a series of explosive interviews since Meghan and Harry tied the knot, which is said to have caused a further rift.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana are pictured in Kensington Palace, London, with their sons Prince William and Prince Harry (left), December 1986

Meghan lived with her father between the ages of 11 and 18, with Thomas Markle claiming he paid for her school fees and college tuition

Despite alleging to have once been close, Thomas has never met his grandson Archie and claimed he only learned his daughter was pregnant when he heard it on the radio.

Nigel Cawthorne who is author of Call Me Diana: The Princess of Wales on Herself, believes Thomas won't meet his grandchildren until the distant future.

'In due course he very likely will, but at the moment he won't be at the top of the couple's list for obvious reasons,' Nigel said.

Harry has claimed he left the Royal Family to 'break the cycle of pain' he suffered. Pictured: Prince Charles and Prince Harry at the 'Our Planet' global premiere in 2019

'Harry is likely to channel his mother's inclusive philosophy. While it may be satisfactory to exclude a grandfather from seeing a grandchild for certain reasons, there is also a grace in being forgiving.

'Diana possessed such grace even if at times it took a conscious effort to do the right thing.'

The comment comes as Harry's relationship with his father Prince Charles and grandmother the Queen is also under scrutiny, as he alleges that his father failed him as a child.

In a recent US mental health podcast, he claimed to have moved to California with his family to 'break the cycle' of 'pain' he suffered as a member of the Royal Family.

Archie hasn't seen any of his British relatives since he was six-months-old. Pictured: Members of the Royal Family at Prince Philip's funeral

He likened his experience to the upbringing Charles received from the Queen and Prince Philip, saying the Prince of Wales had 'treated me the way he was treated', calling it 'genetic pain'.

He also admitted that he wanted to quit The Firm in his 'early 20s' due to 'what it did to my mum' and said Meghan encouraged him to have therapy and had herself now concluded: 'You don't need to be a princess'.

Prince Harry had just months earlier accused a member of the Royal Family of racism towards his son Archie, two, as one of many truth bombs during a sit down with Oprah Winfrey.

Royal sources have claimed the Queen is 'deeply upset' by what she considers a series of 'very personal' criticisms of the family.

The monarch saw Prince Harry for the first time in more than a year at the funeral of her husband Prince Philip and hasn't seen her two-year-old great-grandson, since November 2019.

Royal author Phil Dampier recently told The Sun, the 95-year-old may never see Archie again, as he hasn't seen any of his British relatives since he was six-months-old.

Phil said: 'I think there is a very real danger the Queen will never see Archie again or never see her new great granddaughter which is tragic.

'I can't see how when they [Meghan and Harry] go on about compassion and family problems but don't let their grandfather or great-grandmother see Archie.'
An investor who purchased her first block of land at 21 is inspiring other young people to get into the market by building their first home rather than buy an existing property.

Alex Fitzgerald, Acquisitions Manager for property investment company Custodian in Melbourne, told Daily Mail Australia she has always been taught to buy a house and land package by her father, as the land component is the 'best asset you can own' as it will increase in value over time.

For this reason, she recommends building a new house over purchasing an existing property because it 'de-risks' the investment and limits the reoccurrence of maintenance costs.

Last September Ms Fitzgerald, now 28, bought her fourth block of land in greater Melbourne to build a new home to rent out to tenants.

Alex Fitzgerald (pictured) purchased her first investment property when she was 21 and is inspiring other young people to get into the market

Ms Fitzgerald, now 28, told Daily Mail Australia the land component of a property is the 'best asset you can own' since it will increase in value over time

According the Ms Fitzgerald, building a home is better than purchasing an existing property because the buyer will be the first owner of the property and will be able to avoid or limit the amount of reoccurring maintenance costs.

'As a young person, you want to make sure you're not paying surprise bills for an old home,' Ms Fitzgerald said.

'Building a new home means you will be the first owner of that property and newly renovated homes are also easier to rent out to tenants.'

But prior to buying the land, it's vital to consider the potential value and growth potential of the suburb or region and whether it will be appealing to renters.

'Land is what increases in value so this is the most important part of your purchase. Most people start by picking their house, whereas that is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing,' she said.

'You should be steered by what you can afford but consider the lifestyle aspects too, is it close to transport, amenity and schools?'

According the Ms Fitzgerald, building a home is deemed paramount compared to purchasing an existing property because the buyer will bet he first owner of the property and will be able to avoid or limit the amount of reoccurring maintenance costs

Ms Fitzgerald bought her first block between Queensland and Brisbane for $220,000 with assistance from her dad John Fitzgerald, who's a property expert, and said the build took up to seven months to complete.

During the construction process she was living in Queensland with her parents and said the build took place in a location where infrastructure, jobs and overall population was growing.

'I had to sacrifice a bit of time to commit myself to the end goal, but I had a good advantage of still living at home and saving as much as I could,' she said.

'I saved $40,000, which the bank said wasn't enough to qualify for a loan, so I pitched to my dad to lend me $20,000.

'Luckily for me he did, under the condition that I pay him back over two years with five per cent interest.'

The property became a four bedroom, two bathroom house that was 'appealing to renters' as it was a new house in a decent location.

'Land is what increases in value so this is the most important part of your purchase. Most people start by picking their house, whereas that is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing,' she said

Of her four proceeding properties, two of which are located in greater Melbourne and the other in greater Brisbane, only one was a pre-existing home.

'The strategy was the same every time - to buy in an affordable location, secure the block of land and build a brand new house in a high-growth area,' she said.

'It can be hard to do, but you need to learn to strip away emotion because your first property will never be your dream home.

'The hardest part is saving for the deposit, there's no sugar coating it, it's definitely not easy,' she said, adding: 'But once you've done that, you're in.'

The advantages of building a home compared to buying: Ms Fitzgerald said building a home compared to buying an existing investment property 'de-risks your investment' Advantages: 1. You are the first owner - any problems, maintenance issues and short-term problems can be fixed by speaking to the builder 2. Limited surprise bills - as a young person you won't want to be putting money towards occurring maintenance costs - such as leaking taps, holes in the roof, etc. 3. Higher rental price and easier to rent to tenants Advertisement

Of her four proceeding properties, two of which are located in greater Melbourne and the other in greater Brisbane, only one was a pre-existing home

Ms Fitzgerald said how there is a differences between 'rentvestors' and 'first home buyers'.

'Rentvesting' is currently a growing investing strategy in Australia where buyers choose to rent in a suburb they can't afford to buy, but invest in a property elsewhere - such as rural locations or a different state.

According to realestate.com.au, this allows buyers to 'get the best of both worlds' without compromising their lifestyle.

Whereas first home buyers need to live in the property purchased for six to 12 months to be applicable for certain grants.

But Ms Fitzgerald said living in the property for 12 months 'not much to sacrifice' to be applicable for grants, even if the property is an investment.

'The financial incentives on offer at the moment for first time buyers are huge - it's a free kick, all of these grants, so why not use them,' she said.

WHAT IS 'RENTVESTING'? 'Rentvesting' is a tactic that sees buyers rent a property where they want to live and buy an investment property in a suburb they can afford The trend is currently increasing in Australia Rentvesting is a way forward for people who want to break into the property market, without sacrificing their lifestyle With rentvesting, investors can get the best of both worlds because they can afford to rent where they want to live and put their 'spare' funds to work by buying elsewhere Source: realestate.com.au Advertisement

By sharing her knowledge on investing, Ms Fitzgerald hopes not only other young couples will consider buying, but women too

By sharing her knowledge on investing, Ms Fitzgerald hopes not only other young couples will consider buying, but women too.

'I want to see more women who might not be in relationships consider their financial situation and not feel discouraged getting into property,' she said.

'My best advice is to find a mentor - someone who's an expert in the field and knows what their doing, rather than seeking help from a friend or family member.'

Ms Fitzgerald suggests speaking to a financial advisor, mortgage broker or third party employee rather than going straight to the bank.

Depending on the state or territory, buyers might be eligible for the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) scheme that was introduced on July 1, 2000.

A one-off grant is payable to first home owners that satisfy all eligibility criteria.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new baby girl is likely to possess dual citizenship - just like big brother Archie.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their new addition on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am, with Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor weighing 7lbs 11oz.

Following the couple stepping down as senior royals, they announced the news in their own statement, shared on the Archwell Foundation website and not through the official channels of the Royal family, in a departure from the announcement of her brother Archie in 2018, in a post written in American English.

Given Meghan, 39, is an American, having been born in California, her children are automatically entitled to citizenship in the US.

The same goes for Harry, who was born in the UK and is thereby a British citizen. Under British law, citizenship can be passed down one generation, so Harry's children are eligible to inherit that status.

Given Meghan, 39, is an American, having been born in California, her children are automatically entitled to citizenship in the US. The same goes for Harry, who was born in the UK and is thereby a British citizen

Unlike his sister, Harry and Meghan's son Archie, two, was born in the UK - at the Portland Hospital in London - but both children possess dual British and American citizenship.

When the couple married in 2018, it was announced that Meghan intended to become a British citizen, however it can take several years.

It's believed that the Sussexes chose to step down as senior royals and move across the pond before the process was complete; it's unclear whether they are continuing to see it through now that they've settled in Montecito.

It appears that Meghan remains an American citizen; she voted in the presidential election last year - making her the first member of the British Royal Family to do so.

When the couple married in 2018, it was announced that Meghan intended to become a British citizen, however it can take several years and it's unknown whether they continued with the process after relocating to the US (pictured with Archie)

When Harry moved to the US last year, sources told the Times that he didn't intend on applying for a green card or dual citizenship 'in the foreseeable future'.

If Harry applied for US citizenship, it would require him to renounce his titles and expose him to US taxation on his earnings worldwide, according to the Immigration and Nationalization Act.

It's not known whether he has a diplomatic or other special visa; it's highly unlikely he has a tourist visa because that would forbid him from working.

His wealth - previously estimated to be around 30million - may qualify him for visas available to entrepreneurs willing to invest in America. Another option is the O-1 visa for 'individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement'.

Unlike his sister, Harry and Meghan's son Archie, two, was born in the UK - at the Portland Hospital in London - but both children possess dual British and American citizenship

In order to be granted a O-1 visa, Harry must be sponsored by an organisation that plans to work with him and can identify the areas where he excels - most likely his philanthropic endeavours.

It's usually approved for three years, and renewed every year after that.

The Sussex children aren't the first royals with dual citizenship. Peter Phillips' estranged wife Autumn is Canadian, and retained her citizenship when they married in 2008.

Their daughters Savannah and Isla have Canadian and UK citizenship.
When Brianne West hatched a plan to launch a sustainable beauty company from her kitchen table she believed her idea could change the world.

Her friends and family were skeptical as she planned her business between classes at university after becoming disillusioned by the amount of single-use plastic in her bathroom.

Now the 34-year-old New Zealander runs Ethique - the world's first zero-waste beauty company and a multi-million dollar business servicing customers all over the world.

She is excited to see how much her company has grown since 2012, but told FEMAIL there is still so much to do.

Brianne West, 34, has revealed how she came up with a plan to save the world one plastic bottle at a time and has now saved 10million pieces of plastic from landfill

Nonny Mulholland shows off the So Cocoa lip balm - the first lip balm in 100percent compostable packaging

The Ethique products are solids and include soaps, shampoos and conditioners

'When I first started people were skeptical, there wasn't the push we see now to help protect the environment,' she said.

Brianne admitted good timing, luck and hard work were all crucial factors to her success.

If she had launched any earlier people may not have taken notice, any later and she may not have been the first zero-waste company in her field.

'I wanted to save a million pieces of waste from landfill by 2020 - we beat that by a factor of ten,' she said.

The Ethique products are solids and include soaps, shampoos and conditioners.

Because they are solid there is no need to package them in plastic - so they can use paper-based products instead.

'But just swapping out plastic for paper isn't good enough  paper production can come with a raft of other environmental concerns too.'

So the company recirculates and recycles their paper which means they use just 10-25kg of water per kilo for their packaging instead of 400kgs of water.

Brianne's vision has also pushed 'the big guys' to create sustainable packaging for their products too.

'We aren't worried about more bar products because they aren't really our competition - our competition is and always has been liquid products.

The company partnered with Bindi Irwin to make a Wombar - a limited edition shampoo here $1AUD from every sale directed towards the Irwins Wildlife Warriors

She says there needs to be a shift away from single-use plastic

'There's a lot of people who believe bar products are drying and damaging,' she said.

'This is because for the last 80 years there has been really solid marketing for liquid products.

But the form doesn't mater the formulation does and we have to keep an open mind if we want to tackle this environmental emergency,' she said.

Ethique's most recent offering is lip balm. Presented to the customer in a cardboard tube the product can help lip balm users shake the guilt of losing their tiny plastic tubes.

'Most people use lip balms and very few people actually finish them,' she said.

Instead the tiny plastic tubes wind up in landfill after being found in old bags or dropped in dark corners, she explained.

That or they accidentally end up in our waterways after falling from pockets and handbags.

She wants to be able to offer a sustainable alternative to every bathroom and kitchen product

'We have finally been able to make a carboard tube which is compostable and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive,' she said.

The company plans to offer a sustainable option for every product used in bathrooms and kitchens globally.

Brianne was young and naive when she started the venture and admits she made mistakes.

But without them she would not have the finely-tuned and ruthless business mind she has today.

Breaking straight out of university and heading out on her own was a no-brainer.

'I make a terrible employee,' she said admitting she prefers to take the reins.

Her range includes cleansers as well as lip gloss, moisturiser and deodorant

The brand's biggest market is the US, however they have also seen huge success in Japan and are growing their presence in Europe.

Currently freight is the most challenging aspect of the business - however this is something many companies are experiencing following the start of the global pandemic.

Brianne says good timing, luck and hard work have been key to the success of her business.

When she started her business less people were concerned about the environment but the tide soon shifted and people were excited to see her waste-free products.
Four women have revealed why they decided to become nude models for millionaire Instagram artist, Sophie Tea, despite having insecurities about their bodies.

The women proudly paraded their way down the catwalk at the UK artist's Australian show wearing nothing but underwear and a layer of paint.

Sophie Tea is renowned for her empowering artworks featuring nude women of all shapes and sizes, declaring each of them beautiful in their own way.

Four women have revealed why they decided to become nude models for millionaire Instagram artist, Sophie Tea , despite having insecurities about their bodies

Sophie, who previously told Femail she will no longer be painting nudes, has been empowering women with her art for years

Sophie Tea, the millionaire Instagram artist became well know for her empowering portraits of naked women is moving on to new things - despite selling over $9million worth of work in just 12 months

And her live art reflects that idea with women of all ages, shapes, sizes and ethnicities invited to apply to be a 'nudie' at each of her events.

Ellen Colfer, Rani Gale-Driscoll, Julie Van-Zhu and Sharon Oakley were among a small group of women who were hand picked by Sophie and her team for the show in Manly last month.

Thousands of women applied for the honour after the artist put a call out over Instagram.

They were each painted by Sophie and strutted down the runway to a live audience, photographers, a film crew and a people round the world watching live streams of the show.

Since the show Sophie has revealed she will no longer be painting nudes, despite her million-dollar success which began as a passion project to help empower women.

She is pictured here with her team of women before the second show

'We have all struggled with our bodies at some point,' she told Daily Mail Australia after the show.

'I have always wanted bigger boobs, and I have had a nose job,' she said, admitting even she  a stunning young woman has had her share of self doubt.

The women reveal why they chose to help Sophie empower women, each sharing a unique story of trauma and self-discovery.

The women were each painted by Sophie and strutted down the runway to a live audience, photographers, a film crew and a people round the world watching live streams of the show

SHARON OAKLEY

Breast cancer survivor Sharon Oakley wanted to step out of her comfort zone to celebrate being disease free for three years.

She decided to apply to be part of the show thinking it would be the best way to celebrate who she is today.

'I started following Sophie last year when I saw a piece of her art on another persons Instagram page and instantly loved her style. The colours, the layers, the fact she was using real women's pics for inspiration,' she said.

Breast cancer survivor Sharon Oakley wanted to step out of her comfort zone to celebrate being disease free for three years

Then she saw the nudes in the artist's store in London - and knew she had to be one.

'I wanted to show other over 55 and plus size women it wasn't too late to do something outrageous,' she said.

'I hope to gain enough exposure to start a conversation regarding Life After Treatment for all my fellow tit chicks.

'Often we are left with PTSD, and are physically and mentally scared once our treatment have been completed. We are left with many side effects from treatment and post treatment care.'

Sharon was the last model on the runway, holding hands with Sophie to end the show.

JULIE VAN ZHU

Julie revealed she wanted to take part because she was finally 'mentally here' after being able to fully accept herself.

'I want to peel off my layers so I can show how mentally strong I can be, and not care what society thinks of me,' she said.

'I have taken my life for granted, I have taken my friends and family and strangers for granted.'

She said she always pushed herself too hard and said because she is of Asian heritage her family expected nothing less.

'In my 30s it was a rush to be the best of the best  be the perfect mum, be the perfect wife, have the perfect body, have the perfect car, have the perfect house, make awesome healthy dinners, healthier snacks for the kids, read them those books, work, get the money, clean, wash,' she said.

Julie revealed she wanted to be a nudie because she was finally 'mentally here' after being able to accept herself fully following a lifetime of trying to be 'perfect'

'I've ignored my mental health and especially pushed my postnatal depression aside because of? I was afraid of not fitting in.'

For the last two year the 'perfect' mum has put her own mental health first.

'We weren't meant to face all these challenges and be ok. It was ok for me to not have a good day. It was ok for my kids to not have that healthy meal. It was ok for me if my kids were kicking and crying,' she said.

'It was ok all the time regardless what rules and expectations people may think. I am now and finally comfortable with what I am and who I am.'

In the last two years Julie quit her high-flying job, said goodbye to toxic friendships and worked out where she could draw lines on being perfect.

She says she hoped to show the world how powerful women are and help others find inner strength and courage through her appearance in the show.

RANI GALE-DRISCOLL

Rani said following Sophie Tea online has given her confidence as a woman.

'I have had a terrible relationship with my body for as long as I can remember and to be honest, I am not happy with what I look like naked,' she revealed.

Explaining her body has become the 'punching bag' for all of her anxiety.

Rani said following Sophie Tea online has given her confidence as a woman

'I am coming to terms with the fact that what matters most is what my heart and my soul looks like. I hope to love my physical appearance someday but I am happy and getting their slowly.'

She also explained she has some chronic health conditions which have lead to weight gain and her negative feelings about her body.

ELLEN COLFER

When Ellen first found out about Sophie's call out she wished she was the kind of person with the confidence to apply.

Her next thought was, 'I am 34, why shouldn't I'.

'I have a genetic disorder called Elhers Danlos syndrome which has caused a multitude of health issues,' she said.

When Ellen first found out about Sophie's call out she wished she was the kind of person with the confidence to apply. Her next thought was, I am 34, why shouldn't I

Ellen says she has very thin, almost see-through skin because of her genetic disorder.

'This has bothered me my whole life to the point I would wear jeans to the beach,' she said.

She decided she needed to become more confident so applied to take part with the goal of learning to love herself a little bit more.

Sophie Tea will be holding her final show in London on July 10.

The artist is from the UK, but now lives in Sydney, has sold $9M of art in just 12 months.
Wearing the wrong clothes, telling people too much about where you work and using colourful language can get you fired in 2021.

Employment law expert, Alan McDonald, revealed eight little-known reasons you could be legitimately sacked.

Mr McDonald is a legal practitioner from employment law firm McDonald Murholme who has dedicated his career on the subject.

Wearing the wrong clothes, telling people too much about where you work and accepting gifts can all get you fired in 2021

He told Seek causing risk to the business, failing to comply with your organisation's policies, divulging information about your business, dishonesty, receiving gifts, lying on your job application and dress code violations are all valid reasons for dismissal.

Risk to the business is considered serious misconduct by Fair Work, but is not a well-known reason for dismissal.

Mr McDonald explained that most people know causing actual damage to the business where they work will get the fired but aren't aware creating the risk for damage can also lead to you losing your job.

And the risk doesn't have to be related to the business' property.

'Creating a risk to an employer's business viability can arise from damage to reputation, profitability and even risk to the health of the business owner  and that's especially relevant now with COVID-19,' he explained.

Failing to comply with your organisation's policies in another big issue which can see you fired.

Dishonesty, such as using the work credit card or car for personal use can also get you fired

Mr McDonald explained this included things posted on social media, which could go against your business' guidelines.

Avoiding posts about your boss or co-workers is recommended.

Divulging too much information about the business could also see you lose your job regardless of whether your actions were malicious.

'Where an employee divulges even small parts of that information can lead to dismissal, due to the potential damage to the business,' Mr McDonald said.

Dishonesty was the next subject on the legal expert's list and included taking advantage or work vehicles and company credit cards.

He recommend if a mistake is made, such as a purchase being made on the company card by mistake, then you should explain yourself.

The 'cover up' can lead to harsher consequences.

WHAT CAN I BE FIRED FOR? 1- Dress code violations 2- Lying on your job application 3- Receiving gifts 4- Dishonesty 5- Divulging information about the business 6- Using insulting language 7- Failing to comply with your organisation's policies 8- Risk to the business Advertisement

The next subject touched on by McDonald is receiving of gifts which may or may not put you at risk.

If you are employed by a government body then it is probably against policy to accept gifts of any kind.

People should approach their HR department if they are unsure about whether or not they can accept gifts, McDonald said.

Lying on job applications can also lead to dismissal, he explained noting that many people exaggerate their skills and experience to this point.

He said tribunals will often back-up employers over such issues.

The final subject covered by Mr McDonald is dress code violations.

He explained one violation of the company's rules may not lead to dismissal but if you have received warnings on the issue it can.

This refers to an employer's lawful and reasonable policies about wearing a uniform or adhering to specified dress standards, he said.

Mr McDonald recommends people get legal advice or contact Fair Work if they believe they have been dismissed unfairly.
The drugs were seized from the passengers and they were placed under arrest under the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985. (Representional Image)

Hyderabad: In a major drug haul, officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted two women from Uganda and Zambia at Hyderabad's RGI Airport in two separate cases and recovered about 12 kilos of heroin worth `78 crore from their check-in baggage.

The officials intercepted the two women passengers based on specific intelligence at the RGIA Hyderabad and recovered about 12 kilos of narcotics substance, which later tested positive for heroin.

In the first case, on Saturday, the officers of DRI intercepted the Ugandan woman passenger when she came to RGI Airport to collect her missing baggage. She had come to Hyderabad from Zimbabwe via Johannesburg and Doha a few days before. The baggage was examined and found to have concealment in the sides, DRI officials revealed.

Further, on Sunday morning, the officials intercepted a Zambian passenger, identified as Makumba Carol, who flew from Zambia via Johannesburg and Doha. A detailed examination of her baggage resulted in recovery of off-white powder, later tested positive for heroin, from beneath the pipe rolls which was brought in the baggage.

The drugs were seized from the passengers and they were placed under arrest under the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985. Heroin, an opioid derivative, is a highly addictive drug. People either inject, snort, or smoke this substance. Those who regularly use heroin often develop a tolerance, which means they need higher and/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the desired effects, explained the officials.

While Hyderabad has more demand for marijuana, posh drugs like cocaine and heroin are more in circulation in Gachibowli and Madhapur of Cyberabad, said the city police officials. Ganja was not produced in the state, but was being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, they added.

In 2020, the Hyderabad city police officials arrested 213 individuals, including a foreign national, who were found peddling, smuggling and selling narcotics in the city. A total of 851 kilos of ganja, 40 grams of charas and 6 grams of cocaine along with 8 grams of MDMA was caught by the city police in Hyderabad last year, as per the annual report.

There is a high demand for ganja in Hyderabad, whereas areas on the outskirts in Cyberabad have consumers of cocaine, LSD and other costly drugs, according to P. Radhakrishna Rao, DCP of Task Force, Hyderabad police.

We have so far booked about 30-40 cases of ganja in the city this year. Expensive drugs have buyers from areas like Gachibowli and Madhapur as the market is growing there. There has been a continuous crackdown on ganja trade in Hyderabad and all of it is being brought from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha through small-time peddlers. With the lockdown, bulk smuggling has gone down and the drugs have been coming in small quantities since last year, said the official.

Meanwhile, excise officials said the first quarter of 2021 before the second wave saw a spike in hashish oil cases in the city as well. The smugglers are transporting hashish oil from Vizag, which is easier to go undetected and multiplies the high. One drop of marijuana oil on a cigarette is enough to cause hours of narcotic effects on a person, officials shared, adding that they had caught men smuggling the same in honey bottles as they look similar.
Compared therapy on TV to televised sex and said both are 'wildly inappropriate'

Lady Colin Campbell claimed it's 'violation' of privacy of person agreeing to it

Prince Harry filmed taking part in an EMDR therapy session as part of new five-part AppleTV+ docuseries with US host Oprah Winfrey, The Me You Can't See

Prince Harry's televised therapy session is as 'inappropriate as having sexual intercourse on television,' a biographer of the couple has claimed.

Lady Colin Campbell - author of Meghan and Harry: The Real Story - was referring to the Duke of Sussex being filmed taking part in an EMDR therapy session as part of his new five-part AppleTV+ docuseries The Me You Can't See with US host Oprah Winfrey.

According to the author, participating in a therapy session on television is 'a violation of not only the privacy of the person who is agreeing to it, it is just wrong in every way, shape or form' - and she adds there is 'no justification' for it.

'It is as inappropriate to have a therapy session on television, just as it is to have sexual intercourse on television,' she said, speaking to the Daily Star. 'Both of them are wildly inappropriate.

'They are private and there is no justification for having them on television, ever.

Prince Harry's televised therapy session is as 'inappropriate as having sexual intercourse on television,' biographer Lady Colin Campbell has claimed. Pictured, during his new five-part AppleTV+ docuseries with US host Oprah Winfrey

According to Lady Colin Campbell (pictured), participating in a therapy session on television is 'a violation of not only the privacy of the person who is agreeing to it

'It is a violation of not only the privacy of the person who is agreeing to it, it is just wrong in every way, shape or form.'

She continued: 'He had a therapy session on television. It is not appropriate. It's not more appropriate to have a therapy session on television than it is to have sexual intercourse.

'The two things are equally private and also Harry shares rather too much.'

It comes after The Me You Can't See director Dawn Porter told how Prince Harry 'volunteered' to go through therapy on camera and was 'game for trying something' to help his mental wellness.

During the docuseries, Prince Harry (pictured) dropped another nuclear 'truth bomb' on the Royal Family accusing them of 'total silence' and 'neglect' when Meghan was suicidal

The Me You Can't See Director Dawn Porter (pictured) has opened up about what led Prince Harry to go through therapy on camera

The American documentary filmmaker, who is known for her works including Trapped and Gideon's Army, has revealed how she convinced the Duke of Sussex, 36, and Oprah Winfrey to open up in the new AppleTV+ docuseries and what led the royal to go through therapy on film.

Speaking to Town and Country magazine, Dawn, who says she already knew a lot about what the royal was doing to maintain his mental wellbeing, said: 'Harry he volunteered, he was game for trying something.

'And we thought well, we have the opportunity to film this [therapy] and maybe this is something that will work for some people, maybe it won't, but the idea is that you don't tick a box and you're done, mental wellness is an ongoing pursuit.'

'You have to continue to try new things and to push yourself, and his volunteering to try something was a great way to emphasize and underscore that point.'

She went on to explain that the project was so important to Oprah and Prince Harry because both had 'very personal and deep feelings about destigmatizing conversations' to do with mental health.

She continued: 'This was really important to both of them, and so they were extremely hands on. We had meetings every other week.'
They say you can't buy a good sense of fashion, but these retailers have taken it to a whole new level.

In a gallery for Bored Panda, people from across the globe have shared examples of items that are so offensive, they shouldn't have been put on sale in the first place.

Among the fashion faux-pas includes one person who was left horrified by a pair of stockings that included toe slots with fake-painted red nails.

Elsewhere, another made fun of a pair of jeans costing $425 that were made to look like they already had mud on them.

People have shared some of the worst fashion fails they have come across. In the US, a shopper was horrified by these tights which come complete with painted toes

In New York, a shopper made fun of this bizarre sweater which only covered the neck and arms and not the bust

In the US, one sweater which was meant to have an uplifting message of female empowerment ended up being like gibberish

In the US, one person joked this T-shirt, which was sold pre-stained, looked like someone had a fight with a bottle of mustard and lost

Someone made fun of these designer sneakers costing $1,425 which were meant to look completely destroyed

One person, from an unknown location, pointed out how these $490 designer glasses from Gucci were meant to look upside-down

In the US, the red lining at the crotch of this pair of underwear raised a few eyebrows among shoppers

In the US, the design of this Bear Trapper pair of leggings very unfortunately folded to read 'Rape'

Muddy business! These jeans from the US cost $425 and are designed to look like they are already covered in mud

In the US, someone poked fun at this awkward brand of children clothes named 'Anxiety for kids'

Someone from the US cringed at the gender divide between a t-shirt for boys reading 'lock up your daughters' and a t-shirt intended for girls reading 'does this diaper make my butt look big'

Shoppers in the US were confused by these leggings that were meant to look like they were made of peanut shells

In Germany, a man mocked this T-shirt, which was poorly designed to read 'Giving up is simply an option' when it meant to read 'giving up is simply NOT an option'

In the US, these shoes looked like they were designed so that pebbles could fit in the holes on the sole
TV weather presenter Ruth Dodsworth has said she is 're-learning how to live' following her ex-husband's nine-year campaign of controlling behaviour, harassment and stalking against her during their marriage.

Ms Dodsworth, 45, a familiar face for viewers of ITV Wales, revealed she is now dating a new man and is relishing being able to wear what she wants and not hide her phone or say where she is all the time.

Her ex-husband of 18-years, former nightclub owner Jonathan Wignall, 54, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to coercive behaviour and stalking in April.

He was sentenced to a total of three years in custody, of which he will serve half before being released on licence. He was also issued with a restraining order against contacting Ms Dodsworth.

Speaking to Wales Online, Ms Dodsworth said: 'I am healing, I am having to re-learn living. Practical things like wearing what I want. That might sound so trivial to everyone else, but for so long I haven't been able to make those decisions.'

TV weather presenter Ruth Dodsworth (pictured) has said she is 're-learning how to live' following her ex-husband's nine-year campaign of controlling behaviour, harassment and stalking against her during their marriage

She added: 'Re-learning how to have a relationship with another man has just been the loveliest thing, but I have had to re-learn behaviours.

'I don't have to hide my phone. I don't have to say where I am every single minute of every day. These are the things I am having to re-learn, but I am doing it.'

After being overwhelmed with positive responses, the presenter admitted that she didn't really want the story out there at first but now says it 'was the best thing that ever happened' to her.

She said she was contacted by 'thousands' of men and women who had also been in abusive relationships.

'It is horrifying and it is humbling and it is the biggest thing I have been involved in. I just so want one person to hear this and think that if she can do it so can I,' she said.

Ms Dodsworth (pictured with her ex-husband), 45, a familiar face for viewers of ITV Wales, revealed she is now dating a new man and is relishing being able to wear what she wants and not hide her phone or say where she is all the time

Speaking of her children, who she said grew up watching what their father was doing to her, she said they were strong and were healing from the ordeal.

Ruth admitted she feared she'd go back to worrying when Wignall is released from prison, because her ex-husband blamed her for his jail sentence and had never taken responsibility for the abuse.

The presenter said she was taking life one day at a time and that she was now happy and so were her children.

In April, Cardiff Crown Court heard the couple met in 2001, a year after Ms Dodsworth started her weather job, and were married in 2002.

But Wignall's controlling behaviour began around 2010 when the couple moved from Swansea to Cowbridge and she became their main breadwinner when his nightclub business started to fail.

The court heard that far from rejoicing in his wife's TV success, he was an obsessive partner who would set an alarm to check Ruth's nightly forecasts on TV and call her dozens of times a day demanding to know where she was and who she was with.

The presenter's ex-husband of 18-years (pictured right), former nightclub owner Jonathan Wignall, 54, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to coercive behaviour and stalking in April. Pictured left, Ms Dodsworth presenting the weather

He would turn up to her outside broadcast locations or insist that she ate her lunch in the car with him, rather than at a studio canteen which had a 'devastating impact' on Ms Dodsworth and her confidence.

In a statement read out to the court Ms Dodsworth said she would have to portray a 'happy, sunshine-like' personality while on television even though she felt the opposite inside.

At home, he would demand access to her phone so he could check her messages and delete contacts he didn't like.

He would insist on watching her use the toilet and shower in case she was using her phone in the bathroom and accompany her to medical appointments. He even placed a tracking device under the steering wheel of her car.

After sentencing, Ms Dodsworth appeared on This Morning to encourage other domestic abuse sufferers to speak out.

She revealed how her controlling ex-husband would slap her across the face if she fell asleep before him as she admitted she 'wouldn't be alive today' had she not eventually asked for help.

Speaking to hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes, Ms Dodsworth said: 'At its worst, just under two years ago, when things escalated, I'd been in work and during that week he had been phoning me hundreds and hundreds of times a day, turning up at the office, texting me "where are you", asking who I was with.

Wignall (pictured with the presenter) was sentenced to a total of three years in custody, of which he will serve half before being released on licence. He was also issued with a restraining order against contacting Ms Dodsworth

'That particular day he started drinking early in the day and by the time my children got home from school they were phoning me saying "mum, don't come home, he's going to kill you" and I think, for me, that was a turning point.

'I didn't go home that night because I think if I had, I wouldn't be here now in any way, shape or form.

'It took confiding in someone else for them to say "Ruth, if you don't ring the police I will" - and that really changed everything.'

Ms Dodsworth explained: 'If I waited for him to go to sleep first, it was okay. But if I went to sleep first he would slap my face to wake me up because it was not on his terms.

'This is a man that I loved and is the father of my children. It is degrading, it was humiliating but it is so hard to get out. I would say to people, just get out. Speak to someone...

'You don't realise that isolation until you look back on it. His paranoia, his jealousy - I work in a very public job, I meet a lot of people and he couldn't handle that.

'Every male I met was a potential affair and that jealousy escalated to the point where he offered to pay my children money to go into my phone. I wouldn't be alive if I didn't ask for help.'
Following the launch of her eco-packaging and gift box business, Tiny Box Company, in 2007, Rachel Watkyn has encountered more than her fair share of major obstacles, from a warehouse fire to a maliciously hacked website to serious illness.

One of the most successful female entrepreneurs ever to appear on Dragons Den  and 2020s winner of the NatWest Everywoman of the Year Award  she embodies the quality of resilience so many small businesses needed in spades this year.

It was in 2008 that she made her pitch to the Dragons. Back then, the concept of eco-anything was a much harder sell than it is now and, remarkably, with the power of hindsight, only two of the four Dragons saw a future for recycled cardboard boxes.

Duncan Bannatyne accused me of being on a green crusade and it was generally felt that what I was doing would never be mainstream, she says.

Rachel Watkyn (pictured) who is one of the most successful female entrepreneurs ever to appear on Dragons Den, founded eco-packaging and gift box business Tiny Box Company, in 2007

But Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis took a leap of faith and gave me 60,000. They still have a share in the business. Today we employ 80 people and are on track to achieve 10 million in sales this year.

And yet, at first it seemed like Tiny Box Company was well and truly jinxed. In 2009, disaster struck with a fire at her warehouse in East Sussex and a loss of 10,000 worth of stock  a drop in the ocean nowadays but then a big, big hole.

Less than 12 months later, Rachel arrived at work one day to find chairs floating about the office and more stock ruined by freak flooding in the wake of a sudden thunderstorm. Once again, she rolled up her sleeves and started all over again.

She is used to self-reliance, in large part, she thinks, because it was forced upon her throughout a wretched childhood.

She spent her first few years in care in Suffolk but, at the age of three, was returned to a violent father and neglectful mother who, from then on, successfully fooled and evaded social services.

It might have seemed like we were a typical middle-class family but it was all a lie. My two elder sisters and I were sent to private schools but, at home, we never had clean clothes or food on the table.

At primary school, my nickname was Fleabag and I used to dread changing for PE in case anyone saw the bruises.

It took me a long time to realise my childhood wasnt normal. I do think it made me hugely independent. A lot of the time we were left completely to our own devices, running around this huge, freezing cold house in the countryside.

Rachel (pictured) revealed her inspiration came from using recycled cardboard for the boxes needed for her early e-commerce business

Rachel adds: That kind of childhood gives you a different perspective, in life and in business. It makes you unafraid of not conforming. Whenever someone said to me you cant do this, Ive always replied whos going to stop me?.

Its a bold, risk-taking attitude she thinks is vital for successful entrepreneurship  alongside having a fully-formed vision of the business right from the start.

One of my biggest tips for women who want to be entrepreneurs is to know what you want your business to look like in the long term. Are you doing it for a lifestyle that fits in with your family or do you want to be the next Jeff Bezos? Have an end goal in mind before you set out.

NOW SEIZE YOUR CHANCE TO ENTER OUR FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR AWARD Want to take your business to another level? The Daily Mail/ NatWest Everywoman Aphrodite Award gives your venture instant prestige  plus access to an elite group of the UKs top female entrepreneurs and mentors. To enter, you must be based, or have your chief operation, in the UK and have set up your business from scratch while raising a child, or children, aged 12 or under. Deadline for entries is July 5, 2021. For full entry details see: Everywomanforum.com/mpage/everywoman-awards Advertisement

Rachels determination to forge her own path was obvious early on. Joining a software firm straight out of college in the 1990s, at a time when few women were choosing a career in IT, she quickly rose from the help desk to a highly paid role in technical sales

The job took her to Sierra Leone at the height of civil war in 1997, where she spent weeks implementing a high-tech payroll system for the national government.

I dont think I appreciated how dangerous that was at the time. Millions of dollars were being pumped into Sierra Leone by international organisations but were being siphoned off by private individuals and disappearing. It was my job to go in and stop this fraud with technology.

Her systems worked  until a bomb blew up the treasury building two months later.

Back in the UK, Rachel wanted to help alleviate the poverty shed seen in Sierra Leone, and began a fairtrade business selling jewellery made by women there. A very early e-commerce business  Amazon was only just moving beyond books  it required sturdy packaging for posted orders.

She says: But all I could find were boxes made of Chinese plastic. It was an ethical business; I couldnt do that.

Her ideal solution was to use recycled cardboard, but no one was making boxes out of it. So in typically can-do fashion, she decided to make them herself.

When that part of the business rapidly overtook the jewellery, she knew she was on to something. That it might be something big was confirmed when a competitor hacked her website in 2010 and effectively took it off the internet.

Rachel (pictured) had health scares including early breast cancer in 2016 and a recent surgery to remove a tumour from her lung

We never found out who did it, but it must have been someone who cared enough about our success to invest time in it and want to stop it, she adds. We lost a lot of customers because, in effect, we fell off Google. But it was a very good lesson in security.

Meanwhile, Rachel was being stepmum to three children, now aged 35, 33 and 29, and then a hands-on (and young) grandmother, too. My best friend is my granddaughter Amelia, whos eight. Im all for being a grandma at this age, while youve still got the energy and can indulge them.

She forgave and reconciled with her own parents towards the end of their lives. Im very glad I had the time to rebuild relationships, and actually became very close to my father in the end.

Rachel has juggled her fair share of health scares, too, and is remarkably open about them all, with successful treatment for early breast cancer in 2016 and, more recently, surgery to remove a tumour from her lung, also caught in the nick of time.

I had a very bumpy start and Ive had rough patches, but Ive always had people who look after me and make it bearable.

Rachel (pictured) said business rapidly picked up, while supplying lots of medical and food companies

After all that, Covid seemed easy, she says. At first, business dropped off a cliff as people got their heads around it. But it picked up rapidly after about six weeks  were all about sending and delivering goods bought online, after all  and we supplied lots of medical and food companies.

At one point we sent 30,000 boxes to a Covid testing company. So things got very busy. It sounds ridiculous to say it, but its been a really good year.

And then came that NatWest Everywoman Award  last years top garland from the networking organisation that celebrates female businesswomen.

What it does is give terrific credibility, she says. Im on a drive to help other small businesses, with free advice and help for entrepreneurs who might be struggling, or who might just want a chat.

As far as inspiring, against-the-odds mentors go, youd be hard pressed to find a better one.

tinyboxcompany.co.uk
NICE ruled there was too little evidence to back use, but plans to review position

Researchers estimate up to 75,000 in UK could benefit if it goes ahead on NHS

A radical new treatment for severe high blood pressure could slash sufferers risk of heart attacks and strokes. The one-off therapy, which takes about an hour, involves blasting nerves in the kidneys with sound waves to stop them sending signals to the brain that drive up blood pressure.

More than a third of patients are able to stop taking blood pressure tablets altogether after the ultrasound treatment, while others are able to cut right back  reducing the risk of side effects ranging from diarrhoea and dizziness to headaches and fatigue.

Doctors say the treatment lowers blood pressure to levels at which the risk of a heart attack or stroke is cut by a fifth  and trials so far show a single session works for at least three years.

Researchers estimate that up to 75,000 people in the UK could potentially benefit from the treatment, known as renal denervation, if it gets the go-ahead on the NHS.

What's the difference... ...between Nexium and Gaviscon? Both of these over-the-counter medications treat heartburn  the burning feeling in the chest caused by stomach acid travelling up towards the throat. Gaviscon contains the alkaline compounds calcium carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate, which neutralise stomach acid; plus sodium alginate, which stops the content of the stomach seeping upwards. Nexium contains a drug called esomeprazole, which is a proton pump inhibitor. This reduces the amount of heartburn-causing acid that the stomach produces in the first place. Advertisement

Spending watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) previously ruled there was too little evidence to back its use. But it now plans to review that position after a wealth of new data on the therapy.

Its conceivable it could become a treatment option in the very near future, says Professor Mel Lobo, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and a blood pressure specialist at Barts Health NHS Trust, who has pioneered the use of the ultrasound therapy.

Blood pressure is a measure of the force exerted on the walls of the arteries by blood flow. The higher the pressure, the harder the heart is working to pump blood. Although blood pressure rises and falls over a day, if it remains high, it can put the heart under added strain.

The increased pressure also damages blood vessel walls, so they are prone to forming clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, affects one in five adults and is thought to be responsible for half of all heart attacks and strokes. It is estimated that the blood pressure of more than half of all patients on medication is poorly controlled.

The kidneys play a vital role in regulating blood pressure, releasing a hormone that interacts with other hormones in the body to cause blood vessels to contract. In healthy people, this raises blood pressure to normal levels, but if too much is released, blood pressure becomes permanently high.

Chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, affects one in five adults and is thought to be responsible for half of all heart attacks and strokes (file photo)

Weird science Bats: the original social distancers Bats have been practising social distancing long before human beings caught on, according to scientists. Researchers at Tel Aviv University injected Egyptian fruit bats with a bacteria-like protein that stimulated an immune response and then, using GPS technology, monitored how they interacted with their colony. They discovered that the injected bats kept their distance from the other bats for several days. Research student Maya Weinburg said this behaviour was believed to be an attempt to prevent the pathogen spreading to others. Advertisement

By deliberately damaging the nerves in the kidneys, the process can be switched off, helping return pressure to manageable levels.

The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic through a catheter inserted into a blood vessel in the groin. Doctors use X-rays to navigate through the body until the tip of the tube is close to nerves in the walls of blood vessels attached to the kidney.

A thin wire is then fed through the catheter and, at the press of a button, high-energy sound waves are generated to heat and destroy nerves in the firing line. Doctors usually need to blast at least half a dozen points to destroy as many nerve endings as possible. Patients are normally allowed home the same day.

New findings from Queen Mary University of London published last month showed the kidney-blasting treatment slashed readings in high-risk patients who failed to respond to drugs, despite taking at least three different pills every day.

Raenard Gonzalez, 49, from Surrey, was taking five different pills a day before he had the treatment in January 2020.

The airport worker, a father-of-four, was diagnosed with high blood pressure in his 20s. He says: I started out on just one tablet a day but the dosage increased over the years as my readings were creeping up. The drugs left me feeling completely exhausted all the time. I would snack constantly just to try to give my body a boost and to stay awake, which meant my weight started increasing as well.

After being put forward for the trial, he was not told if he had received the real or placebo treatment, but within days he felt better. Months later it was confirmed he had been given the real thing.

I noticed I suddenly had much more energy and wasnt nodding off all the time, says Raenard.

It took several months but my blood pressure is now healthy  it was very high before. And now instead of five drugs a day, I take one triple combination pill.

For more information on the Barts study, email whri-clinical-trials@qmul.ac.uk.
If only her beauty had landed someone to look after her

For the past ten years, every time I woke up, I was filled with dread. Id make a mental list of all the challenges. But, for the past few weeks, Ive scrabbled around for something to worry about, only to come up with nothing. I have a lovely, warm home. Im so overwhelmed with work Im turning down assignments. I have the prospect of a nice, normal boyfriend  he messaged the following earlier this week: I havent stopped thinking about you since our first date. You are a lot more than just looks. x. Im debt free. Im about to order a Miele washing machine from John Lewis. Restaurants are open. Gracie no longer wees indoors.

And then. I woke this morning to an email from Tom, my nephew in Sydney, with news about my sister Lyn. She has been rushed to hospital. Shes in pain. Surgery would kill her and, anyway, she has asked not to have extreme measures. The doctors are making her comfortable. We all know what that means. He writes: I know shes accepted the situation and understands whats going to happen, and shes all right with it. Considering the amount of health issues shes had to go through over the years, I dont blame her.

I wish Tom had known Lynnie when she was young. She was so beautiful, with a retrousse nose, long legs. Her first job after school was in the knitting department of Dickins & Jones. It was the Swinging 60s, and shed come home every evening clutching Rolling Stones and Beatles magazines. In the 70s, she became a hippie, learning to play guitar, pursued by an endless queue of, as my dad called them, long-haired layabouts.

As a teenager I visited her in her bedsit off Wimpole Street in London: she was by then working in intensive care at the National Heart Hospital. The surgeons fell in love with her, but she was a girls girl, making everyone on the ward laugh. But the job took its toll, and she took to going to the pub after each shift to cope with the nightly cracking open of chests, the long hours, the low pay. She craved a husband and children, so when a much younger Aussie backpacker asked her to marry him, she said yes then moved to Australia with him.

She spent her first pregnancy flat on her back so as not to lose her baby. When she did lose him  aged 21, he finally succumbed to leukaemia  she was never the same again. Not long after he died, she braved a trip to England. I set her up in my London flat for a bit. Back in Yorkshire, I got a call late at night from a number I didnt recognise. It was from a doctor. He had found my sister wandering the streets, unable to remember where she was staying. Luckily, she had my mobile number on her. Typical Lynnie. As a student, Id often visit, and wed venture into Central London, only for her to get to Oxford Street and say, Now, which way is Debenhams?

If only her beauty had landed someone to look after her. She thought she was so lucky, coming of age in the late 60s, but that merely meant she was discarded. Seeing Lynnies heartache meant I was too worried as a teenager to have anything to do with boys. I was determined to earn my own living, never rely on a man.

One afternoon sticks in my mind. I was still at school and had taken the train up from Essex to see her. She opened the door to her bedsit, and it was clear from her expression she had forgotten I was coming. It was mid-afternoon. Her bed was unmade, still warm from a visitor. She was part ashamed, part elated.

Ive been watching The Pursuit of Love. Lynnie was just like Lily Jamess Linda: optimistic, arms full of flowers, desperate for guests to leave before a man arrived at 6pm to sweep her off her feet, again.

Where are the men now, I wonder, in her hour of need?

Contact Liz at lizjonesgoddess.com and stalk her @lizjonesgoddess

Everyones talking about Liz Joness Diary: The Podcast! 

Join Liz and her trusty (long-suffering) assistant Nicola as they dissect her weekly YOU magazine diary and delve into the archives to relive the bust-ups, betrayals, bullets and much more in this brilliant podcast. Theyre outspoken, outrageous and utterly hilarious. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and mailplus.co.uk
Transparency makes for a fairer personal finance world. Sadly, many myopic financial companies resist it, even though it tends to work in their best long-term business interests.

A few years ago, I remember some financial protection insurance companies crying wolf over plans to get them to disclose details of their claims data.

Yet the information, now made available by most (annoyingly, not all) insurers, has helped remove some of the myths surrounding the industry's handling of claims: namely that more are rejected than accepted.

Accountability: Although we know that more than half of the money lost by customers to 'bank transfer' scams is not refunded, data on the reimbursement rates is not universally available

In publishing data showing that claim acceptance rates are often above 85 per cent, the industry has gone some way to restore consumer confidence in its products.

Yes, critical illness cover does actually pay out if someone has a stroke. Similarly, income protection insurance will pay a regular income if a policyholder suffers a serious long-term illness.

It is now time for transparency to be applied to the banks' handling of customers who have been victims of 'bank transfer' scams by fraudsters.

Although we know that more than half of the money lost by customers to such scams is not refunded, data on the reimbursement rates is not universally available.

Only Barclays and TSB play ball, primarily because their refund rates are way above the industry average. Others, shamefully, hide under a convenient cloak of anonymity.

Given this inconsistent approach to victims of fraud, it's high time the banks were required by the Payment Systems Regulator to publish refund rates on a regular basis.

Customers could then get an idea as to whether their bank is playing hard ball or fair.

The fact that the industry's flag waver, UK Finance, vehemently opposes such a move is all the more reason why transparency should be forced on the banks. As our mailbag indicates, too many scam victims are being unfairly treated.

Of course, transparency wouldn't end this, but it would make some banks think twice before routinely rejecting a fraud victim's plea for help.

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It is blindingly obvious that shared bank branches could help arrest the decline of the high street.

As Toby Walne reports, such a branch (a bank hub) is transforming the fortunes of Cambuslang just outside Glasgow by giving residents and local businesses access to banking services.

And if it works in Cambuslang, there's no reason why such hubs could not revitalise other communities that have been made bankless.

The bank hub's time has come. The banks, regulators and those inside Government know it. They should, therefore, move heaven and earth for hubs to become a common feature of the high street up and down the land.

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Tomorrow is the start of Carers Week, an annual campaign highlighting the challenges many of the countrys 6.5million unpaid carers face looking after family or friends.

Supported by many splendid charities, including Age UK and the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Carers Weeks aim is also to recognise the wonderful work that unpaid carers do. Work overwhelmingly driven by love.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

Oversold: One of the cheap booklets that list only self-evident tips on safety

Ms D.P. writes: I received a phone call, asking me to donate to the Children's Information Centre, to pay for anti-bullying booklets.

At the time, my son was being bullied and I agreed to donate, with booklets sent to my chosen school. A few months later, I was called again, telling me I had not yet paid. This was during a Covid lockdown and I was not in a good place, so I paid again.

Recently, I was called and told my third payment was now due. I insisted I had only agreed to pay once, but I was told the printing had already been done, and stupidly I paid. Now I have found that the school has not received any booklets at all.

Tony Hetherington replies: This is a scam based on false impressions and false claims. It behaves like a charity, but in fact it is a commercial enterprise designed to make profits.

Its proper name is Kids Information Centre Ltd and, although it uses an address in London, its base is Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester.

I sounded the alarm over this ripoff in August last year, and it dropped out of sight. It seems to have emerged again a couple of months ago.

It claims: 'With thousands of free classroom activity ideas, downloadable resources, and display photos, our library is a brilliant resource for lesson planning inspiration.'

And, impressively, it advertises that it has partnered with World Book Day and the Royal Geographical Society.

Less impressively, these are false claims, misusing the names and reputations of genuine organisations. A spokesman for World Book Day told me: 'World Book Day has absolutely no connection with Kids Information Centre Ltd.'

The Royal Geographical Society has no connection either, let alone a partnership deal.

In fact, the only activity I have seen from Kids Information Centre Ltd is the production of cheap booklets giving basic advice about bullying, fire safety, road safety, and keeping out of trouble online.

I say cheap, but you were invoiced for 169. I understand this was so 100 copies of the booklet could be sent to the school you nominated.

The calls you received afterwards, claiming you had not paid, and that you had placed a repeat order, are standard practice for tricksters.

Company records show that the man behind Kids Information Centre is 26-year-old Paul Chalmers. I asked him for a copy of whatever contract he believed entitled him to three payments from you.

I also requested details of the schools that should have benefited. And I invited him to explain why he was using the names and logos of genuine organisations such as World Book Day. Chalmers offered no answers, no explanations and no comments.

Report this to the police. Show them this report and tell them I will happily co-operate in any investigation.

Bullying people into paying for booklets about bullying, and then failing even to come up with the goods is unacceptable.

WE'RE WATCHING YOU: Fraudster I warned about in 2013 gets 13 years in jail

The ringleader behind a 30million investment fraud has been jailed for 13 years following a 16-week trial.

Paul Seakens, 60, from Enfield in North London, was at the centre of a network of scam companies that sold carbon credits as investments.

Police say 73 fraudulent brokers used Seakens to launder money from victims. They sold carbon credit certificates that were said to be in demand by industries to allow them to release carbon into the atmosphere.

But the certificates were not those used by industries and there was no market to allow investors to turn their pieces of paper back into cash.

Locked up: Paul Seakens led a 30million investment scam

The crooks bought the certificates for pennies and sold them with mark-ups of as much as 1,000 per cent, making it impossible for their victims to profit, even if there had been a two-way market.

As well as controlling Carbon Neutral Investments Ltd  the company at the heart of the scam  Seakens and Luke Ryan, 33, from Eastleigh in Hampshire joined forces to operate Enviro Associates Ltd.

This sales operation, based in Winchester, raked in about 2million. Ryan, who was already banned from working in any authorised investment firm after earlier scams, was sentenced to six years.

At Southwark Crown Court in Central London, Her Honour Judge Cahill QC told Seakens, a former stockbroker: 'Not a single word that comes from you can be trusted.'

And she asked Ryan: 'How did your conscience ever let you take thousands of pounds from innocent and trusting members of the public?'

The convictions and sentences follow an investigation lasting eight years, carried out by the City of London Police and officers in Hampshire.

Judge Cahill commended the police, including Detective Constable Kip Malek, who was at the court throughout the trial, which began in January.

The judge also commended me for carrying out The Mail on Sunday investigation published in March 2013, warning against Seakens and his scam. Evidence uncovered then, including the 2013 article, was given as prosecution evidence at the trial.

Seakens' firm, Carbon Neutral Investments, was authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Its licence was cancelled in March 2017, four years after The Mail on Sunday's warning.

However, Seakens, though he is now in jail, still appears on the FCA's public register of financial advisers with a note saying simply that he no longer works in a job that needs FCA approval, and that he has faced no disciplinary action.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Investing in shares listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) provides a chance to participate in the success of some of the country's  indeed, the world's  fastest growing companies: the likes of drinks mixer producer FeverTree and online fashion retailers Asos and Boohoo. But it's not without risk.

For every success story such as Fever-Tree  its share price is up by 265 per cent over the past five years  there is a failure like high street cafe chain Patisserie Valerie, which collapsed into administration in 2019, leaving investors holding worthless shares.

It explains why many prefer to invest in such businesses through a smaller companies investment fund that has exposure to a broad portfolio of firms, some of which are listed on AIM.

The top performing UK smaller companies fund over the past year  Premier Miton UK Smaller Companies  has 65 per cent of its portfolio invested in companies that form the FTSE AIM All-Share Index. It has delivered a rousing return of nearly 95 per cent.

As its name indicates, Stonehage Fleming AIM is a smaller companies fund primarily focused on AIM-listed stocks.

Although it hasn't matched Premier Miton's returns, it has still recorded a one-year return of 60 per cent.

By comparison, the index has risen by 38 per cent. The 135million fund is jointly managed by Nick Burchett and Paul Mumford, who constantly scour AIM for investment opportunities, analysing daily regulatory news service (RNS) announcements on companies they are either interested in or already invested in.

They also devour any brokers' comments on companies that they are keeping an eye on.

'It's such an exciting market to be invested in,' says Mumford. 'It's about looking under the bonnet of companies and speaking to brokers and the management of companies you're invested in.'

He adds: 'Unlike FTSE100 companies where access to senior people is nigh on impossible, we can pick up the phone and usually speak straightaway to any of the directors who run the businesses we have a stake in.

'Sometimes, we even help companies become better businesses by giving them some advice.'

The managers are also keen advocates of 'capital market days' where companies make presentations about their businesses and investors can ask questions.

These are now often conducted via Zoom although before the pandemic struck, they would often involve a visit to a factory.

'Nick likes to kick tyres,' says Mumford. 'Just by visiting a company site and seeing how the management and workforce interact, you can get a good feel for how a business is run.'

The Stonehage Fleming AIM fund is invested across 70 companies  a strategy designed to minimise any losses if a particular holding turns sour (it was an investor in Patisserie Valerie).

Certain sectors of the market tend to be avoided for risk reasons, such as mining, financials, biotech and hotels. The managers are also not keen on companies that join AIM from overseas. 'A lot can go wrong,' says Mumford.

Recent additions to the portfolio include robotics company Blue Prism and property business Hargreaves Services.

The biggest holding is healthcare company Totally, which accounts for 3.7 per cent of the fund. 'It's rare for a holding to account for more than five per cent of the portfolio,' says Mumford, 'but we do like to run with our winners.'

The fund's ongoing annual charge is 0.68 per cent and the stock market identification number is B0JX3Z5. Stonehage Fleming is a wealth manager that looks after the financial interests of wealthy families.
House prices have increased by nearly 11 per cent in the past year  fuelled primarily by the stamp duty holiday, ultra-low borrowing costs, and savings built up by households during the pandemic.

Although most homeowners have properties worth more than ever, investors have also participated in this housing boom.

For example, over the past year, shares in Barratt Developments and Persimmon  both constituents of the FTSE100 Index  have risen by 52 and 35 per cent respectively.

Through the roof: Over the past year, shares in Barratt Developments and Persimmon have risen by 52 and 35 per cent respectively

And while some investment experts warn of a possible housing market correction hitting profits housebuilders make from new builds, most believe the outlook is positive.

Demand for new homes, they say, will continue to be fuelled by an acute shortage of residential property  and also by the desire of many people to take advantage of changing working practices brought about by the pandemic and move to more suburban or rural locations.

Richard Hunter, head of markets at wealth manager Interactive Investor, says many housebuilders were well placed as they went into the pandemic last year.

On the back of a strong housing market, their financial position has strengthened, resulting in the likes of Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey continuing to pay punchy dividends.

Susannah Streeter, senior investments and market analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, is a fan of Taylor Wimpey.

She says: 'It has been on a spending spree, buying land in prime locations to keep up with demand. While some of its peers tightened their budgets in response to the pandemic, it seized the moment and snapped up some cheaper housing plots.

'If it maintains its build momentum and brisk house sales continue, the group could come one step closer to its goal of delivering profit margins on sales of more than 21 per cent.'

But it isn't just house builders that investors should look at to take advantage of the buoyant housing market. Companies that supply the materials used in new builds are also worth close scrutiny.

They include brick manufacturer Ibstock, which has recently revived plans to spend 60million on revamping two factories in the West Midlands in response to rising demand for bricks  and also door and window manufacturer Tyman.

Another beneficiary of the housing boom has been flooring supplier Headlam, the UK's largest distributor of carpets, vinyl and wood coverings.

It saw a good recovery in sales in the second half of last year and has forecast a busier period ahead as the economy reopens.

DIY retailer Wickes has benefited from a surge in people embarking on home improvements.

While the appetite for DIY may wane a little as furloughed workers return to work, analysts believe sales should remain brisk  although Wickes warns that supply shortages are pushing up prices across its product range.

Investing in property via an equity fund

Jason Hollands of wealth manager Tilney lives in Kent and says it's 'incredible' to see so much major housebuilding activity underway.

He is not surprised that a number of UK investment funds have 'filled their boots' with shares in housebuilders, suppliers of building materials and companies involved in home furnishings and DIY.

He says: 'One of the investment funds most exposed to housebuilders is Man GLG Income.

It has nearly 11 per cent of its assets in stocks such as Bellway, Barratt Developments, Redrow and Taylor Wimpey.'

Country life: Housebuilders have benefitted from an increased desire to move out of cities during the pandemic, as people have embraced new ways of working

Another attractive property-oriented fund, says Hollands, is Ninety One UK Special Situations.

Its has big positions in a number of builders merchants and suppliers including Grafton Group (5.2 per cent) and Travis Perkins (3.9 per cent). It also has stakes in Wickes, Redrow, Barratt Developments and Taylor Wimpey.

Meanwhile, fund Jupiter Income has a 5.1 per cent holding in B&Q owner Kingfisher.

Axa Framlington UK Mid Cap has exposure across housebuilders and suppliers, including Grafton Group, Bellway, furniture business Dunelm Group, construction materials company Breedon and home improvement and landscaping firm Marshalls.

Hollands adds: 'A buoyant residential property market is also welcome news for estate agents and property portals  the likes of Rightmove.' Investment fund Baillie Gifford UK Alpha has more than seven per cent of its assets in the FTSE100 listed company.

Moira O'Neill, head of personal finance at Interactive Investor, says: 'For those seeking to obtain exposure to residential property, investment trust TR Property could provide a good solution.

'It is the only investment trust which invests mainly in the shares of property companies rather than physical property. Almost 30 per cent of the trust is invested in residential property and its shares provide a dividend income equivalent to around 3.3 per cent.'

Ben Yearsley, a director of financial adviser Shore Financial Planning, likes Man GLG Undervalued Assets  a fund that has stakes in Redrow, Bellway, Irish housebuilder Glenveagh, Barratt, Tyman and Breedon.

He is also a fan of Fidelity Special Situations and investment trust Fidelity Special Values, which have 11.6 per cent and 13.7 per cent exposure respectively to housing related companies.

And what about commercial property?

The commercial property sector  offices, shops and industrial units  is going through a major state of flux. It means investors need to tread carefully if they want to make money.

Hargreaves Lansdown's Streeter says: 'Despite the reopening of the high street, the shift to digital sales shows little sign of reversing and it is likely to tick up as new-found buying habits become hard to break.

'That's likely to continue to benefit property companies servicing the e-commerce revolution such as investment trust Tritax Big Box. It owns and leases out giant warehouses to a range of tenants that include Ocado, Next and Amazon.'

Keith Bowman of Interactive Investor agrees. He says real estate investment trusts such as Tritax Big Box and Segro have benefited from the sustained consumer desire to shop online.

He says: 'Segro, the largest UK real estate investment trust by market value, has tenants that include Sainsbury's, Amazon and Tesco-owned Booker.

'It has suffered little adverse impact on rental collection during the pandemic. Segro's shares are up by more than 50 per cent since the pandemic-induced market low back in March last year while shares in Tritax Big Box have almost doubled over the same period.'

Bowman says the Covid crisis has been much tougher for the likes of office and shop owner Land Securities. 'Pandemic lockdowns closed most of its retail and leisure properties impacting its 2020 rent collections,' he says.

But Bowman says the easing of Covid restrictions and a return to the trust paying dividends has brightened prospects, helping its share price rise by around a quarter since March last year. He considers the trust's shares a buy.

Another trust favoured by Interactive Investor is BMO Commercial Property. It offers shareholders a monthly income equivalent to around 3.5 per cent a year.
After Rajendars meeting with BJP Central leadership in Delhi and his announcement of quitting the TRS and the MLA post, TRS leaders are on the go to prevent any damage to the ruling party. (Photo: Twitter @EATALAOffice)

KARIMNAGAR: The ouster of Etala Rajendar, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLA from Huzurabad, from the state Cabinet and the subsequent controversies have kicked up a storm in the political arena of Karimnagar district. Several ministers and senior leaders of the TRS are all hammer and tongs against the former health minister in their attempt to retain the seat in the wake of a possible byelection.

After Rajendars meeting with BJP Central leadership in Delhi and his announcement of quitting the TRS and the MLA post, TRS leaders are on the go to prevent any damage to the ruling party.

According to reliable sources, a meeting was held in the house of backward class welfare minister Gangula Kamalakar with minister Koppula Eswhar, Rajya Sabha member Captain Laxmikantha Rao, MLAs Peddi Sudharshan Reddy, V Satish Babu, Aroori Ramesh, Challa Dharma Reddy along with MLCs Palla Rajeswar Rao and Baswaraju Saraiah to discuss about the appointment of in-charges to the Huzurabad constituency.

Along with Gangula Kamalakar, finance minister T Harish Rao conducted several meetings with second-rung leaders of the TRS in Huzurabad constituency to prevent the TRS cadre going along with Rajendar, sources said.

The ministers started operation Huzurabad to corner Rajendar from all sides. They are taking several steps not to leave any opportunity to Rajendar and also to prove the partys supremacy in the upcoming byelections in Huzurabad.

The party supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is also likely to visit Karimnagar to inspect the arrangements made in the government hospital for Covid patients. He is likely to hold a review meeting with the concerned health officials and inquire about the medical treatment provided to the Corona patients in the district.

Tour of Chandrashekar Rao to Karimnagar district during the time when former minister Etala Rajendar is planning to quit the party created heated discussions in the political circles in the district.

Political analysts said Chandrashekar Rao was keen on the Rajendar issue and considered the Huzurabad byelections prestigious. His plan to visit the district might be a part of his strategy to ensure win in the bypoll, they said. After holding a meeting with TRS leaders in the district, he may give them proper directions to retain the Huzurabad seat, they opined.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that several leaders from not only Huzurabad constituency but also from the erstwhile Karimnagar who are in support of Etala Rajendar decided to leave the party after the submission of resignation by Rajendar to his MLA post.

Supporters of Rajendar held a meeting in Yellanthakunta mandal of Huzurabad constituency on Sunday and challenged the TRS leaders to come to the public arena with Chandrashekar Raos photo and they would come with Rajendars photo and let the people decide with whom they were standing.

Many public representatives, sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs, councillors and MPPs of Huzurabad constituency won with Rajendars image but not with Chandrashekar Raos. They must remember that ministers and TRS leaders who were trying to lure them now would not stand for them after the byelections, they pointed out.
The pandemic has created a growing demand for organ donations, but you can save money for the National Health Service as well as lives by agreeing to be a donor.

And by joining the millions of people who have downloaded the NHS phone app, you can register your intention to donate in seconds.

More than 5,000 people are awaiting a potentially life-saving donation.

Life-saver: But donating organs such as your liver, heart, lungs or pancreas can also help to put money back into other NHS services, as it means patients no longer need expensive treatment

Last year, coronavirus put almost all operations on hold, and the need for donors is now getting near desperate.

According to the NHS, more than 100million a year is spent on kidney dialysis alone  money that could be saved if 3,600 patients were able to receive transplants.

Many millions more could be saved if an increasing number of people donate other organs such as liver, heart, lungs or pancreas when they die.

Rules in England mean that every adult now agrees to be an organ donor  unless they have specifically said otherwise.

This is a result of a so-called 'opt out' system introduced last year which did away with the need to carry a donor card.

Similar rules were applied in Scotland in March this year and are already in place in Wales. Northern Ireland still uses donor cards.

Sabrina Kumari, a spokeswoman for NHS Organ Donation, says: 'Your support can save the NHS millions of pounds  and has the potential to save or change the lives of half a dozen people.

'But it is important to be aware nothing is taken if your loved ones decide against it. This is why it is vital you share your wishes as a donor while you can.'

There are now more than five million registered users of the NHS phone app  and you can pledge support to donate organs on its 'your health' link.

Those who feel squeamish about certain parts of their anatomy being used  such as eyes  can put this down on a checklist. Information on organ usage can be found at organdonation.nhs.uk.

There is also an option to be a living donor where you might donate one of your kidneys or part of your liver. About a third of all kidney transplants come from living donors.

The gift of life: Blood is worth 35 a pint in the US, while Britons donate for free. A single pint could save 3 lives

You will not be paid for providing this wonderful gift of life. But thanks to a 'sharing pool', if one of your family requires a kidney and your blood group means you are not a good match you can still donate to someone else in need  in exchange for a matching kidney from the pool.

It is not just organs that are required by the NHS  blood is too. In England, more than a million pints a year are needed.

It is hard to quantify the value of this blood, but American hospitals can pay $50 (35) for every pint that is given. In Britain we donate blood for free.

All blood is welcome, but some groups are in particular demand. AB negative is the most rare blood type  just 1 per cent of donors have it. There is also a variant of rhesus positive blood  whether you are blood group O, A, B or AB  known as Ro in demand.

Just 2 per cent of all donors have this blood, but it is required for a large number of people suffering from sickle cell disease who need a transfusion.

The most common blood group in Britain is O  about a third of us are O positive  but that does not mean it is also not highly prized. Blood has a typical shelf life of 35 days, so it is always needed.

Rob Knowles, from NHS Blood and Transplant, says: 'We calculate you can help save as many as three lives by giving blood. It is an altruistic gesture that is absolutely priceless for others. We pay you in tea and biscuits.'

There are 23 blood donor centres across England alone and 50 mobile collection teams. Due to lockdown they have not been operating as usual  but if you visit the website link nhsbt.nhs.uk it is possible to find details of local centres you can visit.

Donors typically give about one pint of blood each visit  nearly an armful. Most human bodies carry about ten pints of blood and can regenerate the amount taken in about two days.
Google has been dragged into the row over dangerous online content after campaigners met the Culture Secretary to lobby for a crackdown on its search results.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that antisemitism campaigners have told Oliver Dowden that Google should be included in tough new rules banning 'legal but harmful' content on major websites.

The Antisemitism Policy Trust (APT) is understood to have warned Dowden that Google users can find thousands of antisemitic images in searches, even when they turn on its SafeSearch setting which is meant to filter out explicit content.

Warning: Antisemitism campaigners have told Oliver Dowden that Google should be included in tough new rules banning 'legal but harmful' content on major websites

It said that users see pictures of a barbecue if they search 'Jewish baby stroller' on Google images while 'Jewish bunk beds' returns an image of an oven with text reading 'Jewish bunk bed for sale'.

The Online Safety Bill, which is in draft legislation stage, will force Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies to remove 'legal but harmful' images such as these.

Covid disinformation and material about eating disorders will by law also have to be removed, or the tech giants face billion-pound fines.

However, in its current form, the Bill forces Google to take down only illegal images, such as those picturing child abuse.

This is because Google's search function provides links to other web pages, as opposed to allowing users to post material to its site.

Campaigners argue that while Google cannot control content on external sites, it could change its algorithms to block harmful images and websites appearing in searches.

Sources have said Ministers appear willing to consider changes to the Online Safety Bill. One told The Mail on Sunday: 'There are some gaps to plug here, but it's heading in the right direction.'

A spokesman for Google said: 'We strive to provide open access to information while also not exposing people to potentially shocking or offensive content if they have not explicitly searched for it.

'While SafeSearch can be used to block explicit content from search results, it is not designed to block offensive or hateful results.'

Danny Stone, of the APT, said: 'Google's systems have previously directed users to hateful search results about Jews, and as our report shows they still fail to adequately protect people.'

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport said: 'Our law will force Google to protect children using its search engine and stop illegal content such as antisemitic hate crime or child abuse showing up in its search results.'
Royal Mail is planning to offer timed delivery slots for the first time next year as it attempts to win customers from rivals such as Amazon, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The 500-year-old postal firm is planning a three-tier system allowing customers to pay more to send and receive letters and parcels on specific days and times.

In a video message to its 140,000 staff, seen by The Mail on Sunday, chief commercial officer Nick Landon said the company is stripping back its current range of services and is in the early stages of developing new options for customers.

Shake-up: Royal Mail is poised to give customers a range of delivery options

He said: 'Longer term, we're looking at what customers actually need and how we can reflect that in our products. And we want a three-tier product portfolio because three is a magic number. People always like to choose from three.'

Describing the three tiers as 'good', 'better' and 'best', Landon said: 'We're looking at a 'good' product, the base product, and this will be built around [the idea of]: 'I'll leave it to Royal Mail to choose how it comes to me'.'

He said the benefit of this option was that Royal Mail could move a parcel 'as efficiently as we want through our network', reducing its own costs and the price charge to customers.

The middle tier  or 'better'  product would be more expensive and is likely to be called 'My Choice'.

Landon said: 'Customers will be able to select the day they want it delivered and they will have a choice of product features they can add on.'

He said the options would include the customer being able to choose the day of delivery and the selection of a safe place to hide the parcel if no one is home.

Finally, Landon said customers who select the 'best' product will in addition be able to choose a time slot for the delivery as well as the day.

The top tier service would help to slash the number of 'Something for you' red slips posted through front doors. These create extra administration and additional costs for delivery offices.

Royal Mail sources said the services were unlikely to be introduced until next year.

The shake-up comes as new chief executive Simon Thompson, who took over in January, attempts to modernise the former state monopoly which had been battling a long-term decline in letter volumes and increasing competition.

The pandemic has revived the fortunes of Royal Mail. Former chief Rico Back was ousted last year and the boom in ecommerce sparked a spike in profits.

Its stock has rallied strongly, bringing the firm back into the FTSE100 after a two-year hiatus and making a paper profit of more than 500million for its main shareholder, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.

Thompson has been trying to fight back against rivals including FedEx, DHL and, notably, Amazon which is increasingly handling its own logistics.

Amazon currently offers rapid delivery options including four-hour delivery windows for large items, up to 14 days in advance.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last month that Amazon is more trusted than Royal Mail to deliver parcels safely to homes  a fact which Landon dubbed 'very worrying'.

Amazon's innovation in rapid delivery has helped its meteoric growth in the UK.

Natalie Berg, a retail analyst and co-author of a book on Amazon, said: 'Shopper expectations around delivery have changed drastically over the last decade and a lot of that is driven by Amazon.

'Shoppers expect it to be fast, reliable and free and Amazon has been phenomenal at that.

'Free delivery is not free so we know that's not sustainable. It's hard to put the genie back in the bottle, of course, but a tier system which offers greener, slower options makes sense.'

Landon said the company has conducted a review across its Royal Mail, Parcelforce and international divisions of 'products that overlap' to simplify them down to 'one product for each customer need across our different brands'.

He added: 'We're looking at [whether there are] some products where we've got different variants which probably had a very good reason for being launched at the time, but we can now simplify that product set down.'

The company's Parcel Collect service currently allows customers to pay for postage online, print the address labels and to send up five items, which are collected from their home by a postal worker.

Now Royal Mail is looking at providing an estimated collection time window and removing the restrictions on the number of parcels that can be sent. It is also exploring options for label-free parcels for customers without printers.

Chief executive Thompson said: 'We're exploring other changes to make it even easier for customers, such as whether we could remove the need for packaging at all.'
BT is pouring hundreds of millions of pounds into winning business from the army of start-ups that have launched during the pandemic.

The telecoms giant will offer marketing services to lure the smallest new firms to sign up to its phone and internet packages.

BT has identified a 1.5 billion market in offering telecoms for micro-businesses after 800,000 new companies were set up in Britain in the past year.

It expects to spend a 'large chunk' of the 500 million set aside for its business-to-business enterprise arm on a new division called SoHo, which will target the smallest 'single office, home office' businesses.

Investment: The telecoms giant will offer marketing services to lure the smallest new firms to sign up to its phone and internet packages

Chris Sims, managing director of the SoHo unit, revealed that it will offer a service that allows small firms to advertise easily on websites and social media, with BT acting as the middleman.

He said the service would launch 'within a matter of weeks' after a successful pilot which has seen retailers, plumbers and electricians advertising through the online tools.

Sims said the 'simple' service would free up entrepreneurs to spend time in other areas: 'Small businesses are time poor. You've got to make the benefit and the return on investment really clear. What we want to do is to help drive sales for these businesses.'

Sims added: 'The labour market is going to change as well, with more people choosing to work flexibly and contractors setting up their own organisations to do that.

'So we see significant growth in that market, not least over the next 10 years, as older millennials come through who really work in fundamentally different ways to the more established workforce.'

The SoHo unit will launch with an 'unbreakable' Wi-Fi package where internet coverage automatically switches to a 4G back-up if a firm's broadband goes down.

It will offer digital phone lines which divert desk phones to mobiles and transcribe voicemails. The UK's analogue phone network will be switched off in 2025.

The unit also plans to offer cyber security support and digital training to its customers.

More than 95 per cent of the UK's private sector companies, around 5.7 million firms, have up to nine employees.

BT said lack of experience, time and budget are holding 2.4 million small businesses back from running their own paid digital media campaigns, fuelling its decision to offering marketing services.

A BT study showed that while 64 per cent of small businesses think digital marketing is 'vital to their survival and growth', almost 60 per cent need more support with digital marketing skills.
The number of workers returning to offices was 15 per cent higher in May than in April, new data shows.

IWG, which runs more than 300 offices in the UK, said Manchester saw the biggest rise with office use up 30 per cent.

The second stage of England's emergence from lockdown began on April 12, when non-essential retail and businesses such as salons reopened.

Back to work: The second stage of England's emergence from lockdown began on April 12, when non-essential retail and businesses such as salons reopened

Some City firms, including investment banks, began bringing staff back to the office after Easter.

The data, based on wi-fi logins per office, found that workplace visits had risen by 58 per cent since the start of January.

The findings come as companies and employees await the end of guidance to work from home, which could come into effect on June 21.

An announcement on this is expected on June 14.

Some investment banks, such as JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, have already told more staff to return from June 21, despite new variants causing uncertainty over the Government's end of lockdown roadmap.
Crispin Odey's hedge fund firm has bucked the green investing trend by backing a Norwegian oil company  and betting against a renewable energy stock.

One of the City Brexiteer's top fund managers, James Hanbury, has put investors' money into 7.9billion firm Aker BP.

According to documents seen by The Mail on Sunday, Hanbury bought the stock because of its low price, high quality management team and potential for cost-cutting.

Something to shout about: Crispin Odey's hedge fund firm is backing a Norwegian oil company  and betting against a renewable energy stock

Meanwhile, Hanbury has bet that the share price of Ballard Power will fall. Ballard is a Canadian firm that develops fuel cells for electric cars and machinery.

A source said he was 'short-selling' the stock because the price of some so-called clean energy companies had been overrated.

Hanbury runs Brook Absolute Return and Brook Developed Markets funds, which are part of Odey Asset Management. His other 'short' bets include Hello Fresh, a meal kit delivery company.

Hanbury is also betting against an American education technology company Chegg, Elon Musk's electric car company Tesla, and US exercise bike maker Peloton.

Both the Absolute Return and Developed Markets funds are up by more than 15 per cent this year.

The Odey name was dropped from both funds after billionaire founder Crispin Odey stepped down as chief executive, saying he wanted to focus on managing funds.

The firm renamed some products with the new 'Brook' brand, including Hanbury's funds.

Odey, 62, was cleared this March of assaulting a female junior banker in 1998 near his home in Chelsea, South-West London.

Hanbury has also invested in National Grid. The firm that runs the electricity transmission network and is headquartered in Warwick, has a 5.5 per cent dividend yield.

According to the documents, the growth in renewable power and electric vehicles will require more investment in the grid.

The manager is also backing companies in the UK construction sector, including Travis Perkins, Wickes Group and Breedon.
A young Pastor Kevin 'Mad Dog' Mudford, an evangelist who was among the first to learn of the allegations that Frank Houston had abused a seven-year-old boy

A Christian evangelist who was one of the first people to learn the father of the founder of the Hillsong Church sexually abused a seven-year-old boy has broken his two decades-long silence.

Pastor Kevin 'Mad Dog' Mudford, a heavily tattooed Kiwi ex-con who found God and turned his life around, learned in 1999 that Brett Sengstock was claiming he had been sexually abused by Frank Houston.

Houston, the father of Hillsong chief Brian Houston, repeatedly crept into Mr Sengstock's room at night and touched him inappropriately while staying at his home during in January 1970.

Almost three decades later, in 1999, Mr Sengstock's mother disclosed the incidents to Pastor Mudford at an Assemblies of God church in Plumpton, in Sydney's west.

The victim told the child abuse royal commission a troubling incident followed. Mr Sengstock said Pastor Mudford then came to his home, his mother calling ahead saying words to the effect of: 'He's coming around there. He's very aggressive, he's very angry at you.'

Pastor Mudford allegedly began 'pounding' on the front door. When Mr Sengstock opened it, he began to 'shout ... in a very aggressive manner', and claimed the victim had 'made up' the allegations.

In the only time he has spoken publicly about the darkest chapter in the family history of Hillsong's founders, Pastor Mudford disputed that account of his behaviour during an interview with Daily Mail Australia about his life.

Frank Houston sexually abused Brett Sengstock in January 1970, creeping into the little boy's room late at night and assaulting him. Houston is pictured above with wife Hazel

Brett Sengstock - pictured as a boy - was assaulted by Frank Houston as a boy, the royal commission was told. He waived his anonymity three years ago

Pastor Mudford - who travels Australia walking down highways hauling a large wooden cross over his shoulder - denied being aggressive.

'Oh, not aggressive, no,' he said. 'But I don't really want to talk all about that .... I don't want to get caught up in gossip and stuff like that, it doesn't help anybody.'

Pastor Mudford described the Frank Houston incident as a 'let down' but said 'everybody' had moved on.

'Anybody that falls by the wayside, my job, if I can, is to pick them up. That's the business that we're in, you know, in the Lord.

'We meet people all across the board that are broken and busted and down and so if we can pick them up we can.

'All that stuff out there, that is none of my business really, but I just happened to have been around at the time.

'He's gone, dead, and everybody's moved on from that.'

A separate investigative commission in New Zealand last year reportedly received fresh evidence of alleged abuse by Frank Houston while he was the leading light of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God organisation.

Pastor Mudford wasn't called as a witness to the royal commission Mr Sengstock gave his account to 2014.

Another Pastor, Barbara Taylor, told the commission that Mr Mudford was 'very angry' and that he and Mr Sengstock had a shouting match.

She claimed to the commission that Mr Mudford said that 'Frank needs to be dealt with and confess'.

Mr Sengstock accepted that Mr Mudford's anger could have been directed towards what was done to him by Frank Houston, the commission heard.

How Kiwi jailbird became man of God who carries a crucifix around Australia: The tale of Kevin Mudford Pastor Mudford now walks Australia wheeling a large wooden crucifix on his back to promote the message of Christ Pastor Kevin 'Mad Dog' Mudford spent his youth in New Zealand in and out of jail for assaults and burglaries - because he escaped on two occasions. Pastor Mudford But after stints in prison and mental health wards, Pastor Mudford, from a broken home, turned to Christianity in his 20s. He met up with his brother and found he was 'on fire for the Lord', and hasn't looked back. 'I was young enough to make some changes,' the heavily-tattooed Mr Mudford said in an interview with Daily Mail Australia. He gave up cigarettes, marijuana, pills and booze. 'I put a cork in the bottle.' Finding his faith saw 'doors open' and his 'old life drop off'. He has dedicated much of his life to spreading the message of his faith, moving to Australia more than 30 years ago. Mr Mudford now travels the country spreading the word of his religion, missionary-style. Inspired by an American evangelist, he walks down bush highways cradling a large wooden cross on his shoulder, and speaks to everyone he meets. Mr Mudford often walks the Stuart Highway out of Darwin. 'Up that highway you've got people looking for answers,' he said. The idea of the project is to 'prick their conscience and give them an answer'. Advertisement

In 1977, Houston moved to Australia and founded the Sydney Christian Life Centre. In 1983, his son, the popular pastor Brian Houston, founded the Hills Christian Life Centre in the city's north-west.

After Mr Sengstock's mother told Pastor Mudford of what happened, the victim met with Frank Houston in 2000 at a McDonald's restaurant at Thornleigh, in the city's north.

'I want your forgiveness for this,' Frank Houston said, according to evidence given at the royal commission. 'I don't want to die and have to face God with this on my head.'

Mr Sengstock was offered a food-stained napkin to sign in exchange for $10,000 in compensation, which was eventually mailed to him by cheque, after he chased up Frank Houston's son, Brian, for it in a phone call.

Brian Houston told the Royal Commission he spoke to his family to ensure the money was transferred. The commission's final report was critical of the way Assemblies of God in Australia handled the disclosure of the allegation, finding that Brian Houston and the organisation's national executive did not report the allegations to police.

Brian Houston is Frank Houston's son. With his wife Bobbie, he founded the Hillsong church in 2001. The church has long maintained Frank Houston's abuse occurred before the globally successful church existed

Hillsong has churches in 28 countries around the world but has been rocked by scandal recently - with New York City pastor Carl Lentz (pictured) being sacked after admitting he cheated on his wife

In 2001, the two Houston-linked Christian Life Centres merged and became known as Hillsong church, headed by pastors Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie.

I want your forgiveness, I don't want to die and have to face God What Frank Houston told his victim Brett Sengstock during a meeting at a McDonald's restaurant in Sydney's north

Frank Houston died in 2004 at age 82, not long after admitting he had a 'continuing problem' in the 1960s and 70s of a sexual interest in young boys.

The victim told the royal commission that Frank Houston's abuse has left him full of 'shame, fear and embarrassment' for many years.

Mr Sengstock has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and flashbacks as a result of his abuse.

Hillsong has long maintained that Frank Houston's abuse occurred before the church existed. 'It should be emphasised that Pastor Brian is not a perpetrator of abuse, has never been accused of abuse, and took immediate action to expose and stop a child abuser,' the church said in a 2015 statement.

Hillsong has grown exponentially to become one of the world's best known Pentecostal institutions, boasting of churches in 28 different countries and attracting celebrity followers including pop star Justin Bieber, who has left the church.

More recently Hillsong has been shaken by scandals including celebrity New York pastor Carl Lentz being sensationally sacked after admitting cheating on his wife.

A married pastor in the US state of New Jersey resigned in April when DailyMail.com revealed that he had shared lewd photographs on Instagram.
They say Watts stripped them of their innocence when he murdered Kingi

Sian's young school friends are begging the government to dismiss his request

The traumatised schoolmates of a 12-year-old girl who was abducted, raped and murdered have joined her parents in pleading with the Queensland parole board to ensure her killer stays locked up for the rest of his life.

Barrie Watts brutally murdered Sian Kingi on the Sunshine Coast on November 27, 1987 with the help of his then-wife and mother-of-six Valmae Beck.

The pair lured 12-year-old Sian to help look for a 'white poodle with a pink bow' before Watts abducted her in the backseat of a Holden Kingswood station wagon.

While the duo were both sentenced to life behind bars, Beck died in custody back in 2008 and Watts has now lodged an application for parole.

For some of Sian's classmates, they feel that her brutal death stripped an entire generation of Sunshine Coast kids of their innocence.

Sian Kingi (pictured) was riding her bike home from the local shops when she was lured to a park to 'help look for a poodle' then abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered

'He took my generation's freedom,' Sian's schoolmate Melina Fletcher told the Sunshine Coast Daily.

'We grew up in fear.'

Ms Fletcher said Watts' vile crime destroyed the entire community and he deserved to 'rot in jail... just as [we] were promised'.

After gagging Sian and driving her to a remote forest, Watts performed a fantasy he shared with Beck by repeatedly sexually assaulting Sian before strangling and stabbing her.

'He is an evil you can't comprehend,' Chrissy Pobar, Sian's grade seven teacher, said.

'Hundreds and hundreds of people were scarred by this. Together we need to make sure something good comes of this - and that's by making sure he never gets out.'

Ms Pobar, along with several of Sian's schoolfriends, are pleading with authorities to never release Watts, insisting he is still an extreme risk to the community.

Barrie Watts (pictured) who raped, abducted and murdered Sian Kingi has applied for parole

The man who killed 12-year-old school girls Sian Kingi (pictured) on the Sunshine Coast in 1987 is making a bid for freedom, much to the dismay of friends and family

They say they're still traumatised by the gruesome fate that met Sian 35 years on from her tragic death.

'We thought he'd been jailed forever... Or that if he was to ever get out, it would be when he is old and decrepit,' close school friend Emma Anderson said.

Ms Anderson recalled the moment she learned of Sian's death, explaining that at 12 it was 'difficult to process'.

Sian's body was found a week after she disappeared while riding her bike on the way home from the local shops.

Beck and Watts were both sentenced to life imprisonment, and the community maintains that this sentence must be upheld to reflect societal expectations.

Watts brutally killed young school girl Sian Kingi in 1987 with the help of his then-wife and mother-of-six Valmae Beck (pictured)

A Change.org petition was created on Saturday by State Member for Ninderry Dan Purdie urging the government to reject Watts' plea for freedom.

In just 24 hours, more than 2,300 people have signed.

Mr Purdie expressed outrage at Watt's plea and said it sent 'a shockwave through my community, police and Sian's family.'

'All  including her parents who I spoke to again this morning  have grave concerns for the persons living in any community in which Barrie Watts may be released into.'

Mr Purdie said Watts deserved to serve his entire life sentence in prison.

'If Watts is given parole, what precedent would this set? How many others child killers would be released while they still represent an unacceptable risk to the community?' he said.

'It's not necessarily about people being further punished. The worst of the worst should lose their right to be integrated back into society because they will forever be a risk to any community they are released into.'

Sian's schoolmates say her death stripped an entire generation of their innocence, and that the killer should never be released

Former Queensland police commissioner Bob Atkinson, who investigated Sian's murder as a detective, said Watts 'would be an unacceptable community risk.'

Retired detective Neil Magnussen also joined the chorus of dismay and said Watt's will 'never, ever be rehabilitated, ever.'

'He's got a thing about young women and girls. He'll never stop. He's a danger to the public,' Mr Magnussen said.

The Morcombe family have thrown their support behind Sian's family after their 13-year-old son Daniel was murdered and abducted in 2003 by Brett Cowan.

Denise Morcombe tweeted on Thursday calling for the Queensland Parole board to not free Watt's from prison.

'You cannot be serious QLD Parole Board even thinking about letting Barrie Watts out  the child killer!' Mrs Morcombe wrote.

'The Kingi and Morcombe families say NO NOT EVER.'
Princess Eugenie has shared an adorable new photo of her baby August during a walk at Windsor, along with a series of snaps to mark World Environment Day.

The Queen's granddaughter, 30, shared the photo of her son - who was born on February 9 - from what appeared to be the grounds of Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

A smiling Eugenie could be seen wearing sunglasses and standing next to some daffodils, with baby August strapped to her chest in a baby harness.

Princess Eugenie has shared an adorable new photo of her baby August during a walk at Windsor, along with a series of snaps to mark World Environment Day

While the baby royal's face is not facing the camera, he appears to be wearing a onesie or a fleece with a hood.

'Environment Day 2021!! Thank you world for giving us such a beautiful place to live,' the princess wrote in the caption along-side her post on Saturday.

'To mark this day I wanted to share some photos over the years (and more recent ones ) that remind me how amazing our environment is and how we must always protect it.'

'Environment Day 2021!! Thank you world for giving us such a beautiful place to live,' the princess wrote in the caption along-side her post on Saturday

Her fans and followers were quick to pay their compliments to Eugenie, with many writing gushing messages underneath the post.

'Beautiful reminders of our precious planet,' one person wrote. 'Such awesome pictures truly precious memories,' another commented.

'Beautiful family. Nice to see the baby out and about. Great photos,' a third person said, with another adding: 'Thank you for sharing these gorgeous photos!'

Princess Eugenie is a frequent social media user, with her and her husband Jack Brooksbank posting the first picture of August just hours after he was born.

Since then, the proud parents have shared a number of pictures of her son with Eugenie's over 1.5 million followers.

The couple married in 2018 after dating for seven years. Their son - whose full name is August Philip Hawke Brooksbank after Prince Philip and two of his five-times great-grandfathers - is currently eleventh in line to the throne.

He will drop down to twelfth when Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle's daughter is born, with reports suggesting she could be born on Thursday, June 10, on what would have been Prince Phillip's birthday.

World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5, is the United Nations day for promoting awareness and action to protect the planet and its environments.

The day has been marked since 1972, with 2021's theme being 'Ecosystem Restoration', with the day being hosted this year in Pakistan.

Princess Eugenie is a frequent social media user, with her and her husband Jack Brooksbank (pictured) posting the first picture of August just hours after he was born. Since then, the proud parents have shared a number of pictures of her son with Eugenie's over 1.5 million followers

The couple married in 2018 after dating for seven years. Their son (pictured) - whose full name is August Philip Hawke Brooksbank after Prince Philip and two of his five-times great-grandfathers - is currently eleventh in line to the throne

Harry and Meghan are considering naming her after the late Duke, the Queen or Princess Diana, The Sun reported on Saturday.

Citing Royal insiders in the United States, the newspaper claimed that the Sussexes have thought about naming their newborn Pip after Harry's late grandfather, or Lily after his Grandmother - Queen Elizabeth II.

According to the bookies, Dianna is favourite to the baby's name at 4-1 odds.

The report comes after Meghan and Harry were demoted on the official Royal Family website, which came after they left their senior roles and moved to the US.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are now listed below Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, as well as the Princess Royal and the Duke of York on the official site.

The Prince of Wales' growing role as an active heir preparing to ascend to the throne is reflected in his own promotion to the top of the Royal Family' section on www.royal.uk.

The Queen has been removed and is instead featured higher on the page.

Harry and Meghan's baby daughter is due on Thursday, June 10, on what would have been Prince Phillip's birthday, according to be reports. Pictured: The couple pose with their son Archie in a pregnancy photograph taken shared in May

Despite the reshuffle, the website still claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be 'balancing their time' between the UK and the US.

It comes as Prince Edward and his wife the Countess of Wessex took part in their first major interview since their marriage in 1999.

The couple shared a laugh over Harry and Meghan's controversial Oprah interview as they insisted the royals remain a family 'no matter what happens'.

It was recently revealed Sophie is one of four loyal, discreet and utterly trustworthy women of the Queens inner circle who are offering crucial support as she faces life without her beloved Prince Philip, who died on April 9, aged 99.
Fire officials helped evacuate over 100 people after a ferry ran aground near the shoreline of Bushwick Inlet Park in Brooklyn.

The FDNY and Coast Guard responded to a 'water rescue' after a Seastreak ferry began to take on water at the Bushwick Inlet on Saturday afternoon, the New York Fire Department posted on Twitter.

Fire officials said the first distress calls for the ferry, which runs routes between New York and New Jersey, were made shortly after 4 PM

FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala said marine units already in nearby waters were able to respond within minutes, NBC New York reported.

Gala said all 125 people on board, including 118 passengers and seven crew members, were safely removed from the vessel.

The Seastreak Commodore, (pictured) which can hold up to 600 people ran aground in Brooklyn on Saturday

The FDNY and Coast Guard responded to a 'water rescue' after a Seastreak ferry began to take on water at the Bushwick Inlet on Saturday afternoon

All passengers and crew were safely rescued from the vessel after FDNY and Coast Guard officials arrived at the scene

FDNY fire fighters (pictured) arrived to the scene quickly and helped evacuate over 100 people from the vessel that crashed into rocks after mechanical issues

Gala added that only one crew member suffered minor injuries and was transferred to a local hospital.

Passengers were removed from the vessel by FDNY and NYPD boats and taken to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Gala said.

Three small Coast Guard boats also were sent from Staten Island to assist with the rescue.

Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Anthony Pappaly said the ship took on water after running into rocks, the New York Daily News reported.

Gala said the investigations into the incident were still ongoing but that Coast Guard investigators are looking at the vessel's steering, NBC New York reported.

A passenger aboard the Seastreak ferry described the chaotic experience.

'All of a sudden it swerved to the right and went into an inlet,' the passenger told NBC News 'The crew was telling us ''sit down sit down,'' screaming ''sit down sit down.'' We felt it run aground, the boat was shaking.'

Over 100 passengers were evacuated from the vessel by FDNY and Coast Guard officials after it ran aground in Brooklyn on Saturday

Footage captured by onlookers showed passengers being lifted from the ship by FDNY ladders

A flotilla of city and Coast Guard boats helped evacuate over 100 passengers from the Seastreak ferry that ran aground in Brooklyn

The Seastreak Commodore (pictured) ran aground after mechanical issues interfered with the steering wheel

In a statement, Seastreak said a mechanical issue caused the ferry to lose power and steering.

'Just after 4pm today, while traveling along the East River to E. 35th St. in Manhattan from Highlands, NJ, the Commodore experienced a mechanical issue that caused the vessel to lose power and steering,' the statement read. 'The vessel slowly drifted into Bushwick Inlet on the Brooklyn side of the East River and came to rest along the shore,' the company said.

Footage captured by onlookers showed the vessel tipping slowly to the side and passengers being lifted from the ship by FDNY ladders.

The Seastreak Commodore, which can hold up to 600 people, is 150 feet wide and 40 feet long and has three passenger decks, the company's website said.

Saturday's crash was not the company's first.

In 2013 several dozen passengers on a commuter ferry were injured after a ferry struck near Pier 11, at South Street and Gouverneur Lane, the New York Times reported.
Tony Blair has called for vaccinated Britons to be released from coronavirus restrictions and said it is 'time to distinguish for the purposes of freedom' between those who have been jabbed and those who have not.

The former Prime Minister also said he was eager to see the end of social distancing by the Government's June 21 'Freedom Day' target, but warned that 'every time we think it's over, [Covid] finds a way of bringing back uncertainty'.

But Mr Blair described the NHS app which proves vaccination as 'inadequate', and said it makes 'no sense at all to treat those who have had vaccination as the same as those who haven't'.

Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show whether the plan would create a 'discriminatory' two-tier society, Mr Blair said: 'I think the word discrimination has a very loaded meaning in the English language now but really when it comes to risk management, it is all about discrimination.

'The reason we vaccinate elderly people first is because they are more at risk, the reason we ensure people are vaccinated is because it then reduces the risk of transmission.

'I think since everybody is going to be able to get the vaccination, other than those who for medical reasons can't, I think it really is important that people are encouraged to get vaccinated.'

Mr Blair also called for greater transparency in the Government's coronavirus data, arguing ministers should publish how many vaccinated people are being admitted to hospital and dying in a bid to boost confidence in the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, which he said is facing "resistance" worldwide due to links with blood clots.

Tony Blair has called for shops and pubs to be able to ban un-jabbed customers and said it is 'time to distinguish for the purposes of freedom' between people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated

Mr Blair described the NHS app which proves vaccination as 'inadequate', and said it makes 'no sense at all to treat those who have had vaccination as the same as those who haven't

He was reacting to a report published by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change which says 'vaccine status matters' and champions the idea of health passes 'to allow citizens to prove their status in a secure, privacy-preserving way'.

The report backs the introduction of Covid passports and a vaccine-only policy for British venues, claiming that whether or not one has been jabbed should be a key component of international travel and access to domestic establishments.

Mr Blair said: 'Of course we are discriminating between vaccinated and unvaccinated. But the whole of risk management is based on discriminating between different types and levels of risk.

'Nothing matters more to risk than vaccination, which is precisely why we're doing it.

'Yes, by allowing greater freedom and fewer restrictions to the vaccinated we're providing a powerful incentive to take up vaccination, but this is a perfectly valid public policy objective.

'Other than for medical reasons, people should be vaccinated.'

The report, published by Mr Blair's institute, had proposed the health pass system be used both at home and abroad.

It said: 'With this ability to securely prove vaccination status, we can move beyond blunt, catch-all tools and align with other countries by removing certain restrictions for the fully vaccinated, thereby enabling us to sustainably reopen the economy.'

It went on: 'For as long as the world goes largely unvaccinated and the risk of a new variant remains significant, it's vital that we have an alternative to the blunt tool of lockdowns to enable the country to live freely and safely.'

Former prime minister Tony Blair receiving the Covid-19 vaccine at the Lords cricket ground facility in London

Mr Blair said: 'It is time to distinguish for the purposes of freedom from restriction between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, both for citizens here for domestic purposes, but also for our citizens and those from other countries in respect of travel on the basis that being vaccinated substantially reduces risk.

'It therefore makes no sense at all to treat those who have had vaccination as the same as those who haven't.'

He pointed to the report which says 'why the current NHS app for proving vaccination is inadequate and should be changed to be simpler and more effective'.

A senior Government source said: 'Once again Mr Blair appears to have learned of things already in the pipeline with the NHS app and decided to publicly call for them.

'Nonetheless we thank him for his continued support.'
Killer Levi Bellfield has reportedly admitted to being near the scene where Lin and Megan Russell were murdered as he is investigated over their murders.

The serial killer, 53, reportedly confessed to being familiar with the area where the mother and daughter were bludgeoned to death in Chillenden, Kent, in July 1996.

Bellfield, who is serving life for killing schoolgirl Milly Dowler, 13, and two women, was said to have confessed in a statement which is being looked at 'closely' by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

He admitted to being near the scene at the time of the hammer attacks, but Bellfield has denied murdering Lin, 45, and Megan, six, according to The Sun.

Serial killer Levi Bellfield (pictured), 53, reportedly confessed to being near the area where Lin and Megan Russel were bludgeoned to death in Chillenden, Kent, in July 1996

Michael Stone, 61, is currently serving three life sentences for the murders of Lin and her daughter at the same jail as Bellfield in Durham, but claims he is innocent.

A source told the publication: 'While he's denying the crime itself, this could be seen as Bellfield implicating himself.

'It is the first time he can be placed at the scene of the crime and as someone familiar with the area.'

The source added that it is a 'big development' which raises questions about whether Stone is innocent and if 'Bellfield carried out the killings'.

Lin and her two daughters - Megan and Josie, nine - and their dog Lucy, were tied up and savagely beaten with a hammer in a brutal attack which shocked the nation.

Lin, Megan and their dog Lucy died, while Josie survived the attack, which took place as the family walked home along a country lane from a school swimming gala.

Lin and her two daughters - Megan (pictured) and Josie, nine - and their dog Lucy, were tied up and savagely beaten with a hammer in a brutal attack which shocked the nation

Lin (left), Megan and their dog Lucy died, while Josie (right) survived the attack, which took place as the family walked home along a country lane from a school swimming gala

It comes after it was revealed that Bellfield is being investigated over the murders of Lin and Megan, while the serial killer reportedly told his friends he is 'in trouble'.

Last month, a fresh witness said to have seen a beige Ford like the one Bellfield drove at the time driving away from the horror scene.

According to The Sun, Bellfield told friends he is 'in trouble' and is said to fear that his alibi for the Kent murders may have been undermined by an ex-girlfriend.

Stone's defence team believes a potentially crucial piece of evidence, which they say was recently unearthed after being lost by police, could point the finger at someone else.

A bootlace was rediscovered after 14 years and DNA on the lace could prove whether Michael Stone did beat Lin and her six-year-old daughter to death.

Stone was arrested the following year and convicted after trial of two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. But he has always protested his innocence.

A bootlace, used to tie up one of the girls, was dropped by the killer and later found at the scene by detectives.

A small part of the lace was tested for DNA at the time. But, with the processes still in their infancy, the tests came back inconclusive.

Stone, a drug addict with prior convictions, was arrested a year after the attack and charged with the murders.

He was found guilty after two prisoners - one of them drug addict and convicted murderer Damian Daley - gave evidence for the prosecution, telling the court how Stone had confessed to him in prison.

In 2001, Stone faced a retrial after one of the prisoners withdrew the claim against him.

Bellfield, who is serving life for killing 13-year-old schoolgirl Milly Dowler (pictured) and two women, was said to have confessed in a statement which is being looked at 'closely'

Michael Stone (pictured), 61, is currently serving three life sentences for the murders of Lin and her daughter at the same jail as Bellfield in Durham, but claims he is innocent

However, he was found guilty once more and sentenced to three life-sentences.

He is due to finish his 25-year minimum term next year, but will not be allowed out because he has not confessed to the killings.

Though he has never confessed to the murders, triple killer Levi Bellfield reportedly did in 2017.

Bellfield is serving a whole life term at Frankland, where his fellow inmates include Soham murderer Ian Huntley.

The former nightclub bouncer was linked to the murders after he finally admitted to killing 13-year-old Milly Dowler.

He also murdered 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell, and 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange. He is also suspected of other killings.

And in 2017, he reportedly claimed he was the man behind the murder of Lin and Megan Russell.

However, he later retracted his confession and has never been charged.
President Joe Biden told new graduates that systemic racism is one of the 'greatest crises of our time' and said it was an 'inflection point' similar to the Vietnam War.

Biden's brief video message to graduates was released by the White House under his @POTUS address as the coronavirus pandemic has put a dent in commencement ceremonies.

Comparing today's students to those who graduated during the era of the civil rights and anti-war protest movements, Biden encouraged them to seize the moment to tackle climate change and systemic racism which he described as one of 'the great crises of our time'.

During a video address aimed at the Class of 2021, President Joe Biden called systemic racism one of the great crises of our time

Biden tweeted out his congratulations to the Class of 2021 together with a video

Biden recounted his own experience and said that shortly after he graduated, his generation faced an inflection point as the Vietnam War split the nation coupled with fights for civil rights, women's rights and environmental rights.

'And now you face another inflection point,' he said. 'As we put this pandemic behind us, rebuild our economy, root out systemic racism and tackle climate change, we're addressing the great crises of our time with a greater sense of purpose than before.

'And because of you, your generation, I've never been more optimistic about the future than I am today,' he added.

'Just three years after I stood where you're standing, two of my political heroes, Dr. King and Robert Kennedy, were gunned down.

'The Vietnam War divided the nation and divided families. We're in the midst of a great movement for civil rights, women's rights, and environmental rights.

'We -- we faced an -- an inflection point, and we did our best to seize that moment, because things were changing so rapidly, and now you face another inflection point.'

Biden told the graduates that only once in every few generations does a class enter history at point 'where it actually has a chance to change the trajectory of the country,' as he said theirs will.

Biden delivered remarks last month at the Coast Guard Academy's graduation in New London, Connecticut, pictured, but has no other commencement remarks scheduled this year

President Joseph Biden delivered the keynote address at the Coast Guard Academy in May

Biden struck a note of optimism during his Saturday address describing graduates as representing 'one of the most gifted and talented and well-educated generation in American history.'

'You're going to see more change in the next 10 years than you saw and we saw in the last 50 years,' Biden predicted.

'It's going to be up to you to translate that unprecedented change into a greater measure of happiness and prosperity for not only you and our nation, but for the world around you, and I know you will.'

Biden has spoken of his belief in systemic racism several times before but with the caveat that he does not believe Americans themselves are not racist.

'Youre graduating at an inflection point in our nations history  and you have a genuine opportunity to change the trajectory of our country,' he said

President Biden is pictured during the Coast Guard Academy graduation last month

A former student of Jefferson County Public Schools, dressed in cap and gown, sits while other graduates walk behind during their graduation ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky. The makeup ceremony was held to celebrate the students whose graduations were disrupted due the coronavirus pandemic the previous year (file photo)

'No, I don't think the American people are racist, but I think after 400 years, African-Americans have been left in a position where they are so far behind the eight-ball in terms of education, health, in terms of opportunity,' Biden said in April.

Biden delivered remarks last month at the Coast Guard Academy's graduation in New London, Connecticut, but has no other commencement remarks scheduled this year.

Biden told graduates there similarly that 'the world is changing. We're at a significant inflection point,' as he spotlighted 'disruptive nations' such as China and Russia as a top challenge facing the U.S.

Biden delivered the keynote address at the Coast Guard Academy during the 140th Commencement Exercises in May. The Coast Guard Academy saw 240 new officers graduate
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Favorite Essential Quality, ridden by jockey Luis Saez, won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday to give trainer Brad Cox his first win in a Triple Crown race in front of 11,000 maskless fans returning after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cox could get another Triple Crown win from his other horse Mandaloun, who placed second in the Kentucky Derby, if Medina Spirit is disqualified for that race.

Medina Spirit failed a post-Derby drug test which showed double the permitted presence of the steroid betamethasone. He was rained by Bob Baffert, who also trained trained 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.

Belmont Park allowed the mostly-maskless fans after New York State removed the cap on attendance. Fans reveled singing Frank Sinatra's New York, New York while the horses came on the track.

The park had not allowed fans at last June's 1 1/8 miles race when Tiz the Law won with Manny Franco aboard.

Essential Quality (2), with jockey Luis Saez up, crosses the finish line to win the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 5, 2021, At Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Essential Quality (2), with jockey Luis Saez up, crosses the finish line to win the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 5, 2021, At Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Jockey Luis Saez reacts after winning the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race with Essential Quality (2), Saturday, June 5, 2021, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Essential Quality (2), with jockey Luis Saez up, crosses the finish line to win the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 5, 2021, At Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Jockey Luis Saez reacts after crossing the finish line atop Essential Quality (2) to win the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race on Saturday

Trainer Brad Cox, left, and jockey Luis Saez pose for a photo with the August Belmont Trophy after winning the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race with Essential Quality

Essential Quality with Luis Saez up wins the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes as Hot Rod Charlie with Flavien Prat up finishes second at Belmont Park on June 5 in Elmont, New York

Essential Quality with Luis Saez up wins the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes as Hot Rod Charlie with Flavien Prat up finishes second at Belmont Park on June 5 in Elmont, New York

Essential Quality ridden by Luis Saez edges Hot Rod Charlie ridden by Flavien Prat to win the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park

Essential Quality with Luis Saez up wins the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 05, 2021 in Elmont, New York

This year, Essential Quality, who went off at the Belmont Stakes as the 6-5 favorite, passed early leader Hot Rod Charlie around the final turn and held on to win the $1 million race, which was restored to its 1 1/2-mile length.

Hot Rod Charlie came in second, with Rombauer - the winner of the Preakness - placing third. Known Agenda came in fourth.

The race was also back in its traditional spot as the third leg of the Triple Crown five weeks after the Derby and three after the Preakness.

'That was a long way around there a mile a half but it was exciting,' Cox said. 'It looked like the horse on the inside, he still had run left. I knew it was going to be a battle down the lane.'

Essential Quality, a striking gray colt, had finished fourth as a beaten favorite in the Derby because of a rough trip - but showed in the Belmont why he has long been considered one of the top 3-year-olds in the country.

Backdooring his way to becoming the first Louisville-born trainer to win the Kentucky Derby didnt allow Cox the same joy of victory as the Belmont, which the up-and-coming star will likely remember as his first true Triple Crown triumph.

And Cox saw this coming. He predicted last summer that Essential Quality would be his horse for the Belmont.

'I've said that about a lot of horses, probably,' Cox said this week. 'This has happened to be one of the few times -- the only time -- that Ive had a Belmont horse. He just displayed a lot of stamina early on.'

Essential Quality had plenty of stamina to beat a tough field of seven other horses.

United Arab Emirates ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum owns Essential Quality. Cox made it a point to mention him moments after the Belmont.

'Sheik Mohammed, he's been supporting us the last two years and this is a tremendous organization, world-class organization and we wouldn't be here obviously without this horse and his support, so I just wanted to really thank him,' Cox said.

Horse racing fans walk through the clubhouse before the153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 5, 2021, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

A fan looks on during the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 05, 2021 in Elmont, New York

Racing fans wear colorful decorative hats at Belmont Park before the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont

A racing fan wears a colorful decorative hat and takes a drink at Belmont Park before the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York on Saturday

A racing fans wears a colorful decorative hat near a photo of Triple Crown winner Secretariat at Belmont Park before the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York on Saturday

Racing fans wear colorful decorative hats at Belmont Park before the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont

A spectator watches races leading up to the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race on Saturday

A fan looks on in front of a photo of Secretariat during the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 05, 2021 in Elmont, New York

Racing fans wear colorful decorative hats at Belmont Park before the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York on Saturday

A horse racing fan walks around the grounds of Belmont Park before the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race

A young horse racing fan arrives at Belmont Park for the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes horse race on Saturday

The victory by Essential Quality could bring extra scrutiny of human rights issues involving the sheikh after a judge in England ruled that he orchestrated the abductions of two of his adult daughters.

The race this year was run as the final jewel and returned to its traditional distance of 1 1/2 miles.

The scene at the Belmont Stakes, though quieter than usual, is a return to normalcy even if it isn't quite the crowd of 100,000-plus that would attend if a Triple Crown were on the line.

There was no walkup crowd possible because fans were required to pre-purchase tickets.

Medina Spirit had been tipped to bag a Triple Crown - wins at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and the June 5 Belmont Stakes in Elmont, on Long Island.

Baffert did not attend the Preakness, with a statement issued by his lawyer claiming the trainer feared his appearance would distract from the race.

He said: 'As Medina Spirit prepares to run in the Preakness Stakes today, I want to keep the focus on this amazing equine athlete and not me, which is the primary reason I will not personally be in attendance.

'I do not want to serve as a distraction to what has always been of paramount importance  the joy of this great sport and the horses that make it possible.'

Baffert denied using banned drugs on Medina Spirit, and said the steroid found in the horse's system was also used to treat other conditions.

The Belmont race was run without a horse trained by Baffert, who was banned by the New York Racing Association. Churchill Downs suspended Baffert for two years after a second sample from the Derby came back positive for betamethasone.
Pictured: Lauren McDonough, 23

A young woman who had both her legs amputated after she tried to take her own life amid a gruelling battle with depression has encouraged others suffering with mental illness to 'never give up'.

Bravely sharing her story to help those who are struggling, Lauren McDonough, 23, from Greensborough in Melbourne's northeast, said sufferers should never feel ashamed to reach out for help.

Ms McDonough has a rare condition called treatment-resistant depression, which is a debilitating form of the illness that renders medication and psychotherapy ineffective.

In 2017, when she was just 19, her mental state declined to the point where she tried to take her own life, but the unsuccessful attempt left her in hospital with a fractured spine, a severed left foot and a broken right foot which led to the amputation of both legs.

The excruciating ordeal saw her develop post-traumatic stress disorder and she was faced with the terrifying prospect of never being able to walk again.

But she defied the odds and learned to use her two prosthetics, unaided, for the first time in four years - a feat she told Daily Mail Australia was the most rewarding thing she's ever done.

Lauren McDonough (pictured) said she used to feel ashamed about her legs, but is learning to embrace her appearance as an amputee

Pictured: Lauren McDonough, who has struggled with her mental health since she was 13

Pictured: Lauren McDonough wearing her prosthetic legs while sitting with her German shepherd, Indy

Ms McDonough said people with mental illness often feel burdened by the stigma associated with it, but she reminded sufferers to 'never give up'.

'Its okay to tell someone about how you feel. Its okay to see a psychologist, its okay to have therapy, its okay to need medication, its okay to do whatever the hell you need to do to try and make your mental health better,' she said.

'There is absolutely no shame in that in that.'

On the night of her suicide attempt, the young woman remembers feeling extraordinary pain and firmly believing she would not make it.

'I remember the screams from that night vividly. I remember being in an incredible amount of pain. I remember people calling out to me,' she said.

Pictured: Lauren McDonough walking along the sand with her prosthetics and two walking sticks

Pictured: Lauren McDonough with her prosthetics. One has a corset-style strap that get tied to her leg

'But at the time, I didn't think anyone cared. I don't think anyone would have been able to prevent what happened because I was in that mind frame.'

She was placed in an induced coma and spent about four months in hospital undergoing intensive and painful therapy - making her fight with depression harder than ever.

'The tears have been endless. The days sometimes morph into months at a time. And the physical pain has been debilitating at the best of times,' she said.

'But the moments of laughter, and the moments where Ive achieved things I never thought I could have achieved has made the journey - although the hardest thing Ive experienced - has led to some of the most rewarding moments of my life.'

Pictured: Lauren McDonough after her legs were amputated. She said walking has been a painful experience, but she was determined to do it

Lauren McDonough (pictured) said learning to walk with prosthetics is her biggest achievement to date

The stumps where her legs were cut off have been put back together with skin grafts, which left Ms McDonough feeling 'humiliated' to go out in public at first.

Over time, she became more comfortable with her prosthetic legs than she ever was with her natural legs.

'Society puts so much pressure on people to look, perform and be a certain way but I realised my amputations didnt change who I was as a person, and the way I look is okay.'

While her condition does not respond to regular medications or therapy, Ms McDonough undergoes ECT treatment, or electroconvulsive therapy - where doctors give her a general anesthetic and induce up to four seizures electronically.

She said that apart from a headache when the anesthesia wears off, the procedure isn't painful and alleviates her suicidal tendencies.

'For me, that's huge,' she said.

She was initially embarrassed to go out with her fake legs, but realised that it doesn't matter what she looks like

Pictured: Lauren McDonough's walking aids. She has prosthetic legs, a walking frame and walking sticks

'Theres still a lot of stigma around mental illnesses and especially ECT, but this treatment saves mine and so many others lives.'

The young woman also said she is very lucky to have a supportive family and wants to share her story to help others who are struggling.

When asked about her ambitions for the future, the young woman said: 'I just want to help people.'

'Even though depression is a really hard battle and can feel debilitatingly hard, I want to let people know that others do care and people do worry.

'It's hard to see and feel that when you're in a bad headspace, but help is out there. You shouldn't feel ashamed to speak up - it's really brave and 100 per cent normal and okay to do so.'

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An anachronistic law has left Downing Street officials scratching their heads following the Prime Ministers Catholic wedding.

The 1829 Roman Catholic Relief Act, passed when the Duke of Wellington was Prime Minister, includes a little-known rule on the process of appointing bishops.

Under the law, no person professing the Roman Catholic religion is allowed to advise the Queen on the selection of Church of England bishops. Which leaves the Prime Minister in a tricky situation.

Boris Johnson married Carrie Symonds at Wesminster Cathedral in a Roman Catholic ceremony last week which lead to a constitutional problem as Catholics are banned by law from advising the Queen on selecting bishops by the Church of England

Mr Johnson may have to delegate the Prime Minister's role to Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland

In practice, the selection of bishops is made by the C of E, but on paper involves the Prime Minister. The Mail on Sunday understands that, as a result of the law, another Minister would be selected by the Palace to advise the Queen in the process  for example, the Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland.

The 1829 Act, which was brought in to repeal laws banning Catholics from becoming MPs or holding high office, included a few strict rules to appease its opponents.

It banned Catholic priests from becoming MPs, although this was repealed in 2001. But the section on the Prime Minister appointing bishops is still in force. Boris Johnson was reportedly baptised as a Catholic, but confirmed as an Anglican when he was a teenager.

However, legal commentators said his Catholic wedding last week at Westminster Cathedral meant he would likely be classed as professing the Roman Catholic religion.

The marriage led to questions of why Mr Johnson was allowed to marry in the cathedral while twice divorced. However, as neither his first marriage, to Allegra Mostyn-Owen, nor his second, to Marina Wheeler, were Catholic ceremonies, experts said that in the eyes of the Church they may be invalid. Matt Chinery, an ecclesiastical lawyer, said last week: There is a requirement if you are a Roman Catholic that you must have your wedding overseen by a Roman Catholic priest or deacon.

Any other form of marriage is not valid unless you had permission from your bishop to marry outside of the Catholic Church.

Mr Chinery added: So in the eyes of the Catholic Church, Boris Johnson woke up [before his wedding] as somebody who wasnt married and had never been married and so was free to marry in the cathedral.
A brazen thief who stole thousands of dollars from her workplace by fraudulently refunding payments to her own bank account has narrowly avoided jail time.

Shania Schwerin, 24, from Dubbo in central-west New South Wales was employed as a bookkeeper at trucking parts business Neil's Parts before she was sacked in March last year, accused of stealing $187,000 over a nine month period.

Investigations found she processed 108 fraudulent refunds by using an eftpos machine to refund various amounts to her bank accounts, court documents state.

Schwerin would then log into the company's invoice system to manually alter previously issued legitimate customer invoices to appear they were subject to refunds, Dubbo News reported.

Shania Schwerin (pictured) has escaped jail time, despite stealing $187,000 over a nine month period from a trucking parts business she worked for

Officers interviewed a number of Neil's Parts employees including the manager of the Dubbo office who trained Ms Schwerin in the process of conducting refunds.

The process involved the branch manager being informed of all refund credits so they could be authorised, a detail confirmed by staff at other Neil's Parts offices, including its head office in Queensland.

Schwerin pleaded guilty to a dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception charge in the District Court at Dubbo earlier this year.

The court was told a disputed facts hearing would be required to sort out what specific details she would plead guilty to.

Shania Schwerin (pictured) processed 108 fraudulent refunds by using an eftpos machine to refund various amounts to her bank accounts, according to court documents

Shania Schwerin was a bookkeeper at trucking parts business Neil's Parts in Dubbo (pictured) when she committed the frauds

The hearing was abandoned when Schwerin returned to court last week for sentencing.

The court was told Schwerin, who had no prior criminal history, was suffering with depression.

However, Judge Dina Yehia said she couldn't find a link between Schwerins mental health and the fraud in the evidence in front of her, the court heard.

The judge assumed she used the stolen money to fund her lifestyle as Schwerin had refused to say how the money was spent, the publication reported.

Schwerin was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment to be served in the community in the form of an intensive corrections order.

She must also undertake 250 hours of community service work, continue counselling and pay $10,000 in compensation to her former employer.

Schwerin may be required to pay more compensation to Neil's Parts when the matter returns to court later in June.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may be asked to spend more time in Scotland under plans reportedly drawn up by palace officials to bolster the Union.

Kate and William would spend more time at Balmoral, according to the Sunday Times, in light of growing support for Scottish independence after the Scottish National Party's landslide victory in the Holyrood election last month.

The couple would also strengthen ties with their former university town of St Andrews if the proposals go ahead, the report says.

The report comes just days after the couple's tour of Scotland in which William said the country was 'so important' to himself and his wife.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured on May 27 during a visit to Scotland) may be asked to spend more time in Scotland under plans reportedly drawn up by palace officials to bolster the Union

On the final day of their visit, William and Kate held a meeting with Gordon Brown who has recently launched a renewed campaign to save the Union.

The couple sat down for talks with the former prime minister and his wife Sarah at the Queen's official Edinburgh residence.

William later gave a highly personal farewell speech as his week-long tour drew to a close, describing how Scotland has 'shaped' him and praising its people and values.

The argument over Scottish independence has intensified after the Scottish National Party's landslide victory in the Holyrood election in May, which also produced the largest pro-independence majority in the Parliament in the history of devolution.

Boris Johnson has since stood by his pre-election position, saying the focus should be on the recovery from Covid-19 and not on another independence referendum.

Last month, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: 'During his time in Scotland Prince William has spoken to a broad range of people from different communities including politicians from across the political spectrum.'

Kate and William would spend more time at Balmoral and strengthen ties with their former university town of St Andrews if the proposals go ahead, according to the Sunday Times

The report comes just days after the couple's tour of Scotland in which William said the country was 'so important' to himself and his wife

The duke sat down for talks with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and also met Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland.

Soon after the Holyrood election Mr Brown announced his Our Scottish Future think tank which will become a 'campaigning movement' seeking to appeal to 'middle Scotland', those who are not entrenched in their positions on the union or independence.

Mr Brown, who played a key role in the No campaign during the 2014 vote, has said those in middle Scotland are 'patriots not nationalists' who want to see greater cooperation between the UK's governments.

The argument over Scottish independence has intensified after the Scottish National Party's landslide victory in the Holyrood election in May

Ahead of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 the Queen reportedly said she hoped voters would 'think very carefully about the future'.

Before the Queen's reported comment Buckingham Palace had issued a statement, following speculation she was growing increasingly concerned about Scotland breaking away, saying any suggestion the monarch would wish to influence the outcome of the referendum was 'categorically wrong'.

Speaking in Edinburgh at the closing ceremony of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, William said about some of the memorable individuals he had met: 'These people make Scotland the vibrant, friendly, innovative and determined place Catherine and I love, and is so important to us.'

The duke who is the assembly's Lord High Commissioner added: 'I'm shaped by this place. The abiding affection I feel for it is rooted in my experience of its everyday life in people, relationships, and its ethic of neighbourliness.'

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge drew rebuke from Alex Salmond after their visit, who and demanded William stay out of the fight to keep the United Kingdom together.

Scotland's separatist former first minister said it would be 'foolish' for Prince William to become embroiled in the row over the country's future after he met Gordon Brown, who one of the leaders of the pro-union camp which won the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.

Mr Salmond, who was first minister when the vote on Scotland's place in the UK took place, accused pro-UK leaders of 'unscrupulous unionist desperation' by trying to recruit the royals to campaign for the union.

But his bizarre rant came after William met with other politicians on his visit, including his SNP successor Nicola Sturgeon.

The current First Minister is demanding a new referendum after the SNP was returned as the largest party at Holyrood in the election three weeks ago.

Mr Salmond, who now leads the fringe Alba Party, said: 'Whatever Prince William thought he was doing by agreeing to a confab with Gordon Brown just as he set up his latest campaign for the union ... we should have no hesitation in seeing from that meeting, unionist preparation for attempting to persuade a constitutional monarchy to intervene in a constitutional debate which should be left to the people.'

He added: 'It would be very wise for the royal family to follow what has been the Queen's example over her long reign, to keep the monarchy over and above politics, and it would be foolish to have a situation in which it can be said that the monarchy is involved in the Scottish Constitutional debate.'
A massive Medicare overhaul is set to leave some patients thousands of dollars out of pocket as rebates will be slashed or dropped for hundreds of surgeries.

The Health Department plans to change rebates for more than 900 procedures including common hip, shoulder and hand surgeries as early as July 1.

A number of rebates will either be slashed or dumped altogether with patients now having to pay up to $10,000 for some surgeries.

Doctors have warned the changes will cause 'total chaos' and that people who do a lot of sport will be among the hardest hit as they can develop such conditions more easily.

Patients will now have to cover the full cost of microsurgery for a common hip condition because Medicare will no longer accept the diagnosis, Daily Telegraph reported.

A massive Medicare overhaul is set to leave patients thousands of dollars out of pocket as rebates will be slashed or dropped for hundreds of surgeries

The Health Department plans to change the rebate for more than 900 procedures including hip, shoulder and hand surgeries as early as July 1

The condition is known as Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome and occurs when another bone grows along the hip joint and stops them from fitting together properly.

The irregularity causes the hip bones to rub against each other during movement and leads to intense pain.

The Australian Medical Association said every medically advanced country recognised the condition - except for Australia.

Retired Australian freestyle skier Jacqui Cooper has relied on the microsurgery seven times during her illustrious career.

'This is going to put a lot of pressure on people and if they don't have the money they're going to be walking around in pain,' she said.

The extreme sport has also landed her in hospital on numerous occasions for broken elbows, shoulders and a shattered knee.

Ms Cooper said raising the out-of-pocket expenses to pay for surgeries would only place more strain on families.

'It really affects your mental health, you feel like you can't move, you feel like you're not yourself anymore,' she said.

AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said health funds were scrambling to update their rebate systems.

Retired Australian freestyle skier Jacqui Cooper has relied on the microsurgery seven times during her illustrious career

'This is not the health fund's fault, it takes a lot of time to work out the numbers you've got hundreds and hundreds of numbers and you got to work out what the relativities are and what the formulas are to turn an MBS rebate into a health fund rebate,' he said.

The Department of Health said it had provided updates to health funds and admitted it might take until September for them to work them into their policies.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the Department of Health for comment.
Prince William has praised the TV industry for acting as a collective beacon of light during the pandemic.

The Duke of Cambridge, who is president of Bafta, said the importance of the arts to wellbeing had never been more important than over the past year.

He made his comments in the programme for tonights Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards, which is being scaled back as a result of the pandemic and a scandal surrounding allegations against actor Noel Clarke.

The Duke will not attend tonights award show, avoiding potential embarrassment given the Netflix drama The Crown is one of the main contenders this year. (Pictured, Prince William during last year's award ceremony)

The screen arts have been a collective beacon of light during these challenging times, writes the Prince. The calibre of the nominations at these awards illustrates just that.

He will not attend tonights award show, avoiding potential embarrassment given the Netflix drama The Crown is one of the main contenders this year.

Series four of the drama, which included the wedding of Williams parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was criticised for the brutal way it portrayed the deterioration of the couples relationship.

Critics accused the series, which starred Josh OConnor as the Prince of Wales and Emma Corrin as Diana, of vilifying Charles.

Friends of the Prince claimed the show was effectively trolling the Royal Family.

A shadow will be cast across the red carpet because of Covid precautions, with a limit on how many stars who can attend in person.

Billie Piper, Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and Graham Norton are among those who will be there on the night.

The BBC, which is still reeling from the fallout from its 1995 interview with Princess Diana, is expected to fare well in the awards

But the pandemic isnt the only cloud hanging over the event.

Bafta bosses have decided not to hand out any of their prestigious Fellowship or Special Awards because of the continuing fallout from the Noel Clarke scandal.

In April the organisation suspended the former Doctor Who stars membership and his Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema award after several women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.

Responding to the claims, Mr Clarke said in a statement that he was deeply sorry for some of his actions and will seek professional help, but vehemently denied any sexual misconduct.

The BBC, which is still reeling from the fallout from its 1995 interview with Princess Diana, is expected to fare well in the awards.

Its drama Normal People is in the running for best mini-series and its two young stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal are both up for lead acting awards.
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A controversial Islamic group accused of extremism is seeking to 'revive itself' in the wake of the recent clashes in the Middle East.

Experts say that Hizb ut-Tahrir  which means 'Party of Liberation' and first emerged in Britain in the 1980s  has launched a recruitment drive at protests and demonstrations around the UK.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in more than 40 countries and both Tony Blair and David Cameron considered banning the group during their premierships, but were reportedly advised by police chiefs that it could become more radical if forced underground.

Hizb ut-Tahrir  which means 'Party of Liberation' - is currently recruiting new members according to experts in extremist organisations

Recently the group has held a demonstration near the East London Mosque in Whitechapel

The organisation has largely vanished from view in recent years, but has begun mobilising again since renewed violence in the IsraeliPalestinian conflict last month, focused on Gaza.

Senior members in the UK have given recent fiery speeches that experts believe are antisemitic and may even break the law. Some, calling for supporters in Muslim countries to launch counter-attacks against Israel and remove the 'Zionist entity', were filmed and posted on social media.

In one, which appeared last month, a man interviewed during a Hizb ut-Tahrir event in Bolton, says: 'The solution is very simple, jihad fi sabillillah [jihad in the cause of God].

'We have armies, we have tanks, we have soldiers, what are they waiting for? If this goes out to the Muslim armies, what are you waiting for? Jihad is the responsibility on you, wipe out the Zionist entity.'

The group also held a rally at a park near the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, where speakers urged Muslim armies to attack Israel.

Similar rallies were held in Ilford and Walthamstow, two areas of East London that have large Muslim communities, and in Birmingham.

Scotland Yard last night said: 'We are aware of a number of videos posted on social media showing speeches made about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Officers are reviewing these videos to determine whether further investigation is required.'

Hizb-ut-Tahrir said in a statement: All of Hizb ut-Tahrir's statements and actions in relation to occupied Palestine should be seen in the context that we are fundamentally opposed to the Zionist ideology and its occupation of Palestine; that we distinguish between Jewish people as a faith and an ethnicity, and the Zionist military occupation that calls itself a Jewish State.

We were asked about specific statements of individuals that apparently appeared on social media. Only the press releases, publications and statements of Hizb-ut-Tahrir spokesmen and women and media representatives represent the official views of the party.

Hizb ut-Tahrir does not encourage violence against civilians and is not responsible for any violence in the world today.
Matt Hancock suggested the Government is open to giving older children the Covid vaccine today, saying there were 'good reasons' to give the jab to over 12s.

The Health Secretary highlighted the benefits amid claims that those aged 12 and over could be offered the inoculation before they head back to school for the autumn term in September.

The Pfizer jab was approved by Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for children aged 12 to 15 last week.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will provide a judgement on whether or not the jab can be provided to the young teenagers, with ministers expected to make a final decision based on this advice.

Mr Hancock told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme: 'The spread among children does have an impact on others and, critically, we know how much it disrupts education as well.

'There is this problem of long Covid in some children who test positive.

'So, there are plenty of good reasons to do this but we will also want to be very careful and listen to the scientific advice on exactly what approach to take.'

The Health Secretary added that it is 'very rare' that young people are affected 'very negatively' by coronavirus infection.

Government sources have said that modelling shows an inoculation programme for 12 to 15-year-olds could begin as early as August or September.

The Health Secretary highlighted the benefits amid claims that those aged 12 and over could be offered the inoculation before they head back to school for the autumn term in September.

Vaccinations could be offered to schoolchildren aged between 12 and 15 as early as August according to Downing Street sources

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that a 'huge proportion' of recent cases are in schoolchildren

They told the Sunday Telegraph that using current modelling figures, the nation would be 'ready' to start jabbing 12 to 15-year-olds by late August or early September.

Writing in the Telegraph today, Mr Hancock warned that case numbers are higher in schoolchildren, and that the Delta variant now makes up the majority of the UK's cases.

He wrote: 'The delta variant, first identified in India, is more transmissible and now makes up the majority of new Covid-19 cases in this country.

'We have to show the same spirit that has taken us this far and keep doing our bit.

'That means keeping up the basics  like hands, face, space and fresh air  and getting regular tests.

'A huge proportion of the latest cases are in children, so it's especially important all secondary school age children take a test today before going back from half term tomorrow and isolate if positive.'

The UK's vaccine regulator today gave the green light for the Pfizer jab to be given to 12 to 15-year-olds (Pictured: A teenager is given the jab in Florida, US)

Pressure to vaccinate children in the UK could build up in the coming months as it emerges the now-dominant Indian variant is spreading quickly among them and may be more likely to make them sick.

On Friday the UK recorded its highest number of new confirmed coronavirus cases - 6,238 - since late March, according to official figures. Saturday's figure was down slightly at 5,765 lab-confirmed cases.

Ministers might be forced to give youngsters a jab if they want to keep the super-infectious strain under control.

On Friday, the UK's medicines regulator ruled the Pfizer Covid vaccine is safe and effective for children aged 12 to 15.

Dr June Raine, chief of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: 'We have carefully reviewed clinical trial data in children aged 12 to 15 years and have concluded that the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective in this age group and that the benefits of this vaccine outweigh any risk.'

She added: 'No extension to an authorisation would be approved unless the expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness have been met.'

Pfizer's clinical trial of around 2,000 teenagers found nobody given two doses tested positive for coronavirus, compared to 16 who were unvaccinated. The jab appears to work just as well as it does in adults, health chiefs said.

The decision comes at a pivotal time in Britain's outbreak as cases are back on the rise and there are fears the new Indian 'Delta' variant is going to spark a third wave.

Children's role in fuelling the next surge is unlikely but they will have some of the highest infection rates because they aren't vaccinated, which will allow the virus to keep circulating and increase the risk of spillover into high-risk older people.



The decision on whether to vaccinate children could fall to Boris Johnson and his government ministers, instead of health chiefs and scientists, because it is ethically complicated.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is expected to 'come up with a menu of options' for the Prime Minister but not to offer a definitive recommendation on jabs for those under the age of 18.

Children aren't yet given vaccines because their risk of getting serious Covid is so tiny and their immunity would likely only protect older adults, making it a complex issue - vaccinating against measles, for example, directly protects the child so is more clear-cut.

Ministers will be forced to decide whether the tiny risk of side effects in children is worth the benefit of protecting more adults and stifling the virus.

JCVI deputy chair Professor Anthony Harnden said on BBC Breakfast in May: 'We do know that the majority of children do not have huge risk of complications, whether we vaccinate for educational purposes, whether we vaccinate to protect others in the population, these are the ethical issues, there are a lot of issues to think about.

'It's a complicated position to decide on the immunisation of children, of course, then there's the wider global ethical argument about the use of vaccine in children when there are other people in the world that are at risk of not being vaccinated.

'So we need to think about all these issues, we probably will give the Government a range of options.'
An immigration union chief said British boats should not enter French waters to pick up Channel migrants, after the UK Border Force controversially did so in secret.

Priti Patel has ordered an urgent investigation after a Border Force boat brought dinghy migrants from French waters to Dover last Saturday.

The controversial action was revealed in an audio recording obtained by the Daily Mail, in which officers on both sides discussed the legality of the operation.

After the conversation, the UK's 140ft cutter Valiant then headed over to the French side of the Channel and launched a fast inflatable boat to collect migrants and take them to Dover.

Now, Lucy Moreton, from the Immigration Services Union, has said that the British vessels should only have acted if there was a threat to life, The Telegraph reported.

She told the publication: 'Where there is a threat to life at sea, the French vessels simply keep eye contact with the migrant vessel into British waters and we then pick it up.'

An immigration union chief said British boats should not enter French waters to pick up Channel migrants, after UK Border Force (pictured on June 3) did so in secret

The incident last Saturday was orchestrated between senior crew members of HMC Valiant and French patrol ship Athos.

During a revealing maritime radio conversation, a recording of which was obtained by the Mail this week, the officers discuss the 'legality' of the operation.

Commenting on the decision, Ms Moreton said: 'That shouldn't happen, it is a notional line in the sea of course but it's as much a border as any other and if the vessel crossed into French water it appears to have done so with permission, but it wouldn't be appropriate.'

The union chief's comments echoed Priti Patel saying that the incident 'should not have happened' as she ordered an urgent investigation.

On Friday night, a Home Office source said the Government's own border agency appeared to have helped migrants enter the country illegally, adding: 'The job of Border Force is to secure the UK's border, not facilitate illegal entry across it.'

In Saturday's incident, the UK's 140ft cutter Valiant headed over to the French side of the Channel and launched a fast inflatable boat to collect migrants and take them to Dover.

Lucy Moreton (pictured), from the Immigration Services Union, said the incident 'shouldn't happen' as British vessels should only have acted if there was a threat to life

The union chief's comments echoed Priti Patel (pictured) saying that the incident 'should not have happened' as she ordered an urgent investigation

The radio conversation, which took place on open frequencies between British and French officers, started at 12.23pm British time last Saturday.

A British officer with a northern accent is heard proposing the illicit handover.

He then double-checks with his French counterparts that he has legal authorisation to carry out the manoeuvre.

'The difficulty we have is the vessel is in your waters, and we cannot come into your waters to take the vessel,' the British officer says.

THE RADIO EXCHANGE BETWEEN HMC VALIANT AND FRENCH SHIP Saturday, May 29 Valiant: The difficulty we have is the vessel is in your waters, and we cannot come into your waters to take the vessel. Do you think it's going to make it into UK waters at its present speed? Over. Athos: That is making route to the frontier but very slowly. So I think in less than one hour he will be at the frontier. Two hours ago he was at [unintelligible] but now he's 0.5 kilometres from the frontier. He go very slow but he's coming. Valiant: Yes, many thanks for that. That's all understood. Would you have a problem if we put our boarding boat into the water near the vessel, however, we will just escort it towards UK waters? Over. Athos: No, sir, there is no problem for us. You can do. It will be most simple for everybody. Thank you. Valiant: That's understood. I think this is the safest course of action where we will have legality to do this. Over. Athos: We give you legality to do this, no problem. Valiant: Many thanks, sir. We will put our boat in the water to make sure it gets into UK waters safely. Over. Athos: Thanks. We'll stay in the area until you get them on the ship [unintelligible]. If you need you can call us. Valiant: That is very much appreciated, sir. We will go back 16 and monitor that channel. Over. Athos: Thanks, have a good watch. Valiant: You, too, sir. Advertisement

He later asks: 'Would you have a problem if we put our boarding boat into the water near the vessel, however, we will just escort it towards UK waters?'

At one point, the Athos officer says: 'We give you legality to do this, no problem.'

Ship tracking charts show that just 23 minutes later, the Valiant moved over the international sea border into French territorial waters.

It launched a fast inflatable craft to bring the migrants back to the Valiant, and then to Dover.

At no stage did the French crew, who had been tracking the migrant boat for hours, suggest the vessel was in difficulties  and only referred to its progress being 'slow'.

The incident took place on a day when 144 migrants reached UK shores, Home Office figures show. It is not known how many migrants were picked up by the Valiant.

Last night, the south coast sailor who gave the radio message to the Mail said: 'We know the French are escorting migrant boats towards the UK instead of turning them back to France. But this is a first time I have heard of British Border Force collecting migrants on the French side of the Channel.

'I have suspected it going on for some time, but the radio message that I happened to overhear on an public channel proves it.

'The French patrol boat captain makes clear the migrants are not in peril at sea. They were travelling slowly towards the UK where they would have been collected by UK Border Force vessels in English waters.'

The sailor added: 'I worry that Valiant may have gone into French waters in a hurry to save time on a day when more than 100 migrants were heading from France to Dover. I am sure Border Force were overwhelmed.'

The behaviour of the Valiant, a Government vessel on sea patrol to protect our borders, flies in the face of Whitehall's repeated promises to stop the relentless flow of boat migrants.

The day before the incident - Friday, May 28 - was the busiest day of the year so far, with 336 migrants sailing the 21 miles to the UK from the north French coast.

The Home Secretary has made clear she wants the French to do far more to combat migrant vessels at sea. Currently, France will intervene only if migrants ask for help.

In May last year, Miss Patel asked her Paris counterpart to agree to more interception in French waters  and even to accept vessels that were turned around in UK waters.

However, no deal was reached and instead the UK handed France 28 million for extra beach patrols.

This year the number of arrivals expected to reach the south coast from France will far outstrip last year's 8,400 if current rates continue.

The incident last Saturday was orchestrated between senior crew members of HMC Valiant (pictured on mission to Greece in February 2020) and French patrol ship Athos

In the controversial action, the UK's 140ft cutter Valiant headed to the French side of the Channel and launched an inflatable boat to collect dinghy migrants and take them to Dover

Since the start of this year more than 4,300 have reached the UK, including 1,058 in the past seven days.

Last September, the Home Office's clandestine channel threat commander Dan O'Mahoney, a former Royal Marine, said turning boats around to France was a key goal in the fight to stop illegal crossings.

'We need to continue to work with the French so that we get to the point where they're preventing the majority of crossings,' he said. 'At the moment, it's somewhere between 40 or 50 per cent.

'We need to get to the point where they're stopping a sizable proportion of those crossings, so that the migrants realise that it is not a viable route.'

The Home Office has spent millions on specialist equipment  including a floating barrier to stop small boats  but is unable to deploy the new tactics without France's agreement.

In January 2019, then immigration minister Caroline Nokes told Parliament: 'In the majority of cases, if a migrant is picked up in UK waters they are taken to the UK. If they are picked up in French waters they are taken to France.'

She said an action plan with France to curb boat migration ruled that migrants found in the Channel would be returned to the 'nearest safe port' in accordance with international maritime law.

The minister added: 'Too often, migrants in the Channel dictate to those who come to their rescue which country they should be taken. That is not right. I have asked immigration officials to do all they can to prevent asylum shopping at sea.'
When police arrived at an inner Sydney home to arrest an accused drug trafficker, they were greeted with a doormat kindly asking them to remove designer shoes.

The alleged criminal, 27-year-old Saadedine Abou Chanab, is renowned for his expensive taste and is often spotted in casinos wearing Gucci bum bags and Balenciaga joggers worth in excess of $1,500.

And it appears his high standards extend even to the company he keeps - with house guests to his penthouse asked to 'remove their Balenciagas' before coming into his home.

While doormats at homes aren't out of the ordinary, officers were intrigued by the message which greeted them when they arrived at Saadedine Abou Chanab's penthouse

Officers seized $120,000 of cash, 110g of cocaine, and $300,000 worth of designer goods that included Gucci and Dior handbags, a Cartier watch, Hermes wallet and Abou Chanab's 26 pairs of designer shoes

When officers from Strike Force Raptor raided his inner Sydney penthouse, they found 26 pairs of designer shoes, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Abou Chanab was charged over allegedly supplying more than one kilogram of cocaine and dealing in proceeds of crime worth a staggering $400,000.

Detectives allege the drug supply ring operated across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Earlier this year police discovered 127kg of cannabis in a truck travelling through the NSW Southern Highlands which they allege is linked to the syndicate.

Detectives from Strike Force Raptor executed raids across three properties in Sydney

Detectives seized cash and cocaine during raids across Sydney as well as designer shoes

Another bust allegedly uncovered $4.5million worth of drugs in Queensland.

Strike Force Raptor commander Detective Superintendent Jason Weinstein said the public often doesn't realise that the sale of cannabis is often just as lucrative as meth and cocaine distribution.

'It is the jet fuel of organised crime,' Strike Force Raptor commander Det Supt Weinstein said.

'It's one of the most widely used drugs in Australia and the profitability allows organised crime to generate significant income to fund the importation of other drugs from overseas.'

Abou Chanab was charged over allegedly supplying more than one kilogram of cocaine and dealing in proceeds of crime worth a staggering $400,000

This Hermes jewellery case and belt was among the items seized during the Sydney raids

On Friday, police executed three Sydney raids in connection with the alleged syndicate.

Officers seized $120,000 of cash, 110g of cocaine, and $300,000 worth of designer goods that included Gucci and Dior handbags, a Cartier watch, Hermes wallet and Abou Chanab's 26 pairs of designer shoes.

Police suspect a separate apartment was used as a safe house to store the cash and a money counting machine.

Police suspect a separate apartment was used as a safe house to store the cash and a money counting machine
Twitter declared access to its platform a 'human right' on Saturday, prompting conservatives to accuse the firm of hypocrisy after it banned former President Donald Trump and others for violating its terms of service.

The social media giant's statement came as a response to Nigeria's decision to ban Twitter over the deletion of a tweet from Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari that was seen as threatening separatist movements.

'We are deeply concerned by the blocking of Twitter in Nigeria. Access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society,' the company said in a statement.

'We will work to restore access for all those in Nigeria who rely on Twitter to communicate and connect with the world. #KeepitOn.'

Twitter declared access to its platform a 'human right' on Saturday while conservatives ripped the platform for the statement. Pictured: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey

Twitter declared access to its platform a 'human right' on Saturday while conservatives ripped the platform for the statement, citing its January 2021 ban of Donald Trump

Twitter's statement came as a response to Nigeria's decision to ban the social media giant from the country after Twitter deleted a tweet from Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari

President Buhari's tweet reportedly referenced the bloody civil war in Nigeria's Biafra region in the late 1960s, during which a million people were killed

President Buhari's tweet reportedly referenced the bloody civil war in Nigeria's Biafra region in the late 1960s, during which a million people were killed, in what some perceived as a veiled threat to modern day separatists.

'Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat' the secessionists 'in the language they understand,' reads the tweet from Buhari - who was a military officer in the civil war.

Twitter removed the tweet and said it violated policies against 'abusive behavior.' The company's rules prohibit promoting or threatening violence.

Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Information and Culture then tweeted on Friday that the social media account would be banned across the country with violators reportedly facing prosecution.

'The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria,' the ministry tweeted.

After Twitter's response on Saturday, critics of the platform took to the platform in a bid to compare Nigeria's nationwide suppression with the ban Trump and some conservatives have faced for violating the company's policies in the United States.

Liz Wheeler, a conservative author, tweeted: 'Access to the free & #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society... unless you're Donald Trump.

'Or reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop. Or discussing the biology of gender. Or the murderous dictator of Iran. Or a Chinese Communist Party peon lying about COVID.'

Lavern Spicer, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for election to the U.S. House in 2020, responded that she was 'deeply concerned by the suspending of President Donald Trump on Twitter.'

'Access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society, even if you disagree with their politics,' she wrote.

Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Information and Culture tweeted on Friday that the social media account would be banned across the country

The actor James Woods wrote: 'If irony were a food, Twitter could cure hunger overnight'

New York Post journalist Jon Levine also took to condemning Twitter, writing: 'Twitter commits itself to free and open internet just months after banning ... THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.'

Other Twitter users, however, posted that Twitter banning Trump for violating its terms of service and Nigeria banning the entirety of Twitter for all of its citizens are not comparable.

'Nobody suspended Trump from the WHOLE internet for Pete's sake. He was suspended for breaking rules he agreed to adhere to,' tweeted @marajode.

Trump was permanently banned the day after the January 6 US Capitol riot after Twitter accused him of using his account - which had close to 90 million followers - of inciting violence.

People took to Twitter to Twitter's reaction to the banning of Twitter in Nigeria while drawing comparison's to the banning of Donald Trump for violating Twitter's terms of service

The United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria also addressed the Twitter ban in a statement, condemning Nigeria for the ban.

'Nigerias constitution provides for freedom of expression. The Governments recent Twitter ban undermines Nigerians ability to exercise this fundamental freedom and sends a poor message to its citizens, investors and businesses,' the mission tweeted.

'Banning social media and curbing every citizens ability to seek, receive, and impart information undermines fundamental freedoms.'

The statement continued: 'As President Biden has stated, our need for individual expression, open public conversation, and accountability has never been greater. The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication, alongside concerted efforts toward unity, peace, and prosperity.'
A Yale professor says the lecture a New York-based psychiatrist gave to Yale University students where she revealed she fantasized about 'unloading a revolver into the head of any white person' is 'deeply worrisome'.





Dr Aruna Khilanani, who runs her own practice in Manhattan, delivered the talk titled Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind virtually to medical students and faculty back in April after being invited by Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center.

After audio of her 50-minute lecture was published on Substack by journalist Bari Weiss on Friday, Yale professor of social and natural science, Nicholas A. Christakis, slammed her 'racism' which he said must be 'soundly rejected'

'The racism expressed by Dr. Aruna Khilanani  is deeply worrisome & counter-productive,' Christakis tweeted. 'Of course, as an invitee, she is free to speak on campus. But her views must be soundly rejected.'

Dr Aruna Khilanani, who is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, delivered the talk virtually to Yale University medical students and faculty back in April

After Khilanani delivered the talk, Yale only made it available to students and faculty with a warning that said it contained 'profanity and imagery for violence'. Khilanani says it was only released internally after facing calls from some to release it

The doctor has posted a series of TikToks in the last week claiming the school hasn't included the name of the talk or that she delivered it

Khilanani's practice has also been bombarded with one-star reviews that accuse her of being anti-Semitic.

There is currently no public record of Khilanani making any discriminatory comments towards Jewish people.

On Healthgrade.com alone she received 86 one-star ratings that brought her overall rating to 1.2 out of five.

The one star ratings included one that read: 'If you are white, she might shoot you' that 54 people upvoted as helpful.

Another person commented: 'I personally don't feel safe around her. She is an anti-Semite.'

Another review quoted the Psychiatrist lecture and commented: 'Aruna Khilanani should be barred from any professional setting.'

Someone else commented: 'she is a divider' while another person commented 'Can I book an appt? Will you fantasize about killing me and doing the world a favor.'

Khilanani, who has previously taught at Cornell, Columbia and New York universities, made the stunning statements during her talk that was largely based on the psychology behind 'whiteness'.

'I had fantasies of unloading a revolver into the head of any white person that got in my way, burying their body and wiping my bloody hands as I walked away relatively guiltless with a bounce in my step. Like I did the world a f**king favor,' Khilanani said during the talk.

She went on to say that white people feel they are being bullied when people of color bring up race and described it as a 'psychological predicament'.

'They feel that we should be thanking them for all that they have done for us. They are confused, and so are we. We keep forgetting that directly talking about race is a waste of our breath,' she said.

'We are asking a demented, violent predator who thinks that they are a saint or a superhero, to accept responsibility. It ain't gonna happen. They have five holes in their brain. It's like banging your head against a brick wall. It's just like sort of not a good idea.'

After Khilanani delivered the talk, Yale only made it available to students and faculty with a warning that said it contained 'profanity and imagery for violence'.

Khilanani says it was only released internally after facing calls from some to release it.

She is now arguing, however, that Yale is trying to suppress her by not releasing the footage of her talk publicly.

The doctor has posted a series of TikToks in the last week claiming the school hasn't included the name of the talk or that she delivered it.

A caption on one of her TikTok's reads: 'My talk at Yale Child Study Center was just released internally. Unnamed and untitled like the privilege it protects.'

The forensic psychiatrist and psychoanalyst's lecture seem to contradict statements on her website where she invites people of all backgrounds to her office that she refers to as a a 'meetpoint'

'Whoever you are, and wherever you come from, our world is better because of you,' she states on the site. 'Conservative, Liberal, Old, Young, Blue, Black, CIS, Trans, Asian, Fat, Skinny, rural, urban, B-baller, international, ex-pat, Rapper, Queer, White, Muslim, Biker, Rocker , Lax player, Atheist, Trump Supporter, Darwinist, Trump Hater.  All are welcome at the meetpoint.'
Justice Department officials say they will no longer seek access to journalists' phone and email records amid an outcry over the Trump and Biden administrations' attempts to seize four New York Times journalists' email records.

The White House has claimed that nobody was aware of a gag order which barred the Times from reporting the attempts to obtain its staffers' communications until Friday night, with both the Biden administration and Justice Department since backtracking.

Donald Trump's officials made the initial request for the records on January 5 this year to try and work out the source of White House leaks about former FBI Director James Comey, with that legal process continuing after Joe Biden took office.

Lawyers for the Biden Justice Department even obtained a gag order which prevented the New York Times from alerting the wider public to what was going on.

Addressing the issue more broadly, press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement 'the issuing of subpoenas for the records of reporters in leak investigations is not consistent with the President's policy direction to the Department.'

The disavowal comes as the Justice Department said on Saturday that it no longer will secretly obtain reporters' records during leak investigations, a policy shift that abandons a practice decried by news organizations and press freedom groups.

The Justice Department has said it will no longer seek access to journalists' records. Pictured, the U.S. Department of Justice building is seen in Washington

The Times revealed four reporters were targeted by the Justice Department, which went to court to try and force Google to hand over their email records. Google pushed back, and the emails were never handed over. The move was described as an assault on the First Amendment

Michael Schmidt (left) and Adam Goldman (right) were targeted by the Justice Department

Matt Apuzzo (left) and Eric Lichtblau were also identified by the Justice Department

The reversal follows a pledge last month by President Joe Biden, who said it was 'simply, simply wrong' to seize journalists' records and that he would not permit the Justice Department to continue the practice.

Though Biden's comments in an interview were not immediately accompanied by any change in policy, a pair of statements from the White House and Justice Department on Saturday signaled an official turnabout from an investigative tactic that has persisted for years.

Democratic and Republican administrations alike have used subpoenas and court orders to obtain journalists' records in an effort to identify sources who have revealed classified information. But the practice had received renewed scrutiny over the past month as Justice Department officials alerted reporters at three news organizations - The Washington Post, CNN and The New York Times - that their phone records had been obtained in the final year of the Trump administration.

Joe Biden previously pledged to stop the seizing of journalists' records by the DOJ

The latest revelation came Friday night when the Times reported the existence of a gag order that had barred the newspaper from revealing a secret court fight over efforts to obtain the email records of four reporters.

The request for those records was made on January 5 - 15 days before Trump left office - but continued under the Biden Justice Department, which requested a gag order banning publication of the seizure attempts, only to later backtrack.

In a separate statement, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said that 'in a change to its longstanding practice,' the department 'will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media doing their jobs.'

He added: 'The department strongly values a free press, protecting First Amendment values, and is committed to taking all appropriate steps to ensure the independence of journalists.'

In ruling out 'compulsory legal process' for reporters in leak investigations, the department also appeared to say that it would not force journalists to reveal in court the identity of their sources.

There have also been several recent disclosures about attempts to secretly seize records under the Trump administration

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement 'the issuing of subpoenas for the records of reporters in leak investigations is not consistent with the President's policy direction to the Department.'

Bruce D. Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said he welcomed the Justice Department's policy change but that serious unanswered questions remain about what happened in each of these cases.

'To ensure it does not happen again, we look forward to pursuing additional policy reforms with the Biden administration to further safeguard these essential rights,' he said in a statement.

The two newspapers whose reporters' phone records had been secretly obtained also said more needed to be done.

'This is a welcome step to protecting the ability of the press to provide the public with essential information about what their government is doing,' New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger said in a statement. 'However, there is significantly more that needs to be done and we are still awaiting an explanation on why the Department of Justice moved so aggressively to seize journalists records.'

Washington Post executive editor Sally Buzbee said the newspaper was calling on the Biden administration and Justice Department 'to provide a full accounting of the chain of events in both administrations and to implement enduring protections to prevent any future recurrence.'

The Justice Department statement did not say whether it would still conduct aggressive leak investigations without obtaining reporters' records. It also did not define who exactly would be counted as a member of the media for the purposes of the policy and how broadly the protection would apply.

Even so, it marked a startling reversal concerning a practice that has persisted across multiple presidential administrations. The Obama Justice Department, under then-Attorney General Eric Holder, alerted The Associated Press in 2013 that it had secretly obtained two months of phone records of reporters and editors in what the news cooperative's top executive called a 'massive and unprecedented intrusion' into newsgathering activities.

After blowback, Holder announced a revised set of guidelines for leak investigations, including requiring the authorization of the highest levels of the department before subpoenas for news media records could be issued.

But the department preserved its prerogative to seize journalists' records, and the recent disclosures to the news media organizations show that the practice continued in the Trump Justice Department as part of multiple investigations.

The FBI sent an email to attorneys for USA Today on June 5 saying they were withdrawing their subpoena because they identified the suspect 'by other means'

Separately on Saturday, the Justice Department said it was withdrawing its subpoena that demanded USA Today provide information to identify readers of a story about a suspect in a child pornography case who fatally shot two FBI agents in February.

The subpoena was issued in April but came to light this past week when USA Today and its parent company Gannett filed documents in federal court asking a judge to quash it.

The subpoena sought the IP addresses and mobile phone identification information of readers who clicked on the article for a period of about 35 minutes on the day after the shooting.

The government hadn't provided details about the case or why it was specifically interested in the readers who clicked on the USA Today story during that brief period. Officials had only said the subpoena was connected to an ongoing federal criminal investigation.

But a federal prosecutor notified lawyers for USA Today on Saturday that the FBI was withdrawing its subpoena because authorities had been able to identify the subject of their investigation - described in an email as a 'child sexual exploitation offender' - by 'other means.'

The subpoena asked for the IP addresses and the phone numbers of the people who read the article to help with a 'federal investigation'
Idyllic holiday destinations are struggling from a crippling shortage of hospitality workers as the coronavirus pandemic and Australia's closed borders continue to take a devastating toll, despite offering huge salaries in a desperate attempt to fill roles.

Towns in some of Australia's much-loved travel hotspots such as Far North Queensland, Uluru and the New South Wales south coast have been flooded with domestic tourists keen to explore the nation while international borders remain off-limits.

But overwhelmed tourism operators are feeling tremendous strain from the lack of hospitality workers, where resort managers have been forced to multi-task and step in to fulfil roles usually done by baggage handlers, maintenance crew, cleaners and baristas.

About 78 per cent of Australian hotels are experiencing a skilled labour shortage, with more than 8,000 vacancies for chefs alone waiting to be filled, according to the Accommodation Association.

Resorts and restaurants in the beachside village of Palm Cove (pictured) near Cairns are desperate to fill positions - but simply can't find workers

Domestic tourists have flocked to Far North Queensland, which has hit by a shortage of workers due to closed international borders (pictured, Cairns)

In Far North Queensland, domestic tourism has returned to pre-Covid volumes.

But the region doesn't have the reef guides, ships masters and crew, housekeepers and drivers needed to keep up with high demand in an area which previously heavily relied on overseas backpackers for employment.

There are more than 1,200 tourism and hospitality jobs vacancies between Townsville and Cairns, while in nearby Port Douglas, one local business alone has 50 available positions.

Some hotels and restaurants have been forced to temporarily close while others have put customer caps in place so overwhelmed staff can keep up with demand.

Existing staff are forced to multitask, including resort general manager Christian Lachemeier, who runs the Mantra Amphora resort at Palm Cove, an idyllic beachside village north of Cairns.

'It's still the same job. It's just more intense because you're pulling in all directions, he told the Australian Weekend Magazine.

Australian tourists are flocking to North Queensland for a holiday in pre-Covid volumes. Pictured are the Whitsunday Islands

Palm Cove (pictured) a beloved spot for exploring the Great Barrier Reef is struggling to attract any staff in face of soaring domestic demand

Ayers Rock Resort (pictured) has also struggled to get adequate staff - with 120 jobs waiting to be filled

Another manager at a nearby resort said their hotel recorded its best April bookings since 2007.

Staff at restaurants in Palm Cove have also been run off their feet and admit the shortage has been physically and mentally draining.

One restauranteur who hasn't had a day off in months, has spent $2,000 advertising for positions, many of which still aren't filled.

They recalled offering the job to an apprentice chef who was on trial, only to find out that he had three other trials and that he would 'have to think about it'.

Queensland isn't the only state to be hit by the staff shortage as the tourism sector tries to recover from the pandemic.

In Cairns, hotels are struggling to keep up with domestic demand thanks to a lack of seasonal workers from overseas

David Allen, the publican at the Cobargo Hotel Motel (pictured) said the town has seen roaring demand in recent months - but is struggling to keep up

On the NSW South coast, Cobargo Hotel Motel publican David Allen says he and his staff are being slammed by demand, less than 18 months after a wild bushfire devastated the small town.

The numbers of meals doubled from 600 a week to 1,200 during the pandemic which has left Mr Allen looking for a head chef for the last four months.

Not even adding an extra $20,000 for a job that usually pays $60,000 a year has been enough incentive.

HOW YOU CAN SCORE A JOB IN A TROPICAL PARADISE For Australian citizens and permanent residents, it could be as easy as applying for any of the listed jobs in these holiday towns and moving there. For those without full working rights, it's a little more complicated. Non-citizens already in Australia can apply for the special Covid-19 Pandemic Event visa. Details are available here. The visa is a special visa set up during the pandemic to allow overseas workers to remain in Australia if they work for critical industries. This includes: agriculture food processing health care aged care disability care child care or tourism and hospitality Advertisement

Mr Allen is worried about the effect the busy months ahead will have on his business and staff.

'I can just see this Christmas is going to be absolutely horrendous,' he said.

'Theyll come down here and they cant get bookings and the quality of service wont be there. Yes, you might make some extra money. But at what cost? How long can you keep doing that?'

The Burke and Wills Roadhouse in the Outback of far-north Queensland owners admitted they were getting 'burnt out' as they struggled with a lack of employees

Richard Shannon at Queensland's peak horticulture body Growcom said that Covid highlighted Australia's over-reliance on overseas workers

Meanwhile in central Australia near national icon Uluru, 120 jobs are waiting to be filled at Ayers Rock Resort which is run by Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia boss Matt Cameron-Smith.

He said international order closures and the loss of overseas labour are responsible for the pressures now being met by tourism operators.

'The whole industry pressed go at the same time. We all need the same people at the same time and there are not enough people in Australia,' he said.

Around 660km north of Uluru, the Ti Tree Roadhouse is an essential pit stop for most travellers en route to Darwin via the along the Stuart Highway.

Usually reliant on backpackers for casual work, the roadhouse is often manned by a single employee and is forced to close 90 minutes early each night due to staff shortages.

Cobargo (pictured) was ravaged by bushfires in 2019/20 but has seen a return to huge tourist levels - but there's very little staff on hand to help

The Burke and Wills Roadhouse has struggled to find employees as they wrote a number of similar businesses were forced to close their doors

Elsewhere, The Burke and Wills Roadhouse in Four Ways, an outback town 1,500km from Brisbane in far-north Queensland, is also struggling to find staff with owners saying they're close to being 'burnt out' after a boom in business.

Owners of the roadhouse are struggling to 'keep their heads above water' due to the limited workforce and were forced to b eg for workers on Facebook.

'No one replies to our job ads, some have committed to coming but then pull out last minute, others don't bother to answer our messages,' they wrote.

'Every remote town/roadhouse/pub in all the surrounding towns are all in the same situation; no-one can find employees.'

Cobargo (pictured) suffered bad bushfires in 2019/20 but has since recovered and is booming with domestic tourists - but struggling to find the staff

The lack of seasonal and international travellers has left a gaping hole in the workforce, as Richard Shannon at Queensland's peak horticulture body Growcom explained.

'We already knew it before COVID, but it certainly highlighted our over-reliance of backpackers,' he said.

'We need to re-balance our workforce toward a more willing, more productive, more secure workforce.'

A Federal Government initiative is offering $6,000 to workers if they relocate to a regional area, but within its first few months only 148 people took up the offer.
An urgent alert has been issued after Covid was 'unexpectedly' detected in the sewage systems of 10 suburbs across Melbourne where there are no active cases.

Victoria's Department of Health issued the alert on Sunday morning for suburbs across inner west and north Melbourne.

Authorities are concerned that there may be undiagnosed infectious cases within the communities, with the city in lockdown over a cluster of 71 infections.

Residents in the suburbs have been urged to remain on high alert and seek Covid testing immediately if they develop any symptoms - no matter how minor.

But the Department of Health is urging the public not to panic, suggesting the uptick in Covid in the sewage could be linked to older cases.

An urgent alert has been issued after Covid was detected in the sewage systems of 10 suburbs across Melbourne

The Department has guaranteed additional resources will be used to increase wastewater testing in the regions and monitor the situation closely

SUBURBS WITH COVID SEWAGE ALERTS Aberfeldie Essendon Essendon West Flemington Footscray Kensington Maribyrnong Moonee Ponds Parkville Travancore Advertisement

'The unexpected detections may be due to someone who has had COVID-19 that is no longer infectious continuing to shed the virus or it may be due to an active but undiagnosed infectious case,' a spokesman said.

The Department has guaranteed additional resources will be used to increase wastewater testing in the regions and monitor the situation closely.

It comes as two new cases were recorded in Victoria on Sunday - after nine days of tough lockdown which was introduced to stem the spread of the variant Indian Covid strain.

The new cases bring the total number of active cases in the state to 85, with 72 linked to the Melbourne cluster which prompted the snap lockdown.

Victorians are still turning out in droves to be vaccinated against the virus, with 19,940 dosses administered on Saturday alone and 613,914 so far this year.

Top epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely, from the University of Melbourne, has suggested Victoria will continue plunging in and out of despised lockdowns until reaching herd immunity.

Two new cases were recorded in Victoria on Sunday - after nine days of tough lockdown which was introduced to stem the spread of the variant Indian Covid strain

A police vehicle drives through Melbourne's normally bustling Bourke Street Mall as the city entered its second week of the fourth Covid lockdown

He said at least 80 per cent of the state would need to be fully vaccinated in order to reach that goal.

'We probably won't get to herd immunity until next year where we can completely open up,' he said.

He said the advanced contact tracing system might encourage health officials to start advising to reopen the state with only half of the population vaccinated.

But Victoria has so far been criticised for its contact tracing and QR code system - falling behind the rest of the nation in introducing mandatory check ins at public venues.

A person walks through the Royal Arcade on June 5 as strict lockdown restrictions rage on in Melbourne

The Education State has now implemented a uniform check in system, but with residents in the throws of their fourth lockdown and a state government that just extended the state of emergency for a 17th time, many feel as though the government has already failed them.

On Tuesday, Victoria's under fire Labor government signed off to extend its state of emergency powers for another four weeks - meaning the Andrews regime can hold almost seven million Australians in lockdown until July 1.

The extension of the state of emergency powers does not mean lockdown will remain in place until July 1, but it does give the government the power to do so.
House Republican Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy is calling for the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, to resign or be fired from his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci has been a political lightning rod since the early days of the pandemic, lionized by the left and condemned by the right for flip-flopping on issues including face masks and the theory COVID-19 leaked from a Wuhan virus lab.

But with the release of a trove of Fauci's emails this past week, Republicans have upped the pressure on Fauci, with McCarthy the highest profile figure so-far to turn on him.

'The American people don't have trust in Dr. Fauci,' McCarthy told the Breitbart News Saturday radio show. 'Let's find a person we can trust. Take politics aside, I mean we're talking about American lives here.'

Dr. Anthony Fauci is facing calls from Republican lawmakers to be fired

When asked by the interviewer if that meant 'You think he needs to go?' McCarthy said 'yes'.

'Yea, because you do not have the trust in him,' he replied.

On conservative news channels, President Joe Biden's pandemic adviser has been pilloried as a liar who misled the American people about the origins of COVID-19 to protect the Chinese government.

There's no evidence of wrongdoing, and Fauci has branded the claims against him 'nonsense.'

But Republican calls for his resignation have grown louder, as have demands for new investigations into the origins of the virus.

Fauci has also faced questions over $3.4 million in funding send to the Wuhan Institutes of Virology b the US between 2014 and 2019. It was given to the WIV by the National Institutes of Health - of which he has been director since 1984 - through - a non-profit called EcoHealth Alliance.

EcoHeatl's chief Peter Daszak - currently facing conflict of interest claims over a letter to respected medical journal The Lancet he organized to dismiss the leak claim - sent an email to Fauci gushing about his COVID comments.

Daszak wrote: 'Your comments are brave, and coming from your trusted voice, will help dispel the myths being spun around the virus.'

'Given what we know now, I don't know how anyone can have confidence that he should remain in a position of public trust and authority,' said Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who is calling for Fauci's resignation and a full congressional inquiry.

House Republican Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy is calling for the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, to resign or be fired from his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida also called for Biden to fire the doctor.

Fauci, who is now also the chief White House medical adviser to President Joe Biden, has directed NIAID for several decades and served presidents of both parties.

The latest demands for Fauci to step down came after revelations the U.S. National Institutes of Health sent funding to China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The Chinese lab may well have been the source for the initial COVID-19 outbreak.

'It doesn't take an overactive imagination to grasp human infallibility, or to wonder why a coronavirus pandemic might first break out in exactly the same city that hosted a laboratory specifically studying this class of viruses,' Rubio wrote.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida also called for Biden to fire the doctor.

'Some scientists were cautious to remain open to a range of possibilities, but others, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, dismissed the idea that the virus could have come from a lab. It was a massive failure in judgment for a prominent public health official.'

The political moves by Republicans represent a new effort to find a reliable foil in the first few months of the Biden administration, as they have struggled to turn public sentiment against the new president.

So far, Biden has enjoyed widespread job approval, buoyed by the public's broad backing of his handling of the pandemic, which 71% of Americans support, according to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

Fauci, who has a security detail because of ongoing threats has repeatedly defended his work, saying he received thousands of emails and has never ruled out any theory.

'I still believe the most likely origin is from an animal species to a human, but I keep an absolutely open mind that if there may be other origins of that, there may be another reason, it could have been a lab leak,' Fauci said on Thursday to CNN.

'Given what we know now, I don't know how anyone can have confidence that he should remain in a position of public trust and authority,' said Republican Sen. Josh Hawley

The possibility the had escaped either on purpose or by accident from the virology institute was widely dismissed by public academics, Democrats, and the mainstream media as a crazy theory for months, until May, forcing the Biden administration to take it seriously.

The doctors newly released emails, which span the early days of the pandemic and were obtained by BuzzFeed News and The Washington Post, show no evidence of any kind of coverup about the origin of the virus.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has long been calling for Fauci's firing

Indeed, many of the discussions reflect the science at the time. But Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have seized on the emails as proof of a conspiracy to obscure the source of the virus.

In one email from February 2020, before the outbreak had become a pandemic, Fauci wrote that wearing a face mask to the airport would not help keep its wearer safe from the virus.

'The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out [the] virus, which is small enough to pass through the material,' he wrote. 'It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep[ing] out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you. I do not recommend that you wear a mask.'

Republicans including Trump tried to ridicule the doctor saying his overcautious approach ended up shutting down the economy. Fauci is pictured in March 2020

'Masks worked better when worn by infected people to keep them from spreading their own germs to healthy bystanders', he said.

Another email from Dr. Peter Daszak, head of the EcoHealth Alliance nonprofit that helped fund research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, thanked Fauci for rejecting the lab-leak theory.

Trump, who disdained the scientist's popularity, frequently flouted Fauci's recommendations on battling COVID-19 by playing down the severity of the pandemic and often touting unproven scientific remedies, including a malaria drug and even injecting disinfectant. And he frequently tried to undermine Fauci's credibility by refusing to acknowledge the evolution in scientists' understanding of the virus and how it spread, which informed guidance about policies like masking.

The idea the coronavirus escaped from a Wuhan lab was at best a 'fringe theory' until recently, when the Biden administration ordered a review

GOP lawmakers are calling for Fauci to be fired with many tweeting their demands

Trump went after Fauci again on Saturday night when he returned to the public stage in a speech in North Carolina. He sees the emails as further vindication that he was right about the doctor, according to an adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

'Hes a great promoter,' Trump said about Fauci. 'Not a great doctor, but hes a hell of a promoter. He likes television more than any politician in this room. ... But hes been wrong on almost every issue.'

House Republican Whip Rep. Steve Scalise said on Fox Business Network on Thursday that Fauci 'needs to be brought in under oath to answer questions' about the emails, while Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., now the No. 3 Republican in the House, blasted out a fundraising email with the subject line 'FIRE FAUCI.'

'Anthony Faucis recently released emails and investigative reporting about #COVID19 origins are shocking. The time has come for Fauci to resign and for a full congressional investigation into the origins of #COVID19 - and into any and all efforts to prevent a full accounting,' Hawley tweeted after recently voting along with Scalise and Stefanik to block a full congressional investigation into the origins of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

President Donald Trump, have seized on the emails as proof of a conspiracy to obscure the source of the virus. He is pictured on Saturday night in Greenville, North Carolina

But the White House has made clear that it is standing with Fauci, despite the onslaught of criticism.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki this week praised Fauci as 'an undeniable asset in our countrys pandemic response,' and Biden felt compelled to poke his head back into a room full of reporters hed departed Friday to say that he was, indeed, 'very confident in Dr. Fauci.' In a sign of support, Fauci will join first lady Jill Biden for a visit Sunday to a vaccination clinic in New York.

Biden administration officials and allies point to polling showing that Fauci is still one of the countrys most trusted public health communicators. Privately, they see the GOPs focus on Fauci as a ploy to energize their base that likely will not resonate with moderate voters. And they are happy to compare Faucis record on public health with Trumps.

'A note to Fauci critics,' tweeted Andy Slavitt, Bidens outgoing senior COVID-19 adviser. 'For years, he has been working tirelessly on the development of the mRNA vaccine in anticipation of a potential major viral outbreak. And on Jan 11, 2020, his team downloaded the gene sequence & on the 13th began work on the vaccine.'

'So keep it down,' he wrote.
Beijing slams Biden's curbs on firms

10:32, June 06, 2021 By Zhou Jin ( China Daily

China on Friday expressed opposition to United States President Joe Biden's expansion of restrictions on investments in certain Chinese companies and vowed to take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises.

Biden signed an executive order on Thursday that prohibits US citizens from owning or trading any securities tied to 59 companies, citing alleged ties to China's military and the so-called threat posed by Chinese surveillance technology.

The order is viewed as an amendment to the Trump administration's previous one with a list of 48 firms. It came after two Chinese companies successfully challenged Trump's move in a US court, Bloomberg reported.

The US government has abused the concept of national security and state power and "unscrupulously suppressed and restricted Chinese companies", Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing.

The move severely disrupted normal market rules and order, Wang said, adding that it not only undermined the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies but also hurt the interests of global investors, including those in the US.

The US should respect the rule of law and the market, revoke these so-called lists that suppress China, and provide a fair, just and nondiscriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, he said.

"China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard Chinese enterprises' legitimate rights and interests and support them in defending their rights and interests according to law," he added.

Among the 59 blacklisted companies are Huawei Technologies Co, Aero Engine Corp of China, Aerosun Corp and Fujian Torch Electron Technology.

The prohibitions on investment in the companies take effect on Aug 2, and investors will have one year to fully divest.

Bloomberg quoted a Hikvision spokesperson as saying on Friday that "with no justification for previous lists, the US government keeps finding creative ways to continue targeting Hikvision simply because we happen to be headquartered in China".

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Denouncing the late Turkish aggression on Medya Self Defence Zones and targeting the Makhmour Camp people today took to the street in different towns and cities in Jazira Canton.

In Hasaka people took to the streets confirming their solidarity to the Guerrilla Forces denouncing the Turkish shelling of the Makhmour Canton as the Kurdistan Regional Government preserves silence.

Demonstrators chanted slogans hailing the resistance put up by the Guerrilla fighters in standing up to the Turkish occupation forces on Kurdistan Mountains holding banners that reads '' Nay to Treason long live Fighting'', Nay to occupation''.

After a minute of silence was observed Sozdar Ahmed, administrator in the Kongra Star Coordination delivered a speech in which she said: Kurdistan Democratic Party supports the Turkish occupation in targeting the Guerrilla fighters in the Medya Zones'', adding '' all these attempts are doomed failure, as it was the case in Gara and Zap''.

''the aim is to put an end to the democratic nation idea so we ought to stand up to that to preserve the philosophy of leader Ocalan'', Sozdar added '' in thius critical phase we should not remain silent and hands folded towards Turkish aggression and the betrayal from the PDK part rather to preserve our gains and liberate leader and all Middle Eastern people''.

In Amuda a mass demonstration took to the street in condemnation of the Turkish aggression on Medya Self Defence Zones in Southern Kurdistan and the onslaught on Makhmour Camp where demonstrators hold photos of leader Ocalan and banners that read Nay to Occupation your aim and path are ours''.

Ziwer Ali, Co-chair of the Martyrs Families Council made a speech saying:'' this is not the first time Turkish state and it's Kurdish backers targets the Guerrilla Forces indicating that supporting thee guerrilla is an urgent need now, and that the aim of the Turkish state is not the Guerrilla forces that the whole Kurdish people and occupying Kurdistan''.

Ziwer pledged to continue that path undertaken by martyrs until victory is attained.

In a related relation, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Traffic Ploice Center in Tal Hamis in southern Qamishlo city to take part in a demonstration condemning Turkish aggression on Medya Zones in Southern Kurdistan stressing that ''Mount Qandil is the fountain of heroism and intrepidity''.

Demonstrators hold banners that read '' Freedom of Leader Apo is Ours'', Guerrilla Resistance gives us Dignity, raising as well photos of leader Abdullah Ocalan as they chanted slogans that say Nay to Turkish Occupation, Nay to Turkish aggression on Medya Zones, down Erdoagan, long live Ocalan''.

Then father of martyr Gheith and co-chair of the Tal Hamis Martyrs Families Council said:'' the Turkish state continue to attacks mEdya Zones as the Guerrilla fighters put up an intrepid fighting''.

From her part member to the Kongra Star Coordination in Tal Hamis Hilwa Hamza denounced attacks carried out by the Turkish occupation forces that led to martyrdom of thousands of innocent civilians and other were displaced from home stressing that via the Guerrilla forces all schemes hatched by the Turkish state will fell to the ground.

Majid Daham on behalf of the Arab Tribes said: '' we took to the streets today to denounce the Turkish antagonist attacks against our comrades on mountain and to stand up to all bids to sow sedition in society in all Rojava.

Daham hailed highly every mother that sacrificed a martyr in defence of homeland, as well as the steadfastness of leader Ocalan.

In Darbassiye and Zarghan took to the street in denounciation of the Turkish aggression on Medya Zones in Southern Kurdistan as well as the shelling carried out on Makhmour Camp.

Participants in the demonstration were people from both Darbassiye and zarghan as well as members to many civil and military associations and bodies raising photos of leader Abdullah Ocalan and banners of PYD and Kurdistan Workers' Party.

After a minute of silence was observed Rastam Bekr talked on behalf of the people in Darvassiye and Zarghan that indicated the Turkish state is fighting the Kurds hundreds of years ago up to date aided by Kurdish traitors making use even of ISIS and Syrian proxies to occupy Southern Kurdistan with the aim to terminate the Kurdistan Freedom Movement''.

Bekr said that they do not accept such attacks on Avashin, Metina and Zap and any other spot in Kurdistan stressing that the Turkish state ought to recognize that the Kurdish people is clutched to the ideas of lerader Abdullah Ocalan that defined the actual reality of the Kurdish people''.

L.A.

ANHA
Mark Meadows pushed the Justice Department to investigate claims Donald Trump lost the election after Italians hacked voting machines using satellites.

Meadows, who served as chief of staff in the Trump White House, sent five emails in the final weeks of Trump's presidency to then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen urging him to investigate the unproven claims, The New York Times reported.

The emails particularly show Meadows urging Rosen to investigate the conspiracy theory dubbed 'ItalyGate' which bizarrely suggests Italians hacked voting machines using satellites to change votes in the 2020 election from Trump to Joe Biden.

They depict the frantic measures the Trump administration took to try to undermine the 2020 presidential election result with claims of voter fraud, after a multitude of failed lawsuits and recount attempts.

Rosen never agreed to the investigations, according to emails provided to Congress and obtained by the outlet. Sources said that Rosen rejected the requests from Meadows.

Mark Meadows, left,, sent five emails in the final weeks of Trump's presidency to then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen urging him to investigate the unproven claims of voter fraud

On Saturday, Trump spoke in Greenville, North Carolina reiterating his false claims that the election was stolen

In one email to another Justice Department official, Rosen indicated he had refused to arrange for FBI officials to meet with Brad Johnson - a former CIA employee who claimed he could prove the outlandish theory.

In a bid to prove that the Justice Department should investigate the ItalyGate theory, Meadows had sent Rosen a link to a YouTube video made by Johnson.

Meadows also pressed the Justice Department to investigate the already disproven theory that Georgia's Fulton County ballots had enough irregularities that the results should have gone for Trump in an email on January 1.

As noted by The New York Times, the emails from Meadows show a break from Justice Department policies that prevent White House staff from requesting particular Justice Department investigations.

Meadows, and avid ally and defender of the former president, was reported to have been involved with Trump's attempts to undo the results - having made a surprise appearance in Georgia's Cobb County to review the election audit taking place.

He also joined Trump's controversial January 2 phone call to Georgia's Republican secretary of state Brad Raffensperger in which Trump repeatedly told him to 'find' votes needed to alter the outcome of the election.

Two days before that phone call, Meadows had forwarded Rosen an email written by Trump campaign lawyer Cleta Mitchell about the allegations of voter fraud in Georgia.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is investigating if Justice Department officials participated in Trump's efforts to reverse the results of the election, and the emails were revealed as a part of those efforts.

Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump step into Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on January 20 after the inauguration of President Joe Biden

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the committee's chairman, told The New York Times in a statement that the emails underscore 'the depths of the White House's efforts to co-opt the department and influence the electoral vote certification.'

'I will demand all evidence of Trump's efforts to weaponize the Justice Department in his election subversion scheme,' Durbin said.

The House Oversight Committee and the inspector general for the Justice Department are also investigating aspects of those efforts.

The New York Times reported that Rosen 'is in talks' with the House Oversight Committee to discuss whether the Justice Department faced pressure to investigate election fraud and its response to the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

What Rosen may reveal to the House Oversight Committee depends on what is allowed to disclose as he is obligated to not interfere with current investigations, the outlet reported.

On Saturday, Trump spoke in Greenville, North Carolina reiterating the unfounded claims that the election was stolen.

'The 2020 presidential election, that election, the 2020 presidential election was by far the most corrupt election in the history of our country,' Trump said.

'They used COVID and the mail-in ballots to steal an election. It was the third world country election like we've never seen before. Look at what took place.'
An additional 100,000 Pfizer vaccines will be sent to Victoria - as the state records just four new Covid-19 cases and one of its top doctors admits the lockdown in Melbourne will continue despite the low number of new infections.

State health officials announced two new cases on Sunday were locally acquired, with aged care facility Arcare later revealing its Maidstone facility in Melbourne's inner west also had two new infections.

Acting Premier James Merlino said the cases were primary close contacts of existing cases and included a person in their 50s linked to the Port Melbourne finance exposure site and a primary school teacher linked to the West Melbourne cluster.

In the aged care facility, one case is a 79-year-old resident who was staying in a room close to two other residents who previously tested positive to the virus.

'The resident, who has had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, is asymptomatic but will be transferred to hospital for public health reasons,' he said.

Victoria has recorded just two new Covid-19 cases with a top doctor admitting the lockdown in Melbourne will continue despite the low number of cases (pictured, people queueing for vaccines on Saturday)

Melbourne will remain in lockdown until Thursday despite officially recording just two new local cases on Sunday

The second is an agency nurse who had been working at the facility on Saturday. They had already received their first dose of the vaccine.

The new cases bring the total number of active cases in the state to 85, with 72 in the Melbourne cluster that has brought the city into lockdown for a fourth time.

National Health Minister Greg Hunt on Sunday announced 100,000 more Pfizer vaccines would be delivered to the Victorian Government over a three week period beginning June 14 to bolster vaccination efforts.

The government will also double the state's doses of AstraZeneca to 230,000 to drive vaccinations in over 50s.

On Saturday, more than 19,900 jabs were distributed in Victoria, taking the state's total to more than 690,000.

Poll Should Victoria's lockdown end? Yes No Should Victoria's lockdown end? Yes 1120 votes

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But Victoria's deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng said he doesn't expect the lockdown in Melbourne - which was extended until Thursday 11.59pm - will be lifted sooner despite the relatively low number of cases and high vaccination numbers.

He said health authorities were still trying to determine the source of the Indian Delta strain outbreak - a highly infectious and contagious variant of the virus.

'We are still continuing to look at all possibilities, particularly, as you say, I think the Wollert case is now going back quite some time now so I think any hidden transmission from that is probably less likely,' he said.

Mr Merlino added he would wait for the advice from health authorities before even considering easing restrictions.

'We know that the Delta variant is 50 per cent more infectious than what we were dealing with last year' he said.

During a press conference on Sunday, Victoria's deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng said he doesn't expect the lockdown in Melbourne - which was extended until Thursday - will be lifted sooner in light of the low number of cases

The extension of the state of emergency powers doesn't necessarily mean lockdown will remain in place until July 1, but gives the government the power to do so

'The last thing we want to see is this variant of the virus getting out, and becoming uncontrollable.'

The list of exposure sites has also grown to almost 400 with another venue added to the list.

One of the new cases identified had visited Thornbury Market from 10.30am to 11.30am on June 1.

Professor Cheng asked anyone who had been at the venue at the time to immediately get tested.

'It is a pretty precautionary one because we think the symptoms were on the edge of happening but they are both tier two sites so if you've been at either of those, please get tested and isolate,' he said.

Despite the low number of cases recorded overnight health authorities have extended their state of emergency powers while Melbourne residents have been forced to push through an extended lockdown until Thursday

News of the continuing lockdown has previously drawn heavy criticism from residents and businesses and led them to question when the draconian restrictions will be lifted for good.

Minister for Small Business Jaala Pulford has also held meetings with industry leaders and urged them to start campaigning for their staff to get vaccinated so life can return to normal.

'Our small businesses have paid a high price keeping the community safe  the best thing we can now do for them is get vaccinated,' she told Herald Sun.

On Tuesday, Victoria's under fire Labor government signed off to extend its state of emergency powers for another four weeks - meaning the Andrews regime can hold almost seven million Australians in lockdown until July 1.

Greater Melbourne remains in lockdown with residents and businesses unhappy politicians are sitting back and letting health officers decide what will be done

The extension of the state of emergency powers does not mean lockdown will remain in place until July 1, but it does give the government the power to do so.

On Thursday, when the lockdown is due to end, the government could either decide to extend it - or to ease restrictions as it did for regional Victoria.

Health Minister Martin Foley made the decision to extend the state of emergency after holding talks with Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, who has been described by senior figures in the Victorian government as a 'catastrophist'.

The Andrews Government first brought in the state of emergency on March 16, 2020.

It was initially set to remain in place for four weeks, but has since been extended 17 times.

Victoria recorded five new local infections on Saturday, bringing the state's outbreak to 70 cases

TIMELINE TO DISASTER May 3: An infected guest staying in the adjacent room of a Wollert man infects him as he leaves a South Australian hotel bound for Melbourne. May 7: Melbourne city restaurant the Curry Vault is officially listed as a tier 1 public exposure site six days after the man had dined at the venue. May 11: A Woolworths supermarket in Epping, in Melbourne's north-west, is notified the infected person who had left SA quarantine had visited the store three days earlier. May 22: A banking transaction is blamed for Victorian health authorities listing the wrong supermarket - it should have been Woolworths Epping North. May 27: The Victorian government announces a seven-day lockdown in a bid to curb the state's growing coronavirus outbreak. May 28: Victoria finally introduces a single mandatory QR code tracking system. May 31: Arcare Maidstone residents are locked down and placed into self-isolation after a female healthcare worker at the facility tested positive. June 3: Melbourne's week long lockdown is extended a further week. Advertisement

The state emergency was signed off to 'assist with measures designed to 'flatten the curve' of Covid-19 and give our health system the best chance of managing the virus', Mr Andrews - who is currently on medical leave - said last year.

The powers of the order include 'detaining people, restricting movement and preventing entry to premises', through lockdowns, mandatory mask wearing and hotel quarantine.

Mr Foley remained tight lipped about when a decision will be made on extending the state's lockdown.

'There is no simple answer,' he said, when asked about a potential date.

'Clearly, as we approach next Thursday, the kind of facts we have been going through here, the evidence, what cases (we are) aware (of), either linked or unlinked, have we got the support around them.

'How we got the evidence that Professor Lewin was talking about, as to knowing where they've come from.'

The entire state was first locked down at the end of May for seven days - due to end on June 3 - but just one day before residents planned to return to their semi-normal lives, the government announced Greater Melbourne would be forced to stay locked inside their houses for an additional seven days.

The extension of the state of emergency powers doesn't mean lockdown will remain in place until July 1, but gives the government the power to do so

With the new Indian 'Delta' variant that has wreaked havoc amongst a billion-strong population overseas being detected in the state, residents fear the leading health officers may extend the dreaded lockdown again.

This is despite the highest number of infections on a single day in the latest outbreak, which started on May 4, being 12 - with every other day reporting total community transmission of between three to six cases despite tens of thousands of tests.

During Victoria's emergency lockdown meeting almost two weeks ago Mr Andrews - the North Face-wearing voice of reason throughout the state's most gruelling 2020 lockdown - was nowhere to be seen, either in person or on Zoom, when it was decided that drastic measures would need to be taken.

As he is still recovering from a spinal injury, Mr Andrews had spoken Mr Merlino earlier that day and was waiting for more updates after the meeting concluded.

Instead it was Prof Sutton who led the fast-paced one hour discussion before it was decided the state would be locked down the following day when cases were linked to the infectious Indian Kappa variant.

The news was understandably a disappointment for the business sector, who were never consulted.
NYC mayoral hopeful has been endorsed by fellow defund the police supporter Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - despite paying for private security to patrol her leafy Brooklyn street.

'We have an option of a candidate who can center people, racial justice, economic justice and climate justice,' Ocasio-Cortez said during her announcement in New York City on Saturday.

'(Wiley) didn't just come up to run for mayor but has experience and has a lifetime of dedication to this,' she added.

AOC and Wiley have both been vocal supporters of the defund the police movement, with Wiley announcing she'd strip a billion dollars from the NYPD's budget if she were elected, despite soaring crime in the city.

Speaking earlier this month, she said 'I'm going to take a billion dollars from the New York City Police Department and shift that money to create trauma-informed care in our schools, because when we do that violence goes down and graduation rates go up' she said.

But she spoke out on the issue even after being exposed for paying $550 a month for a private security car to patrol the leafy street where she lives in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) threw her support behind civil rights lawyer Maya Wiley (right) for New York mayor as the race continues to tighten before the June 22 Democratic primary

Asked about the apparent hypocrisy by the New York Daily News last December, Wiley said: 'I think its ridiculous and we shouldnt have it.

'Its neither effective nor does it create the sense of community that I support. And I dont think it reflects the actual reality of our community in terms of whether its even needed.'

Wiley claimed her partner Harlan Mandel had begun paying the $550 annual fee for the service without telling her, having initially done so after being 'traumatized' by a 2001 mugging that hospitalized him for six weeks.

She said: 'The complicating factor is that Harlan was mugged after September 11th.

'To this day, if its dark out he walks down the middle of the street, he doesnt walk on the [poorly lit] sidewalk. And he said, one night he was coming home from work and he saw the car at the end of the block and it just made him feel better.

'And so he started paying again and then I had a very hard time saying, "dont do it".

'Its not necessarily rational but it is his trauma response so its a complicated one for our family.'

Wiley and neighbors cough up $550 a year for a private security car to monitor the Brooklyn neighborhood

Democratic mayoral candidate Maya Wiley and her Prospect Park South neighbors hire private security to monitor the neighborhood

Wiley, who previously worked as counsel for outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio, said: 'Ive lived here 20 years and in that time there was Harlans mugging, which was horrible, and one other mugging that Im aware of on our block. So its horrible, but thats how likely you are to be a victim.

'And then theres just the trauma or the fear because its so devastating if you are. Its complicated from that standpoint, but I dont believe it makes folks safer and I believe there are lots of ways we could accomplish the same goals differently.'

Announcing her delight at being endorsed by AOC on Saturday, Wiley said: 'Having the support of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez means the world to me,' Wiley said. 'AOC is a fearless champion for our city in Congress.

'She has fought for working people, taken-on corporate greed, revolutionized the discussion on the urgent need to address climate change, and is an advocate for a more equitable economy. Nobody says and means change like her.'

Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement could help swing the election for Wiley, with a primary due to take place on June 22.

Wiley, (pictured) who is running on a defund the police platform, pays for private security to patrol her Brooklyn neighborhood

AOC was even more unequivocal than Wiley on defunding, saying: 'Defunding police means defunding police.

'It does not mean budget tricks or funny math. It does not mean moving school police officers from the NYPD budget to the Department of Education's budget so the exact same police remain in schools.'

Defund the police has drawn criticism from those who believes it intends to get rid of law enforcement and encourage lawlessness.

Supporters however argue that the movement isn't about eliminating police departments or stripping agencies of all of their money.

Activists say it is more about taking positive steps towards police reform in America by spending more on what communities across the US need, such as housing and education.

But both women face firm opposition from many New Yorkers, as serious crime in the Big Apple continues to soar.

Figures from the NYPD's Compstate website show serious crime rose by 23.4 per cent in May, compared to the same month last year.

Robberies rocketed to 1,082 over the 28 days to May 30, up from just 726 for the same period in 2020.

Felony assaults also soared over by 22.6 per cent the same period, from 1,443 in May 2020, to 1,769 in May 2021.

Mayor de Blasio has repeatedly been accused of being 'pro-criminal' by critics. They say his bail reforms - intended to avoid leaving people who can't afford bail languishing in jail for months or years for petty crimes - releases suspects back onto the streets to go on to reoffend.

Morale among the NYPD has slumped amid lukewarm support from de Blasio. Crime on the city's transit network - including its buses, subways and trains - doubled in May compared to May 2020, up from 78 last year to 154 this year.
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Prince Charles today honoured the British servicemen and women who died in the D-Day landings in a video message at the unveiling of a 'long overdue' war memorial in Normandy.

After 77 years, the British Normandy Memorial was opened to commemorate the more than 22,000 troops killed as they landed on the Nazi-occupied shore.

The names of those 22,442 men and women under British command who lost their lives during the invasion are now inscribed in stone pillars at the memorial in the French village of Ver-sur-Mer.

This morning, as the sun rose over the French village of Ver-Sur-Mer, British piper Steve Black played to commemorate the fallen soldiers in a poignant scene.

Draped in the Union flag, Mr Black stood alone on a hillside overlooking Gold Beach, where British troops stormed ashore on June 6, 1944.

Unveiling the memorial virtually from London, Prince Charles said: 'As I said when I first became aware of the plans for this long overdue British memorial, it has for many years been a concern to me that the memory of these remarkable individuals should be preserved for future generations as an example of personal courage and sacrifice, for the benefit of the wider national and, indeed, international community.'

Prince Charles today honoured the British servicemen and women who died in the D-Day landings in a video message at the unveiling of a 'long overdue' war memorial in Normandy

D-Day veteran Joe Cattini pretends to fire his gun after arriving by landing craft at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on June 6, in Portsmouth

Veterans watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire

Handout photo issued by the Normandy Memorial Trust of French Air Force Patrouille de France Team performing at the official opening ceremony of the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer in France on the anniversary of the D-Day landings

Veterans watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, June 6

As the sun rises over the French village of Ver-Sur-Mer, British piper Steve Black plays to commemorate the fallen soldiers in a poignant scene. The names of those 22,442 men and women who lost their lives during the invasion of Nazi-occupied France are now inscribed on the pillars at the British Normandy Memorial

Draped in the Union Jack, Mr Black stands alone on a hillside overlooking Gold Beach, where British troops stormed ashore on June 6, 1944

Veterans watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire on Sunday

The French Air Force Patrouille de France Team fly over the Normandy coast at the official opening ceremony at Ver-sur-Mer

He added: 'I can only hope that this serves to commemorate all those whose lives were lost during the events of June 1944 and between D-Day and the liberation of Paris at the end of August 1944.

'May God bless our Veterans, the families and all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice as a result of the operations around D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy.'

Hundreds of veterans, their families and relatives of the fallen gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire today to watch the unveiling virtually.

The veterans, who could not travel to see the opening in Ver-Sur-Mer due to Covid-19 restrictions, wore their uniforms and medals as they sat under umbrellas in rainy Staffordshire to watch the event remotely.

The Last Post was played at 11am and was followed by a two-minute silence.

'I know just how much our incomparable Veterans had hoped to be in Normandy today to see "their" Memorial for themselves,' Prince Charles said.

'Despite having to watch via satellite link, this in no way obscures the enormous regard, and admiration, in which we hold our Veterans or diminishes our debt of gratitude to the more than 22,000 men and women whose names are now permanently inscribed in stone in this place of honour above Gold Beach.'

The opening was livestreamed to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire where more than 500 Normandy veterans, their families and relatives of the fallen came together

Hundreds of veterans, their families and relatives of the fallen gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire today to watch the unveiling virtually

Veterans and their families sing during the ceremony as they watch the opening of the British Memorial in France virtually from Alrewas, Staffordshire

A veteran becomes emotional while watching the official opening of the memorial from the National Memorial Arboreturm in Alrewas, Staffordshire

Commandos of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division of the British Army coming ashore from Landing Craft Infantry at Gold Beach in Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944

Troops from the 48th Royal Marines at Saint-Aubin-sur-mer on Juno Beach, Normandy, France, during the D-Day landings, 6th June 1944

Several ceremonies are scheduled Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and western Europe from Nazi control, and honor those who fell.

On D-Day, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. This year on June 6, the beaches stood vast and empty as the sun rose, exactly 77 years since the dawn invasion.

The memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, which was opened by Prince Charles virtually, includes the names of servicemen and women from more than 30 countries who were under British command.

Until now, there has never been a single memorial to British servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and the wider Operation Overlord - which saw Allied troops retake Normandy from Nazi occupation.

Mr Black stands alone as he looks out on to Gold Beach on top of a hillside in Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy, where thousands lost their lives

A veteran watches the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed on Sunday

Veterans share a joke during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire on Sunday

Donald Redstone, 96, receives the Legion d'Honneur during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire

A pair of veterans speak during the ceremony to commemmorate 77 years since the D-Day landings

A veteran lays a wreath during a ceremony at the National Arboretum on Sunday to commemorate those who were killed at the D-Day landings

Norman Rose, 95, (left) receives the Legion d'Honneur during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum

The fitting new memorial, designed by British architect Liam O'Connor and built following a Daily Mail campaign, opened today on the anniversary of D-Day.

The opening was live-streamed to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire where more than 500 Normandy veterans, their families and relatives of the fallen came together.

The veterans, who could not travel to see the opening in Ver-Sur-Mer due to Covid-19 restrictions, wore their uniforms and medals as they sat under umbrellas in rainy Staffordshire to watch the event remotely.

Meanwhile, British and French wreaths were placed in front of the D-Day wall at the memorial in France as bagpipes played in the background.

The RAF's Red Arrows then flew overhead in formation to mark the memorial's opening.

British Ambassador to France Lord Llewellyn said: "So many veterans campaigned tirelessly for the British Normandy Memorial and I am honoured to open their memorial today and see their dream come to fruition.

'Behind every one of the 22,442 names etched on the stone is an individual story - a father, a son, a brother, a daughter, an uncle or a grandfather or a great grandfather.

'The memorial will be a permanent reminder of the sacrifice made by those who died, the debt we owe to them and the importance of teaching the next generation about what happened in Normandy 77 years ago.'

Meanwhile in Portsmouth, D-Day veterans arrived on a landing craft at the city's Historic Dockyard and were greeted by pipers playing the 'Millin Pipes' used by William Millin on D-Day itself.

The French air force's aerobatics squad 'Patrouille de France' fly over the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer in France on Sunday

D-Day veterans George Chandler, Joe Cattini, John Dennett and Jack Quinn arrive on a landing craft at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Sunday

D-Day veteran Joe Cattini raises his walking stick as he pretends to fire his gun after arriving by landing craft at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

D-Day veterans are welcomed to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard by locals who are wearing flags on Sunday

D-Day veterans George Chandler, Joe Cattini, John Dennet and Jack Quinn (left to right) are welcomed to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyward on Sunday

People dress up to welcome D-Day veterans arriving at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Normandy Landings

The D-Day veterans arrived at the dockyard in Portsmouth in a landing craft on Sunday where they were welcomed by locals

The Royal British Legion's assistant director for commemorative events, Bob Gamble, said: 'D-Day remains one of the most remarkable Allied wartime operations in history, and it is our great privilege to have brought so many of our Normandy veterans and their family members together to mark the 77th anniversary of the landings.

'It remains as important as ever for us to remember and pay tribute to the immense bravery and sacrifice shown by all who served and fell during the Battle of Normandy.'

The memorial features the D-Day Sculpture by British sculptor David Williams-Ellis, the D-Day Wall featuring the names of those who fell on D-Day itself and, on 160 stone columns, the names of those others who lost their lives between D-Day and the Liberation of Paris at the end of August 1944.

The site also includes a French Memorial, dedicated to the memory of French civilians who died during the D-Day landings.

The monument at Ver-sur-Mer in France has cost almost 30million and was built after a long-running veterans' campaign was joined by the Mail and its generous readers, leading to a major grant from the Government's Libor fund.

The 52-acre site was inaugurated in 2019, when then prime minister Theresa May and French president Emmanuel Macron unveiled a bronze sculpture that forms the centrepiece of the new memorial.

Since then craftsmen and women have erected 160 stone pillars engraved with the names of the 22,442 British servicemen and women who gave their lives in the D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy in 1944.

A D-Day Wall records the names of those who fell on the day itself, while the pillars memorialise those killed between June 6 and the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, including aircrew and nurses who died on board sinking hospital ships.

British ambassador to France, Edward Llewellyn (left) and French Defence Minister Florence Parly (right) lay wreaths of flowers during the official opening ceremony of the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer

These images show the spectacular new memorial that will honour 22,442 fallen British servicemen who died in the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy

Until now, there has never been a single memorial to those who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and the wider Operation Overlord - which saw Allied troops retake Normandy from Nazi occupation

Photographs show the finished Normandy Memorial overlooking Gold Beach (pictured: A sign for Gold Beach), where British troops stormed ashore on June 6, 1944

The fitting moment (pictured: A sculpture by David Williams-Ellis) - which was built following a Daily Mail campaign - will open on the anniversary of D-Day on Sunday

The monument (pictured) at Ver-sur-Mer in France has cost almost 30million and was built after a long-running veterans' campaign was joined by the Mail and its generous readers, leading to a major grant from the Government's Libor fund

The site also includes a memorial to the estimated 20,000 French civilians who lost their lives in the liberation.

Britain was the only allied country involved in the landings which did not have its own national memorial on French soil.

Ex-Royal Engineer George Batts, the veteran patron of the Normandy Memorial Trust, said: 'Only those who were there on D-Day can truly know what it was like. We lost a lot of our mates on those beaches.

'Now, at long last, Britain has a fitting memorial to them.'

The 52-acre site was inaugurated in 2019, when then prime minister Theresa May and French president Emmanuel Macron unveiled a bronze sculpture that forms the centrepiece of the new memorial

Since then craftsmen and women have erected 160 stone pillars engraved with the names of the 22,442 British servicemen and women who gave their lives in the D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy in 1944

A D-Day Wall records the names of those who fell on the day itself, while the pillars memorialise those killed between June 6 and the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, including aircrew and nurses who died on board sinking hospital ships

Pictured here is a inscription on exterior of Memorial Court taken ahead of the Official Opening on the 77th anniversary of D-Day

This is the entrance stone of the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-mer, Normandy, which is set to be opened on Sunday

Bob Gamble, of the Royal British Legion, said: 'We understand how much it means to the veterans and their families to be in Normandy for these commemorations.

'However, we are also conscious that there is still great uncertainty surrounding international travel.

'We invite veterans who intended to travel to Normandy to join us on June 6 as we reflect on a day that changed the course of history, and celebrate the peace and freedom won by all who took part.'

The D-Day commemoration at the arboretum showed live coverage of the opening ceremony from the memorial site.

It was presided over by Britain's ambassador to France, Lord Llewellyn, accompanied by senior French dignitaries.

The Royal British Legion's Service of Remembrance at the Commonwealth war graves cemetery at Bayeux will also be screened.

Alongside the British service personnel, the site also includes a memorial to the estimated 20,000 French civilians who lost their lives in the liberation

Britain was the only allied country involved in the landings which did not have its own national memorial on French soil. Pictured: The new memorial which will be opened on Sunday

Speaking about the opening of the memorial, ex-Royal Engineer George Batts, the veteran patron of the Normandy Memorial Trust, said: 'Only those who were there on D-Day can truly know what it was like. We lost a lot of our mates on those beaches.

Mr Batts said the memorial, which is due to be opened on June 6 - the anniversary of D-Day - was a 'fitting memorial to those who lost their lives in the Battle of Normandy

Speaking ahead of the opening of the monument (pictured), Bob Gamble, of the Royal British Legion, said: 'We understand how much it means to the veterans and their families to be in Normandy for these commemorations.'

The D-Day commemoration at the arboretum will show live coverage of the opening ceremony from the memorial site (pictured)

The opening of the memorial (pictured) will be presided over by Britain's ambassador to France, Lord Llewellyn, accompanied by senior French dignitaries

Normandy veterans will be able to watch live coverage of the opening ceremony from the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire (pictured)

For the second year in a row, anniversary commemorations are marked by virus travel restrictions that have prevented veterans or families of fallen soldiers from the U.S., Britain, Canada and other Allied countries making the trip to France. Only a few officials were allowed exceptions.

Most public events have been cancelled, and the official ceremonies are limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

Denis van den Brink, a WWII expert working for the town of Carentan, site of a strategic battle near Utah Beach, acknowledged the 'big loss, the big absence is all the veterans who couldn't travel.'

'That really hurts us very much because they are all around 95, 100 years old, and we hope they're going to last forever. But, you know,' he said.

'At least we remain in a certain spirit of commemoration, which is the most important,' he told The Associated Press.

Over the anniversary weekend, many local residents have come out to visit the monuments marking the key moments of the fight and show their gratitude to the soldiers. Dozens of French World War II history enthusiasts, and a few travelers from neighboring European countries, could also be seen in jeeps and military vehicles on the small roads of Normandy.

World War II reenactors gather on Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy on Sunday

A picture of an unknown soldier is seen on the shore of Omaha Beach in Saint Laurent sur mer, Normandy on Sunday

World War II reenactors gather at dawn on Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy on Sunday, June 6, 2021

D-Day: Huge invasion of Europe described by Churchill as the 'most complicated and difficult' military operation in world history Operation Overlord saw some 156,000 Allied troops landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944. It is thought as many as 4,400 were killed in an operation Winston Churchill described as 'undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place'. The assault was conducted in two phases: an airborne landing of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 6.30am. The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000 troops landing. Some 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. US Army troops in an LCVP landing craft approach Normandy's 'Omaha' Beach on D-Day in Colleville Sur-Mer, France June 6 1944. As infantry disembarked from the landing craft, they often found themselves on sandbars 50 to 100 yards away from the beach. To reach the beach they had to wade through water sometimes neck deep US Army troops and crewmen aboard a Coast Guard manned LCVP approach a beach on D-Day. After the initial landing soldiers found the original plan was in tatters, with so many units mis-landed, disorganized and scattered. Most commanders had fallen or were absent, and there were few ways to communicate A LCVP landing craft from the U.S. Coast Guard attack transport USS Samuel Chase approaches Omaha Beach. The objective was for the beach defences to be cleared within two hours of the initial landing. But stubborn German defence delayed efforts to take the beach and led to significant delays An LCM landing craft manned by the U.S. Coast Guard, evacuating U.S. casualties from the invasion beaches, brings them to a transport for treatment. An accurate figure for casualties incurred by V Corps at Omaha on 6 June is not known; sources vary between 2,000 and over 5,000 killed, wounded, and missing The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000 troops landing. Some 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The landings took place along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. The assault was chaotic with boats arriving at the wrong point and others getting into difficulties in the water. Destruction in the northern French town of Carentan after the invasion in June 1944 Forward 14/45 guns of the US Navy battleship USS Nevada fire on positions ashore during the D-Day landings on Utah Beach. The only artillery support for the troops making these tentative advances was from the navy. Finding targets difficult to spot, and in fear of hitting their own troops, the big guns of the battleships and cruisers concentrated fire on the flanks of the beaches The US Navy minesweeper USS Tide sinks after striking a mine, while its crew are assisted by patrol torpedo boat PT-509 and minesweeper USS Pheasant. When another ship attempted to tow the damaged ship to the beach, the strain broke her in two and she sank only minutes after the last survivors had been taken off A US Army medic moves along a narrow strip of Omaha Beach administering first aid to men wounded in the Normandy landing on D-Day in Collville Sur-Mer. On D-Day, dozens of medics went into battle on the beaches of Normandy, usually without a weapon. Not only did the number of wounded exceed expectations, but the means to evacuate them did not exist Troops managed only to gain a small foothold on the beach - but they built on their initial breakthrough in the coming days and a harbor was opened at Omaha. They met strong resistance from the German forces who were stationed at strongpoints along the coastline. Approximately 10,000 allies were injured or killed, including 6,603 American, of which 2,499 were fatal. Between 4,000 and 9,000 German troops were killed - and it proved the pivotal moment of the war, in the allied forces' favour. The first wave of troops from the US Army takes cover under the fire of Nazi guns in 1944 Canadian soldiers study a German plan of the beach during D-Day landing operations in Normandy. Once the beachhead had been secured, Omaha became the location of one of the two Mulberry harbors, prefabricated artificial harbors towed in pieces across the English Channel and assembled just off shore US Army Rangers show off the ladders they used to storm the cliffs which they assaulted in support of Omaha Beach landings at Pointe du Hoc. At the end of the two-day action, the initial Ranger landing force of 225 or more was reduced to about 90 fighting men Advertisement

Some reenactors came to Omaha Beach in the early hours of the day to pay tribute to those who fell that day, bringing flowers and American flags.

On D-Day, 4,414 Allied troops lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

A few miles away from Omaha Beach, the British Normandy Memorial is to be inaugurated on Sunday outside the village of Ver-sur-Mer. Visitors stand in awe at the solemnity and serenity of the place providing a spectacular view over Gold Beach and the English Channel.

The monument, built under a project launched in 2016, pays tribute to those under British command who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy. The names of more than 22,000 men and women, mostly British soldiers, are written on its stone columns.

Later on Sunday, another ceremony will take place at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach. Charles Shay, 96, a Penobscot Native American who now lives in Normandy, is expected to be the only veteran present in person.

Some other veterans, and families of soldiers, will be able to watch the broadcast on social media.

The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

Normandy has more than 20 military cemeteries holding mostly Americans, Germans, French, British, Canadians and Polish troops who took part in the historic battle.

How the Allies used a Spanish double agent and a dead tramp to fool the Germans over D-Day landings Allied soldiers are pictured landing on the French coast in Normandy during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944 The Allied invasion of Normandy beginning on D-Day, June 6, 1944, has gone down in history as a spectacular military success. But less well known are the extraordinary efforts the Allies and their intelligence services had made to deceive Hitler about their plans. Operation Mincemeat was a spectacular plot used to deceive the Germans and helped change the course of World War Two. It started when a homeless tramp from South Wales was found dying in an abandoned warehouse near King's Cross in London and was taken to St Pancras Hospital, where he died. He was believed to have swallowed rat poison in a suicide attempt, which caused fluid to build up in his lungs - consistent with death at sea. The dead man's name was Glyndwr Michael, and he was 34 years of age a the time of his death. The coroner agreed to keep Michael's body in a cold store while the architects of the plan - Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley - set about the task of creating a new identity for their corpse. Glyndwr Michael was turned into Captain William 'Bill' H.N. Martin of the Royal Marines. He was given an identity card, no. 148228. They chose the name because there was a number of William Martins on the Navy List for 1942, and they wanted German intelligence to be able to check. He was given a suitcase full of fake documents which indicated the Allied armies massed in North Africa were aiming for Greece. Montagu even gave 'The Man Who Never Was' a romance, complete with a bill for an engagement ring, and two carefully prepared love letters, plus a photograph of his 'fiancee'. In April 1943, the body was dropped into the sea from a Royal Navy submarine and then floated towards the coast of Spain. Operation Mincemeat fooled Hitler completely: German troops were deployed to the wrong place; thousands of British, Canadian and American lives were saved; Mussolini was deposed; and the course of World War Two was changed. The operation was not related to the newly revealed German message. Meanwhile, Agent Garbo was the most successful double agent of the Second World War, running a network of fictional spies who helped pull off D-Day. After developing a loathing of the Fascist regimes in Europe during the Spanish Civil War, Pujol became a spy for the Allies to do something 'for the good of humanity'. Agent Garbo, real name Juan Pujol Garcia, was the most successful double agent of the Second World War, running a network of fictional spies who helped pull off D-Day Pujol and his wife contacted the British and American intelligence agencies, but each rejected his offer. Undeterred, he created a false identity as a fanatically pro-Nazi Spanish government official and successfully became a German agent. Pujol soon established himself as a trustworthy agent and began inventing fictional sub-agents who could be blamed for false information and mistakes. But Garbo, the colourful Spaniard at the centre of Operation Double Cross, had more important things to worry about than the Nazis. His 'highly emotional and temperamental' wife nearly derailed D-Day after threatening to unmask him when he refused to let her go to a party at the Spanish Embassy. She even left the gas taps on in an apparent suicide attempt because she was homesick, according to secret service files released by the National Archives at Kew in 2016. Garbo, whose real name was Juan Pujol Garcia, almost single-handedly ran a network of fictional spies who fed the Germans false information. Once he had earned their trust, he sent misleading intelligence in the run-up to D-Day that convinced the Nazis to deploy troops away from real landing sites. The elaborate deception was conducted from his semi-detached home in Hendon, north west London. Advertisement

World War II enthusiast stands on the beach at dawn on Omaha Beach, Normandy, Sunday, June 6, 2021, the day of 77th anniversary of the assault that helped bring an end to World War II. While France is planning to open up to vaccinated visitors starting next week, that comes too late for the D-Day anniversary. So for the second year in a row, most public commemoration events have been cancelled. (AP Photo/David Vincent)

World War II reenactors gather at dawn on Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, Sunday, June 6, 2021, the day of 77th anniversary of the assault that helped bring an end to World War II. While France is planning to open up to vaccinated visitors starting next week, that comes too late for the D-Day anniversary. So for the second year in a row, most public commemoration events have been cancelled. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
A 10-year-old boy was shot in his stomach and died and a 29-year-old man was injured after an alleged argument with a neighbor on Saturday night as gun violence in the Big Apple continues to surge.

The boy and the man were walking into a building at 342 Beach 45th St. in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens around 9:30 p.m. when they were shot.

Police told the New York Daily News that the boy and man were related, though their relationship was not immediately clear. Neither has been named.

The boy was rushed to St. John's Episcopal Hospital where he was pronounced dead while the man, who lives at that address, was hit in the shoulder and taken to Jamaica Hospital. The man is expected to survive, sources told the New York Post.

The sources told the outlet that the victims had been in an argument with a neighbor earlier in the night before they were shot.

A woman speaks with police at the scene of a fatal double-shooting near 342 Beach 45th St. in Queens

An officer is seen burying his face into his hands while another appears to cover his mouth in horror outside of the scene where the boy was killed

Police gather at the scene where a 10-year-old boy was shot in his stomach and died and a 29-year-old man was injured after an alleged argument with a neighbor on Saturday night

An officer with the NYPD stands guard over evidence at the scene of a deadly shooting in New York City

An investigator looks at the ground where two markers appear to indicate bullet casings

A chart shows crime levels are significantly up in 2021 compared to 2020 for most crime categories, though burglaries are notably down

A chart shows shooting shows statistics for shooting related crimes in New York City in 2021 compared to 2020

A man who the New York Post identified as Jacob recounted to the outlet that members of his family, who were having a cookout around the block, told him they saw people arguing outside the home when the victims were shot.

'They saw a guy pull up in a car and start arguing. They said someone went into the house. After that I guess they were arguing,' Jacob said.

Cops are searching for a black SUV and no arrests have been made.

In another incident in the Bronx borough of New York City, cops are hunting for a man who shot a 12-year-old girl in the left ankle and a 25-year-old man in the chest around 6 p.m., the New York Post reported. Cops said that two suspects then fled.

In yet another Bronx shooting on Saturday, an 18-year-old was shot in the leg and a 20-year-old was shot in the foot before they were both taken to Jacobi Hospital where they are expected to recover, the outlet reported.

NYPD data shows that gun violence and shooting victims continue to surge in New York City even as the number of murders fell from 13 in 2020 to 6 in 2021 for the week of May 24 to May 30. That marks a 52.8 percent drop year-over-year.

There have been 173 total murders this year so far as of May 30, with just 147 by the same date in 2020  marking a 17.7% increase year-over-year.

The murder rate appears to have fallen some year-over-year for the week of May 24 to May 30 compared to earlier weeks in April and May.

A Google Street View shows the building where the boy and man were shot on Saturday

Members of the New York Police Department investigate the scene of a fatal double-shooting near 342 Beach 45th St.

Police reportedly said that the boy and man were related, though their relationship was not immediately clear.

Videos posted to the Citizen App appear to show the victims being taken by ambulance

Video posted to Citizen App shows police responding to the shooting death of a young boy

NYPD data shows that for the week of May 5 to May 9, there were nine murders in New York City  compare to two in 2020, marking a 350% increase year-over-year.

By that time, there were a total of 146 murders in New York City in 2021 compared to 115 by the same date in 2020, then a 27% increase.

It was not immediately clear why the murder rates appear to be declining again even as the city continues to grip with the alarming spate of gun violence.

The NYPD recorded 35 shooting victims for the May 24-30 recording period in 2021, up 45.8% from the 24 shooting victims for the same period in 2020. So far this year there have been a whopping number of 637 shooting victims by May 30, with just 360 by the same point last year  for an increase of 76.9%.

The number of shooting incidents were also up 43.5% in 2021 from 2020 for May 24 to May 30 recording period. There were 33 shooting incidents in 2021 compared to 23 shooting incidents in 2020 for that time frame.

There have been 564 shooting incidents so far this year compared to just 318 last year, for an increase of 77.4%.

The category of crimes that have seen the largest jump from 2020 to 2021 are hate crimes, which climbed 104.3% year-over-year by May 30. There have been 239 hate crimes in 2021 with 117 by the same date in 2020. There were 14 hate crimes recorded in the Big Apple for the week of May 24 to May 30.
Two young boys have been seriously injured after they were involved in a motorcycle crash.

The boys, aged seven and eight, were reportedly treated for serious neck injuries in bushland north of Two Rocks in Caraban, Western Australia.

Both boys reportedly also suffered leg injuries, The West reported.

An ambulance is transporting one of the boys to nearby Joondalup Hospital.

It appears an RAC Rescue chopper that was deployed to the crash has since been recalled.

Up to 19 per cent of road deaths in Australia are the result of motorcycle accidents, which are statistically more fatal than car crashes.

A motorcyclist is 30 times more likely to die than a passenger of a car in a crash, according to the latest data.
Minneapolis erupted in violence and flames for a third night after US Marshals shot a black man wanted on a warrant who allegedly opened fire on them.

Demonstrators continued protesting the shooting death of 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr. into Saturday night, locking intersections as fires of debris burned nearby, CNN reported.

A dumpster was set on fire, and protesters were filmed jeering at cops, following two nights of similar protests, violence and looting.

Minneapolis police have already made 27 arrests in connection with the protests, the latest to hit the city just over a year after George Floyd's murder.

Demonstrators continued protesting the shooting death of 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr. into Saturday night, blocking intersections as fires of debris burned nearby

Uptown Minneapolis has been taken over by protestors and looters for the last three days

Smith was shot and killed on Thursday by a U.S. Marshals Service task force who were attempting to arrest him on a warrant for a felony firearms violation.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the shooting, said evidence at the scene indicates that Smith fired his weapon from inside the vehicle.

Smith's family have called for the release any video of Thursday's deadly encounter, including from security cameras, CNN reported.

The U.S Marshal Service does not allow the use of body cameras for officers serving on its North Star Fugitive Task Force, the Minnesota Department of Safety said in a statement.

There is also no squad camera footage of the incident.

Hundreds have taken to the street of Uptown Minneapolis to march for Winston Boogie Smith Jr, a 32-year-old black man who was shot and killed by U.S Marshalls

Minneapolis police have already made 27 arrests in connection with the protests as people have taken to the street for Winston Boogie Smith Jr.

Uptown Minneapolis has been taken over by protestors and looters for the last three days.

Video footage from the early hours of Sunday captured protestors mocking police by chanting 'Oink! Oink! Mother f**ker!'

Minneapolis has been nicknamed Murderapolis after killings there soared in the wake of George Floyd's murder in the city in May 2020.

Images show dumpster fires in the street and officers standing guard as police say some people vandalized buildings and stole property from businesses after the shooting Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The city has been compared to a war zone after several children have fallen victim to gin violence, including nine-year-old Trinity Ottoson-Smith, who was playing in the backyard of her Minneapolis neighborhood May 15 when she was struck by a stray bullet.

Winston Boogie Smith, pictured in a mugshot from December 2019, when he was arrested on warrant charging him with possession of firearms or ammunition as a felon, was shot dead by police Thursday

Trinity was caught in the crossfire of a shoot-out as gun-toting thugs drove along the alleyway behind her friend's house in this pretty neighborhood. She died last Thursday.

She was the second child to be shot in Minneapolis in three weeks. Six-year-old Aniya Allen was shot May 17 and died the following day. She took a bullet to the head as she ate McDonald's in her mother's car. Ten-year-old LaDavionne Garrett Jr. was shot in the head while sitting in his parents' car April 30.

There have been 36 homicides in Minneapolis so far this year, more than double the number at this point last year and more than four times that seen in 2019.

So far this year, 211 people had suffered gunshots wounds - up from the 81 from this time last year

Car-jackings are up a staggering 222 per cent. Shootings have risen 153 per cent. Eighty per cent of the victims are black.

The crime spiral came after the city last year voted to dismantle its police department in the wake of Floyd's killing.

That pledge later collapsed after the councilors who made it sought to distance themselves from it, claiming that they had only wanted to dismantle the police department 'in spirit' and that their words were open to interpretation.
Australia's coronavirus vaccination rollout has hit a new milestone as the political bickering over quarantine facilities continues.

Australia notched its fifth millionth jab three months after the country's biggest vaccination program launched as a record 88,000 Australians rolled up their sleeves for the vaccine on Saturday.

Around 772,750 vaccinations have been completed in the last six days, which is also a record.

'We have seen the vaccine program is accelerating,' federal health minister Greg Hunt told reporters.

'As supply becomes available, the public is stepping up and doing their part of the job.'

Coronavirus vaccine jabs passed the five million mark in Australia on Saturday. Pictured are Victorians lining up for the jab outside the Melbourne Exhibition Centre vaccination hub

An additional 100,000 vaccines are being made available for Victoria, where five million Melburnians remain in a 14-day lockdown due to end on Thursday.

The state initially reported two new infections on Sunday, along with six cases among overseas travellers currently in hotel quarantine.

A a further two cases emerged linked to the Arcare Maidstone nursing home - a 79-year-old resident and an aged care worker have since emerged.

Meanwhile, the NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has expressed an interest in a new quarantine facility being built in his state after Victoria secured an agreement with the Commonwealth for one last week,

Queensland has also proposed for one similar to former mining camp Howard Springs in the Northern Territory.

Mr Perrottet says NSW has done the heavy lifting when it comes to hotel quarantining and setting up a facility may assist over the next 12 months to alleviate pressure on its hotel system.

'That is something we should look at,' Mr Perrottet said.

'The federal government has said it will support these types of facilities in other states and we want to work to a proposal that makes sense and keeps our people safe.'

A record 88,000 Australians rolled up their sleeves for the vaccine on Saturday. Pictured are queues at a vaccination hub in Brisbane

But Mr Hunt said Prime Minister Scott Morrison had already been in contact with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

'The PM has confirmed with the premier that at this point they're not seeking any additional quarantine facility in New South Wales,' Mr Hunt said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said national government-run, purpose-built quarantine facilities should have been in place last year.

'That was the best time to do this, the best next time is right now,' he told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program.

He pointed out that building quarantine facilities is Labor policy, as announced in last month's budget reply speech.

'This needs to fixed now, not wait until after the next federal election which will occur perhaps as late as May of next year,' he said.

'We can't afford to keep having these lockdowns.'

Debate for more quarantine facilities like the one the Northern Territory has at Howards Springs (pictured) has continued

Deputy opposition leader Richard Marles says there is just one purpose-built facility in Australia, Howard Springs in the Northern Territory, which unsurprisingly has no COVID-19 breakouts, while there has been 21 or 22 from hotels over the past year.

'Fit-for-purpose facilities should be doing the bulk of the work,' he told ABC's Insiders program.

An agreement has been reached for the Commonwealth to meet the capital costs for a 500-bed facility in outer Melbourne, while Victoria would cover operational costs.

Mr Morrison says the proposal is 'a very good' one.

However, while Victoria's proposal formed an 80-page document, a proposal from Queensland is believed to have been scant on detail.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told Queensland's state Labor conference on Saturday the plan to construct a 1000-bed centre near Toowoomba is not rocket science.

'We are not proposing construction of an international space station,' she said.

'These are reasonably basic structures but they can provide the safety and the certainty our country needs.'
American surfing legend Kelly Slater has been slammed for sharing 'anti-vax nonsense' with fans in a bizarre social media fight on an Aussie satirical news site.

The Betoota Advocate on Sunday shared a satirical article about a father who was proud after stinking up a toilet, prompting Slater to comment 'Dads have no shame'.

But although the story was unrelated to Covid-19, the 11-time world surfing champion was quickly targeted by a man who accused him of posting anti-vaccine content over his social media pages.

'Aren't you the fella who shares anti-vax nonsense on social media? Seems like you have no shame either,' the man wrote.

Slater became defensive, explaining he was not against vaccinations but feared the jab had not been thoroughly tested.

Kelly Slater (pictured with designer Kalani Miler) has come under fire after vowing to not get the Covid vaccine

'Why does this account always end up with these triggered, b***y people who cant take a joke? And second, Im not anti vax. Im anti mandating medical procedures. But Ive never even pushed that,' he wrote.

The man responded by asking if he would have it once it become available, with the surfer replying 'probably not anytime soon'.

'It hasnt been studied long enough to know long term cons. A friends dad also died a couple days after getting it from blood clots, so theres that. Think Ill wait for the antibodies naturally if I get covid,' Slater said.

The sporting champion's views sparked outrage, with many accusing him of not considering how his decision would impact the greater community.

'Yeah, if you get covid you'll develop antibodies, you could also f***ing die,' one person wrote.

'Who cares about anyone you spread it to am I right!?' another added sarcastically.

Others highlighted that the vaccine's side effects were rare and the benefits far outweighed the implications of catching the virus.

'The risk of dying of blood clots from the AstraZeneca vaccine is 0.0004% while the risk of dying of blood clots from coronavirus is 16.5%,' one person said.

The surfing legend said his friend's father recently died after developing blood clots after getting a Covid vaccine. Pictured: Slater riding a wave during the third round of competition in the Billabong Pro surfing tournament on the legendary reef break in Teahupoo, Tahiti, in 2008

'Also if you get it now youre eligible for the Pfizer vaccine which has even lower rates than AstraZeneca.'

However, some rushed to defend the athlete.

'Nor should you have to [get the vaccine]' one person said.

'The goat giving us even more reasons why he is the goat,' another woman added, making reference to the surfer's nickname.

But after hearing about Slater's reasons for opposing inoculation, the man who started the attack backtracked, admitting he was afraid about blood clots from the vaccine.

'I'm really sorry to hear about your friend's father. I was a bit scared about some people in my family getting the AZ vaccine since they have a history of clots,' he wrote.

The man then claimed he was a scientist and urged Slater to reconsider, arguing the drugs have gone through vigorous testing.

'The vaccines have gone through the same testing process that every other drug and vaccine goes through, ' he wrote.

AstraZeneca has been linked to a rare blood clotting condition which has caused deaths

'The risk of certain side-effects have also been exaggerated...The consequences of contracting COVID are understood and they are known to occur at significantly higher rates and at much greater severity than in any vaccine.'

The AstraZeneca vaccine has come under scrutiny worldwide due to concerns of a link to blood clots that killed several people after they had the jab.

Earlier this year, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation ruled that the Pfizer was the recommended jab for those under 50 due to the risk of developing the rare blood clotting condition.

AusVaxSafety, a national immunisation surveillance system, estimates Australians who get the jab have a 50 per cent chance of developing side effects.

Symptoms can include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches.
Prince Harry is set to have his HRH title expunged from notices at a new royal fashion exhibition featuring his mother Princess Diana's wedding dress.

Placards at the Kensington Palace exhibit last week described dresses worn by Diana as 'Lent by HRH the Duke of Cambridge and HRH the Duke of Sussex'.

Now the Royal Collection Trust, which oversaw the loan of the gowns, said the labels 'were incorrect and will be updated', citing an 'administrative error'.

Under the terms of the historic deal struck at Sandringham last year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were allowed to keep their HRH titles but never use them.

Royal experts are likely to regard the move to remove Harry's HRH title from signs at the exhibit, called Royal Style in the Making, as a sign of the sensitivity over the duke and duchess' sudden departure from royal life.

It comes as the duke and duchess were demoted on the official Royal Family website, now listed below Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, as well as the Princess Royal and the Duke of York, after leaving their senior roles.

Prince Harry is set to have his HRH title expunged from notices at a new royal fashion exhibition featuring his mother Princess Diana's wedding dress

Placards at the Kensington Palace exhibit had described dresses worn by Diana - including her wedding dress - as 'Lent by HRH the Duke of Cambridge and HRH the Duke of Sussex'

The Princess of Wales' wedding dress is prepared for display at Royal Style in the Making

Harry and Meghan's baby daughter 'is due on what would have been Prince Philip's 100th birthday - with expectant parents thinking about naming her after the late Duke, the Queen or Princess Diana' Harry and Meghan's baby daughter is due on Thursday, June 10, on what would have been Prince Phillip's birthday, according to reports. The expectant parents are considering naming her after the late Duke, the Queen or Princess Diana, The Sun reported on Saturday. Citing Royal insiders in the United States, the newspaper claimed that the Sussexes have thought about naming their newborn Pip after Harry's late grandfather, or Lily after his Grandmother - Queen Elizabeth II. 'The baby is due on Philip's birthday and it would be so special if she came then,' the source told the newspaper. 'That, and naming her Pip, would be a lovely way to pay tribute to Philip. 'Harry has been discussing the due date and possible names with his close pals and they're talking about it quite openly now it's getting close.' Another name reportedly being considered by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their second child is Diana, after Prince Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. According to the bookies, Dianna is favourite to the baby's name at 4-1 odds. The source told The Sun that while the names Lily and Pip 'aren't exactly traditional royal names,' the couple have not taken the traditional route as a royal couple. The couple's new baby will their second after Archie, who is two. Advertisement

Harry and Meghan quit royal life last year and moved to an 11million mansion in Montecito, California to become financially independent.

Since then, they have signed deals with Netflix and Spotify reportedly worth hundreds of millions of pounds, and are expecting a baby daughter this week.

But critics have questioned whether the couple should have their royal titles removed after making a series of high-profile public remarks.

In their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, the pair made extraordinary allegations of racism against the Firm after Meghan claimed a senior royal - who has not been named - asked what colour their son Archie's skin would be.

Harry and Meghan also criticised Donald Trump during the US presidential election and lent moral support to the Black Lives Matter movement last year.

Harry is due to return to the UK this month to join Prince William for the unveiling of a statue of Diana the brothers commissioned four years ago in her memory, although Kate Middleton may reportedly fill in for her husband.

The statue will be unveiled in the public grounds of Kensington Palace on July 1, which would have been the princess' 60th birthday.

A Royal Collection Trust spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The items were loaned by HRH The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex. Due to an administrative error, for which Royal Collection Trust was responsible, the labels were incorrect and will be updated.'

Representatives for the Sussexes have been approached for comment.

It comes as Harry and Meghan are now listed below Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, as well as the Princess Royal and the Duke of York on the official site.

Prince Charles' growing role as an active heir preparing to ascend to the throne is reflected in his own promotion to the top of the 'Royal Family' section on www.royal.uk. The Queen has been removed and is featured higher on the page.

Despite the reshuffle, the website still claims the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be 'balancing their time' between the UK and the US.

It follows Prince Edward and his wife the Countess of Wessex taking part in their first major interview since their marriage in 1999.

The couple shared a laugh over Harry and Meghan's controversial Oprah interview as they insisted the royals remain a family 'no matter what happens'.

It was recently revealed Sophie is one of four loyal, discreet and 'utterly trustworthy' women of the Queen's inner circle who are offering crucial support as she faces life without her beloved Prince Philip, who died on April 9, aged 99.

Of the website change, Buckingham Palace told MailOnline it had no comment 'other than that we refresh the website regularly'.

 Slide me  How the website looks now, left, and how it used to look on April 22, right. Of the website change, Buckingham Palace told MailOnline it had no comment 'other than that we refresh the website regularly'

Kate Middleton 'may step in to attend unveiling of Princess Diana statue next month if Prince Harry cannot attend following birth of his daughter next Thursday', royal expert claims Kate Middleton may 'step in' to attend the unveiling of a statue dedicated to Princess Diana next month if Prince Harry cannot make it, according to a royal expert. The Duke of Sussex is due to fly back to the UK this month for the unveiling on July 1 at Kensington Palace on what would have been Diana's 60th birthday. He is due to attend the ceremony with Prince William, with whom tensions have been reportedly high following his bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March. But he and his wife Meghan Markle, who live in California, are expecting their second child this Thursday, on what would have been Prince Philip's 100th birthday. The birth of their baby daughter could derail Harry's plans to attend the event, according to Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers. Speaking to the Pod Save The Queen podcast, Mr Myers said the duke's extraordinary allegations of racism within the Royal Family could make his reunion with his brother William 'very uncomfortable'. Advertisement

Elsewhere, the Princess Royal was moved up five places to sit below the Duchess of Cambridge on the website page. And the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were added to the bottom, just beneath the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Under the Duke and Duchess of Sussex the website reads: 'They are continuing to honour their duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and their patronages.

'Frogmore Cottage in the UK remains their family home.

'The Duchess will continue to support a number of charitable causes and organisations which reflect the issues with which she has long been associated including the arts, access to education, support for women and animal welfare.'

Royal fans were confused when the official website went down briefly, and quickly spotted the changes once it was set live again.

One tweeted: '@KensingtonRoyal @RoyalFamily still have #meghanmarkle #princeharry in the royal website? Why?

'They are not working royals and they aren't 'dividing their time between the UK and North America' why are they being promoted on the website?'

The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral was the first time Prince Harry returned to the UK since he and his wife Meghan stepped down from their senior royal positions.

It comes as another blow following revelations the Earl and Countess of Wessex will join Prince Charles in a slimmed down monarchy.

Harry and Meghan previously complained they felt 'pushed out' by the Firm following their decision to step down from their senior rank.

Yesterday, speaking in their first major interview together since they married in 1999, the Earl and Countess of Wessex jokingly asked 'Oprah who?' and 'what interview?' when quizzed on whether they watched Harry and Meghan's bombshell sit down with the US chat show host.

They also reflected on Prince Philip a little over a month since his funeral - with Prince Edward describing how coronavirus restrictions created an 'extremely odd' ceremony, and the particularly poignant moment 'when everything stopped'.

In the Wessexes' first public comments since that momentous day, Sophie explained: 'We are still a family no matter what happens, we always will be.'

The Countess of Wessex also admitted to having a 'lengthy chat' with Harry after the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in April.

Yesterday, speaking in their first major interview together since they married in 1999, the Earl and Countess of Wessex jokingly asked 'Oprah who?' and 'what interview?' when quizzed on whether they watched Harry and Meghan's bombshell sit down with the US chat show host

A royal source previously commented on the Countess of Wessex' close relationship with the Queen. 'Sophie is like another daughter to the Queen, they are that close,' they said. 'She is trusted and relied on like few others'

Sophie and her husband the Earl of Wessex, who married at Windsor Castle 22 years ago, said they were 'flattered' to be taking on a more prominent role in a slimmed-down monarchy since Harry and Meghan's move to California.

In an interview with The Telegraph Magazine, Sophie said she had a 'lengthy chat' with Harry after the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in April.

Speaking on the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in April, Prince Edward, 57, said: 'It was extraordinarily odd walking into St George's Chapel and finding the nave completely empty.

'It's always difficult with these kinds of things because you're in the middle of it, so you've got no idea what it necessarily looks like from the outside.

Prince Andrew sported a striped rugby shirt with royal insignia today as he went for an early morning horse ride in Windsor with a female groom

Donning dark sunglasses, a helmet, and riding slacks the Prince of York, 61, who lives at the nearby royal lodge, looked at ease as he enjoyed the June sunshine

The Queen's second son, pictured today, recently became a grandfather for the first time when Princess Eugenie welcomed son August Brooksbank in February.

'It became really poignant to be there because it was suddenly so very intimate.'

A royal source previously commented on the Countess of Wessex' close relationship with the Queen.

'Sophie is like another daughter to the Queen, they are that close,' they said. 'She is trusted and relied on like few others.'

The pair are said to speak at least once a day and enjoy regular Saturday 'movie afternoons' when they watch old films together.

Prince Andrew was snapped sported a striped rugby shirt with royal insignia this morning as he went for an early morning horse ride in Windsor with a female groom.

The Duke of York, 61, appeared in high spirits for the day out as he waved from atop the horse.

The reports come as royal experts predicted the Duke of York was 'trying to rehabilitate himself' and get back into the royal fold - despite his brother Prince Charles pushing plans for a slimmed-down monarchy.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that Andrew would 'obviously like to be rehabilitated', but must first answer FBI questions on his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Russian warplanes began a new round of intense aerial bombardment this morning, targeting areas held by ISIS mercenaries in the Syrian Badia, as Russian warplanes launched more than 40 air strikes since the early hours of the morning, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The targeting included the Athriya axis in the eastern countryside of Hama, the Rusafa Desert in the countryside of Raqqa, the vicinity of Jabal Bishri at the administrative border between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, and other axes far east of Homs desert near Deir ez-Zor. These raids are an attempt to curb the activity of ISIS mercenaries in Badia after the latter carried out major operations during the past hours, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries from Damascus government forces in ambushes, targets or attacks. Despite the intense Russian raids, the Damascus government forces and the groups that support them are still unable to eliminate the remaining ISIS mercenaries who launch attacks on Government forces and cause heavy casualties in their ranks. Yesterday, the Observatory reported that 23 elements of Damascus Government forces had been killed in separate areas of Syrian Badia during the past 48 hours, in ambushes and by mines of ISIS mercenary cells deployed in the eastern Badia of Homs through Badia Hama and Deir ez-Zor, and reaching the desert of Raqqa.
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Stephanie Davies, who created a 179-page report, has been suspended

A senior coroner's officer has been suspended over her suggestion elderly couples were being murdered by a serial killer.

Stephanie Davies, an investigator who works for Cheshire police under the direction of the coroner, created a 179-page report claiming there were significant similarities between the deaths of couples across North West England between 1996 and 2011.

Coroners recorded each incident as murder-suicide which involved a husband seemingly going beserk and viciously attacking his wife before taking his own life.

But Mrs Davies later said at least two cases could be the work of a serial offender because of strong similarities across the incidents with her report detailing inconsistencies in the original police investigations.

She went on to consult one of America's leading 'cold case' forensic investigators before concluding that both were more likely to have been double murders and identified three further suspicious murder-suicides of elderly couples.

Mrs Davies raised her issues as a point of public concern and wrote: 'This individual will not stop killing until someone or something stops him.'

The major incident team of Cheshire Police were given a copy of her report in June last year but police instead began a seven-month inquiry into Mrs Davies herself.

The review eventually concluded there had been no issues with their previous investigations and suspended Mrs Davies from duty while the Crown Prosecution Service considers charges, The Times has said.

Mrs Davies is accused of sharing police information with homicide and forensic experts outside Cheshire Police without permission in order to write her report.

The sensational report by Stephanie Davies had claimed there were striking similarities between the deaths of couples in Cheshire, Manchester and Cumbria between 1996 and 2011

Mrs Davies's report began with the deaths of Bea and Howard Ainsworth (pictured) who were found dead in their bed at home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 1996

Mrs Davies's report began with the deaths of Bea and Howard Ainsworth who were found dead in their bed at home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 1996.

Mr Ainsworth, 79, apparently bludgeoned, Beatrice, 78  known as Bea  with a hammer, before stabbing her with a breadknife.

He then supposedly suffocated himself with a plastic bag as a suicide note, assumed to have been from Mr Ainsworth, said he had 'given her some sleeping tablets'.

But no sedatives were found in either of them following toxicology tests and Mr Ainsworth had 'unexplained bruises', possibly from being forcibly suffocated, on his lips.

Mrs Davies's investigation identified that the bag covering Mr Ainsworth's head was covered in blood which suggested he already had it on when his wife was attacked.

There was also an additional hammer found at the scene as well as a bottle of pills scattered on the floor despite the drug not being proscribed to either of the couple.

Detectives concluded Howard had killed Bea before taking his own life with the crucial piece of evidence being a 'suicide note' left on a yellow pad on the sideboard next to where the bodies were found

But Mrs Davies thought there were clues that indicated a killer could be roaming Britain's streets: 1. Howard Ainsworth has his head covered with a plastic bag and ligature 2. Bea Ainsworth had a knife sticking out of her head and injuries from a hammer 3. The bag on Mr Ainsworth's head was covered in blood, suggesting he already had it on when his wife was attacked 4. Only a tiny amount of bloody was on Mr Ainsworth's pyjamas 5. Mr Ainsworth's body is in an odd position, suggesting it could have been moved 6. The tip of the knife in Mrs Ainsworth's head was shoved in with considerable force 7. The hammer was found washed in the sink, which would be an odd move for Mr Ainsworth to make if he was about to commit suicide 8. Another hammer is also at the scene 9. A possible second ligature is on the floor, potentially left by the killer 10. A bottle of pills was scattered on the floor, but it was a drug not prescribed to the couple 11. A suicide note, from Mr Ainsworth was found, but was he forced to sign it?

She compared the Ainsworths' deaths to that of Auriel and Donald Ward who died in 1999 at home in Wilmslow.

Mrs Ward, 68, was hit with a ceramic hot water bottle and stabbed with the shards before Mr Ward, 73, slit his throat and stabbed himself.

Similarities between the cases included that both couples were discovered lying on blood-soaked beds in their nightclothes.

In both cases there was extremity of violence, with knives left in bodies at the crime scene; injuries to the head from a blunt weapon and stab wounds; and the fact that the women had been left with their nightdresses lifted.

Mrs Davies compared the Ainsworths' deaths to that of Auriel and Donald Ward (pictured) who died in 1999 at home in Wilmslow

Who are the victims of the potential serial killer? Howard and Beatrice Ainsworth were found dead at home in Wilmslow, Cheshire on April 28, 1996. Mr Ainsworth, 79, apparently bludgeoned, Beatrice, 78  known as Bea  with a hammer, before stabbing her with a breadknife. He then supposedly suffocated himself with a plastic bag. A suicide note, assumed to have been from Mr Ainsworth, said he had given her some sleeping tablets. But no sedatives were found in either of them following toxicology tests and Mr Ainsworth had unexplained bruises, possibly from being forcibly suffocated, on his lips. Donald and Auriel Ward died on November 26, 1999 at home in Wilmslow. Mrs Ward, 68, was hit with a ceramic hot water bottle and stabbed with the shards. Mr Ward, 73, slit his throat and stabbed himself. Eileen and Kenneth Martin died in their garage in Manchester in November 2008. Mrs Martin, 76, had severe head injuries and cuts to her wrists and neck. Mr Martin, 77, cut his throat, slashed his wrists and hanged himself. Stanley Wilson, 92, and his wife Peggy, 89, died in February 2011. Both were found dead in their bedroom in Kendal, Cumbria. Mrs Wilson had been bludgeoned in the head and face and had knife wounds to her neck. Mr Wilson is said to have stabbed himself in the neck. Violet Higgins, 76, was apparently murdered by husband Michael, 59, at their Manchester home in February 2000. Mr Higgins, who had Parkinsons disease, is believed to have beaten his wife with a rolling pin in bed and stabbed her with scissors. Advertisement

Her report pointed to 'a number of inconsistencies which do not corroborate the original manner of death of being murder suicide'.

She had voiced her concerns about the similarity in the two cases to colleagues in 1999 but they did not lead anywhere.

But her further inquiries turned up more murder-suicides that seemed to fit the pattern.

Among them, former police officer Violet Higgins, 76, who was found dead  also in her nightie  at home with security guard husband Michael, 59, in Manchester.

He had supposedly battered her with a rolling pin and stabbed her with scissors. The police quickly dropped the investigation.

The inquest heard evidence Michael was suffering from Parkinson's and his wife had threatened to put him in a home, a possible motive.

But the coroner stressed what happened was out of character. 'It was a very sad end to many years of apparent happy marriage,' he said.

Mr Higgins's brother Daniel also told the inquest he did not believe he was capable of such violence.

The report also raised questions over the deaths of Eileen and Kenneth Martin on the eve of their 55th wedding anniversary in November 2008.

Eileen, a former printer, 76, suffered blows to the head  possibly from a hammer  and had cuts to her neck and wrists.

She was found in the garage at home in Davyhulme, Manchester, next to Kenneth, 77, a retired steel erector, who is said to have cut his own throat and wrists and hanged himself.

It was reported as a mercy killing. Kenneth had prostate cancer and was struggling to look after his wife, who had dementia.

The night before he died he broke down and told his daughter he could no longer cope.

But Mrs Davies's report said the injuries Eileen sustained were not consistent with a mercy killing. Kenneth was also frail and had difficulty walking, raising doubts about whether he was physically capable of such an attack.

However, Dennis Tong, who discovered the bodies of Eileen and Kenneth, disputed the serial killer theory and said the family were '100 per cent sure' Kenneth was responsible.

'He must have done it on the spur of the moment,' he said. 'We know Ken was going downhill. He was a proud man and would not take any help from anybody. We suggested putting Eileen in a home and he just refused. I think he just crumbled under the pressure.'

Former police officer Violet Higgins was found dead  also in her nightie  at home in Manchester with security guard husband Michael

The report also raised questions over the deaths of Eileen and Kenneth Martin on the eve of their 55th wedding anniversary in November 2008

Similarly, some time overnight on February 17, 2011, ex-quarry worker Stanley Wilson, 92, is said to have carried out an attack on his retired teacher wife Peggie, 89, at home in Kendal.

She was hit on the head and face, strangled then stabbed in the neck. Stanley is said to have stabbed himself in the neck.

The inquest heard Stanley had just been released from hospital and was expressing paranoid fears his wife, son and the nursing staff had been trying to poison him.

His son Graham believed there is no doubt he committed the crime.

'There isn't a story here,' he told us. 'It was just a tragedy caused by my father's illness. As we said at the time, the hospital was at fault for letting him out too soon.'

His wife Barbara said the 'serial killer' theory had left the family deeply upset. 'We had no problem with what the police did and how it was all dealt with,' she added.

However, Mrs Davies said there were a number of similarities with the Ward case in particular and she concluded: 'This individual will not stop killing until someone or something stops him... the acts of dominating the victims, carrying out the murders and fooling the police, are all addictive to him.

'He will have meticulously planned each murder, ensured he left no forensic evidence and followed the cases in the media.'

Similarly, some time overnight on February 17, 2011, ex-quarry worker Stanley Wilson, 92, is said to have carried out an attack on his retired teacher wife Peggie, 89, at home in Kendal

The report calls on the National Crime Agency and Interpol to review cases both in Britain and Europe to check whether other cases might be related.

But police later began an investigation into Mrs Davies and her home was searched by the force's professional standards department before officers removed her laptop, mobile phones and personal diaries.

She was interviewed twice by PSD detectives at police headquarters during which she said her concern about the cases was in line with her role as the coroner's most senior investigator in Cheshire - despite creating the report in her spare time.

The CPS is considering charges of misconduct in a public office as well as data protection breaches.

She now also faces an internal disciplinary procedure that could result in her dismissal.

MailOnline has contacted Cheshire Police for comment.
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Photos show the migrant boats that are being used to smuggle children across the Channel into the UK as Kent County Council reveals it is at 'breaking point' and threatens to sue the Home Office.

The Tory local council could launch a judicial review as early as this week to try to force Home Secretary Priti Patel to disperse the youngsters across the country after they arrive.

Kent is bearing the brunt of the majority of migrant arrivals in the UK from mainland Europe and has a statutory duty to house them. But it argues that its social services have been stretched to the point where it can no longer do this safely, with some children being sent to stay in London.

More than 1,000 Channel migrants have arrived in the UK in the past week, while at least 4,300 have landed in the country this year so far. The annual total is expected to exceed the 8,400 who made the journey in 2020.

Some 250 minors have made the dangerous journey across the Channel this year so far, including 50 over the recent Bank Holiday weekend. They include large numbers of unaccompanied girls, leaving local authorities fearful that they will be targeted by criminal gangs.

The numbers of migrants risking the dangerous journey are rising despite Ms Patel's pledge in March to overhaul the immigration system and to make illegal Channel crossings 'unviable'.

The Home Secretary blamed the spiralling crisis on social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter who allow people-smugglers to use their platforms to advertise their criminal services. One video showing migrants travelling from Calais to Dover has been seen more than 800,000 on Chinese-owned TikTok.

In the strongly worded letter which has been seen by this newspaper, Ms Patel asks the internet giants to 'put an end to the exploitation of your platforms by criminals involved in organised immigration crime' as more people than ever are making 'incredibly dangerous journeys across the Channel'.

Matt Dunkley, Kent's corporate director of children's services, told the Sunday Times: 'We are at breaking point. Underneath this there is a humanitarian crisis involving traumatised young people who deserve the best support, and we are being forced into a standoff with the government over their care and wellbeing.'

A view of boats used by people thought to be migrants, being stored at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, this weekend

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel earlier this morning

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel earlier this morning

British Border Force staff lead a migrant mother with her child on her back into Dover harbour

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel earlier this morning

British Border Force staff bring migrants into Dover harbour, in Dover

More than 1,000 Channel migrants have arrived in the UK in the past week, while at least 4,300 have landed in the country this year so far. The annual total is expected to exceed the 8,400 who made the journey in 2020

Priti Patel has ordered social media giants including Facebook and Twitter to remove posts that 'glamorise' illegal Channel crossings, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

Trafficking gangs use the sites, which also include Instagram and YouTube, to advertise illegal boat crossings as well as fake passport and visa services

A Home Office spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Those who attempt to cheat the system place an unjust burden on the taxpayer and prevent genuine asylum seekers from getting support.

'This is why the Government is bringing forward the New Plan for Immigration which will allow us to welcome those most in need through safe and legal routes, while preventing abuse of the system.

'We recognise the longstanding role that Kent County Council has played in supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and are extremely grateful for their contribution. We continue to encourage more areas to join the National Transfer Scheme and do their part.

'We have already consulted on how to improve the Scheme to make it fairer - the outcome of which will be published very shortly.'

Critics told the Sunday Times that the Government might be unwilling to share the workload for fear the migrants would be sent to former Labour Red Wall areas won by the Tories at the last election.

Trafficking gangs use the sites, which also include Instagram and YouTube, to advertise illegal boat crossings as well as fake passport and visa services.

Ms Patel warns in her letter, which was sent yesterday: 'Posts which promote and even glamorise these lethal and illegal crossings, either by boat or in the back of lorries, are totally unacceptable.

'What these posts and adverts do not mention are the people who have died trying to make this crossing, or those forced to spend 13 hours in unseaworthy boats in freezing waters.'

In a powerful plea, she adds: 'These adverts directly lead to loss of life and I implore you to do everything in your power to quickly and proactively remove posts related to illegal crossings before more men, women and children die in the Channel or on other illegal migration routes. Now is the time to act before it is too late.'

British Border Force staff lead a migrant mother with a child on her back into Dover harbour

British Border Force staff bring migrants into Dover harbour, in Dover

British Border Force staff lead migrants into Dover harbour, in Dover

British Border Force staff lead a migrant mother with her child on her back into Dover harbour

It was reported yesterday that the Border Agency, for which Ms Patel is responsible, had helped migrants to enter Britain after the Navy ship HMC Valiant picked them up in French waters and took them to Dover.

In a recorded maritime radio conversation, the officers discussed the 'legality' of the operation before heading over to the French side of the Channel and launching an inflatable boat to collect the migrants.

Ms Patel's intervention is a sign of a growing determination within Government to tackle the power and influence of tech giants.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak yesterday helped to broker a historic deal among the G7 countries with the world's most advanced economies to stop companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google from channelling their profits through low-tax regimes.

Under the deal, finance ministers agreed to set a global minimum corporation tax rate of 15 per cent in tandem with a measure to force global companies with at least a ten per cent profit margin to pay taxes in the countries where they sell their services.

It comes after a subsidiary of Microsoft was revealed last week to have paid zero corporation tax on 222billion profit last year because it was resident in Bermuda for tax purposes.

Ms Patel decided to act after being advised by the National Crime Agency (NCA) that social media was playing an increasingly key role in the people-smuggling business

The Home Office is trying to combat the social media activities of the gangs by posting its own content on the platforms containing information on the safe alternative options available to migrants

Ms Patel decided to act after being advised by the National Crime Agency (NCA) that social media was playing an increasingly key role in the people-smuggling business.

The NCA will now work with tech companies to swiftly identify and remove content related to the migrant crossings. Fewer than half of posts targeted by the law enforcers have been taken down.

The video showing a group of men crossing the Channel in a flimsy dinghy went viral after it was placed on TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.

It has attracted more than 37,000 likes and over 24,000 comments. Meanwhile, action by the Home Office and the NCA to close the established Channel routes has forced the trafficking gangs to make longer and more perilous journeys, launching from points anywhere along around 125 miles of coastline to evade detection. It means migrants can spend up to 13 hours at sea.

The Home Office is trying to combat the social media activities of the gangs by posting its own content on the platforms containing information on the safe alternative options available to migrants.

Ms Patel has also called on the French to do more to tackle the migrant vessels at sea. Currently, President Emmanuel Macron's government will only intervene if the migrants ask for help.

Separately, an investigation by the MoS today reveals how a 'cat and mouse' game played by foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers in British courts as they try to avoid deportation is costing the taxpayer at least 200million every year.
Ghislaine Maxwell's family say her prison conditions breach the Nelson Mandela Rules by subjecting her to 'cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment'.

Maxwell, 59, is on remand on accusations of recruiting underage girls for billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

Relatives say her treatment in a New York jail could violate the United Nation's agreement on caring for prisoners.

A Twitter account run by her siblings, called 'Real Ghislaine', posted: 'Under the United Nations Standard Minimal Rules adopted in 2015 for the treatment of prisoners  ''The Nelson Mandela Rules'' - to which the US is a party, Ghislaine ''has been subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.'' '

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was denied bail for a fifth time on Wednesday while awaiting trial on charges for allegedly recruiting teenage girls for millionaire Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse. She is pictured in a court sketch from April 23

A Twitter account run by her siblings posted: 'Under the United Nations Standard Minimal Rules adopted in 2015 for the treatment of prisoners  ''The Nelson Mandela Rules'' - to which the US is a party, Ghislaine ''has been subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.'' '

Maxwell, 59, is on remand on accusations of recruiting underage girls for billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019

'Nelson Mandela Rules' In Geneva, 1955, the UN adopted the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, before a mandate for revision was granted by the General Assembly in 2011. A consensus on all revisions was reached in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2015 following a four-year review process. They were then endorsed and approved by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Economic and Social Council, and adopted by the General Assembly. A resolution approved that the principles should be known as the 'Nelson Mandela Rules' in order to honour the legacy of the late President of South Africa, who spent 27 years in prison in the course of his struggle against apartheid. In December 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the revised rules as the 'United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners'. The 122 Rules cover many aspects of prison maintenance, and outline minimum standards for the treatment of those who are detained, whether pre-trial or convicted. They give guidance on practically every aspects of prison management, from admission and classification to the prohibition of torture and limits on solitary confinement. There are also guidelines on healthcare, recruitment and training of prison staff, and disciplinary sanctions. Advertisement

The 122 United Nations rules for dealing with prison management were named in honour of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, who had been subjected to hard labour and small jail cells without beds during his 27 years in jail.

Social media users were not incredibly receptive to the Maxwell family's post.

One said: 'She has access to a shower,laptop and calls with her lawyers. She is a multimillionaire with highly paid lawyers.'

On Wednesday Maxwell was denied bail for a fifth time while awaiting trial on charges for allegedly recruiting teenage girls for millionaire Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse.

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued a brief order rejecting Maxwell's latest request. The three-judge panel that issued it did not elaborate.

The appeals court had rejected a bail request once before and her trial judge had thrice said no.

Maxwell has languished in a Brooklyn jailhouse under less than ideal conditions ever since her arrest on July 2, 2020, according to her lawyers.

In the latest bail quest, Maxwell's lawyers asked the appeals court to at least order the lower-court judge to conduct a hearing where evidence related to bail could be shown. The 2nd Circuit rejected that, too.

She has pleaded not guilty to charges including sex trafficking and conspiracy that allege she recruited at least four females for Epstein to sexually abuse between 1994 and 2004.

Maxwell's lawyers have argued she has been mistreated at a federal jail in Brooklyn, though prosecutors dispute the allegations.
The UK's chief child protection officer has backed primary schools asking girls as young as four to wear 'modesty shorts' under their skirts to safeguard against predators - but parents say the move amounts to body-shaming their children.

Wearing shorts under skirts has become popular in recent years among teenagers wishing to protect themselves against sexual harassment and 'upskirting', where illicit photographs are taken under the victim's clothing.

Now primary school headteachers have taken to warning parents against the dangers of 'inappropriate attention' from members of the public while youngsters participate in such activities as doing handstands in the playground.

Some primary schools have told girls as young as four to wear 'modesty shorts' under skirts

Changes to official school uniform policy have been introduced for children as young as four.

Now Simon Bailey, chief constable of Norfolk and the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for child protection, has lent his support to the idea of wearing modesty shorts, although he added the policy should be introduced in conjunction with tackling misogyny and sexual harassment across wider society.

Simon Bailey, who leads the National Police Chiefs' Council on child protection, has backed primary schools advising young girls to wear shorts under their skirts

Speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: 'My view is that anything that can be done to ensure that young girls feel more secure has got to be good news, even modesty shorts, but the culture in schools has got to change at the same time.'

The Dell Primary School in Chepstow, Monmouthshire and Parkside Primary Academy in Royston, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire have both written to parents advising wearing shorts under summer dresses.

In a statement posted on a Facebook page for parents, Steve King, headteacher of The Dell Primary School, said: 'While we do not want to give children messages that they are responsible for the actions of others, we cannot stand by while children's actions may attract inappropriate attention from members of the public but did not act to protect them.'

Wearing 'modesty shorts' amounts to body shaming their daughters, some parents argue

Some parents however feel angered their young daughters have been asked to cover up.

One parent said: 'Children should be free to do cartwheels, hang upside down and do whatever they want to before the inevitable hang-ups of puberty kick in.'

Conservative MP Maria Miller, former chairwoman of the women and equalities committee, which conducted an inquiry into sexual harassment in schools, said there were wider issues that need to be addressed in introducing the compulsory uniform change.

She said: 'It's our responsibility to keep children safe at schools and not put that responsibility onto them and what they wear.'
The school's high mistress, Sarah Fletcher, said: 'There has been a small number of students over the past few years wishing to use gender neutral pronouns or expressing a desire to explore transition'

A top private school has sparked fury after inviting American researchers to speak to pupils about changing sex.

The 26,000-a-year St Paul's Girls' School in west London hosted two researchers from Princeton University's human diversity lab, discussing research purportedly showing positive outcomes for girls living as boys and vice versa.

The school's newsletter informed parents of the talk, telling them that the university's findings on the topic of children's mental health while living as the opposite sex 'is of the utmost importance in light of the recent ban on hormone therapy in Arkansas for under-18s', The Times reports.

Parents now worry that some girls may wish to wear binders to flatten their breasts or take puberty blocking drugs to stop their periods.

Several girls have already asked to wear boys' clothes and be addressed by boys' names under the school's 'gender identity protocol'.

The school's high mistress, Sarah Fletcher, said: 'There has been a small number of students over the past few years wishing to use gender neutral pronouns or expressing a desire to explore transition. In each case, our response has been respectful, child specific and pastorally sensitive.'

A parent who had complained said: 'I am furious about this. Why were these researchers insisted to talk to the girls about ''trans youth'' at the school, where there is already an issue with girls wanting to become boys?

'Some staff have suggested that girls who say they want to become a boy should be seen at England's NHS gender identity clinic, which until recently used to give drugs to girls under the age of 16 to suppress their puberty, with who knows what consequences.'

The 26,000-a-year St Paul's Girls' School in west London hosted two researchers from Princeton University's human diversity lab, discussing research purportedly showing positive outcomes for girls living as boys and vice versa

Psychology graduate students Stats Atwood and Ashley Jordan had last month given the talk about the 'trans youth project' - a study of 300 children aged between three and 12.

The boys and girls changed their pronouns, names, and sometimes the way they dressed and styled their hair.

The children were no more depressed and only slightly more anxious than their peers, according to the study, led by Professor Kristina Olson, whom Atwood and Jordan work with.

It goes against other studies which have shown depression and other conditions among children who are looking to change sex.

A study for the NHS's Tavistock clinic had found a higher rate of suicidal tendencies among those under 16 who were having puberty-blocking treatment.

Ms Fletcher had said in a statement that the talk was organised jointly by two student societies - the Science Society and the schools LGBTQ+ society Spectrum.

She added that there was 'nothing about encouraging girls to seek transition', and they would 'always advise parents to refer to specialists outside the school'.

Ms Fletcher said the talk was 'simply a presentation of Princeton University's research, which is already published and in the public domain'

The school's alumni include actresses Joely Richardson and Rachel Weisz, along with television presenter Susanna Reid.

MailOnline has contacted St Paul's for comment.

The Tavistock NHS trust clinic in London had in the past referred children as young as 12 for puberty blockers, but last year the High Court ruled that children under 16 were not likely to be capable of giving informed consent.

Judges said that clinics needed a court's permission because the treatment was experimental.
Winston Churchill's close friend and propaganda chief masqueraded as a 16-year-old schoolboy and hired other teenagers to cane him, a new memoir claims.

Brendan Bracken, a noted Conservative politician and Churchill's wartime minister of information, was 54 years of age when he embarked on his fantasy to become 'Mike' the schoolboy.

Creating his own 'summer school' on the island of Scalpay, near Skye, Scotland, in the mid 1950's, the politician claimed to have a premature ageing condition when he introduced himself as one of the students.

A memoir by David Campbell, 85, who at age 16 was hired as a 'prefect' to supervise a misbehaving 'Mike', has revealed the bizarre con, the Sunday Times reports.

After 'Mike' was caught smoking and drinking prefects were told to administer the cane.

Campbell recalls how he had been 'surprised' that he was required to chastise the elderly looking teenager, writing in his memoir, Minstrel Heart, that the 'boy' 'never evinced any grudge' after being hit.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874 to 1965, left) with Minister of Information Brendan Bracken (1901 to 1958), circa 1941

Bracken, who had founded the Financial Times, went to many lengths to authenticate his false identity, forging letters from 'guardians', 'lawyers' and an 'uncle'.

Campbell writes: 'He never, ever touched any of us in a sexual way, although there was clearly an element of masochism. It just seemed to be this strange fantasy we were all sucked into.'

The charade came tumbling down after several summers when Bracken, who was one of Britain's most successful newspaper publishers with recognisably red hair, was immediately spotted and called out by a private tutor, Michael Green, who told Campbell 'this has to stop', The Sunday Times reports.

Campbell wrote: 'Part of me was stunned, part [had] already begun to unpeel the cataract of credulity that had let myself, tutors, companions, cooks and housemaids in successive Scottish grand house 'schools' become part of the masquerade.'

Bracken - later becoming Lord Bracken - was not yet 22 when he swept 48-year-old Winston Churchill off his feet in 1923.

Brendan Bracken, a noted Conservative politician and Churchill's wartime minister of information, was 54 years of age when he embarked on his fantasy to become 'Mike'

He had already fabricated a tall story about his past, claiming to be an Australian orphan educated at an English public school, when in fact he was from Tipperary and the self-educated son of an Irish stonemason of republican sympathies.

In his early 20s, while serving first as a prep-school master who was famed for his flogging, then as a junior employee of a publishing firm, Bracken used to gatecrash smart parties in London and boldly introduce himself to well-known personalities. Some were sufficiently impressed to ask him to dinner.

One was the editor of the Observer, at whose table Bracken met Churchill. The politician was immediately smitten. 'Who is this extraordinary young friend you've been hiding away?' he asked the Observer editor, 'I would like to see him again.'

Within days, Bracken found an excuse to visit Churchill at his London house in Sussex Square.

The only obstacle to their friendship was Churchill's wife Clemmie, who could not understand why Winston liked Bracken. Because of her hostility, they ceased to meet in Sussex Square, but during 1923 Churchill moved into Chartwell, where Bracken became a constant visitor.

Bracken House, City of London, the former home of the Financial Times - named after the paper's founder Brendan Bracken

Clemmie once said: 'Mr Bracken arrived with the furniture and he never left.'

In 1929 Bracken became MP for North Paddington, later becoming one of a trio of Churchill's henchmen in the Thirties and Forties.

Bracken was Churchill's devoted fixer and, when war came, his parliamentary private secretary and then minister for information, a role to which the fantasist and fixer was ideally suited.

Churchill appointed him First Lord of the Admiralty in 1945, then asked him to serve with him again in 1951, saying: 'I want you beside me, my dear.'

A diary Bracken wrote as a young man hinted at goings-on involving Boy Scouts.

In the new memoir Campbell claims Bracken had shown no interest in the students sexually and that instead he appeared to enjoy 'the manufacture of drama'.

Campbell, who became a BBC radio producer and story teller, claims he was never asked to keep quiet about the fake identity by Bracken - but that Bracken had paid him and his brother's way through university and bought a house for Campbell's mother in Edinburgh.

Bracken died aged 57 from throat cancer, a year after his fake schoolboy identity was found out.
The Ministry of Justice is leading an 'exodus' of government departments from Stonewall's diversity scheme, amid controversy over the charity's 'dubious' training.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland is preparing to withdraw his department from the LGBT charity's 'diversity champions' programme, which includes guidance on the use of pronouns and gender-neutral spaces.

Other departments are expected to follow suit, after Equalities Minister Liz Truss suggested that government bodies should withdraw from the scheme over growing concerns about its value for money.

Sources at the MoJ told the Sunday Telegraph that the decision to withdraw from the scheme was also based on concerns about Stonewall's approach to free speech and what they called its 'dubious' training.

Campaigners have accused the controversial equality charity of encouraging public bodies and firms to adopt policies that create a 'culture of fear' among workers who disagree with transgender ideology.

Antonia Romeo, the Permanent Secretary at the MoJ, is now reviewing the department's diversity policy on behalf of Mr Buckland.

An MoJ source told the paper that Stonewall 'has totally lost its way and the ministers just don't think it's justifiable to give Stonewall taxpayers' money'.

'The department will be just as welcoming to LGBT people as before, but we really shouldn't be paying thousands of pounds for controversial advice about pronouns and gender-neutral spaces,' they added.

Robert Buckland is preparing to withdraw the MoJ from Stonewall's 'diversity champions' programme, which includes guidance on the use of pronouns and gender-neutral spaces

The Ministry of Justice is leading an 'exodus' of government departments from Stonewall's diversity scheme, amid controversy over the charity's 'dubious' training

The top 10 employers on Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index 1 - Newcastle City Council 2 - Gentoo Group 3 - Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service 4 - Pinsent Masons (Top Northern Ireland Employer) 5 - Ministry of Justice 6 - GSK 7 - Citi 8 - National Assembly for Wales (Top Welsh Employer) 9 - Welsh Government 10 - Cardiff University Advertisement

Stonewall claims its Workplace Equality Index, which allows employers to 'measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace', makes companies more attractive to prospective employees.

The group has issued guidance to employers wanting to make the cut on its index, which has attracted more than 500 applications in the last year.

A Stonewall spokesperson told MailOnline: 'All employers need to ensure that their staff, including LGBTQ+ staff, are free from discrimination and prejudice at work, and our Diversity Champions programme is one way for organisations to be supported to meet this requirement.

'More than a third of LGBTQ+ staff (35 per cent) hide who they are at work, while one in five (18 per cent) have been the target of negative comments because they're LGBTQ+.

'Since we set up the Diversity Champions programme in 2001, many large employers have developed major internal programmes to promote diversity and inclusion across their staff and make the workplace better for LGBTQ+ people.

'As with every membership programme, organisations come and go depending on what works best for them at the time, and it's great that organisations can continue this important work on their own.

'We are pleased to say that our Diversity Champions programme is continuing to grow and take on new members. This year alone, from 1 June 2020 to 1 June 2021, our membership grew by thirty organisations in total.

'We are very proud of the work we're doing with more than 850 organisations to help create inclusive working environments for their lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer staff.'

A number of government departments, such as the Home Office, the Department for International Trade and the Ministry of Justice - ranked as high as fifth - feature on the list, as well as the likes of MI6 and the British Army.

However, its guidance includes urging employers to add gender pronouns to email signatures, outlawing single sex toilets and changing rooms, and running a rainbow laces campaign, the Telegraph reports.

Other departments are expected to follow suit, after Equalities Minister Liz Truss suggested government bodies should withdraw from the scheme over concerns about its value for money

Stonewall: The controversial LGBT charity which has come under fire in recent weeks Just this week, the Equalities Minister Liz Truss said she wanted the Government to quit a diversity scheme run by Stonewall amid a row over trans rights. Miss Truss is said to be pushing for departments to join the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Acas in dropping the Diversity Champions scheme over fears it is not providing value for money. After criticism from the gay former Conservative MP Matthew Parris, Ms Kelley told the BBC: 'With all beliefs including controversial beliefs there is a right to express those beliefs publicly and where they're harmful or damaging - whether it's anti-Semitic beliefs, gender critical beliefs, beliefs about disability - we have legal systems that are put in place for people who are harmed by that.' According to Stonewall there are more than 850 organisations, including 250 government departments and public bodies such as police forces, local councils and NHS trusts, signed up as 'diversity champions'. Membership to the scheme starts at around 2,500, which according to the LGBT charity's website, buys employers access to expert advice and resources to make their workplaces 'inclusive'. However, the charity was embroiled in a new row over transgender rights last week, when its chief executive Nancy Kelley likened 'gender critical' beliefs to anti-Semitism as she defended its pro-trans campaigning. The EHRC, Britain's equalities watchdog, then cut ties with a Stonewall scheme for 'woke' workplaces after claims that it curbs free speech among staff. Its decision comes amid accusations the scheme is encouraging public bodies and firms to adopt policies that create a 'culture of fear' among workers who disagree with transgender ideology. A letter to the feminist campaign group Sex Matters from new commission chairman Baroness Falkner revealed: 'We wrote to Stonewall in March to let them know that we would not be renewing our membership, and this has now expired.' Before that, a former top judge claimed transgender groups such as Stonewall are having too much say over hate crime laws that could cause freedom of speech to 'suffer'. Charles Wide, a retired Old Bailey judge, said last month only an 'limited range' of views was being sought out to advise on a possible expansion of legislation. The government currently looking at expanding hate crimes, and the Law Commission is consulting on whether misogyny, age, sex workers, homelessness, and some subcultures should become protected groups. But the judge fears the Commission's over reliance on certain campaign groups has seen it move away from its non-political brief to draw on 'contentious and controversial sociological theories'. Writing for the think tank Policy Exchange, he said: 'No adequate thought seems to have been given to the difficulty of reaching beyond a limited range of academics and organisations to the full variety of academic voices, organisations, commentators and members of the public who have no organisation to speak for them.' He singled out LGBT campaigners Stonewall, saying the Commission was treating them more like 'a consultant than consultee'. Advertisement

Now its call to ban the word 'mother' has sparked a backlash, with campaigners calling for an inquiry into how the group has had such an influence on Whitehall.

The MoJ is ranked fifth in the 2020 index, making it the highest government department on the list, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

It is understood to pay 3,500 per year to be part of the diversity champions scheme - funds that will now be 'reallocated' to causes such as disability and autism training.

The MoJ decision to withdraw comes after the Equality and Human Rights Commission chose not to renew its membership over 'value for money' concerns.

At least five other public bodies had quietly pulled out of the scheme since 2019. On Friday, it emerged that Channel 4 had also withdrawn.

According to Stonewall there are more than 850 organisations, including 250 government departments and public bodies such as police forces, local councils and NHS trusts, signed up as 'diversity champions'.

Membership to the scheme starts at around 2,500, which according to the LGBT charity's website, buys employers access to expert advice and resources to make their workplaces 'inclusive'.

Stonewall insists that all employers 'need to ensure that their staff, including LGBTQ+ staff, are free from discrimination and prejudice at work but it is up to them how they meet this statutory requirement'.

'Since we set up the diversity champions programme in 2001 many large employers have developed major internal programmes to promote diversity and inclusion across their staff', the charity said last week.

Stonewall was embroiled in a new row over transgender rights last week, when its chief executive Nancy Kelley likened 'gender critical' beliefs to anti-Semitism as she defended its pro-trans campaigning.

After criticism from the gay former Conservative MP Matthew Parris, Ms Kelley told the BBC: 'With all beliefs including controversial beliefs there is a right to express those beliefs publicly and where they're harmful or damaging - whether it's anti-Semitic beliefs, gender critical beliefs, beliefs about disability - we have legal systems that are put in place for people who are harmed by that.'

Meanwhile, the EHRC, Britain's equalities watchdog, then cut ties with a Stonewall scheme for 'woke' workplaces after claims that it curbs free speech among staff.

A letter to the feminist campaign group Sex Matters from new commission chairman Baroness Falkner revealed: 'We wrote to Stonewall in March to let them know that we would not be renewing our membership, and this has now expired.'

Now, documents seen by the Telegraph reveal the extent of the guidance Stonewall gives employers wanting to make its leaderboard.

Edinburgh University was discouraged from using the term 'mother', instead being told 'parent who has given birth' was more strongly recommended.

Similarly, Merseyside Police was told 'pregnant employee' was 'a more inclusive term', while the Welsh government removed 'mother' from its Maternity policy, even though 'father' still remains.

Maya Forstater, co-founder of campaign group Sex Matters, told the paper: 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life [should] undertake a public inquiry as to how an organisation that is basically a lobby group got into such an influential position in so many institutions'.

A spokesperson for feminist campaign group FiLiA told MailOnline: 'FiLiA recognises the impact that dehumanising 'gender neutral' terms such as 'pregnant person' or 'birthing parent' has on women and girls.

'The recent MOMA (Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances) Bill debate showed that Parliament would not allow the word 'mother' to be replaced, yet Stonewall continues to push organisations, including Government departments, to adopt these terms - again, not complying with the Equality Act 2010 but attempting to set the rules as Stonewall would prefer it to be.

'Maternity and pregnancy is yet another protected characteristic that Stonewall have ignored in their pursuit of gender identity extremism.

'We should have the words to talk about these characteristics, not least for those whom the English language is difficult.

'We are extremely disappointed at the lack of critical thinking of the organisations opting into Stonewall's version of the law purely for the virtue signal of appearing on their 'Workplace Equality Index', and their lack of respect for women, and in particular pregnant women and mothers.'
Matt Hancock was today accused of 'killing British travel abroad' amid a furious Cabinet row over foreign holidays.

The Health Secretary and fellow senior minister Michael Gove have been blamed for the decision last week to place Portugal on the amber list as just a few days' notice.

The move last Thursday, which comes into effect on Tuesday, forced thousands of Britons into a last minute scramble to get home without having to quarantine.

They are said to have over-ruled more hawkish elements int he Cabinet, led by Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, who wanted Portugal put on a 'watchlist' that would have given holiday makers more time.

They have also been accused of over-ruling scientific advise from the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) clearing Malta to be added to the green list of quarantine-free travel destinations.

The Mediterranean island has one of the lowest Covid rates in Europe and has been open to UK travellers since June 1.

A ministerial source told the Sunday Times there had been a 'heated' meeting earlier this week.

'Ministers were bounced into this at the last minute. Hancock held on to the data until the last minute,' they said.

Mr Hancock defended himself today, telling Sky that 'my first duty is to protect the UK population and that does include trying to minimise transmission' from abroad, though he was not specifically asked about holidays.

And a Whitehall source told MailOnline that the decision on Portugal and Malta was supported by a majority of Cabinet ministers and all the devolved administrations.

The Health Secretary and fellow senior minister Michael Gove have been blamed for the decision last week to place Portugal on the amber list as just a few days' notice.

The move last Thursday, which comes into effect on Tuesday, forced thousands of Britons into a last minute scramble to get home without having to quarantine.

They have also been accused of over-ruling scientific advise from the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) clearing Malta to be added to the green list of quarantine-free travel destinations.

Gove and Hancock are said to have over-ruled more hawkish elements in the Cabinet, led by Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, who wanted Portugal put on a 'watchlist' that would have given holiday makers more time.

'JBC said Portugal was borderline and some ministers wanted a watchlist of green countries that might go amber.

'There were clear reasons to put Malta on the green list but the formal recommendation from the Department of Health was that it should not happen.

'Hancock doesn't think anyone should be going abroad on holiday this year. He is killing British travel abroad. If we are going to follow scientific advice to stop people travelling we should be following scientific advice if they say people can travel.'

It came as a leading epidemiologist said that Portugal was probably safer than some parts of England.

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, told Times Radio: 'If you travel from London to Manchester at the moment, it's a much greater risk than going to Portugal, Spain, Italy, France.

'Are we protecting the Portuguese from problems? Is it that way around? Because otherwise I don't really get it. We can't stop variants coming into this country unless we completely lock down the country.

'So I think we just ought to start settling down and dealing with our own outbreaks and not try to have this haphazard travel policy which is causing a lot of fear and confusion.'

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the Government's traffic light rating system for travel is 'confusing' and 'dangerous'.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, she said: 'I think we've got a real, real problem with the travel system that the Government has put in place.

'We've currently got countries on the amber list which the Government is basically urging people not to go to but allowing people to go to with very lax quarantine requirements when they come back.

'We think the amber list should be scrapped. We think it's pointless. We think it's confusing and that confusion is actually dangerous at the moment.

'It risks unravelling all of the progress that we've made.'
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Ministers are 'open' to delaying England's June 21 Freedom Day if data on Covid cases 'turns bad' in the next week Matt Hancock said today - amid claims it could be pushed back a fortnight.

The Health Secretary made positive noises today about the link between cases and people going to hospital being loosened by vaccines as the Indian variant drove infections to more than 6,000 a day on Friday.

He told Sky today that vaccines would be rolled out to under 30s this coming week, saying the jabs are the 'way we can get out of this and restore our freedoms'.

But he was cautious over when that freedom might come, as he confirmed that the Indian variant is 40 per cent more transmissible than the previously dominant Kent variant.

Last night it was reported that plans are being made to push the lifting of coronavirus measures back to July 5, to allow more people to get the second dose of Covid vaccinations.

Mr Hancock said that ministers would be looking at the latest data over the next week before making a decision on June 14.

Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme if Freedom Day could be delayed past June 21 if the data on cases and hospitalisations 'turned bad' in the next week, Mr Hancock said: 'We are absolutely open to doing that, if that is what needs to happen.

'We have said in the roadmap that the 21st of June is the date by which we would not take step 4 before that date and we would look at the data. That is exactly what we are doing.'

Asked if the wearing of face coverings and work from home measures could continue in the long-term, the Health Secretary added: "Yes, I wouldn't rule that out.'

It came as:

Ex-PM Tony Blair called for vaccinated Britons to be released from coronavirus restrictions saying it is 'time to distinguish for the purposes of freedom' between those who have been jabbed and those who have not.

Vaccinations could be offered to schoolchildren aged between 12 and 15 as early as August, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock warns of a surge in Covid-19 cases in schoolchildren.

Boris Johnson plans to use the G7 summit to secure a global pledge to vaccinate the world's population against Covid-19 by the end of 2022.

Matt Hancock was accused of working with Michael Gove and 'killing British travel abroad' amid a furious Cabinet row over foreign holidays.

The Health Secretary made positive noises today about the link between cases and people going to hospital being loosened by vaccines as the Indian variant drove infections to more than 6,000 a day on Friday.

England's 'Freedom Day' on June 21 may be delayed for two weeks by Boris Johnson, it was reported on Saturday. According to ITV News, government sources have said that plans are being made to push the lifting of coronavirus measures back to July 5 to allow more people to get the second dose of Covid vaccinations

Boris Johnson calls for globe to be vaccinated within 18 months Boris Johnson will use the G7 summit to secure a global pledge to vaccinate the world's population against Covid-19 by the end of 2022. The Prime Minister will call on world leaders to agree a plan to end the pandemic by ensuring every person has access to a jab within the next 18 months. He hailed the summit, which will be held in Cornwall, as 'historic'. The G7 starts on Friday, when the leaders will gather for a face-to-face meeting. Mr Johnson said the premiers  which include United States President Joe Biden on his first foreign visit since taking office  must use the event to 'rise to the greatest challenge' since the war. Speaking ahead of the summit, Mr Johnson said: 'The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era: defeating Covid and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values. 'Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history. 'I'm calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end to this terrible pandemic and pledge will we never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again.' The leaders of the G7 will arrive in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, for three days of meetings. They will be joined virtually by experts, including the UK Government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, environmentalist Sir David Attenborough and philanthropist Melinda Gates. On Saturday, the G7 leaders will be joined either in person or virtually by their counterparts from Australia, South Africa, South Korea and India to discuss health and climate change. The Prime Minister is expected to call for a stepping up of the manufacture of vaccines, lowering barriers to the international distribution of jabs and sharing surplus doses with developing countries, both bilaterally and through Covax, a World Health Organisation scheme. Advertisement

Mr Hancock told Sky today: 'This week we will be opening up vaccines to the under 30s and so we are getting a step closer to the point where we have been able to offer the vaccine to all adults in this country.

'Then once we have got everybody having had their second dose of course, then you get this protection that we are seeing at the moment among older people, you get that protection among the whole adult population.

'That way we can get out of this and restore our freedoms. But the timing of the exactly when we can take that step is the big question.

'We are not saying no to the 21st of June at this point we will keep watching the data for another week and critically watching that link from the number of cases to the number of people who end up in hospital.

'It's absolutely true the number of people ending up in hospital is broadly flat at the moment, while the number of cases is rising, showing that that link is not absolute as it once was.'

It was reported on Friday that secret plans were being worked on to delay the lifting of measures by two weeks in addition to retaining social distancing and limits of crowds past Freedom Day.

And last night ITV confirmed the same reports. It came after a government scientist warned that pushing ahead with a full reopening later this month in England would be 'foolish' and a 'major risk', which followed Covid cases jumping by 70 per cent in a week on Saturday, reaching 5,765. However, health chief insisted vaccines do 'break the chain'.

There is currently enough evidence to say that due to the spread of the Indian variant, one of the Government's four key tests for its road map out of lockdown has not been met, Professor Stephen Reicher said.

Multiple reports have suggested plans to lift all restrictions on June 21 could be scaled down, with social distancing and the wearing of face coverings set to continue amid concerns that the variant that originated in India, now known as Delta, is fuelling a surge in cases.

On Friday the UK recorded its highest number of new confirmed coronavirus cases - 6,238 - since late March, according to official figures. Saturday's figure was down slightly at 5,765 lab-confirmed cases.

Meanwhile figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested the number of people who had the virus in England has increased by around three-quarters in a week, taking it to its highest tally since mid-April, with the R value between 1 and 1.2.

Prof Reicher, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (Spi-B) which advises the Government, said the criteria about the current assessment of the risks not being fundamentally changed by new variants of concern is 'not upheld'.

'I think by the Government's own criteria it's quite clear that it would be foolish to proceed on the data that we've got at the moment. The risk would be very great indeed,' the professor told the PA news agency.

'And of course it's a balance of risks but I think it would be a major risk to go further in opening up.'

He added: 'Again, I make the point that it is about data not dates, and if you make it too much about the dates then you box yourself into a corner and I think that's what the Government has done.'

A UK Government spokeswoman said 'no decision' had been made on whether to ease all coronavirus restrictions on June 21, amid reports Boris Johnson could delay the move by at least a fortnight.

'As the Prime Minister has set out, we can see nothing in the data at the moment to suggest that we need to deviate from the roadmap,' said the spokeswoman.

'We continue to look at the data and the latest scientific evidence and no decision on Step 4 has yet been made.'

Professor Reicher's comments come as more surge testing is to be rolled out in another part of the country amid community spread of the Delta variant, with everyone aged 12 and above in some postcodes in Reading and Wokingham offered PCR testing from Monday.

Hundreds of young people queued outside the Hunter Street Health Centre in London this afternoon despite the glorious weather so they could receive a Covid-19 jab

Many of the young people queuing up for their jabs were students attending universities across London

The government is now urging young people to come forward and get vaccinated as they are now at the highest risk of infection due to the high levels of compliance among older generations

Covid jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds to be rolled out in August Vaccinations could be offered to schoolchildren aged between 12 and 15 as early as August according to Downing Street sources, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock warns of a surge in Covid-19 cases in schoolchildren. Government sources have said that modelling shows an inoculation programme for 12 to 15-year-olds could begin as early as August or September. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will provide a judgement on whether or not the jab can be provided to the young teenagers, with ministers expected to make a final decision based on this advice. The news comes amid growing fears from ministers as Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned a 'huge proportion' of the latest Covid cases are in schoolchildren. Earlier this week, Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the use of the Pfizer shot in children aged between 12-15. A government source confirmed to the Sunday Telegraph that using current modelling figures, the nation would be 'ready' to start jabbing 12 to 15-year-olds by late August or early September. Writing in the Telegraph today, Mr Hancock warned that case numbers are higher in schoolchildren, and that the Delta variant now makes up the majority of the UK's cases. He wrote: 'The delta variant, first identified in India, is more transmissible and now makes up the majority of new Covid-19 cases in this country. 'We have to show the same spirit that has taken us this far and keep doing our bit. 'That means keeping up the basics  like hands, face, space and fresh air  and getting regular tests. 'A huge proportion of the latest cases are in children, so it's especially important all secondary school age children take a test today before going back from half term tomorrow and isolate if positive.' Advertisement

Saturday was the third day in a row cases have exceeded 5,000. But last weekend was a bank holiday, which may have reduced the number of cases and deaths being recorded, boosting week-on-week growth rates.

Thirteen more Covid deaths were also reported  rising 85.7 per cent on last Saturday's figure  though numbers are still so low fluctuations are expected week-on-week.

Meanwhile, Britain's vaccine roll-out has continued at pace, with 174,535 first doses dished out across the UK yesterday, taking the country's total to 40.1million.

Some 360,691 second doses were also given out, meaning nearly 27.2million people are fully vaccinated in the country (51.6 per cent).

Chief executive of NHS Providers Chris Hopson said the number of people in hospital with the Indian 'Delta' variant was not increasing 'very significantly'.

And many of those in hospital in Bolton  which has the highest number of cases of the Indian variant in England  were younger than in previous waves of the pandemic therefore less at risk of serious complications, he added.

Last night it was announced that all over-12s in areas of Berkshire will be subject to surge Covid testing in a bid to tackle a community outbreak of the Indian strain.

Director of public health for Berkshire West, Meradin Peachey, said the surge in cases is mainly among young people, with 'virtually nobody over 60 or anyone who has been vaccinated' affected.

And in London today, pictures showed long lines of over-18s queuing to get their first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine at Belmont Health Centre in Harrow.

A similar drive took place at the Hunter Street Health Centre in Camden where huge crowds of young people gathered for the sought-after jab.

It follows a one-off event at Twickenham Stadium last weekend which saw officials attempt to shift 15,000 Pfizer doses to anyone aged over 18 - with huge queues snaking along the tarmac for miles.

Mr Hopson's assessment echoes that of Matt Hancock who yesterday cautioned that the link between Covid cases and deaths has been 'broken but not completely severed' by vaccines - as the number of positive tests spiked again to 6,238 and 11 more deaths were recorded.

The Health Secretary was speaking at a meeting of G7 health ministers in Oxford on Friday when he said: 'We always expected cases to rise as the as the country was opened up, the critical thing is the impact on the number of people who end up in hospital for any given number of cases. That link has been broken by the vaccine, but it hasn't been completely severed yet.'

Today, pictures showed long lines of over-18s queuing to get their first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine at Belmont Health Centre in Harrow

A similar drive took place at the Hunter Street Health Centre in Camden where huge crowds of young people gathered for the sought-after jab

At the Hunter Street Health Centre in Camden, huge groups rushed to get the vaccine on Saturday

The long queues in Harrow (pictured) follow a one-off event at Twickenham Stadium last weekend which saw officials attempt to shift 15,000 Pfizer doses to anyone aged over 18 - with huge queues snaking along the tarmac for miles

People queuing to go into Belmont Health Centre in Harrow which is offering a first dose of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to anyone aged over 18 on Saturday and Sunday

Queues snaked along the pavement in Harrow today where huge groups of over-18s queued to get their vaccines

Chief executive of NHS Providers Chris Hopson said the number of people in hospital with the Indian 'Delta' variant was not increasing 'very significantly'

Public Health England data show that just 0.07 per cent of confirmed Indian variant cases were admitted to hospital despite having had two doses of a vaccine, compared to 0.95 per cent of unvaccinated people. Significantly more unvaccinated people also went to A&E or died after catching the virus. Having had a single dose of a jab offered middling protection but experts say that now the Indian strain is dominant it is crucial that people get both jabs

Figures published on Thursday night showed that just seven out of 9,427 people to have been infected with the new strain by the end of May were admitted to hospital - even though they had had two doses of a vaccine (0.07 per cent).

By comparison, 90 unvaccinated people were admitted in the same time (0.95 per cent) and PHE warned in a report that the risk of admission to hospital with the new strain may be 2.6 times higher than it was for the Kent variant, meaning that people who haven't had a jab are now at a higher risk than they were with previous strains.

The Government is scrambling to get jabs to as many people as possible. Last night it was reported that ministers plan to cut wait times between Covid-19 vaccination doses for over 40s from twelve weeks to eight weeks as ministers battle to save 'Freedom Day' on June 21.

Britons seeking to avoid being forced into self-isolation upon their return to the UK have been queuing up for Covid-19 tests outside Faro Airport in the Algarve today

Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced that from 4am on Tuesday Portugal would be placed on the UK's amber list, wrecking the holiday plans of thousands of Britons

Shapps claimed the move was necessary as the level of Covid-19 infection was growing in Portugal, though the decision was criticised by the travel industry and the government in Lisbon

Those aged under 30 will be invited to book their coronavirus vaccine jabs this week, the Health Secretary has confirmed.

Matt Hancock told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday: 'This week we will be opening up vaccines to the under-30s and so we are getting a step closer to the point when we have been able to offer the vaccine to all adults in this country.

'Then, once we have got everybody having had their second dose, then you will get this protection that we are seeing at the moment among older people, you'll get that protection throughout the whole adult population.'
A traveller flying into Sydney has spotted a hilarious 'welcome' sign on the top of a building near the city's airport.

The man was moments away from touching down in the Harbour City this week when he noticed 'Welcome to Perth' scrawled in big white letters across a roof top in Sydney's inner suburbs.

Sharing a photo of the sign on Reddit, the man said he was impressed by the clever message.

'Nice welcome sign on approach into Sydney Airport,' he wrote.

A traveller has shared a photo of a 'brilliant' welcome sign (pictured) on a building's rooftop in Sydney's inner suburbs

Many praised the sign as 'brilliant', with some saying they would easily be tricked into thinking they were on the wrong flight.

'I am exactly the type of person that would finally manage to get 5 minutes of sleep just before landing, wake up to this dazed and confused and freak the f**k out. Bravo,' one person wrote.

'Haha. [I'm] the kind of person who falls asleep and misses their stop, on an airplane,' another added.

'As someone who was originally from Perth, I love this,' a third comment read.

Another said it was a 'great troll' while someone else joked that 'Perth had changed a lot after the pandemic'.

A social media user said the clever rooftop message was the work of car repairs business Heasman Steering and Suspension (pictured)

The creator of the sneaky sign was later identified by one social media user as a wheel alignment business in Sydenham.

'This was done by Heasman Steering and Suspension a couple of months ago,' they said.

'Absolutely hilarious.'
Actor Ha Jung-woo / Korea Times file



By Kwak Yeon-soo



Actor Ha Jung-woo has issued an apology after prosecutors summarily indicted him over the alleged illegal use of propofol, a sleep inducer used for surgery or medical procedures.



On May 28, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office sought a fine of 10 million won ($8,980) against him. A summary indictment does not require a formal trial.



In a statement, Ha said he has fully cooperated with the investigation and accepts the monetary penalty imposed on him.



"As an actor who has been receiving way more love than I deserve, I should have acted with higher self-discipline. I didn't recognize I was at fault because it was part of the treatment. I have reflected deeply upon my naive judgment and I sincerely apologize to you all, including my company and family, for causing trouble. I promise I will be more cautious of my actions in the future," he said.



Prosecutors have been investigating the case since last year, focusing on allegations he received around 10 shots of the anesthetic drug without proper prescriptions at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam District, between January and September in 2019. They said Ha got the shots with prescriptions issued to his younger brother and manager.



The actor denied the allegations, claiming getting the shots was part of legitimate medical treatment for skin trouble.



Propofol is a controlled substance that has been classified as illegal when used for any purposes other than surgical treatment. However, it has been abused by many celebrities and business bigwigs, due to comparably easier access and quicker recovery from anesthesia.



After making his acting debut in the 2002 romance film "Madeleine," he has starred in blockbuster films like "Along with the Gods" (2017) and "Ashfall" (2019). Ha has been confirmed to appear in the Netflix original series "Suriname." This marks the actor's return to acting in a series. His last such role was in the MBC drama series "H.I.T." (2007).


A returned overseas traveller has tested positive to coronavirus after leaving hotel quarantine in Perth but authorities believe he is shedding viral particles and is not infectious.

The maritime worker has been placed back into quarantine after returning a 'moderately positive' PCR test on Saturday morning, WA Health said on Sunday.

He had left the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth a day earlier, having completed 14 days of quarantine.

A returned overseas traveller has tested positive to coronavirus after leaving the Pan Pacific Hotel (pictured) in Perth on Friday

During his time in the community, the man stayed at the Ibis hotel in Perth, ate at a restaurant and visited an Optus store on Murray Street and a pharmacy.

It is believed 12 people were in the restaurant at the time, all of which are now considered casual contacts.

Anyone who attended those venues at the same time will be contacted and encouraged to get a COVID-19 test as an additional precaution.

Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said the man had been returned to hotel quarantine purely as a precaution.

'We do not believe he is infectious,' Dr Robertson told reporters.

The man wore a face mask while he was out in the community and has remained asymptomatic.

He had originally tested positive on May 23, two days after arriving at the hotel from Colombia via the United States.

During his time in the community, the man stayed at the Ibis hotel in Perth, ate at a restaurant and visited an Optus store on Murray Street and a pharmacy

He is the same man - identified by WA Health as Case 1017 - who infected a guest in an adjoining room at the Pan Pacific last month.

The man staying next door had been in the hotel since May 16 and returned two negative tests before testing positive on day 13.

WA Health is yet to determine how the virus spread between the two rooms and has labelled Case 1017 as a 'chronic shedder' of the coronavirus.

Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson said it was not unusual to get a positive result from a PCR test.

'We often get people who are chronic shedders. But the test result was more moderately positive than we would anticipate', he said.

'So as a precaution we have put him back into one of our quarantine hotels and have taken further tests.'

Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson said he did not believe the man was a major concern to the wider Perth community

Dr Robertson said the man's test had been weaker on Sunday, which was more in line with what authorities expect from a chronic shredder of the virus.

The Health Officer said he did not believe the man was a major concern to the wider Perth community.

'We believe he is a non-infectious chronic shedder,' he said.

'What he is shedding is viral particles, he is not shedding virus.'

WA Department of Health will conduct further tests to confirm whether Case 1017 is infectious, the results of which can take up to 48 hours.
This incredible footage captures the terrifying moment a go karter cheated death when the vehicle left the track and flipped in the air in Madrid.

The video, filmed at Rivas-Vaciamdrid Karting in Spain last Sunday evening, shows two karts speeding around the track before coming into a tight corner.

One hits the crash barrier at high speed and immediately veers into the next car, cutting across its path and crashing into another barrier, flipping over in the air.

In a shocking moment, the kart lands on the crash barrier on all four wheels.

Amazingly, the driver escaped unscathed because they were wearing a seatbelt and helmet.

Shocked onlookers stare on in silence as the driver moves around in the kart, before giving them a thumbs up.

They then dash onto the track to help.

The karts collided after taking a tight bend in the track at high speed

Both karts then bounced off of the crash barrier and into another one.

One kart comes to a stop after the crash but the second flew over the barrier and into the air

Meanwhile in the background, the other driver has stopped the kart and is seen shaking their wrist.

Miguel Angel Checa, CEO of the circuit confirmed that neither driver was injured and that the driver behind the kart that crash was 'irresponsible.'

'The security measures of the circuit, and our protocols in case of an accident were correct and worked very well,' he said.

'The accident occurred when the driver behind pushed the other driver like a bulldozer.

The kart immediately flips into the air after hitting two crash barriers at high speed

Shocked onlookers watch as the kart lands on the crash barrier

Miraculously, the kart lands on all four wheels and the driver escapes the crash unscathed

'He didn't brake until he hit the barrier and pushed him up.

'That driver was irresponsible and will not return to our circuit.

'We give written safety regulations and also before the drivers get into the kart we remind them by word of mouth.'
A banker allegedly took his two children to the roadside memorial of Allison Baden Clay and the street where Hannah Clarke was set alight with her three kids in a bid to intimidate his estranged partner, a court has heard.

The father fronted a bail hearing at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday over alleged domestic abuse offences which allegedly occurred in 2018.

The charges include choking/suffocation/strangulation in a domestic relationship and assaults occasioning bodily harm.

The court heard the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also allegedly took his nine-year-old twins to the 'murder sites' of domestic abuse victims to 'exert control' over his ex-partner, the Courier Mail reports.

A father has been accused of taking his children to the 'murder sites' of domestic abuse victims to 'exert control' over his ex partner. Pictured: Allison Baden-Clay and her husband Gerard Baden-Clay, who is serving life in prison for her murder

'The defendant has stated to the victim that whilst he had custody, visitation with his two children he has taken him on a family outing to see the roadside memorial of murdered Brisbane mother Allison Baden-Clay,' Magistrate Zac Sarra said.

'The defendant further advised the victim that he has taken his two children to the street where the quadruple murder suicide occurred  Hannah Clarke and her three children.

'Its the investigating officers opinion that this behaviour of exposing the victims children to a memorial of Baden-Clay and the street where Clarke and her children were murdered, is the defendant attempting to have a level of control of the victim. The defendant is also trying to prove his dominance.'

Mother-of-three Allison Baden-Clay, 43, was found dead in a creek bank in April 2012 - 10 days after her real estate agent husband Gerard reported her missing.

He was charged with her murder two months later and sentenced to life in prison in July 2014.

A memorial has been erected at Kholo Creek in Brisbanes west where Ms Baden-Clay's body was found by a kayaker days after her disappearance.

Hannah Clarke, 31, was taking her children Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, to school in February last year when her estranged husband Rowan Baxter, 42, ambushed their car.

He doused them in petrol and set their car alight in Camp Hill in Brisbane's south before taking his own life nearby.

Hannah Clarke, 31, was burned alongside her children Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, (pictured together) in their car by her estranged husband last year

The children died in the vehicle while Hannah jumped from the driver's seat screaming 'he's poured petrol on me'. She later died in hospital.

She was posthumously honoured as one of Australia's Women of the Year in 2020 for her incredible bravery and resilience to ensure her story was told to police during the final hours of her life.

Mr Zarra questioned why a father would take his children to the sites where women were killed and asked if he was 'trying to make a statement'.

The mans barrister Robert Glenday said the allegations were 'ridiculous' and his client denies them.

The court heard the man's ex-partner took out a temporary protection order against him in 2019, which has not been breached, and he had no prior convictions.

He was granted bail to face court at a later date.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual abuse or family violence contact:

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the NSW Domestic Violence Line (1800 65 64 63)

Men who have anger, relationship or parenting issues, should contact the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491
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A luxury cruise liner which will be used to accommodate more than 1,000 officers during the G7 Summit in Cornwall has arrived in Falmouth, after furious locals slammed police for hiring out the 1990s vessel.

World leaders including Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and Angela Merkel will meet for three days next weekend to discuss the pandemic and climate change, and will be staying at the Tregenna Castle hotel in St Ives.

More than 6,500 police from forces across the UK are set to be deployed across the summit, and around one sixth of them will spend their off-duty time on the massive 202m long MS Silja Europa.

The 14-deck vessel was built in Germany in 1993 and comes with a grill house, moonlight disco, pools and a spa and can reach speeds of 21 knots. It can carry more than 3,000 passengers, with hundreds of cocktail-tray waiters, maids and other crew to look after their every need.

It is usually sent on cruises between Helsinki and Tallinn, and was described by its operator Estonian shipping company Tallink as 'the biggest and most beautiful cruise ship on the Baltic'.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the liner has been hired for 10 days and used by officers for accommodation, catering and 'other essential facilities'. Whoever gets one of the executive suites will even have their own sauna.

However, cruise liners have come under fire from climate change activists for their role in polluting the world and causing carbon emission damage on a grand scale - just one of the issues on the cards for the G7 leaders.

And disgruntled locals have slammed the force for chartering the vessel 'for what will be little more than an ego trip for BoJo where Devon and Cornwall council taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill'.

The huge cruise ship Silja Europa, which has been hired to accommodate many of the 6,500 police officers who will be policing the G7 Summit in Cornwall, has docked in Falmouth as the Cornish town prepares to welcome world leaders

More than 6,500 officers from forces across the UK are set to be deployed across the summit, and hundreds of police will spend their off-duty time on the massive 202m long MS Silja Europa

The 14-deck vessel, which was built in Germany in 1993 and can reach speeds of 21 knots, can carry more than 3,000 passengers with hundreds of cocktail-tray waiters, maids and other crew to look after their every need

It is usually sent on cruises between Helsinki and Tallinn, and was described by its operator Estonian shipping company Tallink as 'the biggest and most beautiful cruise ship on the Baltic'

Devon and Cornwall Police said the liner has been hired for 10 days and used by officers for accommodation, catering and 'other essential facilities'. Whoever gets one of the executive suites will even have their own sauna

However, cruise liners have come under fire from climate change activists for their role in polluting the world and causing carbon emission damage on a grand scale. And disgruntled locals have accused the force of chartering the vessel 'for what will be little more than an ego trip for BoJo where Devon and Cornwall council taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill'

Boris Johnson will use the G7 summit in Cornwall to issue a rallying cry for world leaders to pledge to vaccinate the globe against Covid-19 within 18 months Boris Johnson will use the G7 summit to secure a global pledge to vaccinate the world's population against Covid-19 by the end of 2022. The Prime Minister will call on world leaders to agree a plan to end the pandemic by ensuring every person has access to a jab within the next 18 months. He hailed the summit, which will be held in Cornwall, as 'historic'. The G7 starts on Friday, when the leaders will gather for a face-to-face meeting. Mr Johnson said the premiers  which include United States President Joe Biden on his first foreign visit since taking office  must use the event to 'rise to the greatest challenge' since the war. Speaking ahead of the summit, Mr Johnson said: 'The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era: defeating Covid and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values. 'Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history. 'I'm calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end to this terrible pandemic and pledge will we never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again.' Advertisement

A police spokesperson for G7 planning said: 'We will be deploying over 6,500 officers and staff to this event and we are supporting a vast range of local businesses and suppliers as part of our extensive logistical arrangements.

'This includes using over 4,000 rooms at almost 200 venues across Devon and Cornwall which will support local communities and accommodate police officers and staff deployed from across the UK.

'In order to secure further essential capacity, we reviewed a number of options and recently agreed to hire the MS Silja Europa, operated by Tallink; taking into account impacts to the environment, community, the operational needs, and those of our officers and staff.

'The vessel will remain static, moored in Falmouth, used for a 10-day period, with only the accommodation, catering and other essential facilities in use.

'We are working closely with the vessel owners, ports authorities and health partners to ensure the safe use of this accommodation. Those staying onboard will strictly follow all the applicable Covid safety guidelines, enhanced by daily testing - consistent with staff staying at all other accommodation sites across the force area.'

The Silja Europa has seven restaurants and coffee shops, a nightclub, live music venue and full spa and beauty salon. But police insist most facilities will be closed, with only the restaurants available to officers, and the showtime theatre may be used but only for 'daily police briefings'.

The ship has had a colourful history with one website reporting in 2019 two passengers, a male and a female, were found dead onboard. And in 1995 it ran aground near the coast of Finland.

Social media users complained about its use during the G7 summit, with ItsMagicGirl saying: 'As long as you don't give care about the environmental impact or financial cost, sending a luxury cruise ship from the Baltic is a rational, efficient and safe way to house 4,000 Police at Carbis Bay. Nothing to see here!'

Another social media user, Padraig, added: 'So, whilst the 'main event' will be in Carbis Bay the ship will be moored in Falmouth, presumably because of the deeper water and amenities.

'So apart from the trips to Falmouth by the dignitaries, 6,500 police officers will traipse the 45km to Carbis in an endless convoy of police vehicles?'

Devon and Cornwall Police have been preparing for mass protests expected to disrupt the G7 Summit and are expecting up to 30 activist groups to attend, with two sites set up for 'official' protest in Truro and Falmouth.

The force is expecting protests, demonstrations and marches to to spill over from the designated sites, as many protestors will be looking to cause delays and disruption at the venue in Carbis Bay by chaining and sometimes glueing themselves to immovable objects.

Nathan Johnson, an inspector with Devon and Cornwall police, told The Guardian that the force was not expecting disorder and that protestors would have their right to protest 'facilitated'.

However he added that they had seen 'more and more non-violent direct action' such as protestors locking themselves to onto buildings and fences to make a statement.

Mr Johnson told The Guardian that the police would balance the protestors rights with the right of the community to go about their everyday business without disruption.

It is usually sent on cruises between Helsinki and Tallinn, and was described by its operator Estonian shipping company Tallink as 'the biggest and most beautiful cruise ship on the Baltic'

The 14-deck vessel was built in Germany in 1993 and comes with a grill house, moonlight disco, pools and a spa and can reach speeds of 21 knots. It can carry more than 3,000 passengers

The Silja Europa has seven restaurants and coffee shops, a nightclub, live music venue and full spa and beauty salon

Devon and Cornwall police force's Exeter headquarters trialled techniques to remove some of the protestors makeshift 'lock-on' devices, commonly made from bike locks and bits of pipe, plastic and steel. Pictured: Adrian Waldron of the protester removal team of the Devon & Cornwall Police with a typical example of modern demonstrator equipment during the training day set-up by the police to showcase protester removal techniques they may be called upon to use at the G7 Summit

Members of Devon and Cornwall Police Protestor Removal Team and Police Liaison Officers respond to a 'lock-on' training scenario by sawing off a pipe at the force headquarters in Exeter, where they are preparing for the G7 Summit. The 'lock-on' tube, often made of plastic, steel and concrete, are used by protestors to lock arms together while causing obstructions or blocking roads and have to be carefully cut free by police after appealing to the protesters to relent their protest

G7 finance ministers back Joe Biden's plan for 15% global minimum corporation tax to crack down on tech giants - paving the way for his own plans to HIKE rates from 21% to 28% G7 finance ministers unveiled what they called a 'historic' agreement to commit their countries to a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 percent, delivering a win for President Joe Biden who wanted international agreement before hiking the U.S. rate from 21 percent to 28 percent. Rich nations have struggled for years to agree how best to raise more cash from tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook. The Biden administration feared that raising corporate taxes to fund its huge program of public spending would drive them overseas. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen welcomed what she said was an 'unprecedented' international deal. 'That global minimum tax would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation, and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the U.S. and around the world,' she said. 'The global minimum tax would also help the global economy thrive, by leveling the playing field for businesses and encouraging countries to compete on positive bases, such as educating and training our work forces and investing in research and development and infrastructure.' The U.S. stepped up pressure for a deal this week by threatening sanctions on six nations who imposed a digital tax on internet giants. The likes of India, Spain and the United Kingdom introduced the tax while negotiations on a global minimum were stalled. The newly-agreed universal approach to taxing global companies will see huge multi-nationals - such as Google, Amazon and Facebook - forced to pay a levy on sales in the country in which they are earned, as well as where they have headquarters. Advertisement

He said: 'We're just saying that by locking yourself on to a road and blocking it for six hours, the balance is wrong. You can go to a protest site or protest pretty much everywhere in Devon and Cornwall, but you can't block the M5.'

The police force's tactics are likely to face scrutiny following the recent criticism Avon Police attracted during the 'Kill The Bill' riots in Bristol.

Devon and Cornwall police have drafted in reinforcements to bolster officer numbers, 6,500 police will be on patrol with 100 police dogs in Cornwall when the world leaders gather.

Around 5,000 police on duty will be on what is called 'mutual aid', meaning officers from other forces will be drafted in to work under the command of the Devon and Cornwall force for the summit at Carbis Bay, near St Ives.

Senior officers say the G7 will be the biggest policing and security event in England this year.

A website has launched, for how the G7 will be policed, and another Facebook live event has been held with updates from officials. Superintendent Jo Hall, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said 'We will be policing air, sea and land, it's quite a complex environment.

'You are likely to see high numbers of officers and staff, you are also likely to see fencing around the main areas, but that is nothing to be alarmed by, this is to ensure we can keep the event safe and secure, and keep communities safe.

'Part of that planning is to deliver 16,000 meals a day. We have secured over 100 accommodation sites in Cornwall, we have secured extra kennelling for our dogs that are coming down to support us.

'It is a really big logistical challenge, but we have planned for events like this before, we're used to planning big events and our plans are agile and scale-able.'

The regions' public health officials say they are used to dealing with large numbers of visitors in Cornwall and their main priority is to protect the health and safety of residents.

Police say anyone who doesn't need to be in the locations of key events should think about avoiding those areas.

Superintendent Hall said 'Summer is always busy for Cornwall. and you can expect restrictions around the key areas and in the run-up to and over the event, that's only natural with an event of this size.

'So if you don't need to be around those areas over the event, then you may want to think about coming another time or visiting one of the other beautiful beaches in Cornwall.'

It has also been announced that no trains will be running on the St Ives branch line from the 7th to 14th June, with replacement buses running instead.

It comes amid reports that Boris Johnson will use the G7 summit to secure a global pledge to vaccinate the world's population against coronavirus by the end of 2022.

The Prime Minister will call on world leaders to agree a plan to end the pandemic by ensuring every person has access to a jab within the next 18 months. He hailed the summit, which will be held in Cornwall, as 'historic'.

The G7 starts on Friday, when the leaders will gather for a face-to-face meeting. Mr Johnson said the premiers - which include US President Biden on his first foreign visit since taking office - must use the event to 'rise to the greatest challenge' since the Second World War.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Mr Johnson said: 'The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era: defeating Covid and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values. Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

'I'm calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end to this terrible pandemic and pledge will we never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again.'

The leaders of the G7 will arrive in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, for three days of meetings.

They will be joined virtually by experts, including the UK Government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, environmentalist Sir David Attenborough and philanthropist Melinda Gates.

On Saturday, the G7 leaders will be joined either in person or virtually by their counterparts from Australia, South Africa, South Korea and India to discuss health and climate change.

The Prime Minister is expected to call for a stepping up of the manufacture of vaccines, lowering barriers to the international distribution of jabs and sharing surplus doses with developing countries, both bilaterally and through Covax, a World Health Organisation scheme.

Left to right: EU's Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe, World Bank President David Malpass, Italy's Finance Minister Daniele Franco, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, Canada's Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva, Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann, Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso, as finance ministers from across the G7 nations meet at Lancaster House in London ahead of the G7 leaders' summit
Tommy Little has accused the secretary of the nursing union of promoting 'confusing' Covid vaccine advice during a fiery clash on The Sunday Project.

Federal Secretary for Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANWF) Annie Butler spoke to the Channel 10 program's guest host on Sunday night to discuss the rollout of the jab for aged care workers.

She claimed the government had left workers in the sector confused by delivering 'unclear' messages about the vaccine rollout.

But when asked whether or not vaccines should be made mandatory in aged cares, Ms Butler responded: 'It's a question we need to continue to ask but right now we can't mandate something that isn't readily available and accessible.'

The Project host Tommy Little (pictured) has clashed with the secretary of the nursing union over 'confusing' information about the Covid vaccine

Little was unimpressed with her answer.

'I tell you what, after saying the Governments communication has been confusing, I reckon yours is too,' he said.

'Why do you think thats confusing?' Ms Butler fired back.

'When you are asked should the vaccine be mandatory and you answer by saying "I think we should continue to ask that question", dont you find that a confusing answer?,' Little asked.

But Ms Butler reiterated the union was not in a position to make a decision.

'I just dont think its ready for us to make it mandatory. And until we have all the other systems in place we cant make it mandatory for aged care workers.'

Federal Secretary for Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANWF) Annie Butler told the program on Sunday the union 'can't make vaccines mandatory' until 'other systems are in place'

On Friday, Scott Morrison announced the national cabinet had agreed to move towards implementing a vaccine mandate for aged care workers.

'We are leaning heavily into this as leaders of governments and myself as prime minister to see us move towards a mandatory vaccination for aged care workers,' Mr Morrison said.

The declaration came after it was revealed only half of Victoria's aged care residents had been fully inoculated as the state grapple's with another coronavirus outbreak, which grew to 85 cases on Sunday.

The Melbourne cluster has infiltrated an aged care home Arcare after the virus was spread between staff and residents.

Two of the four new cases recorded on Sunday were linked to the Maidstone facility.

Mr Morrison said the government was consulting with the the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) to determine how the mandate would be implemented.

Staff are seen leaving Arcare Aged Care facility in Maidstone, Melbourne, which has been linked to a Covid cluster in Melbourne

'We have had further advice from the AHPPC which means we have tasked the AHPPC to advise us how this can safely be done including a suitable timeframe how that can be achieved and will be waiting for such advice.'

However, he said the decision would ultimately lie with states and territories.

'For vaccinations to be made mandatory for aged care workers, that has to be done by public health orders at a state level, as it is done for flu vaccinations,' he said.

Just a day earlier, the prime minister made an opposing declaration during question time, stating the measure was 'unlikely'.

'(The AHPPC) have not made that recommendation previously, and my advice is that it is unlikely to be made mandatory,' he said on Thursday.
An Alabama cop shot and killed his estranged wife just days after police returned his gun - nine months after he had it seized for shooting her in the arm.

Jason McIntosh, 46, from Birmingham, was handed the pistol despite being subject to a restraining order and 16 days later used it to kill 31-year-old Megan Montgomery after frog-marching her out of an oyster bar in front of her friends.

The marketing professional's mother on Saturday slammed the decision to return the weapon, while even the shooter's lawyer described it as 'irrational, illogical and not prudent'.

Jason McIntosh, 46, from Birmingham, shot 31-year-old Megan Montgomery (who he is pictured with) using a pistol that had previously been confiscated by police

The marketing professional's mother on Saturday slammed the decision to return the weapon. She is seen left while McIntosh is pictured right in a mugshot

'So the restraining order can prohibit him from 'contacting, phoning, texting, harassing, stalking,' but oh by the way, you can have a gun? That's ridiculous,' Megan's mother, Susann Montgomery-Clark, told NBC News.

The pair married on February 2, 2018, and separated a year later on February 23, the same day as police were called to their home after McIntosh  then a serving officer with the Hoover Police Department  shot Montgomery in the arm.

Police reports show McIntosh told officers he and Montgomery were involved in a domestic incident and were wrestling over a handgun when it fired.

He was placed on leave pending the outcome of that investigation but resigned two days later.

Investigators said they later determined Montgomery had been the 'aggressor' in the dispute, and she declined to press charges against McIntosh.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), which took over the case because the responding officers were McIntosh's colleagues, confiscated the pistol and handed him a restraining order.

Yet just nine months later, they returned McIntosh's weapon, despite Alabama law stating that no one with a restraining order for domestic abuse should have access to a firearm.

Jason and his wife Megan were married briefly between February 2018 and February 2019. She was dead by December that year. They are shown getting engaged

These are some of the texts he sent his wife before she died. She shared them online to show other women how to recognize abusive behavior

McIntosh's lawyer, Tommy Spina, said the decision could Montgomery her life.

'In my opinion it was irrational, illogical and not prudent to do so. I don't think what happened that night would have happened that night.'

McIntosh murdered Montgomery in December 2019 after marching her out of a bar where she was drinking with her friends in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and driving her to a parking lot where he beat her and shot her in the head.

Megan's family have not yet reacted publicly to the sentencing

Earlier this year, McIntosh pleaded guilty to murder as part of an agreement that puts him behind bars for 30 years.

On March 31, a judge accepted the plea deal which had him admit murder but not capital murder.

Had he been convicted of capital murder, he would have faced the death penalty.

McIntosh had been recorded talking about his obsession with serial killers and how planning a mass shooting was a 'soothing thought' that helped him sleep at night.

He had sent Montgomery threatening texts which she shared online to educate other woman to stop abusive behaviour.

Montgomery officially began the process of filing for a divorce in May, but court records seen by AL.com show the case was still active at the time of her death.

She regularly posted on Instagram, including sharing her passion for volunteering.

An ALEA spokesman insisted that it did not have a legal right to keep McIntosh's firearm.

The pair before their relationship turned violent. In February 2019, McIntosh shot his wife in the arm

A spokesman said: 'The gun was Mr. McIntosh's personal property, the investigation was closed, and ALEA had no legal justification for keeping his private property.

'Additionally, the restraining order did not restrict Mr. McIntosh's access to firearms. If the gun had been a department issued service weapon, ALEA would have returned it to the department.'

However, Alabama law specifies that no person 'who is subject to a valid protection order for domestic abuse  shall own a firearm or have one in his or her possession or under his or her control.'

Lindsay Nichols, federal policy director at anti-gun violence group the Giffords Law Center, said 'the laws say this person shouldn't have a gun period.'
Bollywood actress Sunny Leone distributed vegan meals to needy people in Mumbai, India on Sunday, while promoting an organisation the blames the world's meat industry for causing Covid-19.

Leone donned a floral mask and a t-shirt with the slogan '#take pandemic off the menu' as she handed out food packets to the waiting crowd, many of whom waited around for pictures with their favourite star.

Speaking at the event, Leone said: 'We are facing a crisis, but together with compassion and solidarity we will come out ahead.'

She was joined by husband David Weber for event with Million Dollar Vegan - an organisation that claims pandemics 'are a shocking but inevitable consequence' of the meat industry, according to its website.

Bollywood actress Sunny Leone distributed food packets to needy people in Mumbai, India on Sunday

Leone donned a floral mask and a t-shirt with the slogan 'take pandemic off the menu' as she handed out vegan meals to the waiting crowd

The former porn star Sunny Leone swapped her usual finery for a casual t-shirt and jeans to hand out food parcels in Mumbai on Sunday

The Bollywood actress was flanked by fellow volunteers as she helped distribute food packages to needy people in Mumbai on Sunday

Earlier this year, Leone took part in an initiative to feed 10,000 migrant workers in New Dehli with meals of daal and rice.

Leone, real name Karenjit Kaur, is known for appearing in 2013 films Shootout at Wadala and Kaizad Gustad's Jackpot.

The Canadian-American citizen previously appeared in pornographic films. More recently, Leone has raised money for several charities including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

It comes after Sunny Leone was widely praise for taking part in an initiative to feed 10,000 migrant workers in New Delhi during the second wave of the pandemic earlier this year

Onlookers snapped pictures and videos of Bollywood actress Sunny Leone as she handed out vegan meals for a charity in Mumbai on Sunday

Several of the crowd waited behind for a pictured with their favourite Bollywood actress on Sunday

Sunny Leone wore a t-shirt with the slogan '#take pandemics off the menu' and a floral mask as she handed out food parcels to the needy on Sunday

The Bollywood star garnered praise earlier this year when she took part in an initiative to feed 10,000 migrant workers in New Delhi

It comes as India has been fighting a serious third wave of coronavirus for the past month

It comes as India has been fighting a serious third wave of coronavirus for the past month.

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.

And there was several incidents of suspected coronavirus victims washing up on the banks of the River Ganges in the northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh after they were dumped by families unable to find space to cremate their loved ones or not been able to afford the last rites.

Meanwhile grisly footage posted online last week showed stray dogs eating human remains washed up on the banks of an Indian river.

Health workers are set up around the country to record the temperature of citizens

India has been fighting a serious third wave of Covid-19 and last month saw crematoriums running out of wood, such was the volume of dead each day

Although the number of cases is starting to decline, the country is expected to face an increasing daily death toll for weeks to come

Indian covid sufferers are now contracting deadly 'black fungus' infection with spike causing a shortage of the drugs to treat it A growing number of current and recovered Covid-19 patients in India are contracting a deadly and rare fungal infection, doctors said on Monday. Mucormycosis, dubbed 'black fungus' by medics, is usually most aggressive in patients whose immune systems are weakened by other infections. 'The cases of mucormycosis infection in Covid-19 patients post-recovery is nearly four to five times than those reported before the pandemic,' Ahmedabad-based infectious diseases specialist Atul Patel, a member of the state's Covid-19 taskforce, told AFP. In the western state of Maharashtra, home to India's financial hub Mumbai, up to 300 cases have been detected, said Khusrav Bajan, a consultant at Mumbai's P.D. Hinduja National Hospital and a member of the state's Covid-19 taskforce. Some 300 cases have been reported so far in four cities in Gujarat, including its largest Ahmedabad, according to data from state-run hospitals. The western state ordered government hospitals to set up separate treatment wards for patients infected with 'black fungus' amid the rise in cases. 'Mucormycosis - if uncared for - may turn fatal,' the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), the scientific agency leading the government's response, said in a treatment chart released on Twitter.o used steroids during their virus treatment, and those who had prolonged stays in hospital ICUs, the ICMR added. Reporting by AFP Advertisement

Hospitals, morgues and crematoriums have been overwhelmed, with many areas of the country suffering chronic oxygen shortages.

In recent weeks, a horrifying Covid-19 complication has also swept the country, with thousands of people contracting black fungus.

The wave of infections with the previously very rare condition has been blamed on excessive use of steroids to treat the country's millions of Covid patients, experts say.

Mucormycosis, as it is scientifically known, is highly aggressive and surgeons sometimes have to remove patients' eyes, nose and jaw to stop it reaching the brain. The death rate is over 50 percent.

India normally deals with fewer than 20 black fungus cases a year but now there are several thousand across the country including more than 2,000 in Maharashtra state, home to India's financial capital Mumbai.

At least nine Indian states have declared the problem an epidemic. The cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore have opened special wards.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, only those with severely compromised immunity, such as HIV or organ transplant patients, were at risk.

Although the number of cases is starting to decline, the country is expected to face an increasing daily death toll for weeks to come.

India has reported an official death toll of 340,702 - 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 13 deaths on June 5 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.

Four relatives carry a dead body of a Covid-victim past shallow graves covered with cloths on the banks of the Ganges River in Shringverpur village
A North Carolina high school senior was denied a diploma after walking up to the stage with a Mexican flag draped over his gown.

Ever Lopez can be seen in footage crossing the podium at Asheboro High School while wearing the flag before pausing as he is spoken to by school principal Penny Crooks.

During the conversation he briefly begins to remove the flag, prompting cheers from the crowd to turn into boos.

Ever Lopez can be seen in footage crossing the podium at Asheboro High School while wearing the flag

This persuades him to keep it on and he leaves the stage after receiving a certificate and fist-pumping other members of staff.

His cousin, Adolfo Hurtado, posted a TikTok video after the incident in which he said: 'Sadly, he did not get the diploma.

'The teacher wants him to apologize  obviously he's not going to do that.

Neither Lopez nor Hurtado responded to requests for comment Friday, AOL reported.

Alethea Hill, 20, whose brother is close friends with Lopez, said he was allowed to receive a diploma holder after the ceremony but not his diploma.

Footage of his exchange with Crooks was livestreamed onto the school's Facebook page, where it went viral.

Lopez's family spoke to the school, which said he had violated the dress code, which prevents the wearing of a flag of any country.

The student then pauses as he is spoken to by school principal Penny Crooks

Footage of his exchange with Crooks was livestreamed onto the school's Facebook page, where it went viral. Pictured is Lopez leaving the stage

Family members spoke to Crooks in her office, and were later seen being escorted outside by police officers.

Asheboro City Schools strongly denied claims on social media that school's behaviour was 'racist' and insisted any national flag would have broken the rules.

A spokesman said: 'Unfortunately, the incident at AHS last night has been misrepresented across a number of social media platforms.

'The heart of the issue is the fact that the student did not follow the established dress code for the event and detracted from the importance and the solemnity of the ceremony.

'Our dress code is in place to ensure the dignity of the event is upheld and is fair to all students.

'Graduation is a milestone event and it is grossly unfair for one individual to diminish this event by violating the dress code.'

Students protested the decision Friday, and the district now says it will reevaluate its dress code.
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A 96-year-old former US Army medic was the only veteran to attend two D-Day memorial events in France to mark the 77th anniversary of the historic invasion of Europe.

Charles Shay, a Penobscot Native American, was the sole former combatant at Friday's ceremony in Carentan, where paratroopers landed in the early hours of D-Day, and at a commemoration at the American Cemetery later in the day in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach.

The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

Shay also attended Sunday's opening of the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, at the eastern end of Gold Beach, which several British veterans were also able to go to.

The Native American, from Indian Island in Maine, now lives in the country he helped liberate from the Nazis aged 19. Most of his fellow brothers in arms have been unable to travel due to Covid travel restrictions.

'We have no visitors coming to France  for two years now,' Shay said. 'And I hope it will be over soon.'

Charles Shay, a Penobscot Native American, was the sole former combatant at Friday's ceremony in Carentan, where paratroopers landed in the early hours of D-Day

Shay also went to a commemoration at the American Cemetery later in the day in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach (where he is pictured)

Shay was also present at Sunday's opening of the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, at the eastern end of Gold Beach, which several British veterans were also able to go to

Shay was a 19-year-old US Army medic when he helped take mainland Europe back from the Nazis (he is pictured in the front row, with a cross on his arm)

Some reenactors came to Omaha Beach in the early hours of Sunday to pay tribute to those who fell that day, bringing flowers and American flags

A picture of an unknown soldier is seen on the shore of Omaha Beach in Saint Laurent sur mer, Normandy on Sunday - the eve of the 77th anniversary of D-Day

Florida governor Ron DeSantis today tweeted this tribute to the veterans who helped to free Europe from the Nazis

Several ceremonies were being held Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day, the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and western Europe from Nazi control, and honor the 4,414 who fell.

On D-Day, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats.

This year on June 6, the beaches stood vast and nearly empty as the sun emerged, exactly 77 years since the dawn invasion.

For the second year in a row, anniversary commemorations are marked by virus travel restrictions that prevented veterans or families of fallen soldiers from the U.S., Britain, Canada and other Allied countries from making the trip to France. Only a few officials were allowed exceptions.

At the newly-built British Normandy Memorial near the village of Ver-sur-Mer, bagpipes played memorial tunes and warplanes zipped overhead trailing red-white-and-blue smoke.

Socially distanced participants stood in awe at the solemnity and serenity of the site, providing a spectacular and poignant view over Gold Beach and the English Channel.

The new monument pays tribute to those under British command who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy.

Shay, 96, looks around the The British Normandy Memorial during it's official opening on the 77th anniversary of D-Day on Sunday

Shay walks past the Memorial Monument of the Normandy American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy in Sunday

Shay during Sunday's event at the American cemetery, one of several anniversary commemorations to take place in France

Shay (centre) as a young child. The Native American is from Indian Island in Maine and served in both WWII and the Korean War

In an undated image provided by the Charles Shay Family Archive, the veteran poses in native dress as a young boy in Indian Island, Maine.

Shay was the only veteran to attend the ceremony in Carentan commemorating the 77th anniversary of the assault that led to the end World War II (left). He is also pictured as a young man in his Army uniform

With extensive travel restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, commemorations of the pivotal WWII operation are smaller affairs this year, with most veterans marking the occasion closer to home. Pictured: Shay in Ver-Sur-Mer

A close up of Shay as he smiles after the official opening ceremony of the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer on Sunday

Shay speaks with French defence minister Florence Parly and British veteran David Mylchreest, 97, prior to an official opening of the British Normandy Memorial on Sunday

A view of the British Normandy Memorial, at Ver-sur-Mer in France after it was opened during a ceremony on Sunday

Handout photo issued by the Normandy Memorial Trust of French Air Force Patrouille de France Team performing at the official opening ceremony of the British Normandy Memorial on Sunday

World War II reenactors pay tribute to soldiers at dawn at the shore of Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy on Sunday

During the offensive, German defences were unexpectedly strong, which led to unexpectedly heavy casualties - and some estimates suggest as many as 5,000 US soldiers were killed or wounded in the attempt to take the beach

At Omaha in particular the pre-landing bombardment had little effect on the German defensive positions and disembarking US troops were met with fierce volleys of gunfire and heavy artillery

'Why the hell I didn't die there I can't say': American D-Day veteran, 92, remembers Omaha Beach American D-Day veteran John Trippon recalled storming Omaha Beach on the 70th anniversary of the landings. Speaking at a commemoration event in 2014, just months before his own death, the then 92-year-old allowed his children and grandchildren to film and record his testimony  a startlingly graphic, deeply humbling account of a horror he does not want anyone to forget. How he survived when so many died around him, however, is something he still struggles to explain. American D-Day veteran John Trippon recalled storming Omaha Beach on the 70th anniversary of the landings in 2014 He was a fit young soldier then, one of 40 dropped 90 yards offshore as German machine gun and artillery fire pinned down and tore through the ranks ahead of them. What no-one realised was that shell-fire had blown a massive, water-filled pit into the sea bed, and the troops were jumping into it. 'All my equipment weighed me down and I sunk to the bottom of a 20ft crater,' he said. He had to shed his kit, ammunition, grenades and weapons and swim to shore. 'All the time the German machine-gunner was mowing people down. 'Why the hell I didn't die there I can't say. I guess he was too busy killing other guys. 'There were so many bodies lying in the water they stopped bringing any more troops ashore because it was freaking people out to see all these guys dead. They had to bring bulldozers in to push the bodies into a trench so they couldn't be seen. 'We ran across the beach as fast as we could and I picked up a gun on the way. We got up against the cliff face and it was so steep the Germans couldn't shoot down at us. We could only move after the ships used their guns to take out the pill-boxes.' Mr Trippon, a grandfather and great grandfather from Sun City, Arizona, still bears scars on his legs from his role as a 'human bridge' assigned to lie across concertina barbed wire to allow his comrades to run over him in safety. At one stage  starving hungry  they ran into a field to collect dismembered limbs of cows they assumed had just been killed by shellfire. Only later, when infantrymen were blown up advancing through it, did they discover it was a minefield. Advertisement

Visitors stood to salute the more than 22,000 men and women, mostly British soldiers, whose names are etched on its stone columns. Giant screens showed D-Day veterans gathered simultaneously at Britains National Memorial Aboretum to watch the Normandy event remotely. Prince Charles, speaking via video link, expressed regret that he couldn't attend in person.

On June 6, 1944, 'In the heart of the mist that enveloped the Normandy Coast ... was a lightning bolt of freedom,' French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the ceremony. 'France does not forget. France is forever grateful.'

Another veteran of the Battle of Normandy, British Capt. David Mylchreest, was also present. He landed with his team in Normandy on June 12, 1944, to replace officers who had died in the first days of the fight.

Most public events have been canceled, and the official ceremonies were limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

Denis van den Brink, a WWII expert working for the town of Carentan, site of a strategic battle near Utah Beach, acknowledged the 'big loss, the big absence is all the veterans who couldn't travel.'

'That really hurts us very much because they are all around 95, 100 years old, and we hope theyre going to last forever. But, you know...' he said.

'At least we remain in a certain spirit of commemoration, which is the most important,' he said.

Over the anniversary weekend, many local residents have come out to visit the monuments marking the key moments of the fight and show their gratitude to the soldiers.

French World War II history enthusiasts, and a few travelers from neighboring European countries, could also be seen in jeeps and military vehicles on the small roads of Normandy.

Some reenactors came to Omaha Beach in the early hours of the day to pay tribute to those who fell that day, bringing flowers and American flags.

On D-Day, 4,414 Allied troops lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Normandy has more than 20 military cemeteries holding mostly Americans, Germans, French, British, Canadians and Polish troops who took part in the historic battle.

Dignitaries stressed the importance of keeping D-Day's legacy alive for future generations.

'In the face of the threats of today, we should act together and show unity,' Parly said, 'so that the peace and freedom last.'

The British D-Day memorial features the D-Day Sculpture by British sculptor David Williams-Ellis, the D-Day Wall featuring the names of those who fell on D-Day itself and, on 160 stone columns, the names of those others who lost their lives between D-Day and the Liberation of Paris at the end of August 1944.

The site also includes a French Memorial, dedicated to the memory of French civilians who died during the D-Day landings.

The monument at Ver-sur-Mer in France has cost almost 30million and was built after a long-running veterans' campaign was joined by the Mail and its generous readers, leading to a major grant from the Government's Libor fund.

The 52-acre site was inaugurated in 2019, when then prime minister Theresa May and French president Emmanuel Macron unveiled a bronze sculpture that forms the centrepiece of the new memorial.

Since then craftsmen and women have erected 160 stone pillars engraved with the names of the 22,442 British servicemen and women who gave their lives in the D-Day landings and Battle of Normandy in 1944.

A D-Day Wall records the names of those who fell on the day itself, while the pillars memorialise those killed between June 6 and the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, including aircrew and nurses who died on board sinking hospital ships.

A veteran is assisted during the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England

Veterans sing as they watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England

A veteran reacts, while watching the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed in England

As the sun rises over the French village of Ver-Sur-Mer, British piper Steve Black plays to commemorate the fallen soldiers in a poignant scene. The names of those 22,442 men and women who lost their lives during the invasion of Nazi-occupied France are now inscribed on the pillars at the British Normandy Memorial

Alongside the British service personnel, the site also includes a memorial to the estimated 20,000 French civilians who lost their lives in the liberation

D-Day: Huge invasion of Europe described by Churchill as the 'most complicated and difficult' military operation in world history Operation Overlord saw some 156,000 Allied troops landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944. It is thought as many as 4,400 were killed in an operation Winston Churchill described as 'undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place'. The assault was conducted in two phases: an airborne landing of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 6.30am. The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000 troops landing. Some 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. US Army troops in an LCVP landing craft approach Normandy's 'Omaha' Beach on D-Day in Colleville Sur-Mer, France June 6 1944. As infantry disembarked from the landing craft, they often found themselves on sandbars 50 to 100 yards away from the beach. To reach the beach they had to wade through water sometimes neck deep US Army troops and crewmen aboard a Coast Guard manned LCVP approach a beach on D-Day. After the initial landing soldiers found the original plan was in tatters, with so many units mis-landed, disorganized and scattered. Most commanders had fallen or were absent, and there were few ways to communicate A LCVP landing craft from the U.S. Coast Guard attack transport USS Samuel Chase approaches Omaha Beach. The objective was for the beach defences to be cleared within two hours of the initial landing. But stubborn German defence delayed efforts to take the beach and led to significant delays An LCM landing craft manned by the U.S. Coast Guard, evacuating U.S. casualties from the invasion beaches, brings them to a transport for treatment. An accurate figure for casualties incurred by V Corps at Omaha on 6 June is not known; sources vary between 2,000 and over 5,000 killed, wounded, and missing The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history, with over 160,000 troops landing. Some 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The landings took place along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. The assault was chaotic with boats arriving at the wrong point and others getting into difficulties in the water. Destruction in the northern French town of Carentan after the invasion in June 1944 Forward 14/45 guns of the US Navy battleship USS Nevada fire on positions ashore during the D-Day landings on Utah Beach. The only artillery support for the troops making these tentative advances was from the navy. Finding targets difficult to spot, and in fear of hitting their own troops, the big guns of the battleships and cruisers concentrated fire on the flanks of the beaches The US Navy minesweeper USS Tide sinks after striking a mine, while its crew are assisted by patrol torpedo boat PT-509 and minesweeper USS Pheasant. When another ship attempted to tow the damaged ship to the beach, the strain broke her in two and she sank only minutes after the last survivors had been taken off A US Army medic moves along a narrow strip of Omaha Beach administering first aid to men wounded in the Normandy landing on D-Day in Collville Sur-Mer. On D-Day, dozens of medics went into battle on the beaches of Normandy, usually without a weapon. Not only did the number of wounded exceed expectations, but the means to evacuate them did not exist Troops managed only to gain a small foothold on the beach - but they built on their initial breakthrough in the coming days and a harbor was opened at Omaha. They met strong resistance from the German forces who were stationed at strongpoints along the coastline. Approximately 10,000 allies were injured or killed, including 6,603 American, of which 2,499 were fatal. Between 4,000 and 9,000 German troops were killed - and it proved the pivotal moment of the war, in the allied forces' favour. The first wave of troops from the US Army takes cover under the fire of Nazi guns in 1944 Canadian soldiers study a German plan of the beach during D-Day landing operations in Normandy. Once the beachhead had been secured, Omaha became the location of one of the two Mulberry harbors, prefabricated artificial harbors towed in pieces across the English Channel and assembled just off shore US Army Rangers show off the ladders they used to storm the cliffs which they assaulted in support of Omaha Beach landings at Pointe du Hoc. At the end of the two-day action, the initial Ranger landing force of 225 or more was reduced to about 90 fighting men Advertisement
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp drew boos and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was formally censured at the state's GOP convention Saturday for what critics say were their roles in former President Donald Trump's loss in the pivotal state last November.

Kemp has been criticized by the former president and his supporters for his certification of the state's election results that favored Joe Biden, while Raffensperger was chastised for his allowing the use of absentee ballots this past election, which backers of Trump's stolen election claim say allowed for widespread voter fraud.

Kemp's supporters tried to drown out the taunts and he pleaded for party harmony. Heading into his 2022 reelection campaign, the governor emphasized his accomplishments, especially an election overhaul that GOP state lawmakers pushed in reaction to Donald Trump's false assertions that he lost in November because of voter fraud.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (left) was booed and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (right) was censured at the state's GOP convention Saturday for their refusal to back stolen election claims by supporters of former President Donald Trump

The crowd at the Georgia GOP convention on Saturday booed Gov. Brian Kemp for his refusal to back claims that the state's election was stolen in favor of President Joe Biden

.@BrianKempGA greeted at the Ga GOP convention with loud boos. He was speaking for about 30 seconds before it was quiet enough to hear him from the press area. But he got his first full applause when he mentioned Georgia being the first state to reopen during the pandemic. #gapol pic.twitter.com/4LcgRqkvoO  Maya T. Prabhu (@MayaTPrabhu) June 5, 2021

'We must be strong and courageous,' Kemp said. He said of Democrats: 'Theyve got Hollywood. Theyve got billionaires in New York and California. That is why we have to be united as well and move forward together.'

The jeers drowned out Kemp's speech for about 30 seconds before he was able to speak. He also later drew applause for his making Georgia one of the earliest states to reopen during the pandemic.

Yet Kemp never mentioned the former president who has bashed him for months and who returned to the political arena later Saturday with a speech to North Carolina Republicans. Nor did Kemp ever explicitly state that the 2020 election was fraudulent or inaccurately tallied, setting him apart from a parade of other speakers who took the stage, including one of his underdog primary rivals who received a rousing response.

Despite the vocal opposition Kemp maintained enough strength to beat back a resolution condemning his handling of the election. At least 15 local party conventions out of 159 counties and two congressional district conventions out of 14 adopted such resolutions. But the state partys resolutions committee shelved the matter, and Kemp opponents were unable Saturday to force a full convention vote.

State delegates, however, did censure Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another Republican, for his more direct part in administering the 2020 elections. Raffensperger, like Kemp, is seeking re-election and is facing a primary challenge by Trump-backed Rep. Jody Hice for his seat. Unlike Kemp, Raffensperger did not attend his own partys convention.

Trump addressed the North Carolina GOP state convention earlier in the day on Saturday, in one of his first returns to the political stage since his leaving office in January

The formal rebuke centered around Raffensberger's changing of voting procedures to allow for the mass mailing of absentee ballot applications, which 'created opportunities for fraud and overwhelmed election offices,' according to the resolution obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The scene underscored Trumps iron hold on the Republican Party even in defeat and the potential peril for Kemp or any other GOP figure who crosses the former president, intentionally or not. And it left many Kemp supporters worried that Trump loyalists continued fixation on 2020 will doom the party in the coming midterm elections.

'I'm scared to death of these anti-Kemp Republicans,' said James Hall, a 37-year-old delegate from Savannah.

Trump taped a video message for the convention in which he praised Georgia Republicans generally yet never mentioned Kemp. Trump also promised he'd return to Georgia for a rally 'in the very near future.' It was reminiscent of his promise on Jan. 4, the day before Republicans lost U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia, to spend the 2022 race 'campaigning against your governor.'

Hall predicted such divisiveness would ensure a repeat of the Senate runoffs, when Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeated Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. The Republicans lost votes from hardcore conservatives angry over Trumps defeat; and they lost votes among moderates turned off by the false claims that Bidens November victory was illegitimate. State elections officials of both parties and across the country have vouched for the results, and multiple courts have rejected Trump's election challenges.

'If we keep playing these stupid games saying Kemp is not pure enough, were going to hand it over to the Democrats again,' Hall said. 'Its just so counterproductive. He's the only Republican that can win in November.'

The governors critics insist hes earned the opposition.

'If you dont support Trump, you dont get to play,' said Barbara Cunningham of Savannah, whos been involved with the state party for more than 50 years.

Kemp challenger Vernon Jones echoed that sentiment. A Black former Democrat who backed Trump and switched parties to take on Kemp, Jones played up his race and his former partisan affiliation, reminding delegates that Trump and Ronald Reagan were once Democrats.

Former Rep. Vernon Jones (left) is challenging Kemp in the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial primary while Congressman Jody Hice (right) is mounting a primary challenge to Raffensperger

Jones tagged Kemp, a lifelong Republican, with the 'Republican in Name Only' moniker. 'The RINO leadership of this state sat on the sidelines' as Trump lost, Jones said.

He dubbed Biden 'Jim Crow Joe' and insulted Stacey Abrams, Democrats 2018 nominee for governor and likely nominee in 2022, as 'the Wicked Witch of the South.'

'What are they gonna do, play the race card?' Jones asked, drawing laughter and roars from the overwhelmingly white delegate body.

Kemp first angered some of the GOPs right flank with his appointment of Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman, to a Senate vacancy rather than elevating Trumps preferred choice, then-Rep. Doug Collins. That boiled over in November when Kemp followed state law by certifying Bidens Electoral College slate. He also declined to call a legislative special session to address - or attempt to overturn - the results.

'Kemp could have helped him, but he didn't,' Cunningham lamented.

Multiple recounts confirmed Bidens November margin of about 12,000 votes out of 5 million cast, making him the first Democratic presidential nominee to win Georgia since 1992. In the January Senate runoffs, Democrats margins widened. Ossoff defeated Perdue by 55,000 votes, while Warnock deposed Loeffler by more than 93,000 votes or about 2 percentage points. Both margins were beyond the thresholds that trigger recounts.

To be sure, Kemp remains a favorite for the GOP nomination.

'He has delivered time and time again on what Republican voters want, whether its pro-life issues, fiscal issues, whatever,' said Kevin Gough, a delegate from Glynn County, where the convention was being held.

Kemp certainly ticked through such a list: tax cuts, new abortion restrictions currently under court challenge, 'measured' relaxing of pandemic rules to keep businesses open, opposition to 'critical race theory' being taught in Georgia public schools.

The boos, Gough said, 'dont speak for the whole party.'




Hana Financial Group is the only financial institution in Korea that continues to offer half-year dividends. Korea Times file

By Anna J. Park

A recommendation made by the financial regulators here capping the dividend payout ratio of local financial groups to a maximum 20 percent is expected to be rescinded by the end of the month, leading the market to focus on whether the groups will offer half-yearly dividends after the second quarter.



The Financial Services Commission (FSC) and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said in January that financial holding firms should limit their payout ratios to a maximum 20 percent, citing the need to maintain fiscal soundness amid the continuing shock and financial uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ratios are calculated by dividing the paid dividend total by net income.



However, the temporary cap is expected to be lifted, as the FSS recently asked local companies, including the five major financial groups  KB, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH Nonghyup  to submit various documents required for a so-called "stress test" to evaluate their fiscal soundness.



Market watchers say that once the tests are completed, the cap could be lifted as early as the end of the month, allowing the financial companies to resume dividend payouts according to their own metrics, without the intervention of the financial authorities.



During the past three years, the payout ratios of KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori have ranged from 22.53 percent to 23.57 percent in 2017; 24.8 percent to 25.54 percent in 2018; and 25.78 percent to 25.97 percent in 2019. Given that dividends were on an upward trend until the pandemic hit the global economy, financial groups are expected to be more active in sharing profits with shareholders. Market watchers expect this year's annual dividend level to be similar to or surpass that of 2019.



Hana Financial Group, which is the only local financial giant among the five groups that has given out half-yearly dividends regularly, is likely to do so this year.





gettyimagesbank
The ex-head of the vaccines taskforce Kate Bingham is reportedly to be made a dame.

Venture capitalist Ms Bingham will be rewarded for her efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic, in the Queen's upcoming Birthday Honours list, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

In her unpaid role as chair of the UK's Vaccine Taskforce she led procurement of vaccines and helped secure more than 350 million doses of seven different vaccines, including 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and 100 million doses of the jab developed by Oxford and AstraZeneca.

Her ability to lead the UK's efforts to find a coronavirus jab was initially repeatedly questioned because she had no experience of buying vaccines.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, venture capitalist Ms Bingham will be rewarded for her efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic, in the Queen's upcoming Birthday Honours list.

Her ability to lead the UK's efforts to find a coronavirus jab was initially repeatedly questioned because she had no experience of buying vaccines.

There were also cries of cronyism when she was chosen by Boris Johnson because she is married to one of his most loyal ministers, Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

The Oxford and Harvard educated businesswoman even admitted herself she wasn't a 'complete expert' in vaccines and was pondering turning the job down until her eldest daughter persuaded her otherwise.

But by January this year there were calls for her to be decorated as Britain raced ahead in the global race to vaccinate its population with some claiming that her appointment was one of the PM's few inspired decisions of the first lockdown.

Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford, said recently that the UK had 'only got 30m doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech because of her' with others saying she secured millions more from other companies through sheer perseverance, using her contacts and demanding meetings with CEOs until they gave in.

It came as Boris Johnson prepares to urge G7 leaders to 'defeat Covid' by vaccinating the world by the end of next year, as he pushes for a global watch system to catch new variants before they can plunge countries back into lockdown.

The Prime Minister is set to stress the importance of the global vaccine programme when he meets with world leaders - including with US President Joe Biden - on Friday in Cornwall for the first face-to-face G7 meeting since the pandemic hit.

Setting the scene before their gathering in Carbis Bay on June 11-13, Mr Johnson is calling on his counterparts to 'rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era' by 'vaccinating the world by the end of next year', in a move he said would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

It comes as Covid-19 cases have continued to surge in the UK amid reports the Prime Minister is considering delaying his target of lifting all restrictions in England on June 21 by at least two weeks in order to allow more people to be fully vaccinated.

Mr Johnson said: 'I'm calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end this terrible pandemic and pledge we will never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again.'

No 10 said the Prime Minister will tell his counterparts that the world's biggest economies must lower barriers to the international distribution of vaccines and share surplus doses with developing countries bilaterally and through Covax, the United-Nations backed scheme aiming to supply low and medium income countries with jabs.

Dr David Nabarro, a special envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organisation (WHO), described the global vaccination ambition as 'wonderful'.

Speaking to Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme, Dr Nabarro said endorsement of the move at G7 level would make the possibility of having the world vaccinated by the end of 2022 a 'real prospect'.

The Sunday Times reported that Mr Johnson is preparing to hand over 100 million vaccine doses to developing countries, donating 2 billion worth of jabs this year to the worldwide push to vaccinate every human against Covid-19.

Most of the jabs will be batches of Oxford/AstraZeneca, the newspaper said.

The UK pledged in February to give surplus doses to Covax but has yet to donate any of the 400 million it has on order, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock arguing that there are no excess jabs available given the NHS's own vaccine programme is still in full swing.

As part of the UK's G7 presidency, officials said the Prime Minister will encourage support for a global pandemic radar, a surveillance system that will aim to detect vaccine-resistant variants before they have the chance to spread.

Downing Street argued that the UK had 'led efforts to ensure the world's poorest and most vulnerable people have access to vaccines', referencing the part played by the Westminster Government in funding the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.

With the jab made available at cost, No 10 said almost one in three shots administered around the world have been the Oxford vaccine, with 96 per cent of the 80 million shots administered by Covax supplied by AstraZeneca.
Wally the walrus has been spotted soaking up the rays off the coast of Spain, as he continues swimming hundreds of miles across Europe.

The Artic walrus has been dodging tugboats while travelling 230 miles through the Bay of Biscay to the River Nervion.

The Arctic mammal has brought delight to communities in Ireland, Pembrokeshire, Cornwall and France over the past few months in his 2,000 mile adventure from his home in Greenland.

Pictures show Wally the Walrus sunbathing on the rocks in Les Sables d'Olonne, France

Wally spotters in France, where he was last seen nine days ago, said: 'The walrus that appeared in La Rochelle last week is already in the Basque Country.

'The Bilbao superport tugboats located him swimming in the mouth of the Nervion in apparent good health.'

Wally is believed to have drifted on ice from Greenland to County Kerry, Ireland before making his way to Tenby in Wales, then to Cornwall, the western coast of France and finally Spain

Wally became a local celebrity when he rocked up on the south Wales coast in Tenby earlier this year.

He was first spotted in County Kerry, Ireland in March, before heading over to the UK after he was believed to have fallen asleep on a drifting iceberg in his Arctic homeland.

Six days after first appearing in Ireland in March, the RSPCA were called out to check on the creature - which was 'underweight' - at the bottom of a cliff near Broad Haven South beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Wally was last spotted earlier this month near Padstow, 390 miles away from France

Wally cause quite a scene in Wales when he lounged on the RNLI's slipway

Wally posed a weighty problem for worried lifeboat chiefs in Tenby when their emergency crews were blocked by the giant on their slipway.

But after becoming a known figure in the area, animal welfare groups believe he left after becoming 'obviously disturbed' by day-trippers getting too close.

Irresponsible tourists tried to approach him using jet-skis, paddleboards and drones as he rested on a RNLI slipway in the town's harbour.

It became a concern for RNLI volunteers, who had to resort to shooing Wally off the slipway, using brooms and airhorns to try to move the animal.

Wally the Walrus travelled from Wales to Cornwall, and has now migrated further south

The RSPCA Cymru and Dyfed-Powys Police had to issue a plea to tourists to keep their distance from Wally, who is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Having spent months basking in the Welsh sunshine, he then travelled further south, popping up in Cornwall for a few days.

Then he migrated further south to Les Sables d'Olonne in western France, making it the town's first sighting of a Walrus in 50 years.

Photographs show Wally basking in the French sun on the rocks on May 27.

People in Tenby are hopeful that Wally will return to Wales after his time in France, because he has become a local celebrity, with many shops selling Wally the Walrus merchandise.

Experts believe that Wally may have initially dozed off on a block of ice and drifted across the ocean.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Ellie West described Wally's plight as 'sad' during Radio 4's Today programme back in March.

She said at the time: 'Whilst it is a very unusual sight [...] it is quite a sad occurrence because we have to remember that this walrus is a very, very long way from where he should be.

'We're talking about a wild animal that's still very mobile. He's very big, we're talking about much bigger than our normal seals. This one, although he's of a large size he is a bit underweight.'

Wally became an icon in Tenby, Wales, where shops are selling walrus merchandise
Demand has been growing at restaurants since towns and cities started to open up following COVID shutdown orders, but after having to lay-off some employees during the pandemic, many restaurant owners are struggling to find people to fill their positions.

Now, some restaurateurs are turning to on-demand hiring apps, like GigPro, to fill their staffing needs. These type of apps allow managers to pay individuals looking for work at the last-minute.

'I've literally filled gigs at our restaurant within five minutes of posting,' William Dissen, executive chef and owner of Haymaker in Charlotte, North Carolina, told CNBC.

It also allows managers and potential-hires to try a shift together before being officially hired.

Restaurants across the country have struggled to find employees to match the growing demand following the coronavirus pandemic

Some restaurateurs are now turning to on-demand hiring apps like GigPro to fill last minute needs. The app allows managers to pay the 'gig workers' at higher rates

It also allows managers and potential-hires to try a shift together before being officially hired

'They've got a chance to shine, or they've got a chance to leave,' said Matt Bolus, executive chef of The 404 Kitchen in Nashville, who has hired a number of individuals from the app.

Those who are hired for these 'gigs' are considered independent contractors, which, Teofilo Reyes, chief program officer at Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a non-profit advocating for restaurant workers, said means they are not protected under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

He also fears that it may increase the risk of race or gender discrimination, as employers can look at a potential-hire's profile picture.

But, Bolus said: 'I think these kinds of applications are just starting and I think they're possibly going to revolutionize how we all work.'

Restaurants have also begun to offer applicants money just for showing up for an interview, CNBC reports.

'They're saying, 'We will actually give you $50 cash to show up for the interview,' and then the onus is on the owner of the restaurant to sell them on taking the position,' said Jean Chick, U.S. restaurant and food service leader at Deloitte.

'I think there's been kind of a reckoning in the restaurant industry,' Dissen added.

According to the National Restaurant Association, the industry has lost 2.5 million jobs since the pandemic began, and even though restaurants have since added jobs, the unemployment rate for hospitality workers is still above the national average.

A Panda Express restaurant displays a 'Now Hiring' sign in Tampa, as restaurants face a staffing shortage. About half are operating with 20 percent less staff

More people are now returning to restaurants as COVID restrictions are lifted

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 1 million job openings in the food service and hospitality industry by the end of March

About half of all dining establishments are operating with 20 percent less staff, the National Restaurant Association found, and job openings in the food and service industry increased to nearly 1 million by the end of March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many of those who were laid-off from their jobs in the restaurant industry, however, are not coming back.

Some found higher-paying jobs elsewhere, CNBC reports, while others are afraid to return to work or are dissuaded from returning to work as they collect unemployment benefits and stimulus checks.

Mis en Place, a national staffing firm for restaurants, surveyed 2,000 line cooks and found that more than 1/4 of kitchen staff had permanently left the industry.

Some cited relatively low pay and long hours as their reason for leaving, with another 1/3 of the respondents saying they would return to the industry, but 20 percent said they have not found the right opportunity, 7 percent said they were concerned about COVID and 6 percent cited unemployment and stimulus checks as their reason for not returning.

Top House Republicans Kevin McCarthy (top) and Steve Scalise (bottom) both complained about the $300-a-week unemployment benefit saying that's why President Joe Biden's May jobs report was 'lackluster'

Rep. Elise Stefanik said President Joe Biden's May jobs proved that 'Democrats' socialist economic agenda DOES NOT WORK'

In May the U.S. economy added 559,000 jobs under the 675,000 jobs economists predicted, but better than April's showing of 266,000 workers

The U.S. economy added 559,000 jobs in May, while 675,000 had been predicted. The unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent.

Top Congressional Republicans took to Twitter Friday to criticize those 'lackluster' job numbers, with both House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise pointing a finger at the $300-a-week unemployment benefit that conservatives believe have motivated Americans to stay home.

'Washington needs to stop paying people NOT to work,' McCarthy said, while Scalise's tweet offered, 'This is what happens when you pay people not to work.'

'As we emerge from the virus, our economy should be booming, but today's lackluster jobs report shows President Biden's policies have stalled our recovery,' McCarthy also said.

The No. 3 Republican in the House, Rep. Elise Stefanik - who moved into the position last month after anti-Trump Rep. Liz Cheney was ousted - also complained about the new numbers.

'Yet again, President Bidens jobs report misses the mark - further proof that the Democrats' socialist economic agenda DOES NOT WORK,' the New York Republican tweeted.

Biden has said the unemployment benefits will end in September and touted May's job numbers saying they represented 'historic progress' while also pointing out that the new tally was from when far fewer Americans were fully vaccinated, as the number was lower than expected.

'America is finally on the move again,' Biden said Friday in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. 'As we continue this recovery, we're going to hit some bumps along the way. You can't reboot the world's largest economy like flipping on a light switch.'
Jared Kushner is stepping back from politics and trying to establish a 'simpler' relationship with father-in-law Donald Trump, a Saturday report revealed.

The former senior adviser to Trump told a small circle of advisers around the former president, according to The New York Times, that he wants to focus on writing his book.

Those people told the Times that Kushner wants to end his professional relationship with Trump and instead just be his son-in-law.

Kushner, who is Jewish, oversaw Trump's 2020 campaign and served as a senior adviser when Trump was president, specifically focusing on peace talks in the Middle East and helping with Israeli relations in the region.

However, Kushner, who is married to Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka, has mostly dropped out of his father-in-law's political career.

Jared Kushner has 'mostly dropped out' of politics as he attempts to distance himself from Donald Trump's political life and establish a 'simpler' relationship with his father-in-law

Since Trump left office in January, Kushner, 40, and wife Ivanka Trump, 39, moved down to Miami with their three children. Kushner is working on a book

Ivanka, 39, and Jared, 40, share three children, Joseph, 7, Theodore, 5, and Arabella, 9.

Previously Kushner was viewed as the most politically involved family member with his role in the administration and campaign, but the former president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. has now stepped into that role.

The latest Times report follows March reporting where several sources claimed Kushner was

Tapped out' from the political world  especially as Trump reemerged onto the political scene.

Trump spoke publicly for the first time after leaving office during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida at the end of February.

He spoke for the second time on Saturday in Greenville, North Carolina at a GOP conference where he stopped short of announcing a presidential bid in 2024.

The former president has said he will wait until after the 2022 midterms to make an official announcement on next steps.

Kushner was one of his most high-profile and trusted advisers to Trump in his four years as president.

During a roundtable on police reform, Trump called Kushner 'my star.'

Since Trump left the White House in early January, Kushner and Ivanka have kept a rather low profile.

Jared, Ivanka and their kids  along with Charles and Seryl Kushner, return from a day of boating in Miami on March 7, 2021

The couple moved down to Florida, just like Trump did, following their departure from Washington, D.C., where they rented a home in upscale neighborhood of Kalorama for $15,000 per month.

That Northwest home hit the market after they left for $18,000 per month.

The two are now renting a Miami beach condo following their purchase of a $32 million plot of land on Indian Creek, a private island in Miami-Dade County.

Jared is working on a book, it is unclear what remains for the future for the couple other than a new home in Miami.
There is a 'strong possibility' Covid originated in a China lab and it needs a full investigation, a leading Tory MP said today.

China hawk Tom Tugendhat said claims that the pandemic originated in a leak from a medical facility 'raise the possibility' it did not start in a 'wet market' selling bushmeat as currently thought.

The theory, denied by Beijing, has begun to gain traction in recent weeks after previously being discounted.

Last week British intelligence operatives revealed they now believe it is 'feasible' the coronavirus pandemic began with a leak from a research laboratory in Wuhan.

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.

Mr Tugendhat, the chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, who has been targeted by Chinese communist authorities over his criticism of the authoritarian regime, told Sky: 'There are certainly strong suggestions of that and there is a strong possibility and it is at least an enquiry or route of enquiry that needs to be investigated.

Mr Tugendhat, the chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said reports of a leak from a research lab were a 'route of enquiry that needs to be investigated'

Last week British intelligence operatives revealed they now believe it is 'feasible' the coronavirus pandemic began with a leak from a research laboratory in Wuhan

'If you read the 2012 papers that list various forms of research that were being done in the Wuhan laboratory, then you can see certainly the gain of function areas that they were looking at raise the possibility that is something that may have happened.

'Now, I don't know whether it leaked from the Wuhan laboratory and my guess is that the Chinese authorities don't know if it leaked from the Wuhan laboratories because their culture of fear and silence is one that has left them blind, let alone us blind, to the causes.'

Asked whether the original source would ever be discovered Mr Tugendhat added: 'Well, I hope they do and this is exactly what the World Health Organisation should be pushing for and looking at because it absolutely essential that we do find out the truth.

'There are laboratories around the world that research different forms of viruses in order to find vaccines, in order to find cures and if there has been a leak, we need to know why that was.

'Is it something that could have happened anywhere, is it something specific to this laboratory?

Dr David Nabarro told the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme on Sky News the WHO is not an 'independent superpower' with 'carte blanche' to do what it wants and must 'work within the rules set by the governments that own it'

'We don't know but as I say, the real problem here is that the Chinese Communist Party has developed such a culture of fear amongst its own people that people are afraid of telling the truth and there is a very strong possibility that we don't find out the truth because the Chinese government itself doesn't know the truth and will never find it out because they have so terrified their own scientists and researchers that they won't be able to tell them.'

It came as the World Health Organization's special envoy on Covid-19 said no country is 'let off the hook' when it comes to investigating the pandemic.

Dr David Nabarro told the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme on Sky News: 'When we're dealing with pandemics it's a joint effort between national governments and the WHO. We are mutually dependent on each other and no nation is let off the hook.'

He said the WHO is not an 'independent superpower' with 'carte blanche' to do what it wants and must 'work within the rules set by the governments that own it'.

He said the WHO has scientists 'who just want to do the best science in the world and all they do all the time is to push at countries when countries are somewhat pushing back at us, and we just say 'give us what we need', and we're not going to stop that.'

Asked if the world is owed an apology after the WHO said it was unlikely coronavirus entered the human population as a result of a laboratory-related incident, he said: 'I think all of us who work in the issue of this pandemic need to be constantly apologising because the fact that this pandemic is causing so much suffering is something that is a great distress.'
Three people were killed in Miami and five more wounded after a gunfight outside a hookah lounge where a graduation party was being held.

One of the victims was a female corrections officer, who died in hospital. The other two were men in a car that crashed near the scene and were found dead. A gun was found inside the car.

The gunfight happened at around 2am in the Kendall district of southern Miami.

Revelers had been celebrating a graduation party and were milling around outside the venue when two cars - a dark colored Chevy Malibu and a white Toyota Camry - pulled into the parking lot, and those inside opened fire.

Police are seen in Miami on Sunday morning examining the scene of a shooting that took place overnight. Three people died and five were wounded when two cars pulled up to a parking lot and opened fire. Officers are still searching for the cars involved

The hookah lounge in Miami's Kendall district was the site of a graduation party on Saturday night, and the shooting erupted outside

Five were wounded, and took themselves to hospital.

The shooting comes a week after the worst mass shooting in the county in recent memory.

On May 30 three gunmen in ski masks and hoodies ambushed a crowd leaving a rap album release concert, at a club in Northwest Miami-Dade, unleashing a barrage of gunfire that killed two and injured 20 others.

Freddy Ramirez, the director of Miami-Dade Police Department, spoke of his sadness and anger at the waves of shootings.

'It just goes to show you the magnitude of this gun violence issue,' Ramirez said on Sunday morning.

'It doesn't just affect the community, it affects the law enforcement community as well.

'We all have to band together. This violence has to stop,' Ramirez said. 'And this is extremely frustrating. Every weekend is the same thing.'

Through May 23, there were 41 homicides reported in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, the same number as of that date last year. But last year saw a big increase in homicides over the recent averages.

Police are looking for the two cars involved in the shooting in the early hours of Sunday, outside a strip mall where a graduation party was being held

Police are seen at the scene of the shooting, which happened in the early hours of Sunday

On Sunday morning the site was still cordoned off as police combed the scene for clues

Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade, said she was 'horrified' by the tragedy.

'Protecting the safety and wellbeing of all Miami-Dade families and swiftly bringing those responsible to justice is our most urgent priority,' she said in the statement.

'We will not allow a small group of violent actors to terrorize our community, and violent offenders will face the full weight of the law.'

She has brought in an $8 million 'Peace and Prosperity Plan' to reduce shootings, but the city is yet to decide exactly how the money will be spent.

County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who represents the district where the shooting took place, said more needs to be done to keep young people safe.

'I can't imagine the horror for these families when a celebration of their young graduates is marred by such unspeakable violence,' Regalado said in a statement

'This incident is proof that gun violence knows no boundaries in our Miami-Dade community.'

Police are still looking for the second car involved.
Thai police are probing the mysterious death of a Sydney man who took a small boat out in the middle of the night and never returned.

Robert Wojcik had moved to the picturesque island of Ko Pu, nestled off the country's west coast, since 2019 after growing up in Australia.

The talented sailor graduated from Sydney's illustrious $39,000-a-year Scots College in 2010 before travelling the world working as a divemaster.

Family and friends raised the alarm on June 2 when he failed to return from a late-night trip out on the water.

The next morning local fishermen set out to find the Australian, but only uncovered an empty vessel floating on the water.

Thai Police are probing the mysterious death of a Sydney man,Robert Wojcik, 28, who apparently went overboard after taking out a small boat in the middle of the night

The keys to the boat were still in the ignition and his wallet and backpack were on-board, according to a post shared on a Facebook page for expats in nearby Phuket.

The only item missing was his iPad which he used to talk with family in Australia while living overseas.

It's believed the last contact he had before disappearing was with his father at 9.30pm on the night he vanished.

As the desperate search continued, authorities eventually uncovered his body.

'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who recently died in Thailand,' a DFAT spokesman said in a statement.

'Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment.'

Mr Wojcik had been living in Thailand since December 2019 and even remained in the tourist-friendly Southeast Asian nation during the height of the Covid pandemic.

The keys to the boat (pictured0 were still in the ignition and his wallet and backpack were on-board.

Robert Wojcik, 28, had moved to the picturesque island of Ko Pu, nestled off the country's west coast (pictured) after growing up in Australia and attending one of the country's most illustrious private schools - Scott College

The engine onboard the boat he was travelling in was 'known' to be faulty, but so far mystery surrounds his death and a cause is yet to be determined.

DFAT is now in talks with Mr Wojcik's family to bring his body home to Sydney.

There was an outpouring of grief online after news of the popular young man's death emerged.

'You made my life fun and kept me on my toes from the moment you were born,' Mr Wojcik's relative Alex Skoumbourdis wrote.

'You became my best friend and grew into someone who I was proud of.

'You were a beam of light the moment you walked into a room, with your stories, your smile, your laugh  and your charisma.'

'He was a great human, talented sailor and generally an all rounder in all that he touched. Such sad news. RIP Rob. You were a great young man- taken way too young,' added Lisa Gard.
Cambridge academic Peter Nolan has warned his University against allowing debates on Uighur Muslims in China because it could damage 'mutual understanding'

A Cambridge don has warned his University against allowing debates on Uighur Muslims in China because it could damage 'mutual understanding.'

Professor Peter Nolan, a fellow at Jesus College, said students should avoid discussions of human rights abuses in China because it would appear 'as being a campaigning college for freedom for Hong Kong, freedom for the Uighurs.'

He said such discussions would lead to 'unhelpful' and 'contentious' outcomes.

The emeritus professor, 72, also claimed media representation of Uighur Muslims was skewed and said the issue 'is actually a much more complicated question.'

He said 'all countries' with ethnic minorities experience similar issues to those in China's western Xinjiang province.

Nolan, who is the director of the China Centre, made the comments during a meeting of the advisory committee of the Jesus College China Centre in November, The Sunday Times reported.

Professor Nolan, who is the director of the China Centre, made the comments during a meeting of the advisory committee of the Jesus College (pictured) China Centre in November

China has been accused of perpetrating human rights abuses against its minority Uighur population in Xinjiang

The professor, who was given a CBE for 'supporting British business in China', has reportedly benefited from close ties with the country and received 3.7 million in funding from a trust with ties to a former Chinese president.

He is also lead trustee in a charity that received funding from China for a translation project and met with top Chinese official Xiao Yaqing in September 2019.

Jesus College's ties with China have increasingly come under scrutiny after the college was found to have taken a 155,000 donation from Huawei and later ruled positively on the telecom giant.

Nolan's college also received a 200,000 grant from the Chinese government in 2018.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has since accused the college of becoming a 'mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party'.

He is also lead trustee in a charity that received funding from China for a translation project and met with top Chinese official Xiao Yaqing in September 2019 (pictured)

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith (pictured) has accused the college of becoming a 'mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party'

Nolan made the remarks after colleagues called for more events to encourage debate in the college.

He said Jesus College should not platform people with 'very, very, very strong' views on China, without someone else 'presenting a different point of view', after colleagues suggested hosting Lord Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, who has described the Chinese president's leadership as 'thuggish and unpleasant'.

The professor said: 'If you think that having a meeting where the main speaker is Chris Patten and there is nobody else presenting a different point of view is balanced, it's not.

'The views are very, very, very strong. They're very, very strong on the Uighurs. They are very, very strong on Hong Kong ... you have to have both views represented, otherwise the college will be perceived as being a campaigning college for freedom for Hong Kong, freedom for the Uighurs.'

He added: 'The predominant view ... is that everybody knows what is happening. Everybody doesn't know what is happening. The majority  the mainstream through which opinion of Xinjiang is filtered is the World Uyghur Association [sic].

'[It] is highly organised, is very active, and extremely well-represented in the global media, including the BBC and all other media outlets.

'The World Uighur Association is financed by the NED. The National Endowment for Democracy is a not-for-profit organisation, which is funded by the US Congress.

'Its purpose is regime change in China and other parts of the world. So that what you regard in the media as self-evidently true is actually a much more complicated question.'

Nolan went on to complain hosting an event about Hong Kong would be 'high contentious and very difficult to organise' owing to the number of Chinese students at the college.

'The consequences', he said, 'would be very difficult to contain'.

Detainees listening to speeches in a camp in Lop County, Xinjiang, China

He also doubled down on a claim the issue of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang is no different to 'questions that affect all countries that have any kind of minority at all'

An estimated 1 million people or more - most of them Uighurs - have been confined in re-education camps in Xinjiang in recent years, according to researchers

He also doubled down on a claim the issue of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang is no different to 'questions that affect all countries that have any kind of minority at all'.

Responding to the leaked remarks, Nolan told The Times he 'supports Jesus College's position that no topic is out of bounds for academic discussion'.

An estimated 1 million people or more - most of them Uighurs - have been confined in re-education camps in Xinjiang in recent years, according to researchers.

Chinese authorities have been accused of imposing forced labor, systematic forced birth control and torture, and separating children from incarcerated parents.

Beijing has flatly rejected the allegations. Officials have characterised the camps, which they say are now closed, as vocational training centres to teach Chinese language, job skills and the law to support economic development and combat extremism.

In April, Britain's parliament followed those in Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada in declaring that Beijing's policies against the Uighurs amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity. The US government has also done the same.

A tribunal aiming to assess allegations of genocide in China opened in the UK on Friday.

A tribunal aiming to assess allegations of genocide in China opened in the UK on Friday, June 4
Philadelphia police are trying to track down a suspect who killed a Dunkin' Donuts store manager after robbing the store.

Video surveillance shows a black man approach the store manager as she is about to open for the day at around 5.30a.m. Saturday and start to talk to her.

He is then seen grabbing her with his left hand, holding a revolver in his right, and forcing the victim inside the door.

The suspect fled the scene. He is described as a black man in his late 30s to early 40s with a mustache and goatee who has a medium to stocky build

Surveillance footage shows a man approaching the store manager as she was about to open up the Dunkin' Donuts in Philadelphia on Saturday morning and pushing her inside

She brings him to a kitchen, where he appears to try to open up a safe

The footage later cuts to the store manager sitting in a supply closet with a cash drawer on her lap, handing the suspect an undisclosed amount of money

The footage later cuts to the two in a supply closet, where the manager sits on a box with the cash drawer on her lap.

She hands the man an undisclosed amount of money, which he puts in his left pants pocket and checks his watch.

The store manager was shot in the head at 5:51 a.m., the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, and was pronounced dead six minutes later when police arrived on the scene. The suspect had fled the scene, police report.

The victim has been identified as 41-year-old Christine Lugo, a mother of two and a grandmother with a 'kind heart and smile, according to CBS 3 News.

The store manager, 41-year-old Christine Lugo, was found shot in the head shortly after the robbery. She was a mother of two and a grandmother

The Dunkin' Donuts remained closed through Saturday as the investigation continued

'She was an angel, a mother to all of us,' Larry Evans, a store employee who joined a group of mourners outside the West Kensington store Saturday to pay homage to Lugo, told the Inquirer. 'No matter who you are she'd give you the shirt off her back.'

Store regulars also said she always remembered their orders.

'She was a special person,' Gilberto Melendez, a former co-worker, told ABC News. 'It's crazy that somebody can just come and take somebody's life like it's nothing.'

The Dunkin' Donuts corporation also said in a statement: 'We are aware of the tragic incident that occurred at the Dunkin' restaurant on Lehigh Street in Philadelphia. All of us at Dunkin' are saddened to learn of the death of a restaurant manager and our thoughts go out to her family and friends.'

It added: 'The franchise owner is cooperating fully with the local authorities in their investigation.'

Mourners gathered outside the store after hearing the news to pay homage to Lugo

Some dropped off letters, stuffed animals and balloons in her memory

One woman lit a prayer candle for Lugo with a private message on it

The suspect is described as a black man in his late 30s to early 40s with a mustache and goatee who has a medium to stocky build.

He was wearing a blue zip-up hooded sweater and gray cargo sweatpants with light gray New Balance sneakers at the time of the robbery and murder with an analog watch on his right wrist, blue gloves and a facemask.

Police are offering a $20,000 reward for any information that could lead to the suspect's arrest and anyone with information should call the Homicide Unit at (215) 686 -3334 or the Department tip line at (315) 686 - TIPS.

Alternatively, tips can be sent to tips@phillypolice.com or texted to PPDTIP.
Democrats' voting rights bill is effectively dead on arrival as Senator Joe Manchin said Sunday he will vote against the legislation because it 'politicizes voting rights' by including a measure that would eliminate the filibuster.

'Unfortunately, we now are witnessing that the fundamental right to vote has itself become overtly politicized,' Manchin wrote in an op/ed published Sunday morning in the Charleston Gazette-Mail. 'Today's debate about how to best protect our right to vote and to hold elections, however, is not about finding common ground, but seeking partisan advantage.'

'I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act,' he added.

'I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.'

West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said in an op/ed Sunday that he will vote against President Joe Biden's For the People voting rights act because it includes ending the filibuster

Manchin expressed how exacerbated he is by Democrats flipping on the filibuster now that they have a majority in Congress and the White House.

'[S]ome Democrats have again proposed eliminating the Senate filibuster rule in order to pass the For the People Act with only Democratic support,' Manchin wrote.

'They've attempted to demonize the filibuster and conveniently ignore how it has been critical to protecting the rights of Democrats in the past.'

The West Virginia Democratic senator reminded in his opinion piece, titled 'Why I'm voting against the For the People Act', that in 2017 Democrats were publicly defending the filibuster when Republicans held control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.

At the time, Trump was urging Senate Republicans to nix the filibuster. In response, 33 Senate Democrats penned a letter to Senator Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell warning against eliminating the filibuster.

Now, the 'For the People' Act has garnered widespread support among Democrats in Congress, with not one Republican coming out in favor of it.

With a 50-50 split Senate, Democrats cannot afford to lose even one vote or else risk not getting legislation passed through. Luckily for them, if they can get all 50 members on board and no Republican members hops on, the tie is broken by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Unluckily, however, Manchin, a moderate Democrat, has proven to be an obstacle now that Democrats control the House, Senate and Oval Office.

Independent Senator Angus King of of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, also told CNN on Sunday that he is 'reluctant' to support ending the filibuster.

Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats, told CNN on Sunday that he is 'reluctant' to vote to end the filibuster, but would do so in order to give more Americans the right to vote

'Not in general,' he bluntly told State of the Union host Jake Tapper when asked if he support trashing the measure.

'I'm very reluctant about it,' he added. 'But if it comes down to voting rights and the rights of Americans to go to the  go to the polls and select their leaders vs. the filibuster, I will choose democracy.'

Manchin penned in his op/ed on Sunday: '[V]oting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen.'

Republicans are able to block Senate Democrats from getting everything they want passed by forcing a filibuster, which is a measure taken to prevent bills from even getting to the floor for a vote in the first place.

Democrats used the same stunt when they were the minority party in the upper chamber.

Manchin made sure to clear the air about his support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, but not with such partisan measures included.

The West Virginia senator's comments also came after President Biden on Tuesday took a jab at Manchin during remarks in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

At the same time, Manchin's Republican counterpart Senator Shelley Moore Capito is leading GOP negotiations with Biden on an infrastructure deal.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reacts during a news conference, after attending the G7 finance ministers meeting, at Winfield House in London, Britain, June 5. Reuters-Yonhap



Finance ministers from wealthy G7 nations on Saturday endorsed a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15 percent, rallying behind a US-backed plan targeting tech giants and other multinationals accused of not paying enough.



US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hailed the "unprecedented commitment", saying in a statement that a global minimum tax "would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation".



Facebook even got behind the move despite the social media giant facing the prospect of having to pay more tax  while non-governmental organizations said it did not go far enough.



Following the two-day gathering in London, the G7 said in a final communique that it will "commit to a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent on a country by country basis".



The G7  comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States  said it hoped to reach a final tax agreement at the July gathering of the expanded G20 finance ministers group.



The G7 also committed to making companies carry out mandatory reporting regarding the climate impact of their investments.



It additionally said it will continue to support "the poorest and most vulnerable countries as they address health and economic challenges associated with Covid-19".



Regarding the commitment on taxation, Britain's Treasury noted that "the largest and most profitable multinationals will be required to pay tax in the countries where they operate  and not just where they have their headquarters".



'Historic agreement'



Welcoming the move, Facebook's vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg tweeted that the company wanted "the international tax reform process to succeed and recognize this could mean... paying more tax, and in different places".



British finance minister Rishi Sunak, who chaired the talks held in person after an easing of Covid-19 restrictions, expressed delight at "a historic agreement to reform the global tax system".



Sunak said the G7 had agreed to make the system "fit for the global digital age", as he thanked his counterparts for striking "a deal of historic significance".



The landmark move comes as governments seek to repair finances battered during the pandemic by slashed tax receipts plus vast spending and borrowing.



The London gathering has also prepared the ground for a summit of G7 leaders in Cornwall, southwest England, starting Friday, and which Biden is set to attend.



Momentum has grown behind the US-led plans to limit the ability of multinationals such as tech giants to game the tax system to boost profits, especially at a time when economies around the world are reeling from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.



German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz on Saturday said the commitment was "very good news for justice and fiscal solidarity".



"Enterprises can no longer shy away from their fiscal obligations by cunningly transferring their profits to countries with opaque tax structures," he said, calling the move "bad news for tax havens".



'Far too low'



French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called it a "historic step" in the fight against fiscal evasion.



"It's a starting point and in the months ahead we will fight for this minimum tax to be the highest possible," Le Maire said in a video message on Twitter.



Biden had called for a unified minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent in negotiations with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and G20.



OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann called the G7 agreement "a landmark step toward the global consensus necessary to reform the international tax system".



British charity Oxfam said the agreed minimum rate was not high enough.



"It's about time that some of the world's most powerful economies force multinational corporations, including tech and pharma giants, to pay their fair share of tax," said Gabriela Bucher, executive director of Oxfam International.



"However, fixing a global minimum corporate tax rate of just 15 percent is far too low. It will do little to end the damaging race to the bottom on corporate tax and curtail the widespread use of tax havens."



Ireland, which has expressed "significant reservations" about Biden's plan, has at 12.5 percent one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world, prompting tech giants such as Facebook and Google to make the eurozone country their European base.



Yellen, holding a press conference following the G7 meet, identified Ireland and China as having concerns regarding a global minimum rate.



"The post-pandemic world must be fairer in particular with regard to international taxation," she added.



Proponents argue that a minimum tax is necessary to stem competition between countries over who can offer multinationals the lowest rate.



They say that a "race to the bottom" saps precious revenues that could go to government priorities like hospitals and schools. (AFP)


The Department of Defense confirmed that it will not allow the display of Pride flags at military installations this June.

The decision came after a reevaluation of existing policy put in place last year to ban the display of Confederate flag without specifically naming it.

Authorized flags include the American flag, flags representing US states and territories, prisoners of war and flags of US allies as well as a few others.

Defense officials had decided against making an exception for the Pride flag.

F35 instructor pilots in June 2020 at Luke Airforce Base. After a review, Pentagon officials said that displaying the Pride flag would not be allowed at Department of Defense facilities this year

The decision to ban the display of the Pride flag this year stems from a DoD policy dating to July 2020 by then Defense Secretary Mark Esper (pictured) that limited the types of flags authorized at military facilities to only a handful, including the American flag

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby speaking to reporters on Friday. He said the decision to not create an exception for the Pride flag stemmed from concerns that it could create the potential for 'other challenges' to arise

'This in no way reflects any lack of respect or admiration for people of the LGBTQ+ community, personnel in and out of uniform who serve in this department,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday. 'We're proud of them.'

Kirby said there was concern for the potential that 'other challenges' could arise should an exception be made for one flag.

The Pentagon's current flag policy dates to July 2020, when top military officials were challenged with coming up with a uniform policy banning display of the Confederate flag at military installations without drawing the ire of former President Donald Trump.

The current policy was put in place chiefly to ban the display of the Confederate flag at military installations without specifically naming it

In honor of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, Naval Air Station Key West's Sailors and civilians display a 100-foot section of the original Key West sea-to-sea Pride Flag in front of the main gate in June 2017

Airmen pose on the flightline after a Pride Month flyby June 26, 2020, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona

An early version of the Defense Department plan banned the display of the Confederate flag, saying the prohibition would preserve 'the morale of our personnel, good order and discipline within the military ranks and unit cohesion.'

Instead, seeking a compromise, officials decided on creating a list of permitted flags without referencing which ones were not allowed.

Reaction on social media was mixed with some cheering the decision and others decrying it.

'America. Yet again exhibiting homophobic tendencies,' tweeted Brandon Gio.

'And that's fine,' posted Jackie Roush. 'No Trump flags or Confederate flags allowed either. Fair enough.'

'Thank God,' wrote Ryan Ciminski. 'I don't want our flag being tainted by the war crimes the DoD support abroad.'

'Just fly the American flag and military flags at the bases,' tweeted @hosierfan515
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Celebrities, politicians and fans have sent thousands of well-wishes to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after they announced the birth of their second child.

Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, named after Princess Diana and The Queen, was born on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California.

She is sister to two-year-old Archie and is the Queen's 11th great-grandchild - the first of the monarch and Philip's great-grandchildren to be born since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April.

After the news was announced by Meghan's press secretary earlier today the pair were congratulated by friends as well as politicians and members of the royal family.

In California, TV show host Ellen DeGeneres led the good wishes, tweeting: 'Congratulations Meghan, Harry and Archie.

'Welcome to the world Lilibet! I am more than a Lilibet excited to meet you.'

While Meghan won't be having too many visitors as Lilibet settles in at their Montecito mansion, Ellen may be among looking to meet the newborn after she and wife Portia de Rossi moved into a house nearby.

Former Star Trek actor William Shatner also sent a message to the couple, tweeting: 'Congratulations to Prince Harry & Meghan on the birth of their daughter.'

Photographer Misan Harriman, who took the pictures Meghan and Harry used to announce the Duchess second pregnancy, congratulated his 'brave friend'.

He tweeted: 'Lilibet has arrived! Congratulations to my brave friend and her lovely family! #allthatmatters #babyjoy.'

Sharon Carpenter, a TV personality who hosts 'The Royal report' with People Magazine and is a supportive figure of Meghan tweeted: 'Congratulations to Harry and Meghan on the birth of their second child, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. I love that their baby girl is named in honor of both the Queen and Princess Diana.'

In the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson led a raft of politicians sending well-wishes to the couple, saying: 'Many congratulations to The Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter.'

He was followed shortly after by Lib Dem leader Ed Davey who wrote: 'Many congratulations to Meghan, Harry and Archie on the wonderful news and welcome Lili!'

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, also congratulated the couple, calling the announcement 'wonderful news'.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have received thousands of well-wishes and messages of congratulations from across the world after they announced the birth of their second child

Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the good wishes to the couple, saying: 'Many congratulations to The Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter.'

Comedian and actress Ellen DeGeneres, a friend of the couple, tweeted: 'Congratulations Meghan, Harry and Archie'

The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a daughter named Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, after the family nickname for the Queen and the duke's mother Princess Diana, who died in 1997

Sharon Carpenter, a TV personality who hosts 'The Royal report' with People Magazine and is a supportive figure of Meghan tweeted: 'Congratulations to Harry and Meghan on the birth of their second child, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. I love that their baby girl is named in honor of both the Queen and Princess Diana'

Charities close to Harry's heart were among the first to send their public congratulations.

The Diana Award established in memory of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Wellchild charity, of which Harry is patron wished the couple well.

The Diana Award, set up to continue the legacy of Harry's beloved mother, tweeted: 'Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

'We extend our warmest wishes to the duke, the duchess and little Archie.'

The organisation's chief executive Tessy Ojo said everyone involved in the charity is 'delighted to welcome another grand child of Diana, Princess of Wales'.

A tweet from the Wellchild charity read: 'Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

'We wish our patron the duke, and the duchess every happiness as they start this new adventure.'

Robert Voss, the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire tweeted his warm wishes saying: 'Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter Lilibet Diana. Also many congratulations to Her Majesty and The Prince of Wales on the birth of a great-granddaughter and granddaughter.'

Meghan and Harry chose to honour both his mother Princess Diana and The Queen with their second child's name, as Lilibet is an affectionate term that was used for Her Majesty by Prince Philip, and Diana being given as her second name.

The baby - a younger sister for the Sussexes' two-year-old son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor - weighed 7lbs 11oz.

Meghan and Harry chose to honour both his mother Princess Diana and The Queen with their second child's name, as Lilibet is an affectionate term that was used for Her Majesty by Prince Philip, and Diana being given as her second name

The new baby will be entitled to be a princess and Archie (pictured) a prince - both with HRH styles - after the death of the Queen and when Charles becomes king

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, tweeted to congratulate the couple, calling the birth 'wonderful news'

He was followed shortly after by Lib Dem leader Ed Davey who wrote: 'Many congratulations to Meghan, Harry and Archie on the wonderful news and welcome Lili!'

WellChild, a charity that supports children suffering from serious illness, congratulated that patron the Duke of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet

Robert Voss, the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire tweeted his warm wishes saying: 'Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter Lilibet Diana. Also many congratulations to Her Majesty and The Prince of Wales on the birth of a great-granddaughter and granddaughter'

A statement from the couple's press secretary said: 'It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.

'Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

'She weighed 7lbs 11oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.

'Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

'Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.

'This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

'The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.'

Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting a girl in March during their explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

It was a lighter moment during a series of bombshells that left the monarchy in crisis.

Meghan accused an unnamed member of the royal family - not the Queen nor Duke of Edinburgh - of racism, saying they expressed concern about how dark Archie's skin tone might be before he was born.

A statement from their press secretary said: 'It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world'

In a message of thanks on their Archewell website, Harry and Meghan said: 'On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family'

The duchess also called out the institution for not helping her when she was suicidal.

The Queen responded by saying the issues were taken 'very seriously' but that 'some recollections may vary' and the matter would addressed by the family privately.

The new baby is the Queen's 11th great-grandchild - poignantly the first of the monarch and Philip's great-grandchildren to be born since the death of the duke in April.

SWEET FAMILY NICKNAME FOR THE QUEEN INSPIRED HARRY AND MEGHAN TO NAME DAUGHTER Lilibet - the Queen's family nickname - was first used when Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and unable to pronounce her own name properly. Her grandfather King George V would affectionately call her 'Lilibet' imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth. The sweet nickname stuck and she became Lilibet to her family from then on. The Duke of Edinburgh also referred to his wife as Lilibet, writing to his mother in law after their wedding: 'Lilibet is the only 'thing' in the world which is absolutely real to me.' Harry and Meghan's new baby daughter - the Queen's 11th great-grandchild - will be known as Lili. A variation on Lily, the flower is often seen to symbolise purity, commitment, rebirth and fertility. Lili's middle name Diana honours Harry's later mother Diana, Princess of Wales. It is no surprise the couple chose to pay tribute to Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997 when Harry was just 12. Lili has been born almost a month before the princess would have celebrated her 60th birthday on July 1. Lili's cousin Princess Charlotte also has Diana as one of her middle names, as well as Elizabeth. She is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Advertisement

But with the Sussexes living in California and amid troubled relationships with their family, it is not known when or if the new addition will meet the Queen and the rest of the royals.

Harry has gone on to accuse the royal family of 'total neglect' when his wife Meghan was feeling suicidal amid harassment on social media.

In his Apple TV mental health series, he lambasted the parenting skills of the Prince of Wales, criticising his father for expecting his sons to endure the pressures of royal life, just as Charles has done, instead of protecting them.

Just like Archie was not entitled to be a prince nor an HRH when he was born in 2018, the Sussexes' daughter is not permitted to be a princess nor an HRH due to rules set down more than 100 years ago by George V.

Meghan controversially claimed during her Oprah broadcast that Archie had his right to be a prince taken away from him because of his race.

In fact, he was too far removed from the crown because although he is a great-grandchild of a sovereign, he is not the 'eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales' as George V's rules required.

The new baby will be entitled to be a princess and Archie a prince - both with HRH styles - after the death of the Queen and when Charles becomes king.

This is because they will have moved up the line of succession to become the children of a son of a monarch.

Despite Harry and Meghan quitting as senior working royals, the baby still has a place in the line of succession.

She is eighth in line to the throne, coming after Archie, who is seventh in line, and before the Duke of York, who has dropped to ninth place.

The new baby is also a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and a fifth grandchild for Charles, but will grow up across the Atlantic, thousands of miles away from the royal family - at a time of heartbreak and division within the Windsors.

Harry told Winfrey he felt 'really let down' by his father and how 'there's a lot of hurt that's happened' but he wanted to try to heal the relationship.

He said of his rift with his brother the Duke of Cambridge that the 'relationship is 'space' at the moment' and that he hoped time would make things better.

Harry later appeared to suggest that his father and the Queen and Philip had failed as parents, while the family was still mourning the duke.

Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast that was broadcast in May, the duke said he wanted to 'break the cycle' of 'genetic pain and suffering' for the sake of his own children.

He said of Charles: 'He's treated me the way he was treated, so how can I change that for my own kids?'

The baby is the most senior royal in the current line of succession to be born overseas and would be eligible to become president of the United States.

Her arrival follows the heartache the couple suffered when the 39-year-old duchess suffered a miscarriage in the summer of 2020.

In November, former Suits actress Meghan wrote, in a deeply personal article for the New York Times: 'I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.'

The Sussexes announced on Valentine's Day they were expecting again, releasing a black and white photo of themselves sitting under a tree in Los Angeles.

Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in March 2020 in a quest for personal and financial freedom after struggling with royal life.

They have signed multimillion-pound deals with Netflix and Spotify, and set up their Archewell Foundation.

If Harry keeps true to his pledge, their daughter will be their last child.

He told activist and chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall in 2019 that he would only have two children for the sake of the planet.

Home for the new family-of-four is Harry and Meghan's 11 million forever mansion in Montecito, California.

2021 is proving to be a bumper year for royal babies.

Princess Eugenie welcomed a son August in February, while Zara Tindall had a boy Lucas in March, and Princess Beatrice is expecting her first child, who will be the Queen's 12th great grandchild, in the autumn.
A Texas attorney has come under fire for telling an Asian man there may be an opening at the Wuhan laboratory after he shared his story of being laid-off from Tesla last week.

Charlie Liu wrote that he left his job for an offer at Tesla earlier this year, but after a delayed start, the company told him 'the position was no longer needed.'

'I did not fail my background check, nor did I ever act in any manner that would cause a company to rescind their offer like this,' the post said. 'Yet here I am back on my job search because I have already left my previous company.'

He asked for any advice, and many of the more than 3,000 comments seemed to point him to career opportunities.

In response, Karan Joshi wrote: 'Hey charlie, the Wuhan lab may have an opening, good luck.' The racist comment was shared by Nicole Hu on Tik Tok

Charlie Liu took to LinkedIn to share his experience with working for Tesla

He said that he quit his old job to join Tesla, but a few days before his start date the company told him his position was no longer needed

Liu wrote that he is now once again looking for a job and asked for advice

But one comment by Karan Joshi, a personal injury attorney from Texas, garnered some attention.

In the since-deleted comment, The San Francisco Gate reports, Joshi wrote: 'Hey Charlie, the Wuhan lab may have an opening. Good luck.'

Joshi has since appeared to have deleted his LinkedIn.

He is described as a 'dedicated attorney from New Delhi, India' who earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego on the website for the Thomas J. Henry Law Firm where he works.

The law firm has since released a statement saying that Joshi was hacked and is working with LinkedIn officials to track down the hacker.

'Today one of our employees notified our office that an offensive statement was posted from his LinkedIn to the profile of another LinkedIn user,' the statement says. 'The employee informed us that he was not the source of this message and that he believes his Linked In account has been hacked.'

'The employee is currently working with LinkedIn to investigate the source of the hack and has requested that the offending statement be removed immediately, it continues. 'The firm is awaiting further information from LinkedIn regarding their investigation.'

It added: 'Thomas J. Henry Law, PLLC does not condone discrimination or derogatory statements of any kind. We take this issue very seriously and are taking steps to ensure that the matter is addressed immediately.'

The Thomas J. Henry Law Firm issued a statement saying that Joshi was hacked

The Wuhan Institute of Virology, more colloquially known as the Wuhan lab, has gained much media attention over the past few months as the theory that it leaked the coronavirus has gained traction.

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.

Nicole Hu, a travel influencer shared the comment on TikTok, saying: 'I don't know why Karan Joshi decided to comment this s***. But this is the type of racism and Xenophobia Asian people, and specifically Chinese people, see every day now.'

More than 100 people commented on the TikTok, berating Joshi for his comment, with one user writing, 'That guy is still constantly harassing other people.'

Others on TikTok seemed surprised that he would make a racist statement on LinkedIn, a site typically used for business networking.

'Why would he do that?' one user asked. 'He wants to ruin his career?'

Another wrote: 'But the stupidity of this guy, like you would choose openly show your racism on a job application website?'

It comes amid a rise in Asian hate crimes.

The group Stop AAPI Hate - the acronym that stand for Asian-American and Pacific Islander - released a report in March that said there were 3,795 incidents reported to the group between March 19, 2020 and the end of February 2021.

On May 20, Vice President Kamala Harris said that figure has increased to 6,600 incidents over the past few months in the United States, and that's likely an under-reporting.

That day, President Joseph Biden signed an anti-Asian hate bill that charges the Department of Justice to go after those who commit hate crimes against Asian people.

'I believe with every fiber in my being that there are simple, core values and beliefs that should bring us together as Americans. One of them is standing together against hate. Against racism. The ugly poison that has long haunted and plagued our nation,' Biden said. 'You've taken that first step. It's an important step.'
Donald Trump brought along Madison Cawthorn in his motorcade to the airport following remarks at the GOP convention in North Carolina on Saturday evening where he lauded the congressman for his good looks and bright future.

'All I can say is big things are coming,' Cawthorn told DailyMail.com when asked what was discussed during the drive.

'I am confident that there will be a new American Renaissance in politics very, very soon. Not just speaking about the 2022 election, but elections even eight to 10 years away.'

Notably, Cawthorn will be 35 in 10 years  the age an American must be to earn a spot on the ticket for either vice president or president.

Donald Trump invited Representative Madison Cawthorn into his motorcade to the airport following his speech at the North Carolina GOP convention on Saturday. The congressman told DailyMail.com: 'All I can say is big things are coming'

Cawthorn is seen at the convention alongside Trump and his former chief of staff Mark Meadows  whose 11th congressional district seat Cawthorn filled when it was left vacated

During Trump's speech at the convention, he called Cawthorn a 'handsome sucker' and said: 'If I had a face like him, I would have been president 20 years earlier'

At 25, Cawthorn is the youngest member of Congress.

The former president gave a shout out to the North Carolina representative during only his second public remarks since leaving office.

He said Cawthorn is 'somebody I've gotten to know very well, and he is a handsome sucker.'

'Madison Cawthorn. Where is Madison? Where is our Madison? Thank you, Madison,' Trump said toward the start of his 90-minute speech. 'Thank you. What a great guy. What a good future you've got.'

'If I had a face like him, I would have been president 20 years earlier,' he continued, again thanking Cawthorn.

An advisor to the congressman told DailyMail.com: 'President Trump and Madison Cawthorn have developed a very close relationship.'

'The two Republican leaders are cut from the same cloth.'

The impromptu meeting with Trump comes after Cawthorn was seen on Wednesday leaving Trump Tower in New York City in images taken by DailyMail.com

It is not immediately clear why Cawthorn was visiting Trump Tower. He was ushered around the city on Wednesday, including to Central Park

Trump left Trump Tower in New York City on Wednesday, as well. It appears he met with Cawthorn

They would not comment on the discussion Cawthorn and Trump had during the ride from the convention site to the airport in Greenville, North Carolina.

Dailymail.com exclusively obtained a photo of the two together at the convention, with Trump squatting down beside Cawthorn's wheelchair. The congressman was left partially paralized in a 2014 car accident when he was 18-years-old.

Cawthorn and the ex-president being spotted together comes a week after the representative was spotted leaving Trump Tower in New York after Trump was also spotted at his namesake building.

It was not immediately clear why Cawthorn was at Trump's New York residence.

The young legislator was ushered around the Big Apple on Wednesday as he visited sites around the city, including Central Park.

After the meeting, Cawthorn tweeted: 'Biden wants to use your tax dollars to fund his radical agenda.'
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The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has been named Lilibet after the family nickname for the Queen, the baby's great-grandmother.

Her middle name Diana was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, the Princess of Wales, the couple said, just weeks after Harry's latest 'truth bomb' interview with Oprah Winfrey has left his relations with the Palace 'hanging by a thread'.

Insiders also revealed 'deeply hurt' Prince Charles was 'at a loss about what to do' after Harry insinuated he and the Queen had failed as parents during the Me You Can't See documentary on Apply TV which first aired last month.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's second child, sister to two-year-old Archie, was born at 11:40am at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, and is now 'settling in at home', the couple said.

In a message of thanks from Meghan and Harry on the Archewell website, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: 'On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.

'She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.'

Their press secretary said: 'The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.'

Royal expert Robert Jobson has said the baby's birth could go some way to helping the family build bridges after months of friction.

Hesaid: 'Any baby's birth is a blessing. I am delighted for them both. Let's hope little Lilibet will help heal some of the pressing issues that have been at the heart of the Royal Family in recent months.'

Lilibet - the Queen's family nickname - was first used when Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and unable to pronounce her own name properly.

Her grandfather King George V would affectionately call her 'Lilibet' imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth.

The sweet nickname stuck and she became Lilibet to her family from then on with her father King George VI often quoted as saying 'Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy.'

The Duchess of Sussex (pictured in February this year) has given birth to a daughter named Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, after the family nickname for the Queen and the duke's mother Princess Diana, who died in 1997 when Harry was 12

Harry and Meghan looked to a family nickname for the Queen for inspiration for the name of their second child Lilibet just weeks after Harry criticised the parenting skills of his father and the Queen during the Me You Can't See documentary

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's second child was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40am at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara weighing 7lb 11oz. Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie

A statement from their press secretary said: 'It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world'

In a message of thanks on their Archewell website, Harry and Meghan said: 'On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family'

The Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April aged 99, also referred to his wife as Lilibet, writing to his mother in law after their wedding: 'Lilibet is the only 'thing' in the world which is absolutely real to me.'

Prince Philip, who is thought to be the last family member to use the affectionate nickname directly, also used it in letters written to Princess Elizabeth in the years leading up to their wedding in 1947.

Harry and Meghan's new baby daughter - the Queen's 11th great-grandchild - will be known as Lili.

A variation on Lily, the flower is often seen to symbolise purity, commitment, rebirth and fertility.

Lili's middle name Diana honours Harry's later mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

It is no surprise the couple chose to pay tribute to Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997 when Harry was just 12.

Lili has been born almost a month before the princess would have celebrated her 60th birthday on July 1.

Lili's cousin Princess Charlotte also has Diana as one of her middle names, as well as Elizabeth. She is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.

Anyone wishing to send a present is asked to support organisations working for women and girls.

A message on the Archewell website reads: 'For those inquiring on sending gifts, we would ask that you support or learn more about these organisations working for women and girls: Girls Inc., Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation.'

The new baby will be entitled to be a princess and Archie a prince - both with HRH styles - after the death of the Queen and when Charles becomes king. This is because they will have moved up the line of succession to become the children of a son of a monarch.

Despite Harry and Meghan quitting as senior working royals, the baby still has a place in the line of succession.

She is eighth in line to the throne, coming after Archie, who is seventh in line, and before the Duke of York, who has dropped to ninth place.

The new baby is also a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and a fifth grandchild for Charles, but will grow up across the Atlantic, thousands of miles away from the royal family - at a time of heartbreak and division within the Windsors.

The Sussexes' tribute to the Queen is likely to be seen as an olive branch to the monarch and the rest of the family.

Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting a girl in March during their explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. It was a lighter moment during a series of bombshells that left the monarchy in crisis.

Meghan accused an unnamed member of the royal family - not the Queen nor Duke of Edinburgh - of racism, saying they expressed concern about how dark Archie's skin tone might be before he was born.

The duchess also called out the institution for not helping her when she was suicidal.

The Queen responded by saying the issues were taken 'very seriously' but that 'some recollections may vary' and the matter would addressed by the family privately.

The Prince of Wales' ties with his youngest son are 'at their lowest ever point' and he is sad that he was again painted as the villain in the Duke of Sussex's latest explosive sit down with Oprah Winfrey. Pictured: At the Invictus Games in 2014

Prince Charles was said to be deeply hurt after Harry suggested he and the Queen had failed as parents. Pictured: Prince Charles (L), Princess Diana (R) and their children William (2nd L) and Harry attend the commemorations of VJ Day in 1995

Harry has gone on to accuse the royal family of 'total neglect' when his wife Meghan was feeling suicidal amid harassment on social media.

In his Apple TV mental health series with Winfrey he lambasted the parenting skills of the Prince of Wales, criticising his father for expecting his sons to endure the pressures of royal life, just as Charles has done, instead of protecting them.

The duke told Winfrey he felt 'really let down' by his father and how 'there's a lot of hurt that's happened' but he wanted to try to heal the relationship.

He said of his rift with his brother the Duke of Cambridge that the 'relationship is 'space' at the moment' and that he hoped time would make things better. The duke later appeared to suggest that his father and the Queen and Philip had failed as parents.

In his Apple TV mental health series with Winfrey (pictured) Prince Harry lambasted the parenting skills of his father Charles criticising him for expecting his sons to endure the pressures of royal life, just as Charles has done, instead of protecting them

Pictured: Prince Philip, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles walk behind Diana's coffin at her funeral

Prince Charles was 'deeply hurt' by his son's latest accusations as sources said the Royals 'struggled to understand what he hopes to achieve' with his continued barrage of attacks.

The Prince of Wales' ties with his youngest son are reportedly 'at their lowest ever point' and he is sad he was again painted as the villain in the Duke of Sussex's latest explosive sit down with Oprah Winfrey.

The 72-year-old 'is at a loss about what to do' but also 'frustrated he cannot respond publicly' to Harry's blitz of accusations over his parenting style.
The California hospital where Meghan Markle gave birth to a baby girl called Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor on Friday is a large not-for-profit foundation set up in 1888 by a group of 50 women that oversees 2,400 births a year.

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is proud of its all-female founders, a heritage that is likely to strike a chord with the Duchess of Sussex due to her interest in female empowerment.

Located in downtown Santa Barbara, it is one of the closest hospitals to their 11million mansion in nearby Montecito, which is roughly ten minutes away by car.

A natural birth will cost 10,000 while a Caesarean section is 20,000. Lili is one of 2,400 babies to be delivered at the hospital in the last year.

A local source suggests pop star Katy Perry, neighbour to Meghan and Harry in Montecito, also had her baby Daisy there last August.

The prince recently revealed he is friends with Miss Perrys film star husband Orlando Bloom.

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is proud of its all-female founders, a heritage that is likely to strike a chord with the Duchess of Sussex due to her interest in female empowerment

Harry said they keep in touch by text so it is possible that he and Meghan chose the hospital on their personal recommendation.

Built in the Spanish Colonial style, it boasts a feeling more like a home than a hospital. Or perhaps even a hotel.

Every room has wifi, a video monitor and computer keyboard. There is a menu for food orders and room service, as well as a pantry so women in labour and loved ones can help themselves to snacks at any time they wish.

As well as a bed with lots of pillows to help keep the mother-to-be comfortable, each birthing room also has a recliner, a rocking chair and a sofa.

These would help the anxious father-to-be or other birthing partner so Harry would have been able to make himself comfortable too.

There are also outside terraces to walk off labour pains and hot tubs for hydrotherapy.

Meghan and Harrys son Archie, two, was born at the private Portland Hospital, central London.

The couple have always refused to confirm this but it is listed on his birth certificate.

The Cottage Hospital oversees sees 20,000 annual admissions and is run by parent company Cottage Health.

It consists of a 519-bed acute care teaching hospital and trauma center, the largest of its kind between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

According to Cottage Health's website, it opened on December 8, 1891, when Santa Barbara's population was less than 5,000.

The wider group now includes branches in Goleta and Santa Ynez and a rehabilitation centre, provides a comprehensive range of services.

They have been ranked among the most efficiently managed in California, according to Cottage Health's website.

The Santa Barbara hospital has a staff of around 600 medics and has been undergoing a $700million rebuilding plan to make it earthquake proof,

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's baby girl was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40am. She was born weighing 7lb 11oz, and is said to be settling in at home.

She is sister to two-year-old Archie and is the Queen's 11th great-grandchild - the first of the monarch and Philip's great-grandchildren to be born since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April.

With the Sussexes living in California, it is not known when or if Lilibet will meet the monarch and the other royals.

However, the duke and duchess may have given their daughter her names in an effort to build bridges with the Royal Family after the couple made a series of bombshell allegations against the Firm.

Located in downtown Santa Barbara, it is one of the closest hospitals to the couple's (pictured with Archie) 11million mansion in nearby Montecito, which is roughly ten minutes away by car

In a message of thanks from Meghan and Harry on their Archewell website, the duke and duchess said: 'On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.

'She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.'

A statement from their press secretary said: 'It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.

'Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

She weighed 7lbs 11oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.

'Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.

'This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

'The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.'
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have today welcomed the newest addition to their family - a daughter named Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

But the way Harry and Meghan made the announcement was worlds away from the formal statement Buckingham Palace made in 2019 after their son Archie, two, was born.

Since stepping down from their roles within The Firm last January, the couple has been given the freedom to announce their daughter's birth however they want.

Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara weighing 7lb 11oz, and is said to be settling in at home.

Prince Harry (pictured with Meghan two days after Archie was born) and Meghan Markle's second child was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40am at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara weighing 7lb 11oz, and is said to be settling in at home

In a message of thanks from Meghan and Harry on their Archewell website, the duke and duchess said: 'On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.

'She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.'

The couple was allowed to keep the birth under wraps until they were ready, whereas when Archie was born an announcement was made when Meghan went into labour.

Not only this, but the couple were able to release a statement in their own voice thanking the public for its support - an announcement which was notably absent after the birth of Archie.

Since stepping down from their roles within The Firm last January, the couple has been given the freedom to announce their daughter's birth however they want. Pictured: A press release from the Sussexes press secretary announcing the birth of their daughter

Not only this, but the couple were able to release a statement in their own voice thanking the public for its support - an announcement which was notably absent after the birth of Archie. Pictured: The Palace's announcement after Archie was born on May 6, 2019

The announcement of Archie's birth on May 6, 2019, came directly from the Palace and was strikingly sterile in its delivery, even down to the military-style time given and phraseology.

While Buckingham Palace's announcement in 2019 read that Meghan was 'safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs this morning', today's statement from the Sussexes simply said, 'Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am'.

It read: 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex was safely delivered of a son at 0526hrs this morning. The baby weighs 7lbs 3oz. The Duke of Sussex was present for the birth.'

'The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Spencer have been informed and are delighted with the news. The Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland, who is overjoyed by the arrival of her first grandchild, is with Their Royal Highnesses at Frogmore Cottage.'

'Her Royal Highness and the baby are both doing well.'

Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan with Archie in Cape Town on September 25, 2019

The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to a daughter named Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, after the family nickname for the Queen and the duke's mother Princess Diana, who died in 1997

However, the Sussexes's press secretary released a statement this afternoon which seemed to have much more character and warmth.

WHERE DOES HARRY AND MEGHAN'S DAUGHTER LILI FALL IN THE LINE OF SUCCESSION? Lili is eighth in line to the throne. The first seven places remain unchanged - the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Harry, and Archie Mountbatten-Windsor. Harry retained his place in the line of succession despite quitting royal life, and dropping his HRH style. With the arrival of Harry and Meghan's new addition to the family, the Duke of York, who was born second in line in 1960, has moved down to ninth place. Andrew stopped carrying out royal duties in 2019 following his controversial Newsnight interview over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The baby girl has been named Lilibet after the Queen's family nickname but she will be known as Lili. She has entered the line of succession behind her older brother Archie. Andrew's eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, has moved to 10th in line. His youngest, Princess Eugenie, has fallen out of the top 10 to become 11th in line, and her son August has moved to 12th place, the Earl of Wessex to 13th place and the Princess Royal to 16th. There will be further changes in the autumn when Beatrice's baby arrives and becomes 11th in line. Lili is the Queen's 11th great-grandchild, and the first of the monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh's great-grandchildren to be born since Philip's death in April. For hundreds of years, the Royal Marriages Act 1772 meant descendants of George II had to seek the sovereign's consent before they wed, otherwise their marriages were deemed invalid. But this law was repealed through the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which restricted the consent to just the first six people in the line of succession. Advertisement

It read: 'It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.

'Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11.40am in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California. She weighed 7lbs 11oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.

'Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

'Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.

'This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

'The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.'

When Archie was two days old, the Sussexes then presented their newborn to the world in an official photoshoot at Windsor Castle.

But they are now under no obligation to take part in an official photoshoot with their daughter, or to present her to the world in such a formal manner.

There was some expectation that the couple may use the birth of their daughter as an opportunity to associate their personal celebration with their charity work.

And the Sussexes have done so by asking that anyone who wishes to send a present to support organisations working for women and girls.

A message on the Archewell website reads: 'For those inquiring on sending gifts, we would ask that you support or learn more about these organisations working for women and girls: Girls Inc., Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation.'

The couple made similar nods to charity when making previous celebratory announcements such as Archie's birthday and their wedding anniversary.

Last month on their third wedding anniversary the Archewell Foundation announced its plans to build its next Community Relief Center in India.

And for Archie's second birthday this year the couple encouraged the public to donate to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Despite Harry and Meghan quitting as senior working royals, the baby still has a place in the line of succession.

She is eighth in line to the throne, coming after Archie, who is seventh in line, and before the Duke of York, who has dropped to ninth place.

The new baby is also a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and a fifth grandchild for Charles, but will grow up across the Atlantic, thousands of miles away from the royal family - at a time of heartbreak and division within the Windsors.

Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting a girl in March during their explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Her arrival follows the heartache the couple suffered when the 39-year-old duchess suffered a miscarriage in the summer of 2020.

In November, former Suits actress Meghan wrote, in a deeply personal article for the New York Times: 'I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.'

The Sussexes announced on Valentine's Day they were expecting again, releasing a black and white photo of themselves sitting under a tree in Los Angeles.
Footage that seemed to show Donald Trump wearing pants without a front zipper fly has thrown his critics into a frenzy, drawing accusations that he put his pants on backwards and comparisons to the 90s hip-hop duo Kriss Kross.

A video clip from Trump's rally on Friday in Greenville, North Carolina raced around the internet, showing Trump's pants oddly wrinkled around the front thighs, with no visible fly.

The video does not appear to be doctored, but high-resolution photos from the event clearly show a zipper fly in the pants that may have been obscured in the glare from other angles. Nevertheless, Trump-haters were feverish over the clip.

'Others are noting this, but it can't be shared enough: Donald Trump gave his big speech today with his pants on backwards. Look close and tell me I'm wrong,' tweeted New York Daily News columnist Brandon Friedman.

Theories and speculation ran wild as the video made the rounds, with others proposing that the pants might be elastic-waisted pull-ups with no button or front zipper.

A cell phone video clip of the TV broadcast drove Trump critics into a frenzy, appearing to show him wearing pants with no front zipper fly and oddly bunched in the thighs

The original footage from Fox affiliate WHNS-TV has a different contrast level, but there is also no fly visible, and the viral clip does not appear to be doctored

'His pants aren't backwards. His tailor made him pull-up trousers to match the jacket, they're held up with an elastic waist and/or suspenders,' one Twitter user proposed.

'In other words, it looks like he is struggling with incontinence and needs to get his pants down quick,' the person added.

Trump haters seized on the video clip with glee, including the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, which contrasted a still from the video with a photo of President Joe Biden smiling on his bike.

However, Trump supporters fired back furiously, claiming the video had been doctored.

'I can't believe how many leftist morons, namely @ProjectLincoln, fell for the horribly photoshopped pic of Trump's pants,' tweeted conservative commentator John Cardillo.

A closeup of the original footage adds to the mystery, with no zipper fly clearly visible

However, a higher resolution photo from the event show some kind of seam in the trousers

A closeup of the photo shows the front seam, which some argued was too long for a fly

Another photo clearly shows the pants with an apparent fly, which may have been obscured in the glare from other angles on the brightly lit stage

The video that made the rounds on Twitter consisted of cell phone footage of a television broadcast of the rally, but a DailyMail.com investigation suggests that it has not been digitally altered.

The same footage can been seen in a WHNS-TV broadcast of the event, and no fly is visible in the original, clearer footage.

However, high-resolution photos from the event offer a clearer view of Trump's slacks than the video offers

In several photos, a seam of some kind is clearly seen running down the front of Trump's trousers, suggesting that the pants did have a zipper.

Trump haters remained adamant that the seam was too long to be a zipper, suggesting that it was just a seam of the type found on the back of typical men's slacks.

The controversy sparked an avalanche of comparisons to Kriss Kross, the youth hip-hop duo that went platinum at age 13, and famously wore their clothes backwards as a gimmick.

The controversy sparked an avalanche of comparisons to Kriss Kross, the youth hip-hop duo that went platinum at age 13, and famously wore their clothes backwards as a gimmick

'Kriss Kross will make ya Trump Trump,' tweeted actor Brian Guest, spoofing the lyrics of the group's smash hit debut single, 'Jump'.

'Now let's wait and see if the rest of his supporters turn their pants around backwards. It'll be like Kriss Kross in the 90s but with the GOP.....' another person tweeted.

Some cracked puns, with one person asking: 'Was the speech given in a no-fly zone?'

Others predicted that Trump would soon address the pants rumors head on with his typical brio and antagonism.

'The next Trump rally will feature 15 minutes of brand new content on his very normal pants,' tweeted screenwriter Bob Schooley.
The Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether it is discrimination for the government to require only men to register for the draft when they turn 18.

The question of whether it is unconstitutional to require men but not women to register could be viewed as one with little practical impact.

The last time there was a draft was during the Vietnam War, and the military has been all-volunteer since.

But the registration requirement is one of the few remaining places where federal law treats men and women differently, and women's groups are among those arguing that allowing it to stand is harmful.

The justices could say as soon as Monday whether they will hear a case involving the Military Selective Service Act, which requires men to register for the draft.

Army 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, center, and Capt. Kristen Griest, right, pose for photos with other female West Point alumni after an Army Ranger school graduation ceremony at Fort Benning. Haver and Griest became the first female graduates of the Army's rigorous Ranger School. The Supreme Court is now being asked to consider whether the draft should apply to women as well as men

The Supreme Court would consider the constitutionality of the rule that only men must register for the draft. If they decide it is unconstitutional, it would be up to Congress to write a new law

Ria Tabacco Mar, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Women's Rights Project, who is urging the court to take up the issue, says requiring men to register imposes a 'serious burden on men that's not being imposed on women.'

Men who do not register can lose eligibility for student loans and civil service jobs, and failing to register is also a felony punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and five years in prison.

But Tabacco Mar says the male-only requirement does more than that.

'It's also sending a tremendously harmful message that women are less fit than men to serve their country in this particular way and conversely that men are less fit than women to stay home as caregivers in the event of an armed conflict,' she said.

'We think those stereotypes demean both men and women.'

Even if the draft is never used again, retaining the men-only requirement sends a 'really damaging message,' said Tabacco Mar, who also represents the National Coalition For Men and two individual men challenging the law.

Ria Tabacco Mar, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Women's Rights Project, is bringing the case before the Supreme Court, arguing that having a male-only draft sends a damaging message

A group of retired senior military officers and the National Organization for Women Foundation are among the others urging the court to take the case.

If the court agrees to hear the case, it wouldn't be deciding whether women have to register, just whether the current system is constitutional.

If it isn't, then it would then be up to Congress to decide how to respond, either by passing a law requiring everyone to register or deciding registration is no longer necessary.

The issue of who has to register for the draft has been to the court before.

In 1981, the court voted 6-3 to uphold the men-only registration requirement.

At the time, the decision was something of an outlier because the court was regularly invalidating gender-based distinctions in cases about other areas of the law.

Many of those cases were brought by the founding director of the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who became a justice in 1993.

A female United States Military Academy graduating cadet (C) waits for her diploma during commencement ceremonies in West Point, New York on May 22. The Supreme Court has previously considered the constitutionality of the draft, in 1981, but at that point women were blocked from many parts of the military

The last time the high court considered the Military Selective Service Act, then-Justice William Rehnquist explained that the purpose of registration 'was to prepare for a draft of combat troops.'

He said that because women could not serve in combat, the law was not unlawful sex discrimination that violated the Constitution.

But military policy has changed.

In 2013, the Department of Defense lifted the ban on women serving in combat. Two years later, the department said all military roles would be open to women without exception.

Just last year, a congressional commission concluded that the 'time is right' to extend the obligation to register to women.

'The current disparate treatment of women unacceptably excludes women from a fundamental civic obligation and reinforces gender stereotypes about the role of women, undermining national security,' the commission said in a report.

The Biden administration is urging the justices not to take the case and to let Congress instead tackle the issue.

Administration lawyers wrote in a brief that any 'reconsideration of the constitutionality of the male-only registration requirement ... would be premature at this time' because Congress is 'actively considering' the issue.

The Selective Service System, the agency that oversees registration, said in a statement that it doesn't comment on pending litigation but that it is 'capable of performing whatever mission Congress should mandate.'

If the court agrees to take the case, arguments wouldn't happen until the fall at the earliest, after the court's summer break.

The court already has high-profile cases awaiting it then. They include a major challenge to abortion rights and an appeal to expand gun rights.
A Texas mother who filmed herself posing as her 13-year-old daughter to sneak into her middle school and attend classes for a day, claims she was did the stunt to prove that security was poor.

Casey Garcia, 30, was arrested Friday for criminal trespassing, tampering with government records and an unrelated traffic violation, according to El Paso County Jail records, after a video of her sneaking into her daughter's middle school went viral.

In the video, Garcia can be seen walking into the building, which was later identified as the Garcia-Enriquez Middle School.

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Casey Garcia pictured LEFT: As a '13-year-old' high schooler, and RIGHT: As herself, a 30-year-old mom

Garcia (right) posed as her 13-year-old daughter Julie (left) and claims no-one noticed until the final period

'Do I look like a seventh grader?' she asks before stepping inside. 'No? Cool, awesome.'

Garcia then appears to say hello to what she says was the principal of the building, and proceeds to walk around the school without teachers noticing. One can even be heard giving her instructions to find a classroom.

In second period, Garcia shows the camera a math assignment, and the teacher can be heard calling her by her daughter's name, 'Julie.'

She can then be seen attending physical education class.

Garcia, 30, is pictured in her mugshot after she was arrested and charged criminal trespassing

By lunch time she takes off her mask to eat.

'I've been here all day, face to face with teachers,' she said in disbelief.

It wasn't until the final period of the day, she said, that a teacher noticed that Garcia was not who she said she was and confronted her.

In a follow-up video the mother explains why she did it.

'We need better security at our schools, this is what I tried to prove, and I don't mean to be curt but I kind of feel like I proved it,' she said.

It was a social experiment Garcia said as she described wearing fake tanner, and dying her hair a darker color to better resemble her daughter's, and she said she memorized her daughter's ID number to gain access to the building.

'I think the deal breaker for me was actually walking in and posing as a seventh grader.' she said. 'I mean I'm no spring chicken, but it wasn't hard and I made it to all seven periods.'

In particular, Garcia says she was surprised by the lack of attention teachers were paying to the students.

Garcia filmed her walking around the building throughout the day, narrating her disbelief that nobody noticed that she was not who she said she was

Garcia even took her mask off to eat during lunch. It wasn't until the final class of the day that a teacher noticed that she was not her daughter and confronted her

Garcia says she was surprised by the lack of attention teachers were paying to the students

School officials confirmed that the incident took place at the Garcia-Enriquez Middle School. San Elizario Schools Superintendent Jeannie Meza-Chavez acknowledged that there had been a breach in security

'The teachers were so preoccupied about the students who were online that they weren't paying attention to the students who were there physically,' Garcia said.

Many, she said, were simply concerned that she had her phone out.

'It was "hey, put your phone away." I was not a name, I was not a person,' she said. 'I was "hey put your phone away."'

In response to both her initial video and follow-up which garnered more than 126,000 and more than 105,000 views on YouTube respectively, many appeared to agree with the mother.

'I remember been in high school and seen people that graduated last year walking around in the hallways that have no reason been there,' wrote Flor Pardo. 'Our schools do need more security.'

'I find it sad they didnt notice, because they didnt really interact with you,' commented Aaron Sexton.

And after she was released from jail on a $7,808 bond, Garcia responded, telling the network, 'I spent the day in police custody, but my question still remains: Are our children safe in our schools, Jeannie Meza-Chavez?'

'You can hear in your voice and mannerisms youre not a child they just dont care! Something needs fixed,' wrote Danay White. 'Thank you for doing this!'

The El Paso County Sheriff's office said school officials first notified of the incident June 1.

San Elizario Schools Superintendent Jeannie Meza-Chavez acknowledged what happened.

'While there was a breach in security by an individual associated as a parent with the schoolwe want to assure you that our security measures are being reviewed and evaluated,' she told KTSM.

And after she was released from jail on a $7,808 bond, Garcia responded, telling the network, 'I spent the day in police custody, but my question still remains: Are our children safe in our schools, Jeannie Meza-Chavez?'
People stand in line at a temporary COVID-19 testing center set up in Seoul Station, June 6. Yonhap



South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back to the 500s on Sunday due to less testing over the weekend, while the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout is gathering pace.



The country reported 556 more COVID-19 cases, including 541 local infections, raising the total caseload to 144,152, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.



The tally fell from 744 on Saturday and 695 Friday, but the decline was attributable to fewer tests over the weekend.



The number of daily virus cases stayed in the 600s for the third straight day Friday as sporadic infections continued to erupt in workplaces, restaurants, bars and saunas.



There were two additional fatalities, raising the total death toll to 1,973.



Health authorities are grappling with a continued increase in cluster infections and more transmissible variant cases, while ramping up efforts for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.



The KDCA said at the current rollout pace, the country will be able to give at least the first shots to more than 13 million, some 25 percent of the total population of 52 million, by the end of June.



The nation plans to vaccinate 36 million people by September in a bid to achieve herd immunity by November.



A total of 7.6 million people, including 138,649 the previous day, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, taking up 14.8 percent of the total population, since the country started its vaccination program on Feb. 26.



AstraZeneca's vaccine has been given to 4.95 million people, while 2.6 million have received that of Pfizer.



The KDCA said 2.28 million people have been fully vaccinated, with an additional 2,351 receiving their second jabs the previous day, accounting for 4.4 percent of the total population.



In June, the country is focused on inoculating the elderly, with those aged between 60-64 beginning to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine Monday.



A military plane carrying more than 1 million doses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine arrived in South Korea on Saturday from the United States.



The shipment of the one-dose vaccine was part of Washington's pledge to donate vaccines for Korean troops. Seoul plans to use them to vaccinate reserve forces, civil defense members and others in charge of defense and foreign affairs.



Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul reported 177 new cases, and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital city identified 157 new patients. The southeastern city of Daegu reported 45 more cases.



Infections reported outside greater Seoul areas accounted for 34.2 percent of the total caseload, with COVID-19 variants fast spreading in some cities.



The number of new imported cases came to 15, raising the total to 9,150.



The number of patients with serious symptoms across the country reached 150, down from 151 the previous day, the KDCA said.



The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries was 134,262, up 499 from a day earlier. (Yonhap)


A woman died after driving her SVU into a canal in Westchester County near the Bronx border early Friday morning.

She was inside the truck at a gas pump at in Pelham Manor - a small village sandwiched between the Bronx and the city of Mount Vernon in Westchester - when it suddenly accelerated through a fence, dropped about 20 feet and plunged in Eastchester Creek, Pelham Manor officials said.

'Despite the heroic efforts of first responders, the driver did not survive,' the village of Pelham Manor said in a statement.

A SUV was stopped at a gas station in New York before it took off and plunged into the water

The SUV was submerged, and a local police officer who jumped into after the car couldn't get the locked door open

The truck was finally fished out of the water around 10am Friday

A woman's body was recovered but has not yet been identified.

Witnesses say the the first responder on the scene was a police officer who risked his own life to try and save the driver.

'He immediately took off all of his uniform and jumped into the water. He must have been there at least 15-20 minutes,' witness Jose Miranda told CBS.

The officer who first jumped into the water was identified as Pelham Manor Police Officer John Luiso.

Village officials said Luiso reached the vehicle but was unable to remove the driver from the locked car. Officer Luiso was taken to the hospital.

'He was doing the best he can, but it was pretty much hopeless. Because if you know these waters, there's nothing but glut, mud, and just nasty stuff in there. You can't see,' another witness John Valente told CBS.

The jumped was finally pulled out of the water around 10am.

Emergency personnel didn't have a cause of the accident - if it was human error a malfunction.

DailyMail.com left a message with Pelham Manor village manager and multiple first responders at the scene.
Just minutes after Kamala Harris departed for Guatemala City on Sunday Air Force 2 was forced to turn around due to 'technical issues.'

'It is a technical issue. There are no major safety concerns,' Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders told reporters.

After getting off the ground, reporters indicated there was an 'unusual sound', which appeared to be coming from landing gear as the plane took off. Upon landing, all seemed normal.

The vice president unplanned after landing back at Joint Base Andrews in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and boarded another plane.

She told reporters while deplaning, 'I'm good. I'm good. We all said a little prayer but we're good.'

After standing by for an hour-and-a-half, Harris boarded a new plane and continued on to Guatemala Sunday afternoon as part of her first foreign trip where she will take on more in her capacity as border czar.

Kamala Harris' flight to Guatemala was delayed on Sunday when her plane was forced to turn around minutes after departure due to 'technical issues'. Harris deplanes Air Force 2 and is standing by for next steps

The vice president gave press a thumbs up when getting off the plane, saying: 'I'm good. I'm good. We all said a little prayer but we're good'

The vice president is heading to Guatemala on Sunday evening for a two-day trip there and to Mexico in her capacity as 'border czar'

The vice president will spend Sunday night in Guatemala and begin her two-day trip with meetings on Monday aimed at addressing root causes of people fleeing from the country.

In March, President Joe Biden put Harris in charge of the massive migration crisis.

As it appeared the problem wasn't going anywhere at the southern border, the administration quickly rebranded to indicate Harris is focused on addressing root causes that lead to mass migration to the U.S. from Northern Triangle countries  Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Since taking over, Republicans have slammed the vice president for not once visiting the southern border, where enforcement groups are overwhelmed and facilities reached near 2,000 per cent capacity at some points.

Harris said she will go to Mexico during her trip south of the border, but maintained that she will still not stop at the U.S. side of the border.

She has also already spoken on the phone with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

During her first foreign trip Harris will sit down with Giammattei on Monday and engage in events with Guatemalan community leaders and entrepreneurs afterwards.

Asylum-seeking migrant families from Venezuela wait in Del Rio, Texas on May 26, 2021 for border patrol agents to transport them to holding facilities after they illegally crossed the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the U.S.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Mexico City to meet with President Lopez Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico.

The White House, along with experts, claim that Harris' goal is to show the U.S. cares and is looking for long term solutions.

The two-day visit is not intended to be a rollout of some massive plan to solve the problem of thousands of Central Americans and Mexicans fleeing to the U.S. seeking asylum.
Russian opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov has accused authorities of arresting him and other Kremlin critics on trumped-up charges in a bid to stop them running in September's parliamentary election.

Gudkov was held in custody for two days this week.

Police in Moscow released the 41-year-old former member of parliament on Thursday, but he remains a suspect in a criminal case filed over allegations that he failed to pay a debt on a rented property.

Russian opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov speaks to the media after being released from custody in Moscow on June 3

Gudkov, who denies any links to the property, told Reuters in an interview on Friday that the charges against him were designed to curb his political ambitions.

'This was a decision not to let (me) run for a seat in the State Duma (lower house) and in elections made at the highest level,' Gudkov said, adding that police had searched his home and arrested his aunt during this week's operation.

'I honestly didn't expect they would take my aunt hostage,' said the former MP, who regularly appears at anti-Kremlin protests in the capital.

The Kremlin has said recent arrests of politicians such as Gudkov have nothing to do with politics, and denies trying to clear the field of political opponents.

Gudkov's arrest on Tuesday coincided with that of Andrei Pivovarov, another opposition figure, who was removed from a flight about to leave for Poland.

Prominent Russian opposition activist and former lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov and his wife Valeria speak to journalists after being released without being formally charged, in Moscow on June 3

Police questioned Pivovarov, searched his apartment and opened a criminal case against him for allegedly violating Russia's legislation on 'undesirable organisations.'

Pivovarov was the director of Open Russia - a now defunct opposition group linked to exiled former oil tycoon and Kremlin foe Mikhail Khodorkovsky - which halted its operations in Russia last month, saying it wanted to stop its supporters from being prosecuted.

Gudkov cited Pivovarov's arrest and the house arrests of many close allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as signs the authorities were trying to rein in the opposition before it could mount a challenge in the September vote.

Prominent Russian opposition activist and former lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov and his wife Valeria speak to journalists after being released without being formally charged, in Moscow on June 3

A new law signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday bars members of 'extremist' groups from running for office. The law's adoption came days before a court considers outlawing Navalny's anti-corruption foundation and regional campaign groups on the grounds they are extremist.

The legislation effectively derails the parliamentary election campaigns announced by some Navalny allies.

Gudkov, who is also due to appear in court next week over his participation in an unauthorised street protest in support of Navalny, said he was concerned he could also be targeted under the new law.

'I understand perfectly that this is not the end,' he said.
California's Alameda County has revised its coronavirus death toll, reducing the number of people whose deaths had been attributed to the virus by around 25 percent after adjusting parameters for what was considered a COVID-related death.

Previously, the county was counting people as part of its COVID death toll if they died when infected with the virus - even if they died in an obviously unrelated matter, like in a car accident.

The new guidelines put the county in line with California state guidelines, which don't count obviously unrelated deaths.

'Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused nearly 600,000 deaths in the United States, the vast majority of infections do not result in death, and deaths due to other causes while infected with COVID-19 are not uncommon,' the county said in a news release, explaining the change.

Alameda County, which includes Oakland and Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay Area, had previously put its death toll from COVID-19 at 1,634.

After reassessing, they announced on Friday that they had reduced that by 441, making the updated tally 1,223. By Sunday, the total was 1,268.

The reassessment was brought in to bring the county in line with the California Department of Public Health's guidance on how to classify deaths, reports Fox2.

If the new parameters had been in place previously, they wouldn't have made any difference when it comes to whether the county was in or out of the state's different tiers of lockdown, the county's health commissioner told the Mercury News.

He said lockdown rules have been based on the number of cases - not deaths.

The official, Dr. Nicholas Moss, said he worried the change would 'play into narratives' that the virus wasn't as deadly as some public health officials made it out to be, but said the severity of the pandemic was 'irrefutable' even with the adjusted county death toll.

Alameda County has revised its death toll from COVID-19 after revisiting its data, and finding that some of the deaths attributed to the virus could have been from other causes

People in Oakland, Alameda County, line up for their vaccine shots in April. Alameda County's death toll from COVID has reduced by 441, after reassessing the data

The updated total includes only deaths in which COVID-19 was a direct or contributing cause. It also includes cases in which COVID-19 could not be ruled out as a cause.

What the count won't include is someone who's died when simply infected with the virus, according to Fox2.

If someone died in a car crash but tested positive for COVID at the time of the crash, under the county's previous rules, that person was counted as part of the county's COVID death total. (They weren't included in California's state total - which didn't use the same parameters.)

Neetu Balram, a spokesperson for Alameda County Public Health, said that some of the deaths 'were clearly not caused by COVID.'

'Obviously our definition was broader than the state's,' she said.

She said that the department had always planned to conduct an update 'when cases and deaths stabilized.'

The alternative causes of death were not provided.

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, is pictured visiting Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Alameda County in March. Health officials said that they knew revising the death toll would be controversial, but it was important to be accurate

As of Sunday, Alameda County has recorded 1,268 deaths from COVID-19

Alameda County's case load has dropped significantly from January, when 12,000 cases a day were being reported. The number is now around 500 a day

Oakland and Berkeley, both in a darker shade of blue, were the hardest-hit areas during the pandemic

'We knew any change like this would have raised some eyebrows,' said Moss said. 'Nothing about this changes our policy decisions now or during the height of the pandemic.'

Moss said they knew about the discrepancy between the state's more accurate COVID case parameters and the ones the county was using, but 'struggled to make the change in the midst of the massive winter surge,' according to the Mercury News.

'We were concerned about making a change at a time when the pandemic was so dynamic,' he said. 'We wanted to wait until conditions were more stable to make sure that we didn't appear to be sort of manipulating the data at a time when we were at the worst state.'

Dr Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins, said the adjustments were expected but the amount 'seems high.'

Alameda County has seen one out of every 18 people test positive.

Berkeley and Oakland had the worst-affected zip codes within the county.

Alameda County is currently ranked 37th out of California's 58 counties in terms of new cases. The region reported 14.4 new cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days.

Plumas County, a sparsely-populated area in the Sierra Nevada mountains, was the worst with 53.5 cases per 100,000 people.

Los Angeles County had 11.9 cases per 100,000 people.

COVID death tolls have been updated in other regions, when different ways of measuring the statistics are ushered in.
Tory MPs reacted with fury last night after Matt Hancock said he was 'absolutely open' to delaying Freedom Day.

The Health Secretary refused to rule out keeping face masks and home working beyond June 21, when the Government had hoped to remove all legal limits on social contact.

Mr Hancock said the unlocking could be pushed back if the data called for it  amid suggestions there could be a two-week delay. But his downbeat comments triggered anger among senior backbenchers.

Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne said ministers were 'wasting the advantages afforded by the success of vaccinations'.

He added: 'The original mission statement was to save lives by protecting the NHS. We've done that.

'The more it moves the goalposts, the more people will be made redundant.'

The Daily Telegraph today reported that measures including face masks, social distancing and working from home were likely to remain in place past June 21 due to lingering concern over the Indian variant.

The Health Secretary refused to rule out keeping face masks and home working beyond June 21, when the Government had hoped to remove all legal limits on social contact

In other developments:

Adults under the age of 30 will be invited to book their coronavirus vaccine appointment from this week;

An NHS chief said patients being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 were now younger, got less sick and went home sooner;

It emerged that ministers downgraded Portugal from the green travel list to amber after just 1.5 per cent of arrivals from the country tested positive for Covid;

Tony Blair said fully-vaccinated Britons should be given more freedom to travel abroad in a bid to boost the jabs take-up;

Figures showed that thousands of separated and divorced parents have lost contact with their children because of the pandemic's impact on the courts;

Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, said there were 'strong suggestions' that Covid-19 leaked from a laboratory in China;

People looking for love online will be able to see if their potential match has been vaccinated in a government bid to increase uptake of the jab.

Adults under the age of 30 will be invited to book their coronavirus vaccine appointment from this week

Tony Blair said fully-vaccinated Britons should be given more freedom to travel abroad in a bid to boost the jabs take-up

The Government has said it will decide on whether or not to extend the current restrictions beyond June 21 a week today.

Sources told the Daily Telegraph the decision hinged on the impact of the Indian variant on hospitalisations.

A source told the newspaper: 'The scientists are more in favour of a two-week extension and that is certainly one of the options that has been put in the papers for ministers.'

It reported that the Government was concerned over a faster-than expected increase in Covid cases.

But sources said the absence of a spike in hospitalisations would reassure ministers when making the decision next week.

Former Tory Cabinet minister David Jones said last night: 'Matt Hancock has acknowledged that most people in hospital [with Covid-19] have not been vaccinated.

'The answer is therefore to get as many people as possible vaccinated as quickly as possible.

'It is not to delay the lifting of lockdown, with the attendant damage to people's mental and physical wellbeing and to the economy.'

Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers called on the Government to 'give us as much freedom as possible'  with priority given to weddings, events and hospitality.

She said that while 'most people' could live with face coverings and some travel restrictions, 'we've got to allow the hospitality business to open up again fully'.

Senior Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (pictured) said there was 'increasing frustration' among his colleagues over the restrictions

Tony Blair said fully-vaccinated Britons should be given more freedom to travel abroad in a bid to boost the jabs take-up

Children aged 12 and over could receive doses in August Ministers are making plans to vaccinate children aged 12 and over as early as August, the Daily Mail understands. The Government's key advisory group on vaccines will advise in the coming weeks on how to proceed with the rollout. But plans are afoot to give jabs to secondary school pupils before the end of the summer holidays if it is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Last week the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in those aged 12-15. Yesterday Matt Hancock said there were 'plenty of good reasons' for inoculating children, despite it being 'very rare' that young people are 'very negatively' affected by the virus. The Health Secretary told Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme: 'The spread among children does have an impact on others and, critically, we know how much it disrupts education as well. There is this problem of long Covid in some children who test positive. 'So, there are plenty of good reasons to do this but we will also want to be very careful and listen to the scientific advice on exactly what approach to take.' Mr Hancock also confirmed that adults under the age of 30 will be invited to book their vaccine appointment from this week. The Government has set a target for every adult in the UK to be offered a first dose by the end of July, and expects all adults over 50 to have been offered two doses by June 21. Mr Hancock said the vaccines had 'severed but not broken' the link between a rise in cases and an increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital. He said: 'The majority of people going into hospital right now are unvaccinated.' The Royal College of General Practitioners said that in some areas, GPs have already vaccinated all those eligible and so have already moved to the under-30s cohort. The news comes as people who have been contacted to bring forward their second vaccine appointment are being urged to rebook as soon as possible, in a bid to combat the spread of the Indian strain. The JCVI recommended in May that the second dose interval should be reduced from 12 weeks to eight for those aged 50 and over, as well as the clinically vulnerable. More than 40million people across the UK have so far had a first jab. Advertisement

Senior Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said there was 'increasing frustration' among his colleagues over the restrictions.

He added: 'We've got to be really, really careful about getting panicked about every variant that comes along until we are absolutely sure there is one that is going to defeat the vaccine.'

The MPs' warnings were echoed by UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls, who said the 'ongoing uncertainty' was causing 'significant distress' to the sector, especially as 'healthcare data does not indicate a need for deviation'.

The evidence 'demonstrates that the vaccination programme is working and breaking the link between cases and hospitalisations and deaths', she said.

'It is crucial that the Government commits to dropping the restrictions on June 21.

Any delay in the roadmap would have a devastating effect on an already fragile sector.'

The wedding industry is also desperately seeking clarity on whether the 30-person cap on guests will be removed this month.

UK Weddings Taskforce spokesman Sarah Haywood said: 'It is unacceptable to just say we have to wait because an industry like ours doesn't have a seven-day ramp-up window  it's much longer than that.'

While UK cases have been rising in recent weeks, fuelled by the Indian variant, hospital admissions have remained flat.

Official data shows that Britons who have received two vaccine doses make up less than 5 per cent of those hospitalised with the new strain.

And around two-thirds of people attending A&E with the variant do not even need to spend the night in hospital.

Another 5,341 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus were recorded in the UK yesterday and a further four deaths were announced, down from six a week earlier.

Mr Hancock was asked yesterday whether the removal of restrictions on June 21 could be postponed if data on the Indian variant worsens.

'We are absolutely open to doing that if that's what needs to happen,' he told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show.

'We said in the roadmap that June 21 is the date by which we would not take step four before that date and that we would look at the data. That is exactly what we are doing.'

Asked if the wearing of face coverings and work-from-home measures could continue in the long-term, the Health Secretary added: 'Yes, I wouldn't rule that out.'

Ministers will assess data this week ahead of an announcement, expected next Monday, on whether to proceed with the unlocking the following week.

Labour yesterday signalled it could support some restrictions remaining in place.

Education spokesman Kate Green said: 'If we have to maintain some protective measures beyond June 21, that is what the Government should do, but I think it is really important that it's a decision taken on the basis of the data.'

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Munira Wilson urged ministers to 'remain cautious, especially given rising case numbers, and to follow the evidence before making a final decision about opening up'.
A top Facebook executive has spoken out to defend the company's two-year ban of Donald Trump, saying the former president crossed a 'red line' against inciting violence during the U.S. Capitol riot.

Nick Clegg, Facebook's head of global affairs and communications who formerly led the UK political party Liberal Democrats, addressed the controversial ban in an interview with ABC News on Sunday.

'It doesn't matter who you are, you can be the pope, the queen of England, the president of the United States, you cannot use our services, and I hope most people would think this is reasonable, to aid, abet, foment, or praise acts of violence,' Clegg said.

'I hope most people would agree is something that we just don't want on social media,' he added.

Nick Clegg, Facebook's head of global affairs and communications who formerly led the UK political party Liberal Democrats, defended Facebook's ban on Trump

Trump slammed the ban as 'unfair' censorship at his North Carolina rally on Friday

Pressed by host George Stephanopoulos, Clegg insisted that Trump was banned for encouraging the January 6 riot, and not for spreading false claims about the election.

'I think it's right that we should be expected to take action where people in hopefully on the whole rare cases use our apps and services in a way which could lead to real world imminent harm,' Clegg said.

Clegg insisted that Facebook did not want to be in the business of vetting misinformation and called for regulators to step in and take control of what speech is allowed on social media.

'I don't think anybody wants a private company like Facebook to be vetting everything that people say on social media for its precise accuracy and then booting people off the platform if what they say is inaccurate,' Clegg said. 'I hope most people think this is reasonable.'

'The people who should set the rules for how American democracy plays out and where the line should be drawn on what speech is and is not acceptable shouldn't -- exactly shouldn't be private companies, it should be legislators and lawmakers in D.C. and around the world, answerable to their own people,' he said.

Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (above) have face harsh criticism over the ban

Facebook, which had previously banned Trump indefinitely on January 7, on Friday announced the two-year time frame, prompting Trump to respond furiously.

'They may allow me back in two years. We got to stop that. We can't let it happen. So unfair,' he said at a rally on Friday in North Carolina.

'They're shutting down an entire group of -- not just me, they're shutting down the voice of a tremendously powerful -- in my opinion -- a much more powerful and much larger group,' said Trump.

The two-year ban will be effective from early January, meaning it will expire in January 2023, long enough to keep Trump sidelined on Facebook during the crucial midterm elections.

'Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr. Trump's suspension, we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules which merit the highest penalty available under the new enforcement protocols,' Clegg said in a post announcing the ban.

In updating its policies, Facebook also said it will no longer give politicians blanket immunity for deceptive or abusive content based on their comments being newsworthy.

At the end of Trump's two-year ban, Facebook will enlist experts to assess whether his activity on the platform still threatens public safety, according to Clegg.

'If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded,' Clegg said.

When Trump's suspension is lifted, he will face strict sanctions that could rapidly escalate to permanent removal for rule-breaking, according to Clegg.

Last month, the 'oversight board' convened by the company said Facebook was justified in ousting Trump for his comments regarding the January 6 riot.

But the board warned that the platform should not have applied an 'indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension.'
The coalition has drawn level with Labor on a two-party preferred basis for the first time in months but support for Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dropped, a Newspoll survey shows.

The parties are locked at 50-50 on a two-party preferred basis with support for the coalition up from 49 per cent in May, according to the latest Newspoll published in Monday's edition of The Australian newspaper.

The last time the parties were deadlocked was in February.

Support for the major parties was unchanged on a primary vote basis however, and the coalition still leads Labor 41-36.

The coalition's boost in the two-party preferred vote was attributed to a shift in support for minor parties.

Labor has blamed Victoria's extended lockdown on the government's management of quarantine for returning travellers and the sluggish pace of the vaccine program, accusations that Mr Morrison (pictured on Friday) rejected

Backing for the Greens dropped a percentage point to 11, while One Nation's primary vote rose from 2 to 3 per cent.

Meanwhile Mr Morrison's approval rating dropped sharply from 58 per cent in mid-May to 54 per cent, as Victoria's latest virus outbreak highlighted deficiencies in the vaccine rollout.

Labor has blamed Victoria's extended lockdown on the government's management of quarantine for returning travellers and the sluggish pace of the vaccine program, accusations that Mr Morrison rejected.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese's approval rating was slightly down, with 38 per cent satisfied with his performance in June compared with 39 per cent in May.

Mr Morrison still holds a commanding lead over Mr Albanese when respondents were asked who would make the better prime minister.

Fifty-three per cent backed Mr Morrison in the head-to-head battle (down from 55 per cent in March), compared with 32 per cent who supported Mr Albanese (up from 30 per cent).

The survey of 1516 voters was conducted between June 2-5.
As Britain enjoyed its warmest day of the year last week, a handful of intrepid swimmers were spotted taking a dip in the UKs first Sky Pool.

Suspended between two high-rise residential blocks at a height of 115 ft 35 metres), the 82 ft-long (25-metre) pool  made of acrylic imported from Colorado  is a spectacular addition to the new cityscape at Nine Elms in South London.

But it is by no means the worlds only pool with a nerve-shattering view. From Texas to Singapore, via Italy and Dubai, sky pools are all the rage. The daddy is an infinity pool 57 storeys up at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.

People are seen swimming in the newly opened Sky Pool in London. The 82 ft-long (25-metre) pool  made of acrylic imported from Colorado  is a spectacular addition to the new cityscape at Nine Elms in South London

At 492 ft (150 metres), its the worlds longest elevated pool, and offers guests unrivalled views of the city from 1,100ft (335 metres).

But if you really want to get spooked, try the glass-bottomed number on the roof of the Market Square Tower, a luxury apartment block in Houston, Texas.

One section with a see-through bottom juts out over the edge of the building and residents can experience the terrifying sensation of treading water above the city. At 500 ft (152 metres) up, it is claimed to be the highest glass-bottomed pool in the world.

Almost as vertigo-inducing is the pool on the 29th floor of the Hotel Indigo in Hong Kong. Swimmers who fancy a unique view of the city streets proceed to an end section that is entirely transparent.

Dubai wouldnt be Dubai if it didnt jump on the latest tourist novelty bandwagon, so its no surprise to find that among its various infinity pools, one stands out  literally.

The rooftop swimming pool at the InterContinental Festival City Hotel has a glass-walled end section that hangs over the promenade seven storeys below.

Among the six pools installed at the Hotel Hubertus in the heart of the Dolomites, a mountain range that forms part of the Italian Alps, is a pool on stilts above the approach road. It offers breathtaking panoramas of snow-capped mountains above and verdant forests below. Swimmers neednt worry about the winter chill as the water is maintained at a constant 33c (91f) all-year-round.

There are other examples pictured here  but they all come with the same warning: dont dive in unless youve got a head for heights.

Bali

A monster hangover

The Edge Luxury Village Resort, Uluwatu

At 500ft (152 metres) above the Indian Ocean, this pool is available to swim in if you can afford to hire one of eight opulent villas. It extends 20 ft (six metres) over the cliff edge and can lay claim to being the ultimate infinity pool, but its definitely not for the faint-hearted.

At 500ft (152 metres) above the Indian Ocean, this pool is available to swim in if you can afford to hire one of eight opulent villas

Hong Kong

The mind goggles

Hotel Indigo, Wan Chai

You'll feel on top of the world if you have a dip 29 floors up in this boutique hotel.

The cantilevered glass-bottomed infinity pool was created by architectural firm Aedas, who designed it to resemble a pearl in the mouth of a dragon wrapped around the building, in an elegant homage to the history of Hong Kong.

You'll feel on top of the world if you have a dip 29 floors up in this boutique hotel. The cantilevered glass-bottomed infinity pool was created by architectural firm Aedas

Dubai

Enjoy those Arabian heights

InterContinental Festival City Hotel, United Arab Emirates

Dubai has a reputation for extravagance, as proved by this extraordinary pool hanging off the side of the hotel. To take your mind off the fact you are floating 100 ft (30 metres) in the air, you can soak up views of the citys ultra-modern architecture and luxury stores while taking a dip.

Dubai has a reputation for extravagance, as proved by this extraordinary pool hanging off the side of the hotel

Vancouver

Canada high

One Pacific, Vancouver

The developer behind this tower in Vancouver wanted to make a statement and they succeeded with a curved pool jutting out of the building at a height of 200ft (61 metres).

Swimmers will be reassured to know the 6in-thick acrylic floor is made to support the weight of 1,650 cars.

The developer behind this tower in Vancouver wanted to make a statement and they succeeded with a curved pool jutting out of the building at a height of 200ft

Italy

A big window on the world

Alpin Panorama Hotel Hubertus, South Tyrol

What could be more relaxing than dipping into a pool after a long day of hiking?

Overlooking the Dolomite mountain range, this striking structure is suspended 40 ft (12 metres) above the ground, with a glass window to give bathers the sensation of swimming through the sky.

The dramatic 82 ft-long (25-metre) pool is part of a new extension in the resort for skiers and hikers.

Overlooking the Dolomite mountain range, this striking structure is suspended 40 ft (12 metres) above the ground

Houston

Walk tall in Texas

Market Square Tower, Houston, Texas

Never mind floating in water, youll feel like youre floating on air here. The developer claims it is the highest glass-bottomed pool in the world at 500 ft (152 metres) and its been making waves on Instagram.

Only residents of the apartment block are allowed to swim, so if you want to try it out, youll have to move in. But, gosh, wouldnt it be worth it.

The developer claims it is the highest glass-bottomed pool in the world at 500 ft (152 metres) and its been making waves on Instagram

Hawaii

Get your water wings...

Anaha, Honolulu

As if having the worlds best beaches wasnt enough, Hawaii now has one of the best swimming venues in the sky.

Anaha, which means reflection of light, was designed with the play of light on water in mind.

The glass-bottomed pool is a dizzying 75 ft (23 metres) in the air, jutting out 15 ft (4.5 metres) from the side of the residential building, giving swimmers a panoramic view of the island.

Just be careful not to swallow any water if you start gawping.
Never has a royal baby arrived with quite so much anticipation  or with so much seemingly depending on her.

Yet for a child whose destiny will almost certainly be far removed from the Crown, her influence over the long-term future of the monarchy and its well-being may be profound.

And what an arrival! A great-grandchild of the Queen not born on British soil but in America, and named after the two women who, for vastly differing reasons, have had more influence over Royal Family life than any others for decades.

A family divided: Harry and Meghan in Oprah TV interview

Prince Harrys decision to honour both his mother and his grandmother in his new daughters names is, of course, testament to the impact both Princess Diana and the Queen have had on him personally.

Had he and Meghan decided to call Archies new sister Elizabeth Diana, their choice, one suspects, would have been met with warm approval.

But by giving the baby the name Lilibet, the Queens private family nickname  even though they intend to use the diminutive Lili for their daughter  there is a risk.

Will it be seen as a presumptuous choice for a royal baby who is eighth in line to the throne, but who will grow up on the other side of the world speaking with an American accent? And how might Prince Charles feel about his fifth grandchild carrying such an intimate family pet name that he has never used himself?

It is tempting to wonder if Harry would have been so emboldened in his choice if his grandfather Prince Philip  the only close family member permitted to call the Queen Lilibet  had still been alive.

Kate and her sister-in-law in 2019

Doubtless, there will be among the more cautious courtiers at the Palace some discomfort and the odd raised eyebrow at this latest convention-destroying Exocet from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They are a couple who thrive on disruption with their interpretations of royalty. And on one level Harry and Meghan are to be commended.

They have chosen the names of the two women who have been Harrys lodestars. Few public opportunities pass these days without the prince cherishing the mother he lost in a car crash when he was only 12. In Dianas absence, it was his grandmother who assumed a strong maternal role in his life. The lost boy who followed his mothers coffin was enveloped in a warm cocoon of love  one that has survived all the damaging acts of self-harm Harry has hurled at the Royal Family, from Megxit to Oprah. In all the tribulations that have seen Harry lash out at his father, his brother William and the monarchy, the door has still never quite been closed. And that is largely because of the patience and love of the original Lilibet.

Such is the closeness between grandmother and grandson many will assume Harry must have sought her permission to use such a private name.

Ever since he, unusually, announced the sex of the baby he and Meghan were expecting it had been assumed that he would want to give his daughter his mothers name.

And as William and Kate had already given Diana as a middle name to Princess Charlotte, Baby Sussex was more likely to receive Diana as her first name. But Harry and Meghan relish doing the unexpected.

So while Elizabeth was a racing certainty, Lilibet was a rank outsider. While her names may turn out be a blessing or a burden, Baby Sussexs arrival is freighted with opportunity.

How often have new babies brought reconciliation to warring families? And the healing power of baby Lili could be vital to resolving the sadness at the heart of the Royal Family. This is the rift between Harry and William. Now that both are fathers of boys and girls and the challenges that brings, Lilis arrival offers a unique opportunity.

William and Kate will naturally share their delight at the news, but will it be beyond the mere superficial?

The brothers might start by reminding themselves of the importance their mother placed in them looking out for each other, which is something she wanted them to continue to do all their lives.

Of course, it will be difficult  Harrys choice of exile and California over duty and the Crown remains a major obstacle. The days when the newly-engaged Harry and Meghan could pop round from Nottingham Cottage to William and Kates stately Kensington Palace apartment have long passed.

Five thousand miles separate the brothers now, though the gulf is far wider than mere physical distance. Can they, in the interests of family unity, find some common ground that the birth of a new baby can often provide?

The split between William and Harry has been the most perplexing and the most damaging. For years, their mutual reliance had been an enduring and endearing part of the royal story. But the aftershocks of Harry and Meghans tell-all to Oprah Winfrey in March, far from improving the situation, served only to make it worse.

The one bright spot came at the funeral of their grandfather at Windsor Castle in April. Then it was Kate who seized the opportunity to bring the brothers together, cannily realising that a photograph of the two side-by-side and deep in conversation as they left St Georges Chapel would be a public relations masterstroke.

And so it seemed  but sadly there was no breakthrough.

For Prince Charles, who has been grievously hurt by Harrys constant emoting  especially his claims of racism within the family  there will be mixed feelings. Joy at the arrival of his second granddaughter, but sadness that he will see as little of Lili as he has of Archie. Will there be a christening for him to attend when so many wrongs could be put right? And if so, where?

Harry and William at Prince Philips funeral

True to form, the duke and duchess announced the happy news in their own unique way. No stiff court circular, but a chatty and joyful statement issued by their American PR team  clearly delayed until after mother and baby had returned home.

Although news of the birth came two days after Lilis arrival, there was none of the subterfuge which accompanied that of Archie in 2019 when officials were still reporting Meghan was in labour hours after the baby had been born.

Nor was there any secrecy about the place of Lilis birth. Indeed the statement thanked the trusted care of the medical team at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Inevitably, much of the focus will be on the names Harry and his wife have chosen. It will be noted that there is no acknowledgement for the inspirational woman in Meghans life  her mother Doria  and no reference to her estranged father Thomas Markles family.

In this summer of Diana  the unveiling of a statue on what would have been her 60th birthday and the 40th anniversary of her marriage to the Prince of Wales  Harry is certainly continuing his honouring of his mothers memory. Like Lili, he too was known by a diminutive  he was given the first name Henry. But Harry grew up in the heart of the Royal Family. His daughter is destined for a very different experience, without a title and an upbringing that will have little in common with George, her cousin and future king.

But there is just a chance that Georges passage to the throne could be infinitely more secure if his first American-born cousin plays her part in helping to end the crisis that has so damaged the House of Windsor.
Priti Patel faced renewed pressure over the migrant crisis last night after it emerged UK border patrols have picked up dinghies on the French side of the Channel on 'a number of occasions'.

The Home Secretary will haul in top brass from the UK Border Force today to demand an explanation  as well as a new plan to cut the number of crossings during the summer peak.

In signs that Miss Patel's patience is fraying, a Home Office source said borders officials were 'simply not delivering results'  despite tens of millions of pounds being thrown at the problem. Nearly 1,200 migrants have reached Britain from northern France in the past ten days.

A man thought to be a migrant is brought in to Dover, Kent, on Thursday

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, on Thursday

The Mail revealed on Saturday how the Border Force cutter HMC Valiant crossed the maritime border into French waters, picked up four migrants from a dinghy and delivered them to Dover.

An exchange on open radio frequencies showed British officers negotiated the 'legality' of the manoeuvre with a French patrol ship.

Now it can be disclosed it was not the first time a British border patrol had carried out the controversial manoeuvre. 'There has over the last four to five years been a number of occasions when this has happened,' a Home Office insider said. 'It is really rare, but there have been a couple of previous occasions. It should not have happened.'

A dinghy with 15 Afghan refugees approaches the Greek island of Lesbos last year next to UK Border Force patrol boat HMC Valiant

In signs that Miss Patel's patience is fraying, a Home Office source said borders officials were 'simply not delivering results'  despite tens of millions of pounds being thrown at the problem

Early results of an inquiry into the latest incident are expected to land on the Home Secretary's desk today.

It is understood there has been resistance towards tougher responses at sea  including turning small boats back to France  from within Border Force itself.

Sources accused the agency of a 'lack of urgency' in dealing with the escalating crisis.

Kent's legal threat over lone children A Tory-led council having to deal with hundreds of lone children seeking asylum is preparing legal action against the Home Office. Local leaders in Kent say the county has reached 'breaking point' and could apply for a judicial review to force Priti Patel to send the youngsters to other councils across the country. About 250 lone children, some as young as 12, have been smuggled across the Channel this year. Last month, there were 115, almost double the level in May last year, putting pressure on social services and finances. 'We are at breaking point,' Matt Dunkley, Kent's director of children's services, told The Sunday Times. 'Underneath this there is a humanitarian crisis involving traumatised young people.' The unprecedented number of solo arrivals include growing numbers of girls, prompting fears they could be forced into prostitution by criminal gangs. A Vietnamese girl who arrived last weekend is said to have vanished from a reception centre. A voluntary scheme started in 2016 for other councils to take children has ground to a halt. Advertisement

The Home Office authorised vast spending last year on new equipment to block and turn back migrant boats  including floating 'booms'. But despite being tested in sea trials, the tactics have yet to be deployed in the Channel.

France  which was handed 28million from British taxpayers in November to step up beach patrols  will only intervene on the seas if migrants ask for help.

Border Force's illicit co-operation with the French to escort small boats across the Channel also risks seriously undermining the Home Secretary's tough public pronouncements.

'Clearly government ministers are unhappy with the continued crossings and lack of urgency in responding to them,' a Home Office source said. 'For over a year now ministers have encouraged the team responsible to pursue new tactics, and supported them with funding and resources, but they are simply not delivering results.

'While criminal gangs are continuing to profit, the Border Force front-line are under increasing pressure and our asylum system under more strain. The approach has to change.'

It is understood Miss Patel will demand that Border Force high command explains 'how and why' a British boat entered French waters to escort a dinghy into UK waters. She will also order them to draw up an action plan to cut the number of crossings over the summer, including an update on progress made on Anglo-French co-operation.

There is also increasing irritation on the Tory backbenches, with one MP calling on the Home Secretary to rethink tactics being used in the Channel and to end the problem 'once and for all'.

Tory MP for Dover, Natalie Elphicke, said: 'The bottom line is there needs to be a fresh approach to the small boats crisis that stops boats leaving France in the first place and turns them around in the Channel back to France.

'This is criminal activity, plain and simple. Border Force wouldn't pick up a consignment of drugs or guns in the middle of the Channel and bring them into Dover.'

She added: 'We have seen in other countries, like Australia, that taking firm and decisive action to turn back boats works, and saves lives.'
People wait in case of possible side effects after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations at a designated center in Dongjak District, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap



Over 13 million people to receive first dose by end of June



By Lee Hyo-jin



The government's COVID-19 vaccination program is picking up pace, raising hopes that the country will be able to reach its goal of creating herd immunity by November.



When the nationwide campaign started Feb. 26, the administration set the goal of achieving herd immunity by November by vaccinating 36 million individuals, or 70 percent of the country's 52 million population.



It also targeted administering first shots of the vaccine to at least 13 million people within the first half of the year, beginning with vulnerable members of the population and priority groups.



As of Saturday, 7.6 million people, or 14.8 percent of the population, had received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 4.4 percent has been fully immunized, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).



Given the inoculation and reservation rates so far, the health authorities expect the goal of vaccinating 13 million people with their first doses to be achieved by the end of June.



"This week, around 300,000 to 350,000 individuals will be vaccinated per day, and the daily number of administered people will be scaled up to around 500,000 in the next couple of weeks," said KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong at a briefing, Friday, adding that the goal will be reached by the end of the month.



The country's mass inoculation capacity, in tandem with a stable supply of doses scheduled to arrive in the coming months, may bring Korea a step closer to achieving herd immunity.



Although the government has secured enough doses to inoculate 99 million people, or nearly double the country's population, its vaccine rollout has been sluggish as most of the supply was set to be delivered during the latter half of the year.





A man receives a coronavirus vaccine at an inoculation center in Dongjak, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
Patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19 are now younger, get less sick and go home sooner, experts have revealed.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said there was very significant evidence vaccines had broken the chain between infection and hospitalisation.

The number of people ending up in hospital was consistently lower than in previous waves, with NHS leaders in virus hotspots reporting declining inpatient numbers, he revealed.

It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock described hospitalisations as relatively flat  despite rising cases

Hospital leaders reported that community infection and Covid inpatient numbers were declining in hotspots

It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock described hospitalisations as relatively flat  despite rising cases.

Mr Hopson said NHS Trust leaders were reporting three consistent features regarding hospital admissions, tweeting: First. Number of hospital Covid-19 admissions are consistently a lot lower than in previous waves. Second. Patients admitted are, on average, younger with less requirement for critical care, more treatment in general and acute beds, lower acuity and lower mortality rates.

Third. Very low numbers of Covid-19 admissions where patients have had two vaccinations and protection build-up post second jab.

He said most people hospitalised after having two jabs have pronounced co-morbidities  or other significant conditions.

Hospital leaders reported that community infection and Covid inpatient numbers were declining in hotspots, he said.

He cited increasing confidence that vaccines had broken the chain between Covid-19 infection and high levels of hospitalisations and then mortality in previous waves, adding that it feels very significant.

Mr Hopson, whose organisation represents English NHS Trusts, said the NHS still faced enormous pressure and there were significant risks to consider when deciding whether to lift restrictions on June 21. But he added: Some have wrongly interpreted us highlighting these pressures as meaning we dont want to ease lockdown on June 21 or want delay. This is untrue. We have not called for a delay  just for a better quality debate.

The Indian variant makes up most of all UK cases. Early analysis by Public Health England suggested those who caught the strain  also known as the Delta variant  were twice as likely to need hospital treatment.

Around two-thirds of people attending A&E with the variant go home the same day

The Indian variant makes up most of all UK cases. Early analysis by Public Health England suggested those who caught the strain  also known as the Delta variant  were twice as likely to need hospital treatment

But it emerged last week that most patients with it dont need to spend a single night in hospital. Official data shows Britons who received two vaccines make up less than 5 per cent of those hospitalised with the strain.

Around two-thirds of people attending A&E with the variant go home the same day.

The latest figures for inpatients are from Thursday, when 932 with Covid were in hospital. In January, it was nearly 40,000.

Speaking on Sky Newss Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme yesterday, Mr Hancock said: We have said we will give people enough time ahead of the June 21 date... and the critical thing is to see whether the four tests we have set have been met.

Thats in terms of the number of cases, and cases are rising slightly, the number of hospitalisations, which are much more flat. Thats because the third test, the rollout of the vaccine, is going incredibly well.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and director of the Wellcome Trust medical charity, said he was cautiously optimistic and the vaccine rollout had saved countless lives.
The G7 summit is a security nightmare because of its bonkers location at a seaside resort, a policing leader warned yesterday.

John Apter, head of the Police Federation in England and Wales, suggested little thought had been given to security plans when it was decided to hold the international event in Carbis Bay, in Cornwall.

He spoke out after a coalition of anarchists and nuclear disarmament demonstrators vowed to defy warnings to stay away next week.

Delegates from the G7 nations  the UK, US, Japan, Italy, France, Germany and Canada  will meet between June 11-13. Representatives from the European Union, Australia, India and South Korea will also attend.

John Apter, head of the Police Federation in England and Wales, has raised concerns about the location of the G7 Summit

Discussions are due to be held at the Carbis Bay Hotel, alongside a massive security operation. Police have erected a ring of steel around large sections of the resort, which borders the popular tourist town of St Ives.

Provisions have also been made for the arrival of 6,500 police officers from all 43 forces in England and Wales.

But many have questioned the wisdom of choosing a location with only one road going in and out, due to the logistical challenges that poses and the risk of protesters blocking access and causing mayhem.

Mr Apter said: The problem with G7 is it is a significant security operation and the location is interesting  its bonkers logistically.

Police have erected a ring of steel around large sections of the Carbis Bay Hotel, alongside a massive security operation

Boris Johnson has family ties to the resort which was the birthplace of his father, Stanley

Even trying to get accommodation for the officers and staff has been challenging. A lot of planning has gone into it, nothing is bigger than the heads of state coming together, police officers will do their utmost but many of them are knackered after this last year when there has been no break at all for them.

My frustration is that there seems to be a real lack of appreciation by the Government about how these decisions impact the police.

Boris Johnson has family ties to the resort, which was home for decades to his great-grandparents and is the birthplace of his father Stanley.

The G8 in 2005 was marred by violence when hundreds of anarchists clashed with police in Scotland.

The row came as it was revealed Rishi Sunak has persuaded the worlds leading economies to force multinational tech firms to pay more tax.

Provisions have also been made for the arrival of 6,500 police officers from all 43 forces in England and Wales

The landmark deal will impact companies such as Facebook and Amazon, which have been criticised for paying only small amounts of tax in the places where they sell large amounts of goods.

Chancellor Mr Sunak, who hosted the meeting of G7 finance ministers in London on Saturday, said that the agreement would create a fairer tax system fit for the 21st century. Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who is now Facebooks vice-president for global affairs, said: We want the international tax reform process to succeed and recognise this could mean Facebook paying more tax, and in different places.

But Oxfam said an agreed 15 per cent global minimum corporate tax rate was far too low to make a difference.

Why this tax grab could backfire

Commentary by Ruth Sunderland, Business Editor

No wonder Rishi Sunak was wreathed in smiles as he announced G7 ministers had agreed on a global tech tax deal. The Chancellor, one of the big political winners of the pandemic so far, is understandably keen to parade yet another feather in his cap.

But the Treasurys excitable claims that the G7 has struck a seismic agreement that will ultimately put a stop to tax-swerving by the likes of Amazon are premature, to say the least.

Its important to acknowledge there is a huge problem with tech giants and their propensity to wriggle out of paying much tax in the UK  and in some cases anywhere on the planet.

Take Amazon. The online retailers coffers have been swollen by billions of pounds of additional sales in Britain during Covid. Yet it has handed over only a minuscule percentage of that income to the Exchequer.

This is not merely unfair, it is unsustainable at a time when we desperately need tax revenues to pump into the NHS, social care, education and other vital services.

But the G7 proposals, though manifestly well-intentioned, are a long way from being put into force. And even if they are, it is not at all clear they will have the desired effect.

Indeed, we have been here before. One of Rishis predecessors at Number 11, George Osborne, hailed an agreement against multinationals shunting profits into tax havens back in 2013, yet the scourge is with us still.

The latest proposals are for a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent and for multinationals to be obliged to share out a slice of their profits with the tax authorities in the countries where they operate.

The US has swung behind the deal largely for President Bidens own domestic reasons. He wants to raise the rate of corporation tax to pay for his big spending plans on new infrastructure and education, and setting a global floor would deter companies from defecting to tax havens. However, the minimum rate plan is likely to face stiff opposition from Republicans. The system we have was designed for a very different era, when the worlds biggest companies had a physical presence and were therefore far easier to pin down and tax.

The regime is no longer fit for purpose. But the idea the G7 has this weekend created a new one that will work in the weightless world of tech is wishful thinking.

Even if  and its a very big if  the changes are adopted worldwide, it is far from clear the new tax rules will achieve their aims. Reallocating a chunk of profit so it can be taxed in the countries where sales are made is likely to have limited impact. It would only apply to companies making a profit margin of at least ten per cent.

Some big tech giants make surprisingly little profit, and the figures can be massaged down, legitimately, through accounting adjustments.

Simply put, it might not result in the likes of Amazon paying much more.

There could also be nasty unintended consequences. Inventive ideas here post-Brexit to use the tax system to pump growth could be kiboshed. Hopes, for example, of revitalising Red Wall areas through freeports, where businesses enjoy tax advantages, may be thrown into doubt if a minimum global rate becomes mandatory.

It would be wrong to be defeatist  it is in all our interests that tech giants are made to pay taxes that reflect the riches they reap.

But we should not fool ourselves into believing the hype that the problem is now solved.
Picture this. An invasion of billions of mice terrorising households, climbing up curtains, swarming onto beds and biting people as they sleep, running amok in supermarkets and hospitals and contaminating drinking water.

Its the stuff of nightmares. But far from being a ghoulish product of the imagination, this is the reality in 21st-century Australia, where a rodent plague of Biblical proportions is devastating food supplies and inflicting misery and hardship.

In one case, a womans house burned down because the mouse army chewed its way through wiring in her attic.

Its the stuff of nightmares. But far from being a ghoulish product of the imagination, this is the reality in 21st-century Australia, where a rodent plague of Biblical proportions is devastating food supplies and inflicting misery and hardship

Mice scurry around stored grain on a farm near Tottenham, Australia

Rebekah Ward watched the property go up in flames, her 12-year-old son John in tears beside her. He told how the family had already endured unimaginable horrors because of the rodents. Sometimes I didnt want to go to sleep because there was mice running around my bed, he said.

In desperation, some Aussies have been putting the legs of their beds in buckets of water to stop the mice running up them. Meanwhile, their government has approved emergency measures to double the strength of poisoned bait, with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack declaring: The only good mouse is a dead mouse.

The plague began on farms and came from nowhere following a bumper grain harvest on the back of the worst drought in the past decade.

To begin with, the farmers were thrilled with their plentiful crops. But once the harvest was safely stored in barns, delight turned to dread.

We had a really good year, a lot of grain, says Michael Payten, who farms at Canowindra four hours west of Sydney. We put a lot of hay in sheds  and created these massive mice hotels with thousands of mice crawling through it.

In one case, a womans house burned down because the mouse army chewed its way through wiring in her attic. Pictured: Rebekah Ward and her family

Breeding at a terrifying rate  a single pair can produce 500 offspring in one breeding season  the pests are destroying everything in their wake.

They get into everything, says Xavier Martin, New South Wales Farmers Association vice president. Theyve taken over a lot of our homes, our sheds, our vehicles, our tractors. Weve had machinery burn.

He adds: In this house, they ate the hose at the back of the dishwasher, so when the dishwasher ran it flooded the kitchen. If I walk out of the door there now and stand still theyll climb on the outside of my trousers and inside of my trousers, theyre just running about everywhere.

Huge fields-worth of crops have been destroyed on some farms and grain rendered inedible because it is soiled by droppings and other filth. Homeowners using poisoned bait and traps say they are catching up to 600 mice every night.

One New South Wales farmer went to extreme lengths to get rid of the mice devastating his property by using a makeshift mouse incinerator.

Pictured: A pile of dead mice on a New South Wales farm. Farmers are abandoning some paddocks and can't defer sowing winter crops any longer, industry chiefs have said

Known only as Andrew, he uploaded a video to social media platform TikTok of himself dropping hundreds of rodents out of his grain conveyor and into a burning 44-gallon metal drum.

Farmer Kodi Brady drowns them in buckets or poisons them but admits he is losing the battle. It plays a massive impact on your mental health, he said. I dont sleep because Im paranoid. You can hear them in your walls and your roof.

Anne Cullen, a farmer in the same state, has spent 22,000 on rat-bait but has still lost all her grain and hay.

The first time I had to pick up a mouse out of the pool and smash it on the cement to kill it, I thought Oh gosh, I cant do this., she says. But then I was doing 50 a day. The smell, it was absolutely putrid but if you dont pick the dead mice up, the maggots get in them. You cant live like that, but you have to.

Mice are pictured falling into a large tub of water and drown as part of a makeshift trap on a NSW farm. Farmers are concerned about the effect of poison on farm dogs, piggeries and other animals

In the NSW town of Tottenham, Maree Pobje filmed a terrifying river of thousands of mice sliding down a grain chute while others swarmed over the corn. We live in the middle of a plague riddling every surface in our house, clothes and food, she says.

Some farmers have talked of the sky raining mice as they pour out of their grain chutes. But where food has run out the creatures have resorted to cannibalism or turned in their masses to urban areas, moving into homes, hotels, shops and even hospitals.

The new invasion has been accelerated by the approach of winter. There are now fears the vermin could reach Sydney, hitching lifts on freight lorries.

In Gulargambone, NSW, they have invaded a supermarket and ruined food. Three incidents of mice biting patients in hospitals have also been confirmed across the state.

The extent of Australia's revolting mouse plague is shown in this alarming new map by the CSIRO (pictured)

The government has launched a 27 million package to combat the invasion, a figure widely criticised as inadequate. The strategy involves the extensive use of bait  which has already given rise to public health concerns after mice killed by poison were found in tanks of drinking water. Meanwhile, cases of leptospirosis  a potentially deadly disease that can be transferred from mice to humans  have almost doubled in Queensland this year, with health authorities citing rising rodent numbers as a possible cause.

In the face of the crisis, the go-ahead for doubling the potency of certain rat poisons has been granted. And New South Wales has made an emergency request for the wide-scale agricultural use of the anti-coagulant poison bromadiolone, which is currently outlawed for use in fields.

This is because it is the chemical equivalent of napalm, kills instantly, and stays in the bodies of mice after they die.

Farmers at breaking point with the endless plagues of mice fear they could be hit with a second wave of rodents once the cold winter conditions ease up (pictured in NSW)

Dr Peter Brown, a rodent management expert says it means birds of prey and other animals can feed on dead mice and potentially get a lethal dose themselves through secondary poisoning.

He warned this was not the only problem. There have been studies published looking at owls. Theyre eating dead mice poisoned by anticoagulants [and then] theyre unable to have successful hatching of young because theres something wrong with the way that the eggshells form, for example, he says.

But the worst may be to come, as experts warn a plague of snakes is sure to follow. Booming mouse numbers have proved to be a feast, leading to more and bigger, fatter reptiles.

Pets, too, are at risk. Dr Peter Best, a NSW vet, says his practice has been treating animals poisoned by bait  the whole lot, household pets, working dogs. He estimates that one in 15 of its cases involves bait poisoning.

Regional parts of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria have been hit with countless masses of mice which are destroying crops, houses and the livelihoods of many

One man who has witnessed the damage bait can do to a pet is Eris Fleming, an artist who also runs a cattle farm in the state. When he put out poison, his German shepherd dog ate it before the mice could.

His beloved companion began haemorrhaging, needed urgent treatment and was only saved by vets at considerable cost.

Another disadvantage was that any mice that ate the poison ended up dying, then decaying in the ceiling, within the walls and under the floorboards. The stench was unbelievable, Fleming says.

But that was during an earlier mouse plague, one in which Fleming endured a daily routine of collecting 300 dead mice from home-made water traps in his house, and burying them some distance away.

In NSW alone there's been an estimated $100million worth of damage to crops and grain

For this is not Australias first rodent invasion. Until now, the worst was in 1993 when 50 million -worth of damage was caused. Crops were ruined, livestock in piggeries and on poultry farms were attacked and buildings, farm vehicles, cars and electrical insulation were all destroyed.

And the sad truth is that Britain must take a share of the blame. For it was stowaway rodents on board English ships more than 200 years ago that were the original source of the misery stalking 21st-century Outback Australia.

The creatures scuttled through ships holds and gave birth to new generations as the First Fleet made its way across the world to Australia in 1788 before they scampered onto dry land.

The early settlers and convicts were too concerned about their own survival in a tough new land to worry about mice running off into the bush  and it wasnt until 96 years later that a settler in Tasmania walked into a museum with a dead mouse in a box to officially record Australias first mouse specimen.

By then the damage had been done  as the cries of anguish now resounding across the Outback tell us only too clearly.
A man who survived the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, having been shot four times in his lower back and once in his arm, was told he must repay disability payments to the tune of $21,000.

The Social Security Administration claimed Tony Marrero was never eligible to receive the disability benefits despite being left in pain and having to undergo several surgeries to repair the damage left by gunman Omar Mateen in the June 2016 Orlando shooting.

The agency sent him letters telling him to repay $20,792 since August 2018 but has only recently dropped their case against him following an investigation by a local Florida TV station.

Tony Marrero was shot four times in the back in the deadly Orlando terror attack at Pulse nightclub in June 2016

Marrero was also shot in the arm and left unable to work at his job at a local theme park

'I'm really overwhelmed. I got shot four times in my lower back. The muscle was completely shattered and I had a hole in my back,' he told ClickOrlando. 'My left arm was completely shattered. I was supposed to lose this arm, but I didn't give up, and I told the doctors to give it some time because I have movement in these two fingers.'

Marrero said his injuries prevented him from going back to work at one of the area's theme parks.

'I could not work. I was out of work for a year-and-a-half,' he said. 'I wasn't able to walk. I wasn't able to use this arm properly. Not only that, I worked at a theme park, so psychologically and mentally, I wasn't prepared to be around big crowds.'

Marrero signed up for benefits which were crucial to him maintaining his way of life including his home and car.

Marrero claimed disability and received just under $21,000 in benefits which the Social Security Administration then demanded he repay

Once he had been cleared to return to his job Marrero began receiving letters from the Social Security Administration, which read: 'Our records show you were not entitled to disability benefits.'

The letter claimed that he was receiving around $1,000 per month but that he was not entitled to receive anything whatsoever.

The agency demanded Marrero repay all of the money had had received. The demands also affected his credit report to the extent that he has been prevented him from getting a mortgage.

'I didn't ask for this,' he said. 'I didn't ask for none of this to happen to me, but it did. So, who's going to help me now? What do I do?'

The Pulse Nightclub in Orlando following the fatal shooting in June 2016 where 38 people died

Marrero worked at the Universal Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Florida

'I have 'til June 30 to find a new home, and I can't even buy a new home after selling mine. I'm angry. It's a sense of how dare you? I have all the proof in the world. People know who I am. People know what I've been through. You can see my scars. How dare you tell me that I wasn't qualified?

It is not clear why the Social Security Administration had denied Marrero benefits retroactively however upon reexamining his case they have cleared him of the $21,000 debt owed.

Shortly after the shooting, doctors hailed Tony's survival a 'miracle' because despite being shot four times in the back, none of the bullets reached his spinal cord or major organs.

Marrero with his friend Luis Velma at Pulse on the night of the tragedy. Vielma was killed. He said it was a brilliant night until the gunman attacked

Shortly after the shooting, doctors hailed Tony's survival a 'miracle' because despite being shot four times in the back, none of the bullets reached his spinal cord or major organs

Tony Marrero is pictured in the days following the attack in critical condition in hospita.

Describing the night of the shooting on the Ellen show in 2016, he said he lost his best friend Luis Vielma, 22.

Tony said: 'That night my best friend Luis texted me and invited me to go to Pulse.

'We became best friends working at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and we were about to leave and as soon as we started heading to the door, that's when we heard the gunshots.

'Me and Luis we looked at each other and we just hit the ground, that's the last time that I saw him.'

He added: 'It was horrible, people were screaming, crying, people saying their goodbyes. He shot me four times in the back.'

He said after falling to the ground he was separated from Luis and he landed next to a couch.
Ministers are making plans to vaccinate children aged 12 and over as early as August, the Daily Mail understands.

The Governments key advisory group on vaccines will advise in the coming weeks on how to proceed with the rollout. But plans are afoot to give jabs to secondary school pupils before the end of the summer holidays if it is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Last week the UKs Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in those aged 12-15.

Plans are afoot to give jabs to secondary school pupils before the end of the summer holidays if it is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)

Yesterday Matt Hancock said there were plenty of good reasons for inoculating children, despite it being very rare that young people are very negatively affected by the virus.

The Health Secretary told Sky News Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme: The spread among children does have an impact on others and, critically, we know how much it disrupts education as well. There is this problem of long Covid in some children who test positive.

So, there are plenty of good reasons to do this but we will also want to be very careful and listen to the scientific advice on exactly what approach to take.

Mr Hancock also confirmed that adults under the age of 30 will be invited to book their vaccine appointment from this week. The Government has set a target for every adult in the UK to be offered a first dose by the end of July, and expects all adults over 50 to have been offered two doses by June 21.

Yesterday Matt Hancock said there were plenty of good reasons for inoculating children, despite it being very rare that young people are very negatively affected by the virus

The Royal College of General Practitioners said that in some areas, GPs have already vaccinated all those eligible and so have already moved to the under-30s cohort

Mr Hancock said the vaccines had severed but not broken the link between a rise in cases and an increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital. He said: The majority of people going into hospital right now are unvaccinated.

The Royal College of General Practitioners said that in some areas, GPs have already vaccinated all those eligible and so have already moved to the under-30s cohort.

The news comes as people who have been contacted to bring forward their second vaccine appointment are being urged to rebook as soon as possible, in a bid to combat the spread of the Indian strain.

The JCVI recommended in May that the second dose interval should be reduced from 12 weeks to eight for those aged 50 and over, as well as the clinically vulnerable.

More than 40million people across the UK have so far had a first jab.
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Piers Morgan today said Prince Harry and Megan Markle's decision to use the Queen 's nickname for their new baby daughter was 'ironic' - given the couple had spent weeks 'trashing the Royal Family and the monarchy'.

The DailyMail.com editor-at-large was responding to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announcing the birth of Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, which appeared to have caught Buckingham Palace on the hop.

'Lilibet' was the name coined by the Queen when she was too young to pronounce Elizabeth. The 7lbs 11oz baby, whose late grandmother Diana's 60th birthday would have been next month, was born on Friday evening UK time.

Buckingham Palace declined to say when the Queen was informed of the safe arrival of her 11th great-grandchild, who is eighth in line to the throne, or whether she was advised of the tribute to her in Lili's name. However, The Times reported that Harry had spoken to his grandmother before yesterday's announcement was made.

The birth came after Harry and Meghan made a series of explosive claims about the Royal Family and complaints about royal life during bombshell interviews with Oprah Winfrey over the past few weeks months.

Today, Mr Morgan appeared on Australia's Today programme on Channel 9, and was asked by host Karl Stefanovic what he thought of the name. He replied: 'It's quite ironic, isn't it? You have this couple who have been trashing the Royal Family and the monarchy for the last few weeks and they have named the baby after the Queen.'

He also said he wondered if the decision to honour the Queen with their daughter's name was Harry and Meghan's way of trying to rebuild bridges with the rest of the Royal Family. Mr Morgan said: 'Maybe it's their way of reaching out, as the Americans say, to the royals and wanting some kind of end to this on-running feud.

Mr Morgan, 56, then offered a few words of support to the couple, saying: 'I always think when a new baby is born - I've had four myself - it's churlish to put any negative slant. At such a moment. I wish them all the very best. There is four in the family now. I wish them every success and a long and happy life.'

Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, plunged the Windsors into crisis with their interview with Oprah in March, when they accused an unnamed royal of making a racist remark about their son Archie's skin tone and claimed the royals failed to help the Duchess when she was suicidal. They refused to name the royal who allegedly made the remark.

Last month, Harry also spoke to Oprah about mental health for Apple TV+ and suggested his father, Prince Charles, had allowed his children to 'suffer' when it came to the media because of his own negative experience.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured at Windsor Castle following the birth of their first child Archie in May 2019

Piers Morgan (right) was interviewed on the Today show on Channel 9 in Australia and spoke to host Karl Stefanovic (left)

Harry and Meghan's new daughter will be known as Lili Diana. She was born in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, a private facility where a natural birth costs 10,000 and a Caesarean section is 20,000.

Last night the delighted Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live in an 11million mansion in Montecito, California, announced: 'On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.

Sweet family nickname for Queen that inspired Harry and Meghan's name for their baby daughter Lilibet - the Queen's family nickname - was first used when Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and unable to pronounce her own name properly. Her grandfather King George V would affectionately call her 'Lilibet' imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth. The sweet nickname stuck and she became Lilibet to her family from then on. The Duke of Edinburgh also referred to his wife as Lilibet, writing to his mother in law after their wedding: "Lilibet is the only 'thing' in the world which is absolutely real to me." Harry and Meghan's new baby daughter - the Queen's 11th great-grandchild - will be known as Lili. A variation on Lily, the flower is often seen to symbolise purity, commitment, rebirth and fertility. Lili's middle name Diana honours Harry's later mother Diana, Princess of Wales. It is no surprise the couple chose to pay tribute to Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997 when Harry was just 12. Lili has been born almost a month before the princess would have celebrated her 60th birthday on July 1. Lili's cousin Princess Charlotte also has Diana as one of her middle names, as well as Elizabeth. She is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Advertisement

'She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.'

Lili  who is eighth in line to the throne  was born in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, a private facility where births can cost up to 20,000.

The Queen, senior royals and the Prime Minister led worldwide tributes, with Boris Johnson tweeting: 'Many congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter.'

Meghan's estranged father Thomas Markle, who has met neither Harry nor grandson Archie, said last night: 'I am very pleased with the announcement of the safe and healthy delivery of my new granddaughter, and I wish her and her mother all my love and best wishes!'

Lili is the couple's second child after Archie, who is two years and one month older than her. The new baby is the Queen's 11th great-grandchild, and the first to be born outside the UK.

The tribute to the Queen may be seen as an olive branch after Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36, plunged the Windsors into crisis with their explosive Oprah interview in March, when they accused an unnamed royal of making a racist remark about Archie's skin tone and claimed the royals failed to help the duchess when she was suicidal.

Buckingham Palace officials were unaware the baby had been born until the announcement came out at 5pm last night on social media.

They finally released a statement hailing the 'happy news' at 6.34pm, emphasising the gulf that exists between the Sussexes and the palace.

The name Lilibet was coined by the Queen and used by her sister Margaret and their parents. Her father, George VI once said: 'Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy.'

Lili arrived six days before what would have been the Duke of Edinburgh's 100th birthday.

It is less than a month since Harry reportedly upset the Queen by making 'very personal' criticisms of her and Prince Charles's parenting skills.

He said in a podcast in the US that he and Prince William had been made to 'suffer' as children with their father, telling them: 'Well, it was like that for me, so it's going to be like that for you.'

The Buckingham Palace statement came more than an hour after Hollywood stars such as William Shatner had shared their best wishes on Twitter.

Last night the delighted Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the birth of their daughter on their Archewell website

A statement was issued by the couple's press secretary yesterday which was released under embargo until 5pm yesterday

The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to her baby in the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California which was founded in 1888

Harry and Meghan are pictured in a photo released on February 14, 2021 to announce Meghan was expecting another child

The palace said: 'The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.'

Sussexes ask people to support women's groups rather than send gifts The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have asked well-wishers to support organisations helping women rather than send them gifts following the birth of their daughter. Meghan gave birth to her second child - Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor - on Friday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California. A post on the couple's Archewell Foundation website said: "For those inquiring on sending gifts, we would ask that you support or learn more about these organizations working for women and girls: Girls Inc, Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation. "While the Duke and Duchess are on parental leave, Archewell will continue to do important work and publish stories on the site. We look forward to seeing you!" Girls Inc, a US-based non-profit organisation, aims to "inspire and empower" girls aged five to 18 through various programmes, while Harvest Home supports homeless pregnant women and their babies. CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) aims to improve girls' education in Africa, while the Myna Mahila Foundation provides jobs for women in India. Harry and Meghan revealed they were expecting a girl in March during their interview with Oprah Winfrey. The new baby is the Queen's 11th great-grandchild, and the first to be born since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April. Advertisement

Lili is entitled to become a princess and Archie a prince when the Queen dies and Charles becomes king.

She is eighth in line to the throne, coming after Archie, and before Prince Andrew, who has dropped down a place to ninth.

Omid Scobie, a journalist favoured by Harry and Meghan, tweeted that the couple would 'not be sharing a photograph at this time' of Lili.

He said the couple's office was encouraging anyone who wanted to send gifts to support organisations working for women and girls.

When Archie was born in 2019, Harry and Meghan went to extraordinary lengths to keep it a secret and even refused to confirm, either before or after the birth, where he was delivered.

The Daily Mail later revealed that the Duchess had given birth in the London Portland Hospital. It is not known when the Royal Family will get to see Lili. They have not seen Archie since his parents left the UK in November 2019.

Separately last night, Mr Morgan also criticised Meghan as he called her a 'downright liar' in an explosive interview with Mr Stefanovic on the Australian TV show 60 Minutes.

Mr Morgan left his hosting role on ITV's Good Morning Britain in March after a clash with the show's weatherman Alex Beresford, who tried to chastise him on air for his questioning of Harry and Meghan's claims in the Oprah interview.

Mr Morgan had declared he didn't believe her claims, and after the Duchess lodged a complaint, he was pressured by ITV executives into making an apology, but had declined, amid complaints lodged to UK media regulator Ofcom.

One of the Sussexes's claims he took aim at was that the Duke and Duchess tied the knot in private three days before their official ceremony at Windsor Castle in 2018.

'Well, that's not true. They couldn't have got married three days before they said they did because that would make the Archbishop of Canterbury a criminal,' Mr Morgan said.

'There were a lot of things coming out of Meghan Markle's mouth that I knew to be untrue.'

'There were downright lies coming out of the interview and I saw my job to hold these two people to the same account I would hold a government minister. For doing that, within 36 hours I had to leave the job.'

Karl Stefanovic (left) interviewed Piers Morgan on Australian TV in a show broadcast last night, on the 60 Minutes programme

One of the Sussexes's claims Piers Morgan took aim at was that the Duke and Duchess tied the knot in private three days before their official ceremony at Windsor Castle in 2018. 'Well, that's not true. They couldn't have got married three days before they said they did because that would make the Archbishop of Canterbury a criminal,' Mr Morgan said

Unbeknown to the morning TV host at the time, Meghan had personally contacted the station's top brass to complain about his criticism.

The bestselling author of 'Wake Up: Why the World has Gone Nuts' said nowadays people are 'not allowed to have strong opinions'. He said: 'You're not allowed to disbelieve a liar like Meghan Markle. I'm sorry to call her that but she tells lies... We've proven that.'

Australian TV veteran Mr Stefanovic has at times been one of Mr Morgan's fiercest critics in Australia and previously defended the young couple against Mr Morgan's attacks. Talking about Mr Morgan's feud with Meghan, Mr Stefanovic said in 2018: 'I mean, what is that guy on? He's lost the plot completely.

'I don't know how his poor co-host puts up with it. Imagine putting up with a dude like that who is so up himself and so egotistical that he would assume to say those things about her. It's disgusting. You wouldn't put up with it. He needs to go. He's off the mark here.'

In Sunday night's TV confrontation, Mr Stefanovic asked Mr Morgan if he's just an angry old man' - triggering laughter from the media veteran. Mr Morgan hit back by insisting that 'freedom of speech is actually more important than the Meghan Markle debacle'.
Victoria has recorded 11 new Covid-19 cases as it approaches decision day for whether Melbourne's strict lockdown will be lifted as planned on Thursday.

The return to double digit infections was the highest number for 11 days, and comes as six train services were added to the state's growing exposure list - bringing the total to an overwhelming 354 venues.

The new locally acquired cases were announced on Monday and include two that were reported yesterday and linked to the Arcare Maidstone aged care facility, including a 70-year-old resident.

It comes after 24,265 tests were received and 17,719 vaccine doses were administered at state-run sites in the last 24 hours.

Melburnians are currently preparing to come out of lockdown on Thursday after restrictions were extended as the state grapples with its latest Covid-19 outbreak - which now sits at 94 active cases.

It is unclear whether the latest spate of cases will dent the city's hopes of moving to eased restrictions.

During a press conference on Sunday, Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said officials' main concern is tracking down 'upstream' transmission.

Six train services running along the Upfield Line have also been listed as Tier Two exposure sites, joining busy supermarkets and shopping centres on the swelling list.

Melburnians are currently waiting on edge as they prepare to come out of lockdown on Thursday after restrictions were extended as the state grapples with its latest Covid-19 outbreak - which now sits at 94 active cases

Victoria has recorded 11 new Covid-19 cases as it approaches decision day for whether Melbourne's strict lockdown will be lifted as planned on Thursday (pictured, Melburnians line up outside a vaccination hub)

The return to double digit infections was the highest number for 11 days, and comes as six train services were added to the state's growing exposure list - bringing the total to an overwhelming 354 venues (pictured, Covid-19 testing clinic on Bourke Street in Melbourne)

Health authorities made the announcement on Sunday after discovering a confirmed case had travelled on the public transport system.

A doughnut store, construction site, restaurant and BP have also been added to the growing list.

The Covid-19 positive commuter had travelled from Merlynston Station to Flinders Street Station from 6.03am to 6.34am on June 2, 3, and 4.

They then later travelled from Melbourne Central Station to Merlynston from 3.55pm to 4.19pm on the same days.

Anyone who caught the train around the same time has been urged to get tested for Covid-19 and isolate until they receive a negative result.

The train services are the latest addition to Victoria's exposure list that now sits at 354.

That's Alotta Donuts at 2/882 Cooper Street in Somerton, north of Melbourne, has been added to the list.

A confirmed case visited the venue between 4.10pm and 5.20pm on May 30.

Probuild Construction Site at 100 Queen Street, in Melbourne, has also been flagged as a tier 1 exposure site after a worker tested positive to Covid-19.

Anyone who was at the venue from 7am to 4pm on May 30 and 31, June 1, 2 and 3 has been told to get tested.

The same advice applies to anyone who visited the site between 7am and 12.30pm on June 4.

The new locally acquired cases were announced on Monday and include two that were reported yesterday and linked to the Arcare Maidstone aged care facility, including a 70-year-old resident (pictured, healthcare workers outside the aged care facility)

Six train services running along the Upfield Line have also been listed as Tier Two exposure sites, joining busy supermarkets and shopping centres on the swelling list (pictured, the Covid-19 positive case had caught the train to Flinders Street Station)

That's Alotta Donuts at 2/882 Cooper Street in Somerton, north of Melbourne, has been added to the list

Chick Chick/ Sir Duke at 97-99 Puckle Street at Moonee Ponds was also placed on the list with a confirmed case visiting from 3.10pm to 3.40pm on May 30

Chick Chick (Fried Chicken)/ Sir Duke at 97-99 Puckle Street at Moonee Ponds was also placed on the list with a confirmed case visiting from 3.10pm to 3.40pm on May 30.

BP/David Jones Food Merrifield at 470 Donnybrook Road at Mickleham was also added to the list.

Anyone who visited the venue between 5.40pm and 6.10pm on May 30 has been advised to get tested.

The new venues were added as the state recorded just four new local cases on Sunday, including two linked to the Arcare Maidstone aged care facility in the city's northwest.

One is a 79-year-old resident who has had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. They live close to two other residents, aged 99 and 89, who have previously tested positive.

Despite being asymptomatic, the resident has been taken to hospital.

The other case is a registered nurse who worked at the nursing home on Saturday, is also asymptomatic and has received a first COVID-19 shot.

Health officials have warned there is no 'magic number' of people getting vaccinated before future coronavirus lockdowns can be avoided (pictured, Melburnians queuing to get the Covid jab on Saturday)

LATEST COVID-19 EXPOSURE SITES Health authorities added on the weekend several new venues to Victoria's list of exposure sites, which now sits at 354. Below is a list of venues that have been added to the list as well as the times that they were visited by confirmed Covid-19 cases. 1) Upfield Line: -Merlynston Station to Flinders Street Station from 6.03am to 6.34am on June 2 -Melbourne Central Station to Merlynston Station from 3.55pm to 4.19pm on June 2 -Merlynston Station to Flinders Street Station from 6.03am to 6.34am on June 3 -Melbourne Central Station to Merlynston Station from 3.55pm to 4.19pm on June 3 -Merlynston Station to Flinders Street Station from 6.03am to 6.34am on June 4 -Melbourne Central Station to Merlynston Station on from 3.55pm to 4.19pm June 4. 2) That's Alotta Donuts at 2/882 Cooper St in Somerton from 4.10pm and 5.20pm on May 30. 3) Probuild Construction Site at 100 Queen St from 7am to 4pm on May 30 and 31, June 1, 2 and 3, and 7am to 12.30pm on June 4. 4) Chick Chick (Fried Chicken)/Sir Duke at 97-99 Puckle St, Moonee Ponds from 3.10pm to 3.40pm on May 30. 5) BP/David Jones Food Merrifield at 470 Donnybrook Road, Mickleham from 5.40pm to 6.10pm on May 30. 6) Fish Pier at Craigieburn Central on 340 Craigieburn Road, Craigieburn, between 4pm an 5.30pm on May 31. 7) Pinoy Tayo Asian Grocery Craigieburn Central on 340 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn, between 4pm an 5.30pm on May 31. 8) HS Quality Food at Craigieburn Central on 340 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn, between 4pm an 5.30pm on May 31. 9) Fergusson Plarre Bakehouse at Craigieburn Central on 340 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn, between 4pm an 5.30pm on May 31. 10) Quality Fresh Meats at Craigieburn Central on 340 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn, between 4pm an 5.30pm on May 31. 11) BP Greenvale on 910 Mickleham Rd at Greenvale between 5:25pm - 5:58pm on June 2. View a full list of the exposure sites at: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites Advertisement

Victorians have been warned there is no 'magic number' of people getting vaccinated that would guarantee the government stops using lockdowns to control future outbreaks of coronavirus.

The current lockdown - Victoria's fourth in 14 months - was scheduled to end on Thursday but the continued emergence of new cases in the current small outbreak raised the prospect it will be extended.

Professor Cheng said it was difficult to say what proportion would need to be vaccinated to avoid future lockdowns.

'There isn't one single magic number,' Professor Cheng said.

'Once you get up to much higher coverage rates, then it makes a whole lot of things easier.

Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said it was difficult to say what proportion would need to be vaccinated to avoid future lockdowns

Melburnians are experiencing their fourth lockdown within 14 months. Pictured is a deserted Federation Square on Saturday

'We may not need the intensity of restrictions. We may be able to only do contact tracing without having to do other things quite to the same level, and that is the benefit of vaccination.'

Victoria had administered 1.4 million doses of vaccine in a state with a population of 6.5 million.

Professor Cheng expects Melbourne will be able to ease restrictions on Friday.

'We don't want to be in this any longer than we need to. So if we can, we will lift it early,' he said.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Sunday announced an additional 100,000 vaccines are being made available for Victoria.

The federal government has also extended its suspension of JobSeeker mutual obligation requirements until June 15.
Young people are less opposed to 'no platforming' controversial speakers at universities than older people, a poll suggests.

While half of the public is against barring speakers because of their views, only a third (32 per cent) of those aged 16 to 24 oppose the practice, compared to 60 per cent of over-55s.

Just 17 per cent of the 2,800 people polled by King's College London supported no-platforming.

Recent examples include the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd being barred from addressing Oxford students last year because of her role in the Windrush scandal. Under Government plans, academics, students or speakers will be able to seek compensation if their right to free speech is stymied.

The research also found that the majority of Britons  some 55 per cent  think people are too easily offended.

Recent examples include the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd being barred from addressing Oxford students last year

As for political correctness, three-quarters (76 per cent) of over-55s think it has gone too far - but the younger generation is far less likely to agree, with just 38 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds.

The survey found that 53 per cent of the public think universities should expose students to all types of viewpoints, even if they are offensive to certain groups.

The government has taken a strong stance against no-platforming, which they say is incompatible with free speech and the real aims of academia.

In response, the government plans to introduce a 'free speech champion', while academics, students or visiting speakers will able to seek compensation if their right to free speech is stymied.

For the first time, students' unions at universities would also be required to take steps to secure lawful free-dom of speech for members and visiting speakers, under a government bill.

Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the policy institute at King's College London, said: 'Large proportions of the public start from the perspective that political correctness has gone too far, and that other people are too sensitive.

'Many have a clear view that 'no-platforming' is not the best response, and that young people should be ex-posed to controversial views.

'There are, however, very different perspectives on this depending on your age and political identities - our views of political correctness are one of the clearest dividing lines in 'culture war' issues.'

He added: 'But we need to avoid concluding that this means we have a new generation of 'snowflakes' or a stifled national conversation: the young are always quite different from older people on these sorts of questions, and the large majority of the public still say they are happy to express their views on controversial issues with others.'

A Department for Education spokesman said: 'We recognise that many share the values of free speech and ac-ademic freedom and know the chilling effect on campuses that can arise from censorship and no-platforming.

'That is why we have introduced our landmark Freedom of Speech bill on the issue, to strengthen and further enable the efforts of those who are working within higher education to ensure that these values are protected.'
The Home Office has recorded zero migrant crossings on Saturday and 89 people entering UK waters on Sunday.

The figures mark one of the lowest recent weekend totals after 568 people made the dangerous crossing last weekend.

The Home Office confirmed UK authorities dealt with four events on Sunday involving 89 people.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel on June 6

In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'Criminal gangs are putting profits before people's lives through these dangerous and unnecessary crossings.

'More than 4,000 people have been prevented from making the dangerous crossing so far this year and we are cracking down on the despicable criminal gangs behind people smuggling.

'Inaction is not an option whilst people are dying. The Government is bringing legislation forward through our New Plan for Immigration which will break the business model of these heinous people smuggling networks and save lives.'

It comes as the Home Office is investigating an incident in which migrants attempting to cross the English Channel were reportedly picked up in French waters by the UK Border Force and taken to Dover.

The move was orchestrated between senior crew members of HMC Valiant and French patrol ship Athos last Saturday.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel earlier on Sunday morning

Home Secretary Priti Patel has repeatedly vowed to make the dangerous route across the English Channel 'unviable', but crossings have surged.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'We are urgently investigating the circumstances behind this incident.'

It comes as nearly 600 migrants were intercepted attempting to cross the Channel in three days last week.

The Home Office confirmed that the French authorities dealt with eight incidents involving 130 people on Friday, with the UK dealing with four boats involving 83 people.

This follows 201 people being stopped by Border Force officers in eight incidents on Thursday.

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel. A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'We are urgently investigating the circumstances behind this incident'

And the French authorities intercepted nine crossings on Wednesday and Thursday preventing 171 people from reaching the UK.

This makes a total of 585 attempting to make the crossing in just three days.

The number of people crossing the 21-mile stretch of water has almost doubled so far in 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, with more than 3,100 having reached the English coast by the end of May.

Anti-immigration demonstrations were held in Dover last weekend with protesters blocking access to key trade terminals.
Double-murderer and killer Garry Dubois has been found dead in his prison cell before he could give evidence at an inquest into a 1973 Brisbane arson attack which took 15 lives.

The 74-year-old and Vincent O'Dempsey had their appeal against life sentences dismissed in 2018 after being found guilty of killing Vicki McCulkin, 13, her 11-year-old sister Leanne and their mother Barbara.

They were killed in bushland near Warwick on January 16, 1974, after being abducted from their Brisbane home.

Queensland Corrective Services confirmed Dubois was found dead in his cell at Maryborough Correctional Centre about 4.30am on Sunday.

Garry Dubois (pictured) was found dead in his Queensland prison cell early Sunday morning

'Officers and QAS made attempts to resuscitate the man, however he was declared dead at about 5:20am,' QCS said in a statement.

'QCS will assist Queensland Police in preparing a report for the coroner.'

'Our thanks go to the responding officers, who are being provided assistance and support.'

Dubois was found guilty of raping and murdering Vicki and Leanne. He was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter against Barbara.

Garry Dubois was found guilty of the murders of sisters Vicki (left) and Leanne (right) McCulkin after they disappeared from their Brisbane home in 1974

The trial heard he may have been motivated to kill Mrs McCulkin over fears she would try to implicate O'Dempsey in the firebombing of Brisbane's Whiskey Au Go Go nightclub which killed 15 people a year earlier.

Dubois and O'Dempsey were expected to be witnesses at a new inquest launched into the fire with pre-inquest hearings only getting underway in late April this year.

It's the second major blow for the new inquest, after another key witness James David French died just over a month ago.

The Londoner was one of two men jailed for murder over the 1973 fire bombing, but authorities have long suspected others were involved.

Counsel assisting Stephen Keim later told AAP that Mr Finch died earlier this year, and that he had been due to give evidence to the inquest electronically.

His own health issues and the pandemic prevented him returning to do so in person.

Garry Dubois was found dead in his prison cell at Maryborough Correctional Centre (pictured)

The only other person convicted of the club murders was John Andrew Stuart, and he died in 1979.

Finch spent his final years back in his homeland, after serving 15 years in Brisbane's Boggo Road Gaol and then being deported.

Rumours have persisted about the involvement of others in the bombing, which saw two 23-litre drums of fuel thrown into the foyer of the club. It was Australia's worst mass murder case until the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

The new inquest was ordered following the 2016 trials of Dubois and O'Dempsey over the McCulkin murders 44 years ago.

The jury found Dubois guilty of raping and murdering sisters Vicki and Leanne McCulkin and of the manslaughter of their mother, Barbara, after a two-week-long trial in Brisbane's Supreme Court in 2016.

Dubois pleaded not guilty and later lost an appeal against his conviction.
Poster for Nordic Talks, a project by Innovation Centre Denmark, Seoul / Courtesy of Embassy of Denmark in Korea



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Spearheading change with innovative approaches is something very Danish. A mix of novel ideas, the drive to see them grow, and the ability to work with others to scale them out, the sentiment is perhaps best encapsulated in Denmark's slogan, "Bringing Danish ideas to global solutions."



This is the mantra of the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK), an initiative launched in cooperation between Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The goal is to bridge Danish and local businesses, research institutes, universities and public entities for collaborative opportunities, thereby sparking innovation around the world.



Seoul is one of the handful of cities where Denmark opened ICDK branches in 2013. Other strategic locations include Bangalore, Boston, Munich, Shanghai, Silicon Valley (Palo Alto), and Tel Aviv.



"The fact that we are here in Seoul reflects the strong, strategic partnership between Denmark and Korea. It's testament to the fact that Denmark has identified Korea as a close partner with complementary strengths and the potential to create great synergies. Over the past eight years, we've been able to engage in a number of meaningful innovation projects in key sectors of interest to both our countries," Eske Bo Rosenberg, Science and Innovation Counsellor at ICDK Seoul, told The Korea Times.






Rory Burns celebrated his England recall with a third Test hundred to provide a new up in his decidedly up-and-down year.

Burns spent two periods out of the side in 2021, first skipping the tour of Sri Lanka to be at the birth of his daughter Cora in January and later being axed midway through the 3-1 defeat in India.

He further sullied that with an unedifying Twitter spat with England womens player Alex Hartley in the aftermath of a two-day defeat in Chennai.

Rory Burns helped England avert meltdown on the fourth day with a hundred at Lord's

The left-handed opener prevented New Zealand opening up a more dominant position in the first Test match of the international summer.

Asked about those mixed fortunes, he said: My wife and Cora were here today and that was pretty special  not that shell remember it, but I will so its a nice thing.

Getting dropped is not a nice thing but being able to take the next opportunity you get given is. In terms of highs and lows I try to stay pretty constant.

I went back to Surrey and put together some scores and some form there. Ive tried to stay consistent and do my thing.

Burns frustrated New Zealand with his idiosyncratic manner at the crease and his amalgam of moving parts proving good for 132  after surviving a straightforward stumping chance on 77 and a regulation slip catch off Neil Wagner on 88.

Its basically a technique that has evolved over the years that allows me to execute my game plan and score my runs where I want to.

Burns prevented New Zealand opening up a more dominant position in the first Test match

'There has been a bit of chat over the years about left-eye dominance and thats why I try to get my head right round. Its probably more of a rhythm thing rather than trying to get my left eye on it, added Burns.

It was a day in which England were grateful for substance over style, however. Without him, the first-innings deficit would have been much greater than 103.

When debutant Ollie Robinson walked to the crease, Joe Roots team were 140 for six but a stand of 63 for the seventh wicket stabilised things before another half-century alliance for the last wicket with James Anderson took him to three figures and beyond.

New Zealands Tim Southee said of Burns: We know hes a quality player. Hes got an unusual technique, obviously, but the way he was able to leave the ball and wait for us to stray a little bit made it a great innings.

Southee followed up a 10-wicket match haul in the corresponding Test here eight years ago with six for 43 in Englands innings.
Chelsea are open to offloading Hakim Ziyech this summer after just one season with clubs in Italy interested in him, according to reports.

Ziyech moved to Stamford Bridge from Ajax last summer and went on to make 39 appearances across all competitions, but it is said the club may consider cashing in on him already.

Calciomercato claim that Napoli are weighing up a bid, while AC Milan have also been touted to swoop.

Chelsea are said to be open to selling Hakim Ziyech this summer after one season at the club

Despite scoring six goals and teeing up four others, Ziyech often struggled to cement his spot in boss Thomas Tuchel's starting XI.

The Morocco international has shown moments of real quality but, after starting just 15 Premier League games and three in the Champions League, question marks have been raised over his long-term future.

He was also left out of the team for the two semi-final legs against Real Madrid and the final in Porto against Manchester City.

Ziyech won the Champions League at Chelsea but has largely endured a frustrating campaign

And his time in London may already be up with Napoli, who recently hired Luciano Spalletti as their new manager, poised to table an offer.

AC Milan, meanwhile, are another Serie A club on the hunt for reinforcements in this window - although they, alongside Napoli, have not yet made a formal approach.

Sportsmail has previously reported on how Chelsea are set for a busy summer of spending - and Ziyech may find his game time further restricted next year.

The Blues are expected to bring in four new players, and as many of 11 stars on the fringes could be shown the exit door.

Napoli and AC Milan have both been linked with moves for playmaker Ziyech in this window

Tammy Abraham may leave in an overhaul of the club's attacking ranks while Olivier Giroud was also expected to depart.

AC Milan are believed to have made contact with Giroud's entourage, while Aston Villa, West Ham and Wolves are in the race for ace Abraham.

Giroud, however, recently signed a one-year extension to stay in west London in a surprise move to end talk over his future.

Ziyech's future is uncertain with Chelsea set for an overhaul in attack under Thomas Tuchel

Christian Pulisic, a forward often fielded ahead of Ziyech, is also believed to be keen to feature in games from the start, further complicating the Moroccan's position.

Pulisic also feels frustrated at Tuchel's preference to use him as an impact substitute.

That situation may well come to a head in the future but, with his future up in the air, it is currently not known whether Ziyech will be handed the opportunity to step in and impress.
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My campsite at Wildflower Wood is on Beersheba Hill, overlooking Carbis Bay and St Ives. Some 650ft below, all is frantic activity as preparations continue for the G7 Summit.

In a field a few miles away, they are putting in rows of shipping containers to house security staff for next weeks meeting of world leaders.

But in this wood of sycamore, ash, elder and pine, the only sound is the birds and a gentle Atlantic breeze, which ripples the bluebells.

Harbour view: G7 delegates can visit thriving St Ives during the summit, which kicks off on June 11

The Godrevy Lighthouse is said to have inspired a Virginia Woolf novel

Im staying not in a tent but in a Landpod  a hipster spin on a gypsy caravan. It has no electricity or heating, just a battery pack for lights and a USB charger.

I walk up a wood-bark path to my waterless loo and gravity shower (not shared with other podsters, thankfully). Boris Johnson said the main agenda at the G7 is to help the world to build back better and greener.

Cornwall, he added, has long been a leader in eco-technology and thinking. Well, Im doing my bit.

The plan is to get around on one of the campsites ebikes and use the train to get in and out of St Ives. Im on my own little patch of moral high ground (before I get too smug, Ill confess I drove 300 miles in a diesel 4x4 to get here).

The Daily Mail's Mark Jones stayed at a campsite at Wildflower Wood, overlooking Carbis Bay and St Ives. Instead of a tent, he slept in a Landpod, which he described as a 'hipster spin on a gypsy caravan'

Cornwall is home to miles of pale, sandy beaches and turquoise seas. Pictured, Porthminster Beach

As I gaze out, Im trying to think what the delegates will make of this narrow piece of coastline. They are used to luxury resorts chosen to keep them safely distant from the ordinary people whose fates they are meeting to determine.

But the Carbis Bay Hotel is just outside a suburban enclave, not far from the sturdy, compact harbour of St Ives. The locals dont know why they are there. The G7 delegates may not, either.

But give it a little time and I think they will find west Cornwall the perfect place to get away from their air-conditioned meeting rooms and private jets. Pleasant surprise number one: the miles of pale, sandy beaches and turquoise seas. The Japanese delegates might swear they were back in the subtropical islands of Okinawa.

Okinawa is also a great pottery-making centre. You can bet VisitCornwall will whisk them off to the St Ives studio of Bernard Leach, the late father of British studio ceramics, who took inspiration from Japan.

Cornwalls literary connections will appeal to delegates partners... They can look out to the lighthouse that inspired a Virginia Woolf novel

They, and other delegates, may also come to revise some of their preconceptions about British food. There is Rick Steins Padstow empire along the coast.

And the Australian PM Scott Morrison (not officially part of the G7 but invited as a guest and observer) will find one of his own, Warrnambools Mick Smith, doing dazzling things at the Porthminster Cafe. But Mick has views on macroeconomic policy, too.

The British delegation will, of course, portray St Ives as a fine example of regeneration, a property hotspot, a traditional fishing village reinvented for a cosmopolitan clientele of art and food lovers. Some 12 miles away at barely managing Camborne, Mick advertises for staff.

But theres nowhere affordable for them to live in St Ives  and nowhere to park. Americans missing spicy Cajun cooking can head to Hayle, where Lula Shack on North Quay serves up a fine gumbo.

But their chief, Joe Biden, is sure to have ice cream on his mind. Boris needs to take him to Moomaid Ice Cream at Zennor on the craggy north coast. And it would be criminal not to pop into the Tinners Arms, too. I really hope the delegates get to explore the country between the north and south coasts.

On my first evening, I hike inland along the old St Michaels pilgrim route. The next day, I take one of the campsites e-bikes and discover the tranquil, remote 13th-century chapel of Towednack.

Inside, I chat with Roger, a reallife Cornish bard, who sits and reads as the afternoon light streams across the moor, through the plain leaded window and onto his snowy beard. The problems of Belarus, Gaza and Indian variants seem a long way away.

Rick Steins family-friendly cafe in the heart of Padstow is popular with locals and tourists alike

A G7 logo is seen on an information sign near the Carbis Bay Hotel, where the in-person G7 summit of global leaders is due to take place

A drone shot of the Carbis Bay Hotel, which is just outside a suburban enclave, not far from the compact harbour of St Ives

Youd hope Cornwalls greentech story will appeal to scientifically minded Angela Merkel. But if shes like most of her countryfolk who visit the county, shell be seeking out the locations of Penzance-born Rosamunde Pilcher, who is huge in Germany.

Cornwalls literary connections will appeal to delegates partners: U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and Maria Serenella Cappello, wife of Italys Mario Draghi, are English literature professors. They can look out to the lighthouse that inspired a Virginia Woolf novel. In my few days here, six-mile high stormclouds and crystal-clear blue skies change faster than a government overseas travel policy.

Climate change is always on locals minds, possibly because the climate is so changeable. But when the sun shines, there is nowhere better. The G7 leaders R&R itinerary is top secret, but its a fair bet the UK hosts will want to showcase St Ives as a town that really has built back better after its main industries of fishing and domestic tourism took a huge hit.

It is now prosperous and full of places to buy stylish knick-knacks. Rumour has it that the new Mrs Johnson will organise a private tour of the wonderful Tate gallery for delegates partners.

As evening falls on the terrace of the Porthminster Beach Cafe, I sip a glass of Picpoul and appreciate the quality of light in St Ives which enticed so many artists. Light. Freshness. Calm. After the year the worlds leaders have had, I think this might be just what they  and the rest of us  need.
Dr Chris Brown has made a bold statement about having children in a candid new column.

In an article published in The Daily Telegraph, the 42-year-old revealed he would 'love to have his own golden baby Brown baking away', and feels 'like he's missing a major social movement' by not having a 'Covid baby' amid the pandemic.

But while the TV veterinarian is not yet preparing to welcome a child himself, he admitted he has recently purchased something that requires a lot of love and attention - an air fryer.

Missing out: On Sunday, Dr Chris Brown, 45, has revealed he would love to have a child, and feels 'like he's missing a major social movement' by not having a 'Covid baby' amid the pandemic

'Instead, I've decided to join another movement that's high on time commitment and possibly even higher on social-media content: 'generation fry'. Oh yes, I've bought an air fryer,' he wrote.

He added that a significant amount of his time is now taken up by the constant plotting of what to fry next.

Elsewhere, Chris poked fun at the recent trend of parents giving their children unusual names such as 'Scout', 'Tiger' and 'Goji'.

Exciting news: Dr Chris said that while he's not having a 'COVID baby' himself, he recently acquired something that requires a lot of love and attention - an air fryer. Pictured with his godson in December

'When did baby names start sounding like dog names and dog names become human names?' he mused.

Dr Chris tends to keep his personal life private, and is believed to currently be dating his rarely-seen girlfriend Brooke Meredith.

Reports first surfaced Chris was in a relationship with the model in May last year.

Love: Dr Chris tends to keep his personal life private, and is believed to currently be dating his rarely-seen girlfriend, model Brooke Meredith (pictured)

According to Woman's Day magazine, the couple all-but-confirmed their romance when they were busted packing on the PDA while shopping for cleaning supplies at Bunnings Warehouse in Randwick, Sydney, in April 2020.

Chris and Brooke, who reportedly met through mutual celebrity friends, stayed in his Clovelly home during Sydney's lockdowns.

Not only is Brooke's a successful model, she is also the creator of health and wellness magazine, A Conscious Collection.

In August, Woman's Day reported that the pair had ended their relationship - however, they were later spotted attending the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! wrap party in January.
Emma McVey stepped out wearing a thigh-skimming white dress when she celebrated her hen night in Manchester on Saturday.

Joined by friends, Emma - who is set to tie the knot with former Geordie Shore star Gary Beadle this summer - looked sensational in the skimpy number, teaming her frock with a bejewelled sailor's hat stamped with the word 'bride'.

The mother-of-two, 28, was also carrying an inflatable penis as she enjoyed a fun-filled night on the town.

Hen night! Emma McVey, 28, stepped out wearing a thigh-skimming white dress when she celebrated her hen night in Manchester on Saturday

Bride: Emma looked sensational in the skimpy number, teaming her frock with a bejewelled sailor's hat stamped with the word 'bride'

Emma added height to her frame in a pair of open-toe heels and kept warm beneath a chic beige coat.

She wore her glossy brunette hair loose and opted for a face of natural-look make-up.

Strolling behind the bride-to-be, one of Emma's friends hilariously carried an enormous cardboard cut out of her.

Gary and Emma got engaged in 2019 and are due to get married this summer.

Happy couple: Emma and fiance Gary Beadle, 33, got engaged in 2019 and first started dating in 2016

They first started dating in 2016 and they are now parents to son Chester, three, and one-year old daughter Primrose.

Emma's fun night out comes after she revealed she is undergoing a heart procedure after finding out she has a heart condition.

Taking to Instagram in April, Emma revealed the condition when she was asked by a follower how she manages to stay thin while eating chocolate.

Funny: Strolling behind the bride-to-be, one of Emma's friends hilariously carried an enormous cardboard cut out of her

Emma responded: 'I'm actually trying to gain weight but it's pretty impossible.

'I have a heart condition that we recently found out about that has a lot to do with it. I wouldn't choose to be this thin I would love a bum and some curves!'

Later, Emma said she is due to have an angiogram but does not have a date yet.

She wrote: 'I am. My next appointment is a dye into my arteries. Just googled it's called an angiogram.

'Honestly my head is baffled at the moment with it all. But I will update when I have a date etc'.

Health: It comes after Emma revealed she is undergoing heart procedure after recently finding out she has a heart condition

Condition: Taking to Instagram, Emma revealed the condition when she was asked by a follower how does she manage to stay thin while eating chocolate

An angiogram is an X-ray procedure that evaluates blockages in the arterial system.

Gary, who was known as Gaz on the MTV reality, previously told how the couple would likely be tying the knot in July.

When asked if they would get married this summer, he told his Instagram followers: 'Er July is looking ok for restrictions etc.'

Gary reportedly refused to take part in Geordie Shore's 10th anniversary special as he's 'grown up and moved on'.

The reality star shot to fame alongside co-stars Vicky Pattison and Holly Hagan as well as on-off girlfriend Charlotte Crosby after the show launched in 2011.

A source told The Sun: 'Gaz has told bosses and the rest of the cast he's too busy to come back for the ten year anniversary.

'MTV bosses will be fuming as Gaz owes his whole career to the show, so it's a bit cheeky to turn around and snub their big reunion.

'Everyone else is excited to return for the show and where it all began, but Gaz has told people he's not interested: he's grown up and moved on.'
He's back on the market after splitting from his girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou earlier this year.

And James Lock looks to making the most of single life as he was seen putting on a very cosy display with multiple women leaving Tower Suits rooftop bar in London on Saturday.

The TOWIE star, 34, beamed as he chatted to the group of women while making his way out of the venue, engaging in an intimate embrace with one brunette beauty.

Hunk: James Lock looks to making the most of single life as he was seen putting on a very cosy display with multiple women leaving Tower Suits rooftop bar in London on Saturday

The hunk looked in his element as he hugged the woman before heading off in a taxi to go home to Essex.

He looked smart in a navy blazer, blue shirt and crisp white chinos for the day out with his pal and new housemate Pete Wicks.

Pete, 32, - who is also single - looked casual in a black shirt and jeans as he left the bar.

Loving the attention: The TOWIE star, 34, beamed as he chatted to the group of women as he made his way out of the venue, engaging in an intimate embrace with one brunette beauty

Close: The hunk looked in his element as he hugged the woman before heading off in a taxi to go home to Essex

James has been enjoying single life since splitting from Yazmin and was recently spotted getting cosy with Love Island's Rachel Fenton.

The TOWIE star, 34, departed Jin Bo Law rooftop bar at the Dorsett City hotel in London in the company of the blonde beauty, 28, with the pair seen holding hands as they left in a taxi together.

The pair were joined by a group of friends on the night out including James' TOWIE co-star Pete Wicks.

Suave: He looked smart in a navy blazer, blue shirt and crisp white chinos for the day out with his pal and new housemate Pete Wicks where they were joined by the beauties

Having fun: James looked to be in his element as he chatted to the group of women after leaving the bar

All smiles: Pete, 32, - who is also single - looked casual in a black shirt and jeans as he left the bar

Loving life: James has been enjoying single life since splitting from Yazmin earlier this year and moving back to the UK from Dubai

James and Rachel were seen in close conversation outside the venue, with Rachel placing her hand on the reality star's waist.

However, a source told MailOnline: 'They are just friends, James is single and not dating anyone.'

MailOnline also contacted representatives for James and Rachel for comment.

Chatting: James leaned in to speak to another woman as she left who was wearing shirt demin shorts and a black vest

Getting cosy: The reality star hugged the brunette beauty as he waited for his taxi to head home

Popular: James had clearly made a good impression on the women who were keen to speak to him after the drinking session

Freedom: He's back on the market after splitting from his girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou earlier this year

Messing around: James looked a little worse for wear as he left the venue and tried to get on a bike

Saying his goodbyes: James waved goodbye to the brunette beauty as he went home with Pete

Good day out: Pete looked in high spirits as he left the bar and hopped into a waiting taxi

Meanwhile Yazmin recently hinted she's in a new relationship as she captured her romantic weekend in the UAE after being lavished with gifts for her 27th birthday.

The star clinked a champagne glass with a mystery man before taking a ride in a Lamborghini and sitting down for dinner at the Burj Khalifa.

In the first telling photo uploaded to her Instagram account on Bank Holiday Monday, Yazmin showcased her sensational figure in a Dior swimsuit as she posed next to her collection of luxurious birthday gifts.

Strike a pose: The girls worked their best angles for snaps alongside James

On the market: MailOnline revealed James and Yaz mutually agreed to cut ties after their relationship turned toxic in February and he has now moved on to enjoy single life

Yazmin wrote alongside the picture: 'I woke up like this [birthday party emoji]. Feeling so grateful and blessed today best birthday feel truly spoilt. [confetti emoji].' (sic)

One follower commented: 'It's all about the designer. I like you have found happiness with your new boyfriend moved on quick but it is what it is.'

A second quipped: 'Anyone else wondering who the fella is?' while a third penned: 'You deserve it! '.

Moving on: Meanwhile Yazmin recently hinted she's in a new relationship as she captured her romantic weekend in the UAE after being lavished with gifts for her 27th birthday

Larking around: The group were in high spirits after the trip to the rooftop bar

Exes: James and Yaz had experienced a tempestuous relationship, splitting up and reconciling on a number of occasions after they first started dating in 2017

Later that day, Yazmin relaxed on decking by the Dubai waterfront with her mystery male companion.

The duo clinked their champagne flutes, while the gentleman flashed his inked arm and diamond encrusted watch.

On an episode of TOWIE last month, James admitted he doesn't want to have kids with 'the wrong person' as he reflected on being single after the pair's split.

Suave: Pete is also single after ending his on-off relationship with Chloe Sims on last year's series of TOWIE

Getting to know each other: James got up close with another busty beauty outside the bar

Stylish: Pete showed off his many torso tattoos in a buttoned up black shirt

MailOnline revealed James and Yaz mutually agreed to cut ties after their relationship turned toxic in February, with James flying home and Yazmin staying in the UAE.

A source previously revealed to MailOnline: 'James and Yazmin haven't been in a good place for a while now and living together in Dubai only put further strain on their relationship.'

'Arguments between them have intensified and turned nasty, resulting in the couple deciding between them to go their separate ways  and this time, for good.'

A spokeswoman for Yazmin said: 'I can confirm James and Yazmin have split up.

'It's an amicable split and both of them are certain that it's time to move on with no animosity.'

The Essex couple had experienced a tempestuous relationship, splitting up and reconciling on a number of occasions after they first started dating in 2017.
Mark Wahlberg is keeping his mother Alma Wahlberg close to his heart as he celebrates his milestone 50th birthday on Saturday, June 5.

The Daddy's Home star kicked off his special day by taking to Instagram and posting a throwback photo of himself with his arms around his mom.

He simply wrote: 'Miss you' in the caption along with a red heart emoji in-between two prayer emojis.

Heartfelt: Mark Wahlberg remembered his late mother Alma Wahlberg on his 50th birthday

The photo appears to have been taken three decades ago, around the time he went by his rapper name Marky Mark in the early 1990s.

Alma Wahlberg was 78-years-old when she passed away this past April following her struggle with dementia.

Since her passing, the actor and producer has posted a number of tributes to his mother, including when he announced her death on social media on April 18 with the caption: 'My angel. Rest in peace.'

Tribute: The leading man shared a throwback snap, seemingly from his Marky Mark rapper days in the early 1990s, when he paid tribute to his mom

RIP: The leading man announced the passing of his mother on social media on April 18

He wrote 'miss you mom' when he marked this most recent Mother's Day with a slideshow.

He also shared a photo where he posed alongside his mother and wife, Rhea Durham. 

'Happy Mother's Day. What would I be without these two. Miss you mom. love you babe. to all the moms thank you,' he gushed in the caption.

Mother's Day tribute: Since her passing, the actor and producer has posted a number of tributes to his mother, including when he marked this most recent Mother's Day with a photo of himself, is mom, and wife Rhea Durham

His angel: Wahlberg also shared a slideshow of images of his mom on Mother's Day

Alma Wahlberg and her late ex-husband Donald Wahlberg, who died in 2008, had nine children together, including Mark and his brother Donnie Wahlberg, who also reached the heights of fame with the boy band New Kids On The Block and as an actor.

The family matriarch frequently appeared on the reality show, Wahlburgers, which ran on A&E for 10 seasons from 2014 to 2019. The series was based on the casual dining burger restaurant and bar Wahlburgers, a chain that started in Greater Boston town of Hingham, Massachusetts.

Wahlberg and Durham have been married for over 11-years and share four children together: daughters Ella, 17, and Grace, 11, and sons Michael, 15, and Brendan, 12.

Throwback: Alma Wahlberg and her late ex-husband Donald Wahlberg had nine children together; the actor and producer appears to be pictured in late 1980s or early 1990s
The eighth season of Married At First Sight Australia sparked its fair share of controversy when it hit screens earlier this year.

And Australia's media watchdog has now officially commenced an investigation after receiving a record number of 54 viewer complaints, The Herald Sun reports.

Speaking to the publication, a representative from the Australian Communications and Media Authority confirmed: 'The ACMA has commenced an investigation into episodes of the 2021 season of MAFS and is currently assessing the scope of the investigation noting the range of issues raised in complaints over several episodes.'

Complaints: The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has commenced an investigation into this year's season of Married At First Sight after receiving a total of 54 complaints Pictured: MAFS star Bryce Ruthven

A significant proportion of the complaints alleged the program included personally abusive interactions between participants via gaslighting, social, verbal and mental abuse, and that the program perpetuated and promoted the theme of domestic abuse.

In April, Nine sent a lengthy two page letter apologising for 'any concerns which may have been raised by your viewing of the Program,' but defended its content as keeping with its classification.

Many viewers took offence at scenes involving controversial couple Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven.

Statement: 'The ACMA has commenced an investigation into episodes of the 2021 season of MAFS and is currently assessing the scope of the investigation noting the range of issues raised in complaints over several episodes,' an ACMA spokesperson told The Herald Sun

ACMA revealed it had at that time received 14 complaints about this year's season of MAFS, and four of those were about Bryce and Melissa, both 31.

'Under the co-regulatory system, the ACMA will refer complainants to the broadcaster in the first instance,' the media watchdog said back in April.

If the complainant does not receive a response from the broadcaster within 60 days, or is not satisfied with the response, they may refer their complaint to the ACMA who may choose to investigate.

Details: According to a report by The Wash in May, many viewers took offence at scenes involving controversial couple Melissa Rawson and Bryce Ruthven, Both pictured

In a lengthy letter obtained by The Wash, Nine apologised for the way the reality show made some viewers feel.

'We sincerely apologise for any concern or distress which may have been raised by your viewing of the program,' Nine's compliance department wrote.

The network stated the views of the show's participants did not reflect Nine as a whole, and that everyone on the show has access to psychological support.

Nine also acknowledged that 'bullying and conflict' are 'serious issues', but insisted Married At First Sight did not breach any broadcast standards.

'We sincerely apologise': In a lengthy letter obtained by The Wash, Nine apologised for the way the reality show made some viewers feel

No problems: Nine acknowledged that 'bullying and conflict' are 'serious issues', but insisted Married At First Sight did not breach any broadcast standards

The eighth season of Married At First Sight Australia was the most complained-about season in the show's history.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) received more than 50 official complaints - a record number for the watchdog.

'A significant proportion of the complaints alleged the program included personally abusive interchanges between participants through gaslighting, social, verbal and mental abuse and that the program perpetuated and promoted the theme of domestic abuse,' an ACMA spokesperson said in a statement.

Triggered: Additionally, a Change.org petition is demanding Channel Nine issue an apology for airing 'triggering' scenes involving the 'gaslighting' groom and his long-suffering wife
She's the Australian actress whose appearances in movies such as Hacksaw Ridge and Warm Bodies have made her a household name in Hollywood.

But on Sunday, Teresa Palmer, 35, recalled the moment her former co-star Christian Bale mistook her for a real stripper while they were on-set filming the 2015 flick Knight Of Cups - and had no idea she was an actress until days later.

Discussing the faux pas on Instagram, Teresa shared a picture of herself with the Welsh actor, who she claims was using an American accent when they first met.

Mistaken identity: On Sunday, Teresa Palmer (right) recalled the moment that her former co-star Christian Bale (left) mistook her for a real stripper when working with her on Knight Of Cups in 2012

Teresa, who played a stripper named Karen in the experimental drama film, explained: 'I figured he was method acting.'

'Having clocked this I quickly jumped on the bandwagon and made up an elaborate backstory for my character and never actually told him the truth during filming.'

She continued: 'I remember thinking at the time 'I guess this is what all the fancy actors do, better up my game!''

How bizarre! Back in 2015, Christian himself recalled working with Teresa to the Evening Standard - and admitted he had no idea she was a star until 'about a week after working with her'

Teresa added that she pretended to be 'Harper from Oregon' to Christian, adding: 'She's the mom of three-year-old Mabel, studies psychology, dances because she loves it and dabbles in acting on the side just for laughs! I like her a lot!'

Back in 2015, Christian similarly recalled working with Teresa to the Evening Standard - and admitted he had no idea she was a movie star until 'about a week after working with her'.

'We were filming in a strip club, and Teresa Palmer's there in her little silver hot pants and I'm asking her how long she'd been dancing for,' Christian revealed.

'Our newest little love': Teresa announced on Instagram in February that she's pregnant with her fourth child

'Does she enjoy it? What got her into it?,' he added.

'I had no idea that she was an actress until about a week after working with her. Suddenly I saw a billboard with her face on it and I went 'What?''

He said the confusion was thanks to staying away from the Hollywood scene and director Terrence Malick not telling him who was an actor and who was an extra in the film.

Meanwhile, Teresa announced she was pregnant with her fourth child in February.

Alongside a picture with her three children on Instagram, she wrote that she and her American director husband Mark Webber, 40, will be welcoming their 'newest little love' soon.

The couple, who celebrated seven years of marriage last year, are parents to three children - sons Bodhi Rain, seven, Forest Sage, four, and daughter Poet Lake, one.

Mark is also father to son, Isaac Love, 13, who he shares with his ex-partner, actress Frankie Shaw.
Didier Cohen has announced he's expecting his first child, a baby girl, with girlfriend Chanel Wolf.

On Sunday, the hunky model and DJ, 35, shared a heartwarming photo of himself cradling his partner's stomach alongside an image of their baby scan.

The Australia's Next Top Model star captioned the shot with: 'Mom & Dad', alongside the hashtag 'Baby Girl December 2021'.

Baby joy! Australia's Next Top Model star Didier Cohen has announced he's expecting his first child, a baby girl, with girlfriend Chanel Wolf

In the photo, Chanel looked stunning in a figure-hugging black dress with a daring thigh slit.

Didier looked overjoyed as he placed his hand on his girlfriend's bump as he stood shirtless with just a pair of white trousers on.

The loved-up couple are believed to have started their relationship in 2019, shortly after Didier confirmed his split from his model fiancee Jade Cara.

Coming soon! On Sunday, the hunky model, 35, shared a picture of a baby scan and a photo cradling his partner's stomach to announce the happy news

Love is love: The couple are believed to have started their relationship in 2019, shortly after Didier confirmed his split from his model fiancee Jade Cara. Pictured: Chanel Wolf

In May 2019, Didier had shared a sweet picture alongside Chanel as the pair spent time together beside the pool - where she was seen romantically whispering in his ear.

American beauty Chanel returned the favour on her own Instagram account, first sharing a short clip of herself with Didier.

She then shared the same snap of the pair nestled in together, writing under it: 'Summer '19.'

Insta official! Dider and Chanel both shared a snap of themselves looking very close back in 2019, with Chanel clad in a glamorous plunging black swimsuit

The pair's cosy photos came just weeks after Didier confirmed his single status in March, following his split from model fiancee Jade.

When quizzed on whether he and Jade had separated on Instagram, he confirmed: 'Yes we have but I have so much love for her.'

When asked whether he's single, he simply responded: 'Oui'.

Old love: The pair's cosy photos came just weeks after Didier confirmed his single status on Instagram, following his split from model fiancee Jade Cara (left)

Didier and Jade became engaged following a three-year courtship back in February 2016.

The relationship wasn't all smooth sailing, however, with the pair calling it quits in 2014 due to the struggles of long-distance dating.

It wasn't long before the genetically-blessed duo rekindled their romance and announced their surprise engagement, however split again soon after.

Meanwhile, Didier first shot to fame as a judge on Channel Seven's reality show Beauty and the Geek.

He then went on to enjoy a stint on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia before joining Australia's Next Top Model as a mentor for two seasons.

Didier himself has made headlines multiple times over the years, and has always spoken openly about his devastating Lyme disease diagnosis in 2018.

A year after receiving the news, the Aussie star explained how he initially believed his diagnosis was 'life ending' in a candid Instagram post.

Not to be: Didier and Jade became engaged following a three-year courtship back in February 2016, but later split

'There is something beautiful about hitting rock bottom,' wrote Didier while reflecting on the past 12 months, which he declared the 'hardest' of his life.

'The obstacles that I thought at the time were life ending were actual blessings and tests of strength,' said Didier in the heartfelt post.

According to NSW Health, Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by bacteria and can cause inflammation of joints and long-term neurological symptoms.

After being diagnosed in February 2018 after an eleven year battle with his health, he previously admitted to becoming a 'depressed recluse'.

'I was a mess and in a horrible place. I woke up with nothing to live for,' said Didier in August, during an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

Discussing how he since re-built his life following his diagnosis, Didier continued: 'I used my hardships as an inspiring energy that drove me towards a life of manifestation and positivity.

'This change resulted in my dreams coming true.'


By Kwon Mee-yoo



Denmark celebrates its Constitution Day on June 5. The Scandinavian country signed its constitution on this day in 1849, ending the absolute monarchy and marking the country's first step to becoming the democratic country it is today.



The Constitution has been amended twice since then  in 1915 and in 1953  to include women's suffrage, women's right to inherit the throne, fundamental civil rights such as freedom of speech, and private property rights.



"Though it is not an official holiday, it is common for workers to get a half day or the whole day off. Prior to the pandemic, it was common for Danes to celebrate Constitution Day by gathering outdoors to hear local politicians and other renowned figures give commemorative speeches. Afterwards, people would often sing songs together about Denmark, freedom, and democracy," Danish Ambassador to Korea Einar Jensen said in a written interview with The Korea Times.



The ambassador also shared his country's green vision and how Denmark and Korea are cooperating in tackling challenges such as the pandemic, climate change, aging societies and low birth rates.



"Denmark has long expertise and first-mover advantage in sustainable development. Coupled with Korea's fast paced, innovative, and technical competency, together we can lead the way in building a greener future," the ambassador said.



Below is an excerpt of a written interview with Jensen on the occasion of Denmark's Constitution Day. The excerpt has been edited for clarity.







Q: Korea hosted the second P4G summit in May, following the inaugural event in Denmark in 2018. How did the two countries support each other in hosting this summit and what is your impression of the second summit?



A: Denmark has closely cooperated with the Korean government to share knowledge and know-how based on our experience hosting the 2018 summit. We strove to actively engage the public and create forums for open discussions that would continue to keep the green momentum going forward.



I evaluate the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit as a great success. While the pandemic no doubt posed a great obstacle to hosting a multilateral summit, Korea did an excellent job hosting a virtual event that saw more high-level participation from the public and private sectors across the world than the previous summit.



The P4G Seoul Summit came at a critical juncture for the international society to step up its collective efforts to meet our climate goals. 2021 is the year when the world pledged to take action in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. But not only that, the COVID-19 pandemic has helped us all see that the only way forward is to build back our societies and economies better and greener. And that is what P4G is all about.





Q: Denmark is a pioneer in clean energy. What was the motive for Denmark to pursue clean energy earlier than other countries, moving away from fossil fuel?



A: Denmark used to be over 99 percent dependent on imported fossil fuels. The Oil Crisis of the 1970's acted as a wake-up call for us to look for other options for energy security, and we turned our eyes to developing renewable energy. That's how Denmark embarked on a long journey focusing on harnessing the power of wind, biomass, biogas, and so on.



Since the 1990s, Denmark managed to decouple economic growth from its overall energy consumption. Danish GDP has increased by more than 55 percent, while Denmark's energy consumption has decreased by 6 percent, while CO2 emissions decreased by nearly 40 percent. Today, the mix of renewable energy in electricity production is over 70 percent, with many days seeing wind power generating over 100 percent of the domestic demand for electricity on very windy days. Denmark is living proof that it is possible to integrate renewable energy into the grid and power supply on a large scale without hindering economic growth.



Q: How did Denmark benefit from being a first-mover in the field? What advice can you give to Korea to become a leader of green energy in Asia?



A: Denmark is a prime example showing that going green, especially before others, is a lucrative and sustainable business. Being the first-mover has led to the green sector accounting for roughly 6 percent of all private jobs in Denmark as of 2020. In the same year, Danish companies held roughly 40 percent of the share of the offshore wind market in the EU. With the EU and the rest of the world increasingly pursuing wind energy and Denmark continuing to develop new, cutting edge technology in wind, Denmark will continue to reap first-mover benefits.



Denmark's advice to Korea is: Strike while the iron is hot. Korea has the potential to become Asia's leader in renewable energy exports. There are already Korean manufacturers in the supply chain for the global wind industry. Repurposing some shipyards and ports to house offshore wind facilities could support Korea's efforts to become Asia's top green exporting nation, not to mention have an immense impact on local job creation and the revitalization of local economies. Korea needs to take action now if it does not want lose first-mover advantage in Asia to other countries. There was a study recently carried out by Denmark and the Netherlands on the cost of energy in Korea, which found that Korea would greatly benefit by partnering up with foreign offshore wind companies in reaching its goal of 12GW by 2030. It was projected that such partnerships would greatly accelerate the development of the industry in Korea while bringing costs of development down.



Q: What are major similarities and differences between Denmark and Korea and how can the two countries cooperate in the field of clean energy and fighting climate change?



A: Korea and Denmark are both small countries with limited natural resources surrounded by giants. It is through the strength of our people and our daringness to push the envelope and pave the way that we are able to stand where we are today. You can even see proof of our ambitious nature in our countries' current goals for offshore wind energy: where Denmark aims to build the world's first artificial energy islands, Korea aims to build the world's biggest offshore wind farms, both for floating and fixed-bottom type farms.



Denmark has been closely working with Korea to share knowledge, technology, and best practices in developing offshore wind energy. The Danish Energy Agency and Korea Energy Agency have become very close partners in recent years, and the reflections of a Danish "one-stop-shop" model for offshore wind development can be found in both the parliament, where a bill was proposed in May to develop a Korean one-stop-shop model, and in the blueprints of the Green New Deal when it was announced back in 2020.



With our two countries now aiming higher with our offshore wind goals, there are now even more areas to explore for increased cooperation. One such area is Power-To-X, specifically the production of green hydrogen. Korea has a strong expertise in battery and energy storage technologies as well as in hydrogen, while Denmark has a long tradition of building large scale offshore wind farms that will allow a stable and efficient production of energy that can be converted to hydrogen. Korea and Denmark are ushering in the dawn of a new era of large-scale offshore power generation, and with will come many more new areas of collaboration.





Middelgrunden offshore wind farm / Courtesy of Embassy of Denmark in Korea
Alexandra Daddario went Instagram official with film producer Andrew Form, who is the ex-husband of actress Jordana Brewster, just weeks ago.

And on Saturday the new couple were more than happy to show off their affection for each other after enjoying a dinner date at Craig's in West Hollywood.

While outside the celeb-friendly establishment, Alexandra and Andrew walked with their hands interlocked.

Date night: Alexandra Daddario, 35, and boyfriend Andrew Form, 52, stepped out for a dinner date at the celebrity hotspot, Craig's in West Hollywood on Saturday

The True Detective actress, 35, looked summer-ready in a blue and white floral dress that fell to about mid-calf.

She covered up her famously ample cleavage with a white blazer.

The New York City native also donned a pair of platform heels and had her dark brown tresses styled long with a part on the slight left.

With COVID-19 still a lingering danger, the actress wore a blue protective mask while in the close vicinity of people out on the street and in the restaurant.

Packing on the PDA: The pair gave each other slight touches of affection when they weren't holding hands outright

Soft touch: The actress looked summer-ready in a blue and white floral dress, that fell to about mid-calf, and a white blazer

Safety first: With COVID-19 still a lingering danger, the actress wore a blue protective mask while in the close vicinity of people out on the street and in the restaurant

Form, 52, kept it classic casual in light blue jeans with dark blue jacket over a matching t-shirt and white sneakers.

He too wore a face mask much of the time the couple were out in public.

It appears Daddario first went public with their relationship on Instagram on May 13 with a black-and-white photo of the pair snuggled up together.

On the go: The couple held hands as they made their way to their parked vehicle

New gig: Daddario is set to star in one of the leading roles for the upcoming miniseries The White Lotus, which is slated to debut on HBO on July 11

Classic: Form, 52, kept it classic casual in light blue jeans with dark blue jacket over a matching t-shirt and white sneakers

'It was dark and cold and rainy today, a terrible combination, and it didn't make it warmer to wrap him up in my arms but it did make it all seem lovely and nice and joyful,' she professed in the caption.

And then, less than two weeks later, the Baywatch babe made it official by declaring her love alongside a sweet snap of the couple sharing a passionate kiss.

'I love you ...and even that is an understatement,' she gushed.

Form and his ex-Brewster 'quietly separated' after 13 years of marriage and two children together last year, but they have reportedly remained friendly.

Daddario gave her 19.8 million Instagram fans and followers a glimpse at their romance in a post on May 13

Sealed with a kiss: The True Detective star would profess her love for the film producer in a Instagram post on May 24

Daddario is set to star in one of the leading roles for the upcoming miniseries The White Lotus, which is slated to debut on HBO on July 11.

The satire comedy focuses on the lives of 'the staff and guests at a tropical resort over the course of a week.'

It also stars Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O'Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney and Steve Zahn.
Stu Laundy and Justin Hemmes are two of Australia's biggest names in the pub game.

But despite their fierce rivalry when it comes to securing sales, Stu, 47, says he and Justin, 48, are pals.

'There's a bit of a beat-up around a rivalry around Justin and I but when we see each other we're friends and business is business,' Stu told The Daily Telegraph.

Friends: Stu Laundy and Justin Hemmes are two of Australia's biggest names in the pub game. But despite their fierce rivalry when it comes to securing sales, Stu, 47, says he and Justin, 48, are pals

'I have said this quite often but if I manage to isolate a hotel that (Hemmes) hasn't gotten involved in yet I question the seller.

'I think, "Why don't you have two horses in this race?" I mean, we both have hefty cheque books,' he added.

In March, neither Justin nor his pub baron rival Stu Laundy could offer enough money to secure the Bangalow Hotel, which is 14km inland from Byron Bay.

Rivals? 'There's a bit of a beat-up around a rivalry around Justin and I but when we see each other we're friends and business is business,' Stu told The Daily Telegraph

He added: 'I have said this quite often but if I manage to isolate a hotel that (Hemmes) hasn't gotten involved in yet I question the seller. I think, "Why don't you have two horses in this race?" I mean, we both have hefty cheque books,' he added

The rivals became locked in a bidding war for the 60-year-old pub, which is owned by NRL star Tom Mooney and wife Cathryn.

The top bid reached a staggering $50million.

Laundy and Hemmes were also reportedly also eyeing off The Pacific Hotel in March, according to The Herald Sun.

At war: The pub barons were reportedly locked in a bidding war for the 60-year-old Bangalow Hotel (pictured) which is currently owned by NRL star Tom Mooney and wife Cathryn, with bids reaching up to $50 million

Still up for grabs? Laundy and Hemmes were also reportedly eyeing off The Pacific Hotel, according to The Herald Sun last month

However, it's unclear whether that property was part of the Bangalow Hotel negotiations or whether the Pacific Hotel is still on the table.

It was not the first time Laundy and Hemmes have been locked in a bidding war, as it's understood the pair recently battled over Chris Hemsworth's local watering hole The Lennox Hotel in nearby Lennox Head.

Bachelorette star Stu, in partnership with hotelier Fraser Short, purchased The Lennox Hotel with an offer of close to $40million.

Snapped up: It was not the first time Laundy and Hemmes have been locked in a bidding war, as it's understood the pair recently battled over Chris Hemsworth's local watering hole The Lennox Hotel in nearby Lennox Head

Celebrity hot spot: The venue is often frequented by A-list visitors and locals, inducing actors and Byron Bay locals Liam (left) and Chris Hemsworth (right). Pictured with brother Luke

In August last year, Laundy and Fraser confirmed they had also bought Byron Bay's trendy venue The Farm for $16 million.

Laundy, who appeared on Channel 10's The Bachelorette in 2017, has a share of his family's $500 million fortune.

Meanwhile, Hemmes and his family's empire is believed to be worth around $1.06 billion.

His property portfolio includes the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills which he bought in 2010, the Queen Victoria Hotel in Enmore in 2015 and Bondi's Royal Hotel in 2017.
Amanda Holden is enjoying a family break in the sun after jetting abroad for a beach holiday.

And, while the actress, 50, has been spending time with her daughters Hollie and Alexa, she got dressed up for a Saturday date night with her record producer husband Chris Hughes.

The Heart FM presenter shared a picture of herself and her beau on Instagram the same evening as they headed out to enjoy some quality time together.

No Holden back: Amanda Holden, 50, pulled out all the stops to look beautiful for a date night with her husband Chris Hughes, with the star sharing a sweet snap of the couple to Instagram

Amanda captioned the image: '#datenight with my gorgeous .'

Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda looked elegant in a black halterneck top while her blonde hair rested gently on her shoulders.

She wore a pair of gold hoop earrings which added a simple touch of glamour to her look.

She could be seen smiling as she stood in front of her husband Chris, who she married in 2008.

Insane: Amanda looked incredible earlier this week in a plunging mesh swimsuit as she got flirty with fans on Instagram while making the most of her sun-soaked family break overseas

Sizzling: Amanda joked that her risque swimsuit gave her 'an ab' as she kicked back on a rock

Music man Chris looked smart in a black jumper and white shirt and he grinned, showing off his impressively white teeth.

Earlier this week Amanda sizzled in a dreamy shot that saw her cooling off in the sea while showing off her stunning figure in her skimpy beachwear.

In the picture shared to Instagram, she had teamed her almost see-through swimsuit with a chunky pair of shades and sported wet locks as she flashed a smile while making her way back up onto the sand from the ocean.

'Sisters': Amanda was every inch the proud mother as she shared a sweet Instagram snap of her lookalike daughters Lexi, 15, and Hollie, nine, while on holiday

Happy: The Heart FM presenter has been openly documenting her sunny break with her family on social media (pictured recently with her daughters)

Using the shot as a perfect opportunity to flirt with her fans, Amanda sent temperatures soaring as she teased alongside her post: 'Fancy a dip?'

She was also seen championing her saucy swimsuit from Melissa Odabash over on her Instagram story as she kicked back on a rock and joked: 'This swimsuit makes me look like I have an ab.'

Her followers were all for the talent show panellist's risque swimwear, as they littered the comments with flame emojis.

Amanda's vacation upload came after she was seen having a proud mum moment with her lookalike daughters.

Following a trip to the beach, Amanda posted an image of sisters Lexi, 15, and Hollie, nine, in matching red outfits after spending the day relaxing in the picturesque sunshine.

Lexi was dressed in a stylish red swimsuit for the snap, while her sister Hollie wore a matching red top and printed skirt.

Clearly proud of her two girls, Amanda uploaded the snap to social media with the caption '#sisters.'
Samantha Armytage and Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell were rumoured to have a highly publicised falling out.

On Sunday, the wunderkind, 38, finally addressed the chatter about the breakdown of his friendship with Sam, 44, in an interview with the TV Blackbox podcast.

'I have known her for 20 years. And she's like a sister to me. And like a brother and sister relationship, you have good times and bad times,' he said.

Tell all: Samantha Armytage and Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell were rumoured to have a falling out. On Sunday, the wunderkind, 38, finally addressed the breakdown of his friendship with Sam, 44, in an interview with the TV Blackbox podcast. Both pictured

'We have always been honest about that. There is a mutual respect. I think she is brilliant at what she does and I think she thinks I'm alright at what I do'.

He added that the pair did grow apart as friends, as their lives took them on different paths.

'I don't think it was as much a falling out as we had our lives. Her roots are more in the country now and she wasn't around me,' he said.

Honest: 'I have known her for 20 years. And she's like a sister to me. And like a brother and sister relationship, you have good times and bad times,' he said. 'We have always been honest about that. There is a mutual respect. I think she is brilliant at what she does'

However, Michael says the pair grew close again in the months before her departure from the breakfast show.

'Towards the end of her time at Sunrise we got back to that place we were at the beginning. We sort of came full circle,' he revealed.

Michael says right when they healed their friendship, Sam told him she wanted to leave Sunrise.

Parted: He added that the pair did grow apart as friends, as their lives took them on different paths. 'I don't think it was as much a falling out as we had our lives. Her roots are more in the country now and she wasn't around me,' he said

'We got really close and that is when she came to me and said, "I think I would like to leave because I want to see what life's all about".

'And she'd had a tough year last year. If you aren't enjoying it anymore you should seek something else to do. You have to do what it's in your heart and it wasn't in her heart... it just wasn't for her anymore'.

Michael said he was 'fully supportive' of Sam's exit from the show, and is delighted that she is so happy with her new husband, Richard Lavender, 60.

Closer: However, Michael says the pair grew close again in the months before her departure from the breakfast show. 'Towards the end of her time at Sunrise we got back to that place we were at the beginning. We sort of came full circle,' he revealed

'She went and met Richard and I didn't matter anymore!' he joked, adding, 'I love Richard. He is a great guy, and I have never seen her happier'.

For months there had been rumours the once-close friends had fallen out, and media insiders took notice when Sam did not mention Michael in her parting message to viewers and saw this as a sign relations were still frosty.

However, they shut down the gossip by cuddling up at Catalina Restaurant in Rose Bay in March, during a celebratory gathering with several high-profile Seven staffers.

Leaving: Michael says right when they healed their friendship, Sam told him she wanted to leave Sunrise. 'We got really close and that is when she came to me and said, "I think I would like to leave because I want to see what life's all about". And she'd had a tough year last year. You have to do what it's in your heart and it wasn't in her heart... it just wasn't for her anymore'

Rumours of Sam and Michael's falling out were no secret in media circles.

In fact, their supposed feud had been gossip fodder for The Sydney Morning Herald's Private Sydney column for months.

The column's author, Andrew Hornery, maintained the Sunrise boss had become 'increasingly frustrated' with Sam's 'cavalier' approach to her critics.

Likes him: Michael said he was 'fully supportive' of Sam's exit from the show, and is delighted that she is so happy with her new husband, Richard Lavender, 60. 'I love Richard. He is a great guy, and I have never seen her happier,' Michael said

He also reported in December that this worsening of relations was a sign Sam would soon depart Sunrise - a prediction later proved correct, even though Sam publicly denied it at the time.

Before their rift, Sam and Michael had been close friends for years.

They would hang out socially, attend the races arm in arm, and pop up on each other's social media accounts.

Their close bond was unsurprising: Michael was the man who hired Sam to host Sunrise - Australia's number-one breakfast show - and was also one of her most staunch defenders against criticism in the press.

Back on: For months there had been rumours the once-close friends had fallen out. However, they shut down the gossip by cuddling up at Catalina Restaurant in Rose Bay in March, during a celebratory gathering with several high-profile Seven staffers

In March, Sam stepped down from hosting Channel Seven's breakfast show after eight years, with claims that she did so in order to spend more time with her family.

She was replaced by longtime co-star Natalie Barr, 53, who took up the helm alongside David 'Kochie' Koch, 65.

Her departure followed her intimate wedding to millionaire businessman Richard Lavender on New Year's Eve.

The quaint ceremony was held at his Southern Highlands home and was attended by a small number of guests due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bindi Irwin has delivered a heartfelt plea to her fans on World Environment Day.

The 22-year-old wildlife conservationist shared a photo to Instagram while standing next to a large tree and urged fans to 'stand up for our planet'.

'Our commitment to Mother Earth must extend beyond World Environment Day to create positive change,' she wrote.

'We're all in this together': Bindi Irwin (pictured) made a heartfelt plea to fans to 'stand up for our planet' on World Environment Day

'Spend time appreciating nature, share a photo and a word of encouragement to those around you, volunteer your time, walk the walk of environmental advocacy and protection,' she continued.

Bindi added: 'Choose to stand up today for our planet and leave a legacy of hope for the next generations. We're all in this together.'

In the photo, the conservationist smiled and looked into the distance as she posed alongside the old tree.

'Our commitment must extend': The wildlife conservationist shared a photo to Instagram while standing next to a large tree and urged fans to 'stand up for our planet'

Bindi's post comes after she shared a heartbreaking tribute to her parents on what would have been their 29th anniversary.

Posting to her Instagram on Friday, the 22-year-old shared a throwback picture of her late father Steve Irwin and mother Terri.

'Soulmates. Happy Anniversary to my sweetheart parents. Your love is the stuff of miracles,' she wrote.

Sweet tribute: Bindi's post comes after she shared a heartbreaking tribute to her parents on what would have been their 29th anniversary

In the picture, the young animal-loving couple were all smiles as Terri cradled a baby goanna on her chest.

Steve and Terri tied the knot in 1992 in her home state of Oregon.

Steve died in September 2006 at the age of 44, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Queensland.
His young age was brought up in the boardroom before he was the first to be fired on Celebrity Apprentice.

And Alex Hayes, 23, told Daily Mail Australia this week that placing such a focus on age sends the wrong message to all the 'young dreamers out there'.

'It was inevitable for my age to be seen as a liability while on the show. That's one of the only disappointing things for me from the whole experience,' the surfer said.

'It was seen as a liability': Celebrity Apprentice's first eliminated star Alex Hayes (pictured), 23, revealed his one disappointment about the show in an interview with Daily Mail Australia

When asked whether he believed his young age to be his downfall, Alex said that the message it sent 'to all the young dreamers out there who are already tired of being belittled by older people and institutionalised environments, was unfortunate'.

'I do think it was a huge missed opportunity to show that character judgement shouldn't be based off uncontrollable things like age, and that it should be based off actions, values and desire to learn,' he continued.

Alex, who is a surfer, model, investor and ambassador, also revealed what he thinks about those who consider him as just an influencer.

'It was a huge missed opportunity': Alex's young age was brought up in the boardroom before he was fired. 'It was inevitable for my age to be seen as a liability while on the show. That's one of the only disappointing things for me from the whole experience,' he said

'I understand there is a bit of stigma and judgement around the word influencer, it's a very common job title nowadays,' he said.

'I try not to worry too much about what titles people give me, and just want to focus on my day to day actions taking me closer to my goals. Actions speak louder.'

While he may have been the first to be fired by Lord Alan Sugar, Alex is already making waves in the business world, having invested in seltzer brand Vacay.

Focused: Alex, who is a surfer, investor and ambassador, also revealed what he thinks about those who consider him as just an influencer. 'I try not to worry too much about what titles people give me, and just want to focus on my day to day actions taking me closer to my goals'

Business-minded: While he may have been the first to be fired by Lord Alan Sugar, Alex is already making waves in the business world, having invested in seltzer brand Vacay

'After going sober for over a year when I was 20, I wanted to educate myself on finding a better balance. Being able to stay fit but also have a few drinks here, go wild here and there,' he said of his business idea.

'I had heard of seltzers from my time spent in America and was always curious for when they would come to Australia as I loved that they were the healthiest alternative to drinking.

He continued: 'When I found out they were coming to Australia, I partnered with the current CEO James McPhie to build Vacay! So grateful to be an owner in this great company and it's been an epic business learning venture.'

Alex is also releasing his debut single XI as an independent artist on June 18.
Jessica Rowe has met up with Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell, three years after quitting her TV hosting role at Studio 10.

The 50-year-old was seen having a private catch up with the 38-year-old wunderkind this week, The Daily Telegraph reports.

However, the meeting was just friendly, and not work related, an alleged source told the paper on Sunday.

Catch up: Jessica Rowe has met up with Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell, three years after quitting her TV hosting role at Studio 10. The 50-year-old was seen having a private catch up with the 38-year-old wunderkind this week, The Daily Telegraph reports. Both pictured

'She's not joining Channel 7. They are friends,' the source reportedly told The Daily Telegraph.

Jessica admitted she missed being on television, telling the paper: 'What I do miss is having an audience to play up to.

'Nowadays I find myself doing a song and dance routine for my daughters. Not that successfully'.

Just pals: 'She's not joining Channel 7. They are friends,' the source told The Daily Telegraph

Jess announced in March 2018 she was leaving Studio 10 to spend more time with her family. She has since appeared on the show as a guest.

Speaking to News.com.au's How to Be Happy podcast recently, the former presenter admitted she was struggling to find work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

'Well, I've got to be honest, in my professional life it's been pretty crap,' she said.

'A lot of my work has gone. It's disappeared because a lot of my work has been talking to people, hosting events, advocating for mental health but doing that with people, with an audience,' she explained.

Out: Jess announced in March 2018 she was leaving Studio 10 to spend more time with her family. She has since appeared on the show as a guest

Jessica, who is known for her popular lifestyle blog Crap Housewife, also said she was finding self-isolation difficult because she 'thrives on connecting with people'.

The TV personality has also spoken about her struggle with depression towards the end of her tenure at Studio 10.

Jessica told The Australian Women's Weekly in March 2019 she'd been close to breaking point when she decided to quit her morning TV role.

'I could feel at the end of each show, not every day, but most days I would be close to tears,' she said at the time.

Tough: Speaking to News.com.au's How to Be Happy podcast recently, the former presenter admitted she was struggling to find work during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Well, I've got to be honest, in my professional life it's been pretty crap,' she said

'I'd feel that behind my eyes and was just about keeping it together. And I thought, 'Why am I doing this to myself?'

'I knew that I was heading down, I knew that my anxiety was there, that I was getting depressed and that if I didn't make a change I'd start to falter.'

'There wasn't a light-bulb moment in terms of making this decision, but we went on a family holiday last year [and] I started to think long and hard about how being present with them made them feel and made me feel,' she said at the time.
Hugh Sheridan will soon be a married man, after proposing to partner Kurt Roberts in March.

On Sunday, the actor, 35, and the TikTok star, 29, were joined by model Megan Blake Irwin, 36.

Megan posted to her Instagram Stories, sharing snippets of her night out with the betrothed lovers, who were dancing up a storm.

Night out: Hugh Sheridan (left) will soon be a married man, after proposing to partner Kurt Roberts (right) in March. On Sunday, the actor, 35, and the TikTok star, 29, were joined by model Megan Blake Irwin, 36

Appearing to be feeling quite festive, the trio cuddle up in the footage, with Megan giving Hugh a kiss on the cheek.

She captioned the clip: 'Can't wait for the wedding my loves'.

Hugh proposed to Kurt, who is the general manager of digital lending at the Commonwealth Bank, during the first night of his dance performance at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March.

Fun! Megan (centre) posted to her Instagram Stories, sharing snippets of her night out with the betrothed lovers, who were dancing up a storm

Kisses: Appearing to be feeling quite festive, the trio cuddled up in the footage, with Megan giving Hugh a kiss on the cheek. She captioned the clip: 'Can't wait for the wedding my loves'

'I went out and bought a ring and flew his family to be seated in the audience on the night. He had no idea. It was a really amazing moment,' he said online.

After proposing, the loved-up pair shared a public embrace and a cheeky kiss before a besotted Hugh ran back on stage and said: 'I just got engaged!'

A friend of the couple's shared footage from the magical moment on Instagram, writing: 'It's not every day one of your besties proposes to the love of his life so excited for you both xx.'

Sweet: Hugh proposed to Kurt during the first night of his dance performance at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March

Big day: Wasting little time in getting hitched, the couple have confirmed that they'll officially tie the knot in Sydney on New Year's Eve

In a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph, the Packed To The Rafters star confirmed he and Kurt have already shacked up together at Hugh's Bondi apartment.

Hugh said the attraction was 'immediate' between the two when they locked eyes at a party at a Darlinghurst mansion previously owned by Baz Luhrmann in November.

Wasting little time in getting hitched, the couple have confirmed that they'll officially tie the knot in Sydney on New Year's Eve.
She regularly shares snaps of her stylish outfits with her followers before heading out to socialise.

And Carol Vorderman looked gorgeous as she posed in a cleavage-baring sheer white mesh midi dress on Saturday.

The former Countdown star, 60, asked her followers for style advice, writing: 'Couldn't make my mind up this morning. The cream dress??' as she flashed her bra in the scanty number.

Wow! Carol Vorderman looked gorgeous as she posed in a cleavage-baring sheer white mesh midi dress on Saturday

Carol looked sensational as she flashed a hint of cleavage in the see-through long-sleeved dress.

She made the most of the UK heatwave in the all-white ensemble which featured hundreds of tiny holes.

Going full glam for the mirror selfie, Carol let her long chestnut tresses cascade around her shoulders and accentuated her features with a touch of eyeliner.

It comes after Carol put on a very busty display last month as she headed for a night on the town.

Wow! It comes after Carol put on a very busty display last month as she headed for a night on the town

Carol paired her shirt with a plunging black dress that she cinched at the waist with a white belt to offset her attire.

Later in the evening, Carol donned a white lace cardigan over her black ensemble to give it an extra glamorous flair.

Her brunette locks were styled into loose waves that fell over her shoulders, and she wore a light palette of make-up to highlight her stunning features.

Carol appeared to be enjoying her evening with H, Gareth and Steve as she posed for a fun selfie with the trio, while H kissed her cheek in one photo and she covered Gareth with her hair in another and joked he looked like Cher Lloyd.

Having fun: Carol appeared to be enjoying her evening with H, Gareth Thomas and Steve Williams as she posed for a fun selfie with the trio, while H kissed her cheek in one photo

Joker: In one photo and she covered Gareth with her hair in another and joked he looked like Cher Lloyd

Carol previously said she was a 'happy girl at last' as she celebrated the lockdown restrictions easing.

The former Countdown presenter took to Instagram to share a slew of snaps of herself 'OUT OUT'.

Carol put on a very racy display as she took a selfie in her leather zip-up midi dress which clung to her hourglass figure.

Chic: Later in the evening, Carol donned a white lace cardigan over her black ensemble to give it an extra glamorous flair

In another photo the presenter showed off her toned physique in a khaki jumper and grey jeans as she beamed for the camera after a hotel meeting.

She wrote: 'Yes slight hint of the normal world resuming NOT ZOOM but a #HotelMeeting.'

Carol also uploaded a snap of herself in skintight jeans and thigh-high boots and a selfie in a black Gucci jumper.

Hitting the town: Carol previously said she was a 'happy girl at last' as she celebrated the lockdown restrictions easing

Carol captioned the post: 'Hello world... I love you. Happy girl at last..... This last week I've been OUT OUT with actual people...

'howling laughing (normal)... hugging where we can being IN IN too in restaurants... and work meetings FACE TO FACE and not on ZOOM... Wow it's been so long'.

Carol detailed her outing on Sunday in the leather midi dress as she wrote 'off to an actual friend's actual birthday lunch'.
Duck Dynasty's Bella Robertson revealed she married her fiance Jacob Mayo by posting a stunning photo in her wedding dress while standing on a scenic bridge.

The newlyweds looked happy in love after tying the knot as Mayo, 21, planted a sweet kiss on her forehead, just eight months after announcing their engagement in late November.

'#MARRYMEMAYO,' the 18-year-old daughter of Willie and Korie Robertson captioned her Instagram post, which has received more than 172,205 likes since Friday.

Newlyweds: Duck Dynasty's Bella Robertson revealed she married her fiance Jacob Mayo by posting a stunning photo in her wedding dress while standing on a scenic bridge

Ahead of the ceremony, as chronicled by the couple's photographer Andrew James Abajian, Jasmine Flower by saxophonist Kenny G played while guests were seated.

Abajian shared additional photos of the lovebirds, which showcased the bride's gown as she wrapped her arms around him and smiled demurely at the camera.

On Mayo's Instagram Story, he shared a Boomerang video, which showed them kissing under a massive fireworks display.

Bliss: The newlyweds looked happy in love after tying the knot as Mayo, 21, planted a sweet kiss on her forehead, just eight months after announcing their engagement in late November

Sweet moments: Ahead of the ceremony, as chronicled by the couple's photographer Andrew James Abajian, Jasmine Flower by saxophonist Kenny G played and the possibility of rain

The lovers tied the knot in front of their closest loved ones in a ceremony in West Monroe, Louisiana, according to E! News.

Bella had multiple outfit changes, including a mermaid-style white gown and a flowing dress with a cathedral-length veil.

At the reception, guests, like the reality star's parents, posed for black and white snaps at a photo booth just hours after exchanging their vows.

A night to remember: The lovers tied the knot in front of their closest loved ones in a ceremony in West Monroe, Louisiana, according to E! News

Stunning: Bella had multiple outfit changes, including a mermaid-style white gown and a flowing dress wih a cathedral-length veil

PDA: At the reception, guests, like the reality star's parents, posed for black and white snaps at a photo booth just hours after exchanging their vows

After six months of dating last year, Bella accepted Mayo's proposal.

'I was thankful for you yesterday, i am thankful for you today, and now i get to be thankful for you for the rest of my life!' she wrote in her announcement post.

She gushed: 'I am blown away by Gods goodness and grace. @jacobdmayo lets get married!! i love you forever.'

Speaking of their engagement, Mayo described Bella as his 'best friend' and 'the person' he can 'lean on in any problem with no judgment.'

Magical: On Mayo's Instagram Story, he shared a Boomerang video, which showed them kissing under a massive fireworks display

Party on: The couple danced the night away as friends and family lovingly watched on

'She loves Jesus. She holds me to a higher standard that she doesn't let waver. She unconditionally loves me whether I'm doing what she likes or the opposite side of the spectrum. She's the one for me forever. She's my everything. I thank God for her,' he wrote in November on Instagram.

At the time, Bella also shared a photo of the pear shaped diamond ring on her Instagram story as she continued to revel in the excitement of being a fiancee.

The large Robertson family that includes siblings Rebecca, 32, John Luke, 25, Sadie, 23, Willie Jr, 14 and parents Willie, 49, and Korie, 47, were all in attendance for an engagement party that followed.

Happier than ever: The newlyweds twirled on the dance floor as their loved ones cheered them on

First dance: The pair's first dance was recorded by guests and posted to social media

On the pair's six month anniversary on November 10th Bella wrote that Mayo was 'a dream,' while writing, 'i wouldnt trade ya for anything. heres to the next 6, and the next, and maybe the next??'

Unbeknownst to her the proposal followed just a little over two weeks later.

Bella previously dated Candace Cameron Bures son, Lev, in 2018 but even Bure took to social media to wish them well as she commented, 'Congratulations Bella and Jacob!'

Engaged: After accepting Mayo's proposal after six months of dating last year, Bella wrote: 'I was thankful for you yesterday, i am thankful for you today, and now i get to be thankful for you for the rest of my life!'

Family affair: The large Robertson family was there to celebrate the impending nuptials between Bella and Jacob as they posed for photos (seen at their engagement party)

The Robertsons gushed over the impending nuptials while singing Jacob's praises, as Bella's mom Korie wrote, 'Jacob, we love you and are so excited to welcome you into the fam. Its been so much fun to see your love story unfold.'

Pregnant sister Sadie shared, 'HOW IS MY LITTLE SISTER ENGAGED?!? I thought you were still 7?!?,' while adding, 'As wild as this is to me Im thankful its to such a good man like Jacob.'

The reality TV family found fame throughout five seasons of their hit show that followed their daily lives and their family run business, Duck Commander, which manufactures duck hunting merchandise in Louisiana.

Whirlwind romance: The pair only celebrated their six month anniversary on November 10th but seem confident in their love for each other; pictured November 10th
From left, Danish Ambassador to Korea Einar Jensen, Korean Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol, Danish Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke and Korean Ambassador to Denmark Park Sang-jin pose for a photo at the MOU signing held at the Danish Ambassador's residence in Seoul on March 25. Courtesy of Embassy of Denmark in Korea



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Denmark and Korea, like many countries worldwide, face similar challenges of a growing elderly population and an increase in mental and physical illnesses that follow aging societies. A modern lifestyle is more prone to causing chronic diseases and other healthcare challenges as well.



"We see the same demographic shift in both Denmark and Korea, which means there are fewer people in the workforce to contribute to financing the healthcare system, while the demand for healthcare services increases with an aging population. In terms of healthcare, costs are rising while resources remain limited. So Denmark and Korea are collaborating and are discussing sustainability in healthcare systems from different angles," the Embassy of Denmark in Korea's Health and Life Sciences Counsellor Nina Monrad Boel said.



The most distinctive feature of the Danish healthcare system, compared to Korea, is its strength in primary healthcare and general practice.






Paul Walker's brother Cody is happy with the way that Vin Diesel and the Fast & Furious franchise has honored Paul's legacy after his tragic death in 2013.

The 32-year-old actor spoke to TMZ when he was stopped outside of Sancho's Tacos in Huntington Beach on Saturday.

'Vin and the whole family have done a really good job of tastefully kind of letting the character ride off into the sunset,' he told the media outlet.

Paying tribute: Paul Walker's brother Cody is happy with the way that Vin Diesel and the Fast & Furious franchise has honored Paul's legacy after his tragic death in 2013.

He continued, 'I think Paul would get a kick out of where it's gone. It's gotten so crazy you know It's a wild wild ride at this point.'

'Paul was very much the purist, you know, the real car guy I couldn't speculate what he would think, I just know that Vin always takes a very serious approach when it comes to keeping Paul's legacy in mind,' Cody told TMZ.

'He's always done a really nice job when it comes to paying tribute to his character. They worked together and were brothers for years.'

Honoring his memory: 'Vin and the whole family have done a really good job of tastefully kind of letting the character ride off into the sunset,' he told the media TMZ

Filling in: At the time of his death, Paul and the Fast & Furious cast were in the middle of filming Furious 7. The movie eventually was finished after several rewrites with Cody and Paul's other brother Caleb acting as stand-ins for Paul

At the time of his death, Paul and the Fast & Furious cast were in the middle of filming Furious 7. The movie eventually was finished after several rewrites with Cody and Paul's other brother Caleb acting as stand-ins for Paul's lead character Brian O'Connor along with CGI. It was released in 2015.

The ninth installment, Furious 9, will be released on June 25, 2021. When asked if if it would have beyond Paul's wildest dreams that the franchise has reached this point, Cody said, "Absolutely, absolutely. They were all so young when this whole thing started and I was even younger.

'I was in middle school when this whole thing started and that's where my love of cars came from,' he said.

Long-running: The franchise began in 2001 and the ninth installment, Furious 9, will be released on June 25, 2021. Still from Fast & Furious 7 in 2015

'II meet people all the time that go, your brother is the reason I love cars. to which I say, me too.'

One of the stunt cars from the original movie, an orange 1994 Toyota Supra driven by Paul, is being auctioned off in Las Vegas on June 18 and 19. Cody was asked about how much money he thought the car would fetch at auction.

'It's a character in the movie.' Cody said. 'I don't what to even speculate. All we have to go off is the car they sold a few years back. It was a Supra but it wasn't the car that this one is. This is a '94 I think it's stunt one so it's got all the real go fast parts on it. It's the real deal. I think it went for around $200,000.

Piece of history: One of the stunt cars from the original movie, an orange 1994 Toyota Supra driven by Paul, is being auctioned off in Las Vegas on June 18 and 19. Seen in 2005

When asked if he thought it could sell for over one million, Cody responded, 'With what's going on right now in the car world, the price of cars has skyrocketed and this being an actual screen-used Stunt 1.

'I really can't say, it could go for a lot,' he said. 'I think Paul would think it's hilarious to be honest with you.'

He went on to say, 'When they filmed these movies, I don't think if you would have asked Paul in 2001 where he thinks this franchise would have gone, I don't think he would think they would be on the ninth film at this point. They are just having a lot of fun making these movies.'

Sweet: Cody was in middle school when Paul starred in the Fast & Furious and attributes his love of cars to the franchise

Meanwhile, Vin has stayed close with Walker's daughter Meadow.

Recently she made it clear that her father's Diesel was also 'family' in a sweet photo she posted to Instagram.

The 22-year-old model included a black-and-white snap of herself embracing the action star and his 13-year-old daughter Hania.

Sticking together: Paul Walker's daughter Meadow, 22, shared a photo on Sunday of herself hugging her dad's Fast & Furious costar Vin Diesel and his 13-year-old daughter Hania, calling them 'Family'

The grainy photo featured Meadow in a sheer sleeveless top as she wrapped her arms around Vin, who looked casual in a white tank top and aviator sunglasses.

He held his old friend's daughter in one arm while hugging Hania, who wore a striped sleeveless dress, in the other.

The photo appeared to be a throwback, as Meadow's raven tresses were longer than the short bob she has showed off recently on social media.

She expressed similar sentiments in June of 2020 when she shared a cute photo of herself surrounded by Hania and Vin's other two children, Vincent, 11, and Pauline, six.

Bonded: She expressed similar sentiments in June of 2020 when she shared a cute photo of herself surrounded by Hania and Vin's other two children, Vincent, 11, and Pauline, six

'So proud': Vin gushed about how proud he was of Meadow on her 21st birthday in November 2019, which elicited thanks from her

'Family, forever,' she captioned that photo.

Vin previously shared a sweet post for Meadow's 21st birthday in November 2019, along with a photo of her and his youngest daughter Pauline.

'I could say that I am so proud of the person you are becoming... but the truth is I have always been proud of you. Happy Birthday Meadow!' he wrote. 'I know its your 21st and you wanted to go big in Japan, but the family has a cake waiting for you when you get home, so hurry. Love you kid,' he wrote, signing it 'Uncle Vin.'

'Thanks you so much,' she replied. 'I can't wait to see you soon. And my little angels. Love you.'

In remembrance: Vin took to Instagram late last year to mark the seventh anniversary of the passing of his Fast and Furious co-star Paul Walker

Late last year, Vin shared a heartfelt tribute to his late friend Paul on the seventh anniversary of his death.

Along with a black-and-white photo of the two actors, he wrote, 'Seven years... Not a day passes...All love, Always.'

Fond memories: Meadow marked the anniversary of her father's death with an adorable photo of her as a child sleeping on the lap of her 'forever angel'

Meadow shared her own throwback at the time with a photo of herself as a child sitting on her father's lap, while calling him her 'best bud.'

She called the anniversary of Paul's death 'a silly day to remember in sadness.'

'Today's a celebration of the love and happiness you brought to the world. here's a photo of my best bud & I napping,' she wrote.
They are back in the UK after recently enjoying a sun soaked trip to Mexico.

And Jess and Eve Gale showcased their incredible figures as they posed for a sizzling bikini snap on Sunday.

The Love Island stars, 22, looked nothing short of sensational in the post, with Eve donning a blue printed two-piece while showing off her pert posterior.

Wow: Jess and Eve Gale showcased their incredible figures as they posed for a sizzling bikini snap on Instagram on Sunday

Jess opted for a pink swimsuit with a large cut out across the middle as she posed next to her twin sister.

The pair both wore their blonde locks in a straight style as they showed off their sun-kissed tans.

Eve captioned the stunning photo: 'Nothing compares'.

Jess and Eve previously gave fans a look at the resort they recently stayed in during their Mexico trip.

Twin trip: Jess and Eve previously gave fans a look at the resort they recently stayed in during their Mexico trip

The sisters stunned in baby blue and orange bikini tops as they posed for the camera and declared they intend to be 'more active' this summer.

They revealed their beautiful palm tree-strewn resort featured stone detailing and white walls, and was situated right on the shoreline.

The TV twins were just two of many celebrities who jetted to Dubai throughout the pandemic.

They joined many other Love Islanders including Joanna Chimonides, Hayley Hughes and Francesca Allen.

Treat: The girls enjoyed a swanky lunch around the pool and enjoyed a late night dip in neon bikinis while on their trip abroad

After Dubai joined UK's travel ban list, celebrities then began flocking to Mexico's bars and beaches as it established itself as the next COVID getaway destination.

Many stars insisted their trips were for 'work purposes' after criticism from Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Several influencers were forced to hit back at fans after they were criticised for jetting off on holiday during the global pandemic.

Jess and Eve rose to fame on the first ever series of winter Love Island back in 2020.

While Eve was booted off after less than a week, Jess made it to the final with Ched Uzor - with the pair going their separate ways shortly afterwards.
She's enjoying a sun-soaked break to Portugal with pal Joanna Chimonides.

And Kady McDermott looked sensational as she flaunted her sensational physique in a tiny bikini for a sizzling Instagram snap shared on Sunday.

The Love Island star, 25, showcased her taut midriff and washboard abs in the fun two-piece which boasted a leopard print pattern between tan and black sections.

Stunning: Kady McDermott looked sensational as she flaunted her toned physique in a tiny bikini while soaking up the sun in Portugal as she shared a sizzling Instagram snap on Sunday

Kady ensured to work all her angles while posing outside, placing one toned and tanned leg slightly infront of the other to best display her svelte figure.

She accentuated her ample assets in a plunging bikini top and accessorised her pool-ready ensemble with a watch and gold bracelet.

The brunette beauty wore her long locks down and let her curly tresses cascade over one shoulder for the stunning snap.

And although looking incredible in the picture, Kady revealed in the caption that she wasn't feeling too fresh on Sunday.

Gorgeous: The Love Island star, 25, is enjoying a trip to Portugal with her pal and fellow reality star Joanna Chimonides however was struck down with food poisoning on Saturday night

Oh dear: Sharing her bikini snap on Sunday, Kady revealed she'd had a bad reaction to eating oysters at dinner the previous evening

She penned: 'Currently in the hotel bed with food poisoning so heres a piccy of me yday when I was well (dont eat oysters kids x)'

Her pal Joanna also took to her own Instagram account to detail the duo's long night, saying Kady had been very unwell and was resting up in their hotel room.

It comes as Portugal is set to be removed from the UK's 'green' and quarantine-free travel list on Tuesday at 4am amid concerns over the new Nepal Covid variant.

Britons in Portugal have reacted with fury after being told to dash home before Tuesday or face quarantine, saying the sudden move to 'amber' list was 'unfair' and 'stressful'.

The culprits: The two beauties had headed out for their meal, with the oysters being seen in a short clip shared to Instagram by Kady

It now means that travellers will have to quarantine at home for ten days after visiting. They must have two Covid tests, on days two and eight - plus a third on day five if they choose 'test to release'.

British families of four in Portugal now face spending 1,500 on 12 PCR tests at 125 each after next Tuesday.

Kady's trip comes after she effectively announced she has secretly split from TOWIE hunk Myles, 27, following their turbulent on-off relationship, which began in 2018.

During an Instagram Q&A session last month, Kady was asked if she was single, with the reality star answering: 'Yes' alongside a make-up free snap of herself.

MailOnline contacted Kady and Myles' representatives for comment at the time.

Wow: Joanna (pictured) also took to her own Instagram account to detail the duo's long night, saying Kady had been very unwell and was resting up in their hotel room

The most recent content on the star's Instagram which includes Myles, was a video uploaded in November, although they enjoyed a trip to the Maldives in February.

The couple spent Christmas together with the Love Islander proudly displaying their decorations in a post, in which she tagged 'Our Bungalow Project' - their former home together.

Fans have speculated that Myles no longer lives there, because Kady has continued to keep them updated on interior design changes, including new artwork.

Unlike other celebrities, who often confirm the end of relationships in coordinated announcement, neither Kady nor Myles have mentioned their split until now.

Over! It comes after Kady effectively announced that she has secretly split from TOWIE hunk Myles Barnett, 27, following their on-off relationship, which began in 2018

Last June, Kady left fans confused after she announced she was still with boyfriend Myles and that they would live in their new home 'as a couple', weeks after confirming yet another 'break-up'.

The duo bought the Hertfordshire property together in April 2019 with plans to completely transform it into a two-storey house.

She blamed their 2020 split on the pressure of the build which caused them to argue, as she joked their renovation has been more stressful than having a baby.

Kady wrote: 'Me and Myles are will both be living in this house as a couple, couples do argue. It is a very exciting time for us both but also ridiculously stressful.

'Me and Myles can't wait to live in our forever home and will continue to share our journey with you. Now I understand when people say renovating/moving home is more stressful than having a baby.' (sic)
Ariel Winter struck a casual figure in black leggings and a matching long sleeve as she went grocery shopping after getting her nails done in Hollywood on Saturday.

The 23-year-old actress, best known for her role as Alex Dunphy in the comedy series Modern Family from 2009 to 2020, kept her nose and mouth covered under a red face mask amid the ongoing COVID-10 pandemic.

She completed her laid-back look with a pair of white sneakers and a beaded Rolling Stones coin purse.

Running errands: Ariel Winter struck a casual figure in black leggings and matching long sleeve as she went grocery shopping after getting her nails done in Hollywood on Saturday

The four-time SAG Award winner kept her platinum blonde tresses in a messy topknot and could be seen rocking a fresh manicure as she chatted on the phone.

Winter and her boyfriend Luke Benward teamed up for a COVID-19 centric thriller, called Don't Log Off, which wrapped production last summer, marking her jump from sitcoms to movies.

Casual: The 23-year-old actress, best known for her role as Alex Dunphy in the comedy series Modern Family from 2009 to 2020, kept her nose and mouth covered under a red face mask amid the ongoing COVID-10 pandemic

The duo, who began dating in December 2019 and live together, also produced the project.

In April, while speaking to HollywoodLife, he praised his other half for being 'great with logistics and keeping things on track' whereas he is more the 'relaxed, artistic,' type.'

The Dumplin' actor also called her 'the most supportive' and gushed they 'compliment each other very well.'

Loved up: 'We compliment each other very well,' he said of their relationship, adding that he is more of the 'relaxed, artistic,' type whereas Winter is 'great with logistics and keeping things on track'

Last month, Winter posted a gushing tribute to Benward in honor of his 26th birthday.

Sharing a slideshow of snaps of them together, the actress wrote: 'Happy 26th to the most special man that gives me alllllllll the feels allllllllllll the time. I love you. I am beyond grateful for you.'

She went on: 'I feel incredibly lucky to spend each day together enjoying the great days and working through the tough days that we cant go at alone. Youve been my safe space and guiding light through all of the tough days this past year thankful doesnt even begin to describe how I feel.

'The most special man': Last month, Winter posted a gushing tribute to Benward in honor of his 26th birthday

'All the feels': The couple have been dating since October 2019 and share a luxury home together in LA's Studio City neighborhood

Winter added: 'Obviously you are ridiculously handsome, but how ridiculously caring, smart, funny, empathetic, kind, talented and devoted you are to who and what you love is the most attractive. Thank you for being YOU the amazing man you are to me.'

The pair shortly after Winter's split from longtime partner Levi Meaden.

Winter was just 11 years old when Modern Family premiered in 2009, which she starred alongside Sofia Vergara, Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and Sarah Hyland.
Shia LaBeouf enjoyed a friendly bike ride with his ex-wife Mia Goth on Saturday.

Shia, 34, led the way for Mia, 27, as the duo pedaled their way down an idyllic neighborhood in Pasadena, California.

The sighting comes over a year after the exes, who filed for divorce in 2018, rekindled their relationship. The romance did not appear to be long-term as Shia started dating actress Margaret Qualley later that year.

Friendly exes: Shia LaBeouf enjoyed a bike ride with his ex-wife Mia Goth in Pasadena on Saturday

Shia effortlessly pedaled through the suburban neighborhood wearing a grey T-shirt, black shorts and matching trainers.

Protecting his vision in style, the Even Stevens actor rocked a pair of reflective shades.

The Honey Boy actor also sported a full beard and head full of wavy locks.

Mia followed close behind pedaling away on her bright bike.

Follow the leader! Goth pedaled several paces behind her ex-husband

The actress wore a hat, tank top, leggings, white Birkenstocks and a pretty necklace.

Shia and Mia were pictured participating in a marriage ceremony at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel in 2016, however Clark County contended the event was not a legal marriage.

Though the couple divorced in 2018 they did reunite in 2020 when they were spotted taking frequent bike rides together and packing on the PDA with their wedding rings on.

The way they were: Mia and Shia pictured in 2014, two years before tying the knot in Las Vegas

Happier times: The couple shared the spotlight at the premiere of Fury in 2014

However, the rekindling did not appear to go the distance. Later that year, Shia started a short-lived relationship with actress Margaret Qualley.

The sighting comes months after Shia's ex FKA Twigs - who dated the actor for nearly a year - sued him for sexual battery, assault and infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit launched last December 2020 alleges he knowingly gave her an STD and abused her on several occasions during their relationship.

In response, Shia has 'denied each and every' assault allegation by the artist and wants her to pay his legal costs after she blamed him for 'relentless abuse'.

The former couple met on the set of the movie Honey Boy in 2018 and dated for nine months, splitting in May 2019 over 'conflicting work schedules'.
Bindi Irwin has delivered a heartfelt plea to her fans on World Environment Day.

The 22-year-old wildlife conservationist shared a photo to Instagram while standing next to a large tree and urged fans to 'stand up for our planet' before it's too late.

'Our commitment to Mother Earth must extend beyond World Environment Day to create positive change,' she wrote.

'We're all in this together': Bindi Irwin (pictured) made a heartfelt plea to fans to 'stand up for our planet' before it's too late on World Environment Day

'Spend time appreciating nature, share a photo and a word of encouragement to those around you, volunteer your time, walk the walk of environmental advocacy and protection,' she continued.

Bindi added: 'Choose to stand up today for our planet and leave a legacy of hope for the next generations. We're all in this together.'

In the photo, the conservationist smiled and looked into the distance as she posed alongside the old tree.

'Our commitment must extend': The wildlife conservationist shared a photo to Instagram while standing next to a large tree and urged fans to 'stand up for our planet'

Bindi's post comes after she shared a heartbreaking tribute to her parents on what would have been their 29th anniversary.

Posting to her Instagram on Friday, the 22-year-old shared a throwback picture of her late father Steve Irwin and mother Terri.

'Soulmates. Happy Anniversary to my sweetheart parents. Your love is the stuff of miracles,' she wrote.

Sweet tribute: Bindi's post comes after she shared a heartbreaking tribute to her parents on what would have been their 29th anniversary

In the picture, the young animal-loving couple were all smiles as Terri cradled a baby goanna on her chest.

Steve and Terri tied the knot in 1992 in her home state of Oregon.

Steve died in September 2006 at the age of 44, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife documentary in Queensland.
Margot Robbie's American dream has become a nightmare as her adopted hometown of Venice, Los Angeles, suffers a wave of crime and homelessness.

The Australian actress, 30, and her husband Tom Ackerley, 31, recently splashed $6.5million on building a new home near Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the once-elite beachside Venice neighbourhood.

However, insiders say the couple have made a grave mistake.

A $6.5million mistake? Margot Robbie, 30, and husband Tom Ackerley, 31, have splashed millions on building a new home in Los Angeles' once-elite beachside suburb of Venice, but insiders fear they've made a huge mistake due to the neighbourhood's recent wave of crime and homelessness

Venice has a vast increase in homelessness and crime since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped Los Angeles, with hundreds of tents now lining the beach's famous boardwalk.

'It's a completely different neighbourhood from when Margot and Tom bought it  the crime rate's gone up 177 per cent since lockdown,' an insider told Woman's Day magazine.

A former taxi driver who is now homeless also told told the publication that Margot and Tom are asking for trouble by continuing their building project.

'It's a completely different neighbourhood': Margot and Tom live in the once-elite beachside suburb of Venice, where a vast increase in homelessness has seen hundreds of tents line the beach's famous boardwalk and resulted in a sharp increase in crime

'She'd be better off if she just abandoned it': A former taxi driver who is now homeless also told told the publication that Margot and Tom's newly-renovated home may be targeted by criminals

'I know people here who will target Margot's house for burglary because they know she's got money,' they warned.

'She'd be better off if she just abandoned it. I don't know why anyone would want to spend millions of dollars to buy a house next to all this.'

The couple are already trying to offload one of their LA properties, having listed their smaller home in Hancock Park for $4.5million late last month.

Getting out: The couple are already trying to offload one of their LA properties, having listed their smaller home in Hancock Park for $4.5million (pictured) late last month

Margot purchased the two-story residence in 2017 for $.3.5million shortly after her marriage to British filmmaker Tom.

Margot and Tom's neighbour in Venice, Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan, 81, meanwhile recently told fans he was 'desperate' to leave crime-stricken Venice and return to Australia.

Paul, who moved to the US in 2005 after growing up in Sydney's western suburbs, is currently holed up inside his 'fortress-like' $4.5million mansion with his son Chance, 23.

Desperate to leave: Margot and Tom's neighbour in Venice, Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan, 81, (pictured) also recently told fans he was 'desperate' to leave his crime-stricken Venice neighbourhood and return to Australia

Homesick: 'I'm living in LA County, which is 10 million people and half of them have got Covid. So am I homesick? You bet your life,' Paul told Channel Seven's Sunrise last month

Bunkering down: Paul, who moved to the US in 2005 after growing up in Sydney's western suburbs, is currently holed up inside his 'fortress-like' $4.5million mansion with his son Chance, 23 (left)

'I'm living in LA County, which is 10 million people and half of them have got Covid. So am I homesick? You bet your life,' he told Channel Seven's Sunrise last month.

When asked how he was coping with Los Angeles' recent crime wave, Hogan simply said he 'doesn't go anywhere'.

'[I'm] bored in lockdown, and the minute I can get on the plane without being locked in a hotel for two weeks, I'm back,' he said.

Terrifying situation: It comes as residents of Venice say soaring crime rates and the exploding homeless population have made life in the elite beachside community unbearable

The movie star went on to explain he 'wouldn't survive' Australia's mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.

'My son [Chance] would have to be with me... we'd strangle each other,' he said.

It comes as residents of Venice say soaring crime rates and the exploding homeless population have made life in the elite beachside community unbearable.

Tent city: The world-famous beach community, 16 miles from downtown Los Angeles, has traditionally been a major tourism drawcard for the Californian city. However, now the palm trees and promenade are blighted by hundreds of tents

Police patrol the Venice Beach Boardwalk on April 20, which has seen an explosion in homeless numbers during COVID lockdowns

Business owners say they are being forced to close their doors and longterm residents are afraid to leave their homes after dark after being subjected to violent attacks and intimidation.

The world-famous beach community, 16 miles from downtown Los Angeles, has traditionally been a major tourism drawcard for the Californian city.

However, now the palm trees and promenade are blighted by hundreds of tents.

Venice Family Clinic's Director of Homeless Services Dr. Coley King, left, treats Kenard Durr, center, at the world-famous beach. A homeless encampment at the beach has exploded during COVID lockdown (April 20)

Rubbish and waste litter the golden sands of Venice Beach. Anti-social elements have made it dangerous to go out after dark, residents say

Fights occur several times a day, while shootings and stabbings are common, say residents of Venice Beach, who are fearful of increased crime rates since the homeless encampments became permanent

Venice Neighbourhood Council member Soledad Ursua said the homeless encampments had exploded during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

She said residents were afraid to be out after dark, and there were fights several times a day and shootings and stabbings on a weekly basis.

'It's just a very dangerous time to be a Venice resident right now,' she said.

'Venice's world famous beach and boardwalk are crippled,' a letter to city and county officials from residents says

According to figures from the Los Angeles Police Department provided to the Venice Neighbourhood Council, the violent robberies in the neighbourhood are up 177 per cent from last year.

The same period has also seen a 162 per cent increase in cases of assault with a deadly weapon involving a homeless person.

Meanwhile, hundreds of residents have put their signatures to a letter pleading for help from city and county officials.

'Venice's world famous beach and boardwalk are crippled,' it says.

'Local children are refusing to come to the beach because they're frightened by what they've witnessed. Seniors who live on or near the boardwalk are terrified of walking in their own neighbourhoods.'
Lil Durk's brother and fellow rapper OTF DThang has died at 32 in a fatal shooting in Chicago.

OTF DThang, whose real name was Dontay Banks Jr., was found dead in the wake of the shooting on South Loomis Boulevard, with an autopsy pending, authorities in Cook County, Illinois told TMZ Sunday.

Witnesses saw the shooting, which took place outside of a nightclub, the outlet reported, citing that OTF DThang was deceased in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

The latest: Lil Durk's brother and fellow rapper OTF DThang has died at 32 in a fatal shooting in Chicago

A number of people chimed in with condolences in the wake of the tragic incident.

Producer Murda Beatz wrote, 'R.I.P. DThang,' with emojis of a heart and hands in prayer.

Chicago-based producer DJ L Beats said on Instagram Stories that OTF had 'advocated for [him] and [his] sound when most didn't,' expressing his gratitude for his friendship and help.

'In this industry, you have few people who embrace young artist, producers, writers etc. and give them an equal shot with their camp but you were one of those rare men who did. I always appreciated your support and the power studio convos king.'

Details: OTF DThang, whose real name was Dontay Banks Jr., was found dead in the wake of the shooting on South Loomis Boulevard, with an autopsy pending

A number of people chimed in with condolences in the wake of the tragic incident

The rising hitmaker, who has had singles such as Shouldve Ducked and Still Trappin', has collaborated with other musical stars such as Future and Kevin Gates

Lil Durk, 28, whose real name is Durk Derrick Banks, has lost a number of friends and confidantes in recent years, including producer Turn Me Up Josh last week, and fellow rap star King Von in an Atlanta shooting last November.

The rising hitmaker, who has had singles such as Shouldve Ducked and Still Trappin', has collaborated with other musical stars such as Future and Kevin Gates.

Lil Durk's manager Ola Ali last month told the Chicago Tribune that the artist worked hard amid the pandemic shutdown with touring ceased last year.

'It allowed Durk to lock in on the music while everybody else focused on all the other stuff,' said Ali, who met Durk through OTF DThang, according to the paper.
Like fine wine, Naomi Watts gets better with age.

The Australian actress, 52, looked incredibly youthful as she went makeup free to take her beloved dog Izzy for a walk in New York over the weekend.

The Mullholland Drive star showed off her slender legs in a pair of tight skinny jeans during the stroll, teamed with an on-trend boyfriend shirt over a tank top.

It's all in the jeans! Makeup free Naomi Watts, 52, looked incredibly youthful as she as she took her beloved dog Izzy for a walk in New York on Sunday

She wore comfortable Birkenstock sandals on her feet and shaded her famous face with sunglasses by Vera Wang.

Naomi previously shared that her ideal day begins with 'being woken up by [her] dog,' before getting in 'some exercise.'

The actress recently received her Covid vaccine and posted a photo while getting her second shot.

'Got that second dose! Thank you!! Here's to getting back to biz!,' she wrote.

On trend! The Mullholland Drive star showed off her slender legs in a pair of tight skinny jeans during the stroll, teamed with an on-trend boyfriend shirt over a tank top

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.'

'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.

Down time: Naomi previously shared that her ideal day begins with 'being woken up by [her] dog,' before getting in 'some exercise'

Naomi 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.

She 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.
Putin doesnt trust Biden, futile for Washington to alienate China and Russia: experts

Global Times) 11:15, June 06, 2021

China and Russia are maintaining frequent communication and friendly interactions despite the US trying to ease its tensions with Russia and concentrating on the competition with China. Some strategists in Washington still want to follow their Cold War playbook to alienate China-Russia relations in order to serve US' interest.

But they have made a fundamental mistake with their wishful thinking, because today, Chinese analysts say, just as what Russian President Vladimir Putin said, the US risks walking down the same path as that of the former Soviet Union, as Washington is overly confident - threatening both Beijing and Moscow while there is no tension in the China-Russia ties. China-Russia relations are at their best in history.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (on screen) answers a question from He Ping (R), president and editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, on China-Russia relations, in a meeting with heads of major international news agencies held in St. Petersburg on Friday local time.Photo:Xinhua

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia-China relations have reached an "unprecedentedly high level" and the two sides have extensive shared interests between them.

Russia is willing to deepen cooperation with China in more areas, Putin said via video link when he took a question from the Xinhua News Agency on China-Russia relations. Putin said this at a meeting with heads of major international news agencies held in St. Petersburg on Friday on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

He also said that he doesn't expect any breakthrough from his planned summit meeting with US President Joe Biden in Geneva, Switzerland, but he hopes the talks will be held in a positive atmosphere, according to TASS.

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Saturday that "Putin has no trust in the US government at all. Russia has been frequently betrayed by the US after the Cold War. So there is no chance for some US strategists to unilaterally expect any breakthrough from the upcoming Putin-Biden summit."

On a broad range of subjects, including military, security or economy issues, the US and its allies have disappointed Russia time and again. Even though Russian leadership showed sincerity to improve ties with the West, deep down in the heart of the Western powers, they don't respect Russia at all. Their only hope is Russia should keep on declining on the world stage, said a Beijing-based foreign affairs expert who required anonymity.

"In the eyes of the US and its Western allies, Russia is a polar bear. The bear, in their eyes, is becoming slimmer now, but these countries want to do more to harm Russia. They hope that the bear had better die one day so that they can eat the meat and take the skin. President Putin is crystal clear about those people's thought," the expert said.

In contrast, the relationship between China and Russia has constantly grown on the basis of the top-level mutual trust and respect.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a phone conversation on Friday, and they pledged that China and Russia will firmly support each other on issues concerning the core interests of the two countries.

Russia is willing to keep close strategic coordination with China on international and regional issues, firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests, resolutely oppose hegemonism, unswervingly support multilateralism, jointly safeguard peace and stability and uphold international fairness and justice, Lavrov said.

Some Western observers hope to see the US-Russia tensions ease, so that the Biden administration can focus on the competition with China.

Li said that Western nations want to copy their successful strategy during the Cold War that focused on the competition with the Soviet Union, "but to be honest, their thinking is absolutely wishful."

Because the reason why the US had a chance to pull China from the camp led by the Soviet Union, is that the Soviet Union at that time had imposed serious threats against both the US and China, so Beijing and Washington automatically reached consensus on who was their common enemy, Li said.

"But today, it's a totally different case. The US, not China, is the one who is playing the role of the 'Soviet Union,' pushing its two major competitors to stand closer and closer," said the anonymous foreign affairs expert.

Russia and China share the same understanding over this case. According to TASS, President Putin said at the Saturday's meeting that he was convinced that the US is following a typical scenario of an empire: confident of their unlimited power and creating unnecessary problems for themselves until they can no longer cope with them.

"As a former citizen of the Soviet Union could see, the problem of empires is that they think they are so powerful that they can afford small inaccuracies and mistakes," Putuin said. "But problems will keep piling up. And, at some point, they are no longer able to cope with them. And the United States is now walking the Soviet Union's path," the Russian leader added.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Denmark is known for its sophisticated Recirculated Aquaculture System (RAS). Courtesy of AKVA Group



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Well known in Korea for dairy, Denmark is a leading food producing country that also has one of the most sustainable and responsible food producing practices with food safety legislation that often exceeds that of other European Union (EU) members. With the global population increasing and resources dwindling due to over-farming and environmental degradation, Denmark is also now paving the way for safe, efficient, and sustainable food production, with inland aquaculture being a prime example.



"The United Nations found that although demand for fish is still rising, almost 90 percent of the world's fisheries are fully fished or overfished. Studies show that the loss of ocean biodiversity is accelerating, and that 29 percent of the seafood species we consume have already crashed. If the long-term trend continues, in 30 years there will be little or no seafood available for sustainable harvest. For Denmark and the world, the future of fish farming is on land," Jimmy Sell, Commercial Counsellor at the Danish Embassy in Seoul, said.



"Aquaculture  the breeding of fish, shellfish, and other organisms in water  has taken place in Denmark for over 100 years. Originally, it was in the form of fish farming on land, which is still the dominant form of production, but today there is also breeding in open sea and in fresh water. We gradually scaled up the technology to the Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) facilities we operate today."






Incarcerated Dancehall deejay Tommy Lee Sparta shared a photo of his five sons on Instagram yesterday along with a touching note to let them know he loves them.

Daddy love unno, he wrote on the post with his five spartan soldiers posing together at the Acropolis Gaming Lounge in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Sparta, whose real name Leroy Russell Junior, 33, is originally from Flankers, Mobay and is said to have a total of seven children. Two of his sons, ages 17 and 14, are shared with his high school sweetheart, Donna-Hue Anglin; the older son he had when he was just 14 years old.

Another daughter, six years old, who resides in the Flankers community was shot last year in a crossfire. She survived with a reported gunshot injury to her arm.

The Rich Badness deejay has been in prison for 6 months now and is serving a three-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and another two years for illegal possession of ammunition. Both sentences are running concurrently.

During his detainment in July 2020, Donna-Hue Anglin told the STAR that she was fearful that Spartas ongoing legal woes may disintegrate the bond shared between him and their sons. They are around their father every day so their question is, Mommy, where is daddy going? Over the past months, him have his boys them just at home bonding with him, and they just took him like that, she said.

Their father is their role model, them everything, them love him gone to bed. They are very close to him and are always around him so it is like they are just taking him away from them all the time.

Many fans and friends in the industry have shown their compassion for Tommy and his family by commenting on the deejays latest post.

One follower sent the boys some encouragement, Uno jus gawn wull it till daddy come home .

Another versed a small prayer over them, Cover them under your blood Lord  #onefamily.

Others gave Lee reasons to keep pushing on, Dem you u dweet fah inuh @tommyleesparta #youthsdemathefuture.

And  big up the father dem wah love dem pickney .

Though Lee endured a difficult upbringing and also having lost his father at the age of 9, he has been a constant in his kids life. As a teen, he dropped out of school to try his hand at odd jobs, from construction work to working at a hotel, he found a way to provide for his children. Today, hes a celebrated Dancehall star, often sharing the joys of fatherhood online.
Prince Harry and Meghan may have stepped away from their royal duties  but family appeared to be top of mind in naming their second child, Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, who was born Friday in California.

The name pays tribute to both Harrys grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname is Lilibet, and his late mother, Princess Diana.

Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family, Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wrote in a statement that accompanied the birth announcement Sunday.

The baby is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers weve felt from across the globe, they continued.

The baby girl was born at 11:40 a.m. at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, and weighed in at 7 lbs, 11 oz, a spokesperson for the couple said. The child is eighth in line to the British throne.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the queen; Harry's father, Prince Charles; his brother, Prince William; and other members of the family had been informed and are "delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also congratulated the couple in a tweet.

Harry and Meghan Markle  formerly an actor  married at Windsor Castle in May 2018 and welcomed their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, a year later.

No photos of the newborn or the Sussexes accompanied the announcement. The couple has said that in lieu of gifts, they request those interested learn about or support nonprofit organizations working for women and girls, including Girls Inc., Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation.

The birth of the healthy baby girl opens a happy chapter for the couple following a miscarriage in July 2020. Meghan gave a personal account of that traumatic experience in hope of helping others.

Months before the miscarriage, the couple announced they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They live in Montecito, an upscale area near Santa Barbara, California.

In the wake of quitting royal duties, they gave an explosive TV interview to Oprah Winfrey in March, in which the couple described painful comments about how dark Archies skin might be before his birth and Meghan talked about the intense isolation she felt inside the royal family that led her to contemplate suicide.

Buckingham Palace said the allegations of racism made by the couple were concerning and would be addressed privately.

Winfrey and Harry recently collaborated on the Apple TV+ mental-health series The Me You Cant See.

In the interview with Oprah, Meghan also talked about the fact that her son was not given the title of prince. Harry said the royal family cut him off financially after he announced plans to step back from his roles  and that he was able to afford security for his family because of the money his mother left behind.

Despite leaving royal duties, Harrys place in the order of succession to the throne remains.

The first seven places remain unchanged: Prince Charles; Prince William; Williams children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; Prince Harry, and his son, Archie.

Lilibets birth moves Prince Andrew, who was born second in line in 1960, down to ninth place.

___

Read all AP stories on Prince Harry and Meghan at https://apnews.com/PrinceHarry.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP)  Police in Nicaragua detained another leading opposition politician and potential presidential candidate Saturday, the latest in a series of moves by President Daniel Ortega that prevent candidates from running against him in his third consecutive re-election bid.

Police said they arrested Arturo Cruz Sequeira, a former ambassador to the United States, under a controversial treason law passed in December. Cruz Sequeira was considered a contender for the nomination of the opposition Citizens for Liberty party in the Nov. 7 elections.

His arrest follows the detention earlier this week of opposition figure Cristiana Chamorro, who is being held incommunicado at her home on money laundering charges. The United States has called for the release of both opposition figures.

Cruz Sequeira, who served as Nicaragua's U.S. Ambassador from 2007-2009, was detained at the Managua airport after he arrived on a flight from Washington D.C., his aides said.

The law passed in December drew international protests because it gives Ortega's government the power to unilaterally declare citizens terrorists or coup-mongers, classify them as traitors to the homeland and ban them from running for election.

Given that Ortega has already applied those terms to virtually the entire opposition and the leaders of massive 2018 protests against his regime, the law appears aimed at sweeping aside the last roadblock to Ortegas continuing his longstanding rule over the Central American nation.

The law bans candidates who lead or finance a coup ... encourage foreign interference, ask for military intervention ... propose or plan economic blockades, applaud and champion the imposition of sanctions against Nicaragua or its citizens.

So far, the United States has imposed sanctions on about 27 people close to Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, including Murillo herself and three of her children with Ortega. The sanctions are aimed at bringing about free elections.

The law says people designated by Ortega will be traitors to the homeland, and for that reason may not run for public office. Treason is punishable by prison terms of up to 15 years.

On Friday, the U.S. State Department called on Nicaragua to free Chamorro, who is being held incommunicado at her home after her laptops and cellphones were taken away.

Chamorro is a potential presidential candidate and the daughter of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro.

On Tuesday, the government charged Chamorro with money laundering involving alleged financial irregularities related to the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation for Reconciliation and Democracy, which she headed. The nongovernmental group is named after her mother. The State Department called for the release not just of Chamorro, but of two foundation employees as well.

Their detention on trumped up charges is an abuse of their rights, and it represents an assault on democratic values as well as a clear attempt to thwart free and fair elections, according the U.S. statement.

Ms. Chamorros arrest comes amid unrelenting attacks on pro-democracy presidential candidates and independent media. The Ortega regime has pledged to bar Ms. Chamorro from participating in November elections and, in May, baselessly canceled the legal status of two opposition political parties, it said.

On Wednesday, police raided the home and placed Chamorro under a form of house arrest, and a court granted a request from prosecutors to bar Chamorro from running in the Nov. 7 elections or holding public office, citing the charges against her.

She was expected to challenge Ortega for the presidency.

Chamorro has said the allegations were trumped up to keep her out of the race.

In January, she stepped down from her role at the foundation. A month later, it closed its operations in Nicaragua after passage of a foreign agents law designed to track foreign funding of organizations operating in the country.

In May, Nicaraguas Supreme Electoral Council cancelled the legal status of the Democratic Restoration Party, which was expected to potentially be a vehicle for an opposition coalition bid against Ortega.

Cristiana Chamorros mother beat Ortega to win the presidency in 1990 and served until 1997. Her husband, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, had run his family newspaper La Prensa and was jailed and forced into exile multiple times by the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. He was eventually assassinated in 1978. Cristiana Chamorro is the vice president of La Prensa.
SOUTHBURY  Darien native Virginia Ginny Hamilton Duffy, the sixth-generation granddaughter of Alexander Hamilton  one of the countrys most influential Founding Fathers  has died.

The 76-year-old longtime Southbury resident died May 28 at Danbury Hospital.

With no living siblings or children, Duffys death is possibly the final link to Hamilton, according to her husband, John J. Duffy Jr.

While there are scores of nieces and nephews, its regretful that the direct link from this very important Founding Father is now broken, Duffy said, adding that his wife of 36 years was the last extent grandchild in a direct line to Alexander Hamilton.

Duffy said Ginny was proud of historic heritage but never made a big deal about it.

He said he was the one who would tell people of her lineage, linking her to a man who was an attorney, close confidant to George Washington, the countrys first Secretary of the Treasury and later a founder the Bank of New York.

She was a very modest person  she really couldnt have cared less about this, Duffy said. She was not pompous about it. It was just a part of her life, a happy one, but it was always me that would talk about it.

Her death comes as Hamilton remains at the front of the countrys consciousness  thanks to the musical about the Founding Fathers life by Lin-Manuel Miranda which captured imaginations and awards in the late 2010s.

She never saw it, Duffy said. Not interested.

Duffy said his wife was asked to join the Daughters of the American Revolution but declined.

Duffy said she was invited to attend the reopening of Hamiltons old Harlem, N.Y., home, which was relocated to Manhattan and is now a National Park Service site: The Hamilton Grange National Memorial, also known as The Grange or the Hamilton Grange Mansion.

The mansion holds a restoration of the interior rooms and an interactive exhibit on the newly reconstructed ground floor for visitors. The Hamilton Heights subsection of Harlem derived its name from Hamilton's 32-acre estate there.

The couple attended the event, but he said his wife remained in the background, not wanting to be thrust into the limelight.

She just took it in stride, Duffy said about her feelings of being a direct relation to Hamilton. She stayed away from notoriety.

Duffy was born on May 6, 1945, in Norwalk, the daughter of Anita and Richard Hamilton, who later lived on Fox Hill Lane in Darien. She graduated from Darien High in 1963 along with her twin sister, Jean, who died in 1965.

She is survived by her husband. The couple lived in Southbury for the past 25 years.

The funeral will be private, and Duffy will be interred in the family plot in Southbury, John Duffy said.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com


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By Kang Seung-woo







Ten U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs, embarked on a U.K. aircraft carrier, will visit Korea for the first time in four years, according to media reports, as part of a larger deployment to the Indo Pacific region.







Currently, Britain's newest carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, and its strike group are on a seven-month deployment to the region that includes a port call at Busan before it sails for Japan. The 10 Marine Corps F-35Bs make up part of the carrier's air wing, alongside eight F-35Bs from a joint U.K. Royal Air Force/Fleet Air Arm squadron, and are taking part in an extensive interoperability exercise as part of bolstering the historic U.S.-U.K. defense partnership







Although an arrival date has yet to be fixed, it is likely to be in August.







The F-35B is a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the F-35 program, and a Marine squadron with the stealth jets participated in a combined exercise with Korea in April 2018.







In April, the Ministry of National Defense here announced the British aircraft carrier's visit to Korea along with the U.K. F-35Bs as part of the Royal Navy's efforts to expand its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, but the U.S. participation was not made public.







Meanwhile, the arrival of the carrier with its F-35Bs comes at a time when Korea is working on building its own 30,000-ton light aircraft carrier for deployment by 2033, which has raised calls for additional purchases of the stealth jets.







Also, this year's port call will mark the third visit to Korea by British aircraft carriers. The U.K. previously sent light aircraft carriers to Busan in 1992 and 1997.










Many nurses at various hospitals across India, hail from Kerala, with Malayalam being their native language. (Representational Photo:PTI)

New Delhi: A Delhi government hospital Saturday issued a circular asking its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work as "maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language" which it said causes a lot of inconvenience.

The circular issued by the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), one of the leading facilities here, has asked its nurses to use only Hindi and English for communication or face "strict action".

G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani claimed it was issued in pursuance of a complaint sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding use of Malayalam language at the hospital, while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".

The circular says, "A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patient and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience".

"So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. Otherwise serious action will be taken, it reads.

Ramchandani, also the secretary-general of Delhi Nurses Federation said, "As a language's name, Malayalam, has been inserted in the circular, many will take offence".

He also claimed that this circular was "consequent of the complaint filed by the patient" and "internally, there is no issue among the nurses and the administration".

Many nurses at various hospitals across India, hail from Kerala, with Malayalam being their native language.

The circular has drawn sharp criticism from other nursing unions too.
The village was fortified by the police to prevent people from entering the area since May 21, when more than 20,000 people had thronged the village for the medicine. (PTI file image)

Nellore: Even as the TD and the YSRC accused each other of creating hurdles in the distribution of the herbal concoction of B. Anandaiah of Krishnapatnam, Nellore, his brother Nagaraju allegedly distributed it to several people who came to the village on Sunday.

Police rushed to the spot and stopped this after some senior officials alerted them. In fact, the village was fortified by the police to prevent people from entering the area since May 21, when more than 20,000 people had thronged the village for the medicine.

However, people from places as far as Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Vijayawada managed to sneak into the village through neighbouring hamlets and started applying pressure on the Anandaiah family.

Nearly 30 to 40 people came from the north Andhra districts today and requested Nagaraju for the concoction. They mobbed him for medicine when he, moved by their persistent request, was about to give the herbal concoction, a follower of Anandaiah said, adding that the police rushed to the spot after noticing the commotion.

Anandaiahs close friend and former member of GGH, Nellore development committee, V. Sampath, said it is difficult for them to supply the formulation to the entire state without logistics support from the government.

He said they would distribute the medicine to the people of Sarvepalli constituency on Monday at the instance of Sarvepalli legislator Kakani Govardhan Reddy.
Within 24 hours of the child being born, the baby developed severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Paediatricians scanned its abdomen to find gangrene in the small intestine. (DC file photo)

HYDERABAD: Gangrene has been found in the small intestine of a newborn child in Kakinada, whose both parents had been asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19 virus.

Within 24 hours of the child being born, the baby developed severe vomiting

and diarrhoea. Paediatricians scanned its abdomen to find gangrene in the

small intestine. Surgery has been carried and the defective part removed.

Paediatricians in Hyderabad say that it could be one of the rare cases of

lowered cell immunity due to Coronavirus or an undetected defect which has

been missed.

The case has been recorded and will be submitted to the Indian Academy of

Paediatrics once the child recovers completely. Due to cases of intestinal gangrene observed in adults after recovery from Coronavirus in Rajkot, Gujarat, medical fraternity has been alert. The babys case in Kakinada thus has attracted attention.

Doctors questioned the couple as congenital disorders could also lead to

formation of gangrene in children. They found that the couple suffered from

Covid-19. Due to her advanced stage of pregnancy, doctors monitored her

online. The young woman delivered the child 20 days later.

The babys case is a very rare event. But it has been observed in a few

cases in the past.
There have been reports of many hospitals collecting enormous fee, mostly in cash, from persons they are treating. (Representational image: PTI)

KAKINADA: In aftermath of an Aarogyasri patient receiving refund of the excess amount collected by a private hospital in Kakinada from a Coronavirus patient, there is growing demand from patients and family members that extra amounts collected from them too be returned by private and corporate hospitals in East Godavari district.

In this regard, the role of nodal officers and Arogyamitras appointed by the government to oversee treatment of Covid-19 patients in these hospitals has come under question. These government-appointed persons have the responsibility of checking the quality of treatment being given at the hospital of which they have been made in charge, apart from ensuring that they are not charging amounts in excess of those stipulated for treatment.

However, there have been reports of many hospitals collecting enormous fee, mostly in cash, from persons they are treating. When officials started checking on this aspect after numerous complaints, a private hospital in Kakinada was found to have collected excessive treatment charges from a patient admitted to the hospital under Aarogyasri. Officials found that the hospital had indeed collected excessive fee. They fined the hospital Rs 22.5 lakh and de-notified it from Covid-19 treatment. They also made the hospital repay the excess amount collected from the patient.

Further, officials terminated the Arogyamitra appointed for this hospital on grounds that he did not inform higher officials about the hospital collecting excess fee. Arogyamitra employees condemned the dismissal and sought his reinstatement. They pointed out that the Arogyamitra had asked the son of Coronavirus patient whether he paid any excess amount to the hospital for treatment. The son said he had paid Rs 2 lakh. The Arogyamitra asked the person to give a written complaint and also took up the issue with the hospital management.

Meanwhile, relatives of the patient took up the matter with officials which led to Arogyamitras dismissal. AP Arogyamitra Employees Union chief adviser B. Roy pointed out that according to guidelines, unless there is a written complaint, Arogyamitras cannot take any action. Roy said dismissal of Arogyamitra will demoralise rest of the Arogyamitras who have been tirelessly working for doing justice to Aarogyasri patients, despite being paid meagre salaries. He demanded that the government reinstate the dismissed Arogyamitra immediately.

CITU leader P. Veerababu said in fact action should have been taken against the nodal officer concerned, who is expected to visit patients of the hospital two to three times a day and enquire about their health and whether they are being forced to pay in excess of government-fixed rates. Veerababu demanded that action be taken against the nodal officer of the hospital for failing miserably.

Social activist and Poura Samkshema Sangham president Dusarlapudi Ramana Raju said that an inquiry commission should be instituted with regard to all private hospitals that have collected excess fees from patients. Steps should be taken to ensure that such excess payments collected are returned to patients.

Ramana Raju charged that politicians are also involved in private hospitals collecting excessive fees. He said the inquiry commission should announce probe into excess fees collected by private hospitals, so that people could approach it and filed their complaints.
The GHMC had launched the scheme to reduce the financial burden on people performing the last rites of Covid-19 victims. It pressed into service 14 vehicles across the city to carry the bodies to crematoria, burial grounds or graveyards without charging any fee.

HYDERABAD: The Antim Yatra Rathamulu initiative that was launched by the GHMC to transport the bodies of those who died of Covid-19 has been receiving poor response from the kin of the victims. It could be considered as a classic case of misjudgement with regard to selection of vehicles for the purpose.

The corporation has provided a mini-lorry with a driver and support staff. The vehicle does not have a stretcher or any other equipment that can provide a decent final journey.

As a result, the victims kin or the civic body staff has to lift the body between four and five feet into the vehicle. Family members said it was disrespectful if bodies are carried in such vehicles.

The GHMC had launched the scheme to reduce the financial burden on people performing the last rites of Covid-19 victims. It pressed into service 14 vehicles across the city to carry the bodies to crematoria, burial grounds or graveyards without charging any fee.

Corporation authorities on May 24 said that bodies would be picked from hospitals as well as from homes. The authorities also appointed officials to monitor the scheme and issued a list of phone numbers. The service received many calls, and many people preferred it to the free ambulance service.

Sharing his experience, Navjot from Ramnagar said that at first his family opted for the free service provided by the GHMC. Upon calling the number provided by the corporation, a vehicle arrived within an hour.

We were shocked to see the vehicle. Firstly, it was very difficult to lift the body up to about five feet since none of them was ready to carry it fearing the Coronavirus. Secondly, the vehicle did not have a stretcher or anything to tie the body. Citing these, our family decided to use the free ambulance service", he said.

Swetha, from Uppal, said, It would be a great disrespect if my family members body is taken to the graveyard in such a vehicle. Even animal rescue vehicles are better equipped. The vehicles are more like Antim insult Rathamulu.

When Deccan Chronicle asked the official concerned about the probems, the official assured that the matter would be taken to the notice of the higher authorities.

The numbers to contact Antim Yatra Rathamulu

GHMCs Covid Control Room: 040 21111111.

GHMC control room number: 9154795942

LB Nagar Zone: 9100091941, 9701365515

Charminar Zone: 9440585704, 9849907742

Khairatabad Zone: 7995009080

Kukatpally Zone: 7993360308, 9515050849

Serilingampally Zone: 6309529286, 9989930253

Secunderabad Zone: 7993360302, 9100091948
Govt is consulting legal experts, aware of SC insistence on four weeks notification time for polls, which was not given in respect of the parishad polls. (Photo: PTI

VIJAYAWADA: The MPTC and the ZPTC candidates are on tenterhooks over their future in view of the High Court verdict to cancel the Parishad elections.

Nearly 20,000 candidates had contested the parishad elections for which polling was held on April 8. Opposition parties Telugu Desam and Jana Sena filed petitions in the HC, claiming violation of norms in conducting the elections and sought their cancellation. The HC verdict turned a big barrier to the candidates who expected to breeze through the elections as the main opposition TD boycotted them.

Polling was held for 515 ZPTC seats and 7,220 MPTC seats on April 8. As many as 2,058 candidates were in the fray of ZPTC elections while 16,782 contested in the MPTC elections. As many as 126 ZPTCs and 2,371 MTPCs were elected unanimously.

According to reports, the government spent nearly Rs 150 crore on the conduct of parishad elections.

Earlier, the TD and other opposition parties lodged complaints with the then State Election Commissioner, Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar, alleging that the YSRC government was misusing power and forcing candidates for unanimous elections, and demanded the cancellation of the whole election process. Ramesh Kumar deferred the elections, but conducted municipal and corporation elections. On March 24, he said that he was retiring on March 31 hence there was no time to conduct parishad elections and that the new SEC would carry out the task.

The new SEC, Nilam Sawhney, assumed charge on April 1 and issued a notification for parishad elections on April 8. The TD and the Jana Sena took objection to the notification and approached the High Court single bench which gave a stay order on April 6. The government claimed that as the election process already started with the municipal and the corporation elections, there was no need for four weeks' time for parishad polling.

The AP government challenged the stay order in the division bench which gave permission to conduct parishad elections, but did not give permission for the counting of votes. Later, the High Court gave its verdict cancelling the Parishad elections and ordering fresh polls which shattered hopes of MPTC and ZPTC candidates easily winning the elections.

Those who contested the MPTC and the ZPTC polls hoped that the government would appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court.

MPTC candidates Venkateswarlu and others said that the process started in 2020, polling was held in 2021 and now they have to face fresh elections which turned into a big worry. They lamented that presently the Corona second wave was surging and would not allow fresh elections. They said that the parishad elections were conducted smoothly and the fresh elections would be a huge financial burden hence the government should find an amicable resolution through filing appeals in the court.

Sources say the government is presently concentrating on the containment of Coronavirus through curfew and other measures. It is in a fix to go for appeal in the Supreme Court, apprehensive of a negative response as the SC had itself suggested the four weeks norm. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and other leaders are consulting legal experts on the HC verdict on the parishad elections and would act on their advice once the Covid-19 situation eases in the state.
President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook pay their silent respects during the 66th Memorial Day ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery in Seoul, June 6. Yonhap



President Moon Jae-in offered a public apology Sunday apparently over the recent death of a female Air Force officer, who had been sexually assaulted by a male colleague.



"I am very sorry to the people over such an evil practice in the barracks culture that led to the tragic and unjust death," he said during his Memorial Day speech at the Seoul National Cemetery.



The president stopped short of elaborating, but it was clear he was referring to the noncommissioned officer. She was sexually assaulted in a car in early March and soon reported the case to some of her seniors. But they allegedly attempted to cover it up. She was found dead at her official residence in late May in an apparent suicide.



Moon also cited media reports of poor meals for troops. He pledged efforts to address the problem of such evil practices, not just for the human rights of soldiers but also for their morale and national security.



In veterans affairs, he stressed, it is important to protect the human rights and daily lives of those who are dedicating themselves for the nation.



Moon also said South Korea will gear up for another "big step" in the Korea peace process with a robust alliance with the United States confirmed in his recent summit with President Joe Biden.



He also declared a plan for his government to cope more proactively with the changing international order and security conditions on the basis of the alliance.



He mentioned some major agreements reached during the May 21 White House summit.



"We agreed that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and permanent peace," he said. "(The government) will prepare to take a big step again for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and permanent peace."



The two sides also agreed to develop the alliance as a "more comprehensive" one, he pointed out. (Yonhap)


Rama Rao repeated his request that the Centre procure the nearly 50 crore vaccine doses lying unused in the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway. (Photo: Twitter @MinisterKTR)

HYDERABAD: The age-group-wise approach to Covid19 vaccination implemented by the central government was a strategic error, and so were the Centres vaccine procurement and distribution policies, state minister K.T. Rama Rao has said.

Answering a spate of questions related to Covid-19 vaccination on Twitter, Rama Rao said instead of following the age-category-wise vaccination, the Telangana state government has begun vaccinating high exposure  high risk occupational categories irrespective of their age in both urban and rural areas.

He said it was the Central governments inability in procuring Covid-19 vaccine doses that placed India in its current predicament as the demand far outstripped the supply. Asked when everyone in Telangana state will get vaccinated, he said: The problem is vaccine supply versus demand gap. We have the ability to vaccinate more than 10 lakh people a day but the constraints on vaccine supplies are hampering its brisk progress.

Criticising the Central government, Rama Rao said, Counting up all vaccine deals per capita, Canada has procured nearly nine doses per person. While all of this was happening, the Union Govt was pushing Vaccine Maitri and promoting vaccine exports from India.

He also said that while all other countries were placing orders for vaccines back in the first half of 2020, the Indian government woke up late. Our orders were placed in January 2021.

Rama Rao repeated his request that the Centre procure the nearly 50 crore vaccine doses lying unused in the US, Canada, Denmark and Norway. The central government would do well to start a dialogue immediately, procure these and allot them to the states, he said.

When a netizen asked, Where is my vaccine?, Rama Rao said: Ask the Govt of India that bungled up & created this situation where states are pitted against one another & against the pvt sector. They didnt place orders when they had to & even now dont want to call for a single tender for the entire country.

He added: When the states reach out to vaccine manufacturers, they are clearly saying they would rather deal with one entity, the Govt of India, which unfortunately seems to have no urgency to go for a global procurement & supply to all Indian states.
Freedom day is supposed to be June 21, and we are longing to get out of this cycle of lockdowns. But of course, things can never be so simple when you are dealing with a mutating virus. Will we actually be able to walk out on that day and do what we used to before the virus attack last year? Or will Freedom day arrive with a set of rules once again? There is a scramble to get as many vaccinated as possible  and particularly the 18 plus. It is possible that the time between the two vaccines might be reduced from 12 to eight weeks.

Everything depends on the number of infections of course. One can only hope! Already there is talk that the Freedom Day may be shifted to July 5, so it is getting more and more difficult to plan too far in advance.

Canny, clever Carrie Symonds has once again come up with a winning strategy to deflect any criticism against her. She organised her own surprise wedding at the beautiful Westminster Cathedral  and to ensure that this would be the much-married Prime Ministers final nuptial ceremony, it was a Catholic ceremony, as in the Catholic faith divorces are practically impossible. For someone who had been a live-in girlfriend and an unwed mother  this  return to the Church private ceremony was sufficiently old fashioned to melt the hardest hearts.

I must confess that I have always liked her spunk, and the fact that she can outwit most other people. To throw everyone off the scent, she had sent out save-the-date invitations for next year just earlier last month  so that the media would think that the wedding would be much later. The ceremony on the Bank Holiday weekend had only a few family members attending  amid claims that even the Prime Ministers children from his previous marriages/relationships were not invited.

But the real game changer was the long white dress that the bride wore. As always, the moment the photographs were published, fashionistas began their research and it was discovered that this was a dress which cost a little less than 3,000 pounds. But within minutes, all dresses, of all sizes, in that style were immediately sold out. And then  there was yet another surprise! Carrie, herself, had not bought the dress  she had merely hired it! All for 45, for a few days from a website, My Wardrobe HQ. The company later said that since she often hires clothes from them, no red alerts flashed when she asked for this dress.

That is the smartest thing she has ever done, especially after the impression some in the media have been trying to create that the newlyweds were living beyond their means, often requesting rich donors to support them, be it holidays or refurbishments. But this was thrifty move. And that made one wonder why so many of us have always thought of getting a brand new wedding dress (or in my case, saree)  when in reality you only wear it once!

Taking the idea forward, she has also (if media reports can be believed) hired more formal dresses and coats for the G7 summit! Let us hope they once again publish the hiring rates  as this will certainly lead to decreased unnecessary consumption, and maybe reversal of climate change!

While the dress created its own media frenzy  many people were wondering how did the PM manage to convince the Church that his previous marriages did not matter, and he could be married in a Catholic ceremony?

More or less since Henry the Eighth (the other one with many wives) broke with Rome because the Catholic Church would not grant him a divorce, no English Prince or Prime Minister has taken to the Catholic Church for marriage while in office!

And meanwhile, the terrible two, Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex still managed to remain in the news. Their move to the US has made not a jot of difference, to the British media. This time the excitement is over their second child, a daughter  expected to arrive this week. So the race for guessing-the-name has begun, with bets being placed in two countries, the UK and the US. The most popular choice seems to be Diana (after Harrys late mother) but it could also be Pip, to honour Prince Philip, who recently passed away. The baby may also arrive on Prince Philips birthday. Another popular choice is Lily, after the Queen. The latter two are certainly unconventional names. But then what can you expect from a couple who names their first child Archie? Perhaps they would like to create a bridge of names between UK and the US.
Throughout the past seven years the government has used all means necessary to rupture the federal structure of the country. (Photo: PTI/File)

The NDA/BJP governments seven years tenure has been underpinned by a hodgepodge of grandiloquent pronouncements. If one were to obtusely believe the NDA/BJP then India has eradicated the scourge of a parallel economy post demonetisation. Is now Atmanirbhar courtesy a new wave of production by the domestic industries that has put an end to excessive foreign dependence. All the wolf warriors of the Chinese have been exterminated and the war against the Covid-19 pandemic was won in January 2021 itself in Davos.

Economy

The Indian economy has tanked to its worst performing levels. Even pre-pandemic growth had halved to four per cent in 2019-20. In 2013-14, the size of the Indian economy was 1.86 trillion dollars. In 2020-21 it stands at 1.85 trillion dollars. By way of comparison China is a 16.64 trillion economy. All the fundamentals namely savings, consumption investment and employment are severely stressed. The unemployment rate is at a 45-year high. Per capita income is expected to dip by an unprecedented 5.4 per cent, from 1.34 lakh in the previous year to 1.27 lakh in the current year. The Cumulative Fiscal Deficit of the Union government for 2019-20/201-21 is 33.55 lakh crores. With seven of the largest PSUs being valued below par and put on the chopping block, the government now plans to sell the family silver to bridge an unparalleled deficit budget.

It has now become clear how completely hollow all the tall claims of Atmanirbharta were. India now ignominiously depends on foreign assistance to surmount health emergencies. We have even accepted food aid from Kenya. One can but help recall that even in the wake of a cataclysmic tsunami in 2004 Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh refused to accept any foreign relief.

Institutional integrity

Erosion of institutional integrity has been the hallmark of the NDA/BJP government. From the CBI and the Election Commission to the Reserve Bank of India and even the higher judiciary, all face a crisis of credibility further widening the state-citizen trust deficit. The worst sufferer of this has been the temple of Indian democracy  Indias Parliament. No Indian Prime Minister has ignored Parliament so contemptuously as Prime Minister Modi has.

In order to circumvent Parliament, the NDA/BJP government has often followed the ordinance route. In its seven years the current government has pushed more ordinances than any other government in a five-year term since 1952. Even the number of bills that have been referred to parliamentary committees have shrunk dramatically with zero bills being recommended in 2020. If that was not enough, government found egregious ways of further undermining the remit of Parliament by classifying key pieces of legislation as money bills.

All this while the government wallows in quantifying parliament productivity by passing several bills in a single day. What value do these quantifications hold when the essence of democracy, i.e. serious deliberations discussions and questioning of the government on key issues has been severely proscribed.

Social cohesion

During the seven years in power the NDA/BJP government has turned the idea of India on its head. This government does not believe in the founding values of the Indian state and has used all means necessary to create a majoritarian ethos.

It started with an assault on the freedom to eat, to dress as you like, to think, to express and most importantly the freedom to live your life without fear or intimidation. With extortionate amount of money being funnelled into building false storylines fundamental freedoms have been systematically subverted.

The anti-CAA protests showed that a small but determined group can speak truth to power. The Prime Ministers silence on the subsequent Delhi Riots was deafening. When the three farm laws pushed agriculture into the free market without even an iota of concern for the small and marginal farmer the world is witness to the largest and longest peaceful agitation by the farmers.

Throughout the past seven years the government has used all means necessary to rupture the federal structure of the country. A total of nine state governments have been brought down by the BJP using unethical means. By destabilising states ruled by Opposition parties the BJP has time and again demonstrated contempt for the peoples mandate. States have been left to fend for themselves in times of national crises. The recent vaccination fiasco being a striking example.

For the Modi government it is cooperative federalism on paper and a non-operative federalism in reality.

Internal security

This government had projected itself to be a strong decision-making government, which would accord national security number one priority. But in terms of action the nation has not seen anything substantive. The Naga Accord, is in the doldrums and one knows if it exists or has vanished. Left-wing extremism has grown by leaps and bounds. Maoism and militancy, besides claiming lives of our jawans is also eating into the finances of the country. Mob lynchings and anti-religious conversion laws have attacked the very fundamental of the rights of citizens. Even the abrogation of Article 370 has had little positive impact on Jammu & Kashmir whilst institutionalising a sense of alienation and fear. Overall the government struggled to come to terms with domestic insurgencies, modernising the military and deterring potential threats from Pakistan and China.

External relations

The NDA/BJP governments cynical use of foreign policy as an exercise in personal brand building has had catastrophic consequences for the nation. At the time of writing this article the Chinese havent vacated illegally occupied Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh. Any hope of return to status quo ante seems beyond the capacity of the current dispensation now that India has given up its tactical advantage on the Kailash heights. The spirits of Wuhan and Mamallapuram are long dead  a consequence of foreign policy becoming individual centric and being run in an ad-hoc manner rather than based on any strategic coherence.

The governments dealing with Pakistan in the last seven years has been characterised by U-turns, flip-flops and somersaults. This has precluded any possibility of a nuanced engagement with Islamabad.With Indias rankings across several global indices falling severely, the MEA has gone over the top with the narrative of interference in the internal democratic processes, conveniently overlooking that our head of the government had once canvassed for Donald Trump abki baar Trump sarkar.

It is evident that the NDA government has failed in maintaining a balance between the United States, Russia, China and the European Union with foreign policy focussing on Modi first and India later.

The last seven years has unfortunately been a cacophony of mendacities. The NDA/BJP government has failed the people of India. The fantasy of Acche Din stands eviscerated. Today this country is humming an old Hindi melody albeit under its breath  Koi Lauta De Mera Beeta Hua Din.

The author is a lawyer, Member of Parliament and former Union information and broadcasting minister. The views expressed are personal. Twitter handle @manishtewari.
Swarthmore, PA (19081)

Today

Some early morning breaks in the overcast, otherwise cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Heat advisory: Temperatures to soar into upper 90s the next few days
Highlights of this day in history: The D-Day invasion of World War II; Israel invades Lebanon to drive out Yasser Arafat; Remains of fugitive Nazi doctor Josef Mengele exhumed in Brazil; First drive-in theater opens in Camden, N.J. (June 6)
President Moon Jae-in meets the family of an Air Force officer, who died in an apparent suicide following alleged sexual assault by a colleague, at her funeral in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, June 6. Yonhap



President Moon Jae-in on Sunday met with the bereaved families of a female Air Force officer, sexually assaulted by a male colleague, and apologized to them for failing to protect her.



Moon headed to her funeral home shortly after attending a national ceremony to mark the 66th Memorial Day. The annual event was held at Seoul National Cemetery.



Speaking to the victim's parents at Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, just south of the capital, the president said he was sorry that the country had failed to protect her, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.






County

County Council amends code to provide for Board of Managers of Juvenile Detention
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The wonderful family business, Jinnys Bakery, is looking to treat your family to a two night stay in their charming traditional Irish Red Door Cottages which are found overlooking Acres Lake and its floating boardwalk and the Shannon Blueway in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim.

Home to the best soda bread in Ireland, you will also be treated to a welcome pack of delicious goodies from Jinnys' Bakery and Tearooms on your arrival.

This family run business has much to celebrate at the moment and they want share a little of the joy with you!

Baking bread is a family thing and has been for generations of Irish families. Its something we did with our Mams and Nans and the scent of bread baking can transport us back to when we were knee-high to a grass hopper begging to be allowed to stir the bowl, knead the dough or have the first slice!

For Jinnys Bakery, baking bread certainly is a family thing. Run by husband and wife team  Pascal and Sinead (Jinny) Gillard, Jinnys bakery has grown to a team of 11 people supplying brands like SuperValu, Centra, Tesco, Gala and Independent retailers in 70 locations nationwide.

Great News for this Leitrim Bakery - For the second year running, Jinnys has been shortlisted for the Grow with Aldi programme in partnership with Board Bia. This means that from June 6th  19th, their delicious Jinnys Stout Bread Mix which proved hugely popular during the programme last year, will make its return. It will sit beside Jinnys brand new Porridge Oat Bread Mix which launches this week and will also be available in all 145 Aldi stores nationwide.

Like many small businesses Jinnys Bakery has had to think differently to get through Covid 19. Part of that adaption is diversifying their product so it can travel and have a longer shelf life  hence the focus and development of their Bread Mix range. Their stout bread was awarded the Best soda bread in Ireland at the Irish Quality Food Awards in 2019. John and Sally McKennas Irish Food Guide described us as one of the great Irish BakeriesJust try a slice of that Irish Stout Bread and succumb to its tartness, its subdued sweetness, its classy confidence.

If like many Irish people you were reared on home-baked bread but just cant seem to get it right or if you love that nostalgic and warm feeling of the scent of bread baking in the oven but dread the baking part? You will love the Jinnys Bakery Bread Mix packs. They take just 2 mins to prepare and when done, youll have 2 delicious home-baked loaves to share or silently devour! Jinnys bread mixes are wholesome with no artificial colours nor preservatives, they are naturally yeast free with no added sugar. And they will fill your home with the wonderful scent and warmth of home baking!

To Celebrate Jinnys Bakery would like to give you the chance to win a family staycation!

Jinnys Bakery and Tea Rooms are found on the site of the Red Door Cottages (https://selfcateringleitrim.ie/) also owned and managed by Sinead and Pascal.

To celebrate the launch of their new Porridge Oat Bread Mix and their success in being short listed for the Grow with ALDI programme there is a weekend staycation getaway to the charming Red Door Cottages, in beautiful Drumshanbo with delicious Jinnys Bakery welcome pack to be WON!

To enter: Follow Jinnys Bakery on Facebook (jinnys Bakery & Tearooms) or Instagram (jinnysbakery.tearooms) and privately message Jinnys with the name of the new Jinnys Bread Mix with is launching this week in your local Aldi store.

Terms and conditions

Subject to availability

Based on two adults + 2 Children sharing

No cash alternative

Valid June 2021-June 2022

Closing date Midnight Sunday, June 13

Prize includes, accommodation (2 nights) in the traditional Red Door Cottages and Jinnys Bakery and TeaRooms Welcome Pack on arrival.

For more information see the following links

https://www.instagram.com/jinnysbakery.tearooms/

https://www.facebook.com/JinnysBakery

The Red Door Cottages - https://selfcateringleitrim.ie/
Abhinav Shukla Drops The Sweetest Comment On Rubinas Post; Gauahar-Zaid Dance To Their Wedding Song

Rubina Dilaik and Abhinav Shukla are missing each other quite a lot ever since the latter jetted off to Cape Town, South Africa to participate in season 11 of stunt reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi. While fans eagerly wait for their reunion, they cant stop gushing over their PDA on social media. Well, today the Shakti actress shared gorgeous pictures of herself in an ethnic outfit and her husband Abhinav was left in awe! He dropped the sweetest message in the comment section which read: My Beautiful .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rubina Dilaik (@rubinadilaik)

Well, Rubina and Abhinav are not the only star couple who left us falling in love with them today. Bigg Boss 14s toofani senior Gauahar Khan and her husband Zaid Darbar are celebrating almost 6 months of marriage. On the special occasion, the couple shared a heartwarming clip in which they are dancing to their wedding song Har Kisi Ko Nahi Milta Yahan Pyaar Zindagi Mein. In the caption, Zaid wrote: Tell us your wedding song , this was one of ours . . #Us almost six months Ma sha Allah . @gauaharkhan  #Gaza.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zaid Darbar (@zaid_darbar)

After leaving fans in awe with their magical pre-wedding photoshoot, Gauahar and Zaid got married on 25th December, Christmas, last year. Even before they tied the knot, the two were dance partners who won hearts with their frequent videos on social media. We wish them all the happiness and a forever to go!
Ranbir Kapoor And Shraddha Kapoors Rom Com To Resume In June; Team Will Travel To Spain Later This Year

Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor have joined hands for the very first time and fans are super excited to see them together in Luv Ranjans upcoming rom com. The project went on floors earlier this year in Noida but the second wave of the pandemic played a villain in their story. The next schedule was supposed to begin in the month of May but that couldnt happen due to the governments guidelines and the lockdown. Well, according to latest buzz, the team will now resume shooting this month.

A report shared by Mid Day states that the untitled rom com will go on floors again on June 20th. A source was quoted saying, The upcoming schedule is important as Luv intends to film the emotional scenes, featuring the leads, and Dimple Kapadia and Boney Kapoor who play Ranbirs parents. After the schedule was cancelled due to the lockdowns in Noida and Mumbai, Luv and co-producer Ankur Garg went back to the drawing board and reworked everyones dates. The June leg will be conducted in either Delhi or Uttar Pradesh, depending on where the restrictions are lifted as they require live locations.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shraddha  (@shraddhakapoor)

The source further revealed that Spain forms the backdrop for a small portion of the film, so the team will travel to the European country in September after wrapping up all the scenes in India. Well, lets hope Ranbir and Shraddhas film releases on the decided date, which is sometime in March 2022. Are you looking forward to the rom com?
There Is Evidence Against Pearl V Puri Says DCP, After Ekta Kapoor Vouches For The Actor's Innocence In Rape Case

Pearl V Puri who was arrested by the Mumbai Police on Friday night on rape charges has support pouring in from his colleagues in the television industry. The actor has been accused of raping a 5-year-old two years ago. While producer Ekta Kapoor claims that she spoke with the victims mother who says Pearl is not involved in the case, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vasai while speaking to the press refuted such claims and said that there is evidence against the actor.

An F.I.R was filed by the victims father against Pearl and the actor after being present before the Vasai court was sent into judicial custody for 14 days. "No, the accusations are not false. His name has come up in the investigation. There is evidence against him. That is why police has arrested him. The truth will be decided in the trial, the DCP said in a press conference. The video of which has been shared on Twitter.

DCP STATEMENT on minor girl case pic.twitter.com/E7MmI8AePa   (@_Listzomaniac) June 5, 2021

After various calls with the childs/girls mother, who openly said that Pearl was not involved and its her husband trying to create stories to keep her child and prove that a working mother on a set cannot take care of her kid. If this is true then it is wrong on so many levels! Using an extremely important movement like Me Too frivolously, to get your own agendas met with and mentally torturing a child and making an innocent person guilty. I have no right to decide, the courts will decide who is right & wrong, Ekta Kapoor had written in her post supporting the Naagin 3 actor on Instagram on Saturday.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Erkrek (@ektarkapoor)

A FIR was registered under IPC section 376 AB (rape of woman below 12 years of age) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act at Waliv police station in Vasai against the TV actor. In judicial custody for the time being, Pearl is likely to apply for bail on Monday in court.
Ruling and opposition parties are working to pass a bill to expand the substitute holiday system, with expectations that the expansion could contribute to economic revitalization. gettyimagesbank



By Jun Ji-hye



The National Assembly is moving fast to pass a bill to expand the substitute holiday system that would provide extra days off if public holidays fall on a weekend.



Currently, the country's substitute holiday system guarantees an extra day off only when the two biggest holidays of Seollal and Chuseok  Lunar New Year and Korean Thanksgiving  fall on Sundays, or Children's Day falls on a weekend.



Assembly officials said Sunday that a bill aimed at expanding the system could be passed at the Assembly this month at the earliest as ruling and opposition parties have reached a broad consensus on the issue.



Lawmakers expect the expansion to help economic recovery at a time when the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has slowed economic activities.



The move is also in response to growing calls from workers to expand substitute holidays as public holidays in the latter half of this year, such as Memorial Day on June 6, Liberation Day on Aug. 15, National Foundation Day on Oct. 3 and Christmas on Dec. 25, fall on either Saturdays or Sundays.



The number of holidays including Sundays and public holidays here in 2018 stood at 69, but was reduced to 64 this year.



Things will be similar next year as six out of 15 public holidays fall on a weekend.



Rep. Seo Young-kyo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who heads the Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, said, "We are actively considering passing the bill to expand the substitute holiday system as it is expected to contribute to economic revitalization amid many difficulties in the pandemic era."



Officials said there has been no disagreement between the ruling party and the main opposition People Power Party on the need to expand the system.



Several bills regarding the expansion have already been submitted to the Assembly, including one by Rep. Kang Byung-won from the ruling party. Kang's bill calls for providing an extra day off to workers for every public holiday that falls on a weekend.



Discussions on whether to introduce more substitute holidays have continued here for over a decade, considering that South Korean workers work far longer hours than people in other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries.



According to OECD statistics, South Korea ranked second after Mexico in terms of annual working hours per employee  a Korean worked 1,967 hours a year as of 2019, 241 hours more than the OECD average of 1,726 hours. Mexicans worked 2,137 hours.



But it remains to be seen how many more substitute holidays will be provided as businesses are expressing opposition based on concerns that granting more holidays could result in a drop in productivity and an increase in expenses.


Duncan, OK (73533)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low around 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
In the market for a "forever home" or a holiday hideaway?

Check out this detached four-bedroom dormer bungalow in the wilds of Donegal.

It goes under the hammer at the BidX1 auction on June 25 with a guide price of just 68,000.

The property is located approximately 4km from Glenties town centre and has stunning views of woodland and mountains.

The bungalow is on a generous site of three-quarters of an acre.

Local amenities in the area include the Highlands Hotel, Glenties Health Centre and Scoil Mhuire National School together with a range of shops, bars and restaurants available in Glenties town centre and nearby Donegal town.

Transport links include regular bus routes (991, 492), the R250 and N56 national road.






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President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a Memorial Day ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery, Sunday. Moon offered a public apology over the recent death of a female Air Force non-commissioned officer who committed suicide after allegedly being sexually assaulted. Following the ceremony, Moon visited her funeral altar to offer condolences to her family. Yonhap
Where are the best places to shop? Who gives the best haircut? Who cooks the best burger? Join our readers in selecting the "Best of Windham."

Make your picks!
Lawrence - Madeleine "Maddy" (Waye Descoteaux Brown), 87, passed away on April 5, 2020. Maddy was born to Irene and Charles Waye in Nashua, N.H., on December 17, 1932. She was predeceased by her parents; a brother Charles Waye; and husbands, Louis G. Descoteaux of Nashua, N.H., and George Br
SANTA FE  The New Mexico Department of Transportation is recognizing today as "Secure Your Load Day," as part of a public awareness campaign encouraging citizens to be cognizant of cargo and prevent roadway litter and crashes.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a 20-pound object that falls from a vehicle traveling 55 miles per hour strikes with an impact of a 1,000 pounds. Data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration credited unsecured loads and road debris with 739 deaths, more than 17,000 injuries and nearly 90,000 property damage crashes in 2019.

New Mexico law requires drivers to secure their loads or face a $300 fine for dropping trash or debris on state roadways. The NMDOT estimates it accrued nearly 89,000 labor hours last year picking up road debris at a taxpayer expense of $3.2 million.

Information: secureyourload.com
The state of New Mexico continues to lead the country as the most efficient distributor of the COVID-19 vaccines, state representatives said in their latest semi-weekly gating criteria update Wednesday.

Health Secretary Tracie C. Collins said 65.7% of the 16 and older population have received one shot of the vaccine, and 56% of New Mexicans in that age category have been fully vaccinated.

All counties are now coded turquoise and will remain there barring exceptional circumstances for the duration of the states use of the color coded system.

A release prior to the Wednesday webinar said the state confirmed just 380 new COVID-19 cases between Saturday and Tuesday  less than half the gating criteria benchmark of 210 per day.

The color-coded system measures counties every two weeks on the benchmarks of 10 daily cases per 100,000 people, 7.5% test positivity or lower and vaccination rates that increase with each passing week. Turquoise counties meet all three benchmarks, while green counties meet two, yellow counties meet one and red counties meet none.

Had the state measured counties under this framework, 28 counties would have been operating at the turquoise level while five counties  including Roosevelt and De Baca  would have moved back to the yellow designation.

Our goal is to have 60 percent vaccinated by June 30, Collins said. Once this mark has been reached, the state will graduate from the red-yellow-green-turquoise county color system.

To schedule an appointment to get a vaccine shot, go to vaccinenm.org. She said the vaccine is free to everyone and you dont need a Social Security number or government ID to receive one.

As a state, we do not share immigration status information with the federal government, she said. Vaccine sites are safe.

State Epidemiologist Christine Ross discussed the COVID-19 breakthrough infection, which is when a person tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 more than 14 days after completing an FDA authorized series (and more than 90 days after a previous positive lab test.)

Among the cases we investigate, not all will turn out to be true breakthrough cases to decipher if this is a new infection, Ross said.

Although the three vaccines are highly effective, they are expecting some breakthrough infections. No vaccine is 100 percent effective but they are a critical tool to bringing this under control.

If a breakthrough infection occurs, the vaccine likely will reduce the severity of the illness the person experiences, she said.

Breakthrough infections are extremely rare and do not favor any particular demographic group of people, she added.

Nearly all new COVID cases resulting in hospitalizations or deaths are among persons who are unvaccinated, she said. Please New Mexico, get your COVID vaccine as soon as you can.

The number of new cases is at its lowest point since September, she said.

Human Services Department Secretary David Scrase said COVID is still spreading more rapidly among the unvaccinated.

You are fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and the first of the Johnson vaccine, Scrase said.

For those who are unvaccinated, a public health order requiring wearing masks is still in effect, he said.
New Mexicos Public Education Department is striving to change the required standards for social studies. The last time our social studies standards were revised was in the 1990s.

Before the 1990s revision, the average student was pretty much aware of at least our basic history and where we came from as a nation. Most students had an appreciation of our freedoms, the people in our past who help give us these freedoms and the process of addressing where we werent living up to the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. In general, we were proud and thankful to live in America, all the while knowing that we werent perfect.

I have been a history teacher in the public schools for 28 years. In that time I have seen less and less actual history and more and more politically correct propaganda in public education. This is why we now have millions of students who have no idea about our history and think America is an evil racist country.

This is why you see statues of Abraham Lincoln torn down or defaced in the name of racism simply because he was a white man. These youth have no idea who Lincoln was or that he freed the slaves and put us on the path for equal rights. Americans of note have their faults greatly magnified and their accomplishments stricken from the record (revisionist history).

Now it feels like the PED wants to put what has been happening since the 90s into warp speed. If successful, then everything I have mentioned will get worse. It will be unashamedly indoctrinating our children with WOKE propaganda that we hear of in California and New York. These toxic ideas will be taught to nearly every child in every classroom in New Mexico, as most teachers willingly or under duress will teach directly what the standards say  truthful or not, accurate or not, slanted or not. Whatever the PED has in the standards will be regurgitated to our children.

Some of the key words and ideas being presented and discussed in the proposed standards are: class conflict, social justice, Eurocentric power and oppression, LGBTQ addressed instruction, gender variances etc. These would begin in some form or another in kindergarten. No actual history would be covered until fifth grade and then only minimally. Even in high school when history is more focused there is only so much class time. The more we teach the ideas mentioned above the less time we have to teach about actual facts, major historical figures, major historical events, history in context, etc.

Several of these subjects are for parents to address with their children  not the public school!

The PED stated it wants us to do Whats right for students of New Mexico. My question is this: Right in whose eyes? The parents or the PED?

Please contact the PED, your legislators etc. if you are concerned about this agenda.

Wade Fraze teaches in Portales Municipal Schools. Contact him at:

[email protected]
The architect of Oregons vaccine lottery on using games for social good
By Arthur I. Cyr





The meeting on May 21 between President Joe Biden of the United States and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea was a significant event, characterized by the relative absence of media coverage. The conversations between these two highly experienced leaders were extensive, but not public, which is how the best most effective diplomacy is conducted.



Media attention focused on the presentation of the Medal of Honor to retired U.S. Army Colonel Ralph Puckett, in an award ceremony attended by President Moon. This is the first time the head of a foreign government has attended the special ceremony. Puckett had received the Distinguished Service Cross, now upgraded, for extraordinary heroism and leadership during heavy combat in the Korean War.



Over the past four years, Moon appeared overshadowed by the public posturing and often-extreme statements of President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. Trump and Kim held several "summits" with exceptional media attention, statements about breakthroughs and promises of progress in the tense relations between the two nations. Nothing consequential resulted.



Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Moon has worked diligently to try to improve long-hostile relations with North Korea, and assert effective leadership more widely in Asia. Moon and Kim met in April 2018, following earlier summits between the heads of the two Koreas in 2000 and 2007. Unlike the first two, there was no advance public announcement, another good indicator that serious business was discussed.



At the end of 2018, the influential Asia News Network named President Moon "Person of the Year." South Korea's chief executive quite rightly is praised for serving as initiator, broker, and mediator between the U.S. and North Korea, important in bringing the two national leaders together. This accomplishment is too easily oversimplified and minimized.



Moon insisted on meeting with the North Korea delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics, held in PyeongChang, South Korea. The group included Kim's sister, an influential figure in the bizarre regime.



President Moon Jae-in personifies in important ways the dimensions of his nation's political development. He was sworn in as chief executive on May 10, 2017, following a special election. From the very start, he emphasized relations with North Korea



Moon took office in a time of tension and uncertainty on both sides of the 38th Parallel, the border that divides Korea into north and south. South Korea had just experienced the ordeal of impeachment and removal from office of a sitting president, Park Geun-hye. North Korea greeted the inauguration of a new president in South Korea by launching a new long-range missile, the Hwasong-12, four days later.



As a youth, Moon was imprisoned for political activism. Later, he became a human rights lawyer. He also served in the Republic of Korea army special forces, and saw action in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th Parallel.



The brutal Korean War of 1950-53 cemented very strong ties between our two nations. During the Vietnam War, South Korea maintained 50,000 troops in South Vietnam. This in turn provides a strong foundation for any future diplomatic or strategic initiatives aimed at North Korea or more widely.



United Nations economic sanctions are clearly hurting North Korea, including the ruling clique. There are tangible reasons to pursue rapprochement with the South  and the U.S.



Washington policymakers should publicly applaud President Moon's mature leadership. On the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. should encourage Moon to lead, while advising our ally. We are on strong ground





Arthur I. Cyr(acyr@carthage.edu)is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War" (NYU and Palgrave/Macmillan).


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The Eiffel Tower is illuminated in Paris, Tuesday, May 25, 2021. France is putting itself back on the menu as a destination for international tourists who have had coronavirus jabs. The relaxed rules will kick in from Wednesday, offering a boost for France's tourism sector. Tourism will still not be possible from countries wrestling with virus surges and worrisome variants, including India, South Africa and Brazil. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
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
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Have a question about this story? Do you see something we missed? Do you have a story idea for Violet? Send an email to violeth@enidnews.com.
By Joschka Fischer





BERLIN  In addition to a pandemic, this decade has already been overshadowed by the return of great power rivalries. Few developments could be more threatening to world peace. Three world wars  two of them hot, one cold  during the 20th century highlighted the danger of high-stakes geopolitical competition.







To many observers, the era of great power rivalry appeared to end once and for all with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. But this assumption proved to be one of the gravest errors of the post-Cold War period (a time that abounded with momentous blunders and misconceptions).







U.S. political elites' presumption of global empire  of a truly unilateral moment in world history  could not be sustained. Nor could the "eternal peace" anticipated by Europeans following the "end of History" in 1989, when Western liberal democracy and the market economy supposedly triumphed over all the alternatives.







On the contrary, the decades since the end of the Cold War have been marked by a loss of international order. As the last remaining global power, the United States exhausted itself in pointless wars in Mesopotamia and the Hindu Kush, and has since become increasingly self-absorbed.







The international system that America built after World War II began to disintegrate, leaving power vacuums that other powers  Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia  sought to fill. Worse, the risk of nuclear proliferation suddenly returned to the fore as smaller regional powers began to pursue arsenals of their own.







Moreover, it was during the past decade that China emerged as a global power capable of challenging the incumbent hegemon. The new rivalry materialized fully following Donald Trump's election to the U.S. presidency in 2016. America started pursuing a narrowly nationalist agenda, and chaos within the global system increasingly emanated from the top.







Nowhere was the resulting power vacuum more palpable than in the Middle East. The U.S. had ended its expensive and absurd war in Iraq and then gone on to defeat the Islamic State in Syria. Having become self-reliant in energy terms tapping domestic shale oil and gas, America set its sights on a fuller military withdrawal from the region.







Iran, meanwhile, was standing ready to exploit the U.S. departure. It soon ended up in an escalating struggle with Saudi Arabia, the Gulf emirates, and Israel for regional hegemony, fueling a horrific proxy war in Yemen.







In addition to openly signaling its intent to withdraw the U.S. from the region, the Trump administration also abandoned America's traditional role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For decades, successive U.S. administrations had pushed for a two-state solution and a fair compromise between Israel and the Palestinians, even while remaining wholly committed to protecting Israel. But the Trump administration backed Israel fully and unconditionally, creating the impression that the Palestinians no longer had any role to play.







The Trump administration's approach to the issue, together with the danger emanating from Iran, did lead to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and four Arab states, including two  the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain  in the Gulf. But with the latest armed confrontation between Hamas and Israel, the fantasy in which the Palestinians could simply be sidelined forever has been dispelled.







The latest conflict has included violent clashes on the Temple Mount around the al-Aqsa mosque, and, unlike in previous episodes, between Jewish and Arab citizens in mixed cities across the Israeli heartland. Four lessons should be drawn while the current cease-fire holds.







First, even if a two-state solution hardly seems realistic anymore, its political renunciation will lead more or less directly to a highly charged confrontation. Second, Palestinians and Arab Israelis will not simply stand by and allow themselves to be ignored in regional political settlements. Third, the Israeli occupation cannot be continued indefinitely. And, lastly, the U.S. cannot simply abandon the region out of a lack of interest, at least not if it wants to maintain its role as the leading global power.







The return of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has exposed the real distribution of power in the Middle East. Notwithstanding all of the changes of the past few decades, the fact remains that stability depends on the U.S. Though America no longer wishes to engage with the region, it has no choice but to keep doing so, lest a regional brushfire escalate into a global conflagration with nuclear risks.







In other words, the Middle East is proving to be this century's Balkans. As in ex-Yugoslavia in the 1990s, America is the only global or regional power capable of guaranteeing regional peace  or at least of suppressing all-out war. Russia would like to assume this role, but it cannot. (It was able to intervene in Syria to the extent that it did only because the U.S. refused to do so.)







As for China, it has no interest in assuming America's Middle East role, nor could it do so if it wanted to. The Chinese regime simply does not have the mindset to become a guarantor of a global order far beyond its borders.







What about Europe? Although it would be one of the main victims of regional destabilization, it is no longer a force to be reckoned with, and thus has reduced its involvement to that of providing financial resources in response to the latest crisis. Still, Europe plays an important supporting role.







Finally, among regional players, Turkey would like to step up, but it is hampered by its own weaknesses and the fraught history of the Ottoman Empire's role in the Middle East. Iran and Saudi Arabia are confined to pursuing their own claims to hegemony within the Islamic world. And Israel is and will remain focused on its own defense.







That leaves only the U.S. Despite its past foreign-policy blunders, it is the only country with both the necessary political mindset and the technological, economic, and military power to exert a moderating influence in the region. The worst outcome for the international order would be a continuing U.S. inclination toward self-isolation. Trump's presidency already proved how dangerous that can be.









Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1998 to 2005, was a leader of the German Green Party for almost 20 years. His article was distributed by Project Syndicate (




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Phoenix Zoo in Arizona welcomed the birth of 21 endangered black-footed ferrets. The kits were born to mothers Mandolin, Lazuli, Ridley and Yoshi.
CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816

Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado  June 6, 2021

The Caring Generation My Mother Refuses to Take Care of Herself

Golden CO - Caregiver subject matter expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation podcast show for caregivers and aging adults. This coming Wednesday, June 9, 2021, the topic is My Mother Refuses to Take Care for Herself.

Wilson releases a new show for The Caring Generation series every Wednesday. Featured are tips and conversations about aging, caregiving, family relationships, and health. Listeners receive information that can help plan for the future and avoid many common caregiving traps. The Caring Generation is available on Wilson's website and all major podcast and music apps.

Why Care Refusals May Not Be Care Refusals

On this week's show, Wilson discusses why care refusals by elderly parents can be related to a lack of understanding about the benefits of changing daily activities to support health. At the same time, aging parents can indeed become apathetic and in denial about changing health or abilities. Depression is undiagnosed in many elderly and can be confused with care refusals or a lack of willingness to participate in recommendations.

Conversations between children caregivers and aging parents that offer factual information with options can make a difference. Adult children working and raising their own families can pressure elderly parents to make decisions and lose patience when parents don't respond positively. Aging involves losing control over many aspects of life, especially health and physical abilities.

When health issues arise, preventing further declines can be managed or prevented by seeking education and being open-minded to exploring new routines. Caregivers and aging parents who are more willing to talk and understand each other's perspectives can resolve conflict about opposing beliefs and care refusals.

Wilson's Experience as a Caregiver Expert Eases Conversations

Join Pamela D Wilson each week for insightful caregiving conversations on The Caring Generation. Watch videos on her YouTube Channel that respond directly to caregiver requests. The caregiver survey on Wilson's website offers caregivers and aging adults the opportunity to communicate directly with Wilson to provide feedback and topic requests for future shows and videos.

Wilson offers 1:1 eldercare consultations for caregivers and aging adults by telephone or online virtual visits. Her experience in the direct care of the elderly for more than 20 years offers rare insights that support caregiving and health concerns.

Information and Education Support Change

Care refusals and hesitancy may also result from a lack of information or trust in the healthcare system. Many doctors and providers do not address or identify the needs of caregivers or aging adults who may require more time and information before making decisions or lifestyle changes.

Instead of forcing change upon aging parents, offering parents information for consideration supports forward movement toward decision making. Elderly parents may not always agree with the wishes of adult childrennor should they if they have different beliefs. However, increased communication between caregivers and care receivers can result in greater acceptance and respect about choices made.

Wilson works with family caregivers, groups, and corporations worldwide to educate about the role strain that caregivers experience, managing, and planning for health and aging issues. More about Wilson's online courses for elderly care, individual elder care consultations, caregiver support, webinars, and speaking engagements are on her website www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at +1 303-810-1816 or through the Contact Me page on her website.

#
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP)  When the sun rises over Omaha Beach, revealing vast stretches of wet sand extending toward distant cliffs, one starts to grasp the immensity of the task faced by Allied soldiers on June 6, 1944, landing on the Nazi-occupied Normandy shore.

The 77th anniversary of D-Day was marked Sunday with several events to commemorate the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control, and honor those who fell.

These are the men who enabled liberty to regain a foothold on the European continent, and who in the days and weeks that followed lifted the shackles of tyranny, hedgerow by Normandy hedgerow, mile by bloody mile," Britain's ambassador to France, Lord Edward Llewellyn, said at the inauguration of a new British monument to D-Day's heroes.

On D-Day, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. This year on June 6, the beaches stood vast and nearly empty as the sun emerged, exactly 77 years since the dawn invasion.

For the second year in a row, anniversary commemorations are marked by virus travel restrictions that prevented veterans or families of fallen soldiers from the U.S., Britain, Canada and other Allied countries from making the trip to France. Only a few officials were allowed exceptions.

At the newly-built British Normandy Memorial near the village of Ver-sur-Mer, bagpipes played memorial tunes and warplanes zipped overhead trailing red-white-and-blue smoke. Socially distanced participants stood in awe at the solemnity and serenity of the site, providing a spectacular and poignant view over Gold Beach and the English Channel.

The new monument pays tribute to those under British command who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy.

David Vincent/AP

A text carved on the wall writes: They died so that Europe might be free.

Visitors stood to salute the more than 22,000 men and women, mostly British soldiers, whose names are etched on its stone columns. Giant screens showed D-Day veterans gathered simultaneously at Britains National Memorial Aboretum to watch the Normandy event remotely. Prince Charles, speaking via video link, expressed regret that he couldn't attend in person.

On June 6, 1944, In the heart of the mist that enveloped the Normandy Coast ... was a lightning bolt of freedom," French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the ceremony. France does not forget. France is forever grateful.

Charles Shay, a Penobscot Native American who landed as an U.S. army medic on June 6, 1944 and now calls Normandy home, was the only surviving D-Day veteran at the Ver-sur-Mer ceremony.

Another veteran of the Battle of Normandy, British Capt. David Mylchreest, was also present. He landed with his team in Normandy on June 12, 1944, to replace officers who had died in the first days of the fight.

Shay then took part in a commemoration at the American Cemetery later in the day in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach, in the presence of officials from the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany and other allied countries.

The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

Most public events have been canceled, and the official ceremonies were limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

Denis van den Brink, a WWII expert working for the town of Carentan, site of a strategic battle near Utah Beach, acknowledged the big loss, the big absence is all the veterans who couldnt travel.

That really hurts us very much because they are all around 95, 100 years old, and we hope theyre going to last forever. But, you know... he said.

At least we remain in a certain spirit of commemoration, which is the most important, he told The Associated Press.

Over the anniversary weekend, many local residents have come out to visit the monuments marking the key moments of the fight and show their gratitude to the soldiers. French World War II history enthusiasts, and a few travelers from neighboring European countries, could also be seen in jeeps and military vehicles on the small roads of Normandy.

Some reenactors came to Omaha Beach in the early hours of the day to pay tribute to those who fell that day, bringing flowers and American flags.

On D-Day, 4,414 Allied troops lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Normandy has more than 20 military cemeteries holding mostly Americans, Germans, French, British, Canadians and Polish troops who took part in the historic battle.

Dignitaries stressed the importance of keeping D-Day's legacy alive for future generations.

In the face of the threats of today, we should act together and show unity," Parly said, "so that the peace and freedom last.

___

Nicolas Garriga contributed to this report from Ver-sur-Mer.

___

A previous version of this story corrected the British ambassadors last name to Llewellyn, not Llewelyn.
San Antonios City Council will soon look a lot different.

Four newcomers will sit on the council after Saturdays runoffs for five council seats  nearly half the citys governing body. For only the second time, the council will have an openly gay member. Two incumbents were ousted in an upset.

District 1

In the fight to represent the citys urban core, challenger Mario Bravo ousted District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino and denied the third-term councilman a fourth and final term.

Bravo, an environmental activist and project manager for the Environmental Defense Fund, grabbed 54 percent of the vote while Trevino had 46 percent.

Trevino did not concede Saturday despite being down more than 7 points against Bravo. Trevino left his watch party at The Lonesome Rose, a country bar on the St. Marys Strip, without addressing attendees. Hes expected to give a statement Sunday morning, spokeswoman Lawson Picasso said.

At Bravos election night party at the Backyard on Broadway, the mood was jubilant as supporters chanted the environmentalists last name: Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

This was about the community, Bravo said. I think the community stepped up, and they said they want something different. They want fresh leadership; they want a voice, and I intend to deliver that.

Within the past two years, Trevino positioned himself as somewhat of a progressive insurgent on the council. He pushed for more direct financial aid and legal protections for renters and homeowners as well as small businesses while COVID-19 hammered the economy.

Trevino often bucked Mayor Ron Nirenberg on big policy issues during the pandemic, most prominently opposing Nirenbergs Ready to Work initiative  the sales-tax funded program aimed at paying for out-of-work residents to seek higher-paying jobs through job training and college degree programs.

Trevino proved out of step with voters, including in his own district. The plan passed with nearly 77 percent of the vote in November.

Months later, Nirenberg kicked Trevino out of a pair of key leadership positions he held overseeing the $450 million overhaul of Alamo Plaza.

Trevino had soured on the project after a state panel blocked the relocation of the Cenotaph, a 1930s-era monument to the Alamo defenders  considered crucial to the projects completion.

Trevino declared the project dead, but Nirenberg disagreed. He replaced Trevino with outgoing District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran and announced a reset to push a slightly scaled-down version of the makeover.

Some of Trevinos stances alienated neighborhood groups. After the councilman converted his field office into a place where the homeless can seek help, nearby residents in the Dellview neighborhood complained Trevino was making the area less safe.

Bravo, who ran unsuccessfully for Bexar County commissioner in 2018, capitalized on that sentiment to get into a runoff with Trevino and run up the score in Dellview and other parts of the district. He snagged an early but slim lead when the early vote came in, a lead that grew steadily throughout the night.

District 2

In a contentious race on the East Side, District 2 Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan, 45, lost her bid for a second term to Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, a 26-year-old math teacher at James Madison High School and the councilwomans former communications director.

McKee-Rodriguez won by a wide margin, capturing 63 percent of the vote. Andrews-Sullivan had 37 percent of the vote.

He is the seventh person to represent the East Side council district since 2014. Andrews-Sullivan was first elected in 2019. She ran on a campaign that she would bring stability to the post with a second term.

We understand that were going into this with a lot of work to do and we have a lot to prove, McKee-Rodriguez said Saturday night. Im just so grateful that a district that is told that stability matters more than quality leadership has decided to place their trust in me and take that gamble.

I do not take that lightly at all, he added.

Shortly after the early vote results came in, showing McKee-Rodriguez with a commanding 62 percent of the vote, Andrews-Sullivan said in a statement: We did the best for our community and were thankful for the opportunity.

She and McKee-Rodriguez ended up in a runoff after fighting off 10 other candidates in the May election. McKee-Rodriguez received the most votes at 26 percent, while Andrews-Sullivan had 18 percent of the vote.

McKee-Rodriguez is the first openly gay man elected in San Antonio, and the first openly gay Black man elected in the state of Texas, according to LGBTQ Victory Fund.

The first gay person to serve on San Antonios city council was Elena Guajardo, who was elected in 2005 to represent District 7.

McKee-Rodriguez said his first priority will be to dissect the proposed budget and make sure District 2 gets their fair share.

He also wants to fight for infrastructure improvements such as sidewalks, drainage and streetlights, as well as a fair and just police union contract to make sure that accountability is front and center.

District 9

District 9 incumbent John Courage comfortably won a third term on City Council, aided by a better than 3-to-1 margin in mail ballots.

Courage, a progressive who has won over many conservatives in his North Side district, defeated challenger Patrick Von Dohlen by nearly 8 percentage points in Saturdays runoff.

Based on unofficial returns from all precincts, Courage had 9,895 votes and Von Dohlen 8,476.

In ballots cast at polling sites on Saturday and during the early voting period for the runoff, Courage led Von Dohlen by just 114 votes. But the incumbent enjoyed a huge advantage in mail ballots, collecting 1,885 to Von Dohlens 580, according to figures posted by the Bexar County Elections Department.

This vote tells me District 9 really measured me by what I provided for the district and not by the distractions and rhetoric of my opponent, Courage said.

Von Dohlen is an investment firm owner and ardent social conservative who opposes abortion and LGBTQ rights.

He lost to Courage in 2017 and 2019, but during this years campaign his yard signs were big and plentiful. Even Courage supporters privately expressed concern that Von Dohlens relentless labeling of the incumbent as a socialist probably energized some supporters of former President Donald Trump, who carried District 9 in Novembers presidential election.

Courage, 70, stuck with his political playbook - refraining from partisan attacks and emphasizing his reputation for being accessible and effective at dealing with nuts-and-bolts constituent concerns such as sidewalks, traffic and drainage.

A former Air Force police officer, special education teacher and Alamo Colleges District board member, Courage has forged friendships with the Councils devout liberals as well as its only conservative, District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, a monthly poker cohort who sits beside him on the dais.

Courage seemed exasperated at times by the vitriolic rhetoric of Von Dohlen, a father of nine who has refused to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, claims man-made climate warming isnt a scientific fact and regularly excoriates gays.

Von Dohlens campaign manager did not respond to a request for comment.

District 3

On the Southeast Side, Phyllis Viagran trounced former state Rep. Tomas Uresti on Saturday for the District 3 seat vacated by Viagrans younger sister.

The candidates, members of prominent families in the district, ran what was largely a clean, civil runoff to replace Rebecca Viagran, who reached the four-term maximum on City Council.

Uresti was unable to overcome Phyllis Viagrans early commanding lead as the votes were counted. Throughout the night, Viagran had more than 60 percent of the vote.

We worked really hard to get the vote out, Phyllis Viagran said by phone from a watch party at Tandem.

Viagran, 48, was a civilian for seven years in the San Antonio Police Departments domestic violence unit working with victims of family violence. She had also worked at Visit San Antonio, a public-private nonprofit that promotes the city to tourists and convention planners. She then went on to work at Senior Planet, which teaches elders how to use technology, and sat on the board of the charitable arm of the Brooks Development Authority.

This is her first elected position, and though she said she shares the same work ethic with her sister, she aims to bring a new approach.

I think the difference I have is a fresh perspective, she said. I have been more in direct services with the community. I want more of their input in the process, especially with federal funds. Its a completely different time from when Rebecca got elected eight years ago. Now were in an economic recovery from the pandemic.

Uresti is the brother of Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti and former state Sen. Carlos Uresti, who is serving 12 years in federal prison for fraud, money laundering and public corruption.

District 5

Progressive reform candidate Teri Castillo soundly defeated retired city employee Rudy Lopez in the race to succeed Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales in District 5 on the citys West Side.

Castillo had 58 percent of the vote, compared with 42 percent for Lopez, who received an endorsement from Gonzales.

The hard-fought runoff centered on affordable housing, historic preservation and ideas for stimulating economic and educational opportunities in one of San Antonios poorest council districts.

Already a lively race with Castillos criticisms of Gonzales framing her as the more anti-establishment candidate in the runoff, the contest grew heated in recent weeks. Lopezs campaign put out a mailer last month stating Castillo advocates for Socialist and Marxist ideals. Castillo dismissed the flyer as an attempt by Lopez to sidestep real issues in the race.

Then, in a high-profile case involving the potential demolition of the 90-year-old Whitt Building in Cattleman Square Historic District, Castillo joined demonstrators, saying the citys process for weighing concerns about the buildings structural integrity against efforts to preserve its historic architecture had been circumvented in the waning days of Gonzales last term. The citys Historic and Design Review Commission decided in an emergency meeting Wednesday to let the owner remove the buildings damaged roof, but preserve the buildings concrete frame and facade.

Castillo, a 29-year-old educator who advocated for public input on city budget decisions, led the field of 11 candidates in the May 1 election with 30.7 percent of the ballots cast but didnt have enough to escape a runoff. Lopez had 14.7 percent.

She said late Saturday that the outcome of the runoff was a sign that District 5 residents want a city that works for all of us.

Folks are tired, she said, referring to the feedback she heard from residents while block walking. Theyre ready for bold change, to meet the material needs of the established communities in District 5.

Castillo said one of her immediate priorities will be neighborhood stabilization and helping homeowners rehabilitate their homes to prevent demolition.

Her endorsements included County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, former Mayor Julian Castro and former Councilwoman Maria Berriozabal.

This is a developing report. Check back with ExpressNews.com for updates.
The links between affordable housing, physical mobility and economic mobility are complex and deep-rooted in our community. Addressing affordable-housing issues and the chronic underfunding of public transit is key to improving San Antonios rank as one of the most economically segregated cities in the United States and the quality of life for the nearly 2 million people who call the region home.

As housing and transit expenses are the first- and second-highest costs for U.S. households, expanding transit alongside affordable housing can begin to break the chains of generational poverty. In fact, a strong transit network can make housing even more affordable, according to the American Public Transit Association, which estimates that using public transit instead of owning a second car can save a household more than $10,000 annually.

Having transit options near affordable-housing centers also broadens access to economic, academic and recreational opportunities, significantly impacting overall quality of life.

As VIA advances plans for a more mobile future with strategic investments in frequent, reliable transit, we complement the citys efforts to tackle the unique challenges of affordable housing: demand that is outpacing supply, and rising construction costs, according to experts.

The lack of affordable housing, like transit, most harms our neighbors who have the least. Understanding and addressing the long-term impacts and causes must continue to be a priority for San Antonians. Weve made some progress.

In 2017, two-thirds of local voters approved a $20 million bond proposition for neighborhood improvements, and in May they expanded the allowable use for bond dollars. These are important steps forward for the city. Before Mays vote, bond dollars could only be used to prepare land for private development. Today, the city can ask voters to approve bond projects that directly address the need for more affordable housing in San Antonio.

As a member of the citys housing commission, I applaud San Antonians for supporting these measures and putting the city in line with our Texas counterparts when it comes to having the necessary tools for expanding affordable-housing options.

Truly addressing the affordable-housing crisis  and the other factors that keep families in generational poverty  will take smart investment in bond projects. We need to ensure that the public and private sectors are collaborating to address those issues, and transit will play a key role in our success. Fortunately, voters appreciate the connection.

Just a few months before they passed the housing bond proposition, San Antonians also said yes to redirecting an existing 1/8-cent sales tax to VIA Metropolitan Transits Advanced Transportation District, or ATD, for transit improvements beginning in 2026. That funding will support implementation of VIAs Keep SA Moving plan. It will allow the transit agency to expand service across the region, increase bus frequency, add innovative service options such as VIA Link, and create the regions first advanced rapid transit project.

Ahead of the additional funding, VIA will expand its service offerings with existing resources and new revenue, thanks to the federal government. As our population grows, the need for more and better mobility options will become more acute.

The connection between affordable housing and transit cannot be untangled, nor should it be. San Antonio is tackling these, and Im proud to be part of it. We still have significant work to do, but our community has laid out a strong blueprint for a path forward, and we can and will ensure that all our neighbors have access to equitable opportunity, affordable housing and safe, efficient mobility options.

Jeffrey C. Arndt is president and CEO of VIA Metropolitan Transit and a member of the city of San Antonios Housing Commission.
After some initial stumbles, the Biden administration may be finding its sweet spot on immigration.

To get there, President Joe Biden must do the following things:

Undo the harm done by former president Donald Trump who thought America should have the same restrictive admittance protocol as his country clubs.

Tell the truth about what can be done and what cant.

Stop oversimplifying an issue that is as complicated as they come.

Resist talking out of both sides of his mouth.

With immigration, the president is an expert at double talk.

At a rally in Georgia in April, Biden was interrupted by protesters demanding that he abolish ICE. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is tasked with arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants.

I agree with you, Biden told the activists. Im working on it, man.

Biden sure didnt overexert himself. The administrations first proposed budget includes nearly $8 billion in funding for ICE during the coming fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Thats more than Congress authorized for the current fiscal year.

President Bidens proposed DHS budget  fails to make a sharp enough break from the Trump administrations wasteful and harmful spending on the detention and deportation machine, Naureen Shah, lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union, told the Washington Post.

No surprise. Biden and members of his administration often tap into their inner Trump. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has pledged to finish building what Trump pitched as a big beautiful wall on the U.S.-Mexico border by patching some of the gaps left behind by the last administration. Biden himself declared the Trump administrations annual cap of 15,000 refugees just dandy and worth keeping before promising to boost it to 62,500 under pressure from progressives. And the administration housed refugee kids from Central America, locked up in cages and glass holding pens, before transferring custody of them from the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Health and Human Services.

All those things probably went over well with the white working-class voters in the Rust Belt states who backed Trump in 2016 but supported Biden in 2020 because they got tired of a freak-show presidency. These voters likely feel as if they have enough competition for jobs from fellow Americans. The last thing they want are foreign workers added to the mix.

Its convenient for the liberal media to blame Republicans for Congress unwillingness to tackle the immigration issue. The truth is, Democrats deserve more than 50 percent of the blame for why lawmakers cant seem to solve the immigration impasse.

Over the last 30 years, Ive seen immigration reform efforts in Congress get torpedoed  albeit often quietly, discreetly and secretly  by Democrats who fall into three camps:

Those in competitive districts who are scared to lose their seats due to the perception that theyre soft on immigration.

Those beholden to organized labor, whose rank and file often tend to prefer border walls and the mass deportations of anyone who gets past them.

And those who represent overwhelmingly white states (North Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming) where people have never seen firsthand how immigrants benefit the social and economic fabric of a state.

Its not hard to find states that have flourished thanks to immigration. Texas and Arizona are booming because of Mexican immigrants. California is home to more immigrants than any other state, and  if it were a country  its economy would be the fifth-largest in the world.

Yet heres a twist. Even as Biden is holding the line against illegal immigration, the administration also seems to be taking steps to make it easier, cheaper and quicker for people to come here legally. The plan is to rebuild the legal immigration system to get more people in through the front door. Reforms would include increasing the number of visas for highly skilled workers, cutting or waiving application fees, simplifying forms so they can be completed online, slashing red tape and making it easier for people to obtain work visas or reunite with family members in the United States.

All good things. Legal immigration keeps America young, vibrant, optimistic and competitive. Its not the problem. Its part of the solution.

Still, there is only so much money to go around. Get ready for a tug of war over budget priorities: Visa dollars vs. enforcement dollars.

The outcome will tell us everything we need to know about what the Biden administration really cares about, what it stands for and whether it understands the true value of immigration.
When President Donald Trump left the White House, some draconian measures left with him. Some of these measures departed immediately, but others have taken, and will continue to take, a bit of time to unwind.

Its hard to say which Trump-era immigration policy was cruelest, but certainly one of the worst was Remain in Mexico, which returned asylum-seekers, often from Central America, to Mexico until their court dates in the United States. It left asylum-seekers in dire straits, exposed to violence and exploitation from gangs, sometimes forcing people to go around the legal asylum process at great risk.

President Joe Biden formally ended the policy last week, following up on his decision to pause the program, officially known as Migrant Protection Protocols, shortly after assuming office in January.

An estimated 11,000 people in the program have been allowed into the country since the pause, according to Reuters.

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, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas wrote in a memo.

Trump condemned the move, saying our country is being destroyed before our very eyes, but immigration advocates hailed the decision as a huge victory.

The forced return policy was cruel, depraved and illegal, and we are glad that it has finally been rescinded, Judy Rabinovitz, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, told reporters.

The old policy represented a departure from previous arrangements, and critics viewed the situation as a cruel irony for thousands of people who waited months, sometimes years, in the wretched conditions they had sought to escape.

Forced to remain in Mexico under the Trump-era policy, asylum-seekers often faced the same threats that forced them to flee in the first place  poverty, extortion, kidnapping, sexual assault.

Of the nearly 400 patients treated by Doctors Without Borders in the Mexican border city of Nuevo Laredo during the first five months of 2019, more than 45 percent endured at least one episode of violence, including about 12 percent who were kidnapped.

An estimated 68,000 migrants, most of them from Central America, were returned to Mexico under the policy, according to DHS.

Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and Nanette Diaz Barragan, D-Calif., chair of the subcommittee on border security, called the policy a stain on our nations history.

We applaud the Biden Administrations decision to formally end the abhorrent Remain in Mexico policy, they said in a statement.

Whats truly needed is broadening of U.S. asylum laws to recognize the unsafe conditions in the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, and something akin to a Marshall Plan for those nations to fortify safe, democratic institutions.

In addition to rescinding the policy, the Biden administration plans to accelerate the asylum-seeking process, DHS announced last week, although immigration advocates have expressed concern in the past that speeding up court cases could undermine due process. That is, people will be expedited back to unsafe conditions without fair consideration.

The mission of the Department of Justices immigration courts is to decide the cases that come before them promptly and fairly, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. This new program for certain newly arriving families will help achieve that critically important goal.

With dockets assigned to courts in 10 cities, including El Paso, the immigration judges will be busy. More than 178,000 migrants were apprehended in April, up from 100,104 in March, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was the highest monthly number since April of last year.

The flood may prove burdensome for judges, but busy dockets are preferable to the cruelty we saw under the Trump administration. Immigrants, especially children, deserve justice and compassion. They have seen little of either during the past four years.
Dont forgive failures

After Democrats in the Texas Legislature made an unexpected dramatic exit from the state Capitol last week and blocked Senate Bill 7  the controversial voting bill  and House Bill 20 on bail reform before the deadline, Gov. Greg Abbott had this to say: It is deeply disappointing and concerning for Texans that neither will reach my desk, and thus remain emergencies in Texas.

When it comes to emergencies, Abbott is the last person to call.

The February arctic blast that caused massive power outages, burst pipes, and hundreds of deaths certainly tested the governors ability to manage an emergency situation  and he failed miserably. He could do nothing more than shuffle the blame to other agencies and their leaders  some of which he had appointed  for their inability to allow or correct a disastrous condition, which to date is still unresolved.

Texans should be equally disappointed in Abbotts inability to govern.

John Kepler

Fooled by lawmakers

Stupidity may be defined as doing the same thing repeatedly  but each time expecting a different outcome.

The Texas Legislature and our governor coldly swept aside hundreds of deaths in Texas, millions of homes and businesses left without power, storm-related bankruptcies and losses to the Texas economy of $9 billion. They say it will never happen again.

Meanwhile, the Legislature passed House Bill 4492 to authorize bonds that will be paid off by electricity consumers  the victims!  for at least a decade.

And the profiteers? They are gleefully depositing their ill-gotten windfall at the bank  billions taken from their many victims.

It is said that wise men learn from others mistakes, ordinary men from their own mistakes and fools from neither. If we are not governed by legislators complicit in a heinous February crime, we can only conclude that we are governed by fools.

G.L. Lamborn

Mitigate mistakes

Re: Energy reform bill is seen as too light, Front Page, May 26:

Incredibly, there has been no major public outcry regarding the deaths in Texas from Winter Storm Uri and the lack of incisive preventative measures in proposed legislation. Perhaps we are all exhausted from our struggles with the coronavirus. Perhaps we are also used to trusting, foolishly, the companies who are supposed to keep our energy supply safe. We have also read some statements that a weather event like Uri is unlikely to reoccur.

Yet are our power companies prepared for a possibly hotter summer than usual, which some sources have predicted?

Let us hope the Texas Legislature will put more emphasis on our serious electricity issues  which are so vital to all of our lives  with a special session.

Marianne and Gary Ross

ID fight illogical

Voting is a sacred privilege and should be protected. It should not be thrown out as a party favor.

Eligible voters should not have their rights cheapened by allowing people without IDs to cast ballots by mail. Identification is required to rent a motel, drive and cash a check. Why is the right to vote by mail so cheaply bargained by not requiring the same proof?

Anyone in the nation can get a state ID. To say requiring ID for mail-in ballots would be discriminatory is false. Democrats are wrong for fighting this.

Frank Ingels, Canyon Lake

Back to Wild West

To be honest, I have yet to see the new exhibit at the Briscoe Western Art Museum: Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western.

However, with the approval of the permitless carry bill in Texas, I think the exhibit could be subtitled: What Texas will look like after Sept. 1, 2021.

Larry Parnes

Protect humanity

I grew up in the Midwest and hunted wildlife since I was 10 years old. Our shotguns were required to have a plug to limit the magazine to three shells and give wildlife a chance.

Why cant we do something similar to all guns to give humans a chance? It seems ironic, doesnt it?

Jim Olson

Give it more time

Texas is one of only four states whose Legislature meets only in odd years. With all the business before lawmakers, it would seem prudent to meet each year. As it is, these folks are working less than part time to conduct a huge amount of business. Leaving issues on the table for a year  or perhaps a rare special session  panders to political whims rather than serving the people of Texas.

Help me understand why this is so.

Christine M. Crowley
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Wisconsin Democrats focused their virtual state party convention Saturday on the importance of beating Republican U.S. Senate Ron Johnson and reelecting Gov. Tony Evers in 2022, two high-profile races that will once again put the battleground state in the national spotlight.

Evers officially announced his plans to seek a second term during his address Saturday and the five announced Democratic candidates vying to take on Johnson will speak on Sunday. Johnson has yet to say whether he will seek a third term.

But for the Democrats speaking to the party faithful on Saturday, he was the clear target.

We need to send Ron Johnson back to whatever planet he came from," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, adding that Democrats will send Ron Johnson back into outer space.

Johnson has echoed former President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud, calling for investigation into unfounded claims of voter fraud, and also been an outspoken critic of the response to the coronavirus pandemic, the need to be vaccinated and mask requirements.

President Joe Biden, in brief recorded comments for the convention, said, "Nothing in this country is more sacred than the right to vote.

Evers said the 2022 election was about protecting his veto power against the Republican-controlled Legislature, which is pushing election law changes to make it more difficult to vote absentee, and defeating Johnson.

So, holy mackerel, were going to need your help to get it done again in 2022, Evers said in a recorded message. Because heres the deal, folks  the stakes are just too damn high. Look around  we know what were up against.

Democrats cast the election in stark terms.

Were up against a Republican Party that poses an existential threat to the survival of our democracy," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, who represents western Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District, a top target for Republicans in 2022. Republican Derrick Van Orden, who lost to Kind by less than 3 points in 2020, is running against him again.

Attorney General Josh Kaul said Republicans who want to change election laws want to take power away from voters and give it to elected officials. Kaul called that a threat to American democracy and fundamentally anti-democratic.

Pocan also had a cautionary word for the Democrats running for the Senate seat.

The person we are trying to beat is Ron Johnson, not each other, he said. Pocan urged the candidates, like he said the gubernatorial candidates did in 2018, to run on ideas and not attack one another.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is considering a run for Senate, hedged his bets on Saturday, saying he would work next year to both reelect Evers and defeat Johnson, without saying what office he would be running for.

The keynote speaker, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, said the entire country would be watching Wisconsin closely. In an interview prior to his speech, Castro said the governor and Senate race put Wisconsin at the center of the political fights nationally in 2022.

Democrats touted Evers and Biden's response to the coronavirus pandemic, investments in infrastructure and education, fighting climate change, pushing for redistricting reform and opposing Republicans on election law changes.

They also called on the activists who were watching the convention to donate as much money as possible for the 2022 races.

We need some of yall to max out, and you know who you are," said U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, in a candid appeal to the wealthiest donors to give as much as legally allowed.

A tracker on the Democratic Party's convention website showed around 400 people watching at any given time. People could also watch it on other platforms, so it's unclear how many people actually saw it.
By Kim Won-soo





The recent summit between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States produced a communique, akin to the thrilling moment when BTS, one of the world's most idolized pop groups from Korea, grabbed multiple Grammy awards. Of course, this summit BTS moment was different from the real BTS saga but it sets the tone of continuity for forthcoming presidencies in Korea for the foreseeable future.



Here are the three reasons why I think it was a diplomatic BTS moment.



The first, B, stands for "bold." The communique represents a bold move by the current ROK presidency, which has entered the last year of its five-year single term due to a constitutional ban on re-election. Korean presidencies in their final year, without exception, have faced political lame duck status due to plummeting popularity. So the conventional wisdom is not to take any steps in the lame duck year that are politically sensitive and diplomatically controversial. The communique this time takes such steps on multiple diplomatic fronts.



The second, T, stands for "tough." The communique sends the tough call to all of the ROK's neighbors in Northeast Asia including, in particular, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and China and Japan to a varying degree. The call has been issued for the neighbors to pay greater attention to the increased voice of the ROK, not only on Korean Peninsula issues but also on regional and global challenges. Immediate reactions from these neighbors has been largely muted. But over time, their reactions will be mixed with sticks and carrots geared to the ROK, the weaker partner of the alliance, to test its resilience.



The third, S, stands for "surprising." The communique makes the surprising U-turn by the ROK toward the alliance and away from independence. The alliance and independence have been the two traditional pillars of Korean diplomacy. The Moon presidency has reversed its liberal orientation toward the independence pillar sought for the last four years and made a-U turn toward the alliance pillar. Immediate reactions from the Korean audience were largely receptive. They will be stabilizing toward the center right in-between the two pillars.



Overall, this BTS communique sends out a clear message that the alliance has been updated to meet new challenges arising from changing security and geopolitical dynamics. Now the alliance has evolved from the Korean Peninsula to a wider regional and global focus, sharing vital interests and universal values. Of course, the communique is the outcome of give-and-take between the two allied partners.



The deal looks like the U.S. acceptance of the ROK positions on the DPRK in return for the ROK's acceptance of the U.S. positions relating to China. Above all, it is the reaffirmation of the structural constraints inherent in Korean diplomacy. Despite its phenomenal growth and development, the ROK still has no other choice but to rely on extended deterrence and other security commitments provided by the U.S.



But the communique marks only the beginning of the updated alliance. The communique is neither "agree to disagree" nor "agree to agree in full." It agrees to agree on the framework. But the details inside the framework remain to be filled. The devil is still out there in the details. The communique's Achilles heel lies in the mismatch of the foreign policy priorities of the ROK and the U.S.



The ROK's policy priority in the region is on: 1) the DPRK; 2) China; and 3) Japan. For the U.S. it is: 1) China; 2) Japan; and 3) the DPRK. This mismatch of priorities will expose cleavages within the alliance, if and when any of these countries takes steps to shake up the alliance. What matters most is that the U.S. continues to stand firm with the ROK under any possible contingency.



The DPRK is likely to be the first fault line. The U.S. accommodated the ROK positions on the inter-Korean Panmunjeom declaration and the U.S.-DPRK Singapore Statement. But it fell short of providing concrete incentives to induce the DPRK back to negotiations. Out of desperation, the DPRK may feel inclined to take provocative steps to stir the pot.



Further challenging in such a contingency, would be how to bring China on board in responding to the DPRK's provocation. For that, extra effort may be needed to attend to the unease of China about the communique's reference to Taiwan and issues relating to the East and South China seas that are a higher priority for Beijing. Now is the time for the ROK and the U.S. to follow up with detailed advance planning for contingency prevention and response. Such planning needs to be shared with Japan and explained to China.



In geopolitical terms, the neighborhood of the ROK is tough, arguably the toughest in the world. In a journey searching for durable stability, the updated and resilient alliance with the US provides the roadmap for diplomatic consistency and continuity. But the journey ahead will still be made along a bumpy road, as it has been over the last 70 years. The ROK will have to endure future tests that will come from multiple bumps along the way. With diplomatic adroitness and persistence, the ROK may grow into an anchor for stability in the region. It will matter all the more at a time of rising uncertainty in the tough neighborhood.





Kim Won-soo is the former under secretary-general of the United Nations and the high representative for disarmament. As a Korean diplomat, he served as secretary to the ROK president for foreign affairs. He is now the chairman of the international advisory board of the Future Consensus Institute (Yeosijae) and a member of the Group of Eminent Persons for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBTO).


A scheme has launched to provide farmers and landowners with new funding to restore peatlands in the uplands and lowlands of England.

The restoration of degraded peatland has been identified as essential if the UK is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in line with its net zero commitments.

According to a discussion document published by Defra in 2020, Englands peatlands are the nations largest carbon store.

They are also a haven for rare wildlife, an important part of the UK's cultural heritage and natural providers of water regulation.

However, because Englands peatlands are also currently highly degraded they are emitting an estimated 11mt of carbon dioxide equivalents annually, which is equivalent to 24% of emissions reported for the UKs agriculture sector in 2017.

The Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme (NCPGS) is a competitive grant scheme that will run until 2025, with the objective of starting the process of restoring 35,000ha of degraded peatland.

Looking at the scheme, rural property agency Strutt and Parker said it is open to environmental groups, local authorities, charities, public bodies, and farmers and landowners.

"It is estimated this will reduce cumulative emissions from peatland by the equivalent of 9mt of carbon dioxide by 2050 and provide additional benefits for nature, tourism and water management," the firm said.

"However, Defra is looking for landscape-scale projects which means applications are likely to involve a number of sites and landowners working together.

"Funding for peatland restoration is also available through Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship which offers capital grants of up to 100% of the actual costs of restoration, alongside standard moorland management options.

"However, this will only be an option for landowners who are not currently signed up to an agri-environment scheme, or whose agreement is coming to an end."

There is also the opportunity of seeking investment from private funders such as water companies.

Meanwhile, the Peatland Code is a certification scheme for UK peatland projects wanting to generate a new income stream by selling the carbon benefits that will result from restoration.

Farmers and landowners interested in applying need to register their interest through Defras eSourcing portal.
Legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar was admitted to Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai this morning. According to media reports, hes under the supervision of senior doctors, Cardiologist Dr Nitin Gokhale and Pulmonologist Dr Jalil Parkar who are closely monitoring his condition at the moment. The details of his admission are still awaited, though some media reports state that he had complained of breathlessness. Last month, too, the actor had been admitted to the hospital for his regular health checkup and had been discharged two days later. The actor and his wife, actor Saira Banu, had said that they were under complete isolation and quarantine before the national lockdown fell into place last year in March.

Banu had also shared an audio message updating their fans and followers about their health. "Sab kuch theek hai, allah ka shukr hai, aap sab ki dua hai (We have your love. We have your affection and we are so grateful to you and so grateful to God. God is kind, thank you), she had said. Kumar made his debut in Jwar Bhata in 1944 and both he and Saira Banu are two of the most celebrated actors in Indian cinema. The actor had lost two of his brothers, Aslam Khan (88) and Ehsan Khan (90) to COVID-19 last year.
The Hindi television industry was in a state of shock yesterday as actor Pearl V Puri of Naagin fame was arrested by the Mumbai Police for allegedly raping a minor. As news of his arrest hit the news, his colleagues from the industry, Anita Hassanandani, Krystle D'Souza, Karishma Tanna, Ekta Kapoor and others came out in support of the actor. Kapoor, the doyen of the TV industry, had even written in a social media caption that she had spoken to the minor's mother who allegedly proclaimed Puri's innocence.

However, in a statement, Vasai DCP Sanjay Kumar Patil said that the accusations against the actor are not false. When questioned about Kapoor's take on the issue, he said: "No, the accusations are not false. His name has come up in the investigation. There is evidence against him. That is why police has arrested him. The truth will be decided in the trial."

In her Instagram caption, Kapoor had written: "Will I support a child molesteror a molester of any kind? But what I witnessed from last night to now, was the absolute low in human depravity. How can humanity go to this level? How can people who are upset with each other, drag a third person into their own fight? How can a human being take on another human being and do this? After various calls with the childs/girls mother, who openly said that Pearl was not involved and its her husband trying to create stories to keep her child and prove that a working mother on a set cannot take care of her kid."

"If this is true then it is wrong on so many levels! Using an extremely important movement like Me Too frivolously, to get your own agendas met with and mentally torturing a child and making an innocent person guilty. I have no right to decide, the courts will decide who is right & wrong. My opinion only comes from what the girls mother said to me last night & that is - Pearl is innocent and it is very very sad if people are using various tactics to prove working mothers are unable to take care of their children, because there are predators on the set," she added.





DCP STATEMENT on minor girl case pic.twitter.com/E7MmI8AePa  Naa (@_Listzomaniac) June 5, 2021

As of now, Puri is under a 14-day judicial custody.
Bahrain-based NEC Payments needed an ACS offering 3DS 2.0, the latest in payment security protocols. Netcetera rose to the challenge, building them a solution from the ground up.

NEC Payments is a rapidly growing digital banking and payment technology company with big plans. Already offering innovative cloud-native banking-as-a-service to Middle East Fintech and technology distribution partners via its licensed and regulated status and principal membership of the international payment schemes; the company is expanding geographically to offer banks, payment companies, digital platforms and other Fintech businesses across Europe and North America access to their modular and embedded digital financial services solutions. In order to guarantee their customers the highest transaction security possible, they wanted to implement the latest 3D Secure protocol 2.2. Enter Netcetera.

NEC Payments connected with Netcetera via contacts at Mastercard Europe and requested their help in the latest 3DS implementation, as mandated by many schemes. To ensure purchases are both secure and smooth, Netcetera worked with NEC Payments to build a tailored ACS solution which supported 3-D Secure protocol 2.2 in line with SCA. This was a leap forward from the previous version and meant providing even higher purchase security while offering a user-friendly interface.

3-D Secure is widely implemented by many major card issuers as a means to ensure SCA (Strong Customer Authentication). However, the at NEC Payments previously used version of 3DS 1.0 led to cumbersome security procedures for mobile customers and lower conversion rates as a result. With 3DS 2.2, supported by Netcetera's Access Control Server (ACS), several factors (transaction limits, whitelisting) are used to bypass unnecessary steps and encourage simplified online purchases.

NEC Payments is delighted with the protocol implementation, which opens up many new possibilities for them. Due to their multi-tenant relationships, they are now able to provide personalised experiences to multiple issuers and customers/co-branders in addition to their own business as principal members of the schemes. They also plan to expand their use of silent authentication for virtual cards in the future.

Andrew Sims, CEO at NEC Payments commented "We are delighted that we have found a partner in Netcetera that can support our requirements and deliver the latest security protocols in personalised settings and are looking forward to a long and fruitful collaboration to drive our business forward." Ramy Fouda, Director of Sales at Netcetera Dubai said "We were pleased to be able to deliver great results with state-of-the-art technology for NEC Payments. We pride ourselves on always offering the latest payment security solutions."

About Netcetera

Netcetera is a global software company with cutting-edge IT products and individual digital solutions in the areas of secure digital payment, financial technologies, media, transport, healthcare and insurance. More than 2,000 banks and issuers, and 150,000 merchants rely on the digital payment solutions and globally certified 3-D Secure products of the market leader for payment security. The owner-managed company covers the entire IT lifecycle, from ideation and strategy to implementation and operation. The balanced combination of the latest technologies and proven standards ensures investment security, from large-scale projects to innovative start-ups. Founded in 1996, Netcetera is a holding company with 700 employees and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, with additional locations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Further information: netcetera.com

About NEC Payments

NEC Payments is a digital banking and payments technology company that provides innovative financial technology solutions to banks, distribution partners, businesses and consumers, and powers high-performance, flexible and secure embedded digital banking, payment processing, compliance, and financial control systems. Licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain, NEC Payments cloud-native technology can be securely deployed into pure cloud and hybrid environments to enable flexibility, scalability and availability that drives digital transformation and growth. With MasterCard, Visa, PCI-DSS and ISO9001/27001 certified card, virtual, and mobile payment transaction processing technology, NEC Payments offers a full range of technology and service solutions to banks, fintechs and non-financial institutions across the Middle East and is rapidly expanding into Europe and North America.

Further information: necpayments.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210605005001/en/

Contacts:

Media

Netcetera

Ramy Fouda

ramy.fouda@netcetera.com

+971 56 993 83 53
Kiel (ots) - BALTIC SEA - The 50th Baltic Operations (BALTOPS 50) exercise, the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region, kicks off today, June 6.Between June 6-18, air and maritime assets from 18 NATO Allies and partner nations will participate in live training events that include air defence, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious operations, maritime interdiction, mine countermeasure operations."This year, we celebrate the 50th BALTOPS, an exercise that sets the foundation of interoperability across the Alliance," said U.S. Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO and commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. "BALTOPS stands as the keystone of our exercise season, demonstrating half a century of the unwavering commitment of our partners and Allies. Lessons learned in BALTOPS enable international strike group operations, advanced missile defense capabilities and seamless surface action group missions."BALTOPS 50 consists of two at-sea training phases: the combat enhancement training (CET) and force integration training (FIT) portion and the final tactical phase of the exercise (TACEX).During the first six days (the CET/FIT phase), ships and aircraft will transit through the Danish Straits, focusing on maritime operations in critical chokepoints, ensuring access and freedom of navigation in the Baltic Sea.The exercise will continue to move East during its two phases, operating in accordance with international law and supported by participating Allies and partners. The exercise will culminate with the TACEX phase, where the exercise paradigm will shift into a "free-play" portion, and commanders are given more freedom to run their own tactical programs. The TACEX phase is designed to better represent operating in real-world situations.For the first time, exercise design incorporates defensive cyber warfare tactics, techniques and procedures as BALTOPS continues to adapt and train to ensure an asymmetric advantage in the era of modern warfare.Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) will again command and control BALTOPS from its headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal.II Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Expeditionary Strike Group 2 will command and control exercise Marine forces throughout the exercise from aboard USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), demonstrating international naval integration and power projection ashore for an amphibious demonstration in Lithuania.BALTOPS 50 involves participation from 18 nations. The 16 NATO and 2 partner nations will provide approximately 40 maritime units, 60 aircraft, and 4,000 personnel.The participating nations are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S.BALTOPS, held in the Baltic region since in 1972, is a joint, maritime-focused exercise that brings together NATO Allies and partners in order to increase interoperability and enhance flexibility among the participants.Pressekontakt:Presse- und Informationszentrum MarinePressestelle Einsatzflottille, 1 KielTel.: +49 (0)431 71745 1410/1411E-Mail: markdopizpressestellekiel@bundeswehr.orgOriginal-Content von: Presse- und Informationszentrum Marine, ubermittelt durch news aktuellOriginalmeldung: https://www.presseportal.de/pm/67428/4933776
Getir, an Istanbul, Turkey-based grocery delivery app provider, raised $550m in Series D funding at a $7.5 billion valuation.

Backers included Silver Lake, DisruptAD, Mubadala, Winter Capital Partners, and insiders Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital. This marks Getirs third round of investment in 2021, with nearly $1bn raised since the beginning of the year.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to its expansion into the United States.

Founded in 2015 by Nazim Salur (founder of BiTaksi, Turkeys leading taxi app), Serkan Borancili (founder of GittiGidiyor which was acquired by eBay in 2011) and Tuncay Tutek (ex-PepsiCo and P&G executive in Europe & the Middle East), Getir is a last-mile delivery company offering a selection of 1,500 everyday items delivered to customers in minutes, 7 days a week, day and night. Getir is now operating in 30 cities in Turkey and has launched operations in the UK in January and in the Netherlands in May 2021. The company also has sub-brands  GetirFood, GetirMore, GetirWater and GetirLocals.

FinSMEs

06/06/2021
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MOBILE, Ala. --Austal USA hosted the christening ceremony for the future USS Canberra (LCS 30) Independence-variant littoral combat ship here today.

Canberra is the 15th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA and the second U.S. Navy ship to be named after the Australian capital.

Alison Petchell, the Australian Governments Minister Counsellor Defence Materiel, christened the future USS Canberra (LCS 30).

Canberra (LCS 30) is the 15th of 19 small surface combatants Austal USA is building for the U.S. Navy.

Five are under various stages of construction and a sixth is on contract waiting to start construction. Austal USA is also constructing two Expeditionary Fast Transport ships (EPF) for the U.S. Navy with one more on contract awaiting start of construction.

The company recently broke ground on its new steel manufacturing line to expand its shipbuilding capability to service the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guards rising demand for steel ships.
Focus support on groups hit hardest by pandemic



Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki said Friday that the government is considering drawing up another extra budget this year. He said the administration would not issue additional bonds, but use larger-than-expected tax revenue to finance the supplementary spending. This year's revenue is likely to top 300 trillion won ($269 billion) compared to an initial projection of 282.7 trillion won; thus the ministry can mobilize around 17 trillion won for the second extra budget of 2021.



However, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is pushing to provide one-off emergency cash handouts to all households. If the ruling party decides to give 300,000 won in relief money to each person, that alone will require at least 15 trillion won, increasing the size of the extra budget to more than 30 trillion won. Still, the finance minister is negative about universal cash handouts, heralding a clash with the ruling camp during consultations.



Hong's views appear to be reasonable, given the country's current economic conditions and fiscal situation. The government formulated a budget of 558 trillion won for this year, up 8.9 percent from 2020. The budget planners added the first extra budget of 14.9 trillion won in March. Suppose they draw up the second extra budget on a scale of 30 trillion won. In that case, the total size of the two supplementary budgets will exceed the 42.4 trillion won for the four extra spending bouts of last year. The national debt-to-GDP ratio also rose from 38.9 percent, when the main budget of 2020 was formulated, to 48.2 percent after the first extra budget this year.



The Bank of Korea forecasts the nation's economy will grow 4 percent this year. The government can ill afford to increase its debt further to raise the growth rate by 0.1-0.2 percentage points. Budget spending plays an essential role in getting over the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no less crucial than increasing spending is spending wisely. Policymakers and politicians should prioritize compensation for small businesses and other vulnerable people hit hardest by the pandemic. Cash handouts to all households may please people temporarily. But they should not be sought at the expense of the country's fiscal health.








Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations have put their support behind the Biden administration's ambitious plan to overhaul the global tax system, backing a minimum tax of at least 15% on corporate earnings.
FILE - In this June 5, 1989 file photo, a man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Cangan Blvd. in Tiananmen Square. Microsoft Corp. blamed accidental human error for its Bing search engine briefly not showing image results for the search term tank man on the anniversary of the bloody military crackdown in Beijings Tiananmen Square in 1989. Users in different parts of the world, including the U.S., said Friday, June 4, 2021 that no image results were returned when they searched for the term tank man. (AP Photo/Jeff Widener, File)
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Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. NNW winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

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A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 80F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. NNW winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 80F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Resilient, dedicated, and supportive. These were the words used to describe the Corvallis High School class of 2021 at the commencement ceremony on Saturday.

For a class that made it through a global pandemic and uproarious spring and summer of social justice and still managed to graduate high school amid remote learning and cancelled once-in-a-lifetime events, these descriptors seem apt.

I have just been astounded how theyve come out on the other side, said CHS principal Matt Boring of the graduating class following the ceremony. Their perspective, their sense of humor, its just fantastic. Its humbling, actually.

There was no getting around the impact COVID-19 had on the last year and a half of these young peoples high school careers. It also impacted the ceremony itself.

The procession of nearly 300 students  the graduating class has 306 seniors, though not all could make it to the in-person ceremony  wore masks as they marched out onto the field to the sounds of Pomp and Circumstance.
Bravo to local citizens Lorraine Anderson, Marge Popp, Andrew Gray and Andrea Dailey, along with op-ed writers Therese Waterhous and Camron Settlemier, for helping us understand the power of the Oregon Realtors lobby as the organization tries to maintain subsidies for the wealthiest 5% in our state.

This 5% gets subsidies from their mortgage deduction no matter how wealthy they are. With HB2578 and HB2838, our representatives in Salem are merely proposing that the mortgage subsidies end for those who make $200,000 or more annually.

Income inequality in our country is a huge problem, and these bills would be a help. The real estate lobby, which is powerful in the Democratic Party as well as the Republican, is making the patently ludicrous claim that ending the deduction for high-income earners would make home buying harder for everyone.

Some Realtors probably do support an end to these subsidies and should receive our support, but we need to expose and defeat the regressive positions as well as the dishonesty of those who are fighting to continue the subsidies.

Cheryl Stevenson

Corvallis

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Surveys show young Chinese inspired by late scientists

Xinhua) 11:20, June 06, 2021

BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China bid farewell to two remarkable scientists -- Yuan Longping, known as "the father of hybrid rice," and the country's top hepatobiliary surgeon Wu Mengchao, in May. Hundreds of millions paid respects to the deceased scientists on-site and on social networks, of whom many were young people.

According to a survey by China Youth Daily on young people aged between 14 and 35, over 95 percent of the respondents say they will take Yuan and Wu as their lifetime icons after learning about their stories and contributions.

More than 81 percent of those surveyed say they are so inspired that they have determined to grow up to be scientists.

In a parallel survey, 95.6 percent of the young people surveyed say they admire scientists who devote themselves to fundamental scientific research and endure long periods of hard work with patience and persistence.

Nearly 68 percent of the interviewees proposed increased compensation and benefits for scientific researchers, and 57.4 percent believe the scientific community deserves more respect from society.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Justice minister hit for taming prosecutors



The Ministry of Justice conducted a reshuffle of 41 senior prosecutors Friday, promoting pro-government figures in a bid to exert its control over the prosecution. The move has triggered criticism that the government is trying to undermine the independence and political neutrality of the law enforcement agency.



A ministry official said the reshuffle was designed to inject fresh air into the prosecution and ensure a stable push for prosecutorial reform. Yet Justice Minister Park Beom-kye made the reshuffle unilaterally without respecting the opinion of the newly-appointed Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo.



Kim is the pro-government prosecution chief; but he reportedly opposed Park's move to appoint only senior prosecutors with pro-government inclinations to key posts. He was also against relegating prosecutors to trivial posts "just" for spearheading investigations into corrupt officials and politicians.



Much to the disappointment of the public, Park has gone so far as to reward prosecutors for their loyalty to the Moon Jae-in government. The reshuffle was also seen as retaliation against those who have dug up the dirt on the inner circle of those in political power.



The most problematic is the promotion of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office chief Lee Sung-yoon to lead the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. Lee, well known for his pro-Moon stance, will soon stand trial on charges of abuse of power. He is suspected of wielding undue influence in 2019 to stop an investigation into an illegal exit ban imposed on former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui who allegedly received sexual favors arranged by a local builder more than a decade ago.



Lee should have been suspended from duty, or at least excluded from being put in charge of investigations. How could a criminal suspect such as Lee get promoted? He has taken flak for opposing former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's anti-corruption drive, while trying to protect Moon's confidants who have faced allegations of bribe-taking, influence-peddling and election-rigging. His promotion has sent the wrong signal that pliant and submissive prosecutors are on a roll, and is obviously against Moon's pledge to create a fair and just society.



It is also improper to tap Lee Jung-soo, director of the justice ministry's prosecution bureau, as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office  one of the most powerful posts in the prosecution. The ministry is undoubtedly seeking to take direct control of the office by appointing Lee, who is close to Minister Park.



On the other hand, Han Dong-hoon, a close aide to former Prosecutor General Yoon, was appointed as vice president of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. He has been excluded from investigation activities since he was relegated to being a researcher at the Institute of Justice in June 2020. Han is out of favor with the powers that be because he investigated core members of the ruling elite over corruption allegations when he worked as the anti-corruption director at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office from July 2019 until January 2020.



It is regrettable that the ministry has conducted such a "bulletproof" reshuffle aimed at protecting officials and politicians of the ruling bloc from possible corruption charges. The Moon administration's bid to tame prosecutors is not only derailing prosecutorial reform, but is also undermining the rule of law.




FILE - In this file photo dated Wednesday, April 21, 2021, The Royal Standard flies above Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. Buckingham Palace said Thursday June 3, 2021, that Queen Elizabeth II will meet U.S. President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle on the final day of the June 11-13 visit to the U.K. for the Group of Seven leaders' summit next week.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, FILE)
Danny Filice, Miles Filice and Maysie Bell climb on the new troll installation, officially named Mama Mimi, by artist Thomas Dambo at Rendezvous Park in Wilson. The troll invites climbing and exploration and will remain in Jackson Hole for up to five years, according to Jackson Hole Public Art.
Geomundo (Port Hamilton) circa 1920. Robert Neff Collection



By Robert Neff



On the evening of April 25, 1860, the steamship Remi  aided by fog and inaccurate charts  was wrecked upon some submerged rocks near a small island off the coast of Jeolla Province. Captain Paul A. Laen and all but one of his 25 crew members and all of his 25 Chinese passengers managed to make their way safely ashore where they were well treated by their Korean rescuers. The Koreans provided their uninvited guests with warm provisions but refused to allow them to explore the island or visit their village. Laen was worried that the friendly nature of the Koreans might quickly change and the shipwrecked men would find themselves prisoners or worse.





A village headman in the 1880s. Public Domain image Islanders and their boat in the 1880s. Public Domain image

Much to his dismay, on May 5, a group of Korean officers arrived from the mainland and, writing in Chinese, began interrogating the crew  especially the Chinese crewmembers. The Korean officials wanted to know why the Chinese would work aboard a foreign ship and what business the Westerners were involved with in Shanghai.



Laen stressed to the Korean officials that he and his crew only desired to leave  perhaps with a Korean boat. The senior Korean official ended that plan immediately by informing the captain that none of the Korean boats could leave the island without permission from higher authorities.



Over the next couple of days, the Korean officials frequently visited the castaway's camp and suggested they would send the foreigners to the mainland and then to the Chinese border by horseback. Laen was likely not pleased with the prospect of traveling through what many believed to be a hostile country.



During their discussions, Laen noticed the Korean officials were rather curious about the Western goods  perhaps a little too curious. He later wrote, "We found our friendly visitors both high and low, to be great thieves of little things, their capacious coat sleeves being convenient receptacles for stole articles." This sounds at odds with other contemporary tales which praised the Koreans for their honesty and refusal to accept any gifts.



Laen described the Koreans as not having their heads shaved in the manner of the Chinese and wore their hair in "different styles, the young persons wearing two plaited tails, and the old ones having theirs done up in a knob on the top of the head." He was unaware the differences were due to marital status  those done up in the "top-knot" were married while the others were still bachelors.











An islander with a load of brush in the 1880s. Public Domain image

One of his observations is rather puzzling: "The better class of these people seem to pride themselves on their feet which for men are remarkable small. Our Chinese could not help remarking on their smallness."



Finally, on May 11, the weather looked very promising and the castaways made their preparations to leave the island. It was hoped they could intercept a vessel sailing through the strait or, failing this, to make their way to Nagasaki  some 320 kilometers away. However, before they could leave, a great feast was given in their honor.



"At noon we were visited by the five officers accompanied by a band of six musicians and a number of followers, each carrying a small low table covered with small dishes, containing Rice, cooked in different ways. Pork, Seaweed, and Soy. Large mats being spread on the beach the tables were placed in two rows, in all fifty one, the exact number but one for each of the crew and passengers. The odd table being for the presiding officer. All having been seated at the tables, a cup of Samshoo [alcohol] was served to each guest by the way of bitters before dinner. After which the music struck up, and all fell to with a will to do full justice to the good things placed before them. The Chinese in particular plied their chopsticks well, pocketed all they could not eat, and not confining themselves to their own separate tables. To witness this feast we believe the whole male population of the Island numbering about one thousand, were collected, who kept at a respectful distance."





A sketch of Geomundo's residents in the 1880s. Robert Neff Collection



Again, this display of generosity contradicts the allegations of mistreatment often given in the regional English-language newspapers. Laen declared that it brought great credit upon the Koreans, especially when compared with "civilized nations." In the late afternoon, small gifts were given to their hosts and then Laen and twenty-five crew members and passengers  the remaining twenty-four preferred to remain on the island until help could be sent  departed in the three boats.



Throughout the night and the following day they sailed and rowed their leaky boats. Finally, at 6 p.m., they arrived at Port Hamilton (Geomundo Islands, South Joella Province) and were greeted by the islanders who provided them with brushwood so that they could cook and make their tea. A large jar of strong drink was also provided which was probably more appreciated than the warm cup of tea. Due to the worsening weather, the castaways confined themselves to their boats and waited for the foul weather to abate.



On May 14 they were finally able to put out to sea again and with the help of a westerly breeze safely arrived in Nagasaki two days later. Housing was arranged for the shipwrecked men and the HMS Nimrod (a British 6-gun sloop) was dispatched to retrieve the remaining castaways  Captain Laen to act as its guide.





A sketch of Geomundo and a British warship in the 1880s. Robert Neff Collection
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The time is now to invest in a clean-energy economy
By Andrew Hammond





Foreign ministers from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) met June 1 for a summit which underlined that, while the bloc was formed originally for its economic potential, it has also seen political cooperation rise to the fore in recent years.







This growing political bent is exemplified by this year's Indian presidency of the club of emerging market powers. The four priorities for New Delhi in 2021 include enhancing intra-BRICS anti-terrorism cooperation and enabling greater people-to-people interaction.







India's other priorities are delivering the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), plus also reform of the multilateral system to deliver on what BRICS says is a common ambition of sovereign equality of all states, and respect for territorial integrity.







These examples underline the hunger of the BRICS to become even bigger political (not just economic) players raising fears in some quarters that the bloc could, ultimately, become a unified anti-Western alliance. This concerns many given that the five nations encompass around 25 percent of the world's land coverage, over 40 percent of the world's population and around 16 percent of world trade.







To be sure, the BRICS (like some in the West) certainly have shared concerns about key elements of the prevailing global order. However, it is unlikely, for the immediate future at least, that this means the BRICS will move decisively beyond an increasingly institutionalized forum for emerging market cooperation.







Part of the reason for this is the heterogeneity of the club with its diverse interests, as showcased by Beijing's periodic tensions with New Delhi, including over border issues, which can adversely impact relations between the two. This has been one driver of the so-called Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as Quad, of powers compromising India, the United States, Japan and Australia to act as a regional anchor vis a vis China.







At the same time that BRICS are stepping up their political cooperation, there is growing skepticism of the relevance of the group as an economic club given the diverging long-term economic trajectories of the five nations.







Pre-pandemic, this has seen generally robust economic performance in China and India over the past two decades contrasting with disappointing results in Brazil, Russia and South Africa. However, even Indian growth has been reversed during the pandemic while China continues to power ahead, for now at least.







Yet, with BRICS already accounting for around a quarter of global gross domestic product (GDP), up by over 10 percentage points from around a decade ago, their overall growth is already having a major global impact, despite their diverging fortunes. World Bank research, for instance, has shown that for the first time in some two centuries, overall global income inequality  one of, but not the only measure of economic inequality  appears to be declining.







This is being driven by BRICS and other emerging markets. Especially the collective economic growth and very large populations of India and China, in particular, which have lifted a massive amount of people out of poverty, are driving this greater overall global income inequality.







At the same time, however, there is an opposing force: growing income inequality within many countries. It is this factor that has also assumed growing political salience recently, helping fuel populist, nationalist politicians including Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro.







These countervailing pressures, like tectonic plates, are pushing against each other. While the net global trend for the past 200 years has been toward greater overall income inequality, there is growing evidence in the last two decades that the "positive effect" of growing income equality between countries, spurred by BRICS and the development of the Global South, is superseding the "negative effect" from increasing inequality within nations.







Monumental as this could be, however, the picture is not yet clear cut. However, what is certain is that the overall lot of the Global South has improved dramatically.







Especially post-pandemic, it is unclear whether the BRICS and wider development of the Global South have enough momentum to keep driving forward a more equitable world order. The answer will depend, largely, on the same twin issues of whether emerging markets generally continue growing robustly, and also whether the trend toward rising income inequality within countries is sustained.







On the first issue, the trajectory of the global economy will very likely continue to shift toward the South. However, the remarkable wave of emerging market growth of the last generation may now decelerate, and the global transformation it has produced in recent years potentially will not repeat again.







On the latter, it is not set in stone that ever-growing income inequality within countries will continue, especially if there is political will to address it. However, the debate over what long-term reform agenda should be undertaken to tackle this problem is contested by the left and right across much of the world.







While the coherence of the BRICS as a combined club is therefore questioned, they have helped drive what could be the first period of sustained movement towards greater global income equality for two centuries. Yet, the fragile process could yet go into reverse, post-pandemic, especially if growth in China and India flattens significantly as the world recovers from the coronavirus crisis.









Andrew Hammond (

) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.


Members of the Indiana 7th Light Artillery reenactors group will be at the Days of the Blue and the Gray event June 11, 12 and 13.
Toto Wolff is still refusing to rule out a post-race protest against Red Bull's allegedly flexible rear wing.

Amid a chaotic qualifying at Baku, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton managed to overcome earlier difficulties to outpace his title rival Max Verstappen and set up an exciting prospect for Sunday.

However, the risk of a disputed result rolls on.

"This whole story about flexible wings is annoying everyone, me included," Mercedes boss Wolff said on Saturday.

"I don't know at the moment how their wings worked today and how they will work tomorrow. The decision will be made later," said the Austrian, when asked if a protest is still possible.

"Nobody wants to go to court. It's only counterproductive for our sport," Wolff added.

Auto Motor und Sport claims Mercedes engineers are still concerned that, based on the latest video footage from Red Bull's car, the wing is overly flexible.

"However, we are hearing from the FIA that Red Bull is not out of the ordinary this time, and that Mercedes' wing is also showing signs of flexibility," correspondent Michael Schmidt revealed.

What is clear is that Mercedes' and Red Bull's top officials are now locked in an ever more bitter tit-for-tat via the media, with Christian Horner advising Wolff at Baku to "keep his mouth shut".

"He's just a windbag who likes to see himself in front of a camera," Wolff hit back at his Red Bull counterpart, according to Sky Deutschland.

"I think it's better for him to be humble and remember that it was he who was disqualified in 2014 with a flexible front wing."

Title rivals Hamilton and Verstappen, meanwhile, giggled at their bosses' dispute after qualifying.

"We should get them in a ring," said the seven time world champion.

Verstappen agreed: "I'm all for a ring anyway, even in Formula 1 - instead of penalties."

(GMM)
Steel coils wait to be shipped overseas at POSCO's steel mill in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province in this Nov, 2020 photo. Yonhap



By Baek Byung-yeul



The local steel industry is expected to continue to suffer an export contraction as the European Commission is likely to extend a safeguard measure on steel imports for an additional year.



According to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and foreign media, Sunday, the European Commission is slated to announce the results of an investigation to assess the need for an extension of the safeguard measure on June 7 (local time).



The European Commission introduced the safeguard measure in July 2018 after the U.S. began imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on steel imports early that year. Due to the concern that cheaper steel from Asian makers would eat away at the European market, they imposed a 25 percent tariff on 26 steel "products" that exceeded a quota given to each country until June 30 this year.



KITA said multiple European Union (EU) officials told local media that the European Commission will propose a one-year extension of the safeguard measure. After the commission submits its opinion to the EU council, the latter will make a final decision on whether to approve the extension before the current measure expires.



The association added that the European Commission launched the investigation for extending the safeguard measure in February following requests from some member countries including Germany, Italy, France and Luxembourg.



The European Steel Association (EUROFER) also has continued to request the extension of safeguard measure over concerns that the steel industry there could be decimated by cheaper steel.



KITA said it believes that the current safeguard measure needs to be extended as long as the U.S. continues to carry out its section 232 measure which grants the American president the authority to impose restrictions on products that have been determined as posing a threat to U.S. national security.



During an online conference held last month, EUROFER said EU steel imports more than doubled, while exports decreased 26 percent, during the 2012-2018 period before the U.S. and EU implemented the section 232 tariffs on steel products and the safeguard measure, respectively.



If the safeguard measure is extended, Korea's steel industry will continue to suffer an export contraction.



According to EUROFER data, steel imported from Korea stood at 2.88 million tons in 2017 and 3.19 million tons in 2018, but the figure decreased to 2.68 million tons in 2019 when the safeguard measure went into effect and 2.62 million tons in 2020. It is estimated that the amount will decrease to 2.1 million tons this year. Korea's trade ministry also said the country's exports of steel to the EU decreased to $2.39 billion last year from $2.98 billion in 2017.



However, some also predict that the safeguard measure won't be extended. KITA said Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice-president of the European Commission and former prime minister of Latvia, has maintained a negative stance on extending the safeguard measure as retaliatory actions may be taken by its trading partners.



"Under the rules of the World Trade Organization, safeguard measures can be extended beyond three years but, if they are extended, affected trade partners can also demand compensation and take retaliatory measures," KITA said.


Volvo Cars achieved its eleventh consecutive month of sales growth as the companys global sales increased by 43% in May, compared with the same month last year. In May, Volvo Cars sold a total of 64,111 cars, up from 44,830 cars in the same period last year.

The growth was mainly driven by a strong demand in the US and, in Europe, a recovery from a sales drop in May last year related to the Covid-19 pandemic. In China, where sales returned to growth around this time last year, the company reported a steady increase of 11.7%.

Sales in the January-May period landed at 312,533 cars, up 49.9 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Sales of the Recharge line-up of chargeable models, with a fully electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain, remained strong in Europe during the month of May, and represented 40% of the companys overall sales in the region. Following a strong sales growth in the US, Recharge vehicles accounted for 20.8% of its total sales. Globally, Recharge cars accounted for 23.7% of the total sales volume during May.

In the US, sales increased by 38.9 per cent in May compared with the same month last year, mainly driven by a strong demand for the XC90 and XC60. Total sales reached 13,221 cars, an increase from 9,519 units sold in the same period 2020, when many states implemented stay-at-home orders due to the pandemic.

European sales grew to 24,761 cars for the month of May, up 65.1% compared to the same period last year. The increase was mainly driven by markets that have started to recover after last years pandemic-related shutdowns.

China, Volvo Cars biggest market, reported its 14th consecutive month of sales growth in May, with total sales reaching 16,895 cars. The increase was led by a continued high demand for the locally assembled XC60 and S90 models.

In May, the XC40 was the top selling model with sales of 20,350 cars (10,891 cars in May 2020), followed by the XC60, with total sales of 19,835 cars (13,226), and the Volvo XC90 with 9,961 cars (6,572).




Clara Brugada, who is running as a delegation leader under the ruling party Morena, greets supporters on the last day of campaigning ahead of the June 6 mid-term elections, in the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City, June 2. AP-Yonhap
WEST HARRISON, N.Y.  A request to approve a new hangar for a luxury jet service at the Westchester County Airport is raising ongoing concerns about the expansion of the airport and its impacts on the surrounding area.

The latest issue at the airport, next to the Greenwich town line, centers around a second hangar to be built by the aviation operator Million Air, as well as the lack of proper environmental approvals for the first hangar it completed in 2018. Community groups have been monitoring long-term plans for the airport, fearing that the regional airport could be transformed into a much larger facility, and discussions of new facilities are a persistent concern in neighboring communities.

The Westchester County administration, which owns and operates the facility, is exploring whether the airport should grow and permit more flight-operators and hangar space in the future.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said he wanted more input on whether Million Air should gain permission to build a second hangar for more planes, and how many fixed-base operators, as flight providers are known, should be permitted at the facility. He said he was aware that the Million Air plan for another hangar had supporters and critics.

Theres opposition in the neighboring community to it, and opposition in the environmental community, theyre against it, Latimer said. Theres support for it  the business community and the labor and construction industry want it. Thats exactly the kind of issue you want to have a public hearing, a public dialogue. Lets look at what should happen. Lets discuss the future of the airport, does it involve having more hangars? I want us to have a discussion as to whether its the right thing or not.

He said if Million Air is allowed a second hangar, it could set a precedent.

If we advance any additional hangar space, additional (fixed-based operators) are going to want the same treatment, Latimer said. Theyre going to say, Hey, you gave Million Air a second one.

The airport, encompassing sections of Harrison and Rye Brook, N.Y., abuts the northwest corner of Greenwich. It was built in the 1940s a part of a defensive military ring around New York City.

Airport expansion is a top concern to the nearby neighborhood, said Allen Williams, president of the Northwest Greenwich Association.

Were aware that private jet operations are increasing and could be expanding at some point, he said. Were ... trusting that County Executive Latimer will continue to honor his commitment of no expansion. So far, so good. However, as business travel begins to resume in the coming months, there will likely be steady pressure applied to expand the most profitable part of the airports operations. We can only wait and see.

Another issue complicating the Million Air site is the lack of a storm water management system for the current facility. The aviation operator built the first hangar and terminal without having proper approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Latimer, county officials and the FAA, for a storm-water management and retention system.

They have to complete a storm-water plan to satisfy the feds. Its a necessity. Weve called on them do it for a number of years They havent done it yet, but we expect them to do it, Latimer said.

The approvals from Westchester County for the earlier Million Air expansion plan were carried out under the previous administration under County Executive Rob Astorino. After Latimer was elected, the new county administration opposed a transfer of the county-owned airport to a private firm and chartered a new path on airport operations.

Astorino did not return a message requesting comment.

A spokesman for Million Air, Geoff Thompson, said the company would have the storm-water system in place this summer.

Thompson said there had been miscommunications involving the FAA, Westchester County and Million Air over the storm-water system and a phased construction plan. He said it was the understanding of Million Air management that Westchester County, as the owner and operator of the site, would work out the environmental and storm-water management plan, with the FAA.

Million Air has done everything it was supposed to do throughout this whole process. The outreach to the FAA  thats handled by the county, or the airport management. ... It was not Million Airs responsibility to communicate with the FAA, the spokesman said.

It was assumed the storm-water retention system would be built as part of the construction of the second hangar, the spokesman said. Thompson said the proposed second hangar had been OKed by the Astorino administration, and the Latimer administration has held up on it.

The Million Air spokesman said the runoff was coming from water on the roof of the facilities. The planes are kept indoors during cold weather, so de-icing liquids were not part of the run-off.

The extra storage space provided by a second hangar would cut back on the number of private jet flights that operate from the Westchester Airport, according to the Million Air management. Due to the lack of hangar space in Westchester, jets fly from Long Island, New Jersey or elsewhere in the region to pick up passengers there, empty, to take them to their destinations.

By having these planes based at Westchester, its cutting the number of flights in half, Thompson said.

The FAA has been working with the county to bring Million Air into compliance, spokeswoman Arlene Salac wrote in an email: The agency recognizes that some project construction was completed prior to the completion of the (Environmental Assessment). The agency began an inquiry and notified the county in November 2018 of the concern, and the requirements not met under (the National Environmental Policy Act). The county was advised to halt construction until the completion of the NEPA process. The agency is reviewing the matter and has not taken any action against Westchester County at this time.

Million Air, based in Houston, operates numerous fixed-base operation terminals across four continents, and it also provides aircraft charter, management, sales and aircraft maintenance. The 52,000-square-foot hangar that opened in 2018 accompanied a new private terminal, as part of a renovation and expansion.

The storm-water is to be directed to nearby retention ponds. Latimer said the Kensico Reservoir and its ground-water aquifer, which provides drinking water to the metropolitan area, is not affected by runoff from the hangar site.

rmarchant@greenwichtime.com
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP)  The foreign ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia voiced unanimous support Saturday for North Macedonia and Albania to start membership talks with European Union, arguing that bilateral issues should not block the EU's enlargement into the Western Balkans.

Austrias Alexander Schallenberg, the Czech Republic's Jakub Kulhanek and Slovenias Anze Logar arrived in North Macedonia's capital, Skopje, to offer their backing for EU accession talks scheduled for June. The three plan to visit Albania, which also wants to join the EU, on Sunday.

Bulgaria refused last year to approve the EUs membership negotiation framework for North Macedonia, effectively blocking the official start of membership talks with its smaller Balkan neighbor.

Bulgaria wants North Macedonia to formally recognize that its language has Bulgarian roots and to stamp out allegedly anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. The government in Skopje says the Macedonian identity and language are not open to discussion.

Bulgaria on Friday ruled out again a possible reversal of its veto following a meeting with EU officials.

The Czech Republics Kulhanek said it is not fair for one EU member nation to condition the enlargement process on a bilateral dispute.

This is a crucial time, and we cannot allow (the process) to be stuck with such demands, he said.

North Macedonia applied for EU membership in 2004 and received a positive assessment from the European Commission a year later. EU leaders agreed to formal accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia after Skopje settled a nearly three decade-long dispute with neighboring Greece over the countrys name, which saw it renamed North Macedonia.

Western Balkan countries are at different stages of EU membership talks. Serbia and Montenegro have already started negotiating some chapters of their membership agreements. Kosovo and Bosnia have signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement, the first step to membership.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP)  Mario Kovach stood at a trailhead near Hawk Mountain the other day, with the Appalachian Trail stretching to Maine one way and Georgia the other and a perfect blue sky spilling sunshine over everything  a red car parked on the side of the road, a gaggle of genial thru-hikers pausing among their heaps of gear to rest and drink water.

He slowly rotated his right forearm, displaying 20 surnames of men and women tattooed in a font patterned, he said, after the one on the tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery.

All died in service of their country. Solesbee, Bell, Schwartz, Seidler, Weiner, Miller, Loncki, Moss. On and on. As members of the U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit, they were steel-nerved experts in the highwire job of defusing bombs, including the improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, that killed so many troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This was Kovachs job, too, during his 20 years in the Air Force. The Pottstown native, who retired in 2018, survived five rotations through Afghanistan without serious injury, except to his psyche. It is this wound the retired master sergeant has been treating on the trail and other places where nature is still able to soften the sharp edges of the manmade world and hush its incessant screech and roar.

Its natural stimulus versus manmade stimulus, he said. Nature is nothing that man controls. Its the combination of the environment and solitude that gives me the feeling of resetting my internal locus.

This is where Cindy Ross enters the story. She is a writer and lifelong hiker whose adventures in travel and education have filled nine books so far.

The latest, Walking Towards Peace  Veterans Healing on Americas Trails, is about the veterans Ross serves through the nonprofit River House PA, headquartered at the log cabin she and husband Todd Gladfelter built 30 years ago in East Brunswick Township, Schuylkill County.

The organization was born out of Ross experience with some veterans who thru-hiked the trail in 2013, meaning they walked all 2,180 miles. When the group paused in Albany Township, she and Gladfelter organized a dinner for them at the cabin, listening to the stories they told of wars horrors and the unexpected happiness they found in the arduous but beautiful trek along the trail.

Its a place they can find peace, said Ross, who speaks intently and earnestly, in the manner of someone sharing information you absolutely have to know.

It is, after all, an urgent matter. Post-traumatic stress disorder  PTSD  is endemic among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, with one study suggesting the rate is as high as 30%. Many Vietnam veterans still carry the burden, too.

Veterans also take their own lives in extraordinary numbers. Military suicide has rightly been called an epidemic  the Department of Veterans Affairs says nearly 18 veterans a day committed suicide in 2018. And though rates have declined among veterans who have received care through the department, much work remains to be done.

Kovach is among the veterans profiled in Ross book. They are men and women who have seen the worst of the worst and, in many cases, came close to suicide before discovering natures restorative power  manifested in the flute-like call of a wood thrush, the rattle of a woodpecker, the glimpse of a sun-mottled deer among the trees.

Ross worked with veterans affairs early on and word spread about the program, so she has no shortage of veterans visiting River House and hitting the woods. The water, too  they do a lot of tubing and paddling. Paralyzed veterans can ride adaptive mountain bikes on the trails.

At the end of these days, they gather back at Ross and Gladfelters house and, like that first night, have dinner and gather around a fire.

At least a few of them would start to cry and say, It was the best day of my life, Ross said. They say, I need to do this with my family and kids.

Most gratifying are the messages from veterans who tell her a day in nature was crucial to saving their lives.

Kovach, who grew up in the shadow of the Limerick nuclear power plants cooling towers and now lives in upstate New York with his wife and two sons, was circumspect about what led him into explosives disposal.

I didnt get into it on purpose, he said, then veered into a discussion of the history of the Ordnance Disposal unit  how it evolved from the need to clear English city streets of the time-delayed bombs dropped by Nazis in Luftwaffe raids.

All four military branches have EOD units. Kovach said the Air Force unit numbers in the hundreds but is a close-knit group nonetheless.

Most I knew or worked with in some capacity, Kovach said of the fallen colleagues whose names cover his arm.

He recounted the ways some of them perished. Airmen Timothy Weiner, Daniel Miller and Elizabeth Loncki  Team Lima  died in Iraq in 2007 when a device they were investigating detonated. Technical Sgt. Kristoffer M. Solesbee was killed by a bomb in Afghanistan.

Airmen Matthew Seidler, Bryan Bell and Matthew Schwartz were hit by a giant IED in Afghanistan in 2012, Kovach said. And Walt Moss was the first EOD killed in Iraq. That was in 2006.

Carrying such memories, not to mention the accumulated stress of moving through war zones where every moment posed a threat, turned Kovach into a different man, a change he sums up in Ross book:

Guys like me thrive in crisis situations. But the longer you are in combat, the more your nature begins to change. Our wires get crossed. You might be in a mall at home on leave, but hypervigilance mode is going through the roof. I feel as if I have to pay close attention to details and I cant turn it off in a normal situation. We dont have a switch. For so long and for so often, I needed to keep the team alive. Urgency becomes the norm. This lifestyle has completely eroded my nerves.

In 2019, Kovach hiked the 85-mile Susquehannock Trail in Potter and Clinton counties. Thats where he learned that nature can restore what life has taken.

Not a single part of me on that hike felt as if I were on a mission, he told Ross. I was not teleported back to the mountains of Afghanistan.

Kovach is keenly aware that for every vet who finds healing and solace, many more still struggle to the point of despair. Last fall he co-founded Project Felix, a nonprofit group for unit technicians coping with survivors guilt and other trauma.

Were trying to put a dent in the ether of military suicides, he said.

There are means of healing other than hiking and paddling, of course, but Kovach said a day in the woods  or a week, or a month  must be reckoned among the best.

It doesnt cost anything, he said. Youre not putting medications into you. And you can do it anytime.

___

Online:

https://bit.ly/3i3OAe8
LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the Group of Seven wealthy democracies summit next week to urge world leaders to commit to vaccinating the global population by the end of 2022.

Johnson is expected to stress the importance of a global vaccination drive when he meets with fellow world leaders on Friday in Cornwall, on England's southwestern coast, for the first face-to-face G-7 summit since the pandemic hit.

The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the postwar era: defeating COVID and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values, he said in a statement Sunday. Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

U.S. President Joe Boden and the leaders of Canada, France, Italy and Japan will arrive in Cornwall from Friday for three days of talks focusing on the global recovery from the pandemic.

Britains government pledged in February to give most of the countrys surplus vaccine supply to COVAX, the U.N.-backed program aiming to supply poorer countries with jabs.

But the U.K. hasn't yet put a figure on how many doses it will donate. The country, with a population of about 70 million people, has ordered around 400 million doses of vaccines. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that the U.K. doesn't have any excess doses at the moment and that were just getting them into arms as quickly as possible.

The Sunday Times reported that Johnson is set to announce at the summit that the U.K. will pledge to donate over 2 billion pounds worth of jabs this year, with further donations in 2022.

The U.S. has said it plans to share 80 million doses of its surplus vaccine globally by the end of June, most of them through COVAX.

___

Follow APs pandemic coverage at:

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AP)  A technical problem that involved no immediate safety issue" forced Vice President Kamala Harris' plane to return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland about 30 minutes after she had left Sunday on a trip to Guatemala and Mexico.

Air Force Two landed safely and she gave a thumbs-up when she got off.
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Haiti - News : Zapping...





Scam alert : Consulate Montreal

The Consulate General of Haiti in Montreal is warning compatriots that malicious individuals are trying to scam them by creating fake websites and fake Facebook pages bearing the names of the Consulate and the Consul General. Do not be fooled by these individuals. For official and reliable information, please consult the Consulate website: https://consulat-haiti-montreal.org or call (514) -499-1919.



Covid : 50% more cases and deaths than the peak of June 2020

Dr. Marc Edson Augustin Medical Director of the St-Luc Foundation, reveals that the numbers of admissions and deaths at St-Luc Hospital are 50% higher than in June 2020 when the country experienced the peak of contamination of Covid. In May 2021, St-Luc hospital had never received so many patients suffering from respiratory distress See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33894-haiti-flash-very-heavy-toll-in-may.html and https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33893-haiti-news-zapping.html



Gangs in Martissant : Deaths and dozens of injured

Since the start of armed clashes (June 1) in the neighborhoods of Martissant, between the armed gangs of Grand-Ravine and Ti Bwa, the number of gunshot wounds has increased sharply. The Medecin Sans Frontiere (MSF) hospital reports no less than 5 deaths and 20 injuries to which is added the partial assessment of the Hospital of the State University of Haiti which in 48 hours recorded no less than 6 injuries by bullets. National road number 2 is totally blocked. Several dozen Martissant families took refuge in Fontamara Square, driven out by violence, some having lost everything.



Vaccines : Upcoming donation from the American Red Cross

The Direction of the Haitian Red Cross thanks in advance "the American Red Cross for the doses of anti-Covid 19 vaccines that his country will give to Haiti. Through vaccination, we will help to stem the pandemic and the deaths. Let's mobilize to support the national vaccination campaign of the Ministry of Public Health."



France decorates the President of the Maison d'Haiti

On the proposal of the Embassy of Haiti in Paris, France awarded the decoration of the Senate to the President of the Maison d'Haiti, Ms. Roseline Dieudonne, for her commitment to the Haitian community in France.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Volkswagen on Sunday said it had reached the broad outlines of a settlement with former boss Martin Winterkorn over his role in the dieselgate scandal, with the final details to be thrashed out over coming days.







Via the settlement, Volkswagen is trying to turn the page on its biggest ever corporate crisis in which it admitted using illegal software to rig diesel engine tests in the United States. No details were given on the size of the deal.







"In its meeting yesterday, the supervisory board agreed the essential conditions," a VW spokesperson said in a statement. "The agreements will be concluded in coming days."



Since it broke, dieselgate  one of the biggest corporate scandals ever  has cost the carmaker more than 32 billion euros ($38.93 billion) in fines, refits and legal costs.







Volkswagen in late March said it would claim damages from former Winterkorn for breaching his duty of care by failing to fully and swiftly clarify circumstances behind the use of unlawful software functions in some diesel engines.



Winterkorn has denied being responsible for the scandal. He resigned as CEO on Sept. 23, 2015, a week after the scandal was uncovered.



(Reuters)


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Huntington, WV (25701)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 88F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.
Huntington, WV (25701)

Today

Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 87F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.




Several thousand people rallied in Hungary's capital Saturday against plans by Prime Minister Viktor Orban to host a Chinese university in Budapest.







A strategic agreement that Hungary signed with Shanghai-based Fudan University envisages opening a branch in the city's 9th district. Plans call for the Budapest campus to be completed by 2024. It would enroll international students and represent the school's only foreign outpost, as well as the first Chinese university campus in the 27-nation European Union.







The protesters marched from Heroes' Square toward the Hungarian parliament building, defying a pandemic ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. The crowd carried banners reading 'No Fudan,'' flags and posters.







Budapest authorities have opposed the university branch idea. They argue the $1.9 billion project would place a huge burden on taxpayers and send the wrong political message because of the alleged human rights abuses in China.







Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony had a huge photo of a protester facing a tank in Beijing's Tiananmen Square projected behind him during Saturday's demonstration. Chinese troops opened fire on protesters in the square on June 4, 1989, killing hundreds and perhaps thousands.







''Let's make it clear whom we are not protesting against,'' Karacsony said. ''We have our problem with dictators.... And we are not in the least protesting against Chinese people who live together with us peacefully in this marvelous city.''







''What we want is the student city,'' Karacsony added. ''What we don't want is the 500 billion forint (1.45 billion euro; $ 1.6 billion) Chinese elite university paid from the taxpayers' money. It is as simple as that.''



Orban, a right-wing populist, has fostered closer ties with Russia and China as he faces European Union criticism for his authoritarian ways and staunch anti-immigration stand.







Hungarian officials have insisted that Fudan, ranked among the top 100 universities in the world, will help raise higher education standards in Hungary. But the university's links to China's Communist Party have sparked outrage among liberal-minded Hungarians.



(AP)


Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low around 60F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Anderson, IN (46016)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 60F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
Uniontown, PA (15401)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
A Chrisitan Engineer from Kerala, who had recently converted to Islam to join Islamic States (IS), has been killed in a suicide bombing terror attack in Libya, reports New Indian Express.

According to the reports, the intelligence officials have gathered information that the name of the Keralite had appeared in an IS document titled Know your martyrs, in which he was referred to as Abu Bakr Al-Hind. In the document, IS has claimed that the Kerala-based engineer is the first Istishhadi or suicide bomber or martyr, from India to be killed on the African continent.

The Kerala based IS terrorist is believed to be a Christian who embraced Islam while working in the Gulf.

Unlike in the case of other Kerala-based IS terrorists who were killed in Syria and Afghanistan, the IS document did not mention Abu Bakrs real name. The intelligence agencies also have no clue about his other whereabouts either, except that the person was born in a rich Christian family where there are many engineers.

According to the IS document, Abu Bakr was working in Bengaluru before moving to the Gulf. That was the first time he was in a complete Muslim environment, said the document.

Kerala-based IS terrorist got radicalised by watching videos of Anwar Al-Awlaki

The Kerala-based IS terrorist was introduced to Islam through a pamphlet handed over to him while he was shopping at a market. He was shocked to know that Muslims believe in Jesus and respected him, said the IS document adding that Islamic terrorist wanted to know more about Islam.

Abu Bakr watched the speeches of another Islamic terrorist Anwar Al-Awlaki, which radicalised him and led him to the IS. Abu Bakr wished to do hijra (migration) like other Kerala Muslims who had joined the IS, but he had to return to India as his companys contract in the Gulf expired.

Later, the IS handlers asked him to go to Libya, where its activity was going strong. As he was an engineer and his passport had a Christian name, he flew easily to Libya, said the document. Abu Bakr was killed in a terror operation three months after reaching Libya.

The Security agencies are identifying the person and are also preparing a timeline of events. Earlier, security experts warned that the IS might shift its operations to Africa after losing its strongholds in Syria and Afghanistan. Many Muslims from Kerala, which has become the hub of Islamic terrorism, had joined the IS and travelled to Syria and Afghanistan, but a case of travelling to Libya is the first known case.

In 2014, IS had declared the formation of Wilayat (province) in Libya, and many foreign fighters had been dispatched to the country. The Islamic State had claimed that its cadre from Kerala had taken part in many Istishhadi operations in Afghanistan, including the attack on Gurudwara in Kabul and prison in Jalalabad last year.

Source : OpIndia


Summary: This position is responsible for the day-to-day coordination and managing of activities around the Districts reservoir including operations and maintenance and administrative responsibilities. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Include: Operations and Maintenance - Coordinate and manage daily reservoir park and Wildlife Management Area (WMA) activities.

Ensures daily reservoir park maintenance and upkeep is performed.

Develop & make recommendation for park improvements.

Monitor use and upkeep of District Facilities at the Reservoir.

Assist in monitoring of reservoir water quality as needed.

Maintain weekly progress reports on all activities and projects.

Ensure Reservoir buoys are properly set and maintained.

Monitor oil production/pipelines near lakes for water quality issues.

Coordinate reservoir project activities affecting other departments.

Assist other departments as needed.

Monitor monthly expenditures to stay within budgetary guidelines.

Screen, interview and recommend new employees for employment.

Ensure boat ramps and docks are safe, clean and ready for public use.

Ensure restrooms, picnic table and camp sites are safe, clean and ready for public use.

Ensure trash is picked up, controlled and properly disposed of.

Ensure new employees are trained, monitor their progress.

Monitor and check time sheets of reservoir staff.

Ensure all reservoir employees adhere to the Districts Safety Program.

Ensure work is performed in a safe and organized manner and that the Districts facilities are maintained in an operational and orderly manner.

Follows appropriate policies, procedures, rules and regulations.

Maintain accurate records. ? Performs other duties as needed. Administration - Collect public use permits sales receipts and fees from concession operators.

Collect public use permits sales receipts from area store vendors.

Maintain CRMWD public permit boxes.

Manage public pavilion rentals.

Coordinate lake and park patrol activities as required.

Coordinate and communicate with area law enforcement personnel and state Game Wardens.

Monitor vehicle permits compliance in District owned parks as required.

Audit and inspect shoreline for permitted boat docks and ramps.

Audit home site pad construction elevation for compliance with reservoir flood easement restrictions.

Audit septic system installation for TCEQ compliance and reservoir flood easement restrictions.

Serve as District liaison to property owners and property lessors of the marginal shoreline around the reservoir.

Monitor unauthorized (unpermitted) shoreline alteration and /or usage around the reservoir and on WMA lands.

Monitor oil production/pipelines near lakes to ensure no water quality issues are created

Serves as District liaison with reservoir concessionaires.

Responds to public questions or complaints regarding District operations or policies Knowledge Required: Overall understanding of the Districts operations and the CRMWD Mission Statement. Knowledgeable of the TCEQ onsite septic system rules, lake concession contracts, parks and recreation facilities, their design, functions and layout. CRMWD Rules and Regulations for Lakes, Reservoirs, Facilities and Wildlife Management Areas. Coordination and Communication: Activities of the District require continual communication and coordination. Communication and coordination may include Board members, managers, employees, customers, landowners, elected officials, local, state and federal agencies, consultants, vendors and the general public. If unusual or emergency situations arise, the appropriate person(s) should be notified as soon as possible. Education, Training and Experience: High School Diploma or acceptable GED equivalency required. Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Parks and Recreation or related field preferred. Minimum of ten years of reservoir parks administration and management experience desired. Certification or License: Valid Texas Drivers License - Class C required. CPR and First Aid certification required. Equipment Used: Personal computer and general office equipment, automobile, water craft, backhoe, dozer, motor grader, dump truck, tractor with implements, ditch-witch, lawn care equipment, shop tools, chain-saw, weed-eater, welders, cutting torch and surveying level. Physical / Mental Demands: Requires sight, hearing, speech, hands, and feet for the direction and supervision of all reservoir park related activities. Must be able to read, write, and reason at a level such that record keeping and assignments may be coordinated and completed, and work may be delegated to subordinate personnel and management decisions can be made. Requires physical ability to be on-call for response in emergency and/or critical periods. May require outside work in all types of weather including heat, cold, and inclement, stormy conditions. May require occasional physical exertion in emergency or extremely busy situations. Requires some travel with overnight stays. Site Specific Responsibilities: Lake J.B. Thomas  Inspect, monitor and help manage lake lot leases on District owned property. Monitor oil production activities on mounds and pipelines within the lake basin to ensure no water quality issues are occurring. E.V. Spence Reservoir  Serve as District liaison with concessionaire at Wildcat Park; Manage and maintain Friendship WMA including serving as District contact for activities at this location. Monitor oil production activities and pipelines near the lake to ensure no water quality issues are occurring. O.H. Ivie Reservoir  Serve as District liaison with concessionaires at Concho Park and Kennedy Park; Manage and maintain Riverside WMA including collecting public hunt applications, review applications to determine completeness, conduct public hunt draws from applications received, process public hunt permits and mail to recipients, manage public access to WMAs, organize and conduct youth hunts. Manage and maintain Talpa WMA including serving as contact for public hunts. Ensure compliance with hunting rules on District WMAs. Manage and maintain Giesecke WMA. Ensure proposed shore alterations are in compliance with 404D permit.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is working with researchers and a reference laboratory to retest samples to study the theory that COVID-19 may have been in Italy since autumn 2019. If true, this would pre-date the virus's discovery in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

According to Chinese observers, this suggests that foreign scientists had started tracking down COVID-19 origins in areas other than China. The tracing effort may expand to include other nations that have reported evidence of the virus's early presence, such as the United States.

WHO rechecks research of Italy's first COVID-19 case

Experts cautioned that this investigation does not rule out the possibility that the virus originated in other countries. Establishing its origins is a tough and time-consuming task. Many more global investigations and research are likely needed.

WHO scientists said the agency's worldwide specialists group is excited to begin the second phase of research into the COVID-19 origins.

According to a WHO spokesperson, the agency is in contact with the researchers who published the initial report. It is also coordinating with partner laboratories to further test the samples from Italy during the period in question.

"The WHO requested that we share the biological material and re-run the tests in a third-party laboratory. We accepted," said Giovanni Apolone, scientific director of the Milan Cancer Institute (INT), one of the key institutions, Reuters reported.

COVID-19 antibodies were in the blood samples of 111 of 959 people participating in a lung cancer screening trial between September 2019 and March 2020, according to a report published in November 2020 by the INT in Milan. The majority of the volunteers came from Lombardy, Italy's COVID-19 first and worst-affected area, as per Global Times.

The study, The Unexpected Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in the Pre-Pandemic Period in Italy, suggests that COVID-19 was already circulating among asymptomatic people in Italy many months before the first case was detected.

The first known case of the pandemic was recorded in the Lombardy area of Italy on February 21, 2020. It was the first Western country to be badly affected by COVID-19.

Read Also: Supreme Court Denies Johnson & Johnson's Appeal To Throw Out $2 Billion Penalty in Talc Baby Powder Cancer Verdict

UN says COVID-19 origins probe is poisoned by politics

The Italy investigation comes as pressure mounts in the West to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than three million people worldwide.

On Friday, the WHO said that it is already preparing for the next study into the virus's origins. However, it did not specify a timetable.

The UN body said that politics is poisoning the investigation. This statement was in response to US President Joe Biden's announcement that intelligence services were exploring competing possibilities, including the potential of a laboratory accident in China.

Per Daily Mail, COVID-19 was initially discovered in December 2019 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, while the first case in Italy was discovered on February 21 of last year in a small town near Milan. Chinese state media speculated that the virus did not originate in China. However, the Italian researchers emphasize that the findings raised issues about when, not where, the virus initially appeared.

Related Article: Joe Biden Believes China is Hiding COVID-19 Origin Info; Task Force Leader Says Chinese Government Should Be Punished

@YouTube

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According to anti-Trumpers the latest conspiracy that originates from QAnon, before the Labor Day weekend, the Supreme Court will reinstate the former President in the White House, booting Biden out. But, the elections show that Biden had won with a good margin denying the claims of the ex-POTUS that Democrats had allegedly cheated, reported Business Outsider.

Who started this baseless rumor?

It is unclear where the August-reinstatement theory originated from, but it did not come from credible sources. The time it was first given attention is when Mike Lindell, the founder, and CEO of MyPillow and a loyal Trump ally mentioned it.

Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow has been involved in legal problems for submitting unfounded statements regarding Dominion Voting Systems' voting devices. After the 2020 elections, Republicans are not keen on contracting the notorious voting firm.

Many pro-Democrats have attacked him as he has persisted to promote what is alleged as misinformation about the 2020 election. He is supposed to be the driving force behind the spread of this new conspiracy theory throughout MAGA-friendly news organizations.

The My Pillow CEO said on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast last March that Trump will evict Biden via a supreme court decision in August. It comes at a time that the present administration has been allegedly failing miserably from January 20. However, President Joe Biden will be ousted by Donald Trump in August is not credible.

Read also: Florida Governor Ron Desantis Approves Republican Election Bill for Less Mail-in Voting, Drop Boxes

During the interview with Steve Bannon he remarked that from January 9, Lindell has been gathering proof that Trump won rightfully but Joe Biden did not. Next, he added that they will bring the evidence to the court that the 2020 election was stolen by collusion with outside influences.

The CEO's claim is based on the idea that the Supreme Court would be so impressed by his massive proof of fraud it would issue a ruling declaring Biden's fraudulent victory and rescheduling Trump's inauguration.

Sidney Powell, the ex-Trump lawyer stood up courageously over stacked odds and lost several election-related lawsuits saying that there was proof that the Dominion had tampered with its voting machines.

She was in Dallas to share in the QAnon conference theory. Hence, a case was filed against her for fraud theories, like Lindell.

Making rounds on the On Fox News show "Fox and Friends," as noted by Deseret, the former first daughter-in-law Lara Trump said that she was unaware of any preparations for former President Trump to be reinstated to the White House later in the summer.

At the Dallas conference, Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security advisor said that to restore Trump, the US should execute a military coup akin to Myanmar's, cited Forbes.

Lindell believes that he will eventually have the actual proof to compel the Supreme Court to overturn the election in August.

The Arizona audit

Some are claiming that Trump is pinning his hope for a reversal on the ongoing election audit in Arizona, which Democrats scoff at as insignificant. No actual evidence of fraud accord to critics, and other ballot audits are in the process of organizing that is spreading to GOP-led states.

News about President Joe Biden being ousted by Donald Trump in August is not possible. Even Trump's daughter in law is not aware about the alleged reinstatement.

Related article: Texas Senate Approves GOP Election Reform Bill for Cleaner Elections, But Democrats Challenge it

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is not happy as M-16 chief says the Kremlin is not as powerful as before and says undermining UK and Russia relation will be unwise.

Putin took offense to the remark of Richard Moore, chief of MI6, that the Kremlin's influence is waning and said that it was exhibiting recklessness. But, the Russian leader mentioned that any outside influence that will ruin relations with the UK will regret it, reported Bloomberg.

Be careful what you say

Reports ask how the remarks of the British spy chief were received by the Russian leader. The new M-16 spy chief was told that he is new to the job, suggesting that his assessment of the Kremlin should be reassessed. Moore started to head M-16 in October last year but whose assessment was ill-advised, it should have been more diplomatic.

He was asked his opinion of the remarks of the M-16 chief, saying," The head of MI6 has made these conclusions; he is new, and I expect he would gain more experience before reconsidering his judgments whether Russia is a declining superpower." Adding, "So why care, why be concerned, simply live your life and don't attempt to even further undermine Russian-British relations?", quoted the Express.

During a video link from St Petersburg, Putin spoke of improved trade between the two countries that saw better growth and trade relations. Any attempt to sour the economic benefits of better trade will be detrimental. Putin is not happy as M-16 chief says the Kremlin is not what it was, which prompted these remarks.

Read also: Nuclear Disarmament With Russia and US Will Begin, But China Refuses to Join

Moore emphasized his concern with the Novichok incident in Salisbury, in which two alleged Russian agents went after Sergei Markov, a former Russian spy converted to MI6 double agent.

The spy head also raised suspicions that Moscow's intelligence organization, the GRU, was liable for a bombing that killed two people at a Czech weapons factory in 2014.

He spoke to Times Radio via Youtube, and gave this statement, "When you have a pattern of risky behavior, you find out what is going on in Ukraine, and that worries us. It is for this purpose that we have engaged so closely with our allies to assure that we are delivering President Putin powerful signals."

Russian opposition and Alexei Navalny

With the present politics in Russia extremely tense, how the opposition leader Alexei Navalny was treated by Russian officials is an indicator of the government's attitude to the opposition. Looking at the sheer numbers of protestors in the street of Moscow, this may signify their stand with the continuing rule of Putin.

The nerve agent attack on British soil in 2018, ties with Moscow and London have been particularly strained.

Reports say that Sergei Skripal survived a chemical attack that killed 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess after she used a spray bottle with toxin. The alleged cause of death is poisoning or merely from natural death due to illness.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has led a push to NATO should employ political pressure to combat the danger of Moscow, charging Russia of being an "unfriendly" state.

Raab called out Russia for allowing Belarus to catch a dissident by forcing down a Ryan air to apprehend Roman Protasevich.

Putin is not happy as M-16 chief says the Kremlin is losing its grip on power, but the Russian leader will not accept such impudence from anyone.

Related article: Russia Follows US, Withdraws From Open Skies Treaty Due To Lack of Progress

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Pres. Joe Biden's proposed Infrastructure Bill continues to face strong opposition from Republican lawmakers, now the fate of this bill will test his commitment.

Democrats Raised Concerns of Biden's Infrastructure Bill

President Biden has challenges in reaching unanimity among Democrats on an infrastructure plan, regardless of whether it is bipartisan legislation or whether Democrats seek legislation on their own.

Some members of the Democratic Party want Pres. Joe Biden to pass the bill without the GOP support through what lawmakers called as budget reconciliation process. However, some of the Democrats also raised concern about the language of the bill.

According to a published article in The Washington Post, one of their main concerns is the source of funds of the Infrastructure Bill once is it is approved. Specifically, raising the corporate tax to 28 percent has become an issue to some Democrats most especially in its regional interests.

Read Also: Experts See Tax Increase Proposed by Biden's Infrastructure Plan Not Beneficial

New Offer of Republicans to Pres. Biden

Pres. Joe Biden and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito talked Wednesday last week about the Infrastructure Bill. However, both of them did not end up in an agreement and scheduled another talk on Friday of the same week.

According to a report published in ABC News, Sen. Capito offered an additional $50 billion in spending compared to the previous offer of the Republicans. On the other hand, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the new offer was not satisfactory.

Psaki said in a statement "The President expressed his gratitude for her effort and goodwill, but also indicated that the current offer did not meet his objectives to grow the economy, tackle the climate crisis and create new jobs," according to a report published in The Hill.

Tension Within the Democratic Party

Progressive legislators are pressing Biden to end his negotiations with Republicans. Democrats increased their demands for Biden to go on with a partisan bill after it was revealed on Wednesday that the White House stressed alternatives other than hiking the corporate income tax rate as methods to pay for a scaled-back version of Biden's first $2.3 trillion plan.

The White House was particularly interested in Biden's plan to levy a minimum tax of 15 percent on major firms' profits as it is reported to investors. However, Biden risks alienating progressives with a plan that varies significantly from his earlier idea and the measures on his Infrastructure Bill.

Meanwhile, members of the progressive group in the House continued to raise concerns about the talks between the White House and the Republicans. Both parties cannot strike the deal due to the amount, measure, and source of funding.

Furthermore, Moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin also released a statement on Thursday and said that he wanted the deal to reach bipartisan support. Manchin said, "We need to do something in a bipartisan way."

He said this even though it is not clear as to how long the negotiation between Biden and Republicans will last. It can be remembered that both first committed to striking the deal before the Memorial but failed to do it.

Related Article: Biden Meets Republican Lawmaker To Get Support for the Infrastructure Bill



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COVID-19 vaccine queues are long as teens line up to get their jabs so they will be allowed to go out when clubs will re-open as lockdown ends.

More young people mobbed the distribution of vaccines so they can be given privileges to vaccinated individuals. Many were intent on taking the vaccine in preparation for Freedom Day on June 21.

Walk-in jabs for everyone

At Harrow, North West London, the Belmont Health Centre is handing out Pfizer vaccines to all walk-ins. Many of the over-18 teens who are residents in the Harrow, were all lined up for their first shot ever of COVID-19 vaccine for protection, reported The Sun.

Images show the youngsters from a huge crowd around the health center, that snaked its way through the parking lot and down the block.

Some teens are hoping to receive the vaccine before "Freedom Day," before the lockdown ends, and clubs open on June 21.

"If all goes as planned, clubs would reopen in three weeks, and we both have intentions to go out," Jamie Lesser, 20, says, noted the Scottish Sun.

When nightclubs reopen, he plans to party for "about five days in a row" to compensate up for the past year.

When he saw an opportunity to acquire a vaccine, his buddy Daniel Simmons said he thought he would "jump on it," saying, "I want to get it as soon as possible really.

Olga Milevska, 27, a brand manager, and her friend Konstantin Germer, both 27, are hoping to tour in summer after getting the vaccine.

She said that if they can get the vaccine faster and sooner, be protected, it would be better.

Read Also: New UK COVID-19 Mutation Detected in Colorado, Severity of Contagiousness not Determined

Chand Shah, who is a 25-year-old accountant, thinks this was a "good idea" to get the vaccine until the limits are lifted completely.

Shah was asked about getting his jab sooner. He just said that it was expected August at the latest. Getting it earlier surprised him a lot. He added that getting his vaccine jab makes him feel more secure.

More lines for jabs everywhere

Today, the University College London has become the first university to offer a Covid injection to all its students.

The schedule for the distribution of vaccines is from 12 pm and 4 pm but vaccines ran out just after 2 pm.

Students queued outside the Hunter Street Clinic in Kings Cross in clusters, eager to be among the fortunate few.

More than 15,000 people waited in line for a vaccine at Twickenham Stadium last Monday.

Thousands of young people waited patiently in queues which were "longer than Glastonbury" at the rugby venue.

As health officials attempted to shift doses to achieve deadlines, anybody under the age of 30 was invited to go along for an injection. Only people over 30 are currently eligible for the vaccination, based on government regulations.

For those over 50, there will be a second jab in the coming week to make sure UK can open after June 21.

All Ministers wish to reach the rollout as quickly as possible to overcome the Indian variant's increasing threat in the UK.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is coping to keep his promise to completely remove the regulations on June 21, as the last step in his plan, cited Reuters.

COVID-19 Vaccine queues full of teens are looking forward to their covid jab, to party and be safer from the virus.

Related article: Chinatown Mob in London Overwhelms Vaccine Bus That Advertises Free Jabs for Undocumented Migrants

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A new study shows that the coronavirus stimulus checks given to the qualified residents in the country have positively impacted the economy.

A Call for 4th Stimulus Checks

The global pandemic has disturbed and affected almost all aspects of human lives including the economy. The hiatus that the pandemic brought to the world has caused to weaken the economy and brought different problems to each household.

According to a recently published report in NJ, some Democratic lawmakers are calling to pass the 4th stimulus checks of an amount of $2,000 every month until the country's economy will fully recover.

In February, there were still 7.6 million fewer workers even though companies added 559,000 employees last month. With the progress of vaccination in the country, it is expected that the economy will soon recover from the pandemic.

Read Also: Progressive Democrats Frustrated With Biden's On Going Talks With Republicans Over Infrastructure Bill

Results from the New Studies

According to a recently published report in the CBS News, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found out that one out of four Americans still struggled to pay their household expenses in the previous weeks. The unemployment rate is at 6.1 percent which is higher compared to the 3.5 percent before the pandemic.

The jobless rate remains high most especially in low-wage industries like food services and hospitality. It can be recalled that most of these industries need to laid-off their employees because they can no longer pay them.

In another survey from the TransUnion, it was found out that millions of Americans remain financially distressed despite financial assistance. The service firm found out that four out of 10 people said that their income is still below compared to the pre-pandemic.

Some Lawmakers Push for Another Round of Stimulus Checks

It cannot be denied that most of the Americans and residents in the country have always been asking for financial assistance specifically the stimulus checks. This will help millions in the country to meet their daily needs and pay their house rentals.

Even though the Internal Revenue Service has already released almost 167 million payments in the third round of stimulus checks, some lawmakers want to send other rounds of stimulus checks until the pandemic ends, according to a published report in iEmpresarial.

Around 21 Senators, all coming from the Democratic Party, already signed a letter addressed to Pres. Joe Biden stating the importance of stimulus checks. They also mentioned in the letter that the $1,400 payment being distributed will not last long.

So far, the Government's response to the coronavirus pandemic's economic crisis has provided $3,200 to each qualified adult. $1,200 via the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act in March 2020, $600 via a December relief measure, and $1400 via President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan in March.

According to the University of Michigan, citing the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans who did not have enough to eat decreased by more than 40% from December 2020 to April 2021, and those who had difficulty paying their bills decreased by 45 percent during the same period, as Congress passed $2,000 in new direct payments. The Household Pulse Survey was conducted by the Census Bureau.

Related Article: New Stimulus Checks Could Bring Monthly Payments, Will Biden Administration Respond to the Increasing Demand?



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Amid the censorship and controversies that Twitter faces, the social media giant decares access to its access as a "human right."

Twitter Deletes Tweets from Nigerian President

In a recently published article in Fox News, Twitter removed an angry post from President Muhammadu Buhari, which many saw as a veiled threat against violent separatists in the country's southeast, and his government's communication arm retaliated by banning the social media website from the country.

The Nigerian President wrote in the already deleted Twitter post "Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during 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," according to a published report in Pehal News.

During the country's violent civil war, Nigeria's president served as a military commander in the battle against Igbo separatists who sought to form an independent Biafra nation. Between 1967 and 1970, more than one million individuals were killed in the fighting.

Read Also: Twitter Indefinitely Cancels My Pillow's Company Account after CEO Used it

Twitter and Nigerian Government Released a Statement

Saturday morning, Twitter declared a free and open Internet to be "an essential human right in modern society," after the Nigerian government blocked access to the social media giant following a disagreement with its president - even as critics claim it suppresses conservative content and bans its own users.

Meanwhile, the country's Federal Ministry of Information and Culture tweeted Friday night "The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria, according to a published article in Siouxcounty Radio.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture, also announced that the government would begin licensing social media platforms and "OTT," or over-the-top, operations, which offer content directly to viewers via the internet.

Twitter Users Give Their Reactions

The remark garnered quick reactions from Twitter users, who pointed out that the social media giant's own protocols allow for the suspension and banning of users, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative author Liz Wheeler wrote in response to Twitter's tweet "Access to the free & #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society... unless you're Donald Trump. Or reporting on Hunter Biden's laptop. Or discussing the biology of gender. Or the murderous dictator of Iran. Or a Chinese Communist Party peon lying about COVID," according to Fox News.

Another user shared a meme of a comic book hero debating which button to press - "Access to Twitter is a human right," or "Ban these accounts for speaking stuff I don't agree with." Several additional users expressed similar opinions.

Republican senators have also accused the social media giant of "shadow-banning" conservatives, or of using an algorithm that reduces the visibility of their posts. Twitter similarly suspended the New York Post's account for a report on Hunter Biden just days before the 2020 presidential election but reversed its decision once the report was confirmed.

Related Article: Russia Vows To Block Twitter for 30 Days



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Job Description Summary This employee is responsible for assisting the electrician in the maintenance of the city's generators, street lighting and other miscellaneous electrical projects. This employee will also assist with building maintenance. Job duties could vary on a daily basis. This employee reports directly to the Deputy Director Public Works. Job Responsibilities 100% - 1. Under the direction of the electrician, install conduit, light poles and hand holes. Ability to install power wires through conduit

- 1. Under the direction of the electrician, install conduit, light poles and hand holes. Ability to install power wires through conduit Repair and replace electrical lamps.

Dig holes and trenches as required either by hand or with heavy equipment.

Ability to change out light switches and electric door locks.

Ability to clean drain lines, condensers and air filters.

Abillity to clean ice machines.

Ability to wash buildings and windows with an aerial lift.

Ability to perform minor plumbing repairs on toilets, sinks and drinking fountains.

Performs other related duties as directed. Qualifications

Essential: High School diploma or GED equivalent.

Ability to possess a valid Florida Class B Commercial Driver's License, free of financial responsibility requirements or restrictions within one year. Desirable: Experience in pump repairs or related equipment.

Experience in building and electrical trades including carpentry and masonry.

Experience in reading plans, and as-built drawings . Knowledge, Skills & Abilities - This employee must have a basic knowledge and understanding of electricity and the tools and equipment used in this field. This employee must be available for "on call" basis as required by job assignment. Must have the physical strength and freedom of movement from disabling defects to permit the lifting and carrying of 100# loads periodically during a normal workday. Must be able to climb ladders, scaffolding, steps, stairs, ramps and any other means provided to perform the duties listed under examples of duties performed. Must be able to read, interpret and install or maintain equipment from drawings, specifications and maintenance manuals. Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully meet the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Sufficient physical strength and agility to perform heavy manual labor, for extended periods of time, often under adverse weather conditions.

Ability to move up to 100 lbs. over a distance of 100 feet.

Ability to operate a motor vehicle under all weather conditions any time of the day or night. Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions and is occasionally exposed to extreme heat.

The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high. Click to apply today!

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You bet - Ill be there all weekend.

I plan to be there at least part of the time.

Im still a little leary because of the crowds.

Vote

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Salary $70,574.40 - $121,430.40 Annually Location Various locations in Arlington, VA Job Type Full-Time Department Department of Libraries Job Number 7002-21C-LIB-HQ Closing Continuous Position Information Arlington County's Public Library is seeking an innovative and experienced manager to join the Public Services Leadership Team. We invite candidates who have proven leadership skills, are strategic thinkers and problem solvers, have strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills, and are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive space for culture and connection.



Specific duties include: Providing mentorship, leadership, and management to professional and administrative staff, including development, training, and performance evaluations;

Contributing to the planning and evaluation of system-wide policies and best practices;

Directing the planning and implementation of services, partnerships, programs, events, outreach, staffing, and volunteer support;

Assessing, recommending, and implementing streamlined processes and procedures to ensure and maintain quality standards;

Making decisions based on data, including interaction reports, staffing audits, and location-specific reports;

Supervising the maintenance of collections, in collaboration with Materials Management Division staff;

Participating in Library and County committees or workgroups to further the Library's mission; and

Developing and maintaining community contacts. .

The ideal candidate will have the following: Experience as a hands-on manager, and be a problem solver and strategic thinker;

An ability to manage multiple tasks, understand and focus on Library system-wide and County priorities, work successfully within a team, and communicate effectively;

An awareness of current trends in public libraries, be proficient with technology, be forward thinking, and a proven innovator, and

Experience as a change agent with a strong background in internal workgroup dynamics and performance management.

Selection Criteria Minimum: Masters' Degree in Library Science or Information Science from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited college or university plus extensive leadership and management experience (three or more years) in a library setting which includes experience leading change efforts, leveraging technology and leading a team to achieve strategic initiatives.



Desirables: Preference will be given to candidates with experience in one or more of the following: Managing public library services for a cultural diverse customer population;

Direct supervision and evaluation of staff performance;

Developing or re-imagining public library services; and/or

Working cross departmentally to collaborate on major initiatives, projects or services.

Special Requirements As part of this application, please include a cover letter that describes in detail how your training, education and experience has prepared you for this position and how you meet the qualifications. Your cover letter should include: An overview of your experience supervising and evaluating staff performance and managing library services for a culturally diverse customer population.

A description of your experience developing or reimagining library services and leading staff through change, and

A description of how your efforts lead to improved performance or operations.

Please use the space provided in the Supplemental Questions section of the online application for your cover letter or attach it to your online application

Additional Information Work location and hours of work: Full-time 40 hours per week, including some evening and weekend work. Actual work schedule is determined by the needs of the work location; assignment location could change over time. The current vacancy are at the Columbia Pike, Glencarlyn and Shirlington Libraries.



The official title of this position is Librarian Supervisor.



The salary listed is effective FY22, July 2021. Arlington County Government employee benefits depend on whether a position is permanent, the number of hours worked, and the number of months the position is scheduled.



Specific information on benefits and conditions of employment can be found on the Arlington County Human Resources Department website: (see application details)



Permanent, Full-Time Appointments

All jobs are permanent, full-time appointments unless otherwise stated in the announcement. The following benefits are available:



Paid Leave : Vacation leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. Leave accrual increases every three years until eight hours of leave are earned biweekly for twelve or more years of service. Sick leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. There are eleven paid holidays each year.



Health and Dental Insurance : Three group health insurance plans are offered - a network open access plan, a point-of-service plan, and a health maintenance organization. A group dental insurance plan is also offered. The County pays a significant portion of the premium for these plans for employees and their dependents. A discount vision plan is provided for eye care needs.



Life Insurance : A group term policy of basic life insurance is provided at no cost to employees. The benefit is one times annual salary. Additional life insurance is available with rates based on the employee's age and smoker/non-smoker status.



Retirement : The County offers three vehicles to help you prepare for retirement: a defined benefit plan, a defined contribution plan (401(a)), and a deferred compensation plan (457). The defined benefit plan provides a monthly retirement benefit based on your final average salary and years of service with the County. You contribute a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to this plan. General employees contribute 4% of pay; uniformed public safety employees contribute 7.5% of pay. Employees become vested in the plan at five years of service. The County also contributes to this plan.



For general employees, the County also contributes 4.2% of pay to a defined contribution plan (401(a)) . The County also matches your 457 contribution, up to $20 per pay period, in this plan. The 457 deferred compensation plan allows you to set aside money on either a pre-tax (457b) or post-tax (457 Roth) basis up to the IRS annual limit. New employees are automatically enrolled with a pre-tax contribution equal to 2% of your base pay.



Other Benefits: The County also offers health, dependent care, and parking flexible spending accounts; long-term care insurance; tuition assistance; transit and walk/bike to work subsidies; a college savings plan; wellness programs; training opportunities; and a variety of other employee benefits.



Permanent, Part-Time Appointments:

Part time employees who work ten or more hours per week receive paid leave and benefits in proportion to the number of hours worked per week.



Limited Term Appointments:

Benefits are the same as permanent appointments except that the employees do not achieve permanent status.



Temporary Regular Appointments:

Temporary regular employees who work 30 hours or more per week are eligible for health, dental, and basic life insurance as described above. They are also eligible for vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.



Temporary Seasonal and Occasional Appointments:

Temporary employees who work on a seasonal basis or variable hours receive sick leave, but do not normally receive other paid leave or benefits. Exceptions are noted in individual announcements.


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LONDON (AP)  The Group of Seven wealthy democracies agreed Saturday to support a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15% to deter multinational companies from avoiding taxes by stashing profits in low-rate countries.

G-7 finance ministers meeting in London also endorsed proposals to make the world's biggest companies - including U.S.-based tech giants - pay taxes in countries where they have lots of sales but no physical headquarters.

British Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, the host, said the deal would reform the global tax system to make it fit for the global digital age and crucially to make sure that its fair, so that the right companies pay the right tax in the right places.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the agreement provides tremendous momentum for reaching a global deal that would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporate taxation and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the U.S. and around the world.

Nations have been grappling for years with the question of how to deter companies from legally avoiding paying taxes by using accounting and legal schemes to assign their profits to subsidiaries in tax havens - typically small countries that entice companies with low or zero taxes, even though the firms do little actual business there. International discussions on tax issues gained momentum after U.S. President Joe Biden backed the idea of a global minimum of at least 15%  and possibly higher  on corporate profits.

The meeting of finance ministers came ahead of an annual summit of G-7 leaders scheduled for June 11-13 in Cornwall, England. The endorsement from the G-7 could help build momentum for a deal in wider talks among more than 135 countries being held in Paris as well as a Group of 20 finance ministers meeting in Venice in July.

Manal Corwin, a tax principal at professional services firm KPMG and a former Treasury Department official, said the meeting had clarified where important countries stood on several key issues, including the 15% minimum.

"Signaling that there is consensus around some of the key features of whats being discussed globally was really, really important so they have the momentum to go to the next phase of this with the G-20," she said.

The tax proposals endorsed Saturday have two main parts. The first part lets countries tax a share of the profits earned by companies that have no physical presence but have substantial sales, for instance through selling digital advertising.

France had launched debate over the issue by imposing its own digital services tax on revenues it deemed to have been earned in France by companies such as Google, Amazon and Facebook. Other countries have followed suit. The U.S. considers those national taxes to be unfair trade measures that improperly single out American firms.

Part of the agreement Saturday is that other countries would repeal their unilateral digital taxes in favor of a global agreement.

Facebooks vice-president for global affairs, Nick Clegg, said the deal is a big step toward increasing business certainty and raising public confidence in the global tax system but acknowledged it could cost the company.

We want the international tax reform process to succeed and recognize this could mean Facebook paying more tax, and in different places, Clegg said on Twitter.

The G-7 statement echoes a U.S. proposal to let countries tax part of the earnings of the "largest and most profitable multinational enterprises  digital or not  if they are doing business within their borders. It supported awarding countries the right to tax 20% or more of local profits exceeding a 10% profit margin.

Yellen, asked if she had given her European counterparts assurances that large U.S. tech firms would be included, said the agreement will include large profitable firms, and I believe those firms will qualify by almost any definition.

The other main part of the proposal is for countries to tax their home companies' overseas profits at a rate of at least 15%. That would deter the practice of using accounting schemes to shift profits to a few very low-tax countries because earnings untaxed overseas would face a top-up tax in the headquarters country.

At home, Biden is proposing a 21% U.S. tax rate on companies' overseas earnings, an increase from the 10.5%-13.125% enacted under former President Donald Trump. Even if the U.S. rate winds up higher than the global minimum, the difference would be small enough to eliminate most room for tax avoidance. Biden's proposal requires congressional approval.

KPMG's Corwin said the final statement was silent on several key points, including exactly which of the largest and most profitable multinationals would be covered by the proposal and how companies would be protected from double-billing if countries disagree on who has the right to tax them. Those complexities are fodder for the G-20 talks and the ongoing Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development talks in Paris.

The devil is in the details, Corwin said.

The Group of 7 is an informal forum among Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States. European Union representatives also attend. Its decisions are not legally binding, but leaders can use the forum to exert political influence.

___

McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany.
A beloved summertime tradition returns to Houston this week.

After a yearlong hiatus because of the pandemic, the Houston Symphony will once again take the stage at its home away from home to present two Music at Miller performances under the stars at the Hermann Park treasure. The family-friendly series, which is supported by the city of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, will kick off Thursday evening with a festive concert highlighting the brass, winds and percussion sections of the orchestra  before the strings get to enjoy the spotlight Saturday  under the baton of conducting fellow Yue Bao in her Miller Outdoor Theatre debut.

Im excited about everything, said the Shanghai-born conductor, who joined the Houston Symphonys artistic leadership as music director Andres Orozco-Estradas right-hand woman in November 2019 after completing a two-year tenure as a conducting fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. I cannot be more grateful for our symphony, and Im very proud of our symphony that we are still making music and sharing music in this different and difficult time for everyone.

To prepare for the upcoming pair of performances, Bao worked closely with the symphonys director of artistic planning, Rebecca Zabinski, to select a repertoire that will inspire and engage diverse audiences.

Heralding in the occasion is a lively 2-minute Fanfare for brass choir from Paul Dukas 1912 ballet La Peri, followed by Valerie Colemans blues-inspired Red Clay and Mississippi Delta for wind quintet, a virtuosic piece that the composer describes on her website as a musical portrait of her mothers family and the region from which they hail.

The program continues with an arrangement of Renaissance composer Tielman Susatos Susato Suite by John Iveson; a lyrical Serenade for 13 wind instruments by Richard Strauss, which he completed in 1881 at the age of 17; and excerpts from Prokofievs classic Romeo and Juliet, arranged for wind octet by Andreas Tarkmann. All of this leads up to the closing number  the rhythmic Suite from Maria de Buenos Aires by Argentinas nuevo tango pioneer Astor Piazzolla, whose centennial is being celebrated this year around the world.

This outdoor concert, for me, has a festival feeling, a festival atmosphere, Bao said, and when I listen to Piazzolla, I just cant help myself to move my body, so I hope people will enjoy it and dance with it.

Music at Miller: Romeo and Juliet, Piazzolla & More When: 8:30 p.m. June 10 Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive Tickets: free; houstonsymphony.org, milleroutdoortheatre.com Music at Miller: Mozart, Holst & More When: 8:30 p.m. June 12; performance will also be livestreamed. See More Collapse

Bao will also lead the orchestras string section in the second and final performance Saturday night at Miller. The program, which will also be livestreamed for those at home, will share a mix of musical styles as well, from spirited works by two of todays acclaimed composers, Chen Yi and Jessie Montgomery, to Mozarts joyful Divertimento in D major and Elgars elegant Serenade in E minor to a string arrangement of Gustav Holsts cinematic Jupiter from his seven-movement orchestral suite known as The Planets.

People feel connection when we hear something we are familiar with, said Bao of Holsts adventurous masterpiece, which will end the evening on an uplifting note. The one thing I wanted to do as a conductor is build a bridge between the musicians of the orchestra and the audience. Whatever music you listen to, you find a connection. I feel music brings people together.

Lawrence Elizabeth Knox is a Houston-based writer.
Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law a bill making the sale of alcohol-to-go legal, and Katy alcohol-based businesses are overjoyed.

Yesterday, Abbott signed House Bill 1204 into law, making cocktails to-go permanent in the state- a law that local businesses are calling a positive step forward for the industry.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas alcohol-to-go bill signed into law by Gov. Abbott

When Abbott mandated the closure of restaurants and bars at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the alcohol-to-go executive order was intended to be a stop-gap to help keep the industry from collapsing. At the time, it was not intended to be a permanent change to Texas law.

Kristi Brown, director of state government relations for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, praised Abbotts actions during the pandemic. Governor Abbott acted quickly to support Texas restaurants and bars by allowing cocktails to-go via executive order during the pandemic, she said.

For Katy businesses, it was a lifeline, but the governor had not initially intended to extend the option once the industry reopened. Now that its a law, business owners have an opportunity to increase revenue - and make a lot of customers happy.

Nick Jessett, owner of MKT Distillery, noted that this is the first major alcohol bill that has been passed in Texas in the past eight years.

It is a positive step forward, Jessett said. This is a great pro-business bill that will help a lot of businesses in our industry rebound from the shutdowns and lost business from last year.

I think it's great for wineries and breweries, agreed Jennifer Prothow, owner and vintner of ErmaRose Winery. It gives us more ways to generate that revenue, and we could all use that.

Brown noted that for many businesses, the alcohol-to-go order was the only reason the business was able to stay afloat. Cocktails to-go provided a much-needed lifeline for struggling hospitality businesses and prevented the permanent closure of many.

Prothow stated that this was the case at ErmaRose. When the pandemic hit, Prothow added to-go daiquiris to her menu. Those daiquiris, she said, are what kept business open during the leanest times.

Our daiquiris sales during the pandemic were the only reason we are still here, she said. Customers can only drink so many bottles of wine from to-go sales. We had two weeks of very minimum sales and it got really scary.

Jessett hopes that the law is the first of many that will change the alcohol industry in Texas. MKT Distillery brews and serves moonshine, bourbon, whiskey and vodka. For restaurants that are part of a distillery, Jessett said, the new law will enable distilleries to share their cocktails with a broader audience.

For independent distilleries like MKT Distillery, the law grants the ability for those distilleries to share their cocktails across the restaurant industry. This is still a great bill as it allows us to team up with local restaurants to produce signature cocktails to-go that feature our spirits, he said. Now, with the ability for us to work with local restaurants to create signature cocktails with MKT spirits, our customers will be even happier to be able to enjoy our spirits in cocktails while enjoying their favorite meals from their favorite restaurants.

Texas is the tenth state to make a COVID-era cocktails to-go measure permanent, Brown said. More than 30 states began allowing restaurants and bars to sell cocktails to-go as a COVID economic relief measure.

claire.goodman@chron.com
A 7-year-old girl, whose family moved to the United States for a better life, reeled in the biggest catch of the day at the 2021 Kids Fish Fest on Saturday in Conroe.

Tia Khoury smiled proudly with two trophies nearly as tall as her after winning her fight with a 3.5-pound fish at the Safe Harbor Walden Marina in Montgomery located at 12050 Melville Dr. in Montgomery.

Tia shared the fish was her second catch of the day and nearly got away due to a little distraction.

I wasnt paying attention too much, I was looking at my brother because he loves fishing, but he didnt catch anything, Tia said with a laugh. And then I was like, poor him and then I looked back at it and it was sinking.

A big fight followed for the small child who remembered the lessons taught to her earlier in the day by her father and a volunteer, including to count to five once the fishing bobber sinks.

You have to be patient and dont move because if you move it will scare the fish away, Tia said she learned on Saturday.

The event, which was hosted by the Trophy Catfish Association and sponsored by Keating Honda, saw nearly 225 participants. It featured various activities that cover the importance of conservation, angler safety and etiquette.

Tias mother Malvina Khoury, 39, shared that her family moved from Palestine three years ago because of the political situation with the childrens future in mind.

This is something totally new for us, Khoury said. We loved it. It is so family friendly. The atmosphere is so good. You know, it lets kids experience new stuff in their lives.

She described the event as a blessing and believes it teaches the children valuable lessons and gives them an alternative to technology devices.

Kids started thinking that life is just a button that theyre going press and they get frustrated if they have to wait for stuff, Khoury continued. So, I think fishing is the best thing for them because theyve got to be patient.

Event Coordinator Rachelle Guppy Slaughter with the Trophy Catfish Association shared the event began in June 2018.

Since then, the event has provided the free fishing lessons to a total of nearly 4,220 children. Slaughter also hosts Casting for Casey for children and adults with special needs to celebrate her late sons birthday.

Saturdays event saw one of the largest turn outs with more children and more catches.

One of the participants, Jansen Leiker, 5, caught a stringer full of 13 fish. The child, who also got a trophy, hopes to join the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department one day and shared his secret motivation to catching so many fish.

I like to eat the fish, Leiker said as he returned to playing with Catfish in an oxygenated rejuvenation tank set up to teach the kids about tagging and safe release.

Tia giggled and she shared that her brother let out a groan when she informed him there would be trophies. He ended up ditching the fishing to go play games for a chance to earn more points.

But overall, it appeared the children, the volunteers, and Slaughter enjoyed the chance to get out in the sunny weather after days of rain and the seclusive novel coronavirus pandemic.

We are surrounded by clouds, Slaughter said. There are storm clouds in every area of the sky, except for right above where we are. The sun came out for the first time in weeks and everybody is ready to get outside, especially the kids.

They havent had a normal fun time in over a year, she continued. I think it was really important to get them out and the weather just agreed which was a huge blessing. I think everybody is pretty relaxed and happy to be outdoors for the first time in a very long time.

Michael Boston with Keating Honda shared he was happy to sponsor Kids Fish Fest and Casting for Casey that will be held later this year, which he plans to continue to support.

I think what they are doing is great for kids, Boston said. Anything that I can do as a general manager of a dealership to help out, I am happy to do and I think what they do is amazing. I love to fish. I grew up fishing on Lake Conroe, to introduce that to kids at young age and get them into doing something that gets them outside is great.

This years event was held in memory of the late volunteer, Jim Meier, who was hooked on the event that teaches kids to fish for free.

mellsworth@hcnonline.com
Dear Rusty: I took early retirement at 20 years from the Louisiana public school system in 1996. Since then, I have continued to work in private schools (except for two years in public). I now have over 20 years in the Social Security system. Are they going to take money out of my tiny early LA retirement check or lower my Social Security check? Is it true I can continue working and draw Social Security? I have reached full retirement age  I am 68. Signed: State Retiree

Dear State Retiree:

There are 27 U.S. states (including Louisiana) which, to varying degrees, do not require state employees to contribute to the Federal Social Security program.

Retirees in those states with a pension earned while not contributing to Social Security, and who still earn enough Social Security credits (from other work) to be eligible for Social Security benefits, are affected by a regulation known as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which reduces the amount of your Social Security payment.

So, the answer to your question is yes, your Social Security benefit will be reduced as a result of your LA state pension and WEP (your LA retirement benefit wont be affected).

The amount of the reduction to your Social Security benefit will depend upon the number of years of significant'' earnings you have contributing to the Social Security (SS) program. With 20 or fewer years of SS-covered earnings, you would incur the maximum WEP reduction, which is either a) 50% of your LA State pension amount, or b) the maximum WEP reduction for your eligibility year (the year you turned 62, which I believe was 2015). In the case of b), the maximum WEP reduction to your Social Security benefit would be $413/month.

Since you say you have over 20 years contributing to Social Security, be aware that the size of the WEP reduction to your SS will be smaller for each year over 20 that you have significant SS-covered earnings. For example, with 21 years of SS earnings your WEP reduction would be $371/month; with 25 years of SS contributions your WEP reduction would be $206/month; and with 30 years of SS contributions, WEP would no longer apply.

As you can see, the WEP reduction to your SS benefit decreases proportionally with each year over 20 that you have significant earnings and contribute to Social Security, and WEP disappears with 30 years of significant SS earnings.

Be aware that WEP will not affect you until you are collecting both your LA state pension and your Social Security benefit, and that for each full year you continue to work and contribute to Social Security the WEP reduction will diminish. And since youve passed your full retirement age you can collect Social Security and work without your SS benefits being affected.

But, in any case, you shouldnt delay claiming your Social Security benefit past age 70 because that is when your SS benefit will reach maximum.

Russell Gloor is a certified Social Security advisor with the Association of Mature American Citizens.
Ongoing

Preserving the Bounty: Virtual Workshops

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Family and Community Health in Fort Bend County will host Preserving the Bounty: Virtual Workshops. Workshops on Salsa and Relish, Pickling and Pressure Canning, Tomatoes, Freezing and Drying, and Jams and Jellies are available. The workshops are available online and you can complete them at your own pace. The cost for each workshop is $10 or $35 for all five classes. Each virtual workshop includes handouts, slide presentation with video and a demonstration video. Instructor for each workshop is Dianne Gertson, FCH agent-Fort Bend County. For registration information go to https://fortbend.agrilife.org/fch/preserving-giving-the-bounty or call 281-342-3034.

June 9

Community Blood Drive

The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce Community Blood Drive will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 9, at 445 Commerce Green Blvd. in Sugar Land. Reservations are preferred by going to https://tinyurl.com/byxyyru8. The drive is held in conjunction with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. Go to www.commitforlife.org for more information. For more information on the blood drive contact Juliette Nessmith at juliette@fortbendcc.org or at 281-566-2162.

Coffee with the Commissioners Office

Join Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers from 8 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 9, for a monthly update at the Katy Area Chamber, Shell FCU Community Room, 814 East Avenue, Suite G in Katy. Admission is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. For more information contact Ashley DeWispelaere via email at ashley@katychamber.com or visit https://tinyurl.com/tspktafw.

June 10

Meet the Music

Meet the Music by Vivaldi Music Academy will be presented from 10-10:45 p.m. Thursday, June 10, at Sugar Land Town Square, 15958 City Walk in Sugar Land. This summer join us for an interactive concert experience with Vivaldi Music Academys Meet the Music summer series for ages 5 to 12. Together students and musicians will collaborate and excite creativity through education and music. For more information go to https://tinyurl.com/u566v88t.

June 11

Opry on the Square

Opry on the Square is scheduled for 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, June 11, at Sugar Land Town Square, 15958 City Walk in Sugar Land. Come out to enjoy Country Now and Then, featuring country favorites that will appeal to all generations of country music fans.

Womens Health and Family Planning

Join board-certified OB-GYNs Rosalyn Miller, D.O. and Elizabeth Mosier, M.D. where they will discuss their philosophy of care on Friday, June 11, from noon to 1 p.m. There will be an open dialogue and Q&A discussion where you can ask any questions you may have, from birth control, family planning to womens health and menopause. To register for this event, visit join.houstonmethodist.org/meet-ob or call 281-274-7500.

June 12

Corvettes Ready Car Show

Corvettes Ready Car Show is scheduled for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, June 12, at Sugar Land Town Square, 15958 City Walk in Sugar Land. Enjoy more than 100 Corvettes, plus you can vote for the winner of the Peoples Choice Award. All proceeds will benefit local charities. For more information, visit www.corvetteownersclubhouston.com.

Movie Under the Moon

Movie Under the Moon sponsored by First Colony Church of Christ is scheduled for 8:30-10 p.m. Saturday, June 12, at Sugar Land Town Square, 15958 City Walk in Sugar Land. Bring your family, friends and lawn chairs to the Plaza to enjoy the free movie. This months showing is Frozen 2. For more information go to https://tinyurl.com/6zfx57sm.

June 14

Richmond City Commission

The city of Richmond will hold a Special Meeting on Monday, June 14, at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in person and via teleconference. The meeting will be held at 600 Morton St. in Richmond. For questions contact City Manager Terri Vela at tvela@richmondtx.gov or 281-342-5456. For more information go to www.richmondtx.gov.

June 15

Sugar Land City Council

The Sugar Land City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 15, in Council Chambers at City Hall. For more information go to www.sugarlandtx.gov.

Rosenberg City Council

The Rosenberg City Council Regular Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 15, in Rosenberg City Hall at 2110 4th St. Council meetings may be viewed live on YouTube, the city of Rosenberg website or by Rosenberg Comcast customers on channel 16. For more information go to www.rosenbergtx.gov.

June 16

Virtual Sugar Land Superstar Auditions

Virtual Sugar Land Superstar Auditions will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 16. The 2021 winner will receive a prize package featuring items from Town Square retailers and the opportunity to perform live at future events. All contestants must be 14-plus years of age and full-time residents of Fort Bend County to be eligible for competition. Now through Wednesday, June 16, contestants should submit 30-60 second video and entry form via email to events@sugarlandtownsquare.com for consideration. For more information go to https://tinyurl.com/yv3xnxtb.

June 18

Music in the Plaza

Music in the Plaza featuring Zach Person is slated for 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, June 18, at Sugar Land Town Square, 15958 City Walk in Sugar Land. Person is an American, indie-rock recording artist based in Austin, Texas, who is considered to be "The future of American indie music" ... and happens to be a former Sugar Land Superstar finalist. He is a House of Blues Music Forward Foundation alumnus, who appeared on Season 15 of American Idol, and is known for his contemporary, pop-rock approach to blues and American roots music. For more information go to https://tinyurl.com/3xx3dwwy.

June 19

Sugar Land Jr. Superstar Finale

Sugar Land Jr. Superstar Finale is scheduled for 7:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at Sugar Land Town Square, 15958 City Walk in Sugar Land. Junior Superstar, Sugar Lands American Idol-like competition for ages 9-13, is back for its 16th summer. For more information go to https://tinyurl.com/5bvuzczh.

June 22

Sugar Land City Council

The Sugar Land City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, in Council Chambers at City Hall. For more information go to www.sugarlandtx.gov.

Richmond City Commission

The city of Richmond will hold a Regular Meeting on Monday, June 14, at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in person and via teleconference. The meeting will be held at 600 Morton St. in Richmond. For questions contact City Manager Terri Vela at tvela@richmondtx.gov or 281-342-5456. For more information go to www.richmondtx.gov.

June 28

ARC Golf Classic

The Arc of Fort Bend Countys 27th Annual Golf Classic will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, June 28, at Weston Lakes Country Club, 32611 FM 1093 in Fulshear. Registration will begin at 10 a.m. followed by a box lunch and a shotgun start at 11 a.m. For tournament information go to https://tinyurl.com/ysy78twn or contact Cheryl Olivier at 281-494-5959 or adminassistant@arcoffortbend.org.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)  Just a year ago, the financial future looked bleak for state governments as governors and lawmakers scrambled to cut spending amid the coronavirus recession that was projected to pummel revenue.

They laid off state workers, threatened big cuts to schools and warned about canceling or scaling back building projects, among other steps.

Today, many of those same states are flush with cash, and lawmakers are passing budgets with record spending. Money is pouring into schools, social programs and infrastructure. At the same time, many states are socking away billions of dollars in savings.

Its definitely safe to say that states are in a much better fiscal situation than they anticipated," said Erica MacKellar, a fiscal analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Spending plans for the budget year that begins July 1 are up 10% or more in states spanning from Florida and Maryland to Colorado, Utah and Washington.

In Oklahoma, pandemic uncertainties last year prompted lawmakers to trim $1.3 billion from their anticipated general revenue. That resulted in across-the-board cuts for public education and most state services.

This year, the new budget is up nearly 18%. That includes money to reduce class sizes in kindergarten and first grade, funding for a new children's behavioral health center and new incentives for businesses to make movies in Oklahoma. The Republican-led Legislature even set aside money to cut individual and corporate income tax rates and expand tax credits for a school choice program.

Last year: shaky foundation. This year: solid foundation, said Republican state Sen. Roger Thompson, chairman of the chamber's budget-writing committee.

Many states experienced a similar turnaround. Fiscal analysts cite a variety of reasons.

The federal government poured billions of dollars into state coffers through a series of pandemic relief packages. Federal aid also sent billions more to U.S. households and businesses that, in turn, pumped money into the economy.

State finances also fared better than feared. Consumer spending rebounded to shore up sales tax revenue, and state income taxes were bolstered by a strong stock market and high-wage earners who kept working remotely while others were laid off.

The result is that states now face "a very promising fiscal and economic outlook over the next couple of years, said Justin Theal, a state fiscal research officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

A recent Pew report found that after an initial sharp plunge in tax revenue, 29 states recovered to take in as much or more during the peak pandemic period of March 2020 through February 2021 than they did during the same 12 months before the pandemic began.

Idaho, Utah, Colorado and South Carolina posted some of the biggest revenue gains along with South Dakota, which was one of the few states never to shut down. The Pew report also noted modest revenue gains for some states that imposed more aggressive coronavirus precautions on their economy, including California, Massachusetts and New York.

The $212 billion budget enacted earlier this year in New York is up almost 10% over the previous one. Federal COVID-19 relief provided the bulk of that growth. But state spending alone still is up by 3.8% in the new budget, according to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration.

New York's bigger budget includes a mixture of ongoing and one-time spending, including a $1.4 billion boost in basic aid for schools and a $1.3 billion plan to overhaul Penn Station.

Florida's record $101.5 billion budget is up roughly 11%, with bonuses for teachers, police and firefighters, and new construction projects at schools and colleges. Lawmakers decided they had money to spare, expanding sales tax breaks for school and hurricane supplies and creating a new tax-free week to buy museum and concert tickets and recreational gear for camping, fishing and surfing.

Florida is among several states that amplified their 2021-22 budgets with at least part of their share of a $195 billion state aid package from the recent American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden.

Shortly after that plan passed, Moody's Investors Service upgraded the outlook for states from negative to stable, citing stronger state finances and continued federal aid. It said the new federal aid equaled nearly 16% of states' own revenue for the 2019 fiscal year.

Many Republicans in Congress had criticized the Biden relief plan as excessive, especially in the amount of money going to state governments. Many states already had been seeing better-than-expected tax revenue even before the plan was signed into law in March.

Some states, such as Colorado, are waiting until later to decide how to use the latest COVID-19 relief funds because they have until the end of 2024 to spend it.

Even without the latest federal aid, Colorado's budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 is up more than 12% from the previous one, which had been pared back because of pandemic concerns.

Sen. Bob Rankin, a Republican member of the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee, said he is concerned about how that additional $3.8 billion of federal aid will be spent.

Im afraid that we are spending money and making commitments that we will not be able to sustain once that one-time federal money goes away, Rankin said.

In many states, lawmakers are devoting federal COVID-19 relief money to one-time purposes, such as additional aid to workers, expanded access to high-speed internet or replenishing depleted unemployment trust funds.

Missouri is among the states that has yet to decide what to do with the latest federal aid. The general revenue portion of its budget has rebounded from a fiscal 2021 cut to exceed pre-pandemic levels. And Missouri is on pace to shatter a record set in 1998 for its largest end-of-year cash balance.

Revenues have performed much, much better than I would have ever anticipated during a pandemic, said state Budget Director Dan Haug.

He said he thinks Missouri would have been able to weather the pandemic without this year's Biden relief package.

Lawmakers in Maryland used words like stunning and unique to describe how federal aid helped reshape their budget situation. The state's record $52.4 billion budget for its new fiscal year provides bonuses to state workers, boosts payments to the poor, builds parks and playgrounds in every county, and still sets aside about $2 billion for savings.

After spending almost the entire part of last year in sleepless nights trying to figure out what in the world we were going to do, to find yourselves in that position was pretty amazing," said Democratic state Sen. Guy Guzzone, chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.
India opposes COVID-19 "vaccine passports" at G7 meeting

Xinhua) 11:41, June 06, 2021

NEW DELHI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- India has opposed the adoption of COVID-19 vaccine passports at the G7 meeting of health ministers, saying such an effort could prove to be "hugely discriminatory."

"At this stage of pandemic, it is pertinent to also discuss about India's concern over the idea of a vaccine passport. Considering the fact of lower levels of vaccination in developing countries in contrast to the developed countries and given the still unaddressed issues related to equitable and affordable access, supply and distribution of safe and effective vaccines, India would propose that implementation of vaccine passports will be hugely discriminatory and disadvantageous to the developing countries," Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday.

"India would suggest that the same should be implemented duly taking into consideration emerging evidence on efficacy of vaccines and under the overarching coordination of WHO duly attending to the anomaly of access and affordability as it exists today," he added.

India was invited this year to the meeting as a guest.

While addressing his counterparts during the virtual meeting, the Indian minister raised concerns about the availability of vaccines and low rates of inoculation in developing nations.

India is one of the countries that has not fully vaccinated its over 1.3-billion population against COVID-19.

Until Saturday the country has administered over 227 million (227,860,317) doses of vaccines.

Vardhan said that in the present context of the pandemic, it was imperative to increase the production of COVID-19 vaccines and ensure their equitable supply.

"India, which manufactures nearly 60 percent of all vaccines and holds rich expertise, is well suited to help the world augment capacity and supply," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Republicans are fighting to seize control of Congress. Just don't ask what they'd do if they win.

Look no further for evidence of the GOP's muddled governing agenda than battleground North Carolina, where party leaders packed into a convention hall Saturday night to cheer former President Donald Trump. Even with a high-stakes U.S. Senate election looming, the Republicans there were united not by any consistent set of conservative policies or principles, but by Trump's groundless grievances about the 2020 election and his attacks against critics in both parties.

The lack of a forward-looking agenda stands in stark contrast to successful midterm elections of past years, particularly 1994 and 2010, when Republicans swept into power after staking clear positions on health care, federal spending and crime, among other issues. Without such a strategy heading into 2022, Republicans on the ballot risk allowing themselves to be wholly defined by Trump, who lost his last election when he drew 7 million fewer votes nationally than Democrat Joe Biden and who has seen his popularity slide further, even among some Republicans, since leaving office in January.

Im unaware of a GOP agenda. I would love to see one, said Texas-based conservative activist and former tea party leader Mark Meckler.

Nobody knows what theyre about, he said of today's Republicans. They do this at their own peril.

The GOPs embrace of Trumps self-serving priorities has almost completely consumed the partys long-standing commitment to fiscal discipline, free markets and even the rule of law. That leaves Republican candidates from North Carolina to North Dakota unwilling or unable to tell voters how they would address the nations biggest challenges if given the chance.

Party leaders acknowledge it could be another year or more before Republicans develop a clear governing agenda. In the meantime, Trump, who is focused on the past far more than the future, plans to become a regular campaign fixture again. Building on Saturday's North Carolina appearance, his advisers are eying potential rallies in states with top Senate races in 2022, including Ohio, Florida, Alabama and Georgia.

In an interview, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who leads the Senate Republican political arm, offered a lukewarm response when asked about Trump's role in the upcoming campaign.

We both want to take back the majority in 2022. I tell him what Im doing, and Id love to get his support, Scott said of Trump.

He balked when asked whether Trump should serve as the face of the Republican Party for the midterms, when control of the House, Senate and dozens of governorships are at stake.

The face of the party is each individual race, Scott said, noting that there will be hundreds of Republican candidates on midterm ballots. The party is those people, its not one person, its not one persons agenda."

For now, when Republicans are not aligning themselves with Trump, they're focusing much of their energy on culture wars and railing against Biden's agenda. The president, backed by narrow Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, has already adopted a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that was widely popular among voters. Now, he's pushing a massive infrastructure package that polls suggest could be equally popular.

Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., worries that Republicans could squander built-in advantages in their quest to win back control of Congress and expand their advantage with governorships. In recent history, the party out of the White House has almost always made significant gains in the first midterm election of a new presidency.

Democrats will lose control of Congress if Republicans flip just five seats in the House and only one in the Senate.

The only way we can screw it up is with Donald Trump, Hogan told The Associated Press, lamenting that Republicans in Washington are consumed by infighting and swearing fealty to one individual.

The two-term governor and frequent Trump critic continued: Im really kind of frustrated with the fact that the Republican Party doesnt seem to be focused on an agenda. It doesn't seem to be focused on putting up coherent arguments for what people care about."

Some Republican leaders close to Trump are encouraging him to look to the future.

The former president is set to meet this week with the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, to begin discussing the party's policy prescriptions should the GOP retake the House majority next year.

Trump has met privately with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in recent weeks to discuss the creation of policy document in line with Gingrich's famous Contract With America, which outlined a clear and concise Republican agenda before the GOP's 1994 midterm success.

Trump adviser Jason Miller said it's a bit of an overreach to suggest Trump is actively working with Gingrich to create the document.

In the meantime, Republican candidates in key Senate contests, North Carolina among them, are struggling to offer voters a clear vision for what they would do if elected as they fight for Trump's endorsement.

At least three Republicans are competing to succeed retiring North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, who was censured by state party leaders for supporting Trump's impeachment in February. The Republican nomination fight features former Gov. Pat McCrory, current Rep. Ted Budd and former Rep. Mark Walker.

After Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump bowed out of the race over the weekend, Trump formally endorsed Budd, the only candidate in the Republican primary who voted against certifying Trump's 2020 election loss.

Walker had called himself the most pro-Trump congressman from North Carolina" but that apparently was not enough to win Trump's backing.

Beyond courting Trump, Budd has also played up the GOPs culture wars. In his kickoff video, the gun store owner addressed growing immigration at the border with Mexico and the decision by Dr. Seuss' publisher to stop printing some of the popular children's book author's books because of racist imagery. Budd said he read the books to his children and they turned out just fine.

Trump slapped at McCrory in Saturday's address by reminding voters, without using his name, that the former Republican governor had previously lost two elections.

McCrory, who hails from the GOP's business wing, has embraced elements of Trumps agenda, but has been critical of Trump's false claims about election fraud.

Im not going to be diverted by talking about the past because I care about the future, he told the AP in April.

With 17 months before the 2022 general election and few voters paying close attention to the midterm jockeying, Republicans have time to develop an agenda that moves beyond Trump's grievances and conservative culture wars.

But it's unclear whether there is sufficient political will.

Scott, the Florida senator, said his party must ultimately communicate what its for  instead of simply what its against. But he noted that the "Contract With America was released only two months before the 1994 election.

I dont know if there will be a real contract for America, or everybody will just be more consistent with what theyre talking about, Scott said of the Republican agenda in months ahead.

On Trump, Scott added, I think he's going to be helpful.

___

Peoples reported from New York.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that the top Senate races in states where Trump advisers are eyeing rallies are in 2022, not 2020.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Last June, when Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a plan to take down a 131-year-old statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, the move was met with widespread praise and relief from racial justice activists who had long seen it as a symbol of white supremacy.

A year later, the enormous bronze equestrian statue still towers over a traffic circle on historic Monument Avenue in downtown Richmond, kept in place by two lawsuits filed by people who believe it should stay right where it is.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Virginia will hear arguments in the legal challenges.

Among the central issues to be decided by the court: Is the Commonwealth of Virginia bound by a decision made by state officials more than 130 years ago? Or can the state undo that decision because the publics attitude toward Confederate symbols has changed drastically since then?

Attorneys for the plaintiffs will argue that the governor does not have the authority to remove the statue, while Attorney General Mark Herring's office will ask the court to uphold a lower court's rulings in favor of the governor.

Northam's decision to take down the statue was announced just 10 days after George Floyd's death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, during a time when there were nightly protests over police brutality and racism in cities around the country, including Richmond.

Separate lawsuits were filed by a group of residents who own property near the statue and a descendant of signatories to a 1890 deed that transferred the statue, pedestal and land they sit on to the state.

In the latter lawsuit, William Gregory argues that the state agreed to faithfully guard and affectionately protect the statue. In the other lawsuit, five property owners, including lead plaintiff Helen Marie Taylor, say that an 1889 joint resolution of the Virginia General Assembly accepting the statue and agreeing to maintain it as a monument to Lee is binding on the governor. They say Northam's order to remove the statue exceeded the governor's authority under the Virginia Constitution.

During a trial in October, the state argued that it cannot be forced to maintain a statue that no longer reflects its values.

Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant agreed, finding that enforcing the 19th-century deed would violate "current public policy.

The judge also cited two budget bills approved by the General Assembly last year that repealed the 1889 act authorizing the then-governor to accept the gift of the monument and directed the Department of General Services to remove the 13-ton sculpture.

The plaintiffs argue that the budget bills were unconstitutional.

What the Residents are asserting is that the state cannot arbitrarily take away their property rights, or remove a historic landmark, in violation of the Constitution of Virginia. If the Governor finds this assertion staggering, it can only be because he has an unlimited vision of governmental power. The state must comply with its contractual obligations, just like private citizens," attorney Patrick McSweeney argues in a legal brief filed with the Supreme Court.

The city of Richmond, which was the capital of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War, has removed more than a dozen other pieces of Confederate statuary on city land since Floyds death, which prompted the removal of Confederate monuments in cities around the country.

Herring argues that leaving the massive monument to Lee in place will continue to cause pain to many people who see it as a symbol of Black oppression.

This monument to Virginias racist history has held a place of honor in Richmond for too long. The Lee statue does not represent the ideals Virginians live by today and the inclusive community that we strive to be and it is time to bring it down, Herring said in a statement.

Gregory's attorney, Joseph Blackburn, argues that removal of the statue would cause irreparable harm to Gregory.

For 130 years, his family has taken pride in the Lee Monument and his family role in the placement of the Monument on land originally belonging to his family and given to the Commonwealth in consideration for the Commonwealths guarantee that it would perpetually care for and protect the Monument, Blackburn wrote in a legal brief.

The statue  one of the most recognized Confederate memorials in the country  became the epicenter of the protest movement in Virginia after Floyd's death and is now covered with graffiti.

It is unclear how long the Supreme Court will take to issue its decision. The court generally averages about six to nine weeks to issue rulings after oral arguments, but there are wide variations among cases.
A 17-year-old allegedly shot a 13-year-old at a birthday party in southeast Houston Saturday night, according to Houston Police.

Police said the older teen fired several shots at the party at 5051 Reed Road. After the 13-year-old boy was hit in the leg, his mother took him to a nearby McDonalds to call for help.

The 17-year-old boy was also shot in the leg, but its unclear how that happened, police say. Witnesses tell police they only saw the older teen open fire. Officers say its possible he may have accidentally shot himself while running away.

Police say the 17-year-old is now in custody.
Hundreds of people lined the sidewalks Saturday afternoon in front of Boeings Houston base in Clear Lake, protesting the recent U.S.-backed deal to sell arms to Israel.

The State Department gave Boeing a commercial license last month to move $735 million worth of precision guided missiles to Israel. The agreement came after an 11-day Israeli armed aggression on the Gaza Strip that claimed 253 Palestinian lives, including women and children.

The reason were here is to protest the complicity and involvement of Boeing as it manufactures weapons to send overseas to the state of Israel that are then dropped on Palestinian civilians, said Mohammed Nabulsi , a protest organizer and member of the Palestinian Youth Movement based in Houston.

Holding signs and decrying Boeings move , the crowd, stood on the sidewalk on Bay Area Boulevard near the company entrance.

With the parking lot closed off and what appeared to be Boeing employees and security peering out at the protesters, Omar Sanjak stood with his wife and three young children holding their own signs in solidarity with the Palestinians.

I am disappointed in Boeing, Sanjak said. I grew up (in the Clear Lake area) and Boeing has always been a big part of this community.

At the center of the opposition for many, his wife Norah Sanjak said, is Israels continuing human rights violations. Family members there have dealt with ongoing violence. .

We grew up here (in Clear Lake), and Boeing is a company we have both strived to work for at some point, but now theyre supporting Israel with almost $800 million dollars worth of military equipment, she said. That is unacceptable. Boeing is a company to look up, but we cant support a deal like this.

Pasadena resident Jamal Zaidan attended Saturdays protest with his 83-year old mother, Fatma Zaidan , who came to the U.S. in 2017 after living 70 years in a refugee camp in Jordan. Her family, said Zaidan, was exiled in 1948 from their home in Jerusalem.

They are sending weapons to kill grandchildren, he said. Its very important to show the American people what is happening (in Palestine), and they need to see that people like my mother need to go back to her land, to be free and see her home before she dies. That is my mothers wish before she dies, to go home.

The protest in Clear Lake was the fourth against the Boeing deal in the span of two weeks, following events in Houston that were attended by thousands.

Were happy that its been consistent and persistent, and were not going to stop until were heard in terms of what our government is doing in terms of its complicity in the death of Palestinians, Nabulsi said.

Norah Sanjak said that for her, the protest wasnt about being against Boeing, but about making more people aware of what the $735 million deal will mean for Palestine.

All were trying to do is bring awareness to the situation, her husband, Omar Sanjak, said. Were not saying you should stand with the Palestinian people, but that there are injustices happening.

yorozco@hcnonline.com
The Texas Supreme Court has upheld Houstons ordinance regulating the preservation of historic districts, after residents argued it was an illegal zoning measure.

Two homeowners in the Heights challenged the law, arguing that it constituted zoning and therefore required a ballot measure approved by voters to take effect. Houston, the largest city in the country without zoning, requires voter approval to implement it.

Supreme Court justices declined on Friday to back that argument, though, affirming lower court rulings that the ordinance is not extensive enough to be considered a zoning regulation, and it does not regulate how people use properties.

In sum, the Ordinance does not regulate the purposes for which land can be used, lacks geographic comprehensiveness, impacts each site differently in order to preserve and ensure the historic character of building exteriors, and does not adopt the enforcement and penalty provisions characteristic of a zoning ordinance, Justice J. Brett Busby wrote in the opinion.

Mayor Sylvester Turner applauded the decision.

This ruling preserves the Citys critical power to protect its past while building its future, Turner said in a statement. Houston has thrived without zoning but not without due concern for preserving its history. The City is grateful that the Courts ruling will empower it to continue to pursue both goals.

Houston adopted the ordinance in 1995, allowing the city to establish historic districts and requiring owners there to get approval to modify, redevelop or raze properties. If a city board declined a property owners application, though, the owner could wait 90 days and get a waiver to proceed with the desired changes, a gaping loophole that rendered the ordinance toothless.

The city revamped the ordinance in 2010 under then-Mayor Annise Parker, ending the waivers and making the regulations more enforceable. It allows only for modifications that are compatible with the areas architecture, as defined by the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission. Some backers of the ordinance since have argued the board does not uniformly apply its rules.

The city has designated 20 neighborhoods as historic preservation districts, including three pockets of the Heights, Old Sixth Ward, Westmoreland, Germantown and others.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
A man has been charged with manslaughter after authorities believe he shot his friend while playing with a gun Saturday night, officials said.

Deputies with the Harris County Constable's Office, Precinct 4, were dispatched to the 1400 block of Oxford Meadow Drive, where they found Felipe Hernandez, 45, with a single gunshot wound to his stomach.
Mario Saladino doesnt tell war stories often.

The youngest of three sons born to an Italian American family from Queens, New York, Saladino was 19 when he was sent to Ikebukuro, Japan, to help oversee the operations of the Sugamo prison that held accused Japanese war criminals awaiting trial and execution.

If hes asked, the now 93-year-old Pearland resident might brag about his older brothers service: Joseph, a radio operator who flew 48 bombing missions over Germany in a Martin Marauder B-26, and Anthony, a Marine sergeant and machine gunner who earned two Purple Hearts.

But when the focus turns to him, Saladino recounts his experience with matter-of fact-clarity, casually and politely rejecting flattery.

If you earned an honor, it was given to you, but we didnt compete, he said We were all there for the same purpose: to end the war, that was all.

Saladino was 14 when his family moved to the Houston area, but, before leaving New York City, he had enrolled in a vocational high school for aviation, where he learned aircraft mechanics.

His brothers had been overseas since the start of the war, and Saladino, was eager to join the effort.

I was the youngest, and I wanted to volunteer but my parents would not allow it, he said. Since (our family) already had two men fighting, they didnt want to put me in action at that time.

Saladino enlisted in the Texas State Guard while still a student at La Porte High School. The Guard was recruiting students to help the war effort on the home front.

A lot of people dont realize that when they drafted our defenses from the state of Texas, they asked all the school kids, 16 years and older, if they would join the Guard to help protect Houston and any area that had no protection, he said.

That experience allowed Saladino to enter Officers Candidate School after graduating, where he trained as an engineer and would work as an instructor. After that, he enlisted in the Army and was immediately sent to the Pacific with the Army Corps of Engineers.

He was 19 when he arrived in Yokohama, Japan, and assigned as a supply engineer sergeant to help rebuild Sugamo prison in Ikebukuro, a district near Tokyo.

The prison had been built by the Japanese in the 1890s and was used for political prisoners through the 1930s, but according to Saladino, it wasnt equipped for its post-World War II mission to hold war criminals as they stood trial in Tokyo before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, the Nuremberg of the Pacific, and awaited sentencing, and for many, execution by hanging.

It was the most modern prison they had, but believe me, it was very, very poorly built, he said. I purchased the material and equipment they needed to rebuild that prison. We built big gallows in the basement, I forget how many gallows we had, but thats what I eventually ended up doing.

Most of the Americans stationed at the prison were too young to have seen combat during the war, but found themselves responsible for keeping watch on elite Japanese officials facing penalties for some of the worst atrocities at events like the Rape of Nanking and the Bataan Death March.

Most of the American servicemen stationed at Sugamo never attended trials or witnessed hangings, but they watched the proceedings on the periphery.

When the trials took place, special guards would come to our prison and take over, and they would take the prisoners on trial that day to Tokyo, and return them that night after the trial, Saladino remembers. The executions were closed, and the only people allowed to be there were members of their family, and the family could recover the bodies, but there was no fanfare at all.

The only time we knew they were going to execute somebody, Saladino continued, was when the executor showed up. The prisoners would be hanged in the evening, and afterwards, the body would be placed on the hanging block, so whoever wanted the body could pick them up the next day.

Being stationed in post-war Japan was complicated for many Americans working at the prison, said Saladino.

Some of us also had relatives killed at Pearl Harbor, so it was difficult when you were working with people who were supposed to be your enemies, but who were your friends and allies, he said.

During his time in the Pacific, Saladino developed empathy for the Japanese civilians who had been recruited for labor in the aftermath of the war. They worked as interpreters or as laborers charged with the task of removing the dead bodies off the streets.

A lot of them were in positions they didnt want to be in, but they didnt have a choice, he said. They were just like civilians in the U.S. being told what to do in the war effort. The difference was that the U.S. provided places to live while they worked. The Japanese civilians were living in the streets.

In his two years overseas, Saladino saw the impact of the war on impoverished Japanese communities.

Saladino was discharged in 1947, returned to Houston and began a career in construction. His employer, Billon Construction, would eventually send him to New Mexico to work on an expansion project at the Los Alamos nuclear plant. While in New Mexico, he met and married Berniece Carlson , and the couple returned to Houston in the early 1950s to start a family.

Sugamo prison demolished in 1971, and a skyscraper was eventually built on the site, where a small engraved stone marked its past.

Saladino keeps photos of his brothers and himself taken during their service in a safe place. Both brothers have passed, and the photos are his only record of their experience.

According to his niece, Pasadena residentCarrie McBroom , military service was never a topic of discussion among the Saladino brothers.

The only visible remnant of the war, aside from the vintage photos, were the lingering effects of the shrapnel still embedded in her uncle Anthonys legs and back.

They just didnt sit around and talk about their experiences, McBroom said. They just carried within themselves. My dad (Joseph Saladino Sr.), never discussed his military career. He was very quiet. We did research after he passed and thats how we learned what we know now. My uncle Tonys daughters didnt even know he had two Purple Hearts, or that he had been the only survivor in his squad and almost buried alive at Okinawa, and it took some research before they could find that out. The war was just never, ever mentioned.

McBrooms brother, Joe Saladino Jr. , only recently learned about his uncle Marios connection to Sugamo.

It wasnt until he talked about Tokyo Rose and Tojo did I realize the historical significance, he said. Each brother in their own experiences witnessed history.

Saladino Jr., who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam era, doesnt believe younger generations are interested in the experiences of his father and uncles, or his own.

Im not sure we would be where we are as a country if it wasnt for the sacrifices that people like my father and my uncles made, and the families of so many lives lost, he said. The only way you can understand where you are is to understand where you came from, and I dont think younger people understand that.

Mario Saladino, whose wife Berniece, passed away in 2015 after 66 years of marriage, isnt offended if people today dont ask about his time at Sugamo prison or the lessons he learned in war.

Why feel sorry for us when this has been going on forever? Its a cycle that will be repeated. Look at last month, with Israel and the bombardment (the escalation of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict).

The thing is, Saladino continued, is that we dont learn from it and so we keep making the same mistakes over and over.

Years ago, Saladino was part of a group of WW II vets recognized at the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. While he deflects praise directed at him, Saladino said he doesnt take it for granted either.

It makes you proud to know you were part of it, and it flatters you to be called a hero, but you know, were not heroes, were just people, he said. We did what we had to do when he had to do it, thats all. Somebody had to do it.

yorozco@hcnonline.com
Ironic, isnt it, that the elected officials who consider the Second Amendment to the Constitution inviolate, who hold fiercely to the notion that the right to own a gun is sacrosanct, are invariably the same people who ignore the spirit of those constitutional amendments that represent an expansion of political freedom.

We have in mind, of course, those amendments that recognize our right to vote. They represent almost a third of the amendments to the Constitution after the Bill of Rights was ratified. They are foundational to our democracy.

Who does state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, think he is, that he can tinker with a citizens basic right, that he can decide on a whim that Texans (read: Black Texans) can vote on Sundays but only after 1 p.m? Who does he think he is, that he can decide Harris County cannot allow residents to cast their ballot in the middle of the night, for example, after working the late shift?

Officially, Hughes and state Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, are the sponsors of a now-notorious raft of legislative provisions designed specifically to make it harder, not easier, for their fellow Texans to vote. They and fellow Republicans in the Legislature, along with Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, are heirs to a contemptible tradition of voter suppression in this country, and especially in this state.

It may take a milder form today than the poll taxes and impossible-to-pass literacy tests of the past but the basic intent is the same: for politicians to pick their voters  the ones who will keep them in power  and not the other way around. Like cutting-horse cowhands, they seek to use the law to lasso renegade voters for the other party and cut them out of the herd.

Texas Republicans and their counterparts in other states know that elections werent stolen last fall  as GOP election administrators around the country confirmed  but they feel compelled to humor a dangerously deluded former president by perpetuating the myth of widespread voter fraud. Otherwise, his base will kick them out of office.

Texas Republicans not only want to suppress the vote to their advantage, they also seek to disregard election results that dont go their way. One of their bills would lower the burden of proof to overturn elections over voter-fraud claims from clear and convincing evidence to a preponderance of the evidence, a much lower threshold. Voters be damned, in other words; theyll decide the victors.

To block a voter-suppression package that had been dramatically transformed at the last minute without public debate, Democrats in the Texas House resorted to a walkout, thereby thwarting a quorum. That wont likely work again. When the governor calls lawmakers back into special session, Democrats will almost certainly lack the numbers to stop the suppressionists.

For Texans dedicated to protecting voter rights, the only hope resides in Washington, as it has in years past. As in the 1860s, when Reconstruction-era amendments to the Constitution guaranteed freed slaves the right to vote (among other rights as full-fledged citizens), and in 1965, when Congress reaffirmed voting rights as a bedrock principle, the federal government yet again must step in. This years equivalent to the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act is titled the For the People Act.

While there are valid questions of overreach surrounding the legislation, its bones are solid and its spirit is true. It seeks to stop the erosion of voter rights at the hands of state lawmakers by establishing a nationwide floor for voter access. States could do more than the law calls for, but not less.

Texas already meets some proposed standards, such as allowing people who have completed felony sentences to vote, but voters here could see many rights expanded in several key ways. Texans, for the first time, would be able to register to vote online, or make changes such as updating an address. Instead of having to register 30 days before an election, eligible voters would be able to register the same day they vote. The bill also increases the minimum number of early voting days and expands mail-in voting, which currently is available only to Texans who are disabled and meet other strict requirements. And while some in Texas are trying to outlaw secure drop boxes for ballots, the act would require more of them.

Another provision would basically nullify voter-ID requirements that Republican legislatures such as Texas have enacted across the country and instead allow voters to sign affidavits attesting to their identity. While this change would certainly be controversial, and even baffling for some who always have a driver license at the ready, the federal reform reflects the fact that obtaining an ID is still an obstacle for some elderly, disabled and low-income voters lacking transportation. It also reflects that, in Texas and elsewhere, the kind of fraud the ID laws were meant to combat  somebody impersonating someone else at the polls  is practically unheard of, with only two instances of it seen in Texas in the entire decade before the law was passed.

The most far-reaching provision, which has the power to truly strengthen our representative democracy as a whole, is a mandate to replace partisan redistricting with non-partisan commissions, which have been embraced by states such as Arizona, California, Colorado and Ohio. To keep politics from creeping into the selection of commission members, the federal act establishes thorough rules.

Redistricting, the holy grail of political power, is the once-a-decade redrawing of political maps and its supposed to reflect a states changing census population figures. In reality, it too often reflects incumbents best attempt at job security via creative gerrymandering, a process of distorting district lines into funny shapes to let politicians choose voters rather than the other way around.

The Supreme Court has not ruled partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional, as a majority of justices havent agreed on a standard for when redistricting for partisan gain crosses the line, though it has repeatedly held that drawing maps that disproportionately harm voters of color is banned. That hasnt stopped Texas from trying, of course, as the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted in the voter ID case: every redistricting cycle since 1970, Texas has been found to have violated the Voting Rights Act, with racially gerrymandered districts. Texas, the court added, is the only state with this consistent record of objections to such statewide plans.

This record is why Texans cannot trust our Legislature to craft fair voting laws and why we should welcome the central tenets of the For the People Act.

Not everything in the federal bill is a good idea. Conservatives crying federal overreach have made some valid points. Some provisions, such as requiring states to mail out ballots, may prove more expensive than effective. But those quibbles cant change the fact that America desperately need a comprehensive bill to raise the floor for voting rights nationwide. Thats especially true now because the federal oversight that voters in states such as Texas long relied on to block discriminatory voting laws doesnt exist after the Supreme Court in 2013 ruled, with breathtaking naivete, that preclearance is unnecessary.

Incidentally, we renew our call for the U.S. Senate to pass another, more modest piece of legislation that would reinstate that safety valve for voter rights. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2020, named for the civil rights icon and longtime congressman who passed away last year, would restore what he called the most powerful section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: the one that imposed preclearance requirements in jurisdictions that demonstrate a clear need for it.

Passing the larger bill in Congress wont be easy, with the U.S. Senate split 50-50. Many Democrats see this as a prime reason to get rid of whats left of the filibuster. While that may be necessary, wed strongly prefer something even more old-fashioned  negotiation with just enough Republicans to get the 60 votes needed to bring the bill, including any necessary compromises, to a vote.

But the recent walkout in the Texas House may have strengthened Democratic resolve to find a way past Republicans obstructionism. We did our part, tweeted state Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood. Now we need Congress to do their part.

And Texans should do our part. Urge your Congress members to protect Texans ballot access before our governor and legislative leaders erode it even further.
Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. Hot and humid. High near 95F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.
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This is a story about United Airlines, the future -- and, quite frankly, you. It's the kind of lesson I explore in my free e-book, Flying Business Class, which you can download here.

It also illustrates why I think leaders in all industries should pay attention to how the big airlines make decisions.

Let's go to our case study of the moment (seriously, there's always a new one):

How, when, and why did United Airlines decide this week to announce a deal to buy at least 15 supersonic passenger jets from Colorado aircraft startup Boom, with an option to buy as many as 35 more?

The previous supersonic passenger jet, the Concorde, was in service from 1976 to 2003, subsidized by the U.K. and French governments, and flown almost exclusively by British Airways and Air France.

So, as an American, I'll just say it: I like that this announcement, 18 years after the last Concorde flight, involves a U.S. airline agreeing to buy supersonic jets from another American company.

Also, there were only 14 Concorde aircraft in service. Thus, if United buys all of the Boom supersonic jets in its initial deal, it will have a bigger supersonic commercial passenger fleet than the entire world had at any one time during the previous era.

United said it projects 2029 would be the start of commercial passenger service. I'll leave it to you to decide if that sounds like a long time from now, or just around the corner.

Still, it could cut some travel time almost in half: Newark to London Heathrow in 3.5 hours, for example.

This isn't something United and Boom drummed up during the pandemic; when I spoke with Mike Leskinen, United's vice president of corporate development this week, he said the deal has been seven years in the making.

Now, if you're a business owner--even if you don't fly that route, and are never likely to fly personally on a United supersonic jet--I think stakeholder perception like that is the real story.

Think about how this announcement changes the conversation in the airline industry.

Not long ago, we were talking about record losses and the recovery of less-lucrative passengers at the expense of business travelers. Now, we're talking about innovation, advancement, and achieving (or re-achieving) a milestone.

Will it work out as planned? I have no idea. But, the announcement and the planning are instructive. If you're running a business facing challenging times, you might think about how you can duplicate them.

Can you give your stakeholders an exciting vision of the future, grounded in fact, but offering inspiration and aspiration?

If you've lost key people, can you find ways to inspire your team to believe you won't just make up for what you've lost, but that you'll greatly surpass it?

Even if the past year has been difficult, can you acknowledge the challenges, but then announce ways that you plan to change the conversation and transcend your competition?

It's not just about airlines, or technology, or even about supersonic travel. It's about leadership.

And if you can find the right kind of goal to aim your company toward, and get your people excited about, it can be a game-changer.
Bond girl Britt Ekland has expressed regret over having cosmetic surgery, saying that it ruined her face.

Ekland, who starred alongside Roger Moore in 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun, opened up about the lip-plumping procedure she underwent in her 50s, describing it as the biggest mistake of her life.

Everyone has the right to choose, the 78-year-old told Platinum Magazine. I did all of that in my 50s, but wouldnt consider it again. I have no desire to look any different than I am.

Ekland, who also starred in gangster film Get Carter, added: It felt like Id ruined my face.

The Swedish star continued: When I look at photographs of myself before I had it done, I looked very good. I can see that now, but I couldnt see it at the time.

Ekland did not receive the surgery she expected, with a Paris-based doctor making multiple injections around the rim of her lips with Articol, which he described as a new dental material.

Articol is rarely used by surgeons today.

(Getty Images)

Its pointless complaining about it or wishing you could change, Ekland said. Were all going in one direction and there is nothing we can do about that. Its just about looking after yourself while on that journey.

The James Bond actor previously described the time after having the surgery as a very, very traumatic time, telling ITV series Loose Women in 2016: Ive had to live with newspapers printing horrible pictures of me. They dont understand that the man who did this used me as some sort of experiment and destroyed [my lips].

For a really long time I couldnt do television or films.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have announced the birth of their baby daughter Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Harry and Meghan said Lilibet was born on Friday at 11.40am Santa Barbara, California, and is now settling in at home.

Lilibet is named after the Queen, her great-grandmother, and her middle name was chosen to honour Diana, Princess of Wales.

She is the couples second child after Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who is now aged two.

Lilibet is more than we could ever have imagined, the Sussexes said in a post on their Archewell website, describing themselves as blessed.

Harry and Meghan first revealed they were expecting a girl in March, during their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The new baby is the Queens 11th great-grandchild and is not permitted to be a princess nor an HRH because of rules set down more than 100 years ago by George V.

She will be entitled to be a princess when Charles becomes king after the death of the Queen.

Harry and Meghans press secretary said: It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.

Lili was born on Friday, 4 June at 11.40am in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

She weighed 7lbs 11oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.

Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, the Princess of Wales.

The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.

Harry and Meghan are now on parental leave, their website said. They asked well-wishers to support organisations helping women  Girls Inc, Harvest Home, CAMFED or Myna Mahila Foundation  rather than send gifts.

Buckingham Palace was delighted to hear the news.

A spokesperson said: The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The Cambridges tweeted: We are all delighted by the happy news. And the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall posted: Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie on the arrival of baby Lilibet Diana. Wishing them all well at this special time.

Princess Eugenie congratulated the Sussexes in an Instagram post. She shared a picture taken of Meghan and Harry when they announced the duchess was pregnant, and wrote: Congratulations dear cousins.. we couldn't be happier for you all. Her caption was accompanied by heart emojis.

Boris Johnson was among those who congratulated the royal couple on the birth. The Wellchild charity, of which Harry is patron, also sent its well-wishes, as did The Diana Award, established to continue the legacy of his late mother.

With the Sussexes living in California and relations with the rest of the royal family strained, it is not known when or if Lilibet will meet them.

Additional reporting by Press Association
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced the birth of their second child, a daughter named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Earlier in the year, Princess Eugenie, gave birth to a baby boy named August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.

To celebrate the new arrivals we took a closer look at some of the most bizarre royal birth traditions.

Royal babies are delivered by a royal gynaecologist

As per tradition, a royal child is delivered with the assistance of at least one royal doctor.

The current royal surgeon-gynaecologist is Alan Farthing, while the royals consultant obstetrician is Guy Thorpe-Beeston.

Both medical professionals helped deliver the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges three children, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Royal gynaecologists Marcus Setchell (C) and Alan Farthing leave the Lindo Wing following the birth of the son of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at St Mary's Hospital on July 22, 2013 in London, England (Getty Images)

Sir Marcus Setchell, who was Queen Elizabeth II's surgeon-gynaecologist and who delivered Prince George, has since retired.

In his only interview about Prince Georges birth, Sir Marcus described the midwifery team as perfectly wonderful.

During an interview on Woman's Hour' BBC Radio 4, the gynaecologist added: "You just keep reminding yourself that although it's very important, for the couple and the about-to-be-born baby, it's just another healthy young couple giving birth to a hopefully very healthy baby.

"And I constantly reminded myself of that so that the pressures of the hundreds of media people outside the hospital didn't affect me, at least not more than minimally."

The parents dont always have custody of their children

A law enacted more than three centuries ago means that the sovereign has full legal custody of their minor grandchildren.

The law, called The Grand Opinion for the Prerogative Concerning the Royal Family, was introduced by King George I in 1717.

George I did not get along with his son, the future George II, explains royal expert Marlene Koenig previously to The Independent.

Members of the Royal Family attend the 2018 Trooping the Colour (Getty Images)

I believe it came about when the Prince of Wales [George II] did not want to have the godparent for his son that his father wanted - so George I got Parliament to come up with something.

An annual register published in 1772 states that the then King had the care of the royal children and grandchildren, and the presumptive heir to the crown.

However, while law dictates that the Queen legally has custody of her minor grandchildren, Koenig doesnt think she would ever act upon the right.

I would doubt that the Queen would interfere. [Its] more of a formality, she says.

I think the Queen has let her children raise their kids.

The birth announcement is displayed on an easel

A royal birth is traditionally announced via a bulletin placed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

The framed typewritten bulletin, which is commonly brought out of the Privy Purse door after it is driven to the palace by car from the birth, is signed by the medical team which attends the royal birth.

Senior footman Olivia Smith (L) and footman Heather McDonald place a notice on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in London to formally announce the birth of a baby boy to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital on April 23, 2018 in London, England (Getty Images)

It includes details as to the babys gender, time of birth, as well as a status confirming the health of the mother and child.

Following royal births at the Lindo Wing in recent decades, it has also become tradition for the new parents to present their child on the steps of the hospital wards entrance.

Royal babies are wrapped in a G.H. Hurt & Sons blanket

For their first appearance to the world, royal children are traditionally wrapped in a blanket made by Nottingham-based knitwear company G.H. Hurt & Sons.

Prince Charles was the first royal to be bundled in a blanket by the company following his birth back in 1948.

Prince George and the Duchess of Cambridge on the steps of the Lindo Wing, St Mary's Hospital (Getty Images)

In 2013, Prince George was wrapped in one of the companys ivory white merino wool shawl and Princess Charlotte was bundled in a scalloped edge wrap in 2015.

Prince Louis, meanwhile, was wrapped in the companys Nottingham Lace Knitted Baby Shawl following his birth.

The name isnt announced for days

Following an appearance outside the Lindo Wing, it has become common practice among the royal family not to release the childs name for several days.

After Prince George and Princess Charlotte were born, the public waited two days before learning their respective names.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Register The Birth of Their Son Prince George of Cambridge In London (Getty Images)

However, it was another three days before Prince Louis name was announced on 27 April to the world.

The child will wear a special christening gown

It is customary for the royals to pass down a christening robe for the newest member of the family to wear at their christening.

For George, Charlotte and Louis christenings, the trio each wore a replica of an original robe made in 1841 for Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa.

The original gown was made from white silk with a handmade lace overlay and was worn by 62 royal babies over the course of its 163 years of royal service. It was hand-washed with spring water after each christening ceremony and stored in a dark room until its next use.

(Getty Images)

George VI and the Queen wore the white lace dress, as did Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry. The last royal to wear the original gown was Lady Louise Windsor, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex's daughter, in 2004.

Prince George became the fourth royal child to be christening in the gown, which was reportedly replicated with the help of the Queens personal wardrobe advisor, Angela Kelly, in 2011

Zara Tindalls second daughter, Lena, was the most recent royal to wear the gown at her St Nicholas Church in Cherington, Gloucestershire.

Gun salutes follow the birth announcement

It is customary for a birth announcement to be followed by a royal gun salute.

Following Princess Charlottes birth, volleys were fired by soldiers in Hyde Park and the Tower of London to honour her arrival at 08:34 BST on 2 May.

At 14:00 BST, soldiers from The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery rode out in a procession from Wellington Barracks, near Buckingham Palace, to fire 41 shots.

The Honourable Artillery Company fire a 62 round Royal Gun Salute outside the Tower of London to celebrate the birth of the royal baby on July 23, 2013 in London, England (Getty Images)

The Honourable Artillery Company also fired a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.

Royal babies dont automatically receive royal titles

Like other royal babies, the babies will not have a royal title unless granted by the Queen.

A Letters Patent passed by King George V in 1917 reads: "The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, watch a musical performance at Canada House, the offices of the High Commision of Canada in the United Kingdom, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London, on March 11, 2019. (Getty)

The Queen previously issued a Letters Patent for Prince William and Kate Middletons children.

In December 2012, the Queen issued a Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm declaring all the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should have and enjoy the style, title and attribute of royal highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names or with such other titles of honour.

This explains why Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all have HRH titles.
The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to her second child, Lilibet, a baby sister for two-year-old Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced the pregnancy on 14 February when they released an intimate black-and-white photograph with the duchess bump clearly visible, from their home in California.

They later revealed they were having a girl when they sat down for their interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Since stepping down as senior members of the royal family, the couple have chosen to eschew tradition. The delay in announcing Lilibets birth had been predicted by royal-watchers.

Privacy is of utmost importance to Meghan, who kept a low profile after giving birth to her son in 2019. However, she has spoken openly about her desire to become a mother on several occasions in the past and praised motherhood.

Here are all the times the duchess has opened up about motherhood:

Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Show all 11 1 /11 Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 14 January 2019 In an unusual style choice for the Duchess, who traditionally favours neutral hues, this ensemble offers a vibrant twist on the colour-blocking trend with a red Sentaler coat, matching heels and a bright purple Aritzia dress. It was a playful choice for the royal couple's visit to Birkenhead Town Hall. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 30 January 2019 The Duchess wore head-to-toe blush for her visit to the National Theatre, where she is now a patron. The ensemble is by US designer Brandon Maxwell but the suede shoes are Aquazurra. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 1 February 2019 Oscar de la Renta can do no wrong when it comes to flirty patterned dresses. This theatrical bird and rose-covered number was an apt choice for the Duchess; visit to Bristol Old Vic. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 7 February 2019 This Givenchy skirt offers some pizzazz thanks to its knee-high slit and its flattering waistline. Markle paired the look Aquazzura mules and a white collared shirt. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 12 February 2019 Who said you couldn't wear all-white everything? Markle paired her turtleneck Calvin Klein dress with an Amanda Wakeley coat for a gala performance at the Natural History Museum. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 23 February 2019 The Duchess was a lady in red for her visit to Casablanca, Morocco in this bespoke Valentino midi-dress, which she paired with nude court heels and a matching clutch. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 24 February 2019 Markle arrived at a reception hosted by the British Ambassador to Morocco in this full-coverage caped gown by Dior, which came in an opulent shade of champagne. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 25 February 2019 This billowing Carolina Herrera dress was the perfect choice for the Duchess' outing to brace the balmy climes of Rabat, Morocco, where she'd been visiting King Mohammed VI of Morocco with Prince Harry. This hypnotic sea blue gown was a custom-made number, obviously. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 8 March 2019 Proving that maternity hemlines needn't be restricted to one's ankles, Markle stepped out in this 1960s-inspired shift dress by high street label, Reiss. Paired with a black blazer and a pair of matching Manolo Blahnik pumps, it was a classic but delightfully retro look. AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 The Duchess has a penchant for rich emerald green hues, and this ensemble exemplifies just how suited the shade is to her complexion. The outfit was designed by Erdem, which was a symbolic choice given she wore the Canadian designer's pieces to a Commonwealth Day Youth Event at Canada House in London. Getty Images Meghan Markle's best pregnancy looks 11 March 2019 For the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, the Duchess wore a cream chain-print dress by Victoria Beckham, which made its runway debut just a few weeks ago at London Fashion Week. The look was topped off with a matching pillbox hat, emerald green stilettos and a satin clutch. Getty Images

First days of motherhood

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle presented their son to the world two days after his birth on Wednesday 8 May 2019, giving royal fans the opportunity to find out exactly how the royal couple were adapting to parenthood.

"It's magic, it's pretty amazing," the new mum said while caressing her son's head in Prince Harry's arms in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle.

"I have the two best guys in the world so I'm really happy.

(AFP/Getty Images)

"He has the sweetest temperament, he's really calm."

Meghan later added that her son was a "dream" and that the first days of motherhood had been "special".

A family heirloom

While speaking to Hello! magazine in 2015, the duchess revealed that she plans on passing on a sentimental gift to her future daughter.

The Californian-born royal explained that when she discovered Suits had been renewed for a third season, the legal television drama she starred in from 2011 to 2018, she totally splurged on a 4,200 Cartier French Tank watch.

She had the piece engraved with the message To M.M. From M.M. to remind herself of the significance of the piece.

The duchess said that she planned to give it to her daughter one day.

Ticking off the bucket list

In 2015, Ms Markle was interviewed by Best Health magazine about her healthy living regime for the magazines May 2016 cover.

During the interview, the then-Suits actor also spoke about her plans for the future.

When asked whats on her bucket list, the duchess answered: I want to travel more and I cant wait to start a family, but in due time.

Leading a balanced life

In 2016, Ms Markle told Lifestyle magazine that her life is more amazing than she ever thought it could be.

I dreamt of becoming a successful working actress, which I can now very thankfully tick off the list. And I also dream to have a family, she said.

The duchess added that its all about balance, and that having a family would enable her to feel more grounded.

Raising a family will be a wonderful part of that, she explained.

Time for a bedtime story

While answering rapid fire questions for a 2016 interview, Ms Markle was asked what childrens book she couldnt wait to share with her future children.

The duchess gave The Giving Tree as her answer, a childrens picture book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein.

First published in 1964, the book documents the relationship between a young boy and a tree.

Taking an interest in baby products

Two months prior to their wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle toured the Belfast campus of Northern Irelands next generation science park.

During their visit, the couple were introduced to a company called Schnuggle which makes hypoallergenic baby products.

Im sure at some point well need the whole thing, Ms Markle said, when perusing the companys range of products.

On being a working mother

While on tour in Capetown with Harry, Meghan said that juggling royal duties while looking after baby Archie was a lot but it was also all so exciting.

Speaking to Lara Rosmarin, chief executive of Cape Innovation and Technology and a mother of two, Meghan said: It must be a lot to juggle. Were only five months in right now. Being a working mum and travelling as well with a baby, my goodness its a lot, but its all so exciting.

There are days when its a lot to juggle but then you meet someone and you have an impact on them and you say ah-ha, and its so rewarding.

On her future daughter

Meghan made a virtual appearance at the Global Citizens VAX Live concert in May and delivered a speech in which she spoke about being thrilled to be welcoming a daughter.

Its a feeling of joy we share with millions of other families around the world. When we think of her, we think of all the young women and girls around the globe who must be given the ability and the support to lead us forward.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the birth of their daughter on Sunday 6 June, with the couple sharing that their second child was born on 4 June at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

Along with the news of their growing family, the royal couple also revealed the sweet meaning behind their newborns name, which pays tribute to both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harrys late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

According to the couple, they decided to name their daughter Lilibet, or Lili for short, for Prince Harrys grandmother, the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

Lilibet is a derivative of Elizabeth, a name of Hebrew origin which means God is my oath, while the Queens father, King George VI, reportedly used to say: Lilibet is my pride. Margaret is my joy.

The Queens childhood nickname was also one frequently used by her late husband, Prince Philip, who died 9 April 2021.

Newborn Lilibet is the Queens 11th great-grandchild and is eighth in line to the throne.

The duke and duchess also chose a name with a sentimental meaning for their daughters middle name, Diana, as it was the name of Prince Harry and Prince Williams mother, as well as the childs grandmother.

Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales, the couple said.

Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car accident on 31 August 1997 when Prince Harry was just 12 years old, with the royal speaking often about the impact of his mothers death.

The popular name is one of Greek origin, with the Baby Names website reporting that it means Divine.

In a statement announcing the birth of their daughter on their Archewell website, the duke and duchess said: On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers weve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.
Adrian is trying to settle in to his third new city since 2016, when his wife was raped and mother was killed in Haiti. He will go anywhere but home.

Why do they send us back to Haiti? he said outside a cheap Mexican hotel blocks from the border with El Paso Texas, where he was living with his wife and about 20 other Haitians last month. "We don't have anything there. There's no security. ... I need a solution to not be sent back to my country.

Haitians rejoiced when U.S. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced last month an 18-month extension of protections for Haitians living in the United States, citing "serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The reprieve benefits an estimated 100,000 people who came after a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti and are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which gives a temporary haven to people fleeing countries struggling with civil strife or natural disasters.

Mayorkas noted that it doesn't apply to Haitians outside the U.S. and said those who enter the country may be flown home. To qualify, Haitians must have been in the United States on May 21.

The Biden administration has dismayed some pro-immigration allies by sharply increasing repatriation flights to Port-au-Prince Haiti's capital. The government chartered 14 flights in February and 10 in March, more than any other destination, before tapering off to six flights in April, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights.

Removals have continued despite Haiti's political and humanitarian crises cited by U.S. officials in their decision to extend Temporary Protected Status. Kidnappings have become commonplace. UNICEF expects child malnutrition to double this year as an indirect consequence of the pandemic in a country where 1.1 million are already going hungry.

Adrian, who spoke on condition that his last name not be published to protect his wife's identity, is among legions of Haitians who fled the Caribbean nation sometime after the 2010 earthquake. Many initially escaped to South America. He went to Chile, while others went to Brazil.

As construction jobs for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro ended and Brazil descended into political turmoil, many Haitians crossed 10 countries by plane, boat, bus and foot to get to San Diego where U.S. authorities let them in on humanitarian grounds. But then-President Barack Obama shifted course and began deporting Haitian arrivals in 2016. Many then started calling Mexico home.

Haitian restaurants opened in Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, serving mangoes and mashed plantains. Factories that export to the U.S. recruited Haitians, who also wait tables and worship at congregations that have added services in Creole.

In recent months, some Haitians have moved from Tijuana to Ciudad Juarez, another large border city with jobs at export-driven factories. They're driven by job prospects, hopes of less racial discrimination and a temptation to cross what they perceive to be less-guarded stretches of border.

The shift was evident Feb. 3 when U.S. authorities expelled dozens of Haitians to Ciudad Juarez, an apparent violation of pandemic-related powers that deny a right to seek asylum. Under the public health rules, only people from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador can quickly be sent back to Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has acknowledged the Haitian expulsions but not explained why they were done.

They are in transit, said Nicole Phillips, legal director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, an advocacy group. It's very much a transitory population. They may start out in Tijuana and shift eastward. Other times they start east and shift to Tijuana.

Adrian, 34, said he saw racial discrimination in Chile and Tijuana, where he worked in data entry for a company that assembled neck braces and other medical devices. He said he saw Mexicans getting paid more than twice as much for the same work.

He lost his job when his temporary work visa expired and heard that Ciudad Juarez had work. A straight shot by bus, he decided to take another chance on a new life.

During his first week in Ciudad Juarez last month, Adrian asked downtown merchants to let him sell items on the streets, which are still half-empty amid COVID-19. No one let him. Factories are known to hire foreigners, but he no longer had a work permit.

Adrian wants to settle in Ciudad Juarez and save money, saying he may try to get to the U.S. one day. For now, he fears being sent back Haiti too much to risk applying for asylum or enter the country illegally.

A scar on the back of his head is from being pistol-whipped by an attacker in 2016, he says, and one on his left hand is from being tied up. He said his mother was targeted at her home and killed because she refused to participate in rallies for the Tet Kale party, whose presidential candidate, Jovenel Moise, won the 2016 election.

Adrian believes the men who killed her and assaulted his wife worked for party bosses. He recognized one and went to the police, but nothing came of it.

Haiti has long been wracked by poverty and violence. In April, then-Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe resigned amid a spike in killings.

Other Haitians staying at the hotel with Adrian also had left Tijuana. Some said they would stay and try to find work; others said they wanted to go to the United States.

Some people who have been sent back to Haiti simply save for another attempt to cross into the U.S.

Ive been back in Haiti over nine months now. Im struggling to stay alive, said a mechanic in Port-au-Prince who was caught by border agents in South Texas. Soon as I crossed into the U.S., police picked us up, and the guide was nowhere to be found.

The 27-year-old man spoke on the condition of anonymity because he plans on crossing the border again. He said his training as a mechanic hasn't gotten him work in Haiti, though he plied his trade from Chile to Guatemala on his journey to the U.S.

Jean-Piere, another Haitian migrant who was trained as a mechanical engineer and spoke on condition that his last name not be published for safety reasons, spent two years in Tijuana. After moving to Ciudad Juarez and failing to find a job, he said he wants to go to the United States. He carries a folder with documents for an eventual asylum case.

He said his father died due to political problems stemming from his work for Haitis governing party.

I cant go back to my country," Jean-Piere said.

___

Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince contributed to this report.
Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Mostly sunny skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. Hot. High near 95F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.
Two teenage boys have been charged with the murder of 14-year-old Dea-John Reid who was stabbed to death in Birmingham on Monday.

West Midlands Police said a 14-year-old boy from Wolverhampton and a 16-year-old from Great Barr have been charged with murder and remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Monday 7 June.

Five people have now been charged in connection with Dea-Johns death.

Michael Shields, 35, appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday charged with the teenagers murder.

Shields, from Castle Bromwich, will appear at the same court for a plea hearing on 5 August and a provisional trial date has been set for 28 February 2022.

Two other suspects, 38-year-old George Khan, from Birmingham, and a 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at the citys magistrates court on Friday.

They were remanded into custody until Tuesday where they will appear at Birmingham Crown Court.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Mobberley, of West Midlands Polices homicide team, said: This has been a fast-paced investigation where officers have worked diligently to identify those suspected of being involved in Dea-Johns murder.

He said the force is not seeking anyone else in connection with the fatal stabbing, but urged anyone with information to get in touch to help with ongoing inquiries.

Police believe Dea-John was chased in College Road, Kingstanding, by a group of people at about 7.30pm before being stabbed.

He died at the scene from a stab wound to the chest.

Dea-Johns family previously paid tribute to the incredibly talented teenager and called for an end to knife crime, saying: How many more mothers will have to mourn for their sons for this to stop?

The family has also appealed for calm in our communities following the schoolboys death and at a planned peaceful vigil on Sunday night, police said.
Tony Blair has called for people vaccinated against coronavirus to be allowed greater freedom than the un-vaccinated both in the UK and when travelling abroad.

The former prime minister said discriminating between the two would mean fewer restrictions both at home and abroad and provide a powerful incentive to get a jab.

He also criticised the current NHS app that proves vaccination status as "inadequate", as he promoted a report published by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

Mr Blair said: "It is time to distinguish for the purposes of freedom from restriction between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, both for citizens here for domestic purposes; but also for our citizens and those from other countries in respect of travel on the basis that being vaccinated substantially reduces risk.

"It therefore makes no sense at all to treat those who have had vaccination as the same as those who haven't."

The report argues that health passes, for use both at home and in foreign countries, would enable the UK to sustainably reopen the economy by removing certain restrictions for the fully vaccinated.

It adds: For as long as the world goes largely unvaccinated and the risk of a new variant remains significant, its vital that we have an alternative to the blunt tool of lockdowns to enable the country to live freely and safely.

Mr Blair supported the reports call for health passes "to allow citizens to prove their status in a secure, privacy-preserving way" and for a simpler and more effective NHS vaccination app.

He added: "Of course we are discriminating between vaccinated and unvaccinated. But the whole of risk management is based on discriminating between different types and levels of risk.

"Nothing matters more to risk than vaccination, which is precisely why we're doing it.

"Yes, by allowing greater freedom and fewer restrictions to the vaccinated we're providing a powerful incentive to take up vaccination, but this is a perfectly valid public policy objective.

"Other than for medical reasons, people should be vaccinated."

Mr Blair's latest intervention was dismissed by the government, with a senior source commenting: "Once again Mr Blair appears to have learned of things already in the pipeline with the NHS app and decided to publicly call for them. Nonetheless we thank him for his continued support."

Additional reporting by Press Association
Matt Hancock has denied claiming to have thrown a protective ring around care homes from the start of the pandemic  despite saying it live on television.

The now-notorious statement  which ignored the discharge of patients from hospital without Covid tests  came much later about what we were doing for the winter plan, the health secretary insisted.

But TV footage shows Mr Hancock made the claim in May 2020, at a Downing Street press conference, and that he was arguing he had protected care homes throughout.

Right from the start, weve tried to throw a protective ring around our care homes, the watching public was told. We set out our first advice in February and, as the virus grew, we strengthened it throughout.

On the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hancock was asked: That phrase protective ring - do you at least regret that, it wasnt true was it?

But the health secretary replied: I said that much later about what we were doing for the winter plan and its been interpreted.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labours shadow health secretary, accused him of a clumsily blatant attempt to rewrite history.

And Layla Moran, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus, said: Matt Hancock claimed that from the start the government had tried to throw a protective ring around care homes  yet the evidence shows this is far from the case.

Mr Hancock  who faces MPs this week about the explosive allegations of his multiple lying made by Dominic Cummings  did issue his first firm denial about the most serious claim.

Boris Johnsons ousted former adviser told the inquiry that the prime minister was promised there would be testing before discharges  and was furious to later find out the truth.

Mr Cummings claimed Mr Johnson said, in less polite terms: Hancock told us in the Cabinet Room that people were going to be tested before they went back to care homes, what the hell happened?

But, asked by Mr Marr: Did you tell Boris Johnson, in March, that people sent from hospitals into care homes were being tested, when you knew they werent, Mr Hancock replied: No, I did not.

Last month, Mr Cummings told the MPs: All the government rhetoric of we put a shield around care homes and blah blah, was complete nonsense.

Mr Ashworth added: We were promised a protective ring round care homes, but the tragic reality is the Health Secretary failed to provide care home workers with PPE, adequate sick pay entitlement and  as he admitted today  chose not to test those discharged from hospital into social care.

Families who lost loved ones deserve a full explanation as to why care homes were left so exposed.
At least three people have been killed and multiple individuals have been injured after a shooting following a graduation party in Florida.

The shooting occurred at around 2am on Sunday morning in a hookah lounge in a strip mall in Kendall in Miami-Dade County, southwest of Miami.

Its the second mass shooting to take place in the area on consecutive weekends, police said.

Miami-Dade Police director Freddy Ramirez said at a news conference that a torrent of gunfire erupted as one or two cars drove up to the strip mall and someone in them started firing on people leaving the lounge.

Police said two men and one woman were killed and six others, three men and three women, were taken to hospital using private vehicles.

Mr Ramirez said the woman who was killed was a corrections officer.

An all-points bulletin was sent out for a dark Chevrolet Malibu and a white Toyota Camry. Witnesses saw the cars quickly drive away from the scene of the shooting.

A car that was carrying two of the victims who died from their bullet wounds crashed into a wall at the campus of Miami Dade College. A weapon was found in the car, but it was not clear if it was used in the shooting.

Police announced that the six injured individuals were in stable conditions. There have been no arrests made yet.

This violence has to stop. This is completely frustrating. Every weekend is the same thing, Mr Ramirez said. Weve got to stop it here in Miami-Dade County. Weve got other victims and their families that are destroyed over senseless violence, over stupidness, reckless shooting, innocent people getting hit.

He added in a tweet on Sunday: Our community was again painfully struck by gun violence overnight. No one is immune, this shooting took the life of a correctional officer. We all have the responsibility to report these killers. My deepest condolences to those affected by this intentional act of violence.

The shooting occurred just a week after three people were killed and 20 were injured in a shooting outside a banquet hall in Hialeah, also in Miami-Dade County, northwest of downtown Miami.

No arrests have been made in connection to this shooting, which took place 17 miles north of Kendall.

Police have put out a security video showing a stolen SUV driving up to the El Mula banquet hall and starting to fire at people leaving a concert in honour of a local rapper's birthday.

This took place just two days after yet another shooting, this time in Wynwood, just north of downtown Miami, where one person was killed and six were wounded after a drive-by shooting.

The rise in gun violence pushed Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to increase enforcement and protective measures specifically in areas with historically high levels of crime and where illegal businesses have been busted.

The safety and wellbeing of all our families and neighbourhoods is my top priority, and we must put an end to this cycle of violence and senseless killings, Ms Levine Cava said in a statement. "I am fully committed to making sure Miami-Dade Police Department has all the resources needed to pursue these criminals and keep our community safe.

Starting this weekend, we are deploying joint Police and Code Enforcement Units to investigate and shut down businesses operating illegally, specifically in areas that [the Miami Dade Police Department] has identified as high-risk and with a history of problematic behaviour, she tweeted on Saturday.
D-Day, which is widely regarded as the biggest amphibious military invasion in history, marked the start of Allied operations that would ultimately end the Second World War.

On 6 June 1944, 150,000 soldiers from the US, Canada, and the UK invaded Normandy to begin the liberation of Europe from Nazi and fascist occupation.

Although the Allied forces eventually liberated the coast from German control, the day was chaotic and bloody, with fierce weather adding to difficulties.

The loss of life among the allies is thought to be around 9,000, with around 4,000 on the German side. Some 200,000 Germans were captured as prisoners of war.

Responses to D-Day at the time veered from patriotic optimism to stark pragmatism, following reports of the long day of battle.

Here, seven powerful quotes from journalists, soldiers and historians help paint a picture of that historic day.

How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Show all 14 1 /14 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers How D-Day was reported in the newspapers People gather around a newsstand to purchase copies of the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Daily Tribune as news breaks of the Allied invasion of Normandy The LIFE Picture Collection/Gett How D-Day was reported in the newspapers New York Post New York. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers The Evening News London. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Daily Mirror London. Wednesday 7 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers The Star London. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Los Angeles Times Los Angeles. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Evening Despatch London. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Manchester Evening News Manchester. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers The Washington Post Washington. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers The New York Times New York. Tuesday 6 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers The Daily Telegraph London. Wednesday 7 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Daily Mail London. Wednesday 7 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Daily Express London. Wednesday 7 June, 1944 How D-Day was reported in the newspapers Evening Standard London. Tuesday 6 June, 1944



General Dwight Eisenhower, in a message to troops before Normandy:

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely ... I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

Martha Gellhorn, war correspondent for Colliers:

Everyone was violently busy on that crowded, dangerous shore. The pebbles were the size of apples and feet deep, and we stumbled up a road that a huge road shovel was scooping out. We walked with the utmost care between the narrowly placed white tape lines that marked the mine-cleared path, and headed for a tent marked with a red cross  Everyone agreed that the beach was a stinker, and that it would be a great pleasure to get the hell out of here sometime.

John H Fenton, No 4 Beach Squadron, Royal Air Force, in a memory of the landings and the weeks that followed:

On 14 July 1944, the French in our locality were able to celebrate Bastille Day for the first time in four years. In the morning, all attired in their best, they went to church. Any Frenchman with a uniform wore it. An ex-Naval man, holding his little girl by the hand, wore his sailors uniform. The village postmen wore theirs. The British organised a fete with army transport bringing in civilians from nearby villages. A Royal Marines Band and a Scottish Regiment provided music. There were races for the children, even refreshments. To mark the occasion, practically every truck, jeep or motorcycle had a spray of red, white and blue flowers tied on the front. In addition, some had Vive La France and tricolours chalked on the sides. A festive air prevailed.

American historian Stephen E Ambrose, in his book Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitlers Eagles Nest:

Lieutenant Welsh remembered walking around among the sleeping men, and thinking to himself that they had looked at and smelled death all around them all day but never even dreamed of applying the term to themselves. They hadnt come here to fear. They hadnt come to die. They had come to win.

David Teacher, No 71 Royal Air Force Beach Unit, on his experience at D-Day:

Jerry started to shell the beach at about 9am. Suddenly, all hell let loose. The beach was under fire from shells, mortars and machine guns, we dived for cover. The sea was covered in blood and vomit and flies began to arrive by the thousands, which created another nightmare  We continued all night and the following day without a break. Slowly, slowly we overcame all the nightmares .There was no lack of humour. A soldier coming ashore asked, Is this a private beach? I was promised a private beach. If not I am not staying. And we heard, My mother told me not to travel by air, she thought it was much safer by sea. An army officer came ashore and instead of getting his men off the beach quickly, he stopped to consult his map. I approached him, Sir, off this beach, now! And who are you? he asked. Sorry, no time for introductions.

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Ernie Pyle, D-Day column, excerpts from Ernies War: The Best of Ernie Pyles World War II Dispatches:

All that remained on the beach was some sniping and artillery fire, and the occasional startling blast of a mine geysering brown sand into the air  That plus the bodies of soldiers lying in rows covered with blankets, the toes of their shoes sticking up in a line as though on drill. And other bodies, uncollected, still sprawling grotesquely in the sand or half hidden by the high grass beyond the beach. That plus an intense, grim determination of work-weary men to get this chaotic beach organised and get all the vital supplies and the reinforcements moving more rapidly over it from the stacked-up ships standing in droves out to sea. Now that it is over it seems to me a pure miracle that we ever took the beach at all.

George S Pattons speech to the Third Army, given ahead of the Allied invasion:

War is a bloody, killing business. Youve got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When shells are hitting all around you, and you wipe the dirt off your face and realise that instead of dirt its the blood and guts of what once was your best friend beside you, youll know what to do! I dont want to get any messages saying, I am holding my position. We are not holding a goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are advancing constantly, and we are not interested in holding onto anything except the enemys balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living sh*t out of him all of the time.
President Joe Biden travels to Europe on Wednesday on his first foreign trip as commander in chief. In an op-ed in The Washington Post, Mr Biden vowed to renew alliances in the wake of the isolationist foreign policy of the Trump era.

Before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US president will meet the leaders of the Group of Seven nations, the European Union, and NATO.

This trip is about realizing Americas renewed commitment to our allies and partners, Mr Biden wrote.

Whether it is ending the Covid-19 pandemic everywhere, meeting the demands of an accelerating climate crisis, or confronting the harmful activities of the governments of China and Russia, the United States must lead the world from a position of strength, he added.

Boasting about the achievements of his administration in the battle against Covid-19 and the efforts to revitalise the economy, Mr Biden argued that as Americas economic recovery helps to propel the global economy, we will be stronger and more capable when we are flanked by nations that share our values and our vision for the future  by other democracies.

Before participating in the G7 summit, Mr Biden will meet UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to affirm the special relationship between our nations.

The president said the top priorities for the G7 countries will be to end the pandemic, ensure health security for all nations and driving a robust, inclusive global economic recovery.

Mr Biden mentioned the G7 agreement on a 15 per cent corporate tax rate, a lower floor that the countries cannot go below. The president said this was an unprecedented commitment to ... end the race-to-the-bottom on corporate taxation.

He wrote that protecting our people against unforeseen threats requires the worlds major democracies and economies to invest in infrastructure to provide a high-standard alternative to China for upgrading physical, digital and health infrastructure that is more resilient and supports global development.

In another dig at the worlds authoritarians, Mr Biden said that as new technologies reshape our world in fundamental ways, exposing vulnerabilities like ransomware attacks and creating threats such as invasive AI-driven surveillance, the democracies of the world must together ensure that our values govern the use and development of these innovations  not the interests of autocrats.

The Biden administration released an executive order on Thursday in which the president expanded on a previous order by former President Donald Trump by banning American investment in Chinese companies that have been linked to the military or surveillance technology.

Mr Bidens trip is designed to reaffirm to the world that the US is back on the global stage. Mr Trump often slammed NATO and often criticised other members for not paying their fair share in defence spending. He also initially declined to affirm Article 5 of NATOs founding treaty in May 2017, before committing the US to the agreement in June that same year.

Article 5 states: The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.

NATO members remained wary and unsure of Mr Trumps commitment to the organisation throughout his term. Mr Trump repeatedly discussed leaving NATO with aides during the course of 2018.

In an effort to put any fears on that count to rest, Mr Biden said that during the upcoming NATO summit in Brussels, he will affirm the United States unwavering commitment to Article 5 and to ensuring our alliance is strong in the face of every challenge, including threats like cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure.

The Colonial Pipeline and US meatpacking plants were recently put out of commission due to cyberattacks.

In another jab at China, Mr Biden said he will work with the EU to focus on ensuring that market democracies, not China or anyone else, write the 21st-century rules around trade and technology.

So, when I meet with Vladimir Putin in Geneva, it will be after high-level discussions with friends, partners and allies who see the world through the same lens as the United States, and with whom we have renewed our connections and shared purpose, Mr Biden added.

The president said he has been clear that the US doesnt seek conflict in his phone calls with the Russian president, but that the US instead wants a stable and predictable relationship where we can work with Russia on issues like strategic stability and arms control.

Mr Biden said his administration has imposed meaningful consequences for behaviours that violate US sovereignty, specifically election interference.

In a warning to Moscow, Mr Biden added: President Putin knows that I will not hesitate to respond to future harmful activities.
Facebooks head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, spelled out the companys policy for banning public figures on Sunday following his companys decision to bar former President Donald Trump for at least two years.

Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on ABCs This Week, Mr Clegg was asked whether Mr Trumps Facebook and Instagram bans would be extended if he continued to make false claims about the 2020 election, as he did in North Carolina over the weekend during an address to supporters.

The former British deputy prime minister explained that merely spreading false information was not enough to warrant a ban from the platform, and added that the speech must instead rise to the level of incitement to violence for moderators to justify removal.

I dont think anybody wants a private company like Facebook to be vetting everything that people say on social media for its precise accuracy, Mr Clegg maintained.

"So the bright red line there is encouraging violence, not spreading lies?" Mr Stephanopoulos asked.

Yeah, Mr Clegg responded.

On the threshold for Facebook suspending an account, @GStephanopoulos presses the platform's Vice Pres. of Global Affairs Nick Clegg: "So the bright red line there is encouraging violence, not spreading lies?"



Clegg: "Yeah." https://t.co/Cbmq1pOrfW pic.twitter.com/ACGHOMBNZJ  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 6, 2021

The companys action against Mr Trump guarantees that he will be off what was once one of his top methods of communication with Americans during the 2022 midterm cycle, while he remains banned from Twitter as well. The decision does leave open the possibility, however, that the former president could return to social media in time for the 2024 election, which he has not ruled out participation in as a candidate.

Mr Trump sharply condemned the companys decision to uphold his ban in a statement released from his Save America PAC.

They shouldnt be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win. Our Country cant take this abuse anymore! Mr Trump said on Friday, while echoing his false claims about widespread fraud that he says caused his 2020 election defeat.

Facebooks ruling is an insult to the record-setting 75M people, plus many others, who voted for us in the 2020 Rigged Presidential Election, he continued.
Republican US Rep Mo Brooks accused a legal team for Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell of unlawfully sneaking into his home and accosting his wife to serve the Alabama congressman in a lawsuit seeking to hold him accountable for the Capitol riot.

An attorney for Mr Swalwell said the allegation is utterly false and that the process server lawfully handed the papers to Mo Brooks wife at their home  which is perfectly legitimate under the federal rules, according to Forbes.

In court filings this week, attorneys for Mr Swalwell alleged that Mr Brooks refused to waive service or even speak to undersigned counsel about the case for weeks, prompting the team to hire a private investigator to find him where he could legally be served.

An investigator spent many hours over many days in April and May at locations in multiple jurisdictions attempting to locate and serve Brooks, to no avail, attorneys said.

Mr Swalwells 65-page complaint filed in US District Court in Washington DC also targets Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr and Rudy Giuliani, whose speeches to a crowd before a mob swarmed the US Capitol on 6 January were seen as a months-long culmination of an election conspiracy narrative that incited a deadly riot.

In his speech during a Save America rally that day, Mr Brooks  while wearing a hat that read Fire Pelosi  told the crowd that today is the day that American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass and asked, Will you fight for America?

He asked the crowd to consider Americans who sacrificed sometimes their lives to create the greatest nation in world history.

Are you willing to do the same? he said.

Mr Swalwell was not legally permitted to serve Mr Brooks on the House floor, and the sergeant at arms would have to give permission to a process server to enter.

Attorneys for Mr Swalwell also said security issues make serving Mr Brooks inside the halls of Congress difficult, and that his staff and attorneys for Mr Brooks did not make themselves available.

It is not a defendants job to alter his conduct and go out of his way to seek out suit service, Mr Brooks said a statement to The Independent shared by his office following the filing. I have altered my conduct not one iota since Swalwells politically motivated, meritless lawsuit was filed. I have made dozens of publicized public appearances since the lawsuit was filed. If Swalwell was sincere about suit service, he could have served me at any of these public events.

He also claimed that Mr Swalwell could have served him at any time during, before or after floor votes, though federal rules prohibit him from doing so.

Attorneys for Mr Trump have sought to dismiss the case, arguing that he has absolute immunity from responsibility because he was president at the time of the assault.

The lawsuit filed by Mr Swalwell is one of two cases from Democratic lawmakers against Mr Trump and his allies for the attack.

A separate lawsuit from US Rep Bennie Thompson and 10 other House Democrats has accused Mr Trump, Mr Giuliani and members of the Proud Boys and far-right militia groups of a concerted campaign to misinform their supporters and the public, encouraging and promoting intimidation and violence in furtherance of their common plan to promote Mr Trumps re-election, despite his definitive loss.

The defendants have asked a US District Court judge to dismiss the suit.
Syrians in government-held areas of the war-torn country headed to polling stations early Wednesday to vote in a presidential election set to give President Bashar Assad a fourth seven-year term.

The vote is the second presidential election since the country's conflict began 10 years ago and has been dismissed as a sham by the opposition and Western countries. Two other candidates are running for the country's top post, which has been held by members of the Assad family for five decades.

They are little known figures, Abdullah Salloum Abdullah and Mahmoud Ahmad Marie. But competition with Assad is largely seen as symbolic.

Starting at 7 a.m., thousands began arriving at polling stations in Damascus where streets have been decorated with giant posters of Assad and banners praising his rule. Few posters of the two other candidates appeared in the streets.

We choose the future. We choose Bashar Assad, read one of many banners raised in the capital Damascus.

No vote will be held in northeast Syria, which is controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters, or in the northwestern province of Idlib that is the last major rebel stronghold in the country.

Still, in some parts of government-held areas, including the southern provinces of Daraa and Sweida, many have rejected the vote calling it illegitimate.

The Syrian Democratic Council that runs daily affairs in northeast Syria said in a statement it will not take part in the vote before political solutions in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, release of detainees, return of displaced and putting the basis for a political structure far away from tyranny.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Hussein Arnous traveled to Sweida along with a dozen Cabinet ministers in the first such visit in years to meet local officials. There has reportedly been widespread anger against the vote and overspending on pro-Assad campaigns in the city at a time when much of the regions population lives in poverty.

The vote this year comes as Syrias economy is in free fall as a result of Western sanctions, government corruption and infighting, the coronavirus and the financial crisis in Lebanon, Syrias main link with the outside world.

Some of the voters waiting at polling stations were putting on face masks. Over the past three months, intensive care units in public hospitals in Damascus reached full capacity due to a sharp rise in coronavirus infections, leading doctors to transfer patients to hospitals in other provinces. In March, Assad and his wife, Asma, tested positive for the virus.

The Biden administration has said it will not recognize the result of the Syrian election unless the voting is free, fair, supervised by the United Nation and represents all of Syrian society.

"We are not involved in these elections ... in any way, and we, of course, have no mandate to be," U.N. secretary-general's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the United Nations on Tuesday.

We are, of course, aware that the elections are taking place. Its important to remind you in answering the question that ... these are being called under the auspices of the current constitution and not part of the political process that was established under resolution 2254."

Syrias Interior Minister Mohammad Rahmoun said 12,102 polling stations were set up in all the Syrian governorates. He said there are more than 18 million illegible voters in Syria and abroad. Syrians living abroad voted last week.

Syria had a population of 23 million before the conflict broke out a decade ago. The fighting has left nearly half a million dead and half the countrys population displaced, more than 5 million of them refugees outside Syria.

The civil war broke out in 2011 when Arab Spring-inspired protests against Assad family rule turned into an armed insurgency in response to a brutal military crackdown.

Assad has been in power since 2000 when he took over from his father, Hafez, who ruled before that for 30 years. Despite the war, which seemed at one point to threaten his rule, Assad remained in power supported by regional powerhouse Iran and Russia, which sent in military advisers and air power to push back the armed opposition.

Fifty-one persons, including seven women, applied to run for president but earlier this month, Syrias Supreme Constitutional Court accepted only three applications.

Syria began a multicandidate vote in 2014 when Assad won nearly 90% of the vote. Before that, Syria held referendums in which Assad and his late father got landslide support.

___

Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed reporting.
Within Donald Trumps final days in office, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows sought to pressure the US Department of Justice to investigate election fraud conspiracy theories amplified by QAnon proponents.

In documents obtained by members of Congress and reviewed by The New York Times and CNN, Mr Meadows reportedly sent five emails in late December and early January to then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to investigate election fraud claims in Georgia and New Mexicos.

He also pressed Mr Rosen to investigate several debunked allegations, including a theory that Italian officials in coordination with Barack Obama and the CIA used military technology to manipulate US voting machines, a claim that circulated among QAnon-linked conspiracy theorists as a pro-Trump mob fuelled by the stolen election narrative breached the US Capitol.

In his request for the Justice Department to investigate the conspiracy theory, Mr Meadows emailed Mr Rosen a link to a YouTube video.

Mr Rosen did not agree to pursue investigations, according to emails reviewed by the outlets.

The documents  part of a Senate Judiciary Committee probe into the Justice Departments efforts during Mr Trumps campaign to reject millions of ballots cast in the 2020 election  appear to show the last-minute desperation among administration officials to validate the former presidents months-long effort to undermine the results.

What my office found in our investigation is a five-alarm fire for democracy, underscoring the depths of the White Houses efforts to influence the electoral vote certification, US Sen Dick Durbin said. I will demand all evidence of Trumps efforts to weaponize DOJ in his election subversion scheme.

During an appearance before a House Oversight Committee hearing on 12 May to investigate the events leading up to and during the failed insurrection on 6 January, Mr Rosen refused to answer whether he discussed with the former president efforts to overturn or reject election results in the lead-up to the riots.

He confirmed that he met with Mr Trump on 3 January but said only that their conversation did not relate to planning and preparations for the events of 6 January.

Respectfully I dont think its my role here today to discuss communications with the president in the Oval Office or the White House, he said, suggesting parallel investigations involving his former agency.

Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark and Mr Trump reportedly discussed removing Mr Rosen to use the agency to reject election results in Georgia, according to The New York Times.

Mr Rosen then reportedly sought a meeting with Mr Trump on 3 January, one day after the former president called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in an effort to pressure the state to pursue his false claims that Mr Trump received thousands of votes to win the state.

Mr Meadows was on that call. He also visited an in-progress vote audit in Cobb County, Georgia days before the call.

Asked whether he believes the election was stolen from Mr Trump, Mr Rosen said: There was no evidence presented of widespread fraud of a sufficient scale to overturn the election.

His predecessor, William Barr, also said that the Justice Department had not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.
Donald Trump has called for China to pay reparations to the United States for the damage done by Covid-19, which originated in the city of Wuhan.

At a rare speech to a Republican convention in Greenville, North Carolina, the former president said China should be presented with a bill for $10 trillion and all countries that owe money to the Asian superpower should cancel their debts as a downpayment on reparations.

And he said the US should put 100 per cent tariffs on all goods coming from China.

Trump news latest: Ex-president claims credit for US Covid vaccines

He said: We demand reparations from the Communist Party of China. China must pay. They must pay.

Mr Trump also claimed he was right to say that the coronavirus that swept the world from January last year, killing at least 3.7 million people, was deliberately created in a laboratory.

He said: We had this horrible thing come in from China, we got that one right too by the way, do you notice, you see whats going on , its called the lab, that was an easy one, Wuhan.

There is still uncertainty over the origins of Covid-19, with some experts acknowledging that it could have been manmade rather than spread to humans either directly or indirectly by a bat.

As president, Mr Trump had an ambiguous relationship with China.

Although he initially boasted a close relationship with President Xi Jinping, and praised him for his handling of the Covid crisis in the early months, he also started a trade war with Beijing, setting a series of tariffs on Chinese goods.

He increasingly came to blame China for the pandemic, although Mr Trump himself faced intense criticism at home for his mishandling of the crisis and his repeated efforts to play it down, undermine public health messaging and blaming governors for shortcomings.

In his speech in North Carolina, one of his first public appearances since leaving office in January, the former president took credit for the vaccination programme which has since seen more than half of Americans getting at least one jab  although scepticism remains among many of his own supporters and Mr Trump himself chose to get his own vaccinations in private without any publicity.

He told a crowd of about 1,200 Republican members: We have done an incredible job, mostly importantly with the vaccine coming up with it, incredible job.

He then claimed that he deserved credit for making somewhat of a bet by investing billions of dollars into buying vaccine shots and equipment.

In a wide-ranging speech lasting almost 90 minutes, Mr Trump touched on issues including cancel culture and critical race theory, two favourite topics of conservative news broadcasters.

He hit out at New York US attorneys currently investigating his business, claiming that this was the latest in a series of what he called witch-hunts, citing the Mueller report into his campaigns dealings with Russia  and his alleged obstruction of justice  and his two impeachments, first over Ukraine and his efforts to dig up dirt on political rivals, and then for inciting a riot at the Capitol to try to disrupt the certification of Joe Bidens election victory.

Mr Trump went on to repeat unsubstantiated claims of cheating in the 2020 election, and backed a series of Republican measures across the country which critics say are designed to restrict voting  particularly by people of colour  and give the GOP an unfair advantage.

Responding to accusations that these measures constitute voter suppression, he said: I am not the one trying to undermine American democracy, Im the one whos trying to save it. Please remember that.

And he defended his controversial relationships with dictators including Russias Vladimir Putin and North Koreas Kim Jong-un, whom he courted in the hope of a breakthrough in relations which failed to bear fruit.

In a line that got the biggest laugh of the night, he said of the repressive dictator: Kim Jong-un, hes a different kind of a guy. It takes a different kind of guy to talk to him, too.

His daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, told the crowd that she had decided against running for the North Carolina Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Richard Burr next year, saying her children were still too young.

Ms Trump, who is married to the former presidents second son Eric, had been touted as a possible candidate to capitalise on the family surname. She left open the possibility of standing for office in the future.
CNN and Fox News chose not to air former President Donald Trumps second major speech since leaving office.

MSNBC broadcast portions of Mr Trumps speech to the North Carolina GOP State Convention, with a correspondent at times speaking over the remarks.

It was Mr Trump first public speech since February when he spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

When the speech began at the Greenville Convention Centre, it became clear that Fox News was instead airing a pre-taped episode of Watters World.

Mr Trump bashed Fox News after they called the election for President Joe Biden, calling the network unwatchable and telling supporters to watch anything else.

Newsmax and One America News, the two smaller conservative news channels now competing for the most ardent of Trump supporters, aired the speech live.

In place of the speech, CNN broadcast a discussion about the speechs possible impact.

As long as he remains stuck on November 2020, everyone else will remain stuck on 6 January. Because those two things are inextricably linked, former Ted Cruz staffer Amanda Carpenter said on the network. He is entering this speech so diminished as a twice-impeached, losing president under multiple investigations. His aides are talking about reinstating him as president. He cant even be reinstated on social media right now.

A Trump-supporting mob stormed the Capitol on 6 January in an attempt to overturn the election and prevent Mr Biden from taking office.

Mr Trump spoke for 90 minutes in North Carolina and spent large parts of the speech slamming Mr Bidens handling of immigration at the southern border, the economy and foreign policy.

He boasted about what he sees as the successes of his administration and once again pushed the baseless idea that the 2020 election was fraudulent. He called it the crime of the century and by far the most corrupt election in the history of our country.

It was a third-world country election like weve never seen before, Mr Trump said. I am not the one trying to undermine American Democracy, Im the one trying to save it. Please remember that.

He said the Republicans would win back congress next year, removing the speakers gavel from California Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

The survival of America depends upon our ability to elect Republicans at every level, starting with the midterms next year, Mr Trump said.

During his speech, Mr Trump endorsed North Carolina Rep Ted Budd for the Senate seat being left open after the retirement of Senator Richard Burr in 2022. It was long rumoured that Mr Trumps daughter-in-law Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, was interested in running for the seat.

No for now, she said during a speech to the gathered Republicans. Not no forever. She mentioned her young children as a reason for choosing not to be a candidate.

This is a complete, and total endorsement, Mr Trump said of Mr Budd.

The Independent has reached out to Fox News and Mr Trump for comment.
The wait for the fifth and final season of Money Heist is entirely miserable.

It's been more than a year since the fourth season of La Casa De Papel premiered on Netflix. Fans binge-watched the show in less than 24 hours and have been eagerly waiting to see the last season of the smash-hit show. Now, the show's creator has teased audiences worldwide by sharing that Money Heist's women robbers will be at the center of all action and conspiracy.

Money Heist / Indiatimes

Money Heist showrunner and executive producer Alex Pina revealed that fans will see a lot more of the female robbers in the upcoming season.



Are they going to play a crucial role at certain times? I would say very, very crucial. And weve added a new twist involving women in this fifth season, Pina said.

La Casa De Papel / Instagram

Further adding how the writers have consciously given equal weightage to the female characters, Alex Pina asserted, I think we have always worked equally well with women and men. In that sense, we remain committed to giving women a leading role, as at other times, men also have a leading role. I dont think it is more or less: it remains the same.

If you come to think of it. Money Heist does give a lot of control to its women actors and their characters. The show has been narrated by Tokyo. Nairobis death in the last season shocked fans. Female cops have led the investigation of both the heists.

La Casa De Papel / Instagram

It has been confirmed that Money Heist 5 will release in two parts. While its part 1 will premiere on Netflix on September 3, its last part will arrive on December 3.
Long gone are the days of boring resumes and this latest example proves this point further.

A man recently created a 3D job application that has left several employers quite impressed with his skills - Avkash Shah is a 3D Graphic/Motion Designer from Mumbai who wants to intern at Cred - a company that offers rewards to its customers for making timely credit card payments.

LinkedIn

The company's advertising technique has been the talk of the town for its different style starring a set of celebrities.

In order to land the internship, Avkash decided to make a motion video of the company and posted it on LinkedIn.

His video was so impressive that Head of Design at CRED, Harish Sivaramakrishnan took note of it himself and offered Avkash an internship. The boy also grabbed CRED's founder, Kunal Shah's attention attention who commented on the post, "It pays to be good."

Even LinkedIn's official page shared his work.

Netizens were very impressed with Avkash's word and lauded him for the same.

Avkash wanted to Intern at Cred. He made this video and posted it on LinkedIn. It's as simple as that. When you have the skill, let your work talk.



Respect. That's all I have for him. He's definitely getting that internship. pic.twitter.com/BnnTIQVHYZ  Vedika Bhaia (@VedikaBhaia) June 4, 2021

One of the best internship application I have seen so far in my career



Here's the LinkedIn post - https://t.co/cDlzcyPI5O  Parth Suba (@parthsuba77) June 3, 2021

There's still much coolness left on LinkedIn, this was a great way to apply.

Watch the video, https://t.co/E2B24YOTA3 pic.twitter.com/GWLZky7fQd  Dhairya Andani (@DhairyaAndani) June 3, 2021

This kid made a brilliant 3D video on LinkedIn to get an internship with @CRED_club .. I think hed be a perfect fit.. loved every second of the captivating content he made without learning a thing about him... #CRED #credpoints #cryptocurrency pic.twitter.com/M1ZH4cshyN  Aneesh (@aneesh16) June 3, 2021

CRED's advertisements have been viral for quite some time now. The Indian Premier League Governing Council announced CRED as an official partner with the IPL.


Four hundred oxygen concentrators have been donated so far by the American Telugu Association to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, according to the groups Indian American president Bhuvanesh Boojala. (photo provided)
Woodbridge, VA (22192)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Burma China supports ASEANs engagement with Myanmar Junta

Chinese ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai (left) meeting Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in July 2020. / Chinese Embassy

China supports the implementation of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) engagement with Myanmar and hopes for the restoration of peace and stability, said its ambassador to Myanmar during a meeting with the junta leader.

Ambassador Chen Hai met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday in Naypyitaw, before Sundays special China-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting to commemorate 30 years of relations between Beijing and the regional bloc.

The meeting, which is co-chaired by Myanmar and China, is due to run until Tuesday in the Chinese city of Chongqing. The junta-appointed foreign minister U Wunna Maung Lwin reportedly attended Sundays meetings.

The Chinese embassy posted on Facebook that Chen stressed, as Myanmars neighbor, China will continue to play a constructive role. Its statement said: China sincerely hopes for the earlier restoration of peace and stability in Myanmar and supports the implementation of consensus by ASEAN and Myanmar.

A diplomatic source said the Chongqing meetings kicked off several days ago with SME (small- and medium-sized enterprises) and media forums. Myanmar attended both forums in a low-profile way, according to the source.

On Friday, Aseans Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi from Brunei and Bruneis foreign affairs minister Erywan Yusof met the senior general in Naypyitaw to discuss the special summit held in late April in Jakarta. The non-democratic, oil-rich state currently chairs ASEAN.

But Myanmars parallel civilian National Unity Government says it has lost faith in the regional bloc as it has failed to engage with both sides, ignoring the NUGs approaches and only engaging with the junta.

Following the ASEAN summit on April 24, which was attended by Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, China proposed this months meeting in China with working-level talks on the crisis.

Chen has reportedly held several informal, secret meetings with junta leaders ahead of Saturdays talks in Naypyitaw.

Military-control newspapers said on Sunday that meetings focused on bilateral cooperation and stability along the border, which extends over 2,000 kilometers, and the presence of numerous powerful ethnic minority armed groups along the frontier.

Chinas state-controlled Global Times said Myanmars authorities are willing to maintain communications with China.

The newspaper posted on Facebook: Myanmar is willing to work with ASEAN to maintain the domestic stability and coordinate implementation of relevant consensus, said Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing.

The reference to Myanmar leader angered many social media users.

One user said the military chief is not the countrys leader and does not represent the people.

Another comment read: We dont believe in ASEAN. It is not working for Myanmars people but for the terrorist junta.

Anti-regime protesters have been calling on the international community not to recognize the junta and its governing body, State Administrative Council.

However, China has not denounced the coup and prevented United Nations Security Council intervention while looking to influence ASEAN, according to observers.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Junta Troops Shoot and Arrest Young People in Yangon

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COVID-19 Claims Three More Lives in Myanmar-India Border Town
Burma Myanmar Junta Kills Four Ayeyarwady Villagers

Hlay Swea village in Ayeyarwady Regions Kyonpyaw Township / CJ

Four villagers, including a father and son, were shot dead by junta troops in Hlay Swea village in Ayeyarwady Regions Kyonpyaw Township on Saturday.

The troops detained older villager U Kyay and a younger man. U Kyay, who sells bananas to retailers in Yangon, was detained on suspicion of transporting weapons.

Villagers said they were false accusations and they confronted troops with slingshots and homemade gas guns.

During the shootout with heavily armed troops, a father and son and a young villager were killed. The troops also shot dead a young villager on a motorbike for refusing to stop.

Villagers said U Kyay is thought to have been killed during interrogation.

A Hlay Swel villager told The Irrawaddy collaborators led troops to the houses of anti-regime protesters.

There were two military collaborators. Luckily activists from the village had already fled.

The villager said residents from Kyonpyaw town arrived to fight the troops but they also lacked proper weapons.

The junta-controlled television announced on Saturday night that three villagers were killed during the shootout, two detained and six gas guns seized.



You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Junta Uses Human Shields to Stop KIA Attacks

China supports ASEANs engagement with Myanmar Junta

Myanmar Junta Troops Shoot and Arrest Young People in Yangon
Two very different options face Peruvians in the US and in their mother country Sunday as they vote President of the Latin American country with a population of more than 33 million.

According to stastista.com, more Peruvians - over 44,000 - call Miami home, more than any other city in the US, with Los Angeles coming in second.

Many reside in Key Biscayne.

The 2021 election has placed into debate the benefits of an economic system affected by the harsh onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The leftist Pedro Castillo and the rightist Keiko Fujimori enter election Sunday tied the polls in a contest where the main battle lies in the economic model.

Peru has enjoyed three decades of free market friendly governments without state intervention in the business sector, mainly in part to a 1993 Constitution, written under the government former president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) who is now imprisoned for corruption and his role in the murder of 25 Peruvians killed during his administration.

Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of the former president, seeks to maintain the same system, while Castillo hopes to rewrite the Constitution to modify the economic system and achieve more income for education and health, along with more government intervention in the exploitation of natural resources such as mining, oil and gas.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc in Perus more than 10 million poor people who live on less than three dollars a day. Additionally, tens of thousands of businesses went bankrupt and there more than 185,000 people died during the pandemic.

Fujimori's daughter promises $2,500 to each family with at least one COVID-19 related death and assures that it will distribute 40% of a tax for the extraction of minerals, oil or gas to families who reside near those extractive areas.

Castillo wants to renegotiate contracts with multinationals that extract minerals, gas and oil in order to increase state revenue. It also assures that it will collect debts from powerful business groups totaling more than $2.4 million dollars.

Candidate Fujimori, who herself is accused of money laundering, has the support of the countrys economic elite, as well as politicians from other countries, including the Venezuelan opponent Leopoldo Lopez, former Colombian president Andres Pastrana and former Bolivian president Jorge Quiroga.

Leftist candidate Castillo has endorsements from the former president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, and the former president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica. Much of the poor also support his candidacy.

Peruvian electoral law will allow the candidate who garnishes the most votes Sunday, to start governing on July 28 when power transfers from current president Sagasti.

Para una version en espanol de este articulo, pulse aqui
I remember.

I remember my father, a petty officer in the US Navy who set up the first radar station on Guadalcanal. My maternal grandfather fought in WWI and ended up in Trumans Veterans Affairs office in Washington D.C. He retired as a colonel. My maternal uncle, a West Point Graduate, served in the Army Air Corps.

Theres my cousin, George Akin, who retired from the US Army as a lieutenant general but died in his early 70s from the Agent Orange exposure he received during his tours in Vietnam. My other cousins retired as colonels and fought in Desert Storm. My female cousin, also a Desert Storm veteran, retired as a brigadier general (one of four female flag officers in the US Army).

All these regular, every-day people are the reason we have our lifestyle today. Even as war waged in the Middle East for these past 20 years, we gave up nothing. Our worst fear was the 20/21 Pandemic And our soldiers kept fighting. I thank them all.

Memorial Day weekend is a sacred day for me. I honor the men and women who have fought and died to protect my rights. To this day, when I sing our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner my eyes blur with tears. The United States is a great country.

I know that because I was raised as a US citizen in other countries. I was born in Brazil and graduated from high school in Singapore. In between, we lived in several Latin countries, Libya, The Philippines and Egypt. Being an American was, for the most part, a coveted prize.

The honor of being an elder in this country is due in part to our military. Every generation has had its wars, and people were killed. Many Boomers went through the trauma of Vietnam, being hated by their enemy and the citizens they fought to protect. It was a dynamic time, and we came through to the other side more conscientious.

Whenever I fly commercial with a soldier coming home in a casket, I stay and watch his departure from the airplane. There is always family there and my eyes well-up. This was a life given for me; given for all of us. Lets not forget the less than one half of 1% of our population risk their lives serving in the military so we can age and call ourselves elders.

And to all those fabulous veterans reading this, thank you for your service.
Rumors have been swirling all over Twitter recently on restocks of the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X available this weekend at Walmart, Best Buy, and other US retailers, yet a reliable restock tracker has indicated no such restocks are coming. As such it's definitely worth it to keep track of reliable restock alerts, as Forbes indicated.

PS5, Xbox Series X Restocks 'Doubtful' This Weekend

Twitter user Matt Swider, who has been monitoring the availability of consoles through extensive restock alerts that send live updates on the availability of PS5 consoles, said this is doubtful, Tech Radar reported. The tech news outfit also said sources at top retailers confirm that restocks may not be happening soon.

Weekend restocks, Tech Radar added, is very rare this year. Only Amazon, it says, had offered a restock, and it happened in the wee hours of the morning, around 3am EDT on Thursday, June 4. But it said there is a bigger chance for a restock of the PS5 or Xbox Series X during a weekday, citing multiple sources as saying several retailers offering these restocks this coming week.

Father's Day is fast approaching, and a brand-new console could be a major gift consideration, maybe prompting restocks to emerge, Texas News Today stressed in a report. But this is mere speculation and such a celebration won't compel Sony or Microsoft to drop new consoles.

Swider had receive d replies to his widely followed tracker account about Walmart and Best Buy restocks this weekend, with others claiming a PS5 virtual queue will happen Sunday. With Tech Radar sources dispelling such rumors, including the fact that Sony does not release restocks on weekends, would make these reports hard to believe.

Read Also: PS5, XboSeries X X Restock News, Buying Tips: Experts, Successful Buyers, (Even) Scalpers Share Secrets on How to Get One Before 2022

PS5, Xbox Series X Restock Schedule

Yet TechRadar sources hinted at actual restock dates next week. Walmart will restock its PS5 and Xbox Series X on June 10 at 2:30pm EDT. Such hints are definitely believable as Walmart normally issues restocks of the PS5 and Xbox Series X on Thursdays this year. Following Swiderr's Twitter account would provide you with advance notice about restocks in Walmart, including the date and time they will be available.

Best Buy just had its restock event on June 3, and chances are a repeat won't happen very soon. But it's still worth following your trusty restock tracker to know when they will offer it again.

Restocks at GameStop is rumored to arrive anytime next week, and this is definitely something that is very likely given that restocks of the PS5 and the Xbox Series X happened three Wednesdays in a row. These restocks at GameStop usually drops at 2pm EDT, and purchases are all online-only. In offering restocks, Gamestop would send alerts to keep gamers updated.

Target is another retailer expected to release restocks next week. The exact date is unknown, but such restocks normally come at 7:40am EDT, and is also online-only. Previous restocks at Target happen every Wednesday or Thursday, so we have a good idea on the days to expect their restocks-either June 9 or June 10-normally at around 7:40an EDT.

As for the Sony Direct PS5 restock, the last event was around half a month ago, and it seemed to be the last one, Tech Radar further noted, as Sony has halted PS5 sales due to supply woes. And for sure, no restocks will happen from Sony Direct in the next weeks, or months. Even if this is highly unlikely, a Sony Direct restock can still be monitored by awaiting for an alert.

You can follow Matt Swider's Twitter account to get the latest on PS5 and Xbox Series X restocks.

Related Article: PS5 Restock Date and Time for May 2021: How to Buy a PlayStation 5 in the US and UK
Huntsville, TX (77320)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 95F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Ithaca, NY (14850)

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Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

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Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

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Sunshine and a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 93F. Winds light and variable..

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A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable.
International

Myanmar willing to work with ASEAN countries

Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing

Nay Pyi Taw, June 6 (IANS) | Publish Date: 6/6/2021 1:01:53 PM IST

Myanmar is willing to work together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to safeguard the domestic stability of the country and implement the relevant consensus, State Administration Council (SAC) Chair Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said.

Min Aung Hlaing, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, made the remarks on here Saturday during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to a statement issued by the Chinese embassy in Nay Pyi Taw, Min Aung Hlaing introduced the domestic situation in the country and said Myanmar is committed to promoting national stability, economic growth and improvement of peoples livelihoods, and safeguarding democracy and the rule of law.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues including China-Myanmar relations and the joint prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Second Minister of Bruneis Foreign Affairs Erywan bin Pehin Yusof, whose country currently holds the rotating chair of the ASEAN, and the blocs Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi had arrived in Myanmar to hold talks with top officials about the current political situation in the country following the February 1 military coup.

The envoys met Min Aung Hlaing and they exchanged views on matters related to the outcomes of a recent ASEAN leaders meeting on Myanmar; implementations of ASEAN recommendations from the Preliminary Needs Assessment; ASEANs efforts on access to Covid-19 vaccines; and bilateral friendship between Myanmar and Brunei. The military leader also apprised ASEAN envoys of the progress of review on the 2020 general elections in Myanmar, situation of terrorist actions, matters related to re-holding elections when the country restores stability and future cooperation plans on humanitarian assistance.
In this March 25, 2014, photo, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. Hartzler, a mid-Missouri Republican, says shell make an announcement next week on a possible Senate run. Hartzler is among several GOP leaders said to be eyeing the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Roy Blunt, who announced in March he would not seek reelection. AP File
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 
Srebrenica became a symbol of ethnic cleansing after its men and boys were massacred by Bosnian Serbs following a three-year-long siege during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

As judges in The Hague give their verdict Tuesday on an appeal by Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic against his conviction for war crimes, this is a timeline of the tragedy:

 1992: First fall 

Srebrenica, a mainly Muslim town in eastern Bosnia, falls to Bosnian Serb troops shortly after the start of the siege of the capital Sarajevo at the beginning of the Bosnian war in April 1992.

Other towns in the eastern Drina valley are also captured with the help of paramilitary groups who have crossed from neighbouring Serbia.

Driven out under a policy dubbed ethnic cleansing, Bosnian Muslim forces retake the enclave. But at the end of the year it is again targeted by the Serbs, who cut off road access.

 1993: Safe area 

Between March and April 1993 some 8,000 people are evacuated from the increasingly embattled enclave.

Dozens are killed in bombardments by Bosnian Serb forces.

On April 16, as the town comes under fire from tanks and artillery, the UN Security Council declares Srebrenica a safe area under the protection of UN and NATO forces.

A ceasefire and demilitarisation accord is signed the next day in Sarajevo under UN auspices, but it is never respected.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) channels foodstuffs and other necessities into the town, which is now a protected zone.

In May the UN creates five other safe areas  Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zepa, Gorazde and Bihac.

 1994: Dutch troops arrive 

On March 1, 1994, a contingent of 450 UN peacekeepers is deployed to the enclave where the rotation of UN soldiers had previously been held up. These Dutch troops take over from Canadian peacekeepers.

 1995: Final offensive 

In early July 1995 the Bosnian Serb forces attack Muslim government positions to the south, east and north of the enclave. They overrun the peacekeepers positions on July 9 after taking some 30 hostage.

Bosnian Serb tanks are by then less than two kilometres from the town.

On July 11 NATO carries out airstrikes on two Serbian tanks on the outskirts of Srebrenica.

However, that same day the Bosnian Serb army led by Mladic overruns Srebrenica, causing tens of thousands of refugees to flee to the Dutch forces compound at Potocari on the hilly towns outskirts.

The peacekeepers and thousands of refugees, mostly women and children, retreat into the UN base, while thousands of others gather outside.

 July 1995: Massacre 

With Srebrenica taken, Mladic orders the evacuation of all civilians, including women, children and the elderly, while all men of fighting age are taken prisoner.

In the following days more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys are systematically butchered by the Bosnian Serb forces and their bodies dumped in mass graves.

The Serbs later dig many back up and rebury them in other graves in order to try to hide the evidence.

Witness accounts emerge from July 17, with those who escaped telling harrowing tales of murder, torture and rape by the Bosnian Serb forces.

On July 24 and November 16 respectively, Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and Mladic are indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

To date, 6,880 victims of the massacre have been identified and buried  6,643 in Potocaris memorial centre and 237 in other Srebrenica area cemeteries.

 November 1995: Bosnia divided 

On November 21, 1995, the Dayton Accords, hammered out under international pressure, bring an end to the war.

They divide Bosnia into two entities, the Serb Republika Srpska and the Muslim Croat Federation of Bosnia, each enjoying a large degree of autonomy and united by weak central institutions.
As judges in The Hague rule Tuesday on an appeal by Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic against his war crimes convictions, we look at the fate of the key players in the 1990s Balkan wars, which claimed more than 100,000 lives.

 Cases under way 

 Mladic, who was dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia, was arrested in 2011 after 16 years on the run.

Convicted of genocide and war crimes over the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre among other crimes, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2017.

 Hashim Thaci, 52, was forced to quit as Kosovo president in November to also face war crimes charges in The Hague tribunal.

The former leader of the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army, who called himself The Snake, denies murder, torture, persecution and crimes related to the 1998-99 conflict with Serbia.

 Jailed 

 Radovan Karadzic: The former Bosnian Serb leader was found guilty in 2016 at The Hague of genocide and nine other charges including extermination, deportations and hostage-taking.

His appeal hearing opened in April 2018 and in March 2019 his sentence was increased to life in prison.

The judges later threw out a last-ditch attempt for a renewed appeal, saying it had no legal basis.

Karadzic is behind bars at the UNs high-security detention unit in The Hague.

The genocide conviction arose from the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in eastern Bosnia in which almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered.

Karadzic evaded capture for 13 years until he was arrested in 2008 on a Belgrade bus masquerading as a New Age healer.

 Biljana Plavsic: Former president of the Bosnian Serbs self-declared Republika Srpska and the only woman convicted at The Hague, she pleaded guilty to war crimes and was sentenced to 11 years in jail in 2003.

She was granted early release in 2009.

 Vojislav Seselj: UN judges in 2018 found the radical Serb politician guilty on appeal of crimes against humanity, sentencing him to 10 years.

As he had already spent almost 12 years in detention, he remained free.

An ally of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, the court found Seselj was behind the murder of Croats, Muslims and other non-Serbs, as well as mass forced deportations.

 Acquitted 

 Ante Gotovina: The retired Croatian army general, considered a war hero by many Croats, was initially sentenced to 24 years in jail for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

He was acquitted on appeal in 2012.

 Dead 

 Slobodan Milosevic: the former Serbian president died in his cell at The Hague in 2006, aged 64, while on trial for 66 counts including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. An official report said he had suffered a heart attack.

He was accused of fuelling ethnic conflict and mass murder in the former Yugoslavia during his 13-year rule.

 Franjo Tudjman: The Croatian president, whose war of independence from the Yugoslav federation claimed about 20,000 lives, died of cancer in 1999 aged 77.

The Hague tribunal said he would have been indicted for war crimes had he lived.

 Zeljko Arkan Raznatovic: The head of the feared Serb Tigers paramilitary outfit, he was indicted in 1997 by the Hague court for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Bosnia in 1995.

He was gunned down aged 47 in January 2000 in a Belgrade hotel.

 Slobodan Praljak: the former Bosnian Croat military commander killed himself by drinking cyanide in court in November 2017, just after appeal judges upheld his 20-year jail term.

burs-eab/fg/har
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has attracted scorn for celebrating Matabelelands cultural diversity and heritage while at the same time his government remains adamant that the revival of the Ndebele kingdom is illegal.

Advocates pushing for the revival of the Ndebele monarchy argue the coronation of their king is a simple way of celebrating their culture and heritage.

They also argue that the matter does not need a constitutional provision as it is a purely traditional matter.

Lobengula was the last Ndebele king after a British Pioneer Column led by Cecil John Rhodes destroyed the Kingdom in 1893.

Mnangagwa last week said: Bulawayo Metropolitan province, the greater Matabeleland province and the entire nation must continue to take keen interest in our culture and heritage.

He made the remarks during the official opening of the Bulawayo Arts Festival. What we saw today is a demonstration of the double standards by government, which we have come to know.

This is a government that believes only in the narrative of Zanu PF and does not allow for alternative voices to be heard, and therefore there is no doubt at all that this will continue, said Effie Ncube, a Bulawayo-based activist.

Zanu PF fears diversity; it fears opening up space and, therefore, we see it time and again refusing to allow other people to practice their culture, to celebrate their culture to establish institutions that are in line with the practice of that culture.

The challenge remains that we have a government that has no respect for human rights at all. That does not allow for alternative voices to flourish.

On the day, Mnangagwa also unveiled the Heritage Corridor, and toured the Roman Catholic St Marys Basilica, Joshua Nkomo Museum, Natural History Museum, Inxwala Grounds, the Hanging Tree and Dr Joshua Nkomos Statue.

Inxwala was an annual Ndebele religious festival, also known as the First Fruits Ceremony, to mark a time of harvest experienced after a good agricultural season.

St Marys Basilica is one of the 17 minor Basilicas in Africa, and the only one conferred as such in southern Africa. The Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe situated at the Centenary Park and formerly the Rhodesian Museum at its establishment in 1901, is the oldest museum and largest of the five national museums in the country.

The Hanging Tree was used at the height of the First Umvukela/ Ndebele uprising in 1896, to hang African men and women, who resisted colonisation by the European settlers.

The Joshua Nkomo museum chronicles the life history and contribution of the late vice president. Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo whilst his stature was erected in his honour.

Mnangagwa was accompanied in the tour of the facilities by his deputy Constantino Chiwenga and a host of other Cabinet ministers and government officials.

The mystery is how Mnangagwa isnt ashamed of dragging the full contingent of the government to Bulawayo to witness the cultural festival of the same people for whom he refused the revival of the Ndebele monarchy and blocked the coronation of the heir to its throne, Zapu spokesperson Iphuthile Maphosa said.

South African-based Bulelani Collins Khumalo and Stanley Raphael Khumalo are claimants to the Ndebele throne. Incidentally, government in 2020 allowed the coronation of the Mambo Dynasty in Mawabeni, Matabeleland South.

The Lozwi clan installed Mike Moyo as King of the Mambo Dynasty in a bid to revive their kingship.

King Lobengula renamed his royal town from Gibixhegu to koBulawayo in 1871 while colonial figure and Matabeleland Administrator Leander Starr Jameson declared koBulawayo a town on June 1, 1894. Standard
Peruvians face a polarising choice between right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori and radical leftist Pedro Castillo when they elect a new president on Sunday, in a country desperate for a return to normalcy after years of political turbulence.

The new leader will need to tackle a country in crisis, suffering from recession and with the worst coronavirus death rate in the world after recording 184,000 mortalities among the 33 million population.

And after four presidents in the last three years and with seven of the last 10 of the countrys leaders either having been convicted of or investigated for corruption, Peruvians will look to their next leader to bring an end to the recent turbulence.

At the height of the political storm in November last year, Peru had three different presidents in just five days.

Two million Peruvians have lost their jobs during the pandemic and nearly a third of the country now live in poverty, according to official figures.

Fujimori, 46, and Castillo, 51, caused a surprise when taking the top two spots in Aprils first round of voting.

Now voters must decide between their polar opposite economic and political programs.

In the most recent poll, Castillo had a narrow two percentage points edge but 18 percent of people remained undecided in a country where voting is obligatory.

Fujimori, the daughter of disgraced and jailed former president Alberto Fujimori, represents the neoliberal economic model of tax cuts and boosting private activity to generate jobs.

Trade unionist schoolteacher Castillo has pledged to nationalize vital industries, raise taxes, eliminate tax exemptions and increase state regulation.

Fujimoris bastion is the capital Lima, while Castillos bulwark is the rural deep interior.

Were fed up with always being governed by the same people, we want Peru to change, Martha Huaman, 27, a fruit seller in Tacabamba, in the Cajamarca region where Castillo lives, told AFP.

For us its a dream, its an awakening, were really happy to be with Castillo, said evangelical priest Victor Cieza Rivera, whose church is attended by the presidential candidates wife Lilia Paredes.

Tacabamba and other villages in Cajamarca are full of posters for Castillo, who topped the first round of voting.

 I dont want to vote 

Favored by the business sector and middle classes, Fujimori has tried to portray Castillo as a communist threat, warning that Peru would become a new Venezuela or North Korea should he win.

Castillo has pointed to the Fujimori familys history of corruption scandals. Keiko Fujimori is under investigation for accepting illegal campaign funding in her 2011 and 2016 presidential bids and has already spent 16 months in pre-trial detention.

Her father is serving a 25-year sentence for crimes against humanity and corruption.

For many in Peru this election is about the lesser of evils.

I dont even want to vote, neither of them deserve it, but Castillo panics me so Im going to vote for Fujimori, said trucker Johnny Samaniego, 51, who lives in Lima.

Whoever wins will have a hard time governing as Congress is fragmented. Castillos Free Peru is the largest single party, just ahead of Fujimoris Popular Force, but without a majority.

If Fujimori wins it wont be easy given the mistrust her name and that of her family generates in many sectors. Shell have to quickly calm the markets and generate ways to reactivate them, political scientist Jessica Smith told AFP.

If Castillo triumphs, hell have to consolidate a parliamentary majority that will allow him to deliver his ambitious program, added Smith.

But in either case it will take time to calm the waters because theres fierce polarization and an atmosphere of social conflict, analyst Luis Pasaraindico told AFP.

Some 160,000 police and soldiers have been deployed to guarantee peace on election day.

The 11,400 voting centers will open at 7:00 am (1200 GMT) for 12 hours.

Some 25 million people will vote, plus another one million from the Peruvian diaspora living in 75 countries around the world.

The first results are expected at 11:00 pm on Sunday (0400 GMT Monday).

The new president will take office on July 28, replacing centrist interim leader Francisco Sagasti.

cm-fj/bc/bgs/oho

IPSOS
Pope Francis expressed his pain Sunday over the discovery of the remains of 215 children in a mass grave at a former indigenous boarding school in Canada run by the Church.

But he did not go so far as to offer the apology that many people, including the Canadian government, have been calling for over the unfolding scandal which has left Canada deeply shocked.

I follow with pain the news coming from Canada about the shocking discovery of the remains of 215 children, he said, following Sunday prayers at Saint Peters Square.

The discovery of the remains of the children last month sent shockwaves through Canadian society.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday called on the Catholic Church to take responsibility for its role in the deaths at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

Trudeau has already promised concrete action from the government and urged his fellow Catholics in Canada to make it clear to the Church that they expected its full cooperation too.

Before we have to start taking the Catholic Church to court, I am very hopeful that religious leaders will understand that this is something they need to participate in, he added.

In his speech Sunday, Pope Francis said: I unite with the Canadian bishops and the entire Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my solidarity with the Canadian people traumatised by this shocking news.

The sad discovery further increases awareness of the pain and suffering of the past, he added.

 Reconciliation and healing 

The pope called for Canadas political and religious leaders to work together to shed light on this sad matter and begin the process of reconciliation and healing.

The pope also offered prayers for the grief-stricken indigenous families and communities of Canada.

In comments Friday, Trudeau stressed: We need to have truth before we can talk about justice, healing and reconciliation.

UN rights experts on Friday urged both Ottawa and the Vatican to hold swift and thorough investigations into the affair.

A Canadian truth and reconciliation commission has made dozens of recommendations  including seeking a papal apology.

On Wednesday, Vancouver Archbishop J Michael Miller offered an apology on behalf of the Church in a statement.

But there have been growing calls for an apology from the pope himself  including from some Canadian government ministers.

The Kamloops Indian Residential School was the largest of 139 boarding schools set up in the late 19th century to assimilate Canadas indigenous peoples, with up to 500 students registered and attending at any one time.

Only 50 deaths were ever officially recorded at the institution, where a principal once pleaded for more funds to properly feed students.

It was operated by the Catholic church on behalf of the Canadian government from 1890 to 1969, before Ottawa took over its administration and closed it a decade later.

The boarding schools aimed at civilizing pupils by instilling Western values.

But survivors have alleged they were mistreated and abused by priests and nuns. They say their hair was cut, they were forbidden to speak their traditional language and perform their dances. They were also forced to cut ties with families.

An estimated 150,000 children were forced into the system. Many of them, separated from their families and given a European name, suffered physical and sexual abuse, while thousands disappeared, according to the results of an inquiry.
According to reports, a senior Trump Organization financial official testified before a grand jury as part of an investigation into the business affairs of the former President Donald Trumps family.

According to people familiar with the matter, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office subpoenaed Jefferey McConney, the Trump Organizations senior treasurer. Tell the New York Times.

3 Prosecutors in the Manhattan DA Office are investigating Weisselbergs role in the organization Credit: Getty-Contributor

McConney is responsible for overseeing the companys finances and has long served as the controller of the Trump Organization.

According to the documents obtained New York Daily News, McConney was described as the person responsible for the actual flow of funds.

The court ordering McConney to appear on the jury is part of an ongoing investigation by the Manhattan DA Office of McConneys colleagues and the organizations chief financial officer Alan Wesselberg.

The prosecutor of the Manhattan DA office is investigating Weisselbergs role in the organization.

According to the New York Times, this includes his personal finances and benefits to his son, Barry, who has worked for the organization for a long time.

3 This is part of a criminal investigation of Trump, his family and company executives Credit: Environmental Protection Agency

A source familiar with the investigation said it was part of a criminal investigation of Trump, his family and company executives. Told CNN before.

Prosecutors are trying to get Wesselberg to cooperate with the authorities in this investigation.

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This is a common technique used by prosecutors to try to get individuals against their colleagues in order to establish a case.

According to the New York Daily News, Wesselberg mentioned McConnells knowledge of Trumps financial situation in his testimony six years ago.

Jeff McConney has worked with me for a long time, and he knows that I adhere to what you call micromanagement to some extent, Allen testified in his June 2015 testimony.
Toronto-Large amounts of plastic bags, plastic bottles and other garbage are common on Brazilian beaches. But a Brazilian artist is using this rubbish to create his own views of some of the most famous artworks in the world.

Eduardo Srur created reproductions of paintings by masters such as Picasso and Van Gogh. No drop of paint was used. In contrast, Srur uses only a small amount of plastic waste collected from polluted streets and rivers.

Some of these master paintings, such as the Mona Lisa, have existed for more than 500 years. Srur warned that the plastic we discard may take longer than it decomposes.

I predict here that these works and the plastics that we improperly disposed of in nature will remain in human history for many years, he told Reuters.

Srurs series Natureza Plastica or Plastic Nature will be exhibited later this year. This is the latest of Srurs many artistic efforts to raise awareness of Brazils environmental issues.

Previously, he created an oversized inflatable jaguar, representing a beloved species that is endangered in Brazil.

Srur also placed several huge public art installations around Sao Paulo, which are mannequins on kayaks on polluted rivers.

In another work, Srur built a maze with solid waste, urging viewers to face the garbage dumps generated by society.

-Documents from Reuters
San Diego-The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges young people to get vaccinated because of an increase in the number of people between the ages of 12 and 17 who are hospitalized.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the use of Pfizer vaccine in people 12 years and older on May 12 last month.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that she is deeply concerned about the number of adolescents in hospital and saddened by the number of adolescents who need to be treated in intensive care units or mechanical ventilation.

A kind report It shows that for teenagers hospitalized with COVID-19 from January to March of 204: 1/3 need to be admitted to the ICU, and 5% need ventilators. Not a single teenager died.

According to Varensky, the only way to prevent teenagers from being hospitalized is to get vaccinated.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 does not discriminate against age, gender, race, and ethnicity, said Dr. Edward Cachay, a health and infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Diego.

Cachay said that 70% of hospital admissions have potential risk factors, mainly overweight and obesity, but one-third of hospitalized adolescents have no risk factors.

I invite my parents, relatives and close friends to discuss the importance of these prevention strategies with young people and encourage them to get vaccinated, Varensky said.

More than 2 million San Diego residents have been vaccinated in San Diego County, 134,000 of whom were between 12 and 19 years old.

You can view the full list of Pfizer vaccination locations Here.

Reddy Childrens Hospital also accepts appointments from anyone 12 years and older on its website.
Lara Trump confirmed in a speech at the North Carolina Republican Convention on Saturday night that she would not run for the Senate.

This 38-year-old North Carolina native There are rumors that he is considering running for the Senate, but instead supports Congressman Ted Budd.

6 Laura Trump announced on Saturday that she will not run for the Senate Credit: Getty

6 Earlier in the day, Laura posted a photo with her father-in-law Donald Image Credit: Instagram/Laura Trump

The mother of two said that she made this decision because her child was too young.

She swears that this is not for the time being, not forever because she said in her speech Father-in-law Donaldl Keynote speech.

It is difficult for me to enter the Senate campaign, said Laura, who married Eric, Trumps second eldest son.

When you do something, you pay 100%, she continued.

I definitely want to come back and consider fighting for something here in my hometown because I like it so much.

6 Trump praises his daughter-in-law Laura Credit: Getty

6 Instead, Trump supported Rep. Ted Bard in the Senate campaign Credit: Associated Press

Laura pointed out how she came from North Carolina She named her daughter after the state.

She and Eric have two children-three children Luke and a Carolina.

Laura called Bud a very special person, and as your next senator, he will do an excellent job.

Former President Trump also gave Bard full and complete support.

He praised Laura and claimed that she was a difficult candidate to defeat.

Trump also claimed that other candidates are waiting to see if she will stand before making their own statements.

She will be strong, he said.

But I think she did the right thing for her and her family.

6 Lara says her child is too young to run for the Senate Credit: Instagram

6 She is the mother of 3-year-old Luke and 1-year-old Carolina Credit: Instagram

March, Trump suddenly announced the news Laura is considering running for the Senate.

The former president made an impromptu appearance at the Big Dog Ranch Rescue event held at his resort Mar-a-Lago. Florida.

He acknowledged Laura who initiated the fundraising campaign.

Trump said: I want to thank Laura, she is incredible.

I dont know, you are running for the Senate. I heard that she is running for the Senate.

His comments aroused enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Although the White House lost to Joe Biden, Trump is still very popular.

Laura previously served as a TV producer and established a pro-Trump webcast called True News Update.

The Senate seat rumored to have contacted her was vacated by the Republican Richard Burr.

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The speech on Saturday night marked the beginning of Trumps fiery comeback for the next phase of his political career.

He criticized the Democratic Partys impeachment scam and criticized Bidens immigration and China issues.

Trump also teased his 2024 presidential campaign again.
The Worcester Police Department confirmed that the officer was 38-year-old Enmanuel Familia. (Worcester Police Department)

Worcester, Massachusetts (WWLP)-Officials confirmed that a Massachusetts police officer drowned on Friday while trying to rescue a teenage boy who also failed to survive.

The Worcester Police Department confirmed at a press conference late Friday afternoon that the officer was 38-year-old Enmanuel Familia. He is a five-year veteran of the department.

The identity of the same drowning teenage boy has not been announced.

The Worcester Police Department confirmed that the officer was 38-year-old Enmanuel Familia. (Worcester Police Department)

At 1:35 pm, the police received a 911 call reporting someone drowning in a pond in Greenhill Park in Worcester. The police and firefighters reacted and noticed several people in the water.

The officials saw a man struggling in the middle of the pond. Five police officers, including Familia, entered the water and tried to rescue the struggling people and other people in the water.

The officials took the two teenagers to the shore and realized that Familia was missing. The diver found him at 2:28 pm and tried life-saving measures before sending him to the hospital, but he died there.

Soon after, divers also found the body of the 14-year-old boy. He was pronounced dead in the hospital.

Officer Familias parents, wife and two children survived.
SHUBENACADIE-Under the guidance of GPS, Johnathan Fowler took a ground penetrating instrument through the fields of Shubenacadie, New South Wales, and recorded the image below.

On the surface, it may seem simple. However, Fowler, a researcher in landscape archaeology, carried an immeasurable weight of generations of aboriginal people. They wanted to know whether there was evidence of burial in the area where the Shubenacadie Indian Boarding School was once located.

This is an extremely important project for the community and all of us Canadians, Fowler told CTV National News. We made the most detailed map ever made.

Sipeknekatik First Nation launched an investigation last week after announcing the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at a former boarding school in Kamloops, British Columbia. urgent.

It will take several generations to fix it, but we need to be united and make sure it happens, Sipeknekatik First Nations chief Mike Sack told CTV National News.

From 1930 to 1967, thousands of Indigenous children from coastal areas and as far as Quebec were taken away and forced to live in a church-run facility in Shubenacadie, where survivors said they faced abuse and neglect.

Looking for closure

Researchers say that the process of investigating the land may not produce any results for a few weeks-although some people hope they will find nothing at all.

Standing here at the moment, I can imagine the children with me, said Roger Lewis, a survivor and member of the search crew at Shubenacadie Indian Boarding School. There are a lot of unresolved issues here. If we can help in any way and help solve some of the unresolved issues, then I think the community deserves it.

The National Truth and Reconciliation Center officially identified 16 children who died at Shubenacadie Indian Boarding School, but community members are concerned that there may be more.

The researchers said that the ground conductivity meter and a new device called the EM 38 Mark II will be used like a radar, rolling on the front playground of the boarding school to show if there are any graves below the surface.

Fowler worked directly with community members and the curator of the Mikmaq cultural heritage at the Nova Scotia Museum, Roger Lewis, as co-investigators.

Where to ask for help

If you are a former boarding school student in trouble, or are affected by the boarding school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian boarding school crisis hotline: 1-866-925-4419

Provide additional mental health support and resources for indigenous people Here.
China now has more Apple suppliers than any other country, which shows that Washingtons attempt to unravel the supply chain between the United States and China has little effect on the worlds most valuable technology company.

According to the analysis of the list of Apple suppliers by Nikkei Asia, 51 of Apples top 200 suppliers in 2020 are located in China, including Hong Kong, which is higher than 42 in 2018, and for the first time drove Taiwan out of the list. Apple did not release data for 2019.

Chinese suppliers also help Apple build production capacity in other Asian countries as part of the companys supply chain diversification strategy.

The list of Apple suppliers covers 98% of the companys spending on materials, manufacturing, and assembly in the last fiscal year. Although it does not disclose the value of each companys purchases, the report can be used as a barometer of Apples dependence on suppliers from different parts of the world. Since 2013, the report has been published almost every year.

This article is from Nikkei Asia, A global publication with a unique Asian perspective on politics, economics, business and international affairs. Our own correspondents and external commentators from all over the world share their views on Asia, and our Asia300 section provides in-depth coverage of the 300 largest and fastest-growing listed companies from 11 economies outside of Japan. subscription | Group subscription

Apple is known for its strict quality standards, and the rise of Chinese suppliers illustrates the countrys growing manufacturing and technological capabilities, as well as competitive prices.

Most Chinese suppliers have very similar methods, an Apple supply chain manager told Nikkei Asia. The manager said that Chinese suppliers have won orders by providing Apple with extremely low prices that are unimaginable by non-Chinese suppliers. They are willing to accept low-margin businesses that other suppliers are unwilling to take over. In this way, they can gradually upgrade through cooperation with Apple and can bid for more business next time.

The manager added that entering Apples supply chain is a golden ticket for suppliers to become the worlds best supplier.

Chinese suppliers are also rapidly helping Apple increase its production abroad.

The number of Apple suppliers in Vietnam increased from 14 at the beginning of the trade war in 2018 to 21 last year. Seven of these 21 companies are owned by Chinese or Hong Kong companies. These include AirPods assemblers Luxshare Precision Industry and GoerTek, which have been producing wireless earbuds in Vietnam since the beginning of 2020.

Most of the Apple-certified factories in Vietnam are located in the north of the country, which is a growing cluster of consumer electronics products.

The rise of Apples Chinese suppliers is at the expense of other suppliers.

The number of Japanese suppliers dropped from 43 in 2017 and 38 in 2018 to 34. Japan Display and Sharp, which continue to make the list, face competition from Chinese display manufacturers BOE Technology Group and Tianma Microelectronics, while Sharp and Kantatsu compete with Luxshare Precision and Cowell in the camera module.

Taiwan, which has been at the top of the list for more than a decade, is also losing ground. In 2020, its 48 Apple suppliers made the island the second largest supplier after mainland China and Hong Kong, but this is down from the 52 suppliers in 2017. The number in 2018 is 47.

Assemblers such as Foxconn (officially known as Hon Hai Precision Industry) and Pegatron are still important suppliers to Apple, but they also face competition from Chinese competitors.

Following the acquisition of an iPhone assembly plant from Wistron last year, Luxshare now also controls Pegatrons Casetek Holdings, a subsidiary of Pegatrons iPhone and MacBook metal frame and casing, while Inventec, the earliest AirPods assembler, lost most of its business share to Luxshare and GoerTek. After Quanta Computer decided to withdraw from the Apple Watch assembly business last year, Luxshare Precision also achieved growth in the Apple Watch assembly business.

The number of Apples suppliers in the United States has also declined, from 37 in 2017 to 32 last year. Most of the remaining supplierssuch as 3M, Corning, Micron, Lumentum, and Qualcommprovide high-value semiconductors and difficult-to-manufacture materials. instead.

According to the company, Apple is still one of the countrys largest job creators, but it has created 2 million jobs in all 50 states. Apple said it purchased more than $50 billion from more than 9,000 US suppliers and manufacturers last year.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump once hoped to reduce Americas dependence on Chinas supply chain by imposing punitive tariffs and blacklisting many Chinese companies.

So far, after Washington has blacklisted touch and camera module manufacturers, Apple has only severed ties with one Chinese supplier, O-Film Technology, which is suspected of violating the human rights of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.

Washingtons efforts have not significantly affected Apples contacts with Chinese suppliers, including an increasing number of new suppliers.

Jeff Pu, a senior analyst at GF Securities, said that China has a world-class supply chain of electronic components and assembly, which has benefited from years of cultivation by Apple and Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei and Oppo.

The only electronic component that China cant catch up is semiconductors, Pu said. The growth of Chinese suppliers [the] The list of Apple suppliers also shows that China has well controlled the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. 

Eric Tseng, chief analyst at Isaiah Research, said that cost and quality are the main reasons why Apple has persisted in the Chinese market despite political pressure.

We have not seen any obvious signs that due to geopolitical tensions or factors, Apple has reduced procurement and contact with Chinese suppliers, Zeng said. Apple basically selects and determines its suppliers based on cost. This is why many Chinese suppliers, from Luxshare to BYD, have gained more business in the past few years.

Both analysts said that Chinese suppliers are willing to transfer production to countries such as Vietnam and India, reflecting the problems of Chinas own investment environment. They said that labor costs are rising, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit enough production line workers during peak seasons each year.

A kind Version of this article First published by Nikkei Asia on June 2nd. 2021 Nikkei Inc. All rights reserved.

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This move, if approved, will make El Salvador the first country in the world to officially accept cryptocurrency as a legal currency.

After President Nayib Bukele announced that he would soon introduce a bill that would change the economy that relies on remittances, El Salvador may become the first country to make bitcoin a legal tender.

Bukele said on Saturday that this move will make this Central American country the first country in the world to officially accept cryptocurrency as a legal currency, and will allow thousands of people outside the legal economy to carry out financial inclusion.

Next week, I will submit a bill to Congress to legalize Bitcoin, he said in a video message of the 2021 Bitcoin Conference in Miami.

He said the bill aims to create jobs in a country where 70% of the population does not have a bank account and works in the informal economy.

The government has not yet provided details of the bill, which needs to be approved by the parliament led by the presidents allies.

The remittances of Salvadorans working abroad account for the main part of the economy-roughly equivalent to 22% of gross domestic product (GDP).

According to official reports, the total amount of remittances sent to the country last year was US$5.9 billion.

Strike, a mobile payment application launched in El Salvador in March, welcomed the legislation in a statement and is working with the country to make the use of Bitcoin technology successful.

Quoting at the Miami conference, Strike founder and CEO Jack Mallers, who introduced the Bukele video, said: This is the voice that Bitcoin hears all over the world.

Using local digital currency as legal tender provides El Salvador with the safest, most efficient and globally integrated open payment network in the world, said Marles.

According to data on the CoinMarketCap page, the cryptocurrency market grew to more than US$2.5 trillion in mid-May 2020, driven by the interest of more and more serious investors from Wall Street to Silicon Valley.

But Bitcoins volatility (currently price of $36,127) and its obscure legal status have raised questions about whether it can replace legal tender in daily transactions.
Amon Dubie Madawo who has just been confirmed by the Supreme Court as the legitimate AFM in Zimbabwe president has started an audit of all church properties, The Mirror has learned.

Madawo told The Mirror in an exclusive interview that pastors aligned to Cossam Chiangwas faction looted church property during the church wrangle and this is being assessed and a statement will be issued once the process is completed.

He added that his administration is also in the process of repossessing any church properties that might still be in the hands of the rival faction and documenting them.

Madao however, said that the process of implementing the High Court judgment is going on smoothly except for a few places where there are pockets of resistance. He encouraged members to come back to church.

We are in the process of implementing the Supreme Court judgement issued on Friday. We are taking back our assets, repossessing our property and after documentation we will decide on the next move.

Many pastors who left the Church looted property and we will sit down and see how we can recover it, said Madawo.

During the wrangle, Chiangwa opposed the presidency of Madao and led a faction pastors and church members who declared themselves as the legitimate AFM. Chiangwa lost his claim in the High Court after a ruling by Justice David Mangota on September 22, 2020 and he appealed to the Supreme Court thereby prolonging the wrangle.

Three Supreme Court Judges Susan Mavangira, Lavender Makoni and Samuel Kudya upheld the High Court judgement.

During the wrangle, the church had two sets of church services with one faction holding service in the morning and the other thereafter. In worst case scenarios the factions held services concurrently with one faction gathered at the front of the church while the other would be gathered at the back.

Pastor Donard Ndoni who is aligned to Chiangwa said he had no comment to make when the Mirror called him.

Some are still resisting the new order but we are calling upon worshipers to attend church without fear because the law has spoken. In Rusape there is a Pastor Mukaro who is very adamant and is demanding an eviction order for him to move off from the church and he seems to be getting an ear from the law enforcement agencies, said Madawo. Masvingo Mirror
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuted the allegations of incitement and stated that the newly formed Israeli coalition was prepared to oust him, which was the result of the biggest election fraud in the history of democracy.

Netanyahu, who has been in power for 12 consecutive years, is facing the overthrow of the eight-party coalition, simply because they have a common hostility towards him.

Commenting on the right-wing Likud legislators, Netanyahu said: We are witnessing the biggest electoral fraud in the countrys history. In my opinion, this is the history of any democratic country.

Netanyahu is caught in court battles over corruption charges and may face jail time. Netanyahu has mobilized his supporters to strip defectors before confirming the vote.

On Saturday, Nadav Argaman, the head of Israels Sinbets internal security agency, issued a rare public statement on social media warnings of a serious escalation of violence and inflammatory speech.

Algaman said: Some groups or individuals may interpret this kind of speech as an illegal act of violence that promotes and may even lead to the loss of life, he called on public officials to make a clear call to stop this kind of speech.

A Shin Bet spokesperson would not tell AFP whether Argaman was referring to a threatened group or individual, but said: This is a general atmosphere that must stop.

However, politicians who opposed Netanyahu and some local media interpreted Agamans statement as a warning to the prime minister.

Netanyahu said on Sunday: The line between political criticism and incitement to violence is very fine.

We cannot say that when criticism comes from the right, it is inciting violence. When it comes from the left, it is a reasonable use of freedom of speech, he said at a meeting of Likud party members.

I condemn all acts of incitement to violence, he added.

Netanyahu claimed that he was the target of a more serious movement, and once again called the alliance seeking to replace him a dangerous left-wing government.

The coalition consists of three right-wing, two centrist and two left-wing parties, and one Israel palestine civic party.

According to the alliance agreement, Naftali Bennett of the far-right Yamina Party will serve as prime minister for two years, and will be replaced by Yair Lapid, a centrist of the Yesh Atid Party in 2023.

Netanyahus supporters have been working hard to fight for the defection of Representative Yamamina. They do not like to cooperate with Palestinian citizens in Israel and the Jewish left.

Some people held a demonstration outside the House of Assemblyman Yamina.

According to Israeli media reports, the parliamentary vote of confidence is the last step in the formalization of the new government, and it may be held on Wednesday or next Monday.

In a televised speech, Bennett called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Netanyahus loyal supporter Yarif Levine not to try to buy time to encourage members of the new coalition to defect, and said he should hold a vote on Wednesday. Levine did not immediately comment.

Let go. Let the country move forward, Bennett said in a speech to Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009.

Mr. Netanyahu, dont leave the scorched earth behind. All of us, the whole country, want to remember the good things you did during your service.

The parliamentary security committee stated that it will hold an emergency meeting at 9 am (06:00 GMT) on Monday, in view of the unusual warning issued by the Sinbet leader and the call for a march in Israel by far-right people-Thursday was Occupied East Jerusalem.
The second child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday.

Spokespersons for Prince Harry and Meghan said on Sunday that the couple welcomed their child Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. Their daughter weighs 7 pounds and 11 ounces.

Her name Lilibet is a tribute to the queens nickname. Her middle name is in memory of her grandmother, Princess Diana, Harrys mother. This baby is the eighth heir to the British throne.

There were no pictures of the newborn or Sussex couple in the announcement.

After Harry and Meghan conducted an explosive television interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, the child was born. The couple described painful discussions about the complexion of their first child, the loss of royal protection, and the immense pressure that caused Megan to consider suicide.

Buckingham Palace said the racism accusations made by the couple were worrisome. The royal family stated that this issue will be resolved privately.

Watch | What are the consequences of Meghan and Harry being interviewed?

Royal commentator Roya Nikkhah and feminist activists Shola Mos-Shogbamimu and Adrienne Arsenault talked about the revelation of Prince Harry and Meghans interview with Oprah Winfrey, the media reaction in the United States and the United Kingdom, and the possible changes ( if so). 6:56

Winfrey and Harry recently collaborated on the Apple TV+ mental health series You cant see me.

Harry and American actor Meghan Markle got married at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Their son Archie was born a year later.

Harry, Meghan and their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu during a visit to South Africa in Cape Town on September 25, 2019. (Toby Melville/Getty Images)

In early 2020, Meghan and Harry announced that they would resign from the royal family and move to North America, citing what they called the unbearable invasion and racist attitude of the British media. They live in Montecito, a luxurious area near Santa Barbara, California.

Last year, Megan revealed that he had a miscarriage in July 2020. He personally recounted the traumatic experience at the time, hoping to help others.

A few months before the miscarriage, Harry stated that the royal family cut off his economy in early 2020 after announcing plans to withdraw from his role. But because of the money left by his mother, Princess Diana, he was able to provide safety for his family.

In an interview with Winfrey, Megan said that she was increasingly worried that her son would not have a royal title because it meant he would not be safe and it would be very difficult to digest everything during pregnancy. In addition to the title of Prince, she said that she is most concerned about the safety and protection of her son.

Megan said it was difficult for her to understand why the royal family worried about her sons skin color. She said it was difficult for her to distinguish these conversations.

Harry also said that Meghans treatment and his relationship with his family will have a lasting impact.

Harry and Meghan have left their royal duties in March 2020 because of what they said was the infringement and racist attitude of the Duchess by the British media.
Statement by the Duke and Duchess on the birth of Lilibet Diana

The couple said in a statement: Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to welcome their daughter Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor into this world.

Lily was born at 11:40 a.m. on Friday, June 4, under the trusted care of doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Lodge Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

She weighs 7 pounds and 11 ounces (3.5 kg). Both mother and child are healthy and are now settled at home. Lily is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, and her family nickname is Lily Beat.

Her middle name Diana is in memory of her beloved late grandmother, Princess of Wales.

This is the second child of the couple. They also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm blessings and prayers, because their whole family Enjoy this special time together.
The export opinion poll showed that the German Christian Democratic Party resisted the challenge of the far-right AfD and won 36% of the votes.

On Sunday, the conservatives led by German Chancellor Merkel won a sweeping victory in the state elections in eastern Germany, boosting Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed her in the September national election.

An export poll conducted by the public broadcasting company MDR in Saxony-Anhalt showed that the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) has a support rate of 36%, which is 6 percentage points higher than five years ago and far ahead of the far-right. Alternative Party of Germany (AfD). 22.5%, a slight decrease from the previous election.

The centrist Raschelt is seen as an uncertain start to the campaign and is facing calls for a more right-wing line to win back voters disappointed in the 16 years of compromise under Merkels leadership.

We won the election, Reina Haseloff, the governor of Saxony-Anhalt, said after the results of the export poll. The vast majority of our citizens said that we do not want to be associated with AfD. I am grateful for this.

Before the federal election, he and other conservatives praised the result to their advantage.

This will give us a boost in Berlin, said Ralph Brinkhaus, leader of the National Conservative Partys caucus. This is a victory for Armin Raschelt.

Armin Raschelt hopes to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the September national election [Marcel Kusch/Pool via Reuters]

In recent years, AfD has moved steadily to the right, and its branch in Saxony-Anhalt has been increasingly scrutinized by German domestic intelligence agencies due to its relationship with extremist groups.

Although the elections in the 16 German states are often affected by local issues and voting sentiment, they are also regarded as an important indicator of national sentiment.

The strong victory of the CDU will be seen as a sign that the new leader of the party, Raschelt, is expected to receive support from conservatives and centrists on September 26. Although Merkel has served as prime minister for four terms, its goal is to Remain in power at the federal level. Doesnt run anymore.

At the same time, if the prediction based on the partial count is confirmed, the election result will be a strong support for Haseloff, and he can now choose from three possible small party alliances.

The 67-year-olds popularity in the state has created a strong appeal to voters. He ruled out any cooperation with the AfD or the former communist left-wing party. They are expected to get 10.9% of the vote-this is the reason. The states historical low.

The center-left Social Democratic Party, the junior partner of Merkels ruling coalition, performed worse than it was five years ago. It is expected to receive a support rate of about 8.4%, while the environmentalist Green Party rose slightly, with only 6.2% support. rate.

For Annalena Baerbock, the leader of the Green Party, the success of the CDU depends on voters who try to stop AfD. She said that many people voted for the CDU because they do not want right-wing extremists in the government.

However, she admitted that the performance of the Green Party was not as good as expected because she attributed the performance to the specific electoral pattern in Saxony-Anhalt.

The Green Party has traditionally been weaker in eastern Germany where there are fewer cities, which rely more on carbon-intensive industries that the Green Party hopes to phase out.

The forecast also showed that the pro-business Liberal Democrats re-entered the state legislature after missing out five years ago, earning 6.5%.
Mexicos electoral agency stated that there are more than 20,000 positions to compete for, and nearly 95 million people are eligible to vote.

Mexico has begun a public opinion survey. Thousands of positions at the local, state and national levels are competing for it. This is known as the largest vote in the countrys history.

Sundays midterm elections will determine the composition of the 500-seat House of Representatives, the House of Commons, 15 governors and thousands of mayors and local councillors.

The National Electoral Institute of Mexico (INE) stated that more than 20,000 positions are competing, and nearly 95 million people are eligible to vote.

The sign of the Sunday election is Widespread violenceEtellekt, a security consulting company, reported that at least 89 politicians, including 35 candidates, were killed during more than 200 days of election campaigns.

The hallmark of this election is violence mainly against opponents of the state government or municipality, the companys director Ruben Salazar told Al Jazeera before the election.

What we are witnessing here is political violence, and being part of the opposition means [you will be] Face greater risks in this country. 

His party said that a municipal candidate in the eastern state of Veracruz was shot and killed during the night from Friday to Saturday.

We strongly condemn the cowardly murder of Rene Tovar, the candidate for the mayor of Cazones de Herrera in Veracruz, Clemente Castaneda, national coordinator of the left-wing civil movement, tweeted, urging the government to guarantee the lives and safety of Mexicans during the epidemic. election.

Although Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (known as AMLO) will not vote, his left-wing Morena Party and its allies Hope for support.

Achieving good results in the House of Representatives is particularly important for AMLO, as he strives to fulfill several major policy commitments during the remaining three years of his term.

Elected in 2018 for a six-year term, the party of the president at the time won two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli police have detained the militant Munnar Kurd, who has been at the forefront of the campaign to prevent the forced deportation of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jala community in occupied East Jerusalem.

Mu Nas father, a Nabil, Kurdish, told reporters that the 23-year-old activist was detained by the police after searching their Sheikh Jalas house. WAFA reported that the police had handed out a notice requesting her twins. The policeman who surrendered his brother Mohammed.

He stated that his daughter was taken to an Israeli police station on Salahuddin Street in occupied East Jerusalem.

According to a video circulating on social media, when she was taken out of the house by the Israeli police, she told her family: Dont be afraid.

Mohammad al-Kurd and his sister supported the three-month #SaveSheikhJarrah social media campaign against forcing Palestinians to leave their homes.

She was detained the day after Al Jazeeras Arabic-language reporter Givara Budeiri was arrested while reporting on a demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah on Saturday.Boudari is Released A few hours after her arrest, she caused global condemnation.

Thanks in part to brothers and sisters, the story of Sheikh Jarrah-a community in East Jerusalem annexed by Israel-has become a global hashtag since last month.

The moment 23-year-old Muna el-Kurd was arrested at home. She said, Call a lawyer and dont be afraid.#???? pic.twitter.com/IbASAVpVYV -???? (@LinahAlsaafin) June 6, 2021

In recent months, there has been a series of incidents in the Sheikh Jarrah community where Palestinians have sat in protest against Israels order to evacuate their homes, which they describe as a continuation of the ethnic cleansing that began in the catastrophe of 1948.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed it in a move that the international community has never recognized.

According to Israeli law, even if Palestinian families have lived there for decades, Jewish groups can claim land that belonged to Jews before Israel was founded in 1948.

Palestinians whose ancestors became refugees in the 1948 war cannot retrieve their homes or land in modern Israel. When Israel declared independence in 1948, more than 700,000 Palestinians were driven out of their homes.

On Monday night, dozens of Israeli troops stormed the neighborhood and attacked Palestinian families, beating and firing tear gas and sound bombs at them. According to local Palestinian media reports, 20 people were injured and at least four Palestinian men and one girl were arrested. Two of them were released on Tuesday.

In 2009, half of the al-Kurd home was taken over by Israeli settlers. Al-Kurds twin brother Mohammed previously told Al Jazeera that sharing their home with squatters with a Brooklyn accent is unbearable and unbearable [and] Terrible.

They just sit in our house, torture us, harass us, and do their best not only to force us to leave the second half of our house, but also to harass our neighbors to leave their homes in order to completely wipe out our family. Palestine from Jerusalem Human existence, said Muhammad, who was 11 years old when the settlers entered forcibly.

In March last year, the Israeli District Court in Occupied East Jerusalem approved an order requiring Sheikh Jarrahs six Palestinian families, including Kurds, to evacuate their homes in order to make way for the settlers. The same court also ruled that seven other families should leave their homes before August 1.

The Israeli court will announce its verdict in this case.

Earlier last month, the Sheikh Jarrahs protests spread to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, triggering the suppression of Palestinian worshipers by Israeli security forces. The Israeli armys attack on Al-Aqsa has aroused global anger.

Israels suppression of occupied East Jerusalem and the attack on Al-Aqsa prompted Hamas, the Gaza-controlling organization, to launch rockets at Israel.

Israel launched an 11-day military attack on Gaza, killing more than 250 Palestinians, including 66 children.
Arturo Cruz was detained after the opposition presidential candidate Christiana Chamorro was placed under house arrest for three days.

The Nicaraguan police detained the opposition politician Arturo Cruz, detained the second presidential candidate in less than a week, and in November President Daniel Ortega sought to maintain his power. Control the election before escalating the battle.

According to his assistants, Cruz is an academic who served as Nicaraguas ambassador to the United States from 2007 to 2009, and was detained after arriving at Managua Airport from Washington DC on Saturday.

The prosecutors office said in a statement that the national police is investigating Cruz on the grounds that he attacked Nicaraguan society with strong evidence.

It did not specify the possible charges against the 67-year-old man, nor whether he will continue to be detained or arrested.

Cruz was taken into custody after the opposition figure Cristiana Chamorro-also a possible challenger for Ortega in the November election-was placed under house arrest for three days after the government claimed that she was guilty of money laundering.

Cruz was a former ally of Ortega. He was a candidate for the Alianza Ciudadana or Citizens Alliance, a right-wing coalition supported by well-known businessmen to participate in the November presidential election.

The Nicaraguan Human Rights Center described the detention of Ortegas government as an abnormal strategy designed to silence people he considers to be political enemies.

These are not criminal investigations, they are political persecution, it said.

This we Called on Cruz to release immediately.

Acting Deputy Secretary of the Western Hemisphere Affairs Bureau of the US State Department Julie Zhong said on Twitter: The international community has already said: Under Ortegas leadership, Nicaragua is becoming an international untouchable and is getting farther and farther away from democracy.

The Organization of American States also urged the Nicaraguan authorities to release Cruz.

The Secretary-General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro said on Twitter: Manipulating the security forces and the judiciary to imprison opposition candidates is unacceptable These actions are contrary to free and fair elections.

Ortega is a former guerrilla who was in power from 1979 to 1990, returned to power in 2007, and was re-elected twice. The 75-year-old aims to be re-elected for the third consecutive term in November.

International organizations including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights accused the Ortega government of fabricating false accusations against opponents.

The electoral agency has eliminated two opposition parties.
Pope Francis expressed pain after discovering the remains of 215 indigenous students, but did not provide the long-sought apology for boarding school survivors.

Pope Francis expresses pain over remains found in Canada 215 Indigenous children Forced to attend a boarding school run by the church, but did not provide the apology sought by the survivors of the system, which the Commission of Inquiry said amounted to cultural genocide.

Pope Francis said in his usual speech to the public at noon on Sunday that he painfully followed the disturbing news from Canada about the discovery of the remains of 215 children.

He said: I join the bishop of Canada and the entire Catholic Church in Canada to express my closeness to the Canadian people who have been traumatized by the shocking news.

From the 1870s to the 1990s, more than 150,000 Aboriginal, Metis, and Inuit children were forced to attend more than 130 boarding schools across Canada in order to integrate them into Canadian society.

Physical, mental, and sexual abuse are rampant in schools, and students are beaten for speaking indigenous languages ??and other human rights violations.

On May 31, 2021, flowers and tributes were left at Kamloops Indian Boarding School to commemorate the remains of 215 children found at the site [Nicholas Rausch/AFP]

Ground penetrating radar is used Confirm the remains At the end of last month, children at the Kamloops Indian Boarding School in Kamloops, British Columbia.

This school is the largest such facility in Canada, with 500 students enrolled during the peak enrollment period, and was operated by the Catholic Church from 1890 to 1969. The government took over until the school closed in 1978.

Trudeau Friday Exploded The church was silent and not strengthening, and called for a formal apology, and asked the church to make up for its prominent role in the boarding school system.

We still see resistance from the church, possibly from the church in Canada, said Trudeau, who also formally asked the Pope to apologize in 2017.

Rosanne Casimir, chief of Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia, said her country hopes the Catholic Church will apologize publicly.

She also said that the Consecration of the Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception, which runs nearly half of Canadas boarding schools, has not yet released any records about the Kamloops School.

In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established by the government made many recommendations, including an apology from the Pope.

Heinous crime

On Sunday, the Pope called on Canadas political and religious leaders to work together to clarify this matter while also working on the path of reconciliation and healing.

These difficult times represent a strong call for us to distance ourselves from the colonial model and todays ideological colonization, and to walk side by side in dialogue, mutual respect, and recognition of the rights and cultural values ??of all Canadian daughters and sons, he said. Say.

The United Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Anglican Church have apologized for the abuse they suffered at school, and the Canadian government has also provided compensation.

UN human rights experts issued a statement on Friday Appeal to Canada and the Catholic Church A prompt and thorough investigation into the incident was conducted.

Experts also stated that criminal investigations should also be launched on all allegations of suspicious deaths and allegations of torture and sexual violence against school children.

The UN expert added that the perpetrators and concealers who may still be alive should be prosecuted and sanctioned, and said that Canada and the Vatican are unthinkable that the whereabouts of this heinous crime are unknown.
Last night, Prince Harry and Meghan chose to name their daughter Lilibet, which was seen as an attempt to repair the relationship with the royal family.

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor owns Prince Philips nickname for more than 70 years, calling his wife the Queen-and the middle name is a tribute to Harrys mother.

? Read our Meghan and Harrys live blog Get the latest update

Last night, Harry and Meghan chose to name their daughter Lilibet as an attempt to repair their relationship with the royal family

12 The couple announced that Megan had given birth to her daughter.Meghan and Harry posing with their son Archie

12 The name of Megans daughter pays tribute to the Queen and Princess Diana Credit: Agence France-Presse

Megan and Harry have a baby girl

Royal writer Phil Dampier said: Lilybet is such a personal name for the queen, you would hope they can remind the royal family in advance.

I suspect that Harry and Meghan have realized that their criticisms in recent months have been excessive and that they have caused deep harm to Harrys grandmother and other family members.

Mr. Dampier-who wrote The Royal Suite: Harry and Meghan in their own words-added: They may be trying to eliminate some of the damage.

This Duchess of Sussex39 years old, gave birth at a hospital 10 minutes drive from their 11 million mansion in Montecito, California at 11:40 a.m. local time on Friday.

The baby weighs 7 pounds 1 ounce.

In a statement released last night, Harry and Meghan have a two-year-old son Archie. They said: On June 4th, we were fortunate to welcome our daughter Lily.

What we know so far:

She is beyond our imagination, and we still appreciate the love and prayers from all over the world.

Thank you for your kindness and support at this very special moment for our family.

A spokesperson said that both the mother and the baby are healthy.

Megan The Santa Barbara Lodge Hospital was chosen instead of the popular Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

? Read our Royal Live Blog Get the latest update

The spokesperson went on to say: Lily is at home now. They confirmed: Lily is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, and her family nickname is Lily Beat.

Her middle name Diana is in memory of her beloved late grandmother, Princess of Wales.

Last night, a royal source told The Sun: Lilibet is Prince Philips favorite nickname. For many years, it has also been one of Harrys favorites.

During the royal engagement in Liverpool in 2019, when Meghan was pregnant with Archie, Harry asked someone in the crowd how her daughters name Lily was spelled.

12 The newcomer is the Queens 11th great-grandson, joining George, Charlotte and Louis, the children of Brother Archie and Prince William. Image Source: Associated Press: Associated Press

The Queen and Sussexs eldest son Archie

12 Prince Harry named his daughter after his late mother Princess Diana Credit: pixel8000

She said Harry was very interested in it and said that he would love to give it to his daughter one day.

When Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018, one of the flowers worn by her bridesmaids was a lily of the valley.

The Queen, Prince William and Kate Middleton Congratulations on the birth of Meghan and Prince Harrys daughter in a statement from Buckingham Palace.

It read: The Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have learned that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a daughter. They are very happy.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also extended his blessings to the Sussex couple. He wrote: Congratulations on the birth of the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrote on Twitter: We are all happy with the good news of Baby Lilys arrival.

Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.

Prince Charles and Camilla also wrote: Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie baby Liberty Diana for their arrival.

At this special moment, I wish them all the best.

Meghans 76-year-old separated father, Thomas Markle, told The Sun last night: Im very happy that my daughter and my new granddaughter gave birth successfully. I wish them all their love and good luck.

Lily is the first grandson of the Queen of England to go abroad and the first senior royal family born in the United States.

Like Archie, she will automatically have U.S. citizenship.

Sadly, she was the first of the great-grandson of the monarch and Philip since the death of the duke in April.

She now Heir to the throne -After her own father, Prince Harry, Uncle Prince William, grandfather Prince Charles, her cousin and her brother Archie.

12 The full statement of the couple

Kate and William posted on Instagram, wishing the couple all the best

12 They also posted a personal message on their Archewell website

Lily is also the cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and the fifth grandson of Prince Charles.

Her birth will enable Harry to return to London to unveil the statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace to commemorate her 60th birthday.

The Duke of Sussex will lead the July 1 event with Prince William-it is said that after Oprah was interviewed by Oprah and attacked the royal family, he was angry with his younger brother.

A source said: There are rumors that Harry will avoid the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Diana when his relationship with William is at odds.

Meghans pregnancy was originally a convenient and perfect reason not to participate.

But he has no excuses for not coming. He is expected to stand with William and show brotherly loneliness.

Lily was born in November last year after it was revealed that Megan was born after a miscarriage in July last year.

The Duke and Duchess had made no secret of their desire to have a second child, but they also stated that for environmental reasons, two children are their limit.

They are excited In an interview with Oprah, they revealed that they have a daughter In March, Harry told the talk show host about his gender.

Mini Megan Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcome baby girl Lily Beat after birth in hospital A-List play date Meg and Harrys baby girl will grow up with Katy Perry and Serenas children comment Ingrid Seward Harry and Meghan named Lilibet after the queens charming nameand a little confusing Name game Clues Meghan and Harry chose their baby girls name Lily many years ago comment Arthur Edwards Thanks to the touching baby name, Dianas memory will be able to exist forever

When Oprah asked Harry how it felt to learn that he would have a daughter, he gushed: Awesome. Just grateful.

It would be great to have any child, any one or any two. But with a boy and a girl, what else can you ask for. We have our family-four of us and two of our dogs.

12
San Diego-Community members are mourning two San Diego police detectives who were killed in a crash in the wrong direction.

A memorial of flowers, candles and signs was set up for the late detectives Ryan Parker and Jamie Huntley Parker outside the San Diego police headquarters on Saturday.

Neighbor Daniel Garcia (Daniel Garcia) said: It is very shocking to hear this news. I mean passing by we usually dont notice the monument they created, so today it definitely caught our attention. I heard about it. Thats it, its horrible.

Police said a wrong driver hit the couple head-on on Interstate 5 near San Ysidros Dairy Supermarket Road on Friday morning. The driver who crashed into the detective car also died.

For something like this it could have been easily avoided, Garcia said. The speed at which it happens is terrible.

Garcia lived near the police station, and the community expressed support for the fallen policeman, which moved him very much.

Especially at these times, the police have received bad criticism, but they are not all bad guys. It is great to see that especially in San Diego, we are here to serve the police, Garcia said.

Garcia said that the death of the detective was a huge loss to the community.

Especially they are so young, Garcia said. I mean, I have died with friends and family in my life, but this kind of carelessness will definitely hit home because it can happen to anyone.
Security bill of G7 summit likely to exceed 70 million pounds: report

Xinhua) 11:42, June 06, 2021

LONDON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The security cost of hosting the Group of Seven (G7) summit next week in Britain is likely to exceed 70 million pounds (about 99 million U.S. dollars), British media reported Saturday.

The local Devon and Cornwall police will be joined by more than 5,000 officers from around Britain in the area's "largest security operation in history" when the leaders of the G7 countries gather in the southwestern seaside resort of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, England, on June 11-13, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Around 6,500 police will secure the event at Carbis Bay, the reported said.

High steel fences have already been put up in the Cornish seaside resort to help protect the G7 leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden on his first overseas trip after his inauguration.

Roads will be closed and security checkpoints placed across the county, starting from Wednesday next week at Newquay airport, Falmouth, where media will be based, and to secure designated official protest sites, according to the report.

The security cost of the previous equivalent meeting, the G8 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, held in 2013 was put at 75 million pounds (about 106 million U.S. dollars).

Campaigners led by the Resist G7 Coalition, an umbrella group for protesters, said it was "the G7 that is costing money, not the protesters", adding that police were adding to costs by their approach to the event.

"As part of its operation, Devon and Cornwall police created four 'designated protest' sites that were out of the way, with no relevance to the G7. Resist G7 and other protest groups made it clear that "we would boycott these sites," a spokesperson said.

Demonstrators have been told they can gather in four designated protesting sites, including one in Exeter, which is more than 160 km away.

Leaders of the G7, Britain, the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Italy, plus the European Union, will gather in Carbis Bay for the first in-person G7 summit in almost two years. It will also be the first major in-person summit held by Britain after Brexit.

Britain, which holds the rotating G7 presidency, also invited Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa as guest countries to this year's meeting. Economic recovery, global vaccine rollout and climate change are expected to be among the issues to be discussed during the meeting.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Hundreds of people are being turned away from vaccination centres in Zimbabwe as the countrys supplies of Chinas Sinovac vaccine appear to have run out, triggering panic that the government is failing to acquire new stocks.

While government said it had taken delivery of more medicines in recent weeks, centres in Harare have not had any stocks for nearly a week and there is growing anger at the failure to communicate acute vaccine shortages, which are being reported around the country.

In Bulawayo, authorities last week suspended vaccination programmes due to a lack of vaccines.

At Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital in the capital, Harare, people demanded an explanation from the matron after nurses turned away dozens of people who had arrived for their second dose of Sinovac.

The hospital, Harares leading COVID-19 referral centre, is now administering only Indias Covaxin jab, the uptake of which remains low among Zimbabweans.

We only have Covaxin for the second jab. We do not have the Sinovac second dose. If you are waiting for the Sinovac second dose, check towards the end of the week. We are still waiting for deliveries. They delivered Covaxin yesterday, we hope the Sinovac will come soon, the matron said, to jeers from the crowd.

According to government, as of 31 May, 675 678 people in Zimbabwe had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 344 400 had received their second.

With a population of 14,6 million, Zimbabwe aims to vaccinate 10 million people. It received 1,5 million doses from China, while India donated 35 000 shots of Covaxin.

Many at Wilkins hospital this week were afraid their first dose would lose effectiveness without the second.

The chief co-ordinator of Zimbabwes COVID-19 response, Agnes Mahomva, said: We have heard such stories of shortages, but we asked the Ministry of Health to do an assessment on the ground.

All clinics got quantities that are proportional to their size, but some moved vaccines faster than others. So the Ministry of Health is currently doing the redistribution of vaccines. Any minute from now we should hear from them.

Previously a bustling centre vaccinating hundreds of people daily, Wilkins now operates one inoculation table where Covaxin is being administered.

We only had the second dose sometime last week. We spend most of the time sitting, there is nothing to do. If you see such large centres running dry, it is almost certain that [smaller] polyclinics also do not have any vaccines, a nurse said.

Mernard Makotore (50) travelled about 65km from Darwendale, a town west of Harare, to get his second vaccine.

I came here very early only to be told at 8am that there are no vaccines. I was supposed to have come on 20 May, but my mother passed away, so I could not get the vaccine. We are getting into the cold season and cases are starting to rise again. Government needs to do something fast, Makotore said.

Why did they give us the first dose, if they knew that the second dose would not be available? he asked rhetorically.

Claudina Maneni (43) had come with her 70-year-old mother.

I have been coming here for the past five days and they are telling me the same story. I came here again at 4am with my elderly mother, she desperately needs her second dose because of travel. The Minister of Finance (Mthuli Ncube) assured us that he was going to buy more vaccines but there is nothing, Maneni said.

We hear that vaccines are now being sold in private practices. This is the corruption that we do not want. Zimbabweans should never tolerate such incompetence.

Despite initial scepticism about the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines, Zimbabweans have been commended by their president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, for overcoming their hesitancy in the past month.

He also gave assurances that more vaccines were on their way. Experts say government should speed up vaccination as winter may bring more cases, with fears that a third wave could bring the already precarious economy to its knees. Guardian
A mysterious tomb just a few miles from Dublin is older than the Pyramids of Giza and continues to confuse scientists.

When we think of ancient monuments, Newgrange in Irelands historic County Meath is often overlooked, but it is equally strange and impressive.

5 Newgrange was built around 3200 BC Credit: Getty

This tomb is an ancient miracle in Ireland, and its history can be traced back to around 3,200 BC.

This makes it six centuries older than the oldest pyramid in Egypt.

It is also 700 years older than Stonehenge.

From a distance, it looks like a big mountain, but it is actually a passage tomb, the interior is carefully decorated with stone carvings from the Neolithic Age.

5 Newgrange is a passage tomb Credit: Getty

The passage tomb is a stone structure that contains one or several tombs covered with grass.

Little is known about the people who are buried there, the people who built it, and how they built such a complex structure using only stone.

Generations of archaeologists have tried to decipher the mystery of the tomb and its strange kidney shape.

5 Sunlight seeps into the grave from its roof box Credit: Deagostini-Getty

5 The sun of the winter solstice every year will completely illuminate the grave Image source: PA: Press Association

One feature that has plagued scientists for many years is how people in the Neolithic Age created a structure whose tombs and passages are illuminated by the winter solstice sun every year.

On Midwinter, about four and a half minutes after sunrise, light shines through the roof box of the tomb to illuminate the room.

Scientists were initially confused about the hole in the roof until they realized that it was meant to bring sunlight directly into the grave on the shortest day of the year.

Newgrange was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993 and can be visited by tourists.

5

Stunning 3D clips reveal what the 7 ancient wonders of the world would look like if they were still standing today

Lost city From the Pyramids of Japan to the Underwater Kingdom of Wales-Stunning Lost City Wave goodbye If it happened today, the ancient tsunami that hit Britain could destroy the town Alien visitor The mystery of the origin of the spacecraft flying over the earth is finally solved Blockbuster report Oxford University professor issued a chilling warning about the future of Skynet artificial intelligence Rocky Horror The huge 750-foot asteroid is as big as the Statue of Liberty and passes the earth Space snapshot NASA unveiled spectacular images of the Milky Way, revealing the heart of the Milky Way

In other archaeological news, prehistoric Stone depiction Red deer were found in a grave in Scotland.

The first humans to set foot on this land North American continent According to new evidence, it may arrive 30,000 years ago.

And, the mystery surrounding age Serna Abbas the Giant It may finally be solved.

We pay for your story! Do you have a story about The Sun Online Tech & Science team?Email us [email protected]
Warning: This story contains distressing details.

Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, said on Sunday that dramatic steps such as the popes formal apology may not be the best way to address the Catholic Churchs role in Canadas boarding school system.

I will definitely be in further contact with the Pope, but I dont know whether always looking for something big and dramatic is really the way forward. I think it would be better to work with others step by step, Collins said in an interview Rosemary Button live broadcast.

I think the more important thing is the daily work, quiet and gentle, he told CBC Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Button.

After meeting with two Canadian cardinals on Saturday, Pope Francis delivered a speech in his studio in St. Peters Square: May the Canadian political and religious authorities continue to cooperate, resolve to expose this sad story, and humbly commit to A path of reconciliation and healing.

But the pope did not make a formal or full apology for the role of the church in the operation of many boarding schools in the country.

On Sunday, Pope Francis addressed a group of believers and pilgrims in St. Peters Square in the Vatican from the window of his studio. The Pope expressed his sorrow at the discovery of the remains of approximately 215 children buried in an unmarked site of the former Kamloops Indian Boarding School. (Domenico Stinellis/Associated Press)

After the aboriginal people of Tkemlups te Secwepemc in British Columbia announced on May 27 that the remains of some 215 children believed to be found, they renewed a formal apology for the Indian boarding school.

Collins said he thinks the apologies of individual Catholic bishops in Canada are very, very important. The head of the Catholic Organization Conference formally apologized in 1991. Collins also referred to the statement made by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 in which he expressed sorrow over the suffering of boarding school students.

Fight for school records

The issue of access to records is still a sticking point. Indigenous leaders and Researchers Note that school records are needed to identify the remains of any children found. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau specifically called for the surrender of any documents on Friday. Pastor Ken Tolson, the leader of the consecration of the Immaculate Missionaries that manages the Kamloops School, said his order is working to digitize and transmit any records he has.

But Collins said on Sunday that Trudeaus remarks were extremely unhelpful and could be misleading.

As far as I know, no one tried to hide the record. If someone did, they shouldnt do it, Collins said, downplaying the idea that the Vatican itself has any other records.

Philfontein, the former president of the Aboriginal Congress, told Patton that he believed that the Vatican did keep records and that these records are still to be transferred in Canada. Fontaine met Pope Benedict in Rome in 2009 and led negotiations on a legal settlement for boarding schools.

Royal Canadian Minister of Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett (Carolyn Bennett) agreed with Fontaine and refuted Collins comments that he believed there were no hidden or undisclosed records.

This is not my understanding, she told Button. I think we still believe that there are documents within the Catholic Church. Whether it is a contributor or the Diocese of Vancouver, people say they now want to submit something to the National Truth and Reconciliation Center.

I also think the cardinal needs to be part of this process, Bennett said.

Fontaine said he believes that the Popes apology is perfectly possible and that the bishop of Canada is likely to work behind the scenes to achieve this goal.

He said that after the Kamloops tragedy, it was important that Canadians finally began to believe in the aboriginal views of the boarding school system.

Canadians should trust us. They have an obligation and responsibility to do so, Fontaine said. He called on the Canadian government, churches and indigenous communities to continue to cooperate.

If this kind of cooperation does not work, the days to come will be even darker.

Anyone affected by the boarding school experience and those affected by the latest report can receive support.

A nationwide Indian boarding school crisis hotline has been set up to provide support to former students and those affected. People can call the 24-hour national crisis hotline: 1-866-925-4419 for emotional and crisis referral services.
Villanova University has become the latest university in the Philadelphia area to require its students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the 2021-22 school year.

All students and staff must be fully vaccinated by August 1st before returning to campus in the fall. Pastor Peter Donohue, the principal Said this week.

Students, faculty and staff need to provide vaccine documents to the school. International students who cannot meet the requirements will be vaccinated against COVID-19 when they return to campus this fall. Vaccine exemptions will only be granted for medical or religious reasons.

Fully vaccinated students and employees do not need to wear masks, undergo regular COVID-19 testing or self-quarantine, universities SayThose who are granted a COVID-19 vaccine exemption will be required to continue to comply with the schools COVID-19 health and safety protocol.

Donohue said that compulsory full vaccinations for all students and employees will help the university restore a more typical campus experience and may lift most of the COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Donohue said: Requirement for vaccination allows for face-to-face guidance, a full set of extracurricular and service-related activities, dormitories and restaurants are full, and more typical Villanova experience can be restored.

Other local schools that require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the fall semester include Payne and Drexel, and also Rutgers University, Rowan, Stockton, Caspian and Princeton.

Pennsylvania Rowan University is one of the universities in the Philadelphia area, and they also require employees to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued its latest guidance last week, stating that employers can require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to return to the office.

However, the agency stated that any COVID-19 vaccine authorization must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act, and cited the ADA to require companies to keep certain health information confidential.

EEOC also stated that employers can provide incentives for employees to vaccinate, as long as they are not mandatory.

Penn Medicine said last month that it requires all health system employees and clinical staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 1.
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In any case, this is a rare moment for senior members of the royal family.

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, was on the Internet a few days ago, talking easily and frankly about her menopausal experience, and what she thinks is the importance of talking publicly about these often taboo topics.

I have always found that when we talk about womens health, we actually talk about womens issues or womens issues first, which immediately makes it negative, she said in a virtual chat because she accepted the royal sponsorship of Wellbeing of Women. British Womens Health Charity.

But with knowledge and choices, our destiny will be much better. I think its up to us to try to introduce this knowledge to women, understand the choices they have, and bring the subject open in some way.

However, this does not always happen.

We are all talking about having children, but no one is talking about menstruation, no one is talking about menopause. Why not? Sophie wondered.

Watch | Sophie hopes to make womens health out of the shadows:

This is a very normal thing, but it is very hidden, I think its time to say enough. We need to take it out and put it on the table.

Sophie, 56, did just that, sharing her own experience of brain fog that may be part of the menopausal transition, and telling how she lost her mind during the royal engagement.

Thats what you said. You stand there and say,Wait a minute, I thought I was a pretty smart person. What happened to me?' she said. Its like someone just left how long you took your brain out before they put it back again, you try to pick up the pieces and move on.

She suggested that menopause should be a time to celebrate women no longer menstruating. It should be a relief. It feels like a shackle.

Sophie emphasized that she believes that young women need to be educated about what happens to their bodies when they start menstruation, and just as importantly, what happens when these cycles end in about 40 years.

Sophies royal work also includes supporting victims of sexual violence in the conflict. She visited an informal tent settlement in Lebanons Bekaa Valley in 2019. (Victoria Jones/Getty Images)

Sophies frankness was praised by Dr. Jerilynn Prior, Professor of Endocrinology at the University of British Columbia.

She is very down to earth. I am very impressed, Prior said through Zoom from her home in Vancouver.

what [Sophies recounting of her experience] Indeed, the experience of women is very important. They are not trivial, nor can they be ignored, they have a certain importance in the wider world.

It says that women should understand their bodies, how they work, and especially the real close connection between how we feel about ourselves and our reproduction.

Sophie is not the first well-known woman to speak publicly about menopause.Michelle Obama, wife of former U.S. President Barack Obama, spoke frankly about the hot flashes, and Praise it . Celebrity talk show host Oprah Winfrey Already written About how she found out that she was about to enter menopause.

Before, who ran Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research Center , Welcome to the high-profile attention of Sophie and other women.

I think it allows other women to see that it is okay, and it can also be seen by men to talk about it. Its like giving permission, otherwise its a social taboo.

But Prior also sees the potential for more such interests.

It requires not only Michelle Obama, but hundreds of women leaders in business, art, industry, health, and various fields to speak frankly and publicly, she said.

Sophie gave all signs, and she will continue to speak frankly and publicly.

We shouldnt leave anyone behind in this matter, not just women and young girls. Men are also the same, I really think this is a conversation that must be open to everyone, even if they dont want to listen.

We just need to be louder.

Scotlands soft diplomacy

Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, attended the official opening of a hospital in the Scottish town of Kirkwall during their recent visit to Scotland. (Chris Jackson/Associated Press)

Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, who were staying in Scotland, recently assumed all the hallmarks of their regular royal daily activities.

There are chats with children and charities, opportunities to see new technologies and remember good memories, including when they first met in St Andrews 20 years ago.

When they go to a land yacht, there are even some relaxing moments when they host a drive-in screening Crura, The staff of the National Health Service joined their audience.

But behind all this is a feeling that there may be more factors at work. Two high-profile members of the high-ranking royal family have raised strong concerns and faces about the Scottish monarchy. At the same time, about the independence of Scotland. Rumors of another referendum are still continuing.

Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert at Bangor University in Wales, said: In a sense, everything the monarchy does issoft diplomacy, but the monarchy is an institution within the United Kingdom, although Has suffered recently, but still has widespread support, said via email.

Part of the reason is [is] The Queens mantra is you must see it with your own eyes to believe in the monarchy. The same applies to Scotland and the rest of the UK

William and Kate boarded a yacht on the beach in St Andrews on a recent trip to Scotland. (Andrew Milligan/Associated Press)

William made sure from the beginning of the trip that his affinity for Scotland was obvious.in a Speech When he first served as the High Commissioner of the Church of Scotland, he talked about his strong attachment to this country.

He talked about how it became the source of his happiest and saddest memories.

When I was told that my mother had passed away, I was in Balmoral. I was still shocked that morning and I found refuge in Crathie Kirks service, he said.

In the dark days of sorrow that followed, I found comfort and solace in the outdoor activities in Scotland. Therefore, I feel that the connection with Scotland will always be deepened.

But it was his meeting with a former politician that sparked great curiosity about the political colors that might be at work.

William and Kate met with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who recently launched a campaign to maintain union unity.

Kate and William talked to young children when they met with fishermen and their families in Fife to learn about the work of the fishing community on the east coast of Scotland. (Chris Jackson/Associated Press)

Media reports after the meeting with Brown quoted Kensington Palace as saying that William met with a A wide range of people During his stay in Scotland, he heard the views of the community on independence issues.

However, politics still looms over the relationship between the royal family and the monarchy and Scotland. Sometimes it is almost impossible for observers to try to interpret this situation.

Within hours of the news that Kate was pregnant with their second child in 2014, British media is thinking about what this might mean Referendum for the upcoming independence of Scotland. (In the end, in that vote, the Scots rejected independence by 55% to 45%.)

The vote took place after the Queens remarks were widely seen as opposed to Scottish independence.

BBC Scottish political correspondent Andrew Kerr said: It seems that its no secret that the royal family wants to keep the kingdom united. Maybe its also to protect themselves. Writes on the BBC website .

In other words-the meeting between the prince and the former prime minister may be even more innocent. Gordon Brown has been active in global health and education and has known Prince William for many years.

Politics is for politicians, not for princes

Nonetheless, it is widely believed that members of the royal family should  and usually do  keep their distance from politics.

Prescott said: Politics is for politicians, not for princes. There is another situation. [Scottish National Party] It is suggested that the Queen will become the head of state of an independent Scotland. in some meaning, [the monarchy] There is almost no benefit to getting involved. 

However, Prescott added that if the British government recommends the Queen to participate, difficulties may arise, which may be seen as interference and may be counterproductive, both for unionists and the monarchy itself.

An opponent of Scottish independence was holding a sticker depicting Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh a few days before the 2014 referendum. (Ben Stanshal/AFP via Getty Images)

Prescott said: We saw this when it was proposed within the British government that Prince Edward and Sophie could live permanently in Scotland and act as governor-general.

When this matter was made public, the idea was rejected by many people, especially on the independence aspect of the debate. This idea can be seen as lowering Scotlands status in the UK, when the debate is about whether Scotland should enjoy an independent state, rather than Not its position in the union.

Queen of Canadas Lighthouse

On July 1, 2010, Queen Elizabeth participated in Canadas National Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Buckingham Palace stated that the capital of the Commonwealth countries will light up the lighthouse in 2022 to commemorate her 70th anniversary as a monarch. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canada Press)

The lighthouse will be lit in Ottawa next year to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeths accession to the throne.

It will be one of the lighted-up beacons in the capitals of the Commonwealth of Nations as part of the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebration in 2022.

No other monarch has marked the Platinum Jubilee.a lot of Buckingham Palace announced plans The commemoration of this moment is similar to the celebration of other important milestones for the Queen-she was honored for her 50 or 60 years in power at the time. (However, the beacons of the Commonwealth countries will be new.)

The focus of the UK celebrations next year will be the Platinum Jubilee holiday weekend from June 2 to 5.

Another British Platinum Jubilee plan encourages people to plant trees in memory of the Queen.

A spokesperson said, Queens Green Canopy The movement stated that it encourages sustainable planting of trees everywhere, and welcomes people from the Commonwealth countries and around the world to develop their own planting projects according to their wishes.

Royal quote

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, met with 5-year-old Milla Sneden in Edinburgh on May 27, 2021. (Jane Barlow/Associated Press)

Great. I have never met a real princess in my life.

 5-year-old Mila Sneddon (Mila Sneddon) is all smiles Meet Kate When she and William were in Scotland. Milla, who is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia, had previously spoken with Kate on the phone after Kates photo was selected for the exhibition.

Royal reading

Buckingham Palace Prohibit people of color from engaging in office work In the 1960s, the Guardian reported on Thursday, citing documents from the British National Archives. The royal family responded strongly to the historical allegations, emphasizing that the queen and her family in principle and in practice abide by anti-discrimination legislation. [CBC] In a series of letters written by African writers to the BBC, a Nigerian reporter delved into why Throne reserved for the Queen of England In West African countries. Joe Biden will become the 13th President of the United States Meet Queen Elizabeth When he and his wife Jill Biden visited Windsor Castle on June 13. [The Guardian] Prince Charles advises people to recover from COVID-19 Practicing yoga . [Express]

Register here Let The Royal Fascinator newsletter land in your inbox every other Friday.

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KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The Missouri Supreme Court has denied a petition to free Kevin Strickland, but that is not the end of his story.

Jailed Kansas City man innocent after 43 years, prosecutor and legal team says Kevin Strickland is 61 years old. He now uses a wheelchair. A new legal petition says the state robbed him of his youth, health and freedom.

Strickland was convicted of a triple murder in 1978 and has been in prison since. Strickland has always maintained his innocence. He is represented by the Midwest Innocence Project. In the petition, the team outlined key facts.

The Jackson County Prosecutor agreed he didnt commit the murder. In a statement, Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said, "We are disappointed. But we are pursuing all avenues of exoneration for Mr. Strickland."

+2 Kevin Strickland case goes to Missouri Governor Mike Parson The Kevin Strickland case is getting attention in Jefferson City and across the nation.

The Midwest Innocence Project will also continue work on Stricklands release:

This denial is just one more procedural barrier the system throws up in front of innocent people. There is no doubt that Mr. Strickland is innocent and every court should have the power to set him free. Its difficult to understand how there can be any justice in the criminal legal system when a court is indifferent to someones innocence. We will be refiling Mr. Stricklands petition in the 43rd Circuit Court, and continue fighting for Mr. Stricklands complete exoneration.

KCTV5 learned in early May that Governor Parson has been made aware of the case. On Monday, his office announced 36 pardons, but has not yet released the names of those hes pardoned.

Stricklands case is attracting nationwide attention. His story is currently featured in People Magazine, the New York Post and Yahoo News.
North Kansas City-based health care IT firm Cerner Corp. says they are currently going through a reduction of their workforce.
Actor Drake Bell, best known for starring in the Nickelodeon sitcom 'Drake & Josh,' has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in court this week, both charges stem from alleged incidents that happened in Cleveland, Ohio in 2017, court records show.

When reached for comment, attorneys for Bell told CNN, 'All facts will be revealed in the courtroom. There is no additional comment at this time.'

According to a statement from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, in October 2018, a 15-year-old child in the case filed a report with her local police department in Canada about an alleged incident that took place between her and Bell the previous year at a Cleveland nightclub.

Canadian authorities contacted the Cleveland Division of Police, who conducted an investigation, the statement said. That investigation revealed that the victim, who had established a relationship with Bell several years prior, attended his concert in December 2017. While at the concert, Bell allegedly 'violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim,' prosecutors said. Bell also allegedly sent the victim inappropriate social media messages, according to investigators.

Bell posted $2500 bond and was released from Cuyahoga County Jail. His first pretrial hearing is set for June 23.
The former Kamloops Indian Residential School is seen in Kamloops, B.C., on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. The remains of 215 children have been discovered buried near the former school. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
The troupes first show was at Bong, and the troupe continues to start the tour at Bong because thats where we started, and they were so receptive to us. Audiences, she said, continue to embrace the outdoor shows.

A cool experience

Conrad, who plays Prince Florizell (and also covers a few other minor roles), said joining the troupe is a cool experience. You get to travel all over the state and see beautiful parks, plus Summit Players is one of the best Shakespeare companies. They do really good work.

At UW-Parkside, Conrad earned his Shakespeare acting chops in Macbeth and A Midsummer Nights Dream. He also acted in The Comedy of Errors with a professional Milwaukee company in 2019 and has had roles in Henry V and The Merchant of Venice.

He says Shakespeares plays have lasted through several centuries because the language is so poetic. Its like when you read a really good novel; its just so beautifully written.

He also compares Shakespeare to standup comedy. When youre laughing at something in standup comedy, they point out something in everyday life. Jerry Seinfeld does that very well, and so does Shakespeare, in the way he describes human experiences.
Ive been kidnapped for causes, dressed up in a shark costume, playing kickball outside. I remember being at Roosevelt Elementary. I had a skirt on and kicked off my heels so I started playing kickball with the kiddos. I engaged in Tug-O-War activities with the students. But then, theyd yell at me because they said I had more muscles than they did. And, most recently, dressing up as the Cat in the Hat and being introduced as Dr. Sue and (the kids) really think Im Dr. Seuss.

What do you plan to do following your retirement?

I havent have much time to think about it because were really busy and focused on the Better Together 2021-22 plan (the instructional plan for the coming school year). If I had to sit back and think about it, think about what my dad had shared, its definitely spending time with my family; looking forward to being mom; looking forward to driving (my daughter) to summer gym ... Just having those moments to be able to be with her during the day, to take her to some other fun activities. She does some of the recreation activities  she plays tennis, swimming  and go watch her.
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is in the eye of a storm after issuing a bizarre release responding to allegations of poll theft against MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisas reported victory in the 2018 presidential poll.

This followed poll theft reports raised in a book detailing how Zec could have been stampeded to rig the election in favour of the ruling Zanu PF party leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa two years ago.

Former Zanu PF politburo member and Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo in his book titled Excelgate: How Zimbabwes 2018 Presidential Election was Stolen, which was published in December 2019 claimed that Zec had worked with security apparatus to overturn the result in favour of President Mnangagwa.

Zec declared Mnangagwa the winner with 50,7% of the votes, narrowly avoiding a run-off with Chamisa who officially received 44,3%.

But in his book, Moyo claimed that Mnangagwa polled 33% to Chamisas 66%, and that the Joint Operations Command, which brings together the state security apparatus high command, reportedly tampered with ballot figures in a brazen and audacious fraud.

Zec shot back at the weekend claiming Moyos allegations were damaging and unfounded.

We have seen some damaging allegations against the Commission in a book called Excelgate by Prof. J. Moyo. Take note that the election was conducted in 2018 and aggrieved parties followed the constitutionally laid down procedures to challenge the election, Zec said on its Twitter account.

The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) made a definitive ruling which concluded the matter. The commission will not be drawn into any brawls on issues that have been concluded by the countrys highest court. The commission is busy with important work of stakeholder consultations on how to map 2023 election delimitation and will not be distracted from its constitutional mandate by unfounded allegations.

Moyo, hit back, claiming that Zec chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba had received an advance copy of the book in December 2019, rendering its unexpected statement on Friday suspicious.

You pretend that you have just seen Excelgates contents yet your chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba, was given a copy in December 2019, he responded on Twitter.

The ConCourt case was one process, Excelgate is based on researched and verifiable facts.

Zec chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana, a former army officer, who is mentioned by Moyo as having been in the loop, refused to discuss why the commission was revisiting the issue.

Its very clear that we are not going to discuss the issue. Why do you want to comment on an issue which was solved by the courts? We are not going to comment on that, Silaigwana said.

But political analysts yesterday said it was surprising that with the looming 2023 elections, Zec had revived the 2018 allegations that it aided electoral theft and demanded that it responds to Moyos specific allegations if it was to be considered credible and independent by stakeholders.

Political analyst Fidelis Duri said Zec was desperate for credibility.

There was a lot of talk on how the elections were rigged following Moyos publication and Zec was quiet. The reason is that Zec is desperate for credibility now that we are heading for the 2023 elections. Zec is under spotlight by both local and international election observers, hence it has to clear the air on allegations of electoral fraud and it had to respond to Moyos claims, Duri said.

Responding now can just be described as desperate measures to gain credibility and the mandate to run the 2023 elections. Zec has lost its credibility amidst the issue of former Chief Justice Luke Malaba fiasco.

Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum executive director Musa Kika said: This is a classic diversion from accountability. Zec is not being truthful when it says Moyos claims were dealt with by the courts. For instance, he is claiming that Zec is infiltrated by members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). That issue was never brought before the courts. We expect Zec to take seriously Moyos claims and prove beyond reasonable doubt that they are false if it wants to clear the air on the question of credibility which is hanging.

He added: Failure to do that means we are going to the 2023 elections which would be run by a body that has lost its credibility among the electorate and within the political space.

Moyo alleged in his book that in the elaborate electoral fraud, the key operative who was the centre and mainstay of the rigging system and around whom the rest of the hands-on operatives coalesced, was Mavis Matsanga, an active CIO divisional intelligence officer (DIO), first seconded to Zec in 2008. Fully embedded in Zec, Matsanga is the chief information security officer in the all-important operations division.

As an embedded active CIO operative under the guise of a seconded official, (Mavis) Matsangas CIO credentials and real work at Zec is known only to (Priscilla) Chigumba, the Zec chairperson, as it was known to her predecessor, Justice Rita Makarau.

To put Matsangas job at Zec bluntly, it is to manage and rig elections for Zanu PF under the command of the CIO. In the 2018 harmonised elections, Matsanga was deputised by one Chivasa, a retired military operative, seconded to Zec by the ZDF (Zimbabwe Defence Forces) specifically to rig elections.

Repeated efforts to get comments from Matsanga and Chivasa yesterday were futile. Newsday
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Although people think of medicine as a sciencethe facts reveal the diagnosis, the diagnosis dictates the treatmentmost physicians acknowledge that medicine is as much an art as a science. Its not like a simple math equation with one undeniably right answer. Even when the diagnosis is clear, there may still be multiple appropriate treatment paths that deliver similar outcomes. And there are many cases where the diagnosis is not definitive, especially in the case of complex diseases and many types of cancer.

Thats why a second opinion is an important tool for people who have received a cancer diagnosis. Not only can it help lower the risk of misdiagnosis or an inappropriate plan of treatment, but its also essential for decision making. A second opinion from a specialist who has extensive experience treating people with the type of cancer youve been diagnosed with can change or confirm your diagnosis.

In terms of treatment options, a second opinion is an opportunity to get a comprehensive understanding of all the appropriate possible treatments. This information can help you make a fully educated and informed decision. For example, some men diagnosed with prostate cancer can choose a path of active surveillance, delaying or avoiding surgery, which can cause significant side effects for some men. For some types of liver cancer, undergoing a biopsy to assess for genomic mutations can lead to more targeted therapy options.

A second opinion can help ensure you are receiving the most appropriate treatment from the start, which can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of your treatment. Its difficult for any one physician to be absolutely up-to-date on new diagnostic and treatment options, clinical trials, and other information that can affect their clinical decisions. In addition, even highly regarded experts sometimes disagree on which treatment approach is most appropriate for a specific patient.

Some people whove been diagnosed with cancer dont want to take the time needed to get a second opinion because they feel they must start treatment as soon as possible. For most types of cancer, however, theres no need to rush to begin treatment immediately, and there are benefits to taking the time to seek a second opinion.

Studies support the benefits of seeking a second opinion after a cancer diagnosis

A number of studies have examined the effects of second opinions for people diagnosed with cancer and found that receiving a second opinion from an experienced specialist had a significant impact on diagnosis, treatment, or both. One study conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) found that the diagnosis was changed for 43% of women with breast cancer who were referred for a second opinion at a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center with a tumor board.

In the study, the researchers compared the radiology, pathology, and genetic testing reports from the outside hospital with reports developed after the cases were reviewed by MUSCs tumor board. Nearly 23% of the patients had additional cancers diagnosed in one of the breasts or a lymph node in the armpit. The pathology review changed in 20% of the cases. And 16% of the patients who met guidelines for genetic testing by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network had not been referred for testing that could affect which type of treatment they received or how well certain types of chemotherapy would work.

Other studies reaffirm the value of a second opinion from an experienced specialist. One study focused on PET/CT scans of people diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In 36% of the cases studied, researchers found the second opinion lead to a change in staging, which can affect the choice of treatment.

Another study focused on the effects of a second opinion from a specialist at a comprehensive cancer center on biopsies for patients with bladder cancer. In that study, biopsies were performed and read at a community hospital. When a genitourinary pathologist at a comprehensive cancer center reviewed the same group of biopsies, the review resulted in a change in pathology reading for 24.7% of the biopsies. These changes affected the grade of tumor and stage of cancer, with 15.8% of these patients receiving a different treatment recommendation. Major changes in treatment recommendations occurred for 11.8% of these patients.

And in a study of patients with orthopedic cancers, a review of MRI studies by musculoskeletal radiologists found a 22.2% rate of clinically significant difference that had the potential to change the original diagnosis between the first interpretation and the second opinion.

All of these studies, and others not cited here, suggest that whenever possible, people diagnosed with cancer should consider seeking a second opinion from a specialist who has extensive experience in the diagnosis and treatment of the cancer they face. Seeking that second opinion has become easier in recent years, with the rise in the number of virtual second opinion programs at centers of excellence around the country. These programs provide access to top specialists without the need to travel to the center for the appointment.

Miles J. Varn is chief executive officer, PinnacleCare, and can be reached on LinkedIn.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The United States has for decades enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with Russia that has often served as a powerful symbol of cooperation between the East and West in the post-Cold War era. But that cooperation could soon dissolve, and it has NASA's new chief, Bill Nelson, concerned.

Russian officials are threatening to pull out of the International Space Station, the orbiting laboratory that the US and Russia have jointly operated for two decades, as soon as 2024 in favor of operating an independent space station. Meanwhile, Nelson and the US government want to continue the ISS program through at least 2030.

"If Russia pulls out," Nelson put simply, "it would not be good."

Adding to the complexity of US-Russia relations is the fact that Russia has signaled that it's willing to cooperate closely with China on plans for deep space exploration. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year to explore establishing a joint lunar base, while geopolitical tensions between the US and Russia and China are in deep crisis over human rights abuses, cyberattacks and a range of other issues.

NASA is also forbidden from opening up conversations with China about potential bilateral coordination because of the Wolf Amendment, a 2011 law that bans the US space agency from engaging in such discussions unless explicitly approved by the FBI or Congress.

"If Russia starts just depending on China, then, I expect we would have a whole new race to the moon with China and Russia against the US," Nelson told CNN Business' Rachel Crane in a Thursday interview. "For decades, upwards now of 45 plus years [we've cooperated with] Russians in space, and I want that cooperation to continue."

Still, Nelson said he is hopeful that a lot of talk from top Russian government officials is not reflective of the sentiment toward the United States within Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.

"I can tell you, whatever the politics is where we have a very strained relationship with Russia right now at the Putin level....I can tell you the workers, the space workers, they want to continue with the Americans," Nelson said.

On Friday, Nelson held his first phone call with Dmitry Rogozin, who has led Roscosmos since 2018.

When reached by phone on Friday, NASA Press Secretary Jackie McGuinness said Rogozin and Nelson discussed the future of the country's cooperation in space, but there were no firm promises made on Rogozin's end regarding how much longer it intends to remain a partner.

According to a statement from Roscosmos, Nelson did bring up his intention to continue operating the space station through 2030, and Rogozin expressed support for Nelson as well as addressed "several questions that had been initiated by the US side earlier and now are substantially hindering the cooperation."

The statement berated the sanctions "introduced by the American administration against the enterprises of the Russian space industry."

Rogozin also announced "a number of [research] initiatives" for joint Russian-American corporation, and "the parties agreed to activate talks in all fields, including the face-to-face meeting format."

In a separate statement from Nelson, he said the call was "productive" and that he looks forward to speaking with Rogozin further.

Rogozin does have a history of publicly bashing the United States, particularly US-based rocket businesses, including Elon Musk's SpaceX, which is a major NASA contractor and operates the only US spacecraft capable of shuttling US astronauts to and from the ISS. It was also Rogozin who told Russian state media in April that Russia would pursue operating its own space station that could launch in 2030, saying "the station must be national... if you want to do well, do it yourself."

But Roscosmos' actions have indicated that Russia and the US will continue to share responsibilities for keeping the ISS fully staffed and and stocked with supplies for the time being, NASA's McGuinness said. The country has, for example, planned needed repairs for the station and is still scheduling flights for Russian cosmonauts to and from the orbiting laboratory.

"Those are not signs that they're trying to pull out," McGuinness said.

She added that the Nelson's call with Rogozin was intended to express that the US government now has every intention of supporting the space station through 2030, an important point to reiterate since President Donald Trump's budget proposals consistently called for the space station to be retired by 2025.

Maintaining a strong relationship with Russia in space exploration will be key to keeping space a neutral territory. But, Nelson said, he's still optimistic.

"Your politics can be hitting heads on Earth, while you are cooperating" in space, Nelson said.
SALEM, Ore.  Hoping to enshrine the backlash against Oregon's vaccine status check guidelines into law, Senate Republicans on Thursday introduced a bill that would ban "vaccine passports" in the state.

Republicans at both the state and local level have pushed back against the guidelines, which were introduced in mid-May following CDC recommendations that requirements be loosened for fully vaccinated people. Under Oregon's current framework, businesses and venues that want to allow for the fully vaccinated to eschew mask and distancing requirements would first need to check a completed vaccine card or similar proof to confirm patrons' vaccination status.

The Governors vaccine passport scheme is an extreme invasion of Oregonians privacy, said Senator Kim Thatcher, who introduced the bill. No Oregonian should have to divulge medical information to participate in everyday life. This bill is about making clear Oregonians rights, which have been railroaded by the Governor during the pandemic. One person cannot and should not have this much power over Oregonians lives and livelihoods.

In a statement, Sen. Thatcher cited a survey conducted by the Medford Chamber of Commerce, in which 93 percent of respondents did not want to condition maskless service on asking customers about their vaccination status.

Thatcher's statement suggests that the bill would go beyond the current controversy over COVID-19 vaccines, and would ban both public and private entities from conditioning service or employment on general vaccination status or the possession of a vaccine credential.

Oregon law does not currently prohibit private businesses from requiring employees to be inoculated against infectious disease  the one major exception being the healthcare industry, where providers are required to provide no-cost vaccines to workers but prohibited from requiring them as a condition of employment.

For public entities like schools, vaccinations can be "required," but Oregon law allows for a wide range of medical, religious, philosophical, and other exemptions.

Our local businesses have gone through a lot this year, said Thatcher. The last thing we should be doing is making them play mask and vaccine cop. They have much more important things to do, like getting back to normal so Oregonians can earn a living.

In response to criticism of the vaccination station check policy, state officials have said that businesses are free to avoid them and continue with the state's existing framework for mask and distancing requirements  describing the policy as a stop-gap measure until 70 percent of Oregon adults have received the vaccine.

Senate Bill 872 has yet to receive its first reading. Thatcher's office said that it will be referred to a committee by the Senate President once read, but it is unlikely to gain traction in a majority-Democratic legislature that has largely shot down Republican bills aimed at restricting Governor Brown's COVID-19 policies.
SALEM, Ore.-- Roseburg native Colonel Eric J. Riley was promoted to Brigadier General on Saturday.

This happened during a ceremony at Heritage Park in Salem.

In Riley's new role, he will be responsible for assisting in formulating, developing and coordinating programs, policies and plans affecting the Oregon Army National Guard.

Riley received his commission from California Polytechnic State University Reserve Officer Training Corps. He also holds a master's degree from the United States Army War College.

Currently, Riley serves as the executive director of Partnership for Umpqua Waters, where he leads a staff of six to restore salmon habitat and monitor water quality throughout the Umpqua Basin.
BENTON COUNTY, Ore. -- Senator Ron Wyden hosted a live, virtual town hall hosted by Peoples Town Hall for residents of Benton County Saturday.

At least a dozen community members asked about a wide variety of topics including healthcare, homelessness, and the filibuster.

No issues were off limits, including the Senator's thoughts about the Capital attack on January 6.

"On January 6th, what this country saw was an effort by domestic terrorists to try to punch our democracy to the ground," Wyden said.

The full town hall can be accessed HERE on Peoples Town Hall's Facebook page.
SALEM, Ore.--- Several bills passed in Oregon Legislature this week and are now headed to Governor Brown's desk.

Senate Bill 398 would criminalize intimidation by display of a noose.

House Bill 3026 would allow homeless individuals to get free state IDs.

House Bill 2935 would prohibit race-based hair discrimination.

House Bill 2169 would establish Juneteenth as a legal state holiday.
EUGENE, Ore. -- Climate activists from the Sunrise Movement in Eugene held a demonstration outside of Representative Peter DeFazios office Saturday afternoon.

The activists carried banners that read dont compromise on our future and held signs that called for investment in climate and care jobs and infrastructure. A speech and a letter addressed to Rep. DeFazio will be presented at the rally.

Demonstrators said they were seeking to apply pressure on DeFazio to use his leadership as chairman of the committee and as co-sponsor of the Green New Deal to go bigger and bolder on climate action.

"We feel that the health of our communities and a livable future is not negotiable," Bailey Grebbin, an organizer at the Sunrise Movement said. "We're calling on Representative DeFazio as the chair of the transportation committee and a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal to uphold the committments he made as a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal."

They called for more support from committee members and Congress to introduce amendments during next weeks potential markups that aim to increase funding for bold and comprehensive investments in public transit and clean water infrastructure.

Grebbin said it's important to address these issues as soon as possible.

"I've seen wildfires burn, and the sky turn orange, and the sun turn red, and I know that that's just the beginning," Grebbin said.

The rally came ahead of the upcoming markup of the Reauthorization of the Surface Infrastructure Bill in the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure.
EUGENE, Ore. --- Parents and students at the University of Oregon are expressing frustration with no spectators being allowed at commencement on June 12th. This is despite U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field taking place at Hayward Field on UO campus just a week later on June 18th.

RELATED: TRACKTOWN USA SAYS SPECTATORS ALLOWED FOR 2021 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

Some parents described this as a double standard.

"If they can hold an event for thousands of people at Hayward, said Christine Thoene, a parent of two students at UO. They can do something similar in Autzen.

Several students expressed similar sentiments.

I think it's super unfair to those that are graduating, UO student Zach Feehan said. Their parents wont be able to see them graduate. Theyve been working super hard over the past four years. I think they kind of got screwed.

The Olympic Trials are expected to host around 8,000 people, according to TrackTown USA CEO Michael Reilly.

Its a little bit of a slap in the face, UO senior Joshua Gilbert said.

University of Oregon said they will not change their spectator rules for 2021 commencement.

In a statement they wrote: We are excited to welcome graduates to campus for our in person Grad Parade and Stage Procession following our Virtual Commencement Ceremony Celebration. There are no changes to our planned commencement activities which have been approved by OHA and follow Oregon OSHA guidelines."
By Prossy Kisakye

The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has called for harmonization of all insurance aspects of the Workers Compensation Act with other related laws to foster its effective implementation.

Specifically Section 18 of the Act makes it mandatory for all employers to insure their workers against work-related accidents and diseases incurred in the course of their employment.

According to the law, in the absence of insurance, if a worker dies in the course of their work, the employer is mandated to pay up to 60 months equivalent of the deceaseds salary to the family.

However, Protazio Sande, the Director Planning, Research and Market Development at the IRA notes that poor enforcement of the insurance aspect has continued to undermine safety of workers.

Speaking at a one-day training for news editors on coverage of the insurance sector in Entebbe on Friday, Sande partly blamed this on the fact that the enforcement mandate currently lies with the ministry of gender, labor and social development and not IRA.

He said the authority had picked interest in the law because this particular section talks about insurance.

We want to ensure that all the insurance aspects in different laws come under one regulatory regime. If we can achieve that legal harmonization, then we shall have full force of the law to ensure compliance to the dot, not only for purposes of insurance premiums for the sector but to ensure that the common man for whom this law was intended gets the benefit, he said.
By David Vosh Ajuna

A recent surge in Covid-19 cases will Sunday night glue over 15milllion Ugandans to media outlets as president Museveni announces the way forward in Ugandas quest to contain the pandemic.

I will address the country today on the resolutions and measures passed by the National Task Force on Covid-19. Tune in to the different radio and TV stations across the country starting at 8:00pm to follow the address, Mr Museveni tweeted Sunday.

A source at the Wednesday meeting on Covid-19 mitigation said an absolute lockdown was deliberated as an option far from consideration with the FY2021/22 budget in sight.

Read more: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/lockdown-looms-as-museveni-set-to-address-nation-over-surging-virus-cases-3427434?fbclid=IwAR0w0aaLsLodmfUkiQZ0m7pBRHlpMnueLv2fEns14Vo21kHfbcEsQbmG6iM
He was showing how youre dismissed once you really start aging, Desrocher explained. When youre young you feel invincible but the movie keeps saying, Its going to happen to you and you better be ready for it because society isnt going to support you. That is scary.
By Benjamin Jumbe

President Museveni has blamed the widespread criminality involving guns on the judiciary.

This comes days after former works minister Gen Katuma Wamala was attacked by unknown assailants who left him injured and claimed the lives of his daughter and driver.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address at Kololo ceremonial grounds on Friday, President Museveni who confirmed that one of the guns used in the attack was the same used in killing the late Maj Kiggundu said some of these criminals have always been granted bail by the courts.

The president who has always opposed bail says he will engage the Chief Justice over the same matter.

The President also expressed optimism that Uganda will have its covid-19 vaccine by end of this year.

President Museveni said the countrys efforts to develop a homemade vaccine are moving well.

He revealed that the process is now at the 4th stage out of the expected 8, expressing confidence that by the end of the year this will be completed.

He also used this occasion to re-echo his promise to increase the pay for scientists.
Rajiv Ruparelia has come out to ask fans to stop putting pressure on the motorists, when things go out of hand.

His message comes after he won the UMC Kasanda Rally 2021.

Let us make life fun, and joyful and Results can always keep coming.We just have to work on our consistency together, he said.

Rajiv managed to win a rally that brought together 23 Drivers together for Competition including Charlie Lubega.

He is excited that he managed to win this race even if it was a tough one.

Today was a tough Rally in a Private Farm and we didnt NOT meet any Single Boda Boda on Route, he said. He adds that unlike the usual races, spectators were controlled.

Despite the fact that he has been rallying for only a year, he managed to take the lead by driving only 60percent of what he normally drives.

I tuned all down and cooled off the speed kept my feet abit off the accelerator, I stayed away from everybody before the Rally because I think alot of the time people pile alot of more pressure than they need to which doesnt help to the success of the team, he explained.

He however advises that PEARL of Africa must be done on cross roads and many Kenyan drivers are willing to join the competition.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced the birth of their daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Lilibet Diana was born on Friday at 11:40 a.m. in Santa Barbara, California,

She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home, the couples spokesperson said in a statement. Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales, read a statement from the couple.

Lili is now eighth in line for the British throne.

The couple took to their website to thank the public for their continued prayers, support and love.
IFA Farm Business Chair Rose Mary McDonagh has called on the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to urgently increase the testing capacity for the Driver Theory Test.



The call comes as the Road Safety Authority (RSA) announced that it is capable of providing only 4,000 online tests per month online.



IFA President Tim Cullinan has urged the Government to reclassify the Driver Theory Test as an essential service.

The RSA has reported a backlog of over 100,000 of people waiting to take the Driver Theory Test and the newly-launched online platform will not make any meaningful progress, said Rose Mary McDonagh.



To compound matters, the online platform is not compatible with mobile phones, tablets or Mac. To use the platform, a candidate must have access to a PC with Windows 8 or above and an Internet connection with a minimum speed of 5 mbps.



In 2019, the RSA issued 2,366 tractor learner permits. We can assume that thousands of essential workers are being prevented from carrying out essential work on farms and securing employment with agricultural contractors.



We urgently need a permanent solution to increase capacity to meet demand and reduce the backlog. At the very least, the Government must initiate a major upgrade in the online platform to allow for greater capacity and compatibility with all devices.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  A hot Saturday found people turning out in droves at Soldiers Field Pool in Rochester.

The Rochester Swim Club says around 1,300 people visited the pool, which is having free admission this summer. The Rochester City Council voted to provide the fund for free admission to both Soldiers Field and Silver Lake pools.

Photos courtesy of Autumn Kappes of the Rochester Swim Club.
MASON CITY, Iowa  Shortly after he was found competent to stand trial, a Minnesota man pleads guilty over a knifepoint burglary in Mason City.

Frank Raymond Harmon Jr., 60 of Waseca, MN, pleaded guilty to third-degree harassment and has been sentenced to 30 days in jail, with credit for time served.

Harmon was originally charged with first-degree burglary after police say he entered a home in the 600 block of S. 56th Street on October 18, 2020, and pulled a knife on the occupants.

A psychiatric evaluation led to Harmon being ruled not competent to stand trial but after receiving treatment at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, a judge ruled Harmons competence had been restored and a plea deal was struck.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - An overnight shooting in Rochester has left one person dead and another in critical condition.

It happened on the corner of First Ave. SW and Third St. SW. The Rochester Police Department says an on-duty officer witnessed the shooting around 2:30 in the morning.

An officer ran after one of the shooters and took him into custody. A second shooter was taken into custody a short time after.

A 28-year-old male was pronounced dead at the scene and a second 28-year-old male was taken to St. Marys with life-threatening injuries.

Mike Alexander has lived in Rochester for more than 20 years. Alexander tells KIMT he hopes incidents like this wont deter visitors, which he says are the lifeblood of the community, from coming to visit.

Alexander said, I'm concerned about that because I don't want to see Rochester become one of these communities that lose a lot of businesses because of the crime.

He added its especially concerning given the current climate in the Twin Cities. He added, I feel like you're kind of protected here in Rochester and then that stuff is starting to happen here too.

KIMT also spoke with a couple looking for an apartment in the area. While Graham Brown and Shelby Chavez say it wont deter them from moving to the city it will make them reconsider how to get home safely late at night.

Brown said, She's going to be walking home late at night (because of her job at Mayo Clinic) so it's definitely going to be something to consider when she's walking home; we're going to have to think of some safety precautions.

Police say no other suspects are involved in the incident.
CHARLES CITY, Iowa  A second sentence has been handed down in a violent Floyd County home invasion.

Booker Dean Wilder-Kapping, 18 of Charles City, has been given seven days in jail, with credit for time served, and two years of supervised probation. Wilder-Kapping must also successfully complete all recommended substance abuse treatment and pay a $430 fine.

Wilder-Kapping pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal mischief and assault causing bodily injury for an incident on February 6. Authorities say he and Chriz Paul Richard of Charles City broke into an apartment in the 900 block of 13th Street in Charles City, attacked someone inside, and stole a safe.

Richard previously pleaded guilty to attempted third-degree burglary. He was sentenced to 87 days in jail with credit for time served.
Jasper, TX (75951)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 95F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.
I can still close my eyes and picture him on the floor drawing, she said. That was my aha moment, like we can really reel in the kids who sit in the back of the room and arent really interested in anything.
The upcoming report on UFOs doesn't rule out the possibility they are alien spacecraft, according to sources.
Brian Howey is publisher of Howey Politics Indiana at howeypolitics.com. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @hwypol.
I was like, I think we need to have our own space,  Woodson, 29, recalled. I would love a barbershop for our people  even if there is no hairstylist there for my trans sisters to get a hairstyle, they can at least walk past my shop and be fine. They can walk past my shop and we can have a conversation, we can talk about things, we can have fun.
"We are going to be running at just about full capacity again this year after the pandemic last year," said Director of Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation PJ Holm. Read more
A federal judge overturns California's long-standing ban on assault weapons.

Judge Roger T. Benitez wrote in Friday's ruling that the state's definition of illegal military-style rifles unlawfully deprives law-abiding Californians of weapons commonly allowed in most other states and by the US Supreme Court.

In the 94-page ruling, the judge also praised the AR-15 rifle, describing it as an "ideal weapon" and compared it to a Swiss Army knife.

Leaders, including California governor Gavin Newsom, have criticized ruling.

On Saturday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the decision must be overturned.
The migrating herd of 15 wild elephants was still wandering near the Capital City of a southwest Chinese province Saturday morning, and according to local firefighters, all of them are in good condition.

The herd entered the Capital City after walking for more than 40 days.

The 15 elephants, initially living in a national nature reserve about 300 miles away arrived on June 2.

The firefighters are monitoring the herd with the help of drones.

Friday, 630 police officers and other people, about 140 vehicles including engineering machines and 14 drones joined the operation to evacuate more than 135 households with 464 people along their migratory route and feed the animals with two tons of food.

They offer tips to the villagers on how to deal with wild elephants once encountering them.

The wandering elephants have caused trouble for local residents but there have been no conflicts between humans and these wild animals.

The professionals who monitor and trace them have tried to keep the elephants protected on their journey.

Staffers of the nature reserve the elephants came from are bewildered as to why the elephants embarked on their current journey as the ecology of the nature reserve is getting better and better and there were no human activities that have forced them to flee.

Workers of the nature reserve said wild Asian elephants like wild plants like paper mulberry but now they seem to prefer corn and sugarcane.

No one knows exactly why the herd of 15 elephants traveled all the way from their forest home, 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.

Forest officials said the northward-migrating elephant herd began their migration in March last year.

The herd started off with 16 members, with two leaving the group and heading back along the way, but one new calf was also born.

There's been plenty of speculation about why the elephants migrated.

For example, the elephants' leader getting lost, the animals' original habitat no longer being able to sustain them, or simply the changing habits of elephants.
Normandy veterans and relatives across the UK gathered Sunday to watch a special unveiling of a new memorial dedicated to those involved in the D-Day landings 77 years ago.

The memorial was opened just outside the village of Ver Sur Mer in France, but due to Covid-19 restrictions many veterans from abroad have been unable to attend in person.

Instead, a livestream of the unveiling was shown at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and more than 100 veterans gathered to watch the event remotely.

On D-Day, more than 150,000 allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats.

This year on June 6th, the beaches stood vast and empty as the sun rose, exactly 77 years since the dawn invasion.

The names of more than 22,000 men and women, mostly British soldiers, are written on its stone columns.
I hope readers will see this list and remember that there are so many ways to learn a language, she added. The more ways you can embrace language learning, the faster you will absorb it  and its just such a gift that in New York, we have these things available to us, that you can go to the library and get many books in many languages. Thats pretty remarkable.
Vice president Kamala Harris's first foreign trip as VP got off to a bumpy start.

This video shows her boarding Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews Sunday and departing for Guatemala.

But less than a half-hour after takeoff, the plane returned to the base due to what was described as a "technical issue" that involved "no major safety concerns."

The plane landed safely, and she was expected to take another plane later that afternoon.

Her three-day trip includes visits to Guatemala and Mexico.

The goal is to slow down the spike in migration at the US Southern Border.
UPDATE: JUNE 8 AT 8 A.M.

On Saturday, somebody broke into Silverwood and set one of the park's wooden rollercoasters, Timber Terror, on fire.

Kootenai County Sheriff's Office deputies said security called them, saying someone cut a hole in the fence, poured gas on the coaster and then lit it on fire.

KCSO said the fire didn't get big and only burned about a 4-inch chunk of one of the supports.

Right now, there are no suspects.

PREVIOUS COVERGAE:

ATHOL, Idaho - A wooden rollercoaster at Silverwood Theme Park was set on fire early Saturday morning, according to KCSO.

KCSO's release said Silverwood security had been on routine patrol around 1:30 a.m. when they found one of the wooden rollercoasters on fire.

Security members were able to put the flames out with a fire extinguisher before they had the chance to spread.

After further investigation, it appeared that someone had snuck into the park and set one of the wooden supports of the coaster on fire.

The Idaho fire investigator was called in to help with the investigation, which is still ongoing.

KCSO asked that anyone who saw a suspicious person or vehicle in the Silverwood area around 1:30 a.m. to call them and report it.
In the doghouse: A Brooklyn man claims his local firefighters accidentally gave his lost dog to a stranger. Dwight St. Louis was thrilled to hear his missing Mini Australian Shepherd, Rocky was found and dropped off at a nearby firehouse. But when he went to claim his beloved pooch, firefighters told him he they gave his pet to someone else, St. Louis told The News on Thursday. The smoke eaters at Engine 227 on Ralph Ave. in Weeksville put a video of the dog on Citizen, a public safety information network, and the faux owner responded. We thought we gave the dog to the rightful owner, said firefighter Charlie McKane. Its a complete misunderstanding on our part but were not trained for this. How are we supposed to know? St. Louis, who lost his job as a result of the pandemic, is offering a $500 reward for Rockys return.
RACINE  Tedd Swartz doesnt own a TV and hasnt for 10 years. He considers watching television a time waster.

Tedd Swartz and original Habitat sign Tedd Swartz, construction leader for the Racine Habitat for Humanity, poses for a photo last month near an original Habitat sign inside the or

I threw it out the front door, he said. I had enough of it.

He would much rather read the classics, or about philosophy and other obscure topics he said, such as math, physics or psychology, geopolitics or cymatics, the study of visible sound and vibration.

Take advantage of this great offer! Just $3 gives you full access for 3 months to exclusive content from The Journal Times and journaltimes.com. The incredible deal won't last lo

He has a large collection of dictionaries, of which he said he couldnt estimate how many volumes are included.

I have thousands of books. I have shelves everywhere, he said.

The two pieces of technology he wont refuse to own, however, are a computer and a smartphone. He once tried getting rid of his smartphone, but that lasted about three weeks before he was told he needed it for his job.

Gotta have those two because you cant function in todays world without them, he said.

+5 WATCH NOW: 'I never imagined being a homeowner' | Single mom moves into Racine Habitat for Humanity's 100th home Racine Habitat for Humanity handed over keys to a deserving new homeowner on Thursday, marking the closing of the organizations hundredth home. God is great. He told me, I am here, and he gave me this new house, the mother, who is an immigrant from Columbia, said in Spanish, which was translated to English by a Habitat administrative assistant.

His job is full-time construction leader for Racine Habitat for Humanity, where hes worked for the past 10 years, helping it reach the milestone of completing its 100th home earlier this year.

He works six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

But he took a unique path to get there, from being a professional server to a Zen monk to a carpenter.

Tedd Swartz and 300-400 miles Tedd Swartz, construction leader for the Racine Habitat for Humanity, explains he puts about 300 to 400 miles a week on the Habitat truck, pic

An eclectic man

Swartz, 50, moved to West Racine in 2008 when the economic recession hit. Before that, Swartz was born and raised in Detroit. He went to St. Lawrence Seminary High School, in Mount Calvary in Fond du Lac County, for two years in hopes of becoming a Catholic priest.

There, he met a monk. After that meeting, he never looked back at the priesthood.

He was an acolyte monk for three and a half years and lived in a temple. He became a Zen monk, focusing on the practice of meditation.

Zen is a division of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty.

I dont know much about Buddhism; I know a lot about Zen, even though I was a quote-unquote Buddhist monk, he said. It was a different way of living, to say the least. It was definitely not American.

He spent a lot of time doing outreach work in the community. He taught yoga and meditation in the temple where he lived.

He never graduated St. Lawrence  dropping out either in 1986 or 1987, he said  and got a GED. He started attending Oakland Community College in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, then jumped to Wayne State University in Detroit and started studying medicine.

I really liked science, Swartz said. I still do.

Next, he bounced back to Oakland Community College and started studying photography. He was a sculptor and self-described maker in Detroit, involved in the larger arts community. But photography wasnt a field he ever worked in.

He took his first photography class just to take a class. He dropped out of Oakland Community College and continued working in restaurants  a field he had worked in since he was 12. He worked for restaurants in total for 16 years.

He then went to school for four years to become a carpenter and took part in an apprenticeship for five years. For three of those five, he built homes. He worked as a production framer, building large structures such as apartment complexes. The latter two years he was in the display field, working at shows and installing permanent museum fixtures.

It was fun, Swartz said. Im just really good with my hands.

Water distillation unit Tedd Swartz said he invents things, such as what he calls a water distillation unit. Water distillers already exist, but his machine, which 

Now, he continues to sculpt, make and fix things. Theres nothing I cant fix, he said.

He writes short stories and poetry, and invents things, such as what he calls a water distillation unit. Water distillers already exist, but his machine, which he said he built in about a day two years ago, could potentially convert raw sewage to distilled water  but thats something he hasnt tested.

Im pretty eclectic, he said.

Habitat Executive Director Grant Buenger used the word eclectic to describe Swartz as well.

He has a very diverse set of skills, training and experience, Buenger said in an email.

Tedd Swartz 2015 photo Tedd Swartz, a construction leader with Habitat for Humanity of Racine, gives instructions to volunteers from Young Professionals of Racine on

Connecting with others

Swartz said one awesome part of his job is meeting so many different people.

Weve got a lot of engineers and scientists that are retired that are just brilliant, Swartz said. A lot of times, a guy like me, a carpenter, doesnt get the opportunity to interact in an intimate setting with the people of that caliber, that intelligence.

Buenger said Swartz can talk about almost anything with anyone. He is just as comfortable speaking with pastors or scientists as he is with fellow tradesmen.

Swartz doesnt typically swing any hammers, but he gets the materials together, facilitates and supports the volunteers, making sure theyre safe and on schedule, Swartz said.

You get to see a family change the course of their life, he said of why he likes his job. Homeownership is a foundational element in getting out of poverty. Thats really awesome to be involved with, because it matters.

He appreciates being a part of Habitat, one reason being its Christian faith; the staff prays often together.

One of the best things humans can do together is eat; and the other thing is worship, or come together under a common goal, he said. Ive learned more in 10 years about human relation than I have anywhere else. Its been an incredible learning experience.

Buenger said one of Swartzs greatest strengths is his ability to connect with and teach those who volunteer with us. He makes everyone feel comfortable with the task at hand and gives them the confidence to complete it.

I am thankful to have Tedd on our staff team, Buenger said. I especially appreciate his intentionality with and care for our partner families and volunteers. They enjoy working alongside him.
In an expected move, Gov. Tony Evers on Saturday announced his bid for reelection at his partys annual convention online, officially kicking off a gubernatorial race that will put the state Democratic Party, emboldened by a recent presidential victory, to the test.

The midterm elections about 1 years away will present a significant challenge for the party, which will face the stark realities of off-year elections, when the party not in the White House tends to pick up seats.

In announcing his bid for 2022, Evers coined himself the real education governor and underscored the high stakes of the election, listing off a litany of Democratic priorities, such as protecting a womans right to an abortion, safeguarding protections for preexisting conditions in health care, acknowledging climate change and defending American democracy.

Before winning election as governor, Evers served as the state superintendent and knocked former Republican Gov. Scott Walker for coining himself as a pro-education governor during his unsuccessful reelection bid in 2018.

Wisconsin, Im in. Im running for re-election, Evers said. Weve accomplished a lot in the last few years, but were just getting started. We have more work to do, together.
The head of the Executive pointed out: "Libya is going through a historic moment and Spain wants to be by its side, as we have been from the beginning, supporting the stabilisation and reconciliation process. It is a time for peace, and the Libyan people deserve security, well-being and prosperity. To this end, further progress in the political process is essential".

Sanchez and Dbeiba took part in a Spain-Libya business meeting. The president stressed that the meeting "seeks to strengthen the economic transformation in the current process of reconstructing and reactivating Libya". The work of Spanish companies in Libya could include construction, infrastructure, renewable energies, agriculture and livestock, as well as hydrocarbons, an area in which they are already working.

Spain's commitment to Libya is evidenced by the fact that our country made five members of the Armed Forces - two from the National Police and two from the Civil Guard - available to the United Nations to supervise the ceasefire. The EUBAM Libya civilian mission, which has had a permanent presence in Tripoli since 2013, works with the Libyan authorities on security issues. Likewise, Spain, through the United Nations, will provide 100,000 euros for free and fair elections to be held - essential for the progress of the political process in Libya - and 50,000 euros for mine clearance work.

Sanchez recalled that Libyan stability "is key to peace in the Mediterranean and the Sahel". The Government of Spain is therefore working to bring the EU closer to its Southern Neighbourhood and to deepen its relationship with Libya on security, migration, economic and social development, and the sustainable agenda.

One of the key moments of the trip was the full reopening of the Spanish Embassy in Tripoli, including consular services and the issuing of visas. During the event, which was "full of meaning", President Sanchez pointed out that "it is a clear example of our country's support for the Libyan political process".

After the inauguration, the president concluded his official trip with a meeting with the President of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi, in which Sanchez reiterated Spain's firm desire to deepen the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries, for the prosperity, sustainable development and well-being of both peoples.

Eight Memoranda of Understanding

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Fernando CalvoThe interest in relaunching bilateral relations between the two countries has been underlined by the signing of eight Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). The president and the Libyan prime minister initialled MOU on transport, agriculture, customs and higher education. The MOU on air, maritime and land transport will promote information exchange and technical assistance. Agriculture, which provides for cooperation on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and the development of the agricultural sector. The customs text includes the exchange of information to prevent breaches of customs obligations. The MOU on secondary education, signed by Sanchez and Dbeibah, promotes information exchange, student and teacher exchange programmes and the future creation of scholarships.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, and her Libyan counterpart, have signed the MOU on political consultations, as an institutional mechanism for dialogue at a ministerial level, and on diplomatic schools, which promote collaboration and the exchange of students, teachers and experts. The seventh MOU, signed by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, seeks to develop and expand economic, commercial, scientific and technical cooperation between the related organisations and societies.

The eighth MOU, from the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports, establishes joint cooperation on cultural property, including the fight against the illicit trade in cultural heritage.

"I hope that my visit today represents a turning point and that our countries can work together in this important phase of Libya's history. The future is not written, it has to be built, and Spain wants to accompany our Libyan brothers on this path. Spain is moving closer to Libya", concluded President Sanchez.

Non official translation
Brian Oberholtzer says he pretty much knew he wanted to be an auctioneer at age 10.

Maybe, he said, it was the fact I practiced selling our cows every day leading them from the pasture to the barn, while helping with the family dairy business.

Oberholtzers mom, Lucy, said, chuckling, Brian had the entire herd sold every morning and afternoon to imaginary bidders by the time he got back to the house.

It did, however, take Oberholtzer a little longer than he expected to begin an auction career. Out of high school, he obtained a commercial driver license and began delivering wet cement for Eagle Concrete Co. in Reamstown. It was a company he bought at age 20 and managed for nearly 15 years.

The would-be auctioneer took the apprentice route to licensure and started to work part-time with Morgantown auctioneer Merle Eberly. He passed the state test for his license at age 30, and formed B.L. Oberholtzer Auction Services in 2018.

Oberholtzer has an even-pitched, clear call  with just the right cadence  and not a lot of mumbo-jumbo mixed in. He won the 2016 Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association rookie bid-caller award and later had sixth-, fifth- and fourth-place finishes, before winning the state bid-calling competition this May at the PAA conference in Harrisburg.

Today, less than a decade into the profession, the 36-year old auctioneer is still in the early stages of his career, but enjoys a well-deserved reputation as one of the states best bid-callers. Oberholtzer and his wife, Holly, an agricultural science instructor at Lampeter-Strasburg High School, have a soon-to-be 4-year-old daughter Josephine and live in Reinholds.

Oberholtzer was honored to win PAA recognition, but said he feels there is still room for improvement in his chant. He reviews and evaluates his bid-calling technique on video all the time to be sure his call is clear and he is connecting with bidders.

You can auction (anything from) grandmas china to lawn mowers and tractors, Oberholtzer said, and learning about items you may be asked to sell is all part of being a trusted auctioneer.

I owe it to the profession to get better, he said. There are lots of auctioneers in Pennsylvania and its your reputation and success in front of bidders that auction houses see that helps get the next contract.

Youre only as good as your last sale has more than a bit of truth in it, he said, smiling.

The Road to Auctioneering

According to Kimberly Douglas, executive director of the PAA and an auctioneer herself, there are approximately 2,000 licensed auctioneers, apprentices and auction companies in Pennsylvania. Of those, 450 are members of the PAA.

Auctioneering has been a career in Pennsylvania for generations for both men and women.

Oberholtzer has a busy schedule and works multiple auctions each week as a contract auctioneer for firms, including Wolgemuth Auction LLC, where he recently worked a large farm equipment sale in Leola.

The auctioneer is certainly important, Oberholtzer said, but he knows that large auctions take an entire team working together  including bid spotters, clerks and a staff to get merchandise ready for sale and paid for.

We all have to work together for an auction to be a success, he said.

Oberholtzer also donates his services to charity auctions. In addition, he finds time to help his dad, Edwin, and mom manage the dairy herd at the Oberholtzer homestead farm in East Earl a few days each week.

Oberholtzer said he did not attend auction school, but taught himself how to call and chant listening to some of the best auctioneers at local sales. They include Roy Good and Randy Kline at farm sales, and Alan Diffenbach at livestock auctions at the New Holland Sales Barn. They all had a good rhythm to their chant and strong rapport with the bidders, Oberholtzer said, and could be understood clearly.

Oberholtzer got his apprentice license in 2008 and worked with auctioneer Eberly of the Horning Farm Agency (real estate, auction and appraisal company). As part of the apprenticeship, Oberholtzer needed to work a minimum of 30 sales in two years to learn the business. He also needed to study for the state exam to become a registered auctioneer. He did this all while balancing working full days in his own concrete business during the apprenticeship period.

The three-hour written auctioneer license exam is a tough one, said Oberholtzer, and covers real estate, land sales, livestock, automobiles, antiques (and) furniture, among other sales items, and is heavy on the law.

Passing the exam on his first attempt, Oberholtzer stayed with Eberly fulltime for a year before forming B.L. Oberholtzer Auction Sales in 2018.

When asked what he enjoys selling most, Oberholtzer said he enjoys selling a variety of auction products. Occasionally, he gets a chance at an item that makes him smile, such as the tricked-out Porta Potty with an attached sink.

With hundreds of auctioneers in the state all looking to handle sales, Oberholtzer said, you really need to be able to sell just about anything.

The publicity from winning the PAA auction competition will help get the young auctioneers name and company recognized by more potential customers in eastern Pennsylvania and beyond.

Word of mouth is the best advertising for an auctioneer, he said, (because) if you do a good job for someone, and he or she talks about your work with friends, there is a good chance youll get an opportunity to sell something for them down the road.

Learn more about Oberholtzer at: https://www.obauctioneer.com.
Despite being away from farms for a decade, Gabrielle Swavelys early roots in agriculture never withered.

I grew up surrounded by my moms family farm, recalls Swavely, Pennsylvanias reigning state dairy princess. She is referring to the 40-cow dairy near Rebersburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania, where she made so many childhood memories. But, after the family sold the farm, her hands-on connection to farming took a lengthy hiatus.

I didnt set foot on a farm for 10 years, said Swavely, who found she missed the agriculture experiences in her life as she grew up.

Swavelys father, Steve, works at Penn State, and her mother, Jeanette, is a nurse at a local hospital. She has a younger brother, Marshall, 18, who is graduating from State College Area High School.

When a friend was looking for some help on their dairy farm a few years ago, Swavely expressed interest in working with the cows. After graduating from high school, she had decided to take a years break from schooling before pursuing a college degree, and was working at a retail store.

I was the country bumpkin, she jokes, adding that her workmates thought it was a weird mix as she balanced working on a dairy farm with her mall store job schedule.

With Lori and Randy Dreibelbis dairy farm only five minutes from her Pennsylvania Furnace, Huntingdon County, home, Swavelys commute to assist them with the milking chores is brief. The several-generations dairy operation milks 100 cows in a tie-stall barn set-up. Swavelys job is primarily assisting with the milking as well as feeding calves.

Taking a break from studies between high school and college also gave Swavely time to think about her long-term plans and what direction she wanted to go with her life. At the urging of friend in that year off, she also got involved in the local dairy princess program, and was selected as the 2018-2019 Centre County dairy princess. During the state competition that September, she placed among the seven finalists.

Then, after deciding to pursue a degree in an ag-related field, Swavely enrolled at Penn States main campus, where she is currently a sophomore with an agricultural science major. She is focused on completing her degree and  despite having to spend her first year in virtual studies due to the COVID-19 pandemic  hopes to finish in three or three-and-one-half years by continuing year-round with summer classes. She also continues to work with the cattle at the Dreibelbis farm.

Ruling and Educating

Last spring, she was encouraged to run again for the county dairy princess crown.

It was a hard decision, but I felt there was so much unfinished work I could do, Swavely said about her decision to make a second run in the countys dairy princess program. After winning the 2020-2021 Centre County crown, she was selected as the state princess during last Septembers annual pageant in Harrisburg.

With the COVID-19 pandemic raging since March 2020 and in-person activities around the state mostly halted, carrying out the usual schedule of state dairy education and promotion activities has been exceptionally challenging for the state promotion team.

The inability to promote dairy products in-person at the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, canceled like so many events, has been somewhat disappointing for Swavely and her two alternate state dairy princesses. Still, the missed opportunities spurred the team to become creative and think out of the box for ways in which they could continue fulfilling their responsibilities of promoting and educating the public about dairy.

Weve done a lot of Zoom farm tours, and had good reception of them, Swavely said, noting that many more people can actually be reached virtually than during an in-person tour.

Its very efficient, and we reach a different audience, Swavely said about the unique value of virtual online promotions. Online, the team also gets considerable feedback from many of its social media followers, especially from teachers who post comments of appreciation for the educational videos available for use with their own students.

I do miss the interaction with people, though, Swavely said of the lessened ability to connect in-person.

Having to do so many video/virtual presentations has definitely been a learning experience for Swavely. In mid-May, she was preparing a Zoom presentation on making ice cream, the kind of promotion shed never expected to carry out in a virtual format.

I have to think about the background in the video, and how Im going to go through making it, she said, of the pre-planning needed to set up and complete a successful virtual presentation..

One of the more unusual in-person events, of the few Swavely has been able to attend during her reign, was the opportunity to help serve ice cream at a farm event attended by then-Vice President Mike Pence. Shes also done promotions at county events in outdoors settings, such as handing out promotional materials from the trunk of her car.

An effort to hold a national milk toast became a multi-state activity, with dairy royalty from various parts of the country, including as far away as California and Oregon, participating via video and virtual presentations.

That was an opportunity Id never thought of and probably one we wouldnt have done in other years, Swavely said of the ability to participate in a nationwide promotional event.

Shes been super-creative and tried to promote on social media, said Laura Daubert, administrative director of Pennsylvania Dairy Princess and Promotion Services Inc.

(She) has worked to incorporate the county princesses in our activities. Shes done a really great job, Daubert added.

Swavely and her state dairy promotion team are looking forward to being able to do more in-person events as COVID-19 restrictions loosen with the availability of vaccines that prevent the illness. The three will participate in the National Holstein Convention being hosted in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, by the Pennsylvania Holstein Association.

The annual PDPPS state dairy princess seminar is being planned as an in-person event during July, so Swavely and her alternates will be attending. And the team will be on hand to assist with the organizations booth at Penn States Ag Progress Days in mid-August.

With her year as the state princess quickly passing, Swavely is looking ahead to a full schedule of in-person classes at Penn States main campus, along with the opportunity to participate in some of the colleges ag-related clubs and activities. Her studies and extracurricular interests continue to be focused on her long-term objective: owning her own farm one day.

My dream goal is to have a small farm of my own and be able to lease animals to kids that otherwise wont have that opportunity, Swavely said. If there is land with it, Id rent it to another farmer.

While pursuing a farm lifestyle, she feels that she would also like to work on the staff of a dairy cooperative, ideally in a position of helping to facilitate constant, positive communication and working relationships between the farmer-owner/members and the administrative staff.

To other young women who might be considering deeper involvement with dairy promotion and the princess program, she emphasized that growing up on a farm is definitely not an absolute prerequisite.

They must have the passion in them for it, Swavely said about the need to be dedicated to dairy farming. You dont have to have all the answers. We can teach facts. We cant teach the inner passion and the heart for working with farmers and consumers. Thats whats helped me.
In the event of an African swine fever outbreak, researchers believe composting could be a safe, viable way to dispose of infected pig carcasses. Read more
New Delhi, June 6: Transborder cattle smugglers have assaulted Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along India-Bangladesh border, resulting in an injury of a personnel, the border guarding force said on Sunday.

The incident took place around 11.25 a.m. on Saturday in Dakshin Dinajpur district in West Bengal when the BSF troops on duty detected movement of 8-10 cattle smugglers along with cattle coming from Indian side along the bank of Chhoti Jamuna river with an intent to cross the cattle towards Bangladesh side. India News | Rajasthan: BSF Foils Attempt by Pakistani Smugglers, Recovers 54 Packets of Heroin.

The BSF troops challenged the smugglers to stop but the transborder cattle smugglers aggressively encircled and assaulted BSF troops with sticks during which one of the BSF troops sustained injury on his head, reveals a statement issued by the BSF.

#BSF troops challenged the smugglers to stop but the transborder cattle smugglers adopted aggressive posture, encircled & attacked #BSF troops with bamboo sticks and sharp edged weapons during which one of the BSF troops sustained injury on his head.@BSFNBFTR #Bsfnorthbengal pic.twitter.com/E4FkyD6K97  NORTH BENGAL BSF (@BSFNBFTR) June 6, 2021

'Injured BSF personnel has been evacuated to government hospital in Hili for medical treatment and his condition is presently stable,' said the statement. Jammu and Kashmir: BSF Seizes Arms Dropped by Pakistan Drone in Samba.

The BSF, one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), is mandated to guard 4,096 km India-Bangladesh and 3,323 km India-Pakistan borders to curb illegal trade, infiltration and other crimes along with ensuring security to the country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2021 01:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Washington, June 6: The slowing COVID-19 vaccination rate is worrying experts that the US may miss July 4 deadline to inoculate 70 per cent of its adult population. US officials are warning against complacency and states are ramping up measures to encourage reluctant residents to get a COVID-19 vaccine to achieve the vaccination goal set by President Joe Biden for July 4, reported CNN.

More than 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses are being administered on an average per day in the country as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That's down from a peak average in early April of 3.3 million per day. About 63.2 per cent of US adults had at least one dose as of Friday morning, according to the CDC. Were the country to maintain its current pace, the US wouldn't hit the 70 per cent target until mid-to-late July.

Twelve states have already met Biden's one-dose goal: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, reported CNN. As the country pushes for more vaccinations, evidence has mounted that the mass vaccination programs have helped to push daily infections and deaths lower.

Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Friday that the best way for the country to avoid Covid-19 surges and further economic pain is to get vaccinated.

"It ain't over 'til it's over -- and it is not over yet," Fauci said at an event hosted by US Health and Human Services. Complacency, he said, could lead to "another surge -- particularly with variants floating around -- that could set us back to the time when we had to shut down things." Communities and regions with low vaccination rates still may be prime candidates for outbreaks, experts have said and could pose risks not just for unvaccinated adults, but also for children who aren't yet eligible to be vaccinated or just became eligible, reported CNN.

The US has averaged about 14,300 new cases a day over the last week, down from around 71,300 daily in mid-April, according to Johns Hopkins University data. That's also well below the country's peak average, above 250,000 daily reached in early January, according to Johns Hopkins. Nearly 170 million people in the US -- just over half of the country's total population -- have received at least one dose of vaccine, and about 137.5 million people -- 41.4 per cent of the population -- are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile, a multitude of states and companies in the last month have hoped to create demand for vaccines by awarding prizes to those inoculated.

The latest is Hawaii, which is offering a variety of donated prizes, including vacation packages and airline miles, to help reach vaccination milestones as soon as possible, reported CNN.

In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear announced the state's new COVID-19 vaccine incentive which will give vaccinated adults "a shot at a million dollars. In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis presented Sally Sliger with a super-sized check for USD 1 million as the winner of the first drawing in the state's 'Comeback Cash' initiative.

Further, as vaccines continue to go into the arms of eligible teens and adults, health officials remain concerned about the safety of children. Only those ages 12 years and older are currently eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the US -- and children ages 12-15 became eligible only last month, reported CNN. Hospitalization rates for adolescents rose in April, after having fallen from January to mid-March, research that the CDC published Friday showed.

The increase might be related to more transmissible coronavirus variants, large numbers of children returning to school and other indoor activities, and changes in physical distancing, mask-wearing and other prevention behaviours, researchers wrote. This is a reminder that children "can still suffer and be hospitalized by this virus," Dr Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said Friday.

Meanwhile, the CDC said that vaccinated people may stop wearing masks in most cases, but unvaccinated people should continue to use them. The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), is set to meet on June 10 to discuss what the FDA should consider in either authorizing or approving the use of coronavirus vaccines in children under 12. Both Moderna and Pfizer are running trials for their vaccines in children ages 11 and under, reported CNN. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
I said Listen, lets go! Because with the pandemic situation these kids dont get out of the house. So thats why I said, let me make it my point of duty to take him, because thats where he wants to go, said Wallace, who works as a hospital transporter. They were all there, playing. One hour turned into four hours. I said, You know what, you need this. I said OK, have fun, son.
Three California Highway Patrol officers, a Modesto criminal defense attorney and five others have been arrested in connection with the 2012 killing of Korey Kauffman, a 26-year-old Turlock resident whose body was found more than a year later by hunters in a remote Mariposa County forest.

The arrests  on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and lying in wait  follow an investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department with help from the Stanislaus County district attorneys office; police in Turlock, Modesto and Ceres; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the state Department of Justice.

Frank Clifford Carson, a prominent defense attorney who ran for Stanislaus County district attorney in 2014, is portrayed in a 334-page affidavit in support of the arrest warrants as aggressive; dismissive of help from law enforcement; angered by repeated thefts of antiques, car parts and other materials from his Turlock property; and intent on retaliating against those responsible.

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Carsons property backs up to the home where friends last saw Kauffman on March 30, 2012, after he stated that he was going to steal some irrigation pipe stacked in Carsons yard. According to his stepfather, who first reported him missing, Kauffman made a living as a scrapper or scavenger of metals.

Carson was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, with enhancements that include lying in wait, false imprisonment, conspiracy and the use of a firearm.

Also arrested on similar charges were his wife, Georgia DeFilippo; Daljit Singh Atwal and Baljit Singh Athwal, owners of the nearby Pop N Cork; Robert Lee Woody, a felon who was already incarcerated on charges related to Kauffmans killing; and Walter Wells, who was stationed with the CHP in Merced but is no longer employed there, according to the agency.

No bail was set for any of them.

Two other CHP officers who work out of Merced  Eduardo Quintanar Jr. and Scott J. McFarlane  were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime and being accessories; each is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail. They have been placed on administrative leave and have had their peace officer powers revoked pending the results of the Highway Patrols internal investigation.

Carsons daughter was arrested on suspicion of the same counts, with bail set at $50,000.

A spokesman for the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department said he expects the district attorneys office to file charges against the group Monday. No attorneys representing any of those arrested could be reached for comment late Friday.

The affidavit paints a picture of a cozy relationship among the officers and Atwal and Athwal, two brothers who entertained the officers with parties in a back room of their store; the officers allegedly tried to intervene when the brothers came under suspicion.

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For years, Carson had been filing complaints about burglaries that he believed stemmed from the home behind his. Wiretaps and seized computers indicated that his daughter expressed concern a little more than a year before Kauffmans disappearance that her father was freaking out about the burglaries and was going to be at the property with a gun.

Interviews disclosed in the affidavit also contend that Carson had helped a man bail out of jail so that he could do something to the people living at the home behind his and that rumors circulated that he had asked Atwal and Athwal to do the same.

The affidavit states that Woody, the felon, told his son he heard gunshots at Carsons property that night.

Cellphone records placed Athwal in Mariposa County just after Kauffmans disappearance.

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The affidavit states that all three CHP officers withheld information during the investigation, and that Wells may have been in possession of Kauffmans cellphone after he is believed to have been killed.

lee.romney@latimes.com

Twitter: @leeromney

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When I met A. I wondered if it was too good to be true. Meeting women in Los Angeles on dating apps has taught me a few things, the most important being that looks can be very deceiving. But five months ago I was naive and desperately seeking to get over my latest heartbreak by any means necessary.

I was in my living room when I swiped right on her picture, a green-eyed, strawberry blond beauty with a soft spot for Kafka. I was drooling. I struck up a conversation, and we exchanged phone numbers. After a few days of chatting, we made plans to meet up Saturday night at La Cita Bar in downtown Los Angeles.

When I arrived the bar was empty. I was shocked to feel a flood of nerves. I wanted to be second to arrive and even waited until about 15 minutes after we were scheduled to meet to even leave my house. I was trying to avoid the awkward introductory contact for as long as possible. Do you hug? Shake hands? It can be very strange meeting someone for the first time. I ducked into the bathroom but immediately felt my phone buzz in my pocket to a text reading: Im here, where are you?

I typed back, Bathroom, Ill be out in a second!

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I emerged to see her sitting at the bar, smiling back at me. As I pulled up a bar stool, she asked what I wanted to drink.

Whiskey. On the rocks. I grinned.

She ordered two and turned back to me saying, Girl after my own heart.

Maybe this wouldnt be so bad.

We talked for about an hour, and the distance between us shrank with each passing minute. I felt myself relaxing. We paid our tab and headed to another bar, this time with music. Being able to keep up with me on the dance floor is a huge make-or-break for me, and this was my chance to test her. But upon arriving, she took me to a back table to sit. This is what was wrong with her. She cant dance.

Not too bad, all things considered.

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I have to tell you something, she said as she sipped her drink, looking me directly in the eye.

I braced myself. Go ahead.

I have a boyfriend.

I choked.

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And Im married.

Are you kidding me?!? I stood up to leave.

She begged me to sit and let her explain. I guess Im also a sucker for a free drink. For the next 15 minutes, A. gave me a rundown of her torrid love life.

At 22 she had met and married a European tourist and promptly moved to the South of France. However, when things went south she came home and met her current boyfriend. They relocated to Silver Lake, where things stood poised to go directly downhill.

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In the meantime, she was looking for girls to get drunk and  enjoy this beautiful, crazy city we live in.

So there I was, the gay guinea pig for a seemingly confused polyamorous bombshell, veering further and further away from sobriety. Things were starting not to look as bad as they did when we started the conversation. I kissed her.

Against my better judgment, I saw her for several weeks. Wed meet up at night and carefully avoid any Eastside bars her boyfriend might wander into. On the nights he worked late she told him she was having a sleepover with a good friend, and Id drive up Hoover to her place in Silver Lake. A few times I even persuaded her to come down to West Adams  there was no way her man would end up there. I was seduced by the sneaking around and knowing all of the power in this relationship lay directly in my hands. I knew all of her secrets. I was the secret.

But the affair began to sour. It started when she started to diligently track my every movement. She called me a liar when I abandoned my phone at hair appointments in North Hollywood or hiked Runyon Canyon. This escalated to her telling me that she thought I was spending too much time with my friends and we didnt have enough time for us.

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She told me to quit my job so I could be all hers, all the time.

The final straw came when she confronted me after I admitted to seeing other people.

Somehow, hearing that from the person youre dating but know is spending a significant amount time snuggled up with her boyfriend/husband (both?), just didnt sit right.

I sat back and pondered what to do next, and it occurred to me: Does anyone really ever venture into the world of swipes hoping to fish out a relationship? I wasnt.

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I was just trying to numb the pain from a prior relationship with something casual.

So eventually, at a fateful dinner date at El Condor on Sunset Boulevard, I announced my decision that we needed to go our separate ways.

It took a series of messy text messages, but she eventually relented and we severed our ties.

We do, however, still like each others Instagram photos. My favorites are the ones with the boyfriend.

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The author is a reporter and associate producer for HBOs Vice News Tonight. You can find her on Twitter @cerisecastle or Instagram @yourmajestcee.

L.A. Affairs chronicles the current dating scene in and around Los Angeles. If you have comments or a true story to tell, email us at LAAffairs@latimes.com.

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An international nature photography competition is returning to Ireland, celebrating national parks, nature reserves and other protected landscapes across the entire island of Ireland.

Wiki Loves Earth is taking place from June 1- 30 and is organised by Wikimedia Community Ireland. The aim is to raise awareness of the natural landscape in Ireland by creating a store of quality images. These images are taken by members of the public and are free to use in education and outreach.

Amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to explore the list of all the eligible sites from across the island and then upload their photos to Wikimedia Commons. The list includes lakes, rivers, bogs, fens, mountains, hills, and beaches. This year there is a new category for macro photographs, so examining the range of native flora and fauna of these sites could also win you prizes. The entries will be judged by a panel of Irish judges, with the six winners being announced in August 2021. The winning images will then be submitted to the international competition.

Locations from Leitrim on the list are:

- Aroo mountain

- Benbulbin, Gleniff, Glenade

- Boleybrack mountain

- Bunduff Lough

- Glenade Lough

- Lough Gill

- Lough Melvin

For full details of the competition see www.wikimedia.ie and for updates see @wikimediaIE on Twitter and Wikimedia Community Irelands Facebook page.

The competition is open to everyone regardless of age or skill level, and you can upload as many of your images as you like. Once uploaded, they are there for the whole world to share and enjoy!

How to take part in Wiki Science:

1. Take a look at the lists of eligible sites, youll find the link on wikimedia.ie

2. Have a read of the rules and tips.

3. Go out and take your best shots, or take a look through your archive!

4. Return to the Wikimedia Community Ireland website and follow the upload link. Youll be asked to register an account with Wikimedia Commons, if you havent already.

Covid -19: Still too early for handshakes at funerals
ITS kind of whispered about, menopause. And I just want to scream it from the rooftops. Im in perimenopause. Its normal. Im getting treatment and Im doing great.

These are the words of a Limerick woman talking about something that affects every woman at one stage or another in their lifetime. Menopause.

Dr Caoimhe Hartley, who has her own menopause clinic in Dublin called Menopause Health, offers the following definition of menopause: After a full year of no bleeding, without another cause such as pregnancy or medication, this is menopause.

Dr Hartley went on to explain that a common symptom of menopause is hot flushes, or night sweats to some. They can be accompanied by palpitations or anxiety and are usually described as a sensation of rising heat and sweating followed by feeling very cold.

However, to many women, these symptoms and many more, have massive, if not life-changing, effects on their lives.

Denise Ruth, living in Limerick city, recalled her experience of entering menopause and how quickly things changed for her. In 2013, I was diagnosed with oestrogen-positive breast cancer. As part of breast cancer treatment at the time, I was told to go into surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy would give me, whats called, a chemically-induced menopause.

The symptoms started overnight, Denise explained. Hot flushes, mood swings. Because I was undergoing other treatments I didnt know what was related to what. Whether it was chemo or whether it was menopause.

Denise said that she felt like she was walking in the dark. I wasnt even given a leaflet, she pointed out.

As the symptoms began Denise didnt realise how big of an impact menopause would have on every facet of her life. I knew what menopause was, I understood what it meant. I didnt actually understand how it would affect me and my life and the impact it would have before I started going through it. Even the effect it would have on relationships.

It was tough, she asserted. And no supports at all. I used to have a lot of side effects during the menopause, particularly bladder infections, UTIs, and cystitis. Going to the doctor and simply being told thats a symptom of the menopause And youre asking how can I fix it? How can I prevent it? And theyre telling you, no, its just menopause. Just get on with it.

Another woman from Corbally who spoke to the Leader but wanted to remain anonymous similarly said that before she got treatment, perimenopause was having a big effect on her life.

I was constantly tired, she noted. But then I had insomnia even though I was so tired. That was adding to it. I had awful brain fog. A job I had been doing with confidence for years I was second guessing myself. I was having to double-check and triple-check myself.

The woman also explained how she had been rattled with anxiety because of the menopause. She spoke of waking one morning filled with anxiety. As the day went on she explained that the anxiety just grew gradually worse.

Id never felt this way before, she remarked, I eventually ended up telling my husband. I just broke down saying Ive awful anxiety, I dont know whats wrong with me.

The women who shared their stories to the Leader all said that, to them, there appeared to be a lack of conversation and education around menopause, even though every woman in the world will be affected by it at some point.

Dr Caoimhe Hartley shared her own theory on why menopause remains largely undiscussed,

It is wrapped up in our attitude, as a society, towards aging and women in general. We have a youth-obsessed culture and confronting the concept of menopause and the loss of your reproductive life is challenging. A lot of people view being menopausal as being old or no longer relevant, an attitude that really needs to change. It is a privilege to age and we should celebrate the experience and freedom it brings.

She continued, Women's health issues have for a long time been taboo and discussed in hushed voices. It took a long time for men to be allowed on maternity wards and periods to be discussed on television. I think menopause is part of that continuum.

There are currently several treatments for menopause, the most common of which is Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT).

I ended up starting HRT treatment in February 2020. Ive found it absolutely fantastic. It alleviated nearly all my symptoms, from night sweats to anxiety.

Due to medical studies released in the late 90s and early 2000s, Hormonal Replacement Therapy has gotten a bad name. However, as Dr Hartley explains, these studies were deeply flawed.

These studies were poorly designed and the initial reports overstated the risks of breast cancer and heart disease. Unfortunately, this led to an almost 50% drop in HRT prescribing rates globally. It has taken a long time, and a lot of new research, for our opinion on the risks and benefits of HRT to change. I think the lack of being able to have an effective discussion about treatment options for menopausal symptoms meant it fell off the radar altogether.

Hormonal Replacement Therapy can have a great effect on many menopausal women. However, it may not be a suitable treatment for some. It is thoroughly recommended that you consult your GP or a menopause specialist to see what treatment would be suitable for you.

One thing that many of the women who spoke about their experiences of menopause had in common was the comfort they drew from talking about it with other women who are going through the same thing.

There is a group on Facebook called The Irish Menopause. Women often share their questions and experiences through posts on the group. It currently has 20,000 members.

One Limerick woman, who again didnt wish to be identified, explained the positive impact it had on her. Seeing other womens experiences was a total lifesaver. Im on it everyday. It makes you feel its not just me. Its not something else to worry about, its just perimenopause. Its great to talk to other people.

There are also two lecturers in the University of Limerick who are conducting research into menopause or, more broadly, the whole lifecycle of periods. Dr Kellie Morrissey and Dr Muireann McMahon have started a project called Cycles - Co-designing the Future of Menstrual Health and Wellbeing.

They are working with women at every stage and cycle to try and produce products that will benefit them. They are doing so by actively listening to the needs of people who menstruate or are in menopause. Currently, they are still at the beginning of their project but they are ones to watch in the near future.

There are many different supports for women in menopause. Dr Caoimhe Hartley is based in Dublin but offers Zoom meetings to everyone around the country. Elite Medical and Aesthetics, run by Dr Asma Kahn, is also very popular here in Limerick for menopause treatment.

I would really like to get it out there that its not something to be feared and its not something to be suffered through, said one Limerick woman. Youre not going crazy. Your body is not breaking down. You might feel like a hundred years old but its just your hormones.
CALLS have been made for families who worked on the railway at Barnagh in West Limerick to be remembered in the mural which the council is commissioning for the new underpass there.

The underpass was built as part of the upgrading of the greenway along the old Limerick to Kerry railway line and lies under the N21 at Barnagh.

Last month, Limerick City and County Council issued a call-out for artists to submit proposals for a railway themed mural and the deadline for submissions was last week.

Now Liam OMahony, chairman of the Great Southern Trail Group Ltd, which pioneered the greenway before it was taken over by the council in 2016, has called for the railway families at Barnagh to be remembered and depicted in whatever mural is commissioned.

Welcoming the initiative of a railway-themed mural, Mr OMahony pointed out that the Dore, Harnett and Murphy families had long associations with Barnagh going back to the 1930s, Unfortunately, he said, we dont have information on families before that.

But, he continued: We suggest that the families of the railway personnel who worked and lived in Barnagh Station during its final years be consulted on the design of the mural.

Meanwhile, Mr OMahony and his group have lodged an objection to the naming of the greenway as the Limerick Greenway. And they have made their views known to the Oireachtas committee on Transport and the Department of Transport.

Naming it the Limerick Greenway, Mr OMahony contended, is confusing as it will eventually extend along the old Great Southern rail line to Fenit in Kerry.

The greenway currently begins in Rathkeale and extends for 40 kilometres to the Kerry border. But the plan is that it will continue through Listowel and Tralee to Fenit and will also extend eastwards through Adare, Limerick city and on to Castleconnell and Montpelier.

The Kerry section will be known as the North Kerry Greenway, Mr OMahony pointed out. And his concern is that people will assume this is a totally different greenway.

Money was spent on consultants who came up with the Limerick Greenway, he continued, and he understands it will be marketed as such. He is in favour of retaining the Great Southern link, and naming it the Great Southern Greenway or else the Limerick Kerry Greenway.
TWENTY five years ago on June 7, Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was murdered by the IRA as he was escorting a post office truck on its cash delivery in Adare.

To honour his memory on the anniversary of his killing, Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys will visit Limerick on Monday. The justice minister was invited to Adare by Minister Patrick ODonovan.

When I suggested it to her, she said, Absolutely. That man should not be forgotten, said Minister ODonovan.

I am delighted she is doing it on behalf of the State and that we will be able to reflect on a life that was cut short so brutally and in such a cold blooded fashion, he added.

The logistics of the visit, which has been complicated by Covid and public health guidelines, are being organised by the department in conjunction with senior gardai. Minister ODonovan said his party colleague is very conscious of the wishes of the McCabe family and gardai.

Minister ODonovan said Minister Humphreys is no stranger to the difficulties associated with the troubles.

She represents a border constituency and knows the difficulties associated with that period in our history. It is important that people would not forget the sacrifices made by fallen members of the gardai. Thats why I think it is so important here in County Limerick, where this atrocious act of murder took place, that Jerry McCabes memory should not be forgotten," he told the Limerick Leader.

I hope it will be some comfort for his family that the memory of Jerry McCabe lives on at the heart of Government; for Jerrys colleagues at the time, especially Ben OSullivan and other colleagues, who I am sure are still mourning his loss; and for current members of An Garda Siochana  many of whom were probably small boys and girls  when Jerry McCabe was murdered, he added.

He concluded by saying younger generations need to know this was a very recent period in our history and that this was a group of people whose sole ambition was to subvert the State and who viewed member of An Garda Siochana as legitimate targets.

Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris will also attend Monday's event.
Police rushed Justin to St. Johns Episcopal Hospital, but he could not be saved. The 29-year-old, whose name was not released, was taken to Jamaica Hospital and was expected to survive, said police.
LIMERICK Council earnt more than 2.6m from developer levies last year.

These contributions are paid by developers to local authorities on receipt of planning permissions, with the council having the authority to use these funds for public works.

At this months full council meeting, Labour member Joe Leddin asked how much revenue was received in development levies for each area and a breakdown of where the funds have been spent.

In a written answer from economic director Vincent Murray and deputy chief executive Sean Coughlan, he was told that a total of 2,691,998 was collected from levies.

Of this, 925,000 was recovered from projects in the metropolitan district, followed by 686,000 in the Newcastle West area.

Some 528,000 was paid from Adare/Rathkeale followed by 421,000 in takings from Cappamore/Kilmallock.

In addition to this, 132,000 was paid to Irish Water in respect of contribution schemes collected for water infrastructure.

No breakdown of spend in each electoral area was available as receipts are not identified with geographic areas, Cllr Leddin was told.
GARDAI are investigating a serious road traffic collision in the Garrienderk area of Kilmallock.

The crash involving a car and a jeep occurred on the Charleville to Kilmallock Road (R515) this Sunday afternoon

A garda spokesperson said the occupants of the car - a female driver, aged in her 30s, and male front seat passenger, aged in his 70s - were taken by air ambulance to hospital.

The Irish Air Corps and Irish Community Air Ambulance airlifted them to Cork University Hospital. Their conditions are not known currently.

"The sole occupant of the jeep, a woman in her 70s, was taken by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick with non-life threatening injuries.

"A forensic examination of the scene is ongoing. Investigations are ongoing," said the garda spokesperson.
The Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Governance Authority (SOUADTGA) on Sunday said it will develop the "country's first electric vehicles-only area" in Gujarat's Kevadia.

In its statement, the authority said that the area surrounding the 182-metre tall Statue of Unity in Kevadia in Gujarat's tribal-dominated Narmada district will be converted into an electric-vehicles-only area in a phased manner.

The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Kevadia, which houses the world's tallest Statue of Unity, will become the country's first electric vehicle city.

Speaking at the release of ethanol blending road map 2020-25 on the occasion of World Environment Day on Saturday, Modi had said that necessary infrastructure is being made available to run only battery-based buses, two-wheeler, four-wheeler in Kevadia in future.

Kevadia-headquartered SOUADTGA is empowered to execute development plans and manage tourism in the area around the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

"In the area under the authority, only electric vehicles will be allowed to ply, with the buses made available for tourists also running on battery power instead of diesel," it said.

A local resident of the area will be provided assistance to purchase a three-wheeled e-vehicle, it said.

Apart from the assistance provided by Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) - as announced by the state government - the SOUADTGA will also provide assistance in the form of subsidy to purchase such vehicles, it said.

The authority added that its officers and employees will also get the benefit of the scheme.

"The beneficiary officers/employees will have to pay the amount other than subsidy, and facilities will be provided to deduct the amount of loan from their salaries in easy instalments. Beneficiaries will have to guarantee that they will not operate petrol-diesel vehicles in the area," it said.

The company operating the e-rickshaw will have to run at least 50 rickshaws in the area under the authority initially. Preference in driver selection for e-rickshaws will be given to women residents of the area as well as the existing autorickshaw drivers,it said.

The company operating the e-rickshaw will have to develop a smart mobile app for this, which will mention various tourist destinations in the area, their distances, and fixed fares, it said.

Women drivers will be given free driving training at the Skill Development Center at Kevadia free of cost.

An E-vehiclemaintenance workshop and charging station will also be set up here," it said.

"It may be mentioned here that there are no polluting industries at Kevadia, and there are two hydroelectric power plants, which generate abundant environment-friendly electricity. Reserving the area only for electric vehicles will reduce air and noise pollution and add a feather to the charm of this unique tourist destination," it said. PTI KA NP NP

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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MUMBAI : Several startups that Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) acquired and mentored over the years supported the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and helped the company service customers, RIL said in its annual report.

Dozee, a pioneer in contactless patient monitoring and early warning systems using artificial intelligence (AI), helped address the shortage of ICU beds in nine cities by enabling hospitals to convert 4,000+ beds into step-down ICUs in minutes.

The startup also provides technology solutions to manage covid-19 from home in cases of home isolation. Its early warning system uses AI algorithms to track a patients vitals and generates an early warning score, enabling early detection of health deterioration for timely medical intervention and patient safety.

Similarly, JioGenNext startups LogiNext, HealthVectors, FlytBase, Clinikk, Drona Maps and CabDost also rendered their services during these testing times in service of the nation and its people," the annual report for 2020-21 said.

View Full Image A file photo of people waiting to be administered vaccination. LogiNext Mile, a transportation automation platform, helped tech-enabled management of vaccine distribution, RIL said.

Loginext, a logistics and field service management provider, launched LogiNext Mile, an all-mile transportation automation platform that can be used for tech-enabled management of vaccine distribution. The software as a service (SaaS) platform can be deployed for complete visibility and tracking of vaccine distribution right from the point of origin at the manufacturing units to the last mile.

DronaMap, another startup, is using drones to create 3D maps of cities in India to track covid-19 hotspots.

Currently, Drona Maps coronavirus solution has already been implemented in Rajasthan, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana, and more are on the way.

RIL is also trying to address ventilator shortages across Indian hospitals by using 3D technology and a special snorkelling mask". It is designing medical-grade oxygen generators with five- to seven-litre capacity per minute, the annual report said.

Within RIL, to support the JioMart hyperlocal solution, two vital applicationsUrovo and Grabwere implemented.

RIL acquired Grab in 2019 for 106 crore to support its digital commerce initiatives and strengthen its logistics services.

The company said within a month, 7,500 associates were trained on Urovo, and 5,000 delivery partners were trained in Grab through video conferencing.

RIL also introduced Symptom Checker, a fully digitized solution, to assess the risk status of employees and their families.

Using the covid-19 symptom checker, we are tracking the health of our employees and their family members. Refers, our emergency response service, is constantly monitoring the symptom tracker and reaching out to those showing the risk of being covid positive," Mukesh Ambani, chairman, and managing director of Reliance Industries, said in the annual report.

The annual report added that RIL is delivering various solutions to fight covid-19 in the country, from devising smart cameras, drones, and goggles to ensure that social distancing norms are being followed and crowds managed.

While in some geographies drones carried out sanitization drives, in others artificial intelligence and data analytics were used to deliver healthcare solutions, home healthcare, online pharmacy, etc.," it noted.

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If you think of the deadliest day in the United States' history, your mind is probably drawn to the terrorist attacks of September 11, the calamity that followed Japan's strike on Pearl Harbor or perhaps a battle from the Civil War. Or maybe you think of more recent days during the COVID-19 pandemic .

The answer to the question of what was the deadliest day, it turns out, isn't straightforward. But when you take the death rate into account, it's likely none of the events mentioned above.

To put contemporary U.S. deaths in perspective, before COVID-19 began circulating in late 2019, approximately 7,700 people died every day in the U.S. for a multitude of different reasons, including things like car accidents and heart disease , said J. David Hacker, a demographic historian at the University of Minnesota.

Related: What's the deadliest day of the week?

The deadliest day in America's history is hard to pinpoint because, for one thing, America's population has grown considerably, from a mere 4 million in 1790 to in excess of 332 million today, Hacker said. So, comparing the absolute number of deaths from yesteryear with today is like comparing apples with oranges.

"Of course there are more overall deaths in a typical day today than there were in 1790, despite the fact that the death rate  deaths divided by the population  was undoubtedly much higher in 1790," Hacker told Live Science. But even if we decide that the death rate is the fairer way to make comparisons across the centuries, finding an answer to the "deadliest day' question is still more complicated than you might think.

"The deadliest day comparisons I've seen rely on different measures," Hacker said. If we're looking at a single attack or event, do we discount the people who also died on that day, but from other causes? Or do we include them? There's not much of a consensus among historians, and, on top of that, death records nationwide from 1776 to now are lacking, Hacker said.

That said, we can make a few educated guesses. "If it's just the total number of deaths in one day from a specific event on a specific day, I think nothing comes close to the Galveston Hurricane on Sept. 8, 1900," Hacker said. The hurricane , which struck Texas as a Category 4 hurricane with winds from 130 to 156 mph (209 to 251 km/h), is also known as "The Great Storm of 1900," and is often described as the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Between 8,000 and 12,000 people were killed during the hurricane, NOAA said in a 2011 report . Back in 1900, roughly 3,500 people died each day, on average, said Hacker, so the storm was an especially lethal event.

Meanwhile, the Civil War, waged from 1861-1865, was an especially bloody time. It's estimated that 750,000 soldiers perished from injury and disease , according to a 2011 study in the journal Civil War History . And so, it's not too surprising that another event worthy of mention is the 1862 Battle of Antietam, which thwarted the Confederate invasion of Maryland and saw an estimated 3,650 soldiers killed from both sides.

Related: Why does it say 'In God We Trust' on our money?

But here again we come across data problems  not all who fought in the battle and died did so on the day of the battle itself. "Men wounded in the one-day battle may have suffered for weeks or months before finally dying, and are likely not part of the estimate," Hacker said. "Counting Civil War deaths is not an exact science."

Hacker roughly estimates that about 2,500 other people died in the U.S. due to other (non-war-related) causes on the same day as the Battle of Antietam. That means the battle dead more than doubled the death rate of that day, making it a pretty deadly day by anyone's reckoning. The tally was higher for the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863  where more than 7,000 soldiers were killed  but that happened over the course of three days, he said.

Putting violence aside, the Spanish flu was another particularly lethal period. "About 6,000 people died each day during October 1918 from influenza , on average." Hacker said. If we had better data from that time, it might have been possible to say that the Spanish flu was responsible for the deadliest day in U.S. history because some days likely eclipsed that 6,000 figure. "If we knew the one-day peak number of deaths from influenza, alas we don't, and added that to the daily total from other causes," Hacker said, "then perhaps the deadliest day in U.S. history from all causes or events was in October 1918." However, we don't have the records to back that up, so its still possible that the Galveston Hurricane was a bigger killer; in the end it comes down to a judgement call more than an indisputable fact.

What about COVID-19? During the worst days of the pandemic in February 2021, approximately 3,300 people were dying each day from the novel coronavirus , which exceeds the close to 3,000 people who died on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked planes, which crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and in a field in Pennsylvania.

If we add that COVID-19 figure to the approximate 7,700 other deaths that happen, on average, every day, we can say that close to 11,000 people in America were dying per day during the worst days of February 2021. While not detracting from the very real tragedy of COVID-19, the population in 1918 was one-third of what it is today, and so for that reason Hacker ranks the Spanish flu above COVID-19, even though in absolute numbers, the COVID-19 pandemic may have killed more people on its deadliest day.

"For my money, the deadliest day in U.S. history was probably one of those days in October 1918," when you take the death rate into account, he said.

Originally published on Live Science.
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Julian Radlmaier, who made a splash this year with his Marxist vampire satire Blutsauger (Bloodsuckers), is developing a romantic river barge road movie as his next project.

Binnenschifffahrerin Birte is an East-West love story that centers on an old housekeeper working in a western German hotel who fondly recalls her youth in 1980s East Germany, when, as a river barge captain, she experienced the one big adventure in her life: delivering an East German-made river barge to the Soviet Union.

The GDR [German Democratic Republic] was exporting a lot of ships to the Soviet Union, Radlmaier explains. The film follows the skipper on her boat trip to Russia and down the Volga River, where she meets a Soviet punk bass guitarist. Its a love story, but through the events of history they get separated. Still gripped by the passion of her youth in the present day, Birte tries to get in touch with her old love.

Radlmaier is working with a friend to develop original music inspired by 80s Soviet punk for the films soundtrack. The Soviet Union had a really great alternative rock music scene in the 80s. Its very interesting and quite unknown in the West.

He plans to shoot the film on location in Russia and along the Volga.

Radlmaier says the film will mark a transition in his work. It still has this sociohistorical political background, but it will be a film more about personal emotions and less a theoretical essay like the previous ones.

The director admits that describing his latest pic, Bloodsuckers, hasnt been easy, particularly when he pitched it at Rotterdams CineMart co-production market in 2019.

The film, which premiered in Berlin and now unspools at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, is not just a Marxist vampire comedy, Radlmaier says. It has quite different levels.

Even before shooting the film, the project won Radlmaier the Golden Lola for Best Unfilmed Screenplay during the 2019 Berlinale.

Bloodsuckers brings to life Karl Marxs metaphor for the capitalist class as it skewers both Western greed and communist totalitarianism in a humorous satire that is very much in line with the German directors forte. It follows such works as 2017s Self-Criticism of a Bourgeois Dog and 2014s A Proletarian Winters Tale.

Radlmaier compares his scripts to essays that combine different ideas and elements, from comedy and drama to philosophical and theoretical ideas. His works also overflow with political themes, past and present.

Bloodsuckers, he adds, asks questions about the crisis of capitalism, about gender, and about racist and right-wing movements.

Set in a seaside town in 1920s Germany, the film follows Ljowushka, a penniless Soviet refugee (played by Georgian actor-director Aleksandre Koberidze, a regular Radlmaier collaborator) who falls for a wealthy and enigmatic young woman. As Ljowushka seeks to improve his life and social position, he also begins to lose his moral compass. In certain societies, Radlmaier points out, getting ahead often means doing things that are not okay.

He was inspired to make the film while reading Marxs Das Kapital.

Marx uses a lot of gothic metaphors because he wrote it in the 19th century when this was very popular. So there are a lot of vampire metaphors. (Indeed, ravenous capitalists, Marx writes, are draining away the value of their workers labor to enrich themselves  just as supernatural vampires drain their victims life force to grow stronger.)

Im interested in some aspects of Marxist theory, which are not to be confused with what we know from the 20th century as state socialism, Radlmaier says. My personal biographical interest comes probably from the fact that I grew up in West Germany and the first historical event was the Wall coming down. He points to his upbringing in conservative Bavaria as a contributing factor behind his interest in Marx, noting that this tradition of thought was a totally forbidden thing. Its the evil stuff.

That was made plain in the old Cold War-inspired schoolbooks still used when he was growing up, which depicted the West as colorful. There were little trees, there was the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the eastern part was just a gray uniform zone, like the Kingdom of Mordor or something.

His interest in history and politics grew after moving to Berlin, where he met many people from Eastern Europe and made new friends from Russia and Georgia. Offering more food for thought was a resurgence of leftist ideas thanks to popular figures like Bernie Sanders and Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek and a new perspective that Marxist tradition still offers potential and should not be completely discarded.

The promise of Marxism and failure of communism  how the idea of making a more just and equal society turned into a kind of nightmare in the 20th century  have been central ideas in his works, Radlmaier explains.

Produced by Kirill Krasovskis Berlin-based Faktura Film, Bloodsuckers also stars Lilith Stangenberg, Alexander Herbst, Corinna Harfouch (Lara) and Daniel Hoesl (whose documentary Davos also screens at IFFR).

Bloodsuckers is sold internationally by The Playmaker (formerly ARRI Media Intl. and now part of Jake Seals Seal Group).

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Clarence Williams III, the actor who portrayed Linc Hayes on TVs The Mod Squad as well as played Princes father in Purple Rain, has died at the age of 81.

Williams management confirmed the actors death to Variety, adding that Williams died following a battle with colon cancer.

The New York City-born Williams, the grandson of jazz great Clarence Williams, made his acting debut on Broadway and other theatrical productions in the mid-Sixties before he was cast in The Mod Squad, the influential counterculture police series that ran for five seasons on ABC.

Mod Squad broke new ground, Living Colours Vernon Reid tweeted Sunday. Clarence Williams III broke new ground. You can draw a direct line from Clarence Williams III to both Denzel & Idris. Its his MF moody blood running through The Kid in Purple Rain thats the furnace of his pain & genius.

Williams told the Los Angeles Times in 1995, It was a very different role for an African American and a wonderful lead character that a lot of youngsters, black and white, and principally African American youngsters could identify with. I get so much feedback from that show even now and it is almost 30 years old.

Over a decade after The Mod Squad ended in 1973, Williams  who left Hollywood to return to the stage  made his big-screen debut as the Kids troubled, abusive father in Purple Rain; Prince himself recruited Williams to portray his father in the 1984 autobiographical film.

There was an acoustic guitar laying on the set and Prince was sitting on floor, just staring off into space and I guess he was going through the same process I was going throughthinking about what we had shot, Williams told the Los Angeles Times of working on Purple Rain. He just picked up the guitar and started doodling. I had my eyes closed, and I was leaning back in the chair and I thought about Jimi Hendrix. I mean he was hitting some chords and the soundstage was absolutely quiet. It was just a wonderful, wonderful experience.

Following his return to Hollywood, the actor appeared on television shows like Twin Peaks, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Judging Amy. Other notable film roles include the drug lord Sampson Simpson in the Dave Chappelle stoner comedy Half Baked, legendary pianist Jelly Roll Morton in the Giuseppe Tornatores The Legend of 1900, the devil-in-disguise Mr. Simms in Tales From the Hood, as well as roles in Im Gonna Git You Sucka, Hoodlum, Deep Cover, Sugar Hill and American Gangster.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced the birth of their daughter, Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif. According to representatives for the couple, Lili weighed 7 lbs 11 oz., and both mother and daughter are in healthy condition and settling in at home.

Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Lilis middle name, Diana, honors her late grandmother, the Princess of Wales.

On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers weve felt from across the globe, Markle and Prince Harry said in a statement. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.

Lili joins older brother Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, who was born in May 2019. The couple shared the news that they were pregnant with their second child in February, and revealed that they were expecting a daughter during their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.

Markle and Prince Harry are now based in California after declaring their independence from the Royal Family in March of 2020. During the interview with Winfrey in March, Markle opened up about the negative impact being a royal had on her mental health, and revealed that a large factor into the couples decision to leave their royal duties was to protect their family.

The couple reached a major multi-year deal with Netflix in September 2020, which will allow them to develop documentaries, feature films, scripted television shows and childrens series. They also launched a podcast on Spotify under their Archewell Audio production company, with the goal of building community through shared experience, narratives and values. Prince Harry and Winfrey have also reunited to create the show The Me You Cant See for Apple TV Plus, which takes a deep dive into mental health and the steps to getting help.

Markle and Prince Harry wed on May 19, 2018.

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A man landed behind bars for attempting to smuggle more than 15,000 rounds of ammo into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, according to an arrest affidavit.

Carlos Francisco Rodriguez was arrested and charged with export and attempt to export ammunition.

The incident unfolded at about 7:45 p.m. May 27, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound operations at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge inspected a Mercedes sport utility vehicle with Texas plates.

CBP officers said the SUV was attempting to exit the country into Mexico. Authorities identified the driver as Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen. CBP officers told Rodriguez to exit the vehicle and escorted him to the secondary area. There, he allegedly gave an oral negative declaration for weapons, ammo and more than $10,000, according to court documents.

During secondary inspection, CBP officers found approximately 15,045 rounds of ammunition of various calibers within the front passenger seat, back passenger seat area and cargo area of the SUV. The ammunition was discovered in trash bags and ammunition boxes, states the affidavit.

Homeland Security Investigations special agents and task force officers responded to the bridge to take over the investigation. Rodriguez allegedly agreed to provide a post-arrest statement. Rodriguez stated he had entered the United States earlier in the day at about 4:30 p.m. to go shopping at a mall in Laredo.

Rodriguez stated he ran into a friend at the mall, who recruited him to smuggle the ammunition into Nuevo Laredo (Mexico) for $700, states the affidavit.

Rodriguez said he was instructed to meet an individual at the Walmart on Bob Bullock Loop and Clark Boulevard. Rodriguezs friend told him that the individual would be driving a maroon Chevrolet Suburban. Rodriguez stated he arrived at the Walmart to meet two individuals.

Rodriguez stated he helped the two subjects carry the ammunition from the Suburban to his Mercedes SUV. Rodriguez stated that once all the ammunition was loaded into his vehicle, he made his way to the bridge to go to Nuevo Laredo (Mexico). Rodriguez stated he was going to get paid once he delivered the ammunition in Nuevo Laredo (Mexico), states the affidavit.
BERLIN (AP)  Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives handily batted away a challenge from the far right in a state election Sunday that was seen as the last big test for Germany's political parties before a national vote in September.

Projections by public broadcaster ARD put Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union at 36.6%, a gain of more than 6 percentage points compared to the last election five years ago in the sparsely populated state of 2.2 million inhabitants.

The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, was projected to get 22% of the vote, a slight drop compared to 2016. The party has moved steadily further to the right in recent years and its chapter in Saxony-Anhalt has come under increased scrutiny from Germany's domestic intelligence service for its ties to extremist groups.

While elections in Germanys 16 states are often influenced by local issues and voting sentiments, they are also seen as important bellwethers for the national mood. A strong win for the CDU would be seen as a sign that the partys new leader, Armin Laschet, can hope for support from both conservatives and centrists on Sept. 26, when it aims to hold onto power at the federal level despite four-term chancellor Merkel not running again.

The election result, if projections based on partial counts are confirmed, would be a strong endorsement for incumbent governor Reiner Haseloff of the CDU, who now has the comfort of being able to pick from as many as four possible coalitions with smaller parties. For the past five years, the 67-year-old has governed in an unprecedented coalition with the center-left Social Democrats and environmentalist Greens.

Haseloff, whose popularity in the state was a strong pull for voters, ruled out any cooperation with AfD or the ex-communist Left party, who were projected to get 11% of the vote  a record low in the state.

The Social Democrats also fared worse than five years ago and were expected to get about 8.4%, while the Greens made modest gains to take 6%. Projections also showed that the pro-business Free Democrats entered the state assembly again after missing out five years ago, receiving 6.5%.

A final result wasn't likely before late Sunday or Monday, as many mail-in ballots had yet to be counted.

Haseloff expressed relief that voters backed centrist parties at the expense of the political fringes, saying the outcome showed a big, big majority had made a democratic choice and drawn a clear demarcation line to the right. Aside from its core message against immigration, the AfD this year campaigned strongly against pandemic restrictions and its election posters urged voters to demonstrate their resistance at the ballot box.

But Karamba Diaby, who chairs the Social Democrats chapter in the states biggest city, Halle, said the fact that the far right had again won more than a fifth of the total vote was very sad for democracy.

Diaby, who also represents his party in the national parliament, said the Social Democrats had failed to capitalize on their achievements in the state government  an argument that has also been used to explain its poor results at the federal level.

It's clear that we're not going to stick our heads in the sand, he said. The election campaign for the Bundestag starts tomorrow.
A 29-year-old man was fatally shot in Manhattan early Sunday  after looking at the killer the wrong way, sources said. Akeem White, 29, was shot once in the head on E 26th St. near First Ave. in Kips Bay about 4:20 a.m., cops said. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)
Just 34 days before the end of World War II, a U.S. Navy cruiser was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sunk in the Philippine Sea.

The USS Indianapolis had been the ship of state of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and had just delivered core components of the Hiroshima-bound atomic bomb "Little Boy" off the coast of Japan four days earlier.

After unloading her top-secret cargo at Tinian and then making a quick stop in Guam to await further orders, the crew of the Indy were soon bound for the Philippine island of Leyte, unaware that their location had just been discovered by an enemy submarine.

A Japanese sonar man had picked up on the sound of rattling dishes in her kitchen from some six miles away. The submarine began stalking her through the water until it was close enough to engage.

The sub's commanding officer, Mochitsura Hashimoto, gave the order to fire six torpedoes into her side at 12:04 a.m. on July 30, 1945. Two of the torpedoes hit their mark, and it took the Indy just twelve minutes to capsize and sink, forever entombing some 300 of her 1,195-man crew 18,044 feet beneath the surface of the moonlit water.

For the next five days, the nearly 900 sailors who had survived the sinking found their numbers whittled down as crew member after crew member fell victim to saltwater poisoning, drowning, delirium and shark attacks. Only 316 survived the horrific ordeal.

Survivor Harlan Twible later recounted his time in the water: "I saw some great heroism, and I saw some great fright, and I saw some things I wouldn't ever want to talk about."

When the survivors were first spotted on the fourth morning by 24-year-old U.S. search and reconnaissance air pilot Chuck Gwinn while he was looking for enemy vessels in the area, they had drifted apart from each other and were found in several groups across nearly 200 miles of ocean.

Their collective rescue took about 24 hours to complete - leaving some survivors in the water for five harrowing days. One of the discovered clusters of men contained the Indy's captain, Charles McVay.

Despite the nightmare he'd just experienced and survived at sea, Captain McVay soon found himself in a different kind of fight - this one with the United States Navy.

The Navy had bungled many things regarding the Indianapolis and they knew it: They denied McVay the escort he'd requested for protection while traveling through enemy waters; they failed to respond to any of the distress signals sent from the Indy that listed its coordinates in the final moments of its sinking (the Navy has since disputed receiving any distress signals, though multiple servicemen claimed to have received them); they failed to recognize or report that the Indy had not arrived at Leyte when it was scheduled to; and they had provided McVay with an incomplete intelligence report in the first place - withholding the vital information they had come by through a top-secret code-breaking program that confirmed enemy submarine activity along the route the Indy would be taking to Leyte.

To prevent such blunders from getting out and possibly overshadowing the triumphant news of the likely ending of the war (the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima just two days after the survivors were rescued with "This one is for the Boys of the Indianapolis" written on its side), the Navy ordered a news blackout about the incident once the survivors were sequestered and convalescing on a nearby island.

In Washington, the Navy had already begun preparing for a court inquiry as requested by Admiral Chester Nimitz. Nimitz's inquiry requested an investigation of the cause of the sinking, the culpability of any servicemen involved, and how the survivors had been discovered entirely by accident after the base at Leyte failed to report the ship as missing.

In the end, a few servicemen were reprimanded for their respective roles in not recognizing the Indy's absence, but only McVay would be taken to trial and charged for the sinking of the ship once he arrived back on American soil.

The Navy all but spelled out their reasons for doing so in a letter their judge advocate general (JAG) sent officials at the time: "Full justification for ordering the trial...springs from the fact that this case is of vital interest not only to the families of those who lost their lives, but also to the public at large."

In other words, "the Navy needed someone to blame for what The New York Times had already called 'one of the darkest pages of our naval history,'" said Doug Stanton, author of "In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors."

Initially, Navy prosecutors tried to charge Captain McVay with two counts of negligence: "failure to abandon ship in a timely manner" and "hazarding his ship" by failing to steer her in diagonal lines, a since-abandoned defensive maneuver known as zigzagging.

But the prosecutors soon realized they could not prove the first charge because the ship sank so quickly. So they put all their effort into making the second charge stick. McVay had already admitted that the Indy had not been zigzagging at the time of the attack, citing weather conditions. The Navy insisted on proving that his lack of doing so had been consequential.

Among the list of witnesses the prosecution called to testify against McVay was none other than the submarine commander who had sunk the Indy in the first place: Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto. The decision caused an uproar among members of the press and politicians alike.

"American military prosecutors calling Hashimoto to testify against McVay regarding the loss of his ship would have been as outrageous as the New York City district attorney calling a 9/11 hijacker to testify against the NYC fire commissioner regarding the loss of the World Trade Center," said Lynn Vincent, co-author of "Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man."

Nonetheless, Hashimoto had been asked to testify at the court martial and he obeyed - just not in the way prosecutors had hoped he would.

During his testimony, he was asked to confirm that the Indy had not been zigzagging at the time he fired upon her - a point he readily conceded. But he went on to seemingly mock the maneuver by explaining that zigzagging would have made "no change" in the way he fired the torpedoes and that he would have sunk the defenseless ship either way.

Despite the unexpected blow that Hashimoto's testimony had been to the prosecution, Captain McVay was still convicted of hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag.

"The conviction meant that of the almost 400 U.S. captains whose ships had been sunk during the war, McVay was the only one to have been court-martialed," Stanton said. Indeed, he was the only captain in the entire history of the Navy to be court-martialed whose ship was sunk by an act of war.

That distinction stayed with McVay for the rest of his life as he endured anguished letter after anguished letter ("Hate mail," Indy survivor Granville Crane Jr. later called it), from the families of the fallen sailors whose deaths had been blamed on him. "He read every letter he received and took them all personally," Stanton said.

In the end, McVay took his own life on November 6, 1968 - a gift from his father of a toy sailor clutched in his hand when he died.

His death marked a turning point for the remaining Indianapolis survivors as they had never held their captain responsible for the sinking and resented the way he'd been made to carry that unnecessary burden. "Once the captain was court-martialed, my first thought was how can we get these guys for doing this?" Twible later recounted.

Indeed, for more than fifty years, the survivors had tried and failed to get the Navy to reverse the court-martial and to clear their captain's name. At last, they decided to try another way: by making his exoneration a matter of law by appealing directly to the United States Congress.

The survivors gathered signatures and lobbied members of Congress in visit after visit to Washington. Finally, New Hampshire Sen. Robert Smith agreed to champion their cause, and he introduced an exoneration resolution that, as he put it at the time, "expresses a sense of Congress that Captain McVay's court martial was morally unsustainable."

Smith's resolution wasn't enough, however, because it was up to Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and former Navy secretary, to decide whether to take the exoneration resolution to the Senate floor for a vote.

For several months, Vincent said Warner had opposed the measure and been "utterly immovable" until he received a letter from the most unlikely of people: Mochitsura Hashimoto.

Once again, 54 years after he'd testified at McVay's court martial, the submarine commander was coming to his old enemy's defense. Hashimoto told Warner that he wanted to join the "brave men who survived the sinking of the Indianapolis ... in urging that your national legislature clear their captain's name." He added: "Our peoples have forgiven each other for that terrible war and its consequences. Perhaps it is time your peoples forgave Captain McVay for the humiliation of his unjust conviction."

His heartfelt words were enough to soften Warner's resolve. "With the addition of Hashimoto's voice," Vincent said, "it was as though the entire matter had reached a kind of cosmic critical mass, and Warner realized it was time to finally lay it to rest."

With Sen. Warner at last allowing the resolution to be considered, Congress voted to exonerate Captain Charles McVay on October 12, 2000. Hashimoto died 13 days later.

In a show of support for the survivors, Hashimoto's daughter, Sonoe Hashimoto Iida, and his granddaughter, Atsuko Iida, bravely attended the 60-year anniversary of the ship's sinking in 2005. Though nervous about how they may be received by the survivors who had been meeting together on the anniversary of the Indy's sinking every year since 1960, they felt connected to the men of the Indianapolis through their father and grandfather and wanted to attend.

They soon found their role as spectators change to participants, however, when at the close of that anniversary celebration the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the survivors were asked to stand together and sing God Bless America. Atsuko was invited to take her two sons up to the front of the room to sing along with the other grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "She seemed nervous," Vincent's co-author, Sara Vladic, said, "but she agreed to go with a cautious smile."

Singing as one, the moment was a fitting demonstration of healing between two peoples who had once called each other "enemy" - brought together by their shared desire to vindicate an innocent man.

"The survivors had fought for fifty years to exonerate their captain," Vincent said. "In an ironic twist of history, the man who first put them in peril was the same one who came to their aid."
Today is Election Day in Nuevo Laredo and all of Mexico.

This years election is considered particularly memorable as it will be one of the biggest the country does for a non-presidential race while in Nuevo Laredo nine different parties and one independent are in a heated race to win the mayoral position in the city.

In Nuevo Laredo, people will be able to vote from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. when the polls close for the day and the counting of the votes begins.

The election is historic because of two reasons, said Manuel Moncada Fuentes, the executive spokesman for the Instituto Nacional Electoral, or the National Electoral Institution, in Nuevo Laredo. The first reason is because this is the first time in which an election is held to elect both congressional legislative leaders, as one part of the legislature will be voted on, and local races  and even some governor races  in some states will also be held. Another reason is because it is one of the biggest the city and country has seen.

The election in Nuevo Laredo this year is also extremely large. In the mayoral race, there are nine parties and one independent candidate involved.

The mayoral candidates include:

Carmen Lilia Canturosas Hinojosa from the National Regeneration Movement. Cristabell Zamora Cabrera from the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Eva Espinosa Orozco from the Solidarity Party. Gricelda Garza Flores from the Green Ecological Party of Mexico. Guadalupe Carmona from the Strength for Mexico Party Javier Lozano Rodriguez from the Social Media Progressives Party. Leticia Barbara Hernandez Cantu from the Citizen Movement. Maria Clara Hinojosa Gutierrez from the Democratic Revolutionary Party. Victor Manuel Vergara Martinez as an independent. Yahleel Abdala Carmona from the National Action Party.

According to Moncada, in Nuevo Laredo alone features 324,622 people registered to vote  Webb County had 137,840 in the 2020 U.S. elections  and he hopes that all of these individuals turn out in great numbers.

Locals like Santiago Silva, who has voted in the past, states that this is one of the most important elections he has participated in. He attributes this to moving on from the pandemic, as people need to choose a local government that opts for keeping individuals healthy while reopening the economy.

We need safety, but we also need economic safety, Silva said. I think that this is something that our current leadership never understood, and we must tell them that by hitting the polls and voting for real change. I opt for something better than what we have been fed in the past.

Others are ready to vote but fear that something might happen which could cause the contests to be delayed, as they feel there is too much political tensions between the current candidates and parties.

I just hope that tomorrow we wake up going to vote and go to sleep knowing who won, Israel Suarez said. We dont need to wait a whole week or more to find out who won. We just dont.

Results are expected to be released by the INE on Sunday night with their timetable showing that they will have close to final results around midnight Sunday.

There is a program that we have in which we will start releasing preliminary results by 8 p.m., but by 11 p.m. and 12 a.m., I do predict that the voting results will be almost clear to make predictions, Moncada said.

According to the INE spokesperson, on Saturday the organization was doing its final preparations and touches for the election day on Sunday. This included preparing each precinct with its needed ballots and other important paperwork that people need to vote.

On Saturday, we handed each precinct their individual electoral packages and the rules that each worker at each of these voting booths will have to follow, which were 539 in total. And we have already posted all of the signage needed for people to know where they can vote, Moncada said. As well, we have already instructed all of the individuals from the different parties who will be involved throughout the day.

Voting in Nuevo Laredo is also much different from voting in the U.S., as individuals in Laredos sister city will not be able to purchase any alcohol Sunday due to the elections. According to Moncada, each state in the country has the option to enforce or to not impose this law, but that the state of Tamaulipas did impose it for their election process.

Poll watchers in Mexico are also chosen much differently. Individuals are randomly called to assist with the voting process.

The members of the board of directors of the precincts were selected through a random drawing in which they were chosen based on when their birthday landed, that which for them if it was between the months of August and September and beginning with the letter A in their last names, which ultimately yielded about more than 40,000 citizens that we could choose from for this process, Moncada said. And 8,500 of them accepted to be part of this electoral process, and from them we got individuals for the more than 500 election sites for Sunday, of which nine of them are serving each in the precincts.

Another major difference is the fact that in Mexico there is no early voting.

However, there is one major similarity in voting between both countries as people had to be registered to vote prior to going to vote. For the June 6 elections, individuals in Mexico had to be registered under the INE by Feb. 10, 2021.

In terms of safely, Moncada stated that everything is ready to be held without any major incidents. The INE has also imposed major COVID-19 restrictions for people in the city as well. This includes the mandatory use of facemasks and following social distance while voting their time to get in line to vote.

All I asked for the people on Election Day is to be please patient and to be calm and tranquil, as since we are still under the pandemic, the polls will only allow 12 votes to enter the site at a time, Moncada said. Definitely this will cause for there to be a longer-than-expected waiting time, however, people must know that there is a long voting time of 10 hours, and that I hope people comprehend the need of these safety guidelines considering the continuing pandemic.

Silva states that he is glad his community has imposed these safety guidelines, as he has noticed that some people have already relaxed their usage of them.

Dont get me wrong, I want the companies to reopen back again and everything, but I want that in a safe and practical manner. And that will only happen if we stay safe, Silva said. The decision to do this on Election Day might turn off some people, but really it is good for the better of us and shows how the government, at least in this respect, cares. Please vote.

Other than the COVID-19 restrictions, the election process will be normal for the regular Mexican citizen, as they just have to wait for their time to go into the election site. Then they will not give out their identification card to the workers at the polls, instead they will provide them their identification by putting it on the table upon registration to avoid any person contact between poll worker and voting citizen. Then the ballot will be provided to them on the table, and they can take it and head to an area where they can cast their votes.

The only difference this year is that the INE has taken away the curtains that hide the voters from others as they vote due to COVID-19 safety regulations, so people do not touch the same thing over and over.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Protesters faced off with officers in Minneapolis early Saturday over the shooting death of a Black man by members of a U.S. Marshals task force.

Photos from the scene following a vigil for Winston Boogie Smith Jr., 32, showed dumpster fires in the street and a line of officers standing guard. It was the second night of protests in response to the fatal shooting Thursday in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood.
MIAMI (AP)  Royal Caribbean International said Friday that eight of its ships will resume U.S. voyages in July and August with trips leaving ports in Florida, Texas and Washington state.

The cruise line said all crew members will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Passengers 16 and older on cruises to Alaska will also be required to be vaccinated. The requirement will be expanded to cover Alaska-bound passengers 12 and over starting Aug. 1.

For other trips passing through U.S. water, Royal Caribbean said that passengers are strongly recommended to get vaccinated. Unvaccinated passengers must be tested for the virus and follow other measures that will be announced later, the company said.

Royal Caribbean said that its first U.S. sailing since March 2020 will leave Miami on July 2 on the Freedom of the Seas.

The company said that over the following six weeks, five other ships will sail the Caribbean after leaving from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Port Canaveral, Florida, and Galveston, Texas. Two ships will sail from Seattle to Alaska.

Royal Caribbean, which is headquartered in Miami but registers its ships in other countries, plans to have 12 ships operating worldwide by the end of August. Those include ships sailing from the United Kingdom, Europe and the Bahamas.

In the U.S., cruise companies are still talking with federal, state and local officials about health measures and trial sailings. Royal Caribbean plans trial voyages starting later this month. Those pilot trips are required before cruise lines can operate regular sailings with less than 95% of passengers being vaccinated.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials this week said that a Florida lawsuit against the federal government over conditions for cruise lines to resume sailing could threaten plans to restart cruising in Alaska.
Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 79F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Judge Seamus Hughes and solicitor Brid Mimnagh drew laughter aplenty at last week's District Court sitting as the pair traded amusing exchanges over the location of Azerbaijan.

Ms Mimnagh had been representing Saulius Gustys (53) 1 St Patrick's Terrace, Granard, Co Longford after the Lithuanian national appeared on drugs possession charges at St Patrick's Terrace, Granard dating back to May 2016.

Ms Mimnagh, in pleading her client's case, said Mr Gustys was someone who suffered from a range of mental health complaints, most specifically severe post traumatic stress disorder.

She said a large degree of those anxieties had come courtesy of Mr Gustys' involvement in a war in Azerbaijan in 1981.

Asked where exactly the former Soviet Republic member nation was located, Ms Mimnagh replied somewhat tongue in cheek to the judge: Your putting me under a lot of pressure.

Looking down on Ms Mimnagh from the bench, Judge Hughes grinned by sarcastically replying: Well, you are on legal aid and you really should do a bit of work.

Taking a moment to regather her composure, Ms Mimnagh said Mr Gustys had spent a lengthy time in custody and was intent on returning to his homeland if the court would afford him the opportunity to do so.

He has a friend in Navan, a very genuine friend, said Ms Mimnagh, prompting Judge Hughes to quip: As all your clients are.

Judge Hughes ultimately acceded to Ms Mimnagh's pleas by sparing Mr Gustys a criminal conviction as he handed down Section 1 (2) of the Probation Act.
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Interview: China's poverty alleviation success demonstrates CPC's strong leadership -- Ghanaian party leader

Xinhua) 13:02, June 06, 2021

ACCRA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China's success in alleviating poverty demonstrates the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), National Chairman of Ghana's ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Describing China's victory in eradicating absolute poverty as a miracle the world's most populous country has achieved, the chairman said: "It is an example of good leadership, and we should learn from that."

Blay, who has paid several visits to China, said he has been extremely impressed by the country's efforts to address inequalities in development between its east and west, and a boom in its western regions' key sectors such as infrastructure and agriculture has ensured its poverty reduction goal could be achieved.

"The CPC has done well in leading this big country into prosperity," he said.

He noted that it is an accepted reality that many African countries are still underdeveloped despite their hard efforts, which highlights the importance of China-Africa cooperation on poverty alleviation.

"Under the leadership of the CPC, China is doing it (alleviating poverty) at a faster rate, and for that reason, we must partner with China and ensure that Africa is the new frontier now," he said.

Blay hailed China as a country that "shares what it has achieved," saying "China knows how to share, how to help each other, how to develop together, and we need that kind of (cooperation)."

Specifically, he said further cooperation on human resources development between the two countries would be conducive to Ghana's acceleration of its pace of poverty alleviation.

The chairman expressed his satisfaction with the increasing number of Ghanaian students studying in China, adding that he expected the Ghanaian youths would break down the language barriers and learn more from China to help develop their own country.

Noting this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, he said he would like to wish China more successes and prosperity under the leadership of the CPC, and looks forward to more partnership between the two parties.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Whisnand reported Caleb Jr. missing on May 10 from a Circle K convenience store along a highway outside Montgomery, but an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency missing persons alert the next day said that the tot had been missing since May 8.
(Sharecast News) - The decision to reopen on June 21 has been made "more difficult" by the Indian variant's spread to the most dominant variant in the UK, the Health Secretary has said. Matt Hancock told Sky News that the latest advice the Government has received is that the so-called Delta mutation first identified in India is 40 per cent more transmissible than the previously dominant Kent variant. - Sunday Telegraph



With foreign summer holiday plans in disarray following weeks of uncertainty over popular European destinations, more tourists are scrapping plans for this year - and saving up for a bigger trip in 2022. "We have seen a surge in bookings for safaris to Kenya and Tanzania in 2022," says Liddy Pleasants from adventure travel agency Stubborn Mule. "Not only that but real bonanza-style North America road trips lasting two or three weeks. People have saved their holiday money for two years and they are determined to do something memorable." - Guardian



Mining colossus Anglo American has been accused of "greenwashing" by the secretive research outfit Boatman Capital, which claims that a group of South African coal mines it will spin off this week are "worthless". In its largest attack since targeting UK defence contractor Babcock nearly three years ago, Boatman alleges Thungela Resources' clean-up costs could be three times greater than the amounts disclosed to investors. - Sunday Telegraph



Grant Shapps has intervened to prevent a Mayfair hedge fund manager from cashing in on take off and landing slots at Heathrow owned by Flybe worth tens of millions of pounds. The Transport Secretary supported a decision by the Civil Aviation Authority to revoke Flybe's operating licence on Thursday. Had the decision not been rubber-stamped, Lucien Farrell of Cyrus Capital would have been free to transfer slots at Heathrow airport to a new company hoping to resurrect the Flybe brand after June 3. - Sunday Telegraph



The boss of Klarna has warned the Swedish buy now, pay later giant is likely to pick the US for its stock market listing, dealing a blow to Rishi Sunak's efforts to turn London into a fintech hub. "It's more likely that Klarna will list in the US," said Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Klarna's co-founder and chief executive. "The majority of my investors would say that's where you usually list [...] but are we going to consider London? And are there elements of how you guys are thinking about changing the rules that could make it more attractive? Absolutely." - Sunday Times



Britain's two national pharma champions are locked in a legal battle over royalties from a top-selling cancer drug. Astra Zeneca has launched a court claim against Glaxo Smith Kline, saying it should have a greater share of sales from its rival's drug, Zejula, a treatment for ovarian and other forms of cancer. A source suggested the claim's value could reach hundreds of millions of pounds. - Sunday Times



Bankers based in London are digging in their heels at being asked to relocate to other European hubs after Brexit. Staff at some of the City's largest companies are quitting their jobs rather than move abroad, as alternatives including Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam are proving less than alluring. - Financial Mail on Sunday



Sir Martin Sorrell has signalled a major summer surge for Britain's economy by declaring that the advertising market is the strongest he has seen it in his 45 years in business. The marketing guru predicted the 'ridiculous' growth in advertising spending by companies - seen as a key bellwether for the wider economy - may well continue for the rest of the year and into 2022. - Financial Mail on Sunday



One of Britain's top restaurant bosses has warned Ministers of a 'Doomsday scenario' for hospitality businesses unless all major Covid restrictions are removed as planned on June 21. Jeremy King, whose London empire includes the celebrity haunts The Wolseley and The Delaunay, said many restaurants would 'throw in the towel' without good news on a series of key Covid-19 rules. The Government is facing a 'perfect storm' of crucial decisions this week, he said. - Financial Mail on Sunday




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WARREN

Police searching for woman involved in fatal shooting at 7-Eleven

Warren police searching for woman involved in fatal shooting at 7-Eleven
Some people really know how to turn off all worries and enjoy little things even if they have big life challenges. I had personal reasons to spend some time in the emergency room this last week and it occurred to me how normal things feel, despite all. There was someone with a broken leg, someone with kidney stones and others that came in after a traffic accident. So much energy going on in there. In the middle of the chaos, I saw this lady that sat with a large book sipping her coffee and just waiting for her turn. I love the way she reacted, no matter how uncomfortable the situation you are in, you can always close off for a minute or two to find a moment of peace.

There was a time in my life when I spent most of my work week in different hospitals, coordinating patients and insurance companies for tourists in hospitals. Translating, calling family or relatives in different countries when there had been an accident. I did this in Greece, Tenerife, Thailand and here in Mallorca. It was hard sometimes, but it felt good to do something useful. I remember one guy specially; he was only 17 and travelling with 5 friends to Mallorca for the first time. They did not prebook the hotel and ended up in Cala dOr. The first night even before hitting the town, the guy slipped in the bathroom and broke his spleen, things got complicated and he spent 2 months in hospital before he could be sent home. Every day we went over to visit him and this was before mobile phones, so we did bring him books to read. What a way to spend a summer when he should have been out to make new memories with his friends.

Speaking about making new memories. It has not been easy for the people who love and are used to travel several times a year in 2020. I meet Helena who has been working in Mallorca for the past years in a real estate agent in Palma. Helena and her husband Peter Hjalmarsson had little idea what was coming, when they promised each other that 2020 would be a year when they would travel a lot. To quench the urge to travelling, they began to travel in the imagination - now they offer others the opportunity to join them on their travels- the concept is called Vaycay in a Box.

The whole idea started as Covid hit hard in Sweden in the beginning of 2020 and they had to cancel their lifelong dream vacation to Jamaica. The couple felt sad, stuck, and bored with sitting home watching Netflix. We decided to make a roleplay and make a concept that would transfer us to Jamaica for the weekend. They set up for the weekend with the right music, movies, recipes, necessary props and off they went  even though they were still in their home.

Soon we will land in Kingston, Jamaicas capital says the voice in the introductory film and already there the travel nerves are tickled. Anyone who orders a Vacay in a box home will receive a cardboard filled suitcase with props for the trip, a ticket, and a roadmap. The trip is planned as a weekend from Friday to Sunday and begins by logging in with your ticket number and then guided through the day programme step by step.

The trip to Jamaica begins, for example, with a welcome drink where straws, colourful umbrellas and banana chips for the drink are found in the box while the drink itself you prepare according to the recipe. The box also has a rasta hat with dreadlocks to put on your head and a Jamaican flag to hang on the wall for extra atmosphere.

It follows with a packed weekend programme with ready-made music lists, making the souvenir rasta bracelet, a language lesson in patwah with the local language, a dance lesson in a dance hall, breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with spices from the box, tips on feature films to watch in the evening and a training programme signed by the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

In addition to Jamaica, Vacay in a Box also has holiday boxes that take you on city weekends to the alleys of Madrid and a special box to the holiday paradise of Mallorca. Trips to Costa Rica, Istanbul and Lake Garda will also be released soon - and in the autumn you will be able to join a spectacular camping trip through Kyrgyzstan. The plan is for a new box to arrive once a month or so.

The idea is that the trips should work just as well for those who want to dream their way out into the world, as for those who want a more fun way to do research before their upcoming trip, says Helena. For more information visit the website: www.vacayinabox.com
Moving to Italy was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had. My dad was in the 
FILE - In this March 17, 2021 file photo, travelers walk through the Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City. On Friday, June 4, 2021, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting that airlines recently met to discuss the risks and liability of carrying passengers vaccinated against COVID-19. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Holiday World & Splashin Safari officials ask for your thoughts and prayers for the guest and her family, as well as for Team Members who were onsite, the park said in a statement.
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More than 400 civil rights activists, including John Lewis, C.T. Vivian and Diane Nash, rode interstate buses through the segregated south in protest in the early 1960s, hoping to draw attention. The protests were met with violent mobs and arrests, but also the national headlines they were looking for.
The suspect, a Black man between the ages of 30 and 50, fled the scene and remains at large as of Sunday. He is described as having a mustache and goatee and a stocky build. The man was wearing a blue zip-up hoodie, gray sweatpants with multiple pockets and gray New Balance running shoes. He also had gloves and a face mask with him.
Television actor Pearl V Puri has been trending for all the wrong reasons as he has been accused of raping a minor on the sets. Many from the industry came to support the actor and claimed that he is the most gentle person in the industry and cant do such a heinous crime.

It was after Ekta Kapoors Instagram post that celebs came forward to raise their voices in support of the Naagin actor. Ekta has called it 'absolute low in human depravity'.

Ekta shared a photo with Pearl and said that the survivor's mother told her that Pearl was innocent. "Will I support a child molesteror a molester of any kind? But what I witnessed from last night to now, was the absolute low in human depravity. How can humanity go to this level? How can people who are upset with each other, drag a third person into their own fight? How can a human being take on another human being and do this? After various calls with the childs/girls mother, who openly said that Pearl was not involved and its her husband trying to create stories to keep her child and prove that a working mother on a set cannot take care of her kid," she said.

If this is true then it is wrong on so many levels! Using an extremely important movement like Me Too frivolously, to get your own agendas met with and mentally torturing a child and making an innocent person guilty. I have no right to decide, the courts will decide who is right & wrong. My opinion only comes from what the girls mother said to me last night & that is - Pearl is innocent and it is very very sad if people are using various tactics to prove working mothers are unable to take care of their children because there are predators on the set," she added.

People on Twitter are offended by Ektas stand on the whole issue and are bashing for manipulating the case. They said that she is supporting the actor because the incident happened on her sets. They also are slamming the artists who blindly followed Ekta and have been tweeting almost the same thing in support of Pearl but they should have waited for the truth to come out.

Here are the reactions:

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What do you have to say about these peoples opinions? Let us know in the comments section below.


The FAA said the plane took off from a flight school at Indianapolis International Airport about 30 minutes before it crashed. Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating.
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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
I was amazed to see that big tiger sharks didnt evacuate even as the eye of the hurricane was bearing down on them, it was as if they didnt even flinch, Neil Hammerschlag of the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School said in a statement.
The parties also agreed to cooperate on identifying further opportunities to invest in the countrys lithium sector.Argentina is nestled in the lithium triangle, alongside Bolivia and Chile, where more than 70% of the worlds lithium reserves lie beneath its salt flats.The current Argentinian administration under President Alberto Fernandez is committed to developing the country's lithium resources.Argentinas government announced in early April that it had set up the Mesa Nacional del Litio roundtable in collaboration with the nations lithium-rich provincial governments of Jujuy, Catamarca and Salta. The roundtable is tasked with the development of lithium exploitation and its industrialization.We are working in Argentina on various projects and we are supporting Argentina's industrial development to allow the country to be one of the key global lithium producers. We are committed to working alongside Argentina on the sustainable development of the industry, Ganfeng Lithium chairman Li Liangbing said.Argentina has an enormous geological potential, which is being explored jointly by both countries. This will allow us to position ourselves to the changes that will take place over the next decade, Argentina mining secretary Albert Hensel said.[I believe that] 80% of lithium production will be destined to electromobility, and this agreement will allow us to satisfy this demand," he said.Ganfeng Lithium partnered with junior miner Lithium Americas for the development of the Cauchari-Olaroz lithium brine project in Argentina.The project is on track to start production in mid-2022, which once operational is expected to produce 40,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate equivalent. Ganfeng Lithium owns a 51% stake in the mine and Lithium Americas the remaining 49%.Lithium prices have surged globally since the beginning of the year due to tightness in supply.The persistence of this tightness has supported lithium prices in the seaborne Asian market, a key consuming region of the ultralight metal.Fastmarkets assessment of the lithium hydroxide monohydrate, 56.5% LiOH.H2O min, battery grade, spot price, cif China, Japan & Korea was at $12.50-14 per kg on May 13, up by 1.92% from $12.50-13.50 per kg one week earlier.
HERAT  Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov, discussed investment in Afghanistans marble exports to Turkmenistan.

The Afghan delegation provided comprehensive information to their Turkmen counterparts on the $200 Billion worth of various resources and rare stones in Afghanistan, and called the export of the stones significant in strengthening and expansion of trade between Kabul and Ashgabat, considering the regional countries, particularly Turkmenistans demand for marble.

Highlighting the construction projects for building new cities in Turkmenistan, the Turkmen delegation discussed their requirement for marble and expressed Turkmenistans full readiness to procure marble from Afghanistan.

The two sides emphasized the importance of marble supply and demand in the two countries trade expansion and agreed to sign an agreement on Afghanistans marble export to Turkmenistan.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli police on Sunday detained two members of a prominent family in the contested Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem who led protests against attempts by Jewish settlers to evict dozens of Palestinian families from their homes in the area. The twin brother and sister were released later in the day.

The arrests of Muna and Muhammad al-Kurd, 23, came a day after police detained a well-known Al Jazeera reporter covering a demonstration in the neighborhood. The reporter, Givara Budeiri, was held for four hours before she was released and sent to a hospital to treat a broken hand. It was not clear how her hand was broken, but her boss blamed police mistreatment.

Earlier this year, heavy-handed police actions in Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of east Jerusalem fueled weeks of unrest that helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Those tensions are simmering again  and could flare anew if Israeli ultranationalists follow through on plans to march Thursday through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. Israeli police were expected to hold consultations on whether the parade, which was originally set to take place when the war erupted on May 10, would be allowed to proceed.

Renewed violence could complicate the task of embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political opponents, who formed a fragile and disparate coalition last week, of passing a parliamentary vote of confidence required to replace him and take office. A close ally of Netanyahu oversees the police.

In Sheikh Jarrah, Jewish settlers have been waging a decades-long campaign to evict the families from densely populated Palestinian neighborhoods just outside the walls of the Old City. The area is one of the most sensitive parts of east Jerusalem, which is home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and which Israel captured in 1967 and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Israel views the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Settler groups and Israeli officials say the Sheikh Jarrah dispute is merely about real estate. But Palestinians say they are victims of a discriminatory system. The settlers are using a 1970 law that allows Jews to reclaim formerly Jewish properties lost during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation, a right denied to Palestinians who lost property in the same conflict.

The al-Kurd family in Sheikh Jarrah has been at the forefront of months of protests against the planned evictions.

Early Sunday, police took Muna al-Kurd, 23, from her home.

Her father, Nabil al-Kurd, said police stormed the house in large numbers and in a barbaric manner.

I was sleeping, and I found them in my bedroom, he said. Police then searched the house and arrested his daughter. Video posted on social media showed her being taken away in handcuffs.

The reason for the arrest is that we say that we will not leave our homes, and they do not want anyone to express his opinion, they do not want anyone to tell the truth, he said. They want to silence us.

Police also searched for her brother, Muhammad, but he was not there. Later, he turned himself in to Jerusalem police.

The siblings' lawyer, Nasser Odeh, told journalists outside the police station that his clients were accused of disturbing public security and participation in nationalistic riots.

On Sunday evening, Muna al-Kurd was released. But before she was freed, police briefly clashed with a crowd outside the station, throwing stun grenades. Later Sunday, Muna posted on Instagram that her brother had been released as well.

The arrests came a day after Al Jazeera's Budeiri, wearing a protective vest marked press, was dragged away by police at a protest in Sheikh Jarrah.

According to witnesses, police asked Budeiri for identification. Colleagues said police did not allow her to return to her car to retrieve her government-issued press card. Instead, they said she was surrounded by police, handcuffed and dragged into a vehicle with darkened windows.

In video footage posted online, Budeiri can be seen in handcuffs, while clutching her notebook and shouting, Dont touch, enough, enough.

Israeli police said entrance to the neighborhood is limited due to the tense situation, and only accredited journalists are allowed in. They said that when Budeiri was unable to provide her press pass, police removed her. They added that Budeiri was arrested after becoming hostile and pushing an officer.

The Israel Police will allow the freedom of press coverage, provided that these are done in accordance (with) the law while maintaining public order," according to a statement. The statement did not reference her broken hand.

Budeiri was held for four hours before she was released and sent to the hospital, said Walid Omary, the Jerusalem bureau chief for Al Jazeera. In addition to the broken hand, Omary said Budeiri also suffered bruises on her body. He said her cameramans video camera was also heavily damaged by police.

As part of her release, Budeiri is banned from returning to the neighborhood for 15 days, Omary said.

They are attacking the journalists in east Jerusalem because they dont want them to continue covering whats happening inside Sheikh Jarrah," he said.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists working for international news organizations, said the treatment of Budeiri was the latest in a long line of heavy-handed tactics by Israeli police against the media in recent weeks. It said journalists have been hit by stun grenades, tear gas, sponge-tipped bullets and putrid-smelling water.

"We call on police to punish the officers who needlessly injured an experienced journalist and broke professional equipment. And once again, we urge police to uphold Israels pledges to respect freedom of the press and to allow journalists to do their jobs freely and without fear of injury and intimidation," the FPA said.

Last month's war was triggered by weeks of clashes in Jerusalem between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint holy site.

The war erupted on May 10 when Hamas, calling itself the defender of the holy city, launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem. Some 254 people were killed in Gaza and 13 in Israel before a cease-fire took effect on May 21.

Al Jazeeras acting director general, Mostefa Souag, noted that Budeiri's detention came after Israel's May 15 war-time destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local office of Al Jazeera. The tower also housed The Associated Press' office.

Israel has alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating from the building. The AP has said it has no indication of a purported Hamas presence and has called for an independent investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The Rev. James Altman calls himself a lowly priest serving a blue-collar city in western Wisconsin. But when his bishop demanded his resignation  after a series of divisive remarks about politics and the pandemic  Altman refused to oblige and has since raised more than $640,000 from his conservative supporters to defend himself.

While not unprecedented, a Catholic priests refusal to abide by a bishops call to resign is certainly rare. Altmans case, which has garnered national attention and made him a celebrity of sorts among conservative Catholics, has further fueled the divide between them and those urging a more progressive, inclusive church.

Altman, pastor of St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church in La Crosse, first came into prominence before the 2020 election with a fiery video on YouTube.

You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat, said Altman, admonishing people to repent of your support of that party and its platform or face the fires of hell.

He reiterated that sentiment recently while also criticizing vaccination efforts and restrictions on church gatherings related to COVID-19.

On May 23, Altman announced during a homily that the Diocese of La Crosse's bishop, William Patrick Callahan, had asked for his resignation as pastor of St. James.

They want my head now for speaking that truth, Altman told the congregation. I, a lowly priest, apparently have created enemies among some of the hierarchies.

The diocese issued a statement the next day confirming Callahans request and Altmans refusal to step away, and said it would begin the process to remove him according to Catholic law.

Altman said he would fight the process but needed money to hire lawyers. His supporters across the U.S. responded swiftly.

LifeFunder, a crowdfunding site for conservative Christians, set out to raise $100,000 for Altman; by Thursday it had raised more than $322,000. GiveSendGo, another Christian crowdfunding site, has raised more than $326,000.

As we all know, Fr. Altman has been subject to diabolical persecution just for doing his job as a shepherd to his flock, says a message on GiveSendGo.

Altman didnt respond to a message The Associated Press left at the church office. Videos posted by LifeFunder feature him railing against the Catholic hierarchy, calling bishops who dont support him cowards and a brood of vipers, and labeling liberals left-wing fascist Nazis.

As for the fundraising, he said: I never think of myself as great, but what it does tell me is the people are saying that they need to hear the truth spoken.

Most of Callahan's fellow bishops across the U.S. have not commented publicly about the case, though one of them  Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas  has tweeted support for Altman.

Altman is in trouble for speaking the truth, Strickland tweeted. He inspires many to keep the faith during these dark days. Let us pray for him.

Conversely, Faithful America, which describes itself as an online community of Christians, launched a petition urging Altmans removal from the ministry due to his remarks about the pandemic.

Fr. Altman is endangering not only his own parishioners but every essential worker they meet, and should be removed ... before he can risk even one more life, the petition said.

David Cloutier, an assistant professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of America, said via email that Altman is clearly far out of bounds in the extent to which he is no longer articulating specific Catholic teaching."

He has instead become a conservative commentator on cultural issues on which there is either no specifically Catholic position or where the priest might well be at odds with Catholic principles, Cloutier added.

La Crosse is a city of 50,000 on the Mississippi River about 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Minneapolis. Altman's church was built in 1901; its red brick walls and towering dome are a local landmark.

Its congregation has been divided over Altman.

Carol Patterson attended Mass at St. James for 50 years until Altmans style and sermons drove her to another church last year. Though she was deeply involved in church activities, she said he never bothered to learn her name.

Leaving was a tough decision; Patterson and her daughter were both married in St. James and her late husband was buried under its aegis.

I just didnt agree with the things he (Altman) was doing, Patterson said. The Democrats go to hell, encouraging people not to get masks, not to get the shots. ... I loved St. James, but I just couldnt do it anymore. It was raising my blood pressure.

Monica Mohan, has made the 80-mile drive from her home in Fall Creek to La Crosse twice to attend Mass with Altman. She said he is true to Catholic principles and now faces pressure from a church hierarchy that has been trying to water down the faith.

I have never seen a priest so joyful when hes distributing Holy Communion," she said. This parish is his family. To rip a father away from his family when he has not taught anything contrary to the faith is inconceivable. Its despicable.

If Altman persists in his defiance, the legal procedures  dictated by the Catholic churchs Code of Canon Law  could be lengthy.

According to William Daniel, a professor of canon law at Catholic University, a priest asked by his bishop to resign has the option of submitting a defense. The bishop then consults with two other pastors and issues a decree removing the priest if he determines that step is still warranted.

If the priest thinks the bishops decision is unfair, Daniel said, he can bring the case to the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy, which can uphold or change the bishops decision. A further Vatican review is possible if the priest or the bishop disagrees with the Congregations decision,

While requests for the resignation of a priest are not uncommon, its rare that they lead to a high-profile refusal to resign, Daniel said.

One of the few such cases in the U.S. came in 2002, when a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston refused to step down over an accusation that he sexually abused a child three decades earlier. The Rev. D. George Spagnolia took his case to the Vatican but was unable to overturn his suspension. He died in 2008.

More recently, the Rev. Frank Pavone, an anti-abortion activist who heads Priests for Life, appealed to the Vatican over restrictions placed on his ministry in 2011 by his bishop in Amarillo, Texas. Pavone succeeded in getting the restrictions eased, relocated away from Texas and remains active with Priests for Life.

Pavone strongly supports Altmans right to resist the resignation request.

Bishops err, and sadly, some -- as in my case -- badly abuse their authority, Pavone said via email. We need to be able to defend ourselves."

____

Crary reported from Carbondale, Colorado.
NEW LONDON  New London police say they are investigating a shooting late Saturday on Williams and Bristol streets.

Police officials said after officers arrived on scene, they located evidence supporting the initial report of shots fired, including multiple shell casings beings.
Flynn later said his alarming comment had been misinterpreted, but the die had already been cast, much like it was at the same event when a Trump-supporting Texas congressman downplayed the seriousness of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Markus Schreiber / Associated Press

NEW HAVEN  The finale of Ray Donovan is filming at 50 Union Ave. in New Haven from June 7 through June 10.

The critically acclaimed series Ray Donovan, starring Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight, is about Ray Donovan, a professional fixer for the rich and famous in LA.
The coronavirus pandemic is not over yet, experts say, and when it does end it wont be a hard date but instead a prolonged transition toward recovery.

Rather than a specific, arbitrarily determined end point, the pandemic will die in phases, according to Rick Martinello, Yale New Haven Healths director of infectious diseases.

A tornado, or a volcano or an earthquake are all finite incidents that occur at a point in time, he said. Pandemics cannot really be thought of in that way.

In emergency management, there are phases of preparedness, response, and then there's a recovery phase, Martinello said. So even once it is over, it's going to be that transition.

We may be in that transition period now, from response to recovery, he said. But, if so, it's not black and white.

We don't have clear distinctions of when we're transitioning from one phase of our response into a recovery position, Martinello said. It kind of blends because of the prolonged time these events occur over.

Perception and politics, too, play roles in determining whether or not the world is in the midst of a pandemic. Politicians and the populace, along with the scientific community, will decide when the pandemic ceases to be a concern.

It's impossible to separate politics from anything that rises to the level of being a national or international health crisis, Martinello said.

Official declarations

The coronavirus outbreak became an official pandemic when the World Health Organization declared it so on March 11, 2020.

At some point, there will be a formal declaration that the pandemic is over, Martinello said.

Regardless of an official declaration, when the pandemic ends is as much a matter of perception as hard, scientific fact, experts say. The consensus is that, to be called a pandemic, the outbreak must be widespread on all five continents, which is still the case.

But Martinello said, locally at least, we may be shifting from one phase to another.

It goes from a pandemic state to this virus being endemic in the human population, he said, though it may be too early to determine if thats the case.

Viruses, particularly respiratory viruses, often wax and wane seasonally, and Martinello said there is concern that when students get back, you know, into the classrooms in September, you know, are we going to see another wave starting.

What are we going to see at that point? We don't know, he said. And so I think that's one very good reason why it's premature today and tomorrow to declare that this is mission accomplished quite yet.

Kevin Dieckhaus, chief of infectious disease for UConn Health, raised similar concerns. Its nearly summer now, and Connecticuts population, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, is spending much of the time outside. Variants are still spreading, and new variants may emerge. There is talk of the need for booster shots, and if people will consent to getting them so soon after the initial vaccine injections.

Nobody knows, Dieckhaus said, what will happen next fall and next autumn, when we are living in closer quarters.

Pandemic perception

The human metapneumovirus was first identified in 2001. It is now known to cause respiratory disease in people of all ages. Everyone you know has, most likely, been infected by it.

Prior to that nobody knew anything about it. It was yet to be discovered, Martinello said. After that, as the months went on and people started looking, this virus was not only found everywhere across the globe, but they found evidence that, in some specimens, they could find it from the 1950s.

The global medical community had, in that case, identified a virus with which everyone had been infected. But Martinello said we never declared that to be a pandemic, because this virus was just something that was already present, that now was finally described.

Dieckhaus said these definitions are more designed to deal with illnesses that have some perception, a manifestation that people are noticing.

Epidemics and pandemics are typically diseases that were aware of and experiencing, he said.

The death rate from human metapneumovirus is, of course, far lower than the death rate from the coronavirus. But the issue of when a pandemic begins or ends is, Dieckhaus agreed, something of a philosophical question.

To some degree, the pandemic is over when people collectively decide its over. As a culture, we may have decided that the pandemic ended when the CDC lifted the national mask mandate.

The masking mandates seem to be the quote unquote end, said Dieckhaus. In terms of there being a litmus test of pandemic present versus pandemic not present, its much more shades of gray.

AIDS is another example of a disease that, while never officially declared a pandemic, has widespread transmission and has never been completely overcome, though it has become much more survivable.

This is a nomenclature issue, and, and there is imprecision here, because we would never refer to HIV as being pandemic 40 years later, but frankly, nothing's changed, Martinello said. It's still being transmitted on five continents, and the human population is still not immune to it.

Among Connecticut residents who are not medical professionals or infectious disease academics, there is some caution.

I'm not so sure we're out of the woods yet and I'd hate to screw it up now, said Sue Sweeny of Stamford. We are at 100 COVID hospitalizations -- same as last September. Anyone remember what happened between last September and now?

Elinor Pianin of West Hartford would agree. Not by a long shot, she said. Just spoke to a friend yesterday and I said, What is in store come flu season? People are too anxious to declare a holiday.

Danburys Michael Thompson said, My thoughts are yes, generally, when asked if the pandemic was over, though he did offer a qualification. COVID is surely not. I think it will be with us forever, which is why it's so important for everyone to be vaccinated.

Global vs. local

Lyn Burr Brignoli lives in Greenwich, but she often spends a lot of time in Ghana, where she also feels totally at home. Brignoli is fully vaccinated, but has postponed a planned trip back to Africa because of slow vaccination rates.

In the rural north of Ghana, for example, where I am also totally at home, they still have not received the vaccine, she said. My Ghanaian friend, Bishop Vincent Sowah Boi Nai in Yendi told me he received one shot, but the government ran out of the vaccine and he doesnt know when he will receive a second one. The problem is both lack of supply and a wobbly distribution system.

It is for this reason Brignoli is unwilling to say that the pandemic is over and done.

I am fairly confident here in my little corner of the world, but I am not complacent, she said. COVID-19 will not be over until it is over  for everybody.

From a technical standpoint, Dieckhaus said metrics will matter in the determination. Hospitalization rates, infection rates, deaths, vaccinations and more will lead academics and politicians to declare, at some point, that the pandemic is officially a thing of the past.

There are enough countries in enough continents still dealing with high infection and hospitalization rates so that Dieckhaus said definitively, this is not under control yet.

In that sense we are not out of the pandemic, he said, though our local situation is substantially improved due to high vaccine rates.

Even locally, though, its important to note that COVID is not likely to disappear completely any time soon.

I dont think were going to make the United States a place with zero transmission, at least for a long time, Dieckhaus said.

Still, when asked to say definitively whether or not the pandemic was over, neither Martinello not Dieckhaus minced words.

I wouldn't say it now, Martinello said. But yeah, that is going to be what occurs at some point. We put a lot of thought on the front end of, Is a pandemic occurring, but it's one of those things that maybe we don't realize it's over until it's in our rear view mirror to an extent.

Dieckhaus was more blunt. He said the pandemic is not over, though its certainly improved.

I do think thats premature, he said. You can quote me on that.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory throughout Hartford County Sunday morning through Monday evening.

The NWS predicts a high of around 94 degrees today and on Monday with lows near the low 70s. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illness to occur.

Despite the heat, people have gone to the different state parks causing DEEP to close Rocky Neck State Park (East Lyme), Bigelow Hollow State Park (Union) and Millers Pond State Park (Haddam) due to the parking being at full capacity.

And more spots joined them throughout the day, including Hammonasset Beach State Park (Madison), the Pattaconk Recreation Area (Chester, Haddam), Wadsworth Falls State Park (Middletown), Gardner Lake State Park (Salem), Mount Tom State Park (Litchfield), Silver Sands State Park (Milford), Haddam Meadows State Park (Haddam), Black Rock State Park (Watertown), Squantz Pond State Park (New Fairfield) and Burr Pond State Park (Torrington).

The NWS said to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relative sand neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

They also said to take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside by being prepared. When possible, reschedule strenuous actives to early morning or evening; know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke; and wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments to reduce risk during outdoor work.

The heat advisory is not in effect for cities closer to the coast, but the temperatures are still high. The NWS predicts a high near 90 degrees for Sunday and around 82 degrees on Monday, with lows around the mid-60s.

However, there is an air quality alert until 10 p.m. today for southern Fairfield, Southern Middlesex, Southern New Haven and Southern New London counties. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has labeled the air quality for today moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Staff reporter Leah Brennan contributed to this story.
WEST HAVEN  Police have charged former councilwoman and bakery owner Louise Martone and her husband with crimes related to selling drugs out of the eatery after a months-long investigation.

Sgt. Patrick Buturla said the departments street crime unit launched an investigation into prescription oxycodone pills being illegally sold from Louises Homemade Food and Baked Goods  a bakery located at 4 Ocean Avenue  in December 2020.

The months-long investigation revealed that the owner, Louise Martone, age 52, and her husband, Ronald Martone, age 60, were selling these Oxycodone pills from the business, he said in a statement.

Louise Martone is a former West Haven councilwoman who was head of the finance committee until she a lost re-election in 2019. When she opened her dual deli-bakery in 2015, she was hailed by West Haveners for bringing Italian pastries to the area, which before people would have traveled to New Haven for.

Police said they obtained warrants for the arrests of both Louise and Robert Martone, as well as a search warrant for the bakery at the end of the investigation, which were executed on June 4.

A search of the business revealed numerous items of evidentiary value to include Oxycodone pills and cash, Buturla said.

Louise Martone was taken into custody without incident and charged with four counts of selling narcotics, four counts of the illegal sale of prescription drugs, according to police. She was also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sale of narcotics and one count of conspiring to illegally sell prescription drugs, police said.

Ronald Martone turned himself in later, according to Buturla. He was charged with one count of conspiring to sell narcotics and another count of conspiring to illegally sell prescription drugs, Buturla added.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP)  Fikret Grabovica wants to see at least some remorse from wartime Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic when U.N. judges deliver their final verdict for genocide and other war crimes committed during Bosnias 1990s ethnic carnage.

Grabovica's 11-year-old daughter, Irma, was among the 10,000 civilians killed in the relentless shelling and sniping that Serb troops under Mladic inflicted on the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.

But an apology is unlikely from the general known as the Butcher of Bosnia for his ruthless campaigns of mass murder and expulsion.

Nearly three decades after Europes worst conflict since World War II, a U.N. war crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands, is set on Tuesday to close the case against Mladic, the most notorious figure in the 1992-1995 war that killed more than 100,000 people and left millions homeless.

If only he would admit that he made a mistake, that he was wrong," said Grabovica. "But that wont happen.

The tribunal sentenced Mladic in 2017 to life imprisonment, after convicting him of masterminding crimes throughout the 1992-95 Bosnian War, including genocide in the eastern enclave of Srebrenica in 1995, where his forces murdered more than 8,000 Muslim Bosnian men and boys.

Mladic appealed, but the case has been repeatedly delayed by his ill health and, more recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many hope the final ruling will bring closure for the victims' families and drive home the message that there is no impunity for war crimes.

Sofia Stolk, a researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Institute in The Hague, said the final verdict is important because it closes the tribunal's last key case and because it concerns genocide, the deliberate killing of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of its destruction.

Stolk said the reaction in the Balkans to this and other war crimes trials is predictably mixed.

It's both received as having an impact on transitional justice and to contribute to justice for the victims of the crimes committed there and  its also been regarded as a political trial ... mastered by the West, Stolk said.

Diametrically opposing views over Mladic's wartime legacy reflect deep ethnic divisions that still exist in Bosnia so many years after the war ended with a U.S.-brokered peace agreement. For Bosniaks, mostly Muslim, he is a villain and war criminal. Bosnian Serbs, however, still worship their wartime commander as a martyr and hero.

I cannot accept any verdict, said Serb war veteran Milije Radovic from the eastern Bosnian town of Foca. For me, he is an icon. And for the Serb people, he is an icon.

Nobody can convict him of anything, especially not The Hague tribunal, Radovic said. He is one of us. He is the victim of an international conspiracy by mafioso politicians. He is our man, a man from here, who respected the rules of war.

Posters, monuments and painted images of Mladic can be seen in the Serb-dominated half of Bosnia called Republika Srpska, where many believe Mladic's conviction is the result of fabrication and Western support for rival Bosniaks and Croats.

While charged with war crimes in 1995 by the Yugoslav war crimes court, Mladic went into hiding and evaded justice until 2011, when he was caught and handed over to The Hague from neighboring Serbia by its then-ruling pro-Western government.

Ahead of the final verdict, Mladic's lawyers have sought acquittal on charges that included orchestrating Europe's only post-WWII genocide in Srebrenica, and involvement in numerous other atrocities, including the siege of Sarajevo.

On the other hand, prosecutors weren't content that Mladic was convicted for genocide only in Srebrenica and not also in other areas where Bosnian Serb forces under his command tortured, imprisoned, killed and expelled non-Serbs.

One such location is Prijedor in northwest Bosnia, where residents last week commemorated over 100 children killed by Bosnian Serbs. At the time, Bosniaks and Croats were rounded up and forced to wear white ribbons before being sent to prison camps  scenes that reminded many of Nazi crimes.

Mladic's son, Darko Mladic, insisted in an interview with The Associated Press that his father is innocent and that his rights have been violated during the trial. The only legally appropriate decision would be to annul the initial conviction, he said.

If the law is to be respected, he should be set free to return home, Darko Mladic said. I never doubted him because I know him so well, I know his character.

Now 79 and in frail health, Mladic was known as a ruthless and fiery commander during the war, who personally led the Bosnian Serbs as they took control over large swaths of Bosnia to create a separate mini-state. Mladic remained defiant during the trial, lashing out at the tribunal as an anti-Serb instrument.

Standing by a monument for the 1601 children who died in the siege of Sarajevo, Grabovica said he could not understand such brutality.

That he would act like that, issue orders to kill innocent children who had just come into this world, who just started to dream their dreams, he said. My little girl was killed like that, who was only 11 and who could not have been guilty of anything,

In Srebrenica, thousands of white tombstones in Islamic tradition mark the graves of the massacre victims. who were rounded up by Mladic's troops when they seized the enclave that was under U.N. protection at the time. Their remains are still being excavated from dozens of mass graves.

If he could come here now to see these gravestones, everything would be clear to him," said Djulija Jusic, who lost her two sons and 33 other relatives in the massacre.

He should spend the rest of his life in prison. I dont wish to do him any harm myself. All I wish is that God may let him see the grave of his son as I am watching the graves of my two sons, she said.

___

Jovana Gec and Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague, Netherlands, and Sabina Niksic in Sarajevo, Bosnia, contributed to this story.
WARMINSTER, Pa. (AP)  William Dobbs didnt miss the boat.

But the ship the young soldier was assigned to take from North Africa to the China-Burma-India theatre during World War II, His Majestys Transport Rajula, had to turn back to port. It couldnt keep up with its sister ship, HMT Rohna, in a convoy crossing the Mediterranean.

Too many barnacles attached to its hull and engine trouble slowing the ship down might have saved Dobbs life.

As he looks back on his war experiences, Dobbs  a North Jersey native now living in Warminster  took time to remember the 124 members of his 31st Signal and Construction Battalion who were among 1,015 American soldiers killed when a Nazi-guided missile sunk the Rohna on Nov. 26, 1943.

The ships sinking resulted in the largest number of American soldiers killed at sea during World War II and would become known as the first casualty of a radio-guided missile ever launched against the U.S.  once declassified decades later.

Rohnas fate shrouded in secrecy

The remote-controlled Henschel HS 293 bomb, released by a German airplane, was the first of its kind. The Allied command didnt want word of the terrifying device to get out, less it demoralize American and British forces fighting the Nazis, so they classified the attack and made the survivors keep the secret, under threat of court martial.

The history of the Rhona wasnt declassified until the 1990s and wasnt really known by the American public until Charles Osgood reported it on his radio show on Veterans Day, 1993.

The Rohna, a British cargo ship that was to transport American soldiers to Southeast Asia, was bombed by the Nazis with a guided missile on Nov. 26, 1943. More than 1,000 soldiers were killed or drowned in the attack which was kept classified for 50 years, historians say.

But, some were determined not to let it fade into history.

Caitlin McHugh, of Philadelphia, Dobbs granddaughter, researched the Rohnas history for a paper she wrote as a student at Cornell University, Unraveling the Secret Behind the HMT Rohna. It was published by Ezras Archives, a Cornell Historical Society publication, in spring 2011.

For 50 years from 1943 to 1993, families never learned the fate of their soldiers who went down with the ship and survivors needing medical and other veteran benefits had long battles back home trying to prove that their war injuries were legitimate while keeping the secret about the vessels sinking, McHugh noted in her report.

Now the Rohna Survivors Memorial Association is trying to find survivors and make contact with the families of those killed. Some 104 Pennsylvanians died, another 79 from New Jersey and three from Delaware, according to records. New York saw 133 causalities.

Most of the bodies of the soldiers were never recovered; there were no funeral services or burials  the boys just never came home, said Jack Ballo, who is producing a documentary, Rohna: Classified, about the ships sinking. The South River, New Jersey, filmmaker got started researching the ship after finding letters in his attic that were sent home by Joseph Pisinski, his wifes great-uncle who was one of the soldiers killed.

The films outreach project is also working to identify families of the casualties.

According to the researchers, 35 Nazi planes targeted the 24 ships in the convoy heading to India that day, but the remote-controlled bombing of the Rohna was the major tragedy. Air power to protect the ships was missing due to preparations for the D-Day invasion.

Worst 35 days of my life on that ship

Dobbs said it was his good fortune during the war to be sent back to port twice.

The Liberty Ship Patrick Henry that was supposed to transport him and other troops to Africa from Newport News, Virginia, in October 1943, was late getting started across the dangerous, U-boat infested Atlantic Ocean, so it had to head back to port to wait for a new convoy to form.

By the time Dobbs got to Africa 11 days later, the manifest for the Rohna going to India was set. He was assigned on the Rajula, its sister ship.

Both were operated by the British India Steam Navigation Co. but had been converted from cargo to troop ships during World War II. Due to is engine difficulties, the Rajula had to go back to port on that late November day when the convoy it should have been in was targeted by the Nazis.

I got sent back twice by God, Dobbs said.

In her essay, McHugh, who is now an attorney, noted: The Rohna was originally a civilian ship designed to hold 100 people comfortably. On the fateful transport mission in 1943 from Oran, Algeria, to India, the HMT Rohna was carrying 2,193 military personnel and 195 crew members, roughly twenty times its capacity. The result of this massive overloading was that the men were crowded below deck in appalling conditions.

Dobbs remembers that both the Rohna and the Rajula were overly crowded ... It was the worst time, he said. We werent allowed to come upstairs for 30 days.

I spent the worst 35 days of my life on that ship; we were practically starved, went on a hunger strike, not enough latrines or washing facilities, sleeping quarters, slept on tables, on floors, on barrack bags and any other place a body could squeeze.

He thought similar conditions existed on the Rohna and it was vulnerable even before leaving the harbor.

According to the Rohna Memorial Association website, created in 1998, the events, which occurred after the Rohna was struck by the guided missile were so shameful that the secrecy continued for decades, McHugh reported.

I knew we were missing men

Dobbs said that when he arrived in Bombay, India, after the Rajula safely crossed the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal with another convoy, the men already there said, Where did you guys come from? Youre supposed to be dead.

Dobbs didnt learn that the Rohna was downed by a missile until the report on its sinking was declassified but he said, I knew we were missing men.

He learned from the tragedy that training is so important.

The men aboard both the Rohna and Rajula were given a life preserving belt that was inflated by pressing on carbon dioxide cartridges, he said, but they were never given instruction how to use it so many on the doomed ship jumped overboard with them tied as a belt at their waist.

They should have moved them up under their arms to keep their heads afloat, Dobbs said. Instead, when the belt inflated, it brought their midsection and rear to the surface, not allowing them to right their head above the choppy water.

On the Rohna, they lost hundreds of people who jumped in the water and drowned ... Once it inflates, it tightens around your waist. They couldnt get their heads up... Hundreds died because of it, Dobbs said.

He said that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower required training in the use of the lifesaver belts before the D-Day invasion.

Survivors reported that the lifeboats aboard the Rohna were old, were almost glued to the ships with paint and some of their chains were rusted in place.

As men tried to escape the crippled ship, some of the lifeboats that were able to be freed tumbled over, killing many in the boats and those who may have jumped into the water below them.

A nearby ship, the USS Pioneer picked up many of the survivors, some of whom had been in the cold, November waters for hours.

Surviving the war

When Dobbs got to India, he quickly got to work in the headquarters office for his battalion.

When I was in high school I could type 100 words a minute. I was the best typist in the high school, he said.

He also scored very highly in an aptitude test even though he hadnt studied academic courses in school, so the Army asked him what he would like to do. He said work in personnel. He was assigned to a commanding officer, who was an older attorney in civilian life. Promotions soon followed.

When his boss tour of duty was up, Dobbs took charge of the department, being promoted to staff sergeant. I came in sitting on a box. I went out running personnel, Dobbs said with a smile. His pay was $96 a month.

He said the battalion was responsible for setting up signal wires over hundreds of miles from Assam Valley in India, going through the hot, mosquito-infested jungles in Burma to Kunming, China.

After the war, Dobbs went back to school to take English and algebra classes before enrolling in Rutgers University where he graduated with a degree in accounting.

But then, as he sat crunching numbers on a calculator, he realized accounting wasnt for him.

He and his brother Louis took over their dads auto body shop in 1954, moved it to Springfield in North Jersey, and started Dobbs Auto Body, a successful business that could service 23 cars at a time and employed 20 people.

Its still there. I retired in May 1999, he said. Its probably one of the oldest businesses in Springfield.

As he spoke, Minnie, his wife of almost 70 years nodded in agreement. The couple have three children and four grandchildren.

Still spry at age 97, Dobbs hasnt kept many mementos of his war years, but he did keep his Army uniform jacket. He didnt wear the decorated wool jacket much in the hot jungles of Southeast Asia, but it still fits him, though the buttons wont close.

Believe it or not, I was 147 pounds when I got out of the Army. If I get on the scale now, Im 147, he said.

Honoring the Rohna and its sacrifice

World War II veteran William Dobbs, of Warminster, reminiscences about his two years in the service.

Dobbs said hes proud that his granddaughter saw the loss of the lives on the ship as needing recognition and that her efforts and those of other historians and Ballo with his documentary film will help share its history with a wider audience.

The fate of the Rohna and its soldiers was finally recognized by Congress in October 2000 when the late Congressman Jack Metcalf of Washington spearheaded a campaign to have a tribute to the soldiers and crew of the Rohna read in Congress and placed in the Congressional Record.

McHughs parents, Diane Dobbs and her husband, Dr. Joseph McHugh, of Newtown Township, are proud that their daughter took such an interest in her grandfathers story which she first learned about when she interviewed him for a seventh-grade project.

It stuck with her and she ran with it, her mom said. Now experts are calling her for more information.

In her paper, McHugh wrote that there were three reasons why the Rohna sinking was secret for so long: the immediate needs to avoid demoralizing troops during the war, followed by the American and British governments not wanting to cast blame for the condition of the ships or the lack of proper training in the rescue operation, as well as the communication issues that arise when two governments both had classified documents on the tragedy to declassify.

Without this veil of secrecy, McHugh said, maybe then the HMT Rohna could have taken its due place next to the celebrated and observed disasters such as the RMS Lusitania in the Atlantic and the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor and earned its rightful place in the hearts and minds of the American people.
It's been more than eight years since Marine Corps veteran and freelance journalist Austin Tice was detained at a checkpoint outside of Damascus as he worked to cover the Syrian war's impact on civilians. He hasn't been seen since, but those who know him believe that he is still alive.

U.S. officials told McClatchy news service April 14 that they are operating "with the sincere belief" that Tice is alive, and 80 lawmakers signed an April 26 letter urging the Biden administration to use "every constructive tool in [its] power to secure Austin's safe return."

Tice is one of about six U.S. citizens believed to be held by the Syrian government or forces allied to it. His case is particularly complicated because no group has claimed responsibility for his capture.

There have been several unsuccessful attempts to get Austin back, including an August 2020 trip in which Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and then-Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council Kash Patel met with the head of Syria's intelligence agency, Ali Mamlouk.

Syria is ranked 173 out of the 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders 2021 World Press Freedom Index; at least 300 journalists have been arrested and almost 100 have been victims of abduction in the country since 2011.

Several of the lawmakers who signed the April 26 letter to Biden are veterans, including Rep. Van Taylor, R-Texas, and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.

"I certainly feel a sense of camaraderie with him, not just as a fellow American but as a fellow Marine," Moulton, a member of the House Armed Services Committee who served in the Marine Corps from 2002 to 2008, told Miiltary.com. "I had the honor of meeting with Debra and Marc Tice, Austin's parents, back in 2019. And I promised them that our government would not give up the fight to bring him home. And that still holds true today. We won't give up.

Austin Tice, second from left, took a break from Airborne Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, to get sushi with friends. (Photo courtesy of Masahiro Oda)

"It is our duty to do everything we can to bring him home. ... Austin has spent every birthday, every holiday alone and imprisoned in Syria thousands of miles away from family, friends and the country he so bravely served," he added. "We're encouraged by reports from the Biden administration that Austin may still be alive. It's imperative that the administration use every resource at its disposal to bring him home to his family and friends. They don't want to spend another holiday without him."

Taylor, who served on active duty in the Marine Corps for 10 years, including in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom, said, "Congress is prepared to do anything in its power" to bring Austin back home, adding that he was proud that members "of all political stripes all over the country" came together to urge Biden to act.

"As a veteran, I think we need to bring everybody home, especially our veterans," Taylor, who left the Marine Corps Reserve as a major, told Military.com. "I want to see the Biden administration apply pressure on the Assad regime to get Austin Tice home."

Retired Lt. Col. Brian Bruggeman, who served in the Marine Corps for 23 years, worked with Tice for about nine months.

He described Tice as "challenging in a good way," adding that he always asked thought-provoking questions.

"Austin's questions were not limited to the tactical situation that we were in.  They were about our role in Afghanistan at the time or  how to best help the Afghan people," Bruggeman told Military.com. "He developed an affection for the people that lived in the country in which we were operating.  Austin's affection was just fundamental to who he was."

"I want to say that Tice was very kind and always took care of me," Masahiro Oda said. (Photo courtesy of Masahiro Oda)

Bruggeman lost a close friend and fellow pilot in a training accident in early 2012. Though Tice was no longer with the unit, he reached out to Bruggeman. "And he said, 'Hey, I understand if you didn't want to do this, but let me know if you want to talk to my mom, she's really good at talking about this stuff.' And I'll never forget that."

Col. Masahiro Oda, who currently serves in the Japanese Army, met Tice in 2010 at the U.S. Army's Airborne Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He described Tice as "a very gentle and a very kind person."

Col. Masahiro Oda, left, who currently serves in the Japanese Army, and Austin Tice took a brief break from training at Fort Benning in Georgia to hike a canyon together. (Photo courtesy of Masahiro Oda)

"I felt his strong sense of justice, and I felt that he has a very strong heart," Oda said as he placed his hand over his own heart. "I think that he went to the Middle East based on his sense of justice. I believe that he is working hard somewhere in the Middle East. I want to believe."

Bruggeman is also hopeful that he will see Tice again.

"I'm proud to have gotten to know [him]. I'm proud to be part of the effort in some small way to keep his story alive," he said. "I look forward to seeing Austin again; that's about it."

More than anything, Bruggeman said he would like to know that the government "is doing everything they can to find, locate and get Austin Tice back."

"I understand we cannot invade any country we want [in order] to pick any person up unless we know exactly what that person is. But, short of that, we can do everything we can to find where that person is and get them out through any means possible," he said. "Just knowing that the people in our government are pursuing that with passion, that's what I want."

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the titles of Roger Carstens and Kash Patel.
Lets check in on a couple of injury situations in the National League

The Dodgers got some good news today as X-Rays on Max Muncy s ankle came back negative, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). Muncy is suffering from a mild ankle sprain, but he should be available to pinch-hit. Muncy has perhaps been even better than usual this season with a 165 wRC+ while handling 72 percent of the workload at first base and 12 percent of the playing time at second.

s ankle came back negative, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). Muncy is suffering from a mild ankle sprain, but he should be available to pinch-hit. Muncy has perhaps been even better than usual this season with a 165 wRC+ while handling 72 percent of the workload at first base and 12 percent of the playing time at second. Luis Guillorme began a rehab assignment in Triple-A on Friday night as he recoveres from a right oblique strain, per Deesha Thosar of the NY Daily News (via Twitter). The Mets expect Guillorme to be healthy enough for activation by the end of the week.

began a rehab assignment in Triple-A on Friday night as he recoveres from a right oblique strain, per Deesha Thosar of the NY Daily News (via Twitter). The Mets expect Guillorme to be healthy enough for activation by the end of the week. Alex Blandino has a broken right hand, but no surgery will be required, so he could return to the Reds in three to six weeks, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). A first round pick back in 2014, Blandino has appeared at every infield position and left field while also toeing the rubber four times this season for the Reds. He owns a .200/.317/.257 in 82 plate appearances.
The legislation, passed in the House of Representatives in March, touches on almost every aspect of the electoral process. It aims to limit partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, remove hurdles to voting and bring transparency to the countrys murky campaign finance system.
June 10: Jones indeed cleared waivers and has been sent outright to Triple-A Toledo, per an announcement from the Tigers. Hell remain with the organization and collect the remainder of this years salary but no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. As a player with three-plus years of service who has been outrighted from the 40-man roster, hell be able to become a free agent at seasons end (unless hes selected back to Majors and finishes the year on their 40-man roster).

June 6: The Tigers announced theyre selecting the contract of right-hander Jason Foley from Triple-A Toledo. To create 40-man roster space, theyre designating outfielder JaCoby Jones for assignment. Additionally, righty Michael Fulmer has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 3, with a right shoulder strain. As expected, Jose Urena has been reinstated from the IL to take Fulmers place on the active roster.

Jones designation registers as something of a surprise. Acquired from the Pirates at the 2015 trade deadline in exchange for Joakim Soria, Jones has appeared in the big leagues with Detroit in each of the past six seasons. Hes been a fairly regular contributor between 2018-21, starting about half the teams games between center and left field. Altogether, Jones managed just a .219/.282/.389 (78 wRC+) mark in that time, albeit with intermittent flashes of enough power and defensive upside to keep the Detroit front office intrigued.

Across the board, advanced defensive metrics lauded Jones glovework between center and left field in 2018. The Tigers gambled he could play a full-time center field after that season, although the metrics all suggest he dropped off rather significantly in that regard between 2019-21. Jones has proven similarly inconsistent on the other side of the ball. Despite always-lofty strikeout rates, the right-handed hitter has occasionally shown enough thump to be a productive hitter. That was particularly true in 2020, when Jones hit .268/.333/.515 across 108 plate appearances before suffering a season-ending hand fracture.

For as strong as Jones began the 2020 season, he opened 2021 with an absolutely dismal start at the plate. He hit just .170/.210/.250 over 105 trips to the dish, leading the Tigers to demote him to Toledo. Things havent gotten much better with the Mud Hens, as Jones is off to a .205/.255/.364 start in the minors, where hes struck out in 18 of his first 47 plate appearances.

The Tigers will now have a week to trade Jones or place him on outright waivers. Any team that claims Jones off waivers would assume the remaining portion of his $2.65MM salary (approximately $1.7MM). Given Jones immense struggles this season, it seems unlikely another club will put in a claim, although its at least possible the Tigers could agree to pay down some of that money in exchange for a prospect if a rival team has interest in acquiring Jones via a small trade.

The more probable outcome is that Jones will clear waivers and be sent outright to Toledo. As a player with between three and five years of MLB service time, Jones technically has the right to refuse a minor league assignment and elect free agency. Doing so, however, would require forfeiting the remainder of his guaranteed salary, so Jones would almost certainly accept an outright assignment and look to play his way back to Detroit at some point this season.

Foley, a 25-year-old reliever, is now in line to make his major league debut. In their writeup of the Tigers farm system, Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein of FanGraphs note that Foley works in the 96-99 MPH range with his fastball. Longenhagen and Goldstein call Foley a potential foundational piece of the Tigers bullpen, but note that his relatively advanced age and injury history, including a 2018 Tommy John surgery, add some risk to the profile. Foley has thrown ten innings of four-run ball with ten strikeouts and four walks at Triple-A this season, his first crack at the minors highest level.
Immediate-past Ghanas High Commissioner to South Africa, H.E George Ayisi Boateng says anyone found on illegal mining (galamsey) site should be shot dead by the Military Taskforce.

According to him, the war being waged by the government against illegal mining must be fought just as happens on the battlefield where casualties are recorded.

On the issue of the fight against galamsey, Ive invited home the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and weve had an extensive discussion, I support him fully. When the Taskforce meets anyone engaging in galamsey, even if its me, the person should be shot to death. All equipment including excavators must be destroyed.

Anyone who draws a sword dies by the sword. We are waging a battle against galamsey and from what I know theres no format when one is on the battlefield. Any means by which the battle against galamsey will be won must be applied because Ghanaians are very stubbornas for this fight against galamsey there should be no mercy for anyone found engaging in the illegal act. Even if its an insect that is found at a galamsey site it must be shot dead. Whoever is hired to work at a galamsey site must turn down the offer because he or she may pay dearly with his or her life, the former Diplomate said in an interview with Okay FM.

----Kasapafmonline.com.
Finance ministers from wealthy G7 nations on Saturday endorsed a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15 percent, rallying behind a US-backed plan targeting tech giants and other multinationals accused of not paying enough.

The G7 deal for a minimum global corporate tax of at least 15 percent is a "historic step" in the fight against fiscal evasion, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

"It's a starting point and in the months ahead we will fight for this minimum tax to be the highest possible," Le Maire said in a video message on Twitter.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hailed the "unprecedented commitment", saying in a statement that a global minimum tax "would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation".

Facebook even got behind the move despite the social media giant facing the prospect of having to pay more tax -- while non-governmental organizations said it did not go far enough.

Following the two-day gathering in London, the G7 said in a final communique that it will "commit to a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent on a country by country basis".

The G7 -- comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- said it hoped to reach a final tax agreement at the July gathering of the expanded G20 finance ministers group.

The G7 also committed to making companies carry out mandatory reporting regarding the climate impact of their investments.

It additionally said it will continue to support "the poorest and most vulnerable countries as they address health and economic challenges associated with Covid-19".

Fit for the digital age

Britain's Treasury noted that "the largest and most profitable multinationals will be required to pay tax in the countries where they operate -- and not just where they have their headquarters".

Facebook's vice president of global affairs, Nick Clegg said his company wanted "the international tax reform process to succeed and recognize this could mean... paying more tax, and in different places".

British finance minister Rishi Sunak, who chaired the talks in person after an easing of Covid-19 restrictions, expressed delight at "a historic agreement to reform the global tax system".

Sunak said the G7 had agreed to make the system "fit for the global digital age", as he thanked his counterparts for striking "a deal of historic significance".

The landmark move comes as governments seek to repair finances battered during the pandemic by slashed tax receipts plus vast spending and borrowing.

The London gathering has also prepared the ground for a summit of G7 leaders in Cornwall, southwest England, starting Friday, and which US President Joe Biden is set to attend.

'Good for justice'

Momentum has grown behind the US-led plans to limit the ability of multinationals such as tech giants to game the tax system to boost profits, especially at a time when economies around the world are reeling from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz on Saturday said the commitment was "very good news for justice and fiscal solidarity".

"Enterprises can no longer shy away from their fiscal obligations by cunningly transferring their profits to countries with opaque tax structures," he said, calling the move "bad news for tax havens".

Biden had called for a unified minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent in negotiations with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and G20.

British charity Oxfam said the agreed minimum rate was not high enough.

"It's about time that some of the world's most powerful economies force multinational corporations, including tech and pharma giants, to pay their fair share of tax," said Gabriela Bucher, executive director of Oxfam International.

"However, fixing a global minimum corporate tax rate of just 15 percent is far too low. It will do little to end the damaging race to the bottom on corporate tax and curtail the widespread use of tax havens."

Ireland, which has expressed "significant reservations" about Biden's plan, has at 12.5 percent one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world, prompting tech giants such as Facebook and Google to make the eurozone country their European base.

Proponents argue that a minimum tax is necessary to stem competition between countries over who can offer multinationals the lowest rate.

They say that a "race to the bottom" saps precious revenues that could go to government priorities like hospitals and schools.

(with AFP)
Over the course of last week, some media houses initiated a discussion on the current challenges facing the Free SHS programme as parents who were interviewed or called in complained about spending more to educate their wards than what the Free SHS policy currently provides.

They also complained of congestion and bad food.

It is not clear whether the discussion was contrived or a reaction to bring forth the silent complaints of parents and headmasters/headmistress whom they complained of being cowed into silence for fear of victimisation.

The wonder is if top civil servants understood the rationale behind the implementation of the Free SHS. It is sad that some of the callers who are supposed to know better should rather take delight in trying to paint the policy as bad.

It is important for Ghanaians especially the upper-class and the middle-class citizens to understand that their standard of living cannot be used as the basis for measurement of quality of life the Free SHS students. In addition, measurement of standard of living cannot be equated to those living in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and the other regional capitals where people live lavishly in posh homes and eating good food.

Free SHS for people in poverty-stricken areas

The Free SHS policy was established for the majority of the population living in rural and poverty-stricken parts of Ghana for brilliant but needy students.

In rural Ghana, many people cannot even afford GH10.00 on their own. But they have brilliant children whose results are good enough to take them to the elite schools. Yet, if you impose Parent Teacher Association (PTA) levies on their parents, they cannot afford to pay it. Should that deny them the opportunity to attend such schools?

Those in the upper -class and middle-class should know that they are enjoying the free SHS because President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not want to introduce a discriminatory policy that will end up benefiting the rich at the expense of the poor as witnessed in the manner GETFUND and Scholarship Secretariat scholarships operated over the years.

Some implementation challenges of SHS

It is true that the Free SHS has some implementation challenges. But it is not new or unexpected. Right from the beginning of the policy, we were made to believe that over 100,000 students who ordinarily would have dropped out of school would have the opportunity to be in school.

The government had on countless occasions prior to the implementation of the policy said that the current available spaces for admissions were inadequate and government was exploring an innovative way to contain the situation, hence, the introduction of the double track system.

They also pleaded with Ghanaian parents to bear with the inconvenience that could create.

As a result, over 2000 school infrastructural projects were initiated with some completed while others are at different stages of completion. It is worth noting that most of the schools that started the Double-track system especially in the areas outside the regional capitals had reverted to the normal one stream.

Responding to some concerns, Dr. Kwabena Tandoh, Deputy Director-General of Ghana Education Service (GES), said that about 181,000 students would have been left out had the government not implemented the Double-track system.

I remember Dr. Bawumia's famous question 'Whose child should be left out if there is no Double-Track system? Nobody has been able to provide the answer since the beginning of the implementation of the Double-Track system.

Way forward

Several people including; Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Finance, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang former Minister of Education and most parents who contributed to the programme said the free for all policy for the Free SHS was draining and unsustainable.

They have recommended that people who are able to pay for their wards should be allowed to do so.

Experience has thought us that whenever a discriminatory policy is introduced, its implementation sometimes ends up benefiting the rich at the expense of the poor.

But the current uproar on the challenges facing the Free SHS system in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic and declining in government revenues, should provide a greater opportunity for government to call for stakeholders' dialogue to see to the review of the policy.

This review should not be seen as a change of policy, but a prudent way of managing the enormous resources required to run the Free SHS Policy.

Recommendations

The Free SHS policy should be revised to allow capable people to pay. In the revised policy, government should provide resources for the admission of all first-year students into the SHS. A profiling form to be designed in a way to obtain information about the parentage and guardianship of students.

This form will then be used to determine those who can pay and those who cannot. These forms are then given to an independent body to vet and approve. The alternative is to allow parents to fill forms to indicate they can pay fees for their wards.

Those who are not qualified for free SHS are written to by the end of the semester to pay their fees before the next semester begins. Where a parent or guardian circumstances change and they can no longer pay the fees, they can write to the independent body for consideration.

However, if even government is able to recoup 50 per cent of its expenditure on Free SHS from fee paying students, this could be channelled for infrastructural development and increasing the number of STEM students which should be ramped up to about 40 per cent of free SHS students.

The future of the world is in the STEM fields.

Government should allow the schools to charge the PTA dues on condition that it is not compulsory. The profiling of students stated earlier should enable each school to identify students from poor homes who can be exempt them from PTA dues.

Under no circumstance should any school send students' home or deny them the opportunity to write exams for defaulting on PTA dues.

The Role of Buffer Stock Company: Government must ensure that every food produce supplied for the boarding schools is procured from Buffer Stock Company.

There must be a deliberate policy to invigorate the consumption of local produce right from the basic schools to shed off taste for foreign products.

Once, it is taxpayer's money, they must be used solely for procuring local farm produce to feed our students.

The only exception is where there is no substitute for a particular food product or ingredient.

The Ministry of Education must review the core subjects and make certain subjects compulsory.

For instance, English Literature must be a core subject for science-related students likewise core science must be a core subject for all non-science students.

Science students should not take up core science as core likewise literature should not be core for Arts students especially those doing literature as elective.

However, Economics and IT should be compulsory for all students.

The reason being that the future of the world is in the Economics and IT related fields.

Disruptive technologies are bringing about new trends in future job prospects.

The World Economic Forum recently published the Jobs Landscape in 2022 about the emerging global roles (jobs) by 2022.

They also listed the declining roles in certain key subject areas. The Ministry of Education must study these global emerging subject areas and the declining subject areas and begin to develop new curricula for the future.
The BeFree Ministry led by its founder Apostle Ashley Gronholm has arrived in Ghana to embark on the Jesus Revolution Evangelism programme together with GoFirst Global Ministry.

Welcoming Apostle Ashley Gronholm and her entourage at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Friday, June 4, 2021, Bishop David Babatunde who is the founder of GoFirst Global Ministry shared that he is excited about the Evangelism programme that he anticipates would have a positive impact on the Ghanaian youth.

Im so excited for Ghana, Im so happy for Africa, and Im so grateful to God for God brought Apostle Ashley and her team safely to Ghana.

I believe this time Ghana is blessed. God is going to bring a revival like never before. The life of the nation is going to be touched, the youth is going to be empowered, and the leadership of this country is going to be empowered too, Bishop David Babatunde told Journalists during an interview at KIA.

He said it is time for the church to wake up from its sleep and slumber to champion the mission of the end-time revival.

On her part, Apostle Ashley Gronholm expressed her delight to be in Ghana while revealing that it has always been on her heart to visit Africa.

She said the aim of her BeFree Ministry in Africa is to get people to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that will not only be about knowing Christ but having him in ones heart.

Insisting that the youth are the end-time warriors, Apostle Ashley Gronholm noted that they must be encouraged to have Jesus in their lives.

Jesus wants you to have joy. 2020 was a very hard year for all of us. The joy of the Lord is strength and the youth needs to know that knowing Jesus will give you joy and will help you to rise up to achieve your true destiny and you will be able to live your life and fulfil Gods call in your life, the BeFree Ministry Founder added.

Whiles in Ghana, the BeFree Ministry will embark on several Evangelism programmes to touch lives and introduce Jesus to those lost.
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Almost every 5 years or so, the whole world is forced to watch and witness this unnecessary heart wrenching, heartbreaking carnage and destruction in the Holy Land as both sides try to outdo, outgun and outmaneuver each other with unbelievable violence in order to inflict maximum damage and exact intolerable revenge and misery against each other with indiscriminate artillery, air strikes and rocket attacks.

The latest episode i.e., the recent 11-day war - the fourth of such senseless wars/conflicts in just over 12 years among these two arguably recalcitrant, intransigent, intractable combatants - which has just ended, apparently, claimed more than 248 lives including 65 innocent children in Gaza and other Palestinians territories as well as 13 lives including 2 innocent children in Israel. Overall, more than 261 lives were just killed for nothing, just like that. These fatalities are beside other countless unnecessary casualties like severe injuries and numerous loss of/damage to properties caused by this ultra-violent destruction for the so-called just cause. Sadly, this did not end there, the conflict triggered rare fatal inter-communal clashes in Israeli cities between Jews and Arabs.

The world is being told with such unconvincing justification that in order for one to defend oneself, one has to assume the mentality of killing a fly with a sledgehammer approach. This mentality is, unfortunately, an uncontrollable animalistic rage at the least/slightest provocation which cannot be allowed to be associated with any society that calls itself civilized in this modern era. Of course, every country has a right to defend itself, the right of self-defence is an inalienable right to individuals, groups, societies and countries but this inalienable right comes with proportionality and responsibility towards the infirm and the vulnerable. Using excessive force and aggression to destroy properties and lives at all costs at the slightest provocation in the name of self-defence is itself a violation of human rights and human dignity. Wanton destruction of lives and properties of ones opponents despite the repeated rendition of Israel has the right to defend itself is porous and lazy. Usage of excessive force in whatsoever form is a sign of weakness emanating from debilitating fear of others which is borne out of innermost vengeance - the inner desire for violence that masks inert incompetence in forging lasting relationships and co-existence with others outside ones bubble.

These seemingly endless wars where one side is severely hamstrung and disadvantaged with blockade, occupation, and propaganda, the other side can afford to defy international norms, laws and get support militarily. Whereas, one party has the right to arm itself to the teeth to defend itself to ensure its security and safety, the other party is denied the same right in the sense that someone cleverly intimated; when they attempt to take up arms to defend themselves, they are branded terrorists, when they speak up forcefully against the injustice meted to them, their words are branded anti-Semitics and when they decide to sit down to talk peace but insist on their right of abode, they are branded intransigent. What other choice do they have apart from despair, stubbornness, hopelessness and misery?

Both sides were quick to claim victory after this episode of madness but if anyone were to ask each side how many of the respective so-called terrorists or Zionist infidels were actually killed for any side to claim victory, each side would find it very difficult, if not impossible, to give the exact number. This senseless approach of maximum killing just for the sake of killing is unsustainable and, in fact, assails the sensibilities of all well-meaning people all over the world.

Hamas cannot and should never be allowed to claim that all those 13 Israeli lives lost including 2 innocent children as a result of their indiscriminate rocket attacks in Israeli territories were Zionist infidels hiding behind the state of Israel to perpetuate the occupation, the blockade and evictions. This is crass stubbornness, insane, at least, not expected from a side that is serious about peace and final settlement.

In the same vein, Israel cannot and should never be allowed to claim that all the 246 Palestinians killed including 65 innocent children were all Hamas terrorists. Despite all the sophistication and superiority in their weaponry/armoury and the claim of so-called precision bombing, it appeared to all and sundry that all those artillery, air strikes and bombings were just indiscriminate, disproportionate, imprecise and were just meant to hit anywhere and at any target hoping to have the chance to kill the so-called Hamas militant terrorists. What a waste of resources, time and lives? All those claims about the terrorists hiding behind civilians as shields are just hollow, unconvincing and egregious especially coming from a major military power with all the superior technology and knowledge, at least, not expected from a side that is serious about peace, final settlement and security.

Ironically, both apparent intractable enemies do not hesitate to profess their faith in the Almighty God on their sleeves and in the strength of their beards, but they fail to realize that their unbridled fear of others is ungodly, unholy, deadly that betrays their cherished religious beliefs and this is pathetic, to say the least!

As for Palestinians, the two factions in Palestine must come round fast to resolve their differences to end this unnecessary power struggle among them and present a united front to insist on their just rights. They have to be mindful of the mantra; United they Stand, Divided they Fall. They must assure Israels security and safety and be capable to live with Israel as a neighbour in a future Palestinian state. The Hamas militants must come out of their stubbornness to realize that, every now and then, they engage in these useless wars that they cannot ever win but rather end up putting their own people through excruciating pain, misery of bombardment. The state of Israel is there to stay forever, it is not going anywhere nor could it be wiped out from the face of this earth. They should co-operate with the Palestinian Authority in their differences to put up a unified front for the Palestinian just cause and be reminded that they are stronger when they are bound together.

As for Israel, they should rid themselves of that victimhood mentality that the rest of the world does not buy anymore. They cannot continue to portray themselves as victims and at the same time commit such heinous crimes unimaginable against Palestinians with impunity. They must come out of that bubble of invisibility that they are the chosen people and thus have the right to dehumanize others and be insensitive to their plight. Their quest for security and safety will continue to be illusion, a mirage despite their military prowess and achievements as a state so far as they continue to live in that bubble and continue to act with impunity especially with their defiance and insistence on building Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the land Palestinians want for a future state. The belief that they can afford to continue to defy international community and laws and thus can do it alone is untenable and has, so far, not guaranteed them the security, safety and peace they yearn for despite all the backing from the United States of America.

This state of affairs in the Holy Land is unsustainable no matter what the antagonists try to convince themselves with. The solutions are, two-state solution, assurance of Israel security/safety, final status of Jerusalem, right of return of refugees and the confidence in Palestinians.

Perhaps there is an opportune time and a crack open of the widow for peace settlement, now that the Israelis have finally gotten rid of this intractable, intransigent warmonger, Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister and possibly about to install another ultra-nationalist, who boasts of killing a lot of Arabs in his life and has no problem with that, as prime minister. Well, who knows?

Both sides have the right to live safely and securely, side by side with each other in dignity, in peace and in mutual respect in a two-state solution. Amen.

#JusticeInTheHolyLand

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Prof. Abass Braimah, the Vice-Chancellor of Tamale Technical University (TaTU) on Tuesday, 1st June 2021 visited the High Commissioner of Canada to Ghana, Her Excellency Kati Csaba at her residence in Accra.

The visit was aimed at opening discussions on how Canada could support Tamale Technical University (TaTU) especially in the areas of technical support and scholarship opportunities for staff and students of the University.

The Vice-Chancellor first of all, introduced himself to the High Commissioner and echoed his long-standing relationship with Canada. He commended the Canadian Government for their continued support to Ghana and in particular their long-standing presence in the Northern Regions.

He said, since he assumed office as the Vice-Chancellor, he has engaged several institutions to explore opportunities in terms of partnership and grants.

Prof. Abass enumerated some of the capacity-building initiatives the University is considering, particularly the Women in Technology flagship project that is being introduced as part of a strategy to get more women into Information Technology.

He appealed that the High Commission could support with information on how or where TaTU staff and students could get the opportunity to study in Canada as well as earn something to support their studies.

On her part, H.E. Kati Csaba thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the visit and expressed the High Commissions excitement for his appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of the University.

She said Canada has been a great development partner in Ghana during the days of CIDA to its current amalgamation into Global Affairs Canada.

H.E. Csaba revealed that Canada has provided over two thousand (2000) study opportunities to Ghanaians who are currently studying various degrees in Canada.

She indicated that Canadas new strategy in Ghana is not to provide physical support but rather the empowerment of women and girls in non-traditional trades. She noted that key area of interest for Global Affairs Canada is vocational and skills development for Boys and Girls.

High Commissioner Csaba advised TaTU to consider taking advantage of the National Vocational Training Program and in addition, recommended PLAN Ghana as one institution that potentially could partner TaTUs pro gender programs.

She assured the Vice-Chancellor of the High Commissions availability and readiness to work on partnerships to upgrade both staff and students of the University.

She expressed her preparedness to reciprocate the visit as soon as the Covid 19 restrictions are relaxed.

The meeting was attended by Corey Huntington, Acting Director of Cooperation, Kathleen Ami Afful, Trade Commissioner, Dr. Fatima Iddrisu Abu a Lecturer from the Department of Liberal TaTU, and Osman Mubarik Abu, Director of Public Affairs TaTU.
Police in northwest Nigeria's Kebbi state told AFP Sunday that the death toll from an attack by a gang of cattle thieves on seven villages Thursday had risen to 88.

The region has struggled with decades-long communal clashes over resources but more recently some groups have become more violent, looting, killing and kidnapping for ransom.

"Initially 66 bodies were recovered but 22 more have been found," Kebbi state police spokesman Nafiu Abubakar said, adding that the search for more bodies was ongoing.

Dozens of assailants on motorcycles attacked seven neighbouring villages in Danko-Wasagu district on Thursday, Abubakar said.

The gunmen targeted the villages of Koro, Kimpi, Gaya, Dimi, Zutu, Rafin Gora and Iguenge, he said.

Many people were still unaccounted for Sunday after fleeing the attacks.

"The search is still going on and more bodies could be found. So, the toll is not conclusive yet," said Abubakar.

Policemen were deployed to the area over the weekend to forestall further attacks, he said.

The assailants were believed to have launched the attacks from neighbouring Zamfara or Niger states where criminals are known to maintain camps.

In April, nine policemen were killed in the area in a shootout with gunmen who invaded a village in nearby Sakaba district to steal livestock, Abubakar told AFP at the time.

Security forces stretched thin

Northwest and central Nigeria are a hub of criminal gangs known locally as bandits, who raid villages, harass residents and burn down homes.

The gangs maintain camps in Rugu forest which straddles Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.

Nigeria's security forces, who are also battling a more than decade-long jihadist insurgency in the northeast of the country, are being stretched thin.

Gangs in the northwest have recently stepped up attacks on schools, kidnapping hundreds of students to squeeze ransoms from authorities and parents.

Map of Nigeria locating Kebbi State. By (AFP)

More than 700 children and students have already been kidnapped by gunmen for ransom since December, often from schools in remote areas, where pupils live in dormitories with little security protection.

State authorities in Niger state said they were negotiating with gunmen who seized 136 children from an Islamic seminary last weekend.

The attackers released 11 of the pupils who were "too small and couldn't walk" very far, the authorities previously said.

Nearly 700,000 people have been internally displaced in northwest and north central Nigeria in February, according to the UN's migration agency IOM, as a result of violence.

In Zamfara, Doctors without Borders (MSF) said it was struggling to respond to growing needs.

Between January and April, MSF said it treated 10,300 children in Zamfara for severe acute malnutrition, measles, malaria and other conditions.

"This is 54 percent higher than in the same period last year," said an MSF doctor, Godwin Emudanohwo.

"People here need food, safe water and vaccinations now," said Emudanohwo in a statement.

"What is happening here is a humanitarian emergency that needs urgent attention and a fast and proper response," said Froukje Pelsma, MSF head of mission in Nigeria.
When great white sharks disappeared from two well-known congregation areas on South Africa's coast recently, the possible reasons were hotly debated. The appearance of a pair of shark-eating killer whales in the area was one. Another was the decline in numbers of smaller shark species that great whites prey on .

Coupled with this was the growing conflict between fishers and tourism operators over the use of sharks  whether to eat them or not.

The debate led to an opportunity to assess shark conservation and management in South Africa. It also provided a chance to spotlight vulnerable shark species.

This story is part of Oceans 21

Our series on the global ocean opened with five in depth profiles . Look out for new articles on the state of our oceans in the lead up to the UN's next climate conference, COP26. The series is brought to you by The Conversation's international network.

Public concern prompted the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, to appoint an expert panel in May 2020 to formally review South Africa's National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks . The minister asked the panel, which my colleague and co-author were both a part of, to investigate the concerns and evaluate the plan.

The government uses the plan, which was first adopted in 2013, to guide the conservation, management and sustainable use of sharks to benefit all South Africans.

The expert panel review determined that the South African plan of action was in line with international standards set out by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and was of a high global standard. But it was overly ambitious and needed clarity on actions, priorities and measurable indicators.

Threats

South Africa is one of the top five global hot spots for cartilaginous fishes  sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras  with 191 species . Almost 30% of the country's sharks and rays are threatened with extinction, primarily because of overfishing and habitat degradation. Other emerging threats are changes in ocean temperatures and ocean acidification, both due to climate change.

Read more: Why managing ocean acidification is crucial for South Africa

Sharks and rays are essential for maintaining diverse and healthy marine ecosystems. Many species also have high cultural and societal value and contribute to economies through fishing and tourism (shark diving, for example). They are important for livelihoods and as a source of food for people.

In South Africa, shark fishing has been practised since the 1930s , and today 99 out of 191 species are caught across eight fishery sectors .

In general, sharks and their relatives grow slowly and produce few young. In many cases, this means that their populations are fished out if not managed effectively.

Progress

The expert panel found that good progress had been made with implementing parts of the shark conservation and management plan, especially its research aspects. A puffadder shy shark on a reef in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area. The species is listed as Endangered. Mark van Coller

Stock assessment: One of the most notable achievements of the plan has been to develop methods to assess the populations of shark species that live near the bottom of the ocean, namely soupfin and smoothhound sharks. Stock assessments determine changes in the abundance of fishery stocks in response to fishing and predict stock trends.

The panel noted that urgent intervention was needed to stop the decline of these two threatened shark species. Soupfin sharks are now critically endangered . But it concluded that the declines of these two species couldn't explain the sudden disappearance of great white sharks. The evidence suggested instead that killer whales were most likely responsible.

Seafood fraud: South Africa is one of the first countries to ban shark finning  cutting off the sharks' fins on the boat and discarding the body at sea. A condition of fishing permits is that fins must be attached when the sharks are landed onshore. The country has also developed regulatory guidelines to avoid seafood fraud  the practice of misleading consumers about their seafood to increase profits.

Moderate progress was made in researching the health risks of shark consumption, identifying ways to reduce unwanted bycatch and improving the traceability of shark products from catch to sale.

The panel review also noted areas for improvement.

Monitoring: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has lost some expertise, which limits its capacity to work on shark-related issues. The lack of fisheries observer programmes in many fisheries, and formal monitoring of catches is a weakness.

Management: The department also needs to improve its methods of communicating and applying scientific findings. Separate management units aren't coordinated, which delays the implementation of scientific recommendations to reduce shark catches and protect threatened species.

Recommendations

Minister Creecy has said that the national plan of action needs to be updated and implemented urgently. Sevengill sharks have been de-commercialised because they're unfit for human consumption due to the high concentration of heavy metals in their bodies. Morne Hardenberg

The revised plan needs modern systems to monitor and report on shark catches. Technology such as vessel tracking systems and remote cameras on fishing vessels can help improve scientific data collection and combat illegal fishing. An improved scientific understanding of the ecosystem effects of fishing is needed to ensure that management considers the effects of fisheries on marine predators.

Marine protected areas could also help conserve critical habitats for feeding or reproduction and reduce user conflict between fishing and tourism. South Africa has a network of 42 marine protected areas, but needs to identify critical habitats of threatened and endemic sharks for inclusion in new protected areas. These areas must be managed effectively.

Read more: Robben Island joins list of 20 new protected marine sites in South Africa

Lastly, there's a need to work out where the money will come from and who can carry out which parts of the plan.

Recent developments

The government recently changed the rules for fishing so as to protect the critically endangered soupfin shark . This has consequences for fishers and for South Africa's biodiversity.

Progress has also been made on a pilot programme in which cameras have been installed on a fishing vessel to monitor catches and provide data for management.

A collaborative project to help officials identify threatened species has also created 3D printed replica shark fins . This will help curb the illegal shark fin trade.

Dr Charlene da Silva, scientist at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment shark resources research branch, also contributed to the panel review and this article.

Alison Kock works for South African National Parks. She is affiliated with the Top Predator Scientific Working Group of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and Shark Spotters. She received funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation for shark research.

By Alison Kock, Marine Biologist, South African National Parks (SANParks); Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
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But for his sudden death on Saturday, June 5 the Nigerian televangelist, Prophet TB Joshua, would have turned 58 in a weeks time.

The controversial preacher died in the evening of Saturday, June 5, at age 57, exactly a week to the celebration of his birthday.

In a video widely shared on social media, the Synagogue Church of All Nations preacher was seen heartily speaking about his upcoming birthday.

He stated in the video that rather than a grand celebration as many would have expected, the day is to be dedicated for prayer and fasting and also in remembrance of the needy in society.

He suggested that the reason for the decision not to hold a grand celebration is because of some recent developments affecting people all around Nigeria and across the world possibly in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As you know, I am a man of the people. So, the wound of one is the wound of allWe see their fear and their worry. I feel their pain; I feel their worry, he remarked, adding that, As things stand, you may have realised it will not be easy for me to celebrate my birthday under the present circumstances.

He said many who wanted to visit Nigeria for the occasion are troubled by the situation all over the world.

Let us dedicate this day to prayer and fasting. Don't forget the needy, TB Joshua continued, expressing confidence that by the grace of God, more birthdays are ahead.

The death of TB Joshua has come as a surprise to many especially as he held a meeting with church partners earlier in the day before his death.

According to Nigerias The Cable news website, TB Joshua was airlifted to Turkey for stroke treatment two months ago.

His church in confirming the death and acknowledging his service and sacrifices to the kingdom of God and humanity, did not state the cause of death.

citinewsroom
The purpose of the veeps voyage is to boost ties with Guatemala and Mexico, which the White House sees as key to stemming the flow of migrants to the U.S.
A memorial to almost 22,500 servicemen and women under British command killed during D-Day and subsequent battles was unveiled on Sunday in Normandy, northwestern France, a tribute seen as a "long overdue" commemoration of their sacrifice.

The British Normandy Memorial, inscribed with the names of 22,442 men and women who lost their lives during the invasion of Nazi-occupied France in the summer of 1944, was unveiled on a hillside in the Normandy village of Ver-sur-Mer on the 77th anniversary of the landings.

It overlooks Gold Beach, one of three beaches where British forces landed on the morning of 6 June, 1944 to begin the liberation of western Europe from Nazi occupation.

By the end of what became known as "the longest day", 156,000 Allied troops and 20,000 vehicles had landed in the biggest naval operation ever in terms of the number of ships deployed and the troops involved.

160 standing white stones

The memorial -- constructed at a cost of 38 million euros met by both the UK government and private donors -- is the first such in Normandy to commemorate those who fell under British command.

"The construction of a national memorial in Normandy has been a long-held ambition of Normandy veterans, frustrated that Britain alone among the main wartime allies did not have such a memorial," the Normandy Memorial Trust said in a statement ahead of the ceremony.

It consists of a series of 160 standing white stones where the names of the soldiers who fell are inscribed in chronological order from 6 June to 31 August, 1944. Some 4,000 tonnes of stone were used.

The British heir to the throne Prince Charles, in a video message shared by the Normandy Memorial Trust, described the memorial as "long overdue".

"I have long been concerned that the memory of these remarkable individuals should be preserved for generations to come as an example of personal courage and sacrifice," he said.

"The memorial... will provide a place of private and perpetual contemplation where visitors will be able to reflect on what we owe to all those who so gallantly carried out their duty with such extraordinary selflessness and resolve," Prince Charles added.

Soldiers from over three dozen nationalities, including from across the Commonwealth and French resistance fighters, served under British command in the landings.

'A lot of research'

Steven Dean, the manager of the project, said he hoped that the site could draw in a quarter of a million visitors every year.

"This is the only place with all the names, so it took a lot of research to find the 22,442," he said.

Until now, the main site of pilgrimage for paying respects to those who died under British command has been the cemetery in the nearby town of Bayeux.

The American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, whose 10,000 graves overlook Omaha Beach, used to welcome some one million visitors annually before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Ongoing travel restrictions means that British survivors were not be able to travel to France for the event. However they were able to take part in an online relay being broadcast in the UK.

The ceremony, was presided over by the British Ambassador to France Ed Llewellyn, accompanied by French Defence Minister Florence Parly.

The site also includes a French Memorial, dedicated to the memory of estimated 20,000 French civilians who died in Normandy as a result of bombing and fighting.

(with AFP)
The US and the European Union voiced concern over Nigeria's decision to indefinitely ban Twitter after the US social media giant deleted a tweet from the president's account for violating its rules.

International human rights groups have also condemned the move, which followed previous attempts by the government of Africa's most populous country to regulate social media.

Nigerian telecoms operators complied with a government directive Friday to suspend access to Twitter indefinitely.

The diplomatic missions of the EU, US, Britain, Canada and Ireland issued a joint statement late Saturday condemning the ban.

"Banning systems of expression is not the answer," it said.

"Precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic."

"The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication," it added.

More than 39 million Nigerians have a Twitter account, according to NOI polls, a public opinion and research organisation based in Nigeria.

The platform has played an important role in public discourse in the country, with hashtags #BringBackOurGirls after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in 2014, and #EndSARS during anti-police brutality protests last year.

The government's suspension came after Twitter on Wednesday deleted a remark on President Muhammadu Buhari's account in which he referred to the country's civil war four decades ago in a warning about recent unrest.

The 78-year-old president, a former general, referred to "those misbehaving" in recent violence in the southeast, where officials blame a proscribed separatist group IPOB for attacks on police and election offices.

'Misinformation'

"Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," the president had posted on Twitter.

The presidency denied late on Saturday that the Twitter suspension was a response to the removal of that post.

"There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences," a presidency spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement.

Shehu said the removal of Buhari's tweet was "disappointing" and said "major tech companies must be alive to their responsibilities."

Twitter said it was "deeply concerned by the blocking of Twitter in Nigeria."

"Access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society. We will work to restore access for all those in Nigeria who rely on Twitter to communicate and connect with the world. #KeepitOn," the company said in a statement.

"VPN app" was the second most searched trend Saturday on Google in Nigeria, as virtual private networks can enable Twitter users to bypass the ban.

Nigeria warned however that it would prosecute violators.

"Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has directed for immediate prosecution of offenders of the Federal Government ban on Twitter operations in Nigeria," spokesman Umar Jibrilu Gwandu said.

Amnesty International condemned the ban, calling on Nigeria to "immediately reverse the unlawful suspension".

"This repressive action is a clear attempt to censor dissent & stifle the civic space," Human Rights Watch researcher Anietie Ewang said.
Suspected jihadists massacred at least 160 civilians, including around 20 children, in a village in Burkina Faso's volatile north, the deadliest attack since Islamist violence erupted in the West African country in 2015, local officials said Sunday.

The slaughter in the early hours of Saturday followed the slaying of 14 people late Friday in the village of Tadaryat in the same region where jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State have been targeting civilians and soldiers.

In Solhan, in the region near the borders of Mali and Niger, local sources said they have recovered a total of 160 bodies from three mass graves.

"It's the local people themselves who have started exhuming the bodies and burying them after transporting them," one local source said.

An earlier toll from local sources had put the dead at 138, while a government toll stood at 132 dead and around 40 wounded as of late Saturday.

In Solhan, a local official said the "situation is still volatile... despite the announcement of military operations," adding that residents were fleeing to the nearby towns of Sebba and Dori.

"Many people lost everything after their homes and belongings were torched," he said.

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on Saturday condemned the massacre in Solhan as "barbaric" and "despicable".

"We must remain united and solid against these obscurantist forces," Kabore said.

Declaring three days of national mourning through Monday, the government stated that "terrorists", a term for jihadists, killed civilians of all ages and set fire to homes and the main market.

A security source lamented "the heavy human toll, the worst recorded to date", while warning it could still increase.

UN chief Antonio Guterres's spokesman said he was "outraged" over the massacre.

Guterres "strongly condemns the heinous attack and underscores the urgent need for the international community to redouble support to Member States in the fight against violent extremism and its unacceptable human toll," Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, offering Burkinabe authorities the UN's "full support".

Map of Burkina Faso locating Solhan. By (AFP)

The assailants struck around 2:00 am (0200 GMT) against a position of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Motherland (VDP), an anti-jihadist civilian defence force which backs the national army, before attacking homes and carrying out "executions", a local source said.

Opposition leader Eddie Komboigo demanded that "the massacre of our people, we never tire of repeating, must stop unconditionally. Every measure must be taken to protect the Burkinabe" people.

The VDP was set up in December 2019 to help Burkina's poorly equipped military fight jihadists but it has suffered more than 200 fatalities, according to an AFP tally.

The volunteers are given two weeks' military training before working alongside the security forces, typically carrying out surveillance, information-gathering or escort duties.

'Neutralise these terrorists'

The government said Saturday that the defence and security forces were working "to neutralise these terrorists and restore calm to populated areas."

A security forces official said that men were deployed to secure populated areas and to remove and bury bodies.

Solhan, a small community around 15 kilometres from Sebba, the main city in Yagha province, has suffered numerous attacks in recent years.

Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore condemned the attack that left 100 civilians dead as 'barbaric' and 'despicable'. By OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT (AFP)

On May 14, Defence Minister Cheriff Sy and military top brass visited Sebba to assure people that life had returned to normal, following a number of military operations.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has struggled to fight back against increasingly frequent and deadly jihadist attacks from groups including the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS).

The attacks first started in the north near the Mali border, but have since spread to other regions, particularly in the east.

Around 1,400 people have died and more than a million have fled their homes.
Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau killed himself in a fight against rival jihadist fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) according to audio AFP obtained from the group Sunday, two weeks after reports emerged that he had died.

His death marks a major shift in Nigeria's 12-year-old jihadist insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around two million in the northeast.

Boko Haram has not yet officially commented on the death of their leader while the Nigerian army said it was investigating the claim.

"Shekau preferred to be humiliated in the hereafter to getting humiliated on Earth. He killed himself instantly by detonating an explosive," said a voice resembling that of ISWAP leader Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, speaking in the Kanuri language.

The audio, which was not dated, was given to AFP by the same source who conveyed previous messages from the group.

ISWAP described in the audio how it sent fighters to Boko Haram's enclave in the Sambisa forest, that they found Shekau sitting inside his house and engaged him in a firefight.

"From there he retreated and escaped, ran and roamed the bushes for five days. However, the fighters kept searching and hunting for him before they were able to locate him," the voice said.

After finding him in the bush, ISWAP fighters urged him and his followers to repent, the voice added, but Shekau refused and killed himself.

"We are so happy," the voice said, describing Shekau as "the big troublemaker, persecutor and destructive leader of the nation."

ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016, objecting to Shekau's indiscriminate targeting of Muslim civilians and use of women suicide bombers.

Atrocities

"This was someone who committed unimaginable terrorism and atrocities. For how long has he been leading people astray? How many times has he destroyed and abused people?" the voice said.

In the past two years, ISWAP emerged as the more dominant force in the region, carrying out large-scale attacks against the Nigerian military.

As the group now looks to absorb Shekau's fighters and territory, Nigeria's army potentially faces a more unified jihadist force, analysts say.

But ISWAP may also struggle to control or persuade Boko Haram factions loyal to Shekau outside Sambisa, especially in border areas.

"It may not be over yet," one security source said. "ISWAP will have to subdue or convince these camps to coalesce (them) into its fold to fully consolidate its control."

Jihadist infighting may present opportunities for Nigeria's army to seize.

But should ISWAP absorb part of Shekau's men and weapons, it might be in a position to cut off roads to and from the Borno state capital Maiduguri, said Peccavi Consulting, a risk group specialising in Africa.

"If ISWAP convinces Shekau's forces to join them, they will be controlling the majority of the enemy forces as well as having a presence in most of the ungoverned spaces in the northeast," it said in a note.

Since 2019, Nigeria's army has pulled out of villages and smaller bases to hunker down in so-called "supercamps", a strategy critics say allows jihadists to roam free in rural areas.

Following its takeover of Sambisa, ISWAP sent messages to locals in the Lake Chad region, telling them they were welcome to its self-declared "caliphate", said Sallau Arzika, a fisherman from Baga.

Locals were chased out of the lake islands after ISWAP accused them of spying for the military. Al-Barnawi said they could now return for fishing and trading after paying tax, with the assurance they would not be harmed, Arzika said.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Three people were killed in separate shootings in Minneapolis early Saturday, authorities said, though none of the shootings were related to protests in the city over the fatal shooting of a Black man by sheriff's deputies earlier in the week.

Police were called at 1:37 a.m. to North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, where a woman died of upon arrival after being shot in a hail of bullets along the 2200 block of N. 2nd Street in Minneapolis, department spokesman John Elder said in a news release. Investigators don't think she was the intended target. No arrests were made.

Eleven minutes later, police were called to an area of East Lake Street under a bridge about a man who had been shot. They found the wounded man and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. He was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died, Elder said.

Witnesses told police the man was struck by a stray bullet fired by people who had been street racing and then got into a shootout, Elder said. The victim had pulled over to watch the racing and was standing beside his car when he was struck. No arrests were made.

Just after 2 a.m., Metro Transit police officers in the area of Hennepin Avenue and S. Fifth Street encountered a scene in which one man fatally shot another. One of the officers pursued the suspect and shot him in the leg, wounding him, police said. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting involving the Metro Transit officer.

The man shot by the suspect was taken to HCMC, where he died. The man who was shot by the Metro Transit officer was also treated there before he was taken to the Hennepin County jail.

The shootings happened during a night of protests over the killing Thursday of 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr. by deputies serving on a U.S. Marshals task force.
BROWNING, Mont. - One was killed and two others were injured in a crash on Starr School Road Thursday night.

Montana Highway Patrol reports that on Thursday around 11:11 pm, a 1997 Ford F250 was driving eastbound on Starr School Road when it went into a slight left curve.

The Ford then left the right side of the road over an approach and rolled into a field where it hit a fence and a power pole, coming to a rest on its wheels.

All three occupants were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the car.

The driver, a 19-year-old male from Browning was killed.

Two passengers, a 16-year-old female and a 15-year-old female were injured.

According to Montana Highway Patrol, road conditions at the time were bare and dry, and speed was a factor in the crash.
Protests against police misconduct in the wake of George Floyds murder rightly focused attention on how police officers who abuse their power often escape accountability, either by the departments that employ them or the criminal justice system writ large. Its a serious problem the Daily News has exposed repeatedly. New Yorkers are rightly incensed by an NYPD internal disciplinary system where officers found guilty of excessive force  such as unprovoked stomping on two teenage boys, or tasing a pregnant 17-year-old girl for resisting arrest  are given trifling punishments. And they are right to demand reforms to the twisted doctrine of qualified immunity.
June 06, 2021

Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:

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Other issues:

"More complicated story" = They lie.

Its against this background that we should understand the document titled Proposal to Organize the Military Government, written by IDF head of operations, Col. Elad Peled, in June 1961, and presented to Chief of Staff Tzvi Tzur. Six years before the Six-Day War, the proposal consisted of detailed initial planning for the forces that would be needed to rule in what would become the occupied territories.

Two years later, in August 1963, the IDFs General Staff Branch (afterward the Operations Branch), which was then headed by Yitzhak Rabin, drew up a widely circulated directive regarding the organization of the military government in the territories. This order sheds light, in its words, on Israels expected directions of expansion, which in the assessment of the security personnel would be the focus of the next war. These territories included the West Bank, Sinai, the Syrian Heights and Damascus, and southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. <
Moultrie, GA (31768)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  The U.S. will give Taiwan 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, part of President Joe Biden's move to share tens of millions of jabs globally, three American senators said Sunday, after the self-ruled island complained that China is hindering its efforts to secure vaccines as it battles an outbreak.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who made a three-hour stop in Taiwan with fellow Democrat Christopher Coons of Delaware and Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska, said their visit underscores bipartisan U.S. support for the democratic island that Beijing claims as its own renegade territory. Taiwan faces a severe vaccine shortage and has geopolitical significance as a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.

Im here to tell you that the United States will not let you stand alone, Duckworth said at the airport after landing on a U.S. military transport plane. We will be by your side to make sure the people of Taiwan have what they need to get to the other side of the pandemic and beyond.

Taiwan was included on a long list of places announced last week that would receive 25 million doses from the United States in what the Biden administration says is the first tranche of at least 80 million doses to be distributed globally. Most of the first tranche, including Taiwan's, will be sent through COVAX, a U.N.-backed program to distribute vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

The island of 24 million people, which lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) off China's east coast, is desperate for vaccines after a sudden outbreak that started in late April caught authorities by surprise. Japan shipped 1.2 million doses to Taiwan on Friday, opting to skip the COVAX process in the interest of speed. It was unclear when the 750,000 American doses would arrive.

Taiwan has accused China of blocking its efforts to reach a deal with BioNTech to import the vaccine co-developed by the German company and Pfizer. Beijing has said it is willing to supply vaccines to Taiwan, including BioNTech, through Chinese partner Fosun, and that the island's government is to blame for putting politics above the lives of its people. Taiwanese law bans the import of Chinese-made medicines.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, welcoming the senators at the airport, said that Taiwan is fortunate to have like-minded countries showing support, which he said is about sustaining freedom and democracy in the face of autocracy.

Taiwan is facing unique challenges in combating the virus," he said. "While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicine are delivered free from troubles of Beijing.

He said China is trying to block Taiwan's international assistance and prevent it from participating in the World Health Organization. "We are no strangers to that kind of obstructionism, he said.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and most Taiwanese favor maintaining the current state of de facto independence while engaging in robust economic exchanges with the mainland.

China's ruling Communist Party says Taiwan must come under its control, and has in recent months increased pressure on the island, including flying warplanes near Taiwan. The increasing activity and vast improvements in Chinas military capabilities have raised concern in the U.S., which is bound by its own laws to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the islands security as matters of grave concern.

Taiwan, which had weathered the pandemic virtually unscathed until the recent outbreak, is now facing its most serious flare-up with more than 10,000 new cases since late April.

President Tsai Ing-wen, meeting with the senators, expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for including Taiwan in the first group to receive vaccines and said the doses will arrive at a critical time for the island.

I hope that through cooperation with the United States, Japan and other countries, Taiwan will be able to overcome the immediate challenges and ... and move towards recovery, she said.

Both Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, and Sullivan said the American donation also reflects gratitude for Taiwan's support for the U.S., as Taiwan donated millions of masks and other supplies to the U.S. in the early days of the pandemic.

This is love from America in return, Sullivan said, wearing a mask that he noted had Love from Taiwan" written on it.

The three senators arrived at 7:30 a.m. from South Korea, where they met senior officials including the foreign and defense ministers on Friday and Saturday to discuss COVID-19 cooperation, the U.S.-South Korea military alliance and North Korea. They departed Taiwan at 10.30 a.m. the same morning, according to Taiwan's foreign ministry.

___ Soo reported from Hong Kong.
ROME - He'd arrived hours earlier on a packed, covid-tested flight from Atlanta to Rome, and now Levi Jackson, 24, was in the middle of a city springing back to life. The gleaming Trevi Fountain had crowds spilling down its amphitheater-like steps. The city's best restaurants, as well as some of its worst, were fully occupied. Block by block from where Jackson stood, a revived army of selfie-stick sellers and caricature artists were hustling and coaxing, dusting off bits of English and German and French.

Jackson, beginning a 30-day trip to see his stepmother and father, a U.S. military contractor based in northern Italy, had a full itinerary mapped out: Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast, Rome again. But his family was starting with the eternal Italy tourist question.

"Where's the best place for gelato?" his stepmother, Julia Jackson, asked.

In the 64 weeks since Italy went hurtling into its initial coronavirus lockdown, its capital and most-visited city has had moments of subdued, locals-only charm and plenty of stretches of dire stillness. But over a matter of days - in a jarring transformation for Rome's residents - the city is beginning to approximate its pre-pandemic self: bustling, doors wide open.

Suddenly, there are lines streaming out of the Vatican museum and out of a Venchi gelato shop. (Not the city's best, any local would tell you.) There are tourist-area cafes - with menus in seven languages - that had been shuttered for months, left for dead, and have suddenly resurrected. There are Bulgarian tour groups entering churches, Germans with backpacks at the Pantheon and just-arrived architecture students from the University of Notre Dame.

"There are people in shorts looking at maps again," said Gillian Longworth McGuire, an American and travel consultant who has lived in Rome for 15 years.

The transformation has come about as European countries begin to open themselves up to leisure travelers. Italy has dropped its quarantine requirement for Americans on "covid-tested" flights, as well as for travelers from the European Union, Britain or Israel who show a negative coronavirus test.

At the same time, the E.U.'s own inoculation campaign has at last allowed countries to loosen restrictions.

In Italy, some 40 percent of the population has received at least one shot, a ratio below that of the United States. But the vaccination drive, coupled with warming weather and some general precautions, has been enough to spur a turnaround. The number of people hospitalized in Italy has plummeted more than fourfold since early April. Indoor dining is again allowed. A curfew, in place for seven months, is on the verge of disappearing.

"Italy is ready to welcome back the world," Prime Minister Mario Draghi had said at a news conference in early May, a quote that was then packaged into an Instagram post by the account @visititalyofficial.

Zinny Simpson, 29, an American living in Tuscany, forwarded that post to a friend in Houston, Daniel Fenton, 21.

"Italy's ready for you homie," Simpson added in his own words to Fenton.

"Bro I'm calling you tomorrow" to make arrangements, Fenton replied.

Motivated by the idea of an Italy trip, Fenton immediately signed up for a vaccine appointment at Walgreens. On Thursday, he was in front of St. Peter's Basilica, fully vaccinated, talking about the plate of carbonara he'd had the night before, and an upcoming trip to Sicily.

"I got here as soon as I could," said Fenton, who had been studying abroad in Arezzo, Italy, until his program was suspended at the onset of the pandemic.

The current crowds in Rome feel noteworthy in the eyes of a city that had gotten accustomed to so few visitors. The crowds dipped so dramatically that Piazza Navona, mid-lockdown, was sprouting grass through the cobblestones.

But even as tourism returns, it's still well shy of the level from before. Passengers at Rome's Fiumicino airport are still down 80 percent from the norm. And people from some parts of the world aren't here at all - a reminder of the inequities of vaccine access. Many of the tourists in Rome are simply Italians from other cities, newly vaccinated, hoping to see their capital before it is overrun.

"We feel like we're breaking out of jail" after pandemic lockdown, said Angelo Rizzo, 47, from the Sicilian city of Trapani, as he visited the Vatican with his wife and three of his children.

Many Romans, so dependent on tourism, welcome the beginnings of an uptick. Marco Gallani, 74, who runs a frame shop, said it had been "depressing" to see tourist quarters so empty. "A pandemic should not be the way you take back a city," Gallani said.

But there was also an upside to the temporary emptiness, particularly in moments when the health situation felt contained. Like never before, Romans had the Forum and the Colosseum to themselves. They developed a bit of bunkered-down neighborly solidarity. They ordered takeout from their favorite restaurants, hoping they could help them survive.

"Hopefully this summer it's a happy medium. Busy, but not crushing the way it was before," said Longworth McGuire, who lives near the Colosseum. She said that some days, before the pandemic, she'd walk to the front door and simply return to her apartment, reluctant to wade into the crowds.

An Italian business association says that as many as 650,000 tourism jobs were lost last year. Some stores remain shuttered. But other places are bouncing back.

One gelateria on a major street had been closed for months, plastered with a sign that it would reopen only when life returned to "normal." On Thursday, the gate was up, with remodeling work taking place inside.

"We're reopening Saturday," the owner said.

Other stores, though open, say business hasn't yet returned to what it was.

At a cafe near the Vatican - a place selling premade sandwiches as well as Catholic figurines - one employee, Jamel Concha, 27, was standing outside, twirling a menu on his finger, trying to lure people to sit down under the outdoor umbrellas.

"You can see on their faces if they are hungry or thirsty," Concha explained.

Concha said there were times during the pandemic when his job entailed standing at the entrance doing almost nothing. "No one was passing," he said. "So boring."

There was foot traffic again now. A 25-person tour group of Italians, who strode right past. A man with a Nikon camera over his shoulder, who showed no interest.

It was nearly lunchtime. Concha was still twirling his menu. The cafe was quiet, other than two Czech tourists and two nuns.

"This is not good enough," Concha said. "We still need Rome to get busier."

- - -

The Washington Post's Stefano Pitrelli contributed to this report.
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JEKYLL ISLAND, Georgia (AP)  Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp drew jeers and boos at his state partys annual convention Saturday, laying bare the bitterness that remains among Republicans over his role in certifying Democrat Joe Bidens victory in the presidential race.

Kemps supporters tried to drown out the taunts and he pleaded for party harmony. Heading into his 2022 reelection campaign, the governor emphasized his accomplishments, especially an election overhaul that GOP state lawmakers pushed in reaction to Donald Trumps false assertions that he lost in November because of voter fraud.

We must be strong and courageous, Kemp said. He said of Democrats: Theyve got Hollywood. Theyve got billionaires in New York and California. ... That is why we have to be united as well and move forward together.

Yet Kemp never mentioned the former president who has bashed him for months and who returned to the political arena later Saturday with a speech to North Carolina Republicans. Nor did Kemp ever explicitly state that the 2020 election was fraudulent or inaccurately tallied, setting him apart from a parade of other speakers who took the stage, including one of his underdog primary rivals who received a rousing response.

Kemp maintained enough strength to easily beat back a resolution condemning his handling of the election. At least 15 local party conventions out of 159 counties and two congressional district conventions out of 14 adopted such resolutions. But the state partys resolutions committee shelved the matter, and Kemp opponents were unable Saturday to force a full convention vote.

But delegates censured Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, another Republican, for his more direct part in administering the 2020 elections. Raffensperger, like Kemp, is seeking re-election. Unlike Kemp, he did not attend his own partys convention.

The scene underscored Trumps iron hold on the Republican Party even in defeat and the potential peril for Kemp or any other GOP figure who crosses the former president, intentionally or not. And it left many Kemp supporters worried that Trump loyalists continued fixation on 2020 will doom the party in the coming midterm elections.

Im scared to death of these anti-Kemp Republicans, said James Hall, a 37-year-old delegate from Savannah.

Trump taped a video message for the convention in which he praised Georgia Republicans generally yet never mentioned Kemp. Trump also promised he'd return to Georgia for a rally in the very near future. It was reminiscent of his promise on Jan. 4, the day before Republicans lost U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia, to spend the 2022 race campaigning against your governor.

Hall predicted such divisiveness would ensure a repeat of the Senate runoffs, when Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeated Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. The Republicans lost votes from hardcore conservatives angry over Trumps defeat; and they lost votes among moderates turned off by the false claims that Bidens November victory was illegitimate. State elections officials of both parties and across the country have vouched for the results, and multiple courts have rejected Trump's election challenges.

If we keep playing these stupid games saying Kemp is not pure enough, were going to hand it over to the Democrats again, Hall said. Its just so counterproductive. He's the only Republican that can win in November.

The governors critics insist hes earned the opposition.

If you dont support Trump, you dont get to play, said Barbara Cunningham of Savannah, whos been involved with the state party for more than 50 years.

Kemp challenger Vernon Jones echoed that sentiment. A Black former Democrat who backed Trump and switched parties to take on Kemp, Jones played up his race and his former partisan affiliation, reminding delegates that Trump and Ronald Reagan were once Democrats.

Jones tagged Kemp, a lifelong Republican, with the Republican in Name Only moniker. The RINO leadership of this state sat on the sidelines as Trump lost, Jones said.

He dubbed Biden Jim Crow Joe and insulted Stacey Abrams, Democrats 2018 nominee for governor and likely nominee in 2022, as the Wicked Witch of the South.

What are they gonna do, play the race card? Jones asked, drawing laughter and roars from the overwhelmingly white delegate body.

Kemp first angered some of the GOPs right flank with his appointment of Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman, to a Senate vacancy rather than elevating Trumps preferred choice, then-Rep. Doug Collins. That boiled over in November when Kemp followed state law by certifying Bidens Electoral College slate. He also declined to call a legislative special session to address  or attempt to overturn  the results.

Kemp could have helped him, but he didnt, Cunningham lamented.

Multiple recounts confirmed Bidens November margin of about 12,000 votes out of 5 million cast, making him the first Democratic presidential nominee to win Georgia since 1992. In the January Senate runoffs, Democrats margins widened. Ossoff defeated Perdue by 55,000 votes, while Warnock deposed Loeffler by more than 93,000 votes or about 2 percentage points. Both margins were beyond the thresholds that trigger recounts.

To be sure, Kemp remains a favorite for the GOP nomination.

He has delivered time and time again on what Republican voters want, whether its pro-life issues, fiscal issues, whatever, said Kevin Gough, a delegate from Glynn County, where the convention was being held.

Kemp certainly ticked through such a list: tax cuts, new abortion restrictions currently under court challenge, measured relaxing of pandemic rules to keep businesses open, opposition to critical race theory being taught in Georgia public schools.

The boos, Gough said, dont speak for the whole party.
Xinjiang sees record new energy power generation efficiency

Xinhua) 13:15, June 06, 2021

An employee inspects photovoltaic panels at a solar power plant in Hami prefecture, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in September. [Photo by Cai Zengle/China News Service]

URUMQI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China has achieved a record-high new energy power generation efficiency rate, according to the regional commission of development and reform.

Data from the commission showed that in the first four months of this year, the utilization rate of its wind and solar power generating capacity hit 93.2 percent and 98.8 percent, up 4.5 and four percentage points year on year, respectively. Generation of wind and solar power increased significantly to 22.43 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in the period.

The region's utilization rate of new energy power generating capacity had sustained growth for five consecutive years to reach 91 percent in 2020, recovering from a record low of 63 percent in 2016.

By the end of April, Xinjiang's installed capacity of wind and solar power generation came to 23.55 million kilowatts and 12.06 million kilowatts, respectively, accounting for 34.3 percent of the region's total installed power capacity, latest data showed.

With abundant natural endowments in the hinterland, Xinjiang has transmitted 27 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generated by new energy to 20 other Chinese provinces, regions and municipalities in 2020, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 23.32 million tonnes, according to data by the State Grid's Xinjiang Electric Power Co. Ltd.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
The problem, in our hyperpartisan media environment, is that it can be hard to tease out whats thoughtful media criticism and self-policing and whats either a pissing match or self-serving softball. Its hardly surprising that Carlson attacks Chris Cuomo or that Cuomo attacks Carlson, even if both often have valid points to make. Nor is it surprising, sadly, that media organizations defend their own, even if they undoubtedly would have attacked other media for similar actions  as Stelter or Fox or the Times and others have done. If so-called media critics have ethics that blow with the wind, what purpose do they serve?
Russian opposition figure leaves country for Ukraine View Photo

MOSCOW (AP)  A well-known Russian opposition politician who was held in police custody for two days last week in a criminal investigation said Sunday that he has left the country for Ukraine.

Dmitry Gudkov said in a Facebook post that sources in Kremlin circles had told him that if I do not leave the country, the fake criminal case will continue until my arrest.

Gudkov said he believes the investigation was aimed at preventing him from running for the national parliament this year. He was a parliament member in 2011-16.

Gudkov was detained at his country house last week in connection with an investigation into money allegedly owed to the city for rental of office space. He was released without charges Thursday.

His detention came as authorities continue to crack down on dissent ahead of Septembers parliamentary elections.

Last week, a court sent prominent opposition figure Andrei Pivovarov to jail for two months pending a probe into his actions as head of the Open Russia group, which authorities have declared an undesirable organization. Pivovarov had announced the group was disbanding several days before his arrest.
BALTIMORE (AP)  Two juveniles and an 18-year-old have been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of a 31-year-old Israeli man who was visiting relatives in Baltimore last month.

Baltimore police said William Clinton III, 18, and a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old are being held without bail in the May 3 fatal shooting of Efraim Gordon. He was shot multiple times in what police said appeared to be a robbery.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Gordon had traveled from Israel to Baltimore for a weeks visit to attend his cousins wedding. When he was shot in the Glen neighborhood, he was walking back to his aunt and uncles house, Councilman Isaac Yitzy Schleifer previously said.

Law enforcement and the cooperation of the community  made these arrests possible, Schleifer wrote in a Facebook post after police announced the arrests.

Countless people came forward with information and doorbell camera footage, Schleifer said in an interview.

Gordons family raised $61,000 to return Gordons body to Israel and to offer a $30,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest. In an update on the fundraising campaign page, organizers said Gordon has been buried respectfully.

No family should be forced to endure the insufferable pain of losing a loved one to gun violence, Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement.

The city has had 141 homicides so far this year, police say.

Court records did not list an attorney for Clinton who could comment on his behalf.
Pair of Jerusalem activists freed after detention by Israel View Photo

JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli police on Sunday detained two members of a prominent family in the contested Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem who led protests against attempts by Jewish settlers to evict dozens of Palestinian families from their homes in the area. The twin brother and sister were released later in the day.

The arrests of Muna and Muhammad al-Kurd, 23, came a day after police detained a well-known Al Jazeera reporter covering a demonstration in the neighborhood. The reporter, Givara Budeiri, was held for four hours before she was released and sent to a hospital to treat a broken hand. It was not clear how her hand was broken, but her boss blamed police mistreatment.

Earlier this year, heavy-handed police actions in Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of east Jerusalem fueled weeks of unrest that helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Those tensions are simmering again  and could flare anew if Israeli ultranationalists follow through on plans to march Thursday through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalems Old City. Israeli police were expected to hold consultations on whether the parade, which was originally set to take place when the war erupted on May 10, would be allowed to proceed.

Renewed violence could complicate the task of embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus political opponents, who formed a fragile and disparate coalition last week, of passing a parliamentary vote of confidence required to replace him and take office. A close ally of Netanyahu oversees the police.

In Sheikh Jarrah, Jewish settlers have been waging a decades-long campaign to evict the families from densely populated Palestinian neighborhoods just outside the walls of the Old City. The area is one of the most sensitive parts of east Jerusalem, which is home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and which Israel captured in 1967 and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Israel views the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Settler groups and Israeli officials say the Sheikh Jarrah dispute is merely about real estate. But Palestinians say they are victims of a discriminatory system. The settlers are using a 1970 law that allows Jews to reclaim formerly Jewish properties lost during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation, a right denied to Palestinians who lost property in the same conflict.

The al-Kurd family in Sheikh Jarrah has been at the forefront of months of protests against the planned evictions.

Early Sunday, police took Muna al-Kurd, 23, from her home.

Her father, Nabil al-Kurd, said police stormed the house in large numbers and in a barbaric manner.

I was sleeping, and I found them in my bedroom, he said. Police then searched the house and arrested his daughter. Video posted on social media showed her being taken away in handcuffs.

The reason for the arrest is that we say that we will not leave our homes, and they do not want anyone to express his opinion, they do not want anyone to tell the truth, he said. They want to silence us.

Police also searched for her brother, Muhammad, but he was not there. Later, he turned himself in to Jerusalem police.

The siblings lawyer, Nasser Odeh, told journalists outside the police station that his clients were accused of disturbing public security and participation in nationalistic riots.

On Sunday evening, Muna al-Kurd was released. But before she was freed, police briefly clashed with a crowd outside the station, throwing stun grenades. Later Sunday, Muna posted on Instagram that her brother had been released as well.

The arrests came a day after Al Jazeeras Budeiri, wearing a protective vest marked press, was dragged away by police at a protest in Sheikh Jarrah.

According to witnesses, police asked Budeiri for identification. Colleagues said police did not allow her to return to her car to retrieve her government-issued press card. Instead, they said she was surrounded by police, handcuffed and dragged into a vehicle with darkened windows.

In video footage posted online, Budeiri can be seen in handcuffs, while clutching her notebook and shouting, Dont touch, enough, enough.

Israeli police said entrance to the neighborhood is limited due to the tense situation, and only accredited journalists are allowed in. They said that when Budeiri was unable to provide her press pass, police removed her. They added that Budeiri was arrested after becoming hostile and pushing an officer.

The Israel Police will allow the freedom of press coverage, provided that these are done in accordance (with) the law while maintaining public order, according to a statement. The statement did not reference her broken hand.

Budeiri was held for four hours before she was released and sent to the hospital, said Walid Omary, the Jerusalem bureau chief for Al Jazeera. In addition to the broken hand, Omary said Budeiri also suffered bruises on her body. He said her cameramans video camera was also heavily damaged by police.

As part of her release, Budeiri is banned from returning to the neighborhood for 15 days, Omary said.

They are attacking the journalists in east Jerusalem because they dont want them to continue covering whats happening inside Sheikh Jarrah, he said.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists working for international news organizations, said the treatment of Budeiri was the latest in a long line of heavy-handed tactics by Israeli police against the media in recent weeks. It said journalists have been hit by stun grenades, tear gas, sponge-tipped bullets and putrid-smelling water.

We call on police to punish the officers who needlessly injured an experienced journalist and broke professional equipment. And once again, we urge police to uphold Israels pledges to respect freedom of the press and to allow journalists to do their jobs freely and without fear of injury and intimidation, the FPA said.

Last months war was triggered by weeks of clashes in Jerusalem between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint holy site.

The war erupted on May 10 when Hamas, calling itself the defender of the holy city, launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem. Some 254 people were killed in Gaza and 13 in Israel before a cease-fire took effect on May 21.

Al Jazeeras acting director general, Mostefa Souag, noted that Budeiris detention came after Israels May 15 war-time destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local office of Al Jazeera. The tower also housed The Associated Press office.

Israel has alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating from the building. The AP has said it has no indication of a purported Hamas presence and has called for an independent investigation.

By JOSEF FEDERMAN

Associated Press
No mass protests after Honolulu police shoot, kill Black man View Photo

HONOLULU (AP)  Lindsay Myeni and her South African husband moved to Hawaii, where she grew up, believing it would be safer to raise their two Black children here than in another U.S. state.

Three months after they arrived, Honolulu police shot and killed her husband, 29-year-old Lindani Myeni, who was Black.

We never thought anything like this would ever happen there, Lindsay Myeni, who is white, told The Associated Press in an interview from her husbands hometown, Empangeni in Kwazulu-Natal province.

To some, Lindani Myenis death and the muted reaction from residents, is a reminder that Hawaii isnt the racially harmonious paradise its held up to be.

The couple moved to Honolulu from predominately white Denver in January.

Hawaii, where white people are not the majority and many people identify as having multiple ethnicities, felt right: We were refreshed to be back to somewhere that is so diverse.

Of Hawaiis 1.5 million residents, just 3.6% are Black, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Yet in Honolulu alone, Black people made up more than 7% of the people police used force against, according to Honolulu police data for 2019.

While there have been some local gatherings and small protests decrying Myenis death, it hasnt inspired the passionate outrage seen elsewhere in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed last year by a white officer in Minnesota, and other killings by police.

Myenis death would have generated mass protests in any other American city, said Kenneth Lawson, a Black professor at University of Hawaiis law school.

When youre told you live in a paradise and you point out that its not paradise for people of color, that makes people uncomfortable, he said.

One reason for a lack of outrage, he said, is that police have released limited details of what happened. Whats being revealed is what they want us to see, he said.

According to polices account of the fatal shooting, Myeni entered a home that wasnt his, sat down and took off his shoes, prompting a frightened occupant to call 911. Outside the house, he ignored commands to get on the ground and physically attacked officers, leaving one with a concussion, police said.

Police released two brief clips from body camera footage, but its difficult to make out what is happening in the dark. Three shots ring out and then an officer exclaims, Police.

A wrongful death lawsuit Lindsay Myeni filed against Honolulu alleges police were motivated by racial discrimination towards people of Mr. Myenis African descent.

Simply by being Black, he was seen as an immediate threat, that the Asian woman who called 911 needed to be protected from, she said.

Now-retired police Chief Susan Ballard, who is white, said at the time that officers reacted to Myenis behavior, not his race. This person seriously injured the officers and their lives were in jeopardy, she said.

Myenis widow thinks he mistook the home for a Hare Krishna temple next door. Earlier in the day, the family had visited culturally significant places as they drove to Oahus north shore. At one point, the couple prayed together, she recalled, because something felt off. He seemed stressed.

Because of that, she thinks her husband, who was Christian and connected to his Zulu culture, was seeking out a spiritual place in his new neighborhood.

Shortly before the shooting, she spoke to him by phone. He was on his way home, some five blocks away.

He was wearing his umqhele when he was shot, his widow said. The traditional Zulu headband, along with taking his shoes off at the door, meant he went to the house with respectful intentions, she said.

She believes their races contributed to a waning of shocked sentiment over his death. White people dont come from Hawaii, stereotypically. Black people dont come from Hawaii, stereotypically. So even though Im three generations of being there, if you look at my skin, youll say, Oh must be a haole, she said using the Hawaiian word for foreigner.

But Myeni was indeed a newcomer to Hawaii, which might have contributed to the general reaction to his death, said Daphne Barbee-Wooten, former president of the African American Lawyers Association of Hawaii.

Whereas if it was someone who people knew for a long period of time who got shot or killed, I think there might be more outrage because they would have been neighbors, gone to the same church, she said.

And I think a lot of African Americans who live here are outraged, she said. But do they take to the street about it? Not really.

The are various reasons for that, she said, including people with military jobs who might not be allowed to protest publicly or those who are waiting to see results of an investigation into the shooting.

Ethan Caldwell, who is of Black and Asian descent and an assistant professor of ethnic studies at the University of Hawaii, said he can personally relate to the Myeni family feeling Hawaii would be relatively safer.

I always ask the question to my students, safer for who? he said. Black folks have been present in the Hawaiian Kingdom since prior to the illegal annexation, but rarely do we see, hear, or disassociate them with the military in Hawaii in the present.

Even though Hawaii is one of the few places where people of color are the majority, there are still anti-Black sentiment  at institutional and individual levels  he said, noting how businesses in Waikiki boarded up their windows ahead of a peaceful Black Lives Matter march last summer.

We may not necessarily feel the same level of racism, anti-Blackness, discrimination, prejudice here as we do on the continent, but that doesnt mean we still dont face micro-aggressions on a daily basis, more so for some people, Caldwell said. I think some people might be more willing to deal with those because it doesnt necessarily mean that their lives are at-risk.

But I think when it comes to seeing the more recent cases and the distance closing, the fact that it even happens here also puts some of that into question as well, he said, referring to Honolulu police shooting and killing a 16-year-old Micronesian boy on April 5.

Another possible reason the death hasnt prompted mass protests is because Hawaii strives to be seen as being different from the strife on the U.S. mainland, said Akiemi Glenn, founder and executive director of the Popolo Project, whose group name uses the Hawaiian word for a plant with dark purple or black berries that has also come to refer to Black people.

Acknowledging that Hawaii experiences racial bias in law enforcement like other parts of the country explodes the myth that this is a paradise  whether its a racial paradise or vacation paradise  from all of your troubles on the mainland, she said.

Before his death, Lindsay Myeni said her husband didnt encounter racist incidents in Hawaii. She remembers that after a month here, he hugged her one day when he returned from the gym and thanked her for bringing him to Hawaii.

And people are warm and friendly and they theyre outgoing, she said. And all the things he loved about South Africa, Hawaii has a lot of those.

In Denver, police stopped him while walking because he matched the description of a crime suspect. In South Africa, she would get ugly stares from some white people who saw her with a Black man.

But we live among Black people in South Africa and theyve always been welcoming to me, she said.

Lindsay Myeni is trying to extend her visa to stay in South Africa and will try to apply for permanent residency through her son.

Hawaii is my home, so I really feel like I broke up with my country and my state and like maybe Ill go back there one day, she said. Its really hard to say, but right now I just cant fathom even visiting.

___

Magome reported from Johannesburg.

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

Associated Press
Manchins opposition clouds future of Dems elections bill View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  A key Democratic senator says he will not vote for the largest overhaul of U.S. election law in at least a generation, leaving no plausible path forward for legislation that his party and the White House have portrayed as crucial for protecting access to the ballot.

Voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia wrote in a home-state newspaper, the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

He wrote that failure to bring together both parties on voting legislation would risk further dividing and destroying the republic we swore to protect and defend as elected officials.

The bill would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, strike down hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a murky campaign finance system. Among dozens of other provisions, it would require states to offer 15 days of early voting and allow no-excuse absentee balloting.

Democrats have pushed the legislation as the antidote to a wave of restrictive state voting laws sweeping the country, many inspired by former President Donald Trumps false claims of fraud in his 2020 election loss. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has pledged to bring the election bill to a vote the week of June 21, testing where senators stand. But without Manchins support, the bill has no chance of advancing. Republicans are united against it.

In appearances on two Sunday news shows, Manchin stressed his reasons for opposing the bill, including his view that it is too broad.

I think its the wrong piece of legislation to bring our country together and unite our country and Im not supporting that because I think it would divide us further, Manchin said. He also said he believes Republicans will see the need for a bipartisan deal.

And if they think theyre going to win by subverting and oppressing people from voting, theyre going to lose. I assure you they will lose, he said.

Manchin said lawmakers should instead focus their energies on revitalizing the landmark Voting Rights Act, which was weakened by a Supreme Court decision in 2013. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has joined him in calling for that approach.

Manchins opposition to the broader elections bill is just the latest challenge facing Democrats as they debate how to deliver their promises to voters. Manchin reiterated he would not vote weaken or eliminate the filibuster, a route that many Democrats see as the only realistic path forward. The filibuster rule requires 60 votes to pass most bills, and in todays Senate, which is split 50-50, that means many of the Democrats biggest priorities, from voting rights to gun control, are dead on arrival.

Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have frustrated their party by their defense of the filibuster. But they arent alone, with as many as 10 Democratic senators also reluctant to change the rules.

President Joe Biden this past week used the 100th anniversary of Tulsas race massacre to make a plea for legislation to protect the right to vote, which comes as Republican-led administrations in Texas and other states pass new restrictions making it tougher to cast ballots. Biden also seemed to call out Manchin and Sinema for stalling action on voting measures, though he has not said he wants to end the filibuster.

Biden said the right to vote was precious and must be protected, and pledged that June would be a month of action on Capitol Hill. Were not giving up, Biden said. Im going to fight like heck with every tool at my disposal for its passage.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has promised to block the elections bill, which he characterizes as undue government overreach into state election systems. He said no GOP senators support it.

I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act, Manchin wrote. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.

In March, House Democrats passed the voting bill by a near party-line 220-210 vote. The legislation would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, eliminate hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a campaign finance system that allows wealthy donors to anonymously bankroll political causes.

The measure has been a priority for Democrats since they won their House majority in 2018. But it has taken on added urgency in the wake of President Donald Trumps false claims about the 2020 election, which incited the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Manchin was interviewed Sunday on Fox News Sunday and Face the Nation on CBS.
HONOLULU (AP)  Lindsay Myeni and her South African husband moved to Hawaii, where she grew up, believing it would be safer to raise their two Black children here than in another U.S. state.

Three months after they arrived, Honolulu police shot and killed her husband, 29-year-old Lindani Myeni, who was Black.

We never thought anything like this would ever happen there, Lindsay Myeni, who is white, told The Associated Press in an interview from her husband's hometown, Empangeni in Kwazulu-Natal province.

To some, Lindani Myenis death and the muted reaction from residents, is a reminder that Hawaii isnt the racially harmonious paradise its held up to be.

The couple moved to Honolulu from predominately white Denver in January.

Hawaii, where white people are not the majority and many people identify as having multiple ethnicities, felt right: We were refreshed to be back to somewhere that is so diverse.

Of Hawaiis 1.5 million residents, just 3.6% are Black, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Yet in Honolulu alone, Black people made up more than 7% of the people police used force against, according to Honolulu police data for 2019.

While there have been some local gatherings and small protests decrying Myeni's death, it hasn't inspired the passionate outrage seen elsewhere in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed last year by a white officer in Minnesota, and other killings by police.

Myeni's death would have generated mass protests in any other American city, said Kenneth Lawson, a Black professor at University of Hawaii's law school.

When you're told you live in a paradise and you point out that it's not paradise for people of color, that makes people uncomfortable, he said.

One reason for a lack of outrage, he said, is that police have released limited details of what happened. What's being revealed is what they want us to see, he said.

According to police's account of the fatal shooting, Myeni entered a home that wasn't his, sat down and took off his shoes, prompting a frightened occupant to call 911. Outside the house, he ignored commands to get on the ground and physically attacked officers, leaving one with a concussion, police said.

Police released two brief clips from body camera footage, but it's difficult to make out what is happening in the dark. Three shots ring out and then an officer exclaims, Police.

A wrongful death lawsuit Lindsay Myeni filed against Honolulu alleges police were motivated by racial discrimination towards people of Mr. Myenis African descent.

Simply by being Black, he was seen as an immediate threat, that the Asian woman who called 911 needed to be protected from, she said.

Now-retired police Chief Susan Ballard, who is white, said at the time that officers reacted to Myeni's behavior, not his race. "This person seriously injured the officers and their lives were in jeopardy, she said.

Myeni's widow thinks he mistook the home for a Hare Krishna temple next door. Earlier in the day, the family had visited culturally significant places as they drove to Oahu's north shore. At one point, the couple prayed together, she recalled, because something felt off. He seemed stressed.

Because of that, she thinks her husband, who was Christian and connected to his Zulu culture, was seeking out a spiritual place in his new neighborhood.

Shortly before the shooting, she spoke to him by phone. He was on his way home, some five blocks away.

He was wearing his umqhele when he was shot, his widow said. The traditional Zulu headband, along with taking his shoes off at the door, meant he went to the house with respectful intentions, she said.

She believes their races contributed to a waning of shocked sentiment over his death. White people don't come from Hawaii, stereotypically. Black people don't come from Hawaii, stereotypically. So even though I'm three generations of being there, if you look at my skin, you'll say, Oh must be a haole, she said using the Hawaiian word for foreigner.

But Myeni was indeed a newcomer to Hawaii, which might have contributed to the general reaction to his death, said Daphne Barbee-Wooten, former president of the African American Lawyers Association of Hawaii.

Whereas if it was someone who people knew for a long period of time who got shot or killed, I think there might be more outrage because they would have been neighbors, gone to the same church, she said.

And I think a lot of African Americans who live here are outraged, she said. But do they take to the street about it? Not really.

The are various reasons for that, she said, including people with military jobs who might not be allowed to protest publicly or those who are waiting to see results of an investigation into the shooting.

Ethan Caldwell, who is of Black and Asian descent and an assistant professor of ethnic studies at the University of Hawaii, said he can personally relate to the Myeni family feeling Hawaii would be relatively safer.

I always ask the question to my students, safer for who? he said. Black folks have been present in the Hawaiian Kingdom since prior to the illegal annexation, but rarely do we see, hear, or disassociate them with the military in Hawaii in the present.

Even though Hawaii is one of the few places where people of color are the majority, there are still anti-Black sentiment  at institutional and individual levels  he said, noting how businesses in Waikiki boarded up their windows ahead of a peaceful Black Lives Matter march last summer.

We may not necessarily feel the same level of racism, anti-Blackness, discrimination, prejudice here as we do on the continent, but that doesn't mean we still don't face micro-aggressions on a daily basis, more so for some people, Caldwell said. I think some people might be more willing to deal with those because it doesn't necessarily mean that their lives are at-risk."

"But I think when it comes to seeing the more recent cases and the distance closing, the fact that it even happens here also puts some of that into question as well," he said, referring to Honolulu police shooting and killing a 16-year-old Micronesian boy on April 5.

Another possible reason the death hasnt prompted mass protests is because Hawaii strives to be seen as being different from the strife on the U.S. mainland, said Akiemi Glenn, founder and executive director of the Popolo Project, whose group name uses the Hawaiian word for a plant with dark purple or black berries that has also come to refer to Black people.

Acknowledging that Hawaii experiences racial bias in law enforcement like other parts of the country explodes the myth that this is a paradise  whether its a racial paradise or vacation paradise  from all of your troubles on the mainland, she said.

Before his death, Lindsay Myeni said her husband didn't encounter racist incidents in Hawaii. She remembers that after a month here, he hugged her one day when he returned from the gym and thanked her for bringing him to Hawaii.

And people are warm and friendly and they theyre outgoing, she said. And all the things he loved about South Africa, Hawaii has a lot of those.

In Denver, police stopped him while walking because he matched the description of a crime suspect. In South Africa, she would get ugly stares from some white people who saw her with a Black man.

But we live among Black people in South Africa and they've always been welcoming to me, she said.

Lindsay Myeni is trying to extend her visa to stay in South Africa and will try to apply for permanent residency through her son.

Hawaii is my home, so I really feel like I broke up with my country and my state and like maybe Ill go back there one day," she said. Its really hard to say, but right now I just cant fathom even visiting.

___

Magome reported from Johannesburg.
ATHENS, Texas (AP)  An East Texas mayor has resigned after being arrested for online solicitation of a minor.

Athens Mayor James Montgomery resigned on Friday, a day after his arrest during an undercover sting operation, the Tyler Morning Telegraph reported.

Montgomery and three other suspects were arrested when they arrived at an undisclosed location after soliciting sex online with investigators posing as minors, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

MORE NEWS: TEXANS REEMERGE AFTER PANDEMIC

Montgomery, 63, was arrested by Longview police and released Thursday after posting a $300,000 bond. Court records did not list an attorney for Montgomery who could speak on his behalf.

Athens officials said they will appoint an interim mayor within the month. Montgomerys term was not set to end until 2023.

These are very serious allegations and the City of Athens does not take them lightly, the city said in a statement. We are committed to the protection and safety of our children. The City Council will be considering all possible actions as details become available.

Athens is located about 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Dallas.
The trio played former miscreants enlisted to be unarmed detectives charged with using their street smarts to work undercover, infiltrating everywhere from high schools to prisons. The ABC series, geared towards a young audience, was one of the first to tackle such weighty topics as racism, drugs, the anti-Vietnam movement, and other issues not normally seen on primetime TV.
You can't say it doesn't draw your attention.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush is officially taking on Ken Paxton in the race for Texas attorney general, and he's already got some interesting campaign merch out.

TEXAS POLITICS: Allen West resigns as chair of Texas Republican Party

Quorum Report editor Scott Braddock pointed out some interesting koozies Bush supporters are reportedly handing out to promote his run.

The koozies feature former President Donald Trump and a 2019 quote from him when Bush joined Trump onstage at an event in Crosby, Texas: "This is the only Bush that likes me! This is the only Bush that got it right. I like him."

George P. Bush is the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Trump's 2016 primary opponent whom he dubbed "Low Energy Jeb." He's the nephew of former President George W. Bush, whom Trump has often criticized. He's also the grandson of former first lady Barbara Bush, whose distaste for Trump was documented in her biography. Trump has long been a sore spot for the Bush family, though it looks like George P. Bush isn't too concerned about family ties.

The koozies definitely raised some eyebrows.

But if Bush wants to earn Trump's undying praise over Paxton, he might have to fight a little harder. Paxton has long gone to bat for the former president, even filing lawsuits to overturn election results in other states while Trump continuously (and falsely) claimed the presidency was stolen from him.

BE JEALOUS: Houston just got its own weather app

Twitter / @ScottBraddock

And Bush isn't the only Texas politician publicizing a Trump endorsement. Gov. Greg Abbott, up for reelection in 2022, has been touting his own endorsement ahead of next year.

"When Donald Trump gets behind you  nothing can stop the momentum," Abbott wrote on Twitter.
Lambert here: Vaccine equity seems very much to me a case of epidemiologically all other things being equal. If, say, the rich and powerful were disproportionately super-spreaders, due to their personal habits, general Tom and Daisy-like carelessness, and propensity to travel, wouldnt it make sense to bump them up in the queue? Isnt the real equity bringing the pandemic to an end as rapidly as possible?

By Alex Smith, KCUR 89.3 FM Health Reporter. Originally published at Kaiser Health News.

Throughout the covid-19 vaccination effort, public health officials and politicians have insisted that providing shots equitably across racial and ethnic groups is a top priority.

But its been left up to states to decide how to do that and to collect racial and ethnic data on vaccinated individuals so states can track how well theyre doing reaching all groups. The gaps and inconsistencies in the data have made it difficult to understand whos actually getting shots.

Just as an uneven approach to containing the coronavirus led to a greater toll for Black and Latino communities, the inconsistent data guiding vaccination efforts may be leaving the same groups out on vaccines, said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California-San Francisco.

At the very least, we need the same uniform standards that every state is using, and every location that administers vaccine is using, so that we can have some comparisons and design better strategies to reach the populations were trying to reach, Bibbins-Domingo said.

Now that federal, state and local governments are easing mask requirements and ending other measures to prevent the spread of the virus, efforts to boost vaccination rates in underserved communities are even more urgent.

At St. James United Methodist Church, a cornerstone for many in the Black community in Kansas City, Missouri, in-person services recently resumed after being online for more than a year. St. James has also been hosting vaccination events designed to reach people in the neighborhood.

People are really grieving not only the loss of their loved ones, but the loss of a whole year, a loss of being lonely, a loss being at home, not being able to come to church. Not being able to go out into the community, said Yvette Richards, St. James director of community connection.

Missouris population is 11% African American, but covid cases among African Americans accounted for 25% of the total cases for the state, according to an analysis by KFF.

Richards said St. James has lost many congregants to the coronavirus, and the empty pews where they once sat on Sundays serve as stark reminders of all this community has been through during the pandemic.

Missouris public covid data appears to show robust data on vaccination rates broken down by race and ethnicity. But several groups are seen lagging far behind on vaccinations, including African Americans, who appear to have a vaccination rate of just 17.6%, nearly half of the 33% rate for the state as a whole.

To Dr. Rex Archer, director of the Kansas City health department, one number is a giveaway that this data isnt right. It shows a completed vaccination rate of 64% for multiracial Missourians. Such an exceptionally high rate for one group beggars belief, according to Archer.

So, theres some huge problem with the way the state is collecting race and ethnicity under covid vaccination, Archer said.

Missouri state officials have acknowledged since February that this data is wrong, but they havent managed to fix it or explain exactly whats causing it. Archer suggested the inflated multiracial rate is probably due to different racial data being reported when individuals receive first and second shots.

Other problems have been detected, including missing racial and ethnic data for many people who have been vaccinated, and the use of multiple categories such as other and unknown.

The state also noted it used national racial percentages in the states vaccination data rather than actual percentages based on the states population. For example, earlier in the vaccination effort, the state used national racial data, which shows nearly 6% of the population is Asian, even though Missouris population is 2.2% Asian.

Health officials are working to target vaccination campaigns in communities where rates are low, but Archer said the states data provides little help.

I mean, we have to look at it, but its got too many variables to be something we can count on, Archer said.

Though racial and ethnic categories are clearly defined in national U.S. Census data, the same data is not collected uniformly by states.

For example, South Carolinas vaccination data lumps together Asians, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders in one category. In Utah, residents can pick more than one race. Wyoming doesnt report racial or ethnic data for vaccinations at all.

Bibbins-Domingo said the missing or inconsistent data doesnt necessarily mean tracking equity is a lost cause. Vaccination rates for census tracts where racial and ethnic data is known can be used as a proxy to estimate vaccine allocations.

However, Bibbins-Domingo argued that the pandemic has shined a light on racial data problems that have persisted far too long in U.S. public health.

What my hope is, is that our lessons from covid really cause all of us to think about the infrastructure we need within our state and nationally to make sure we are prepared next time, Bibbins-Domingo said. Data is our friend.

Local leaders and health officials in Missouri are scrambling to boost vaccination rates, especially among vulnerable communities, after Republican Gov. Mike Parson recently announced steps to urge residents back to working in person.

Parson ordered state workers back to the office in May and said he would end additional federal pandemic-related benefits for unemployed workers in June, despite vaccination rates across the state being well below what Missouri health experts had hoped to achieve.

Jackson County, Missouri, which includes most of Kansas City, authorized $5 million in federal CARES funding last month to increase vaccinations in six ZIP codes with large Black populations and low vaccination rates. The project will address problems of both access and hesitancy and focus on reaching out to individuals and neighborhoods.

Although many of the states vaccination efforts have involved large mass events, St. James Pastor Jackie McCall said shes been talking with many in her church and community who need encouragement to have faith in the vaccines.

So lets go ahead and lets trust, McCall told congregants. Lets trust the process. Lets trust God. Lets trust the science.

This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes KCUR, NPR and KHN.
(Natural News) A female student at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, claimed to be a victim of racist attacks. She even reported that somebody had started a small fire in her on-campus residence hall to attack her. But a closer investigation showed that the student started the fire herself.

Shortly before 2:30 a.m. on April 18, the La Crosse Fire Department was dispatched to Marian Hall in Viterbo. Marian Hall is one of the universitys on-campus student dormitories.

Campus security led the fire department responders to the buildings second-floor lounge. There, the firemen saw the remains of a small fire that a campus safety officer had put out before their arrival.

The fire department responders said there was a fair amount of smoke damage. A wall and a small area of carpet were also damaged, and the building needed to be ventilated to prevent the students living in the dorm from inhaling too much smoke. But the fire was so small that it didnt activate the buildings sprinkler system.

On the same night, Viterbo student Victoria C. Unanka reportedly texted one of her friends to say that the fire was not an accident. She claimed she was its intended target because the fire started close to her room in Marian Hall. Unanka had previously claimed to be the victim of several other racist incidents in the past, including one event wherein racist graffiti targeting her appeared in Marian Hall.

Unanka quickly became the main suspect in the arson incident

Because of previous incidents supposedly targeting Unanka, Marian Hall had recently installed surveillance cameras. The La Crosse Police Department (LCPD), in its investigation, used the surveillance video and identified Unanka as the main suspect in the arson incident.

According to an LCPD report of the incident, the video shows Unanka left her room at around 2:09 a.m. She walked around the floor, checking for other people. She then spent the next five minutes at the lounge area and a bathroom before returning to her room at around 2:14 a.m.

During that same time, the cameras picked up smoke coming from the second-floor lounge. Unanka herself sounded the alarm that there was a fire by frantically knocking on the doors of multiple residents and pulling a fire alarm.

When LCPD arrived at the scene, they saw groups of students huddled together talking about how this arson incident may be another hate crime. (Related: Campus insanity: Hate crime victim sent racist notes to himself, says police.)

The LCPD even interviewed Unanka. She told the officers that she had been out with her friends that night and came back to Marian Hall at around midnight. She said she prepared some food and went into the lounge area to wash her hands. She claimed to not have been anywhere else in the building and that she did not notice anything suspicious before she saw the fire.

When the LCPD noticed the inconsistencies between Unankas version of events and the surveillance footage, officers confronted her about it. She immediately changed her story.

For her second retelling of events, she claimed to be frustrated by the fact that no one was listening to me anymore with regards to the supposed previous hate crime incidents against her. This is why she wanted to start a fire in the lounge by turning on a stove in the kitchen and leaving it on.

Unanka claims to have had a change of heart. When she returned to the lounge from the bathroom, she claimed to find some smoking food remnants on the stove. She attempted to put out the smoking mess with paper towels. These paper towels caught on fire, which spread after she tried to shake them in an attempt to extinguish the flames. In a panic, she deposited the burning paper towels in the garbage can. This only made the situation worse.

Unanka was arrested and placed on administrative suspension on the same day

The LCPD arrested Unanka for arson and negligent handling of burning materials, but then released her on a $1,000 signature bond. One condition of her release is no contact with Viterbos campus. But campus security gave Unanka a grace period of several hours so that she can pack up her personal belongings in her residential unit.

At the same time as the LCPD was releasing Unanka on bond, she was informed that Viterbo had placed her on administrative suspension. Viterbo President Glena Temple confirmed that Unanka left the campus on the day of her release from jail and that she moved back in with her family.

This is a complex situation that involves a series of concerning incidents, said Temple in a statement. We continue to investigate the incidents earlier in the semester and any potential link between them and this fire.

We remain concerned about the students wellbeing and we will continue to work with her and her family, added Temple. In addition, we continue to hold listening sessions and expanded student support services to assist all our students during these difficult times.

Hoax.news has the latest stories regarding false flags and fake hate crimes.

Sources include:

DailyWire.com

Chippewa.com

News8000.com

WIProud.com
(Natural News) In an opinion piece published May 27 in Beijings mouthpiece Global Times, editor-in-chief Hu Xijin urged the Chinese government to ramp up its nuclear program amid the United States intensifying containment of China.

Hu recommended commissioning more nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles in preparation for an intense showdown between China and the U.S. He noted that this move is a vital deterrent to the western nation.

In particular, a large number of Dongfeng-41, and JL-2 and JL-3 (both intercontinental-range submarine-launched ballistic missile) will form the pillar of our strategic will, he wrote. Hu added that the country must have enough nuclear weapons to make America shiver.

By increasing Chinas arsenal, Beijing can calmly and actively manage disputes with Washington and avoid incidents that could spark a war, he said. U.S. hostility toward China is burning. We must use our strength and consequences that Washington cannot afford to bear if it takes risky moves, to keep them sober.

Hus remarks came after the White House approved the dispatch of extra weapons to Australia. The weapons were meant to help the country arm and defend itself against the increasingly aggressive China, which is displeased with Australia for its support of Taiwan. Beijing claims that the Asian island is part of China but the Australian government merely acknowledges Taiwan as a Chinese province but does not say it recognizes it.

Its sending a very strong message that we are alert, we are not alarmed, said Karen Andrews, the Minister for Home Affairs of Australia. But we are doing all that we can to be prepared.

She went on to thank the U.S. for its support amid mounting fears of an all-out war against China. The United States is a very strong ally of Australia and we will continue to work with them, Andrews said.

China aims to build army on par with U.S. military

Chinese President Xi Jinping aims to match Americas military capabilities to protect its territorial interests in the Asia-Pacific. In a meeting with other members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) last year, he finalized plans to turn the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) into a fully modern military on par with the U.S. military by 2027.

Analysts interpret this as Chinas way of protecting its interests in Taiwan. Basically, the target is to build PLAs capability to match the U.S. army by 2027, so it can effectively deter interference by the U.S. Army around the Taiwan Strait, said Sunfei Wu, deputy head of Hong Kong-based think tank Tianda Institute.

China has been investing in a lot of new military technologies to achieve its 2027 target. These include a new stealth bomber that is capable of bombing major U.S. bases in the Pacific with nuclear weapons.

The aircraft is called Xian H-20 and is still under development. It has a striking similarity with Americas B-2 stealth bomber, which the Air Force started using in the early 1990s. Reports showed that the craft will be equipped with both nuclear and conventional cruise missiles and will have a 5,000-mile range. This will enable the aircraft to strike Guam and other key locations in the Asia-Pacific from a long distance. (Related: China exploiting Caribbean nations to build military and missile bases that can threaten the continental United States.)

The British think tank Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies opined that the stealth bomber can give China a truly intercontinental power-projection capability.

Jon Grevatt, an Asia-Pacific defense analyst at the security intelligence company Janes, suggested that the aircraft has the potential to become a game-changer. He said that the stealth bombers creators prioritized stealth and long-distance over speed, hence its range.

Follow CommunistChina.news for the latest on Chinas aggressive expansion into the Asia-Pacific.

Sources include:

TheSun.co.uk 1

TheGuardian.com

NewIndianExpress.com

TheSun.co.uk 2
(Natural News) A recent pulse survey from the Fisher Phillips law firm has found that at least 83 percent of employers are not even considering trying to implement an employee mandate for Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines.

As corporations like Delta Airlines and Houston Methodist Hospital proudly flaunt their foolishness in attempting to outlaw bodily autonomy, most other corporations are wisely taking a step back, if not for any other reason than to avoid the inevitable lawsuits.

That 83 percent figure is up from 64 percent back in January, showing that many more employers are wising up to the fact that it is a really bad idea to try to force Chinese Virus injections on their employees.

While most employers, around 75 percent, say they are encouraging workers to get vaccinated, only a very small percentage are even attempting to try to force it as a condition of employment.

Thirty-two percent of respondents say they would prefer to avoid running afoul of anti-discrimination laws, while 54 percent said they believe that all employees willing to get injected without a mandate have already done so.

Fisher Phillips found that most employers are keener on encouraging vaccination rather than trying to require it. This is a wise approach as any company that attempts to force vaccination is likely to go under in the end from all the resultant litigation.

Companies that attempt to force Wuhan Flu shots on employees are just asking to go out of business

At the time when the survey was conducted, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had already released its own guidance claiming that employers can require their employees to get jabbed with Wuhan Flu shots.

This is, of course, a poor guidance because it will only lead employers that attempt to do so right into the trap of endless litigation. For this reason, the smarter ones have already decided not to even attempt to go there.

The dumb ones, like Delta and Houston Methodist, have made themselves targets for potentially multi-million-dollar payouts once the inevitable lawsuits run their course.

It is almost as if some companies want to be driven out of business due to their insistence on being medical fascists. Delta and Houston Methodist clearly need a reminder that they are not their employees doctors, and thus have no right to impose a medical intervention that could end up killing them.

It is important to note that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has already made it clear that employees who become injured or die from mandatory Wuhan Flu shots at their places of employment are free to sue their employers for maximum damages.

This could spell serious financial drain on any company that is dumb enough to attempt such a thing, which a few are. Most, thankfully, are staying in their lane and letting their employees make their own health decisions through informed consent.

While OSHA dropped the requirement that employers report covid vaccine injures, employers can still be held liable for any vaccine injuries that arise due to company mandates.

Windex in your office requires, by OSHA, to have a Material Data Sheet, but reactions to experimental vaccinations i.e. deaths as a result in the workplace, are no longer reportable. Wow! noted one Natural News commenter.

In my opinion, any person injecting another person with an experimental drug without full informed consent, which leads to death, is an accessory to murder. But, Im sure thats been waived, too.

It is amazing the protections required by osha, and yet, experimental, emergency use drugs just skipped a page or 2 of the rules, responded another.

More related news stories about Chinese Virus injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

HrDive.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) All beef plants operated by JBS in the United States have been shut down due to a cyberattack that targeted some of the companys servers over the weekend. The attack, which the dishonest corporate media has blamed on Russian hackers, also shut down some of the companys operations in Australia and Canada as well.

The attack threatens the U.S.s food supply due to JBS size. The worlds largest beef supplier, JBS controls about a quarter of the U.S. beef market. Should the companys plants not be able to operate over a sustained period, shortages may develop, causing prices to spike.

Attack comes as beef prices continue to rise

The cyberattack comes as U.S. beef and pork prices are already rising due to China increasing imports, animal feed costs rising and meat processing plants confronting a labor shortage following shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Its probably going to be pretty tight for the next few days because even though they (JBS) are going to start opening  who knows how they are going to run, said Altin Kalo, an economist at Steiner Consulting Group. Theres a fair amount of people that are scrambling (for beef supplies).

On Wednesday, June 2, U.S. meatpackers slaughtered 12.5 percent fewer cattle than a week before and 8 percent less than a year earlier, according to estimates from the Department of Agriculture.

JBS has since stated that it had made significant progress in resolving the cyberattack. On Monday, May 31, the company said that it had suspended all affected IT systems as soon as the attack was detected. Its backup servers, on the other hand, were supposedly not hacked.

IT systems are essential in modern meat processing plants. Computers are used at multiple stages in the meat processing and packing process, including for billing and shipping.

Employees eventually started returning to JBSs U.S. meat plants on Wednesday, June 2, only a day after operations had halted. The company has since stated that most of its operations resumed on Wednesday, including the majority of our beef facilities in the U.S. and Australia.

We anticipate operating at close to full capacity across our global operations tomorrow, said JBS USA Chief Executive Andre Nogueira in a statement.

Cyberattack blamed on Russians

The company believes that the ransomware attack on its systems most likely came from a Russia-based criminal group. If this is the case, then this makes it the third major major attack this year tied to Russia.

Importantly, the discredited corporate-run media has dishonestly blamed everything on Russia since 2016, when President Trump won the election for his first term.

Prior to this, a cyberattack was carried out last month allegedly by a group with ties to Russia hit the Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S. This attack crippled fuel delivery for several days in the U.S. Southeast, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at gas pumps. (Related: Gasoline supplies COLLAPSE across southern states as cyber hack of pipeline wreaks regional economic havoc.)

A source familiar with the matter has pointed to Russian cyber gang REvil as the culprit behind the JBS attack. The prolific ransomware group was previously known for attacking an Apple supplier named Quanta Computer earlier this year. In that case, the group sent extortion threats to Quanta, demanding that the company pay $50 million to regain access to its systems.

Over the past couple of years, ransomware has evolved into a pressing national issue, A number of gangs, many involving Russians or Russian speakers, develop software that encrypts a companys files and then demands payment in cryptocurrency for the files to be unlocked.

The threat of these attacks is such that the White House is getting involved. On Wednesday, June 2, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki that the JBS hack was expected to be discussed at President Joe Bidens mid-June summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Were not taking any options off the table in terms of how we may respond, but of course theres an internal policy review process to consider that, she said. Were in direct touch with the Russians, as well, to convey our concerns about these reports

President Biden certainly thinks that President Putin and the Russian government has a role to play in stopping and preventing these attacks, she added.

Follow CyberWar.news for more of the latest on this and other Russian cyberattack stories.

Sources include:

Bloomberg.com

ZeroHedge.com

Reuters.com

TechRepublic.com
(Natural News) A group of more than 100 doctors and nurses in Texas sued the hospital they work at after it mandated Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations. The suit filed by 117 plaintiffs accused the Houston Methodist hospital network of illegally requiring its employees to be injected with an experimental vaccine. It added that the hospital is forcing staff members to be human guinea pigs as a condition for continued employment.

According to the lawsuit, Houston Methodist CEO Marc Boom told the 26,000 staff members of the hospital network to get the COVID-19 vaccine before June 7. Anyone who fails to get inoculated by the deadline would be fired.

Registered nurse and plaintiff Kim Mikeska is among those facing termination as she does not want to get the vaccine. She told the Houston Chronicle: This is my body, this is my choice. I dont think employers or anyone should mandate what goes into my body. Mikeska added: This is about my liberty and my freedom. Im standing up for every American, for the freedom to choose  [and] the liberty to have autonomy over your own body.

The suits lead plaintiff and registered nurse Jennifer Bridges said she will not get the COVID-19 vaccine as she is not comfortable with it. Despite having received every vaccine known to man in the past, she believed that the COVID-19 vaccines needed further study. Bridges told the Chronicle that she would rather lose her job and suffer the short-term financial impact than suffer an adverse reaction that could affect her whole life. Im totally prepared to get fired if I have to. We will hold [Houston Methodist] accountable for what theyre doing, she said.

Meanwhile, Boom completely dismissed the facts in the lawsuit and said that the COVID-19 vaccines are not experimental. He also defended his decision to require Houston Methodist employees to get vaccinated. It is legal for health care institutions to mandate vaccines, as we have done with the flu vaccine since 2009, Boom said.

Requiring employees to get COVID-19 vaccines blatantly violates the Nuremberg Code

Houston Methodist Spokeswoman Amy Rose confirmed the June 7 deadline for COVID-19 vaccination. She added that close to 99 percent of the hospitals total workforce have now received at least dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Rose said in a statement: Houston Methodist is adamant that we do everything in our power to protect our patients. Our decision to mandate the [COVID-19] vaccine for all our employees was not made lightly.

But attorney Jared Woodfill, who filed the lawsuit in Texass Montgomery County, was not convinced. He told local news outlets that Houston Methodists vaccine mandate is a severe and blatant violation of the Nuremberg Code and the public policy of the state of Texas.

The code clearly outlined that the voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. It further elaborated that persons should have legal capacity to give consent  without the intervention of any element of force. Incidentally, Bridges said that Houston Methodist managers and supervisors are bullying unvaccinated employees by constantly asking about their vaccine status. She added that this bullying was done in the presence of other workers  further strengthening the suits argument.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized three vaccines for emergency use  Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson  to address COVID-19 in the U.S. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said more than 272 million doses of the three vaccines have been administered as of May 17. However, the CDCs Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System recorded more than 200,000 adverse events related to vaccines. It also recorded 4,863 deaths as part of the adverse reactions.

OSHA did a 180-degree turn on its earlier decision about required vaccines

On a side note, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its guidance with regard to COVID-19 vaccinations. Early this year, the agency said that adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine can be considered as work-related injuries if employers require them. It added that such adverse reactions can be recorded if they are new cases and they meet general criteria  such as affected employees needing days off from work and medical treatment beyond first aid.

OSHA added that it will not hold employers liable for any vaccines they recommend  including the ones for COVID-19. However, the agency clarified that vaccination must be truly voluntary for the rule to apply. It meant that an employee would not suffer any repercussions such as a negative performance rating or hindered professional advancement if they choose not to get vaccinated.

But later, OSHA walked back on its earlier guidance and announced it will not require employers to record their workers COVID-19 side effects anymore. It explained: The [Department of Labor] and OSHA, as well as other federal agencies, are working diligently to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations. OSHA does not wish to have any appearance of discouraging workers from receiving COVID-19 [vaccines] and does not wish to dis-incentivize employers vaccination efforts.

Visit MedicalTyranny.com to read more articles about employers requiring their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

TheFreeThoughtProject.com

HoustonChronicle.com

OSHA.gov
(Natural News) Another email bombshell from the Anthony Fauci archives has been dropped, this one showing that Americas doctor knew full well that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was an effective remedy against the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19), and yet chose to lie to the public by claiming otherwise.

Not only that, but Fauci colluded with other deep state entities to ban HCQ from even being allowed as an approved treatment for the Chinese Virus, even though numerous studies prove it to be an effective remedy against all sorts of coronaviruses.

Fifteen years ago, Fauci himself was a strong proponent of HCQ, having indicated before it was politically incorrect to do so that HCQ works against SARS, a cousin of the Wuhan Flu.

Chloroquine, Fauci admitted back in 2005, completely abolished SARS-CoV infection. For whatever reason, the story changed in 2020 when SARS-CoV-2 (covid) emerged when Fauci suddenly decided that HCQ and its derivatives could not be used in the treatment of Chinese Disease.

In response to a Feb. 24, 2020, inquiry, Fauci was dismissive about the potential benefits of HCQ in early treatment of the Wuhan Flu.

Is there any indication / data to substantiate this claim from China (attached publication) that chloroquine / hydroxychloroquine can decrease COVID-19 infections and lung disease? wrote Maryland pharmacologist Philip Gatti in an email to Fauci.

There are no data in this brief report and so I have no way of evaluating their claim, Fauci responded. There are a lot of these types of claims going around. I would love to see their data.

Fauci doubled down with deception by claiming that hydroxychloroquine is dangerous

After being presented with the data, Fauci proceeded to double down on his claim that HCQ was ineffective against the Chinese Virus, even going so far as to claim that the use of it was dangerous.

During an appearance on CNN last spring, Fauci warned the networks handful of viewers that using HCQ prophylactically like then-President Donald Trump had done was dangerous, despite the fact that the drug has been used for decades without issue.

It would seem as though Fauci only wanted to contradict Trump rather than inform Americans as to a safe and effective remedy for the Chinese Flu. Because Trump was for HCQ, Fauci stood against it, proving his loyalty to politics rather than medicine.

Millions of people are now dead, thanks to Faucis bad advice. Big Tech followed suit by further censoring all information about HCQ from social media, and much of the world was plunged into lockdowns, mask mandates, and business closures  all because of Faucis lies.

Keep in mind that back in 2013, Fauci promoted the use of HCQ in the treatment of MERS, another type of coronavirus similar to SARS and the Wuhan Flu. What changed since that time? Trump became president, is the simplest answer.

When the history books are written Dr. Tony Fauci will go down as one of the greatest mass murderers of our day, writes Jim Hoft for The Gateway Pundit.

He funded the research on coronavirus in the U.S. Then he funded it in China after it was banned here. Then he downplayed the severity of the disease. Then he lied about a successful treatment for the dangerous man-made pathogen. Fauci is a killer. Arrest Fauci.

One wonders where Fauci is hiding these days as the lid is blown on this whole scandal. Fauci is quickly becoming the most hated figure on the planet, even more so, perhaps, than billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates. The good news is that justice is coming for all of them eventually.

More of the latest news about the Faucis emails can be found at Conspiracy.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) How about we make the big corporations pay reparations for health, medical and human life damages for all their years of besieging Americans with toxic products and treatments, including vaccines, chemotherapy and thousands of personal care products? Lets start with the big guns, like J&J. Johnson & Johnson already had to pay $2.2 billion to resolve CRIMINAL and civil investigations, which according to court documents, included fines for paying out kickbacks to doctors and pharmacists for pushing J&Js toxic drugs on patients.

Its called healthcare fraud settlement, but it should be called premeditated health and life endangerment and stealth coercion of patients via doctors and pharmacists. All those found guilty should serve time in federal prison.

Many J&J products are not safe and effective but rather dangerous and harmful

The safety of patients has been threatened, and the damage to public trust decimated by J&J. This monopolizing corporation must be held accountable, and by more than just their finances. These fines and penalties are just a fart in the wind compared to how much money they bankroll off selling and pushing deadly products, medicines, treatments and vaccines. Whats $2.2 billion in damages, or $4.7 billion really, in the grand scheme of things, when J&Js American conglomerate net worth is $435 billion?

For example, on a similar but smaller scale: If you were an evil corporate guru worth $435 million, and you didnt care about humans at all, would a fine of $6 million really damage your pocket? No, it wouldnt. Thats why J&J will keep on going about their business of manufacturing, marketing, selling and illegally pushing their toxic products and deadly, dirty, blood-clotting vaccines on the public, via doctors, pharmacists, nurses, commercials, faked research and shill scientists.

J&Js pharmaceutical business that developed the single-shot Covid-19 vaccine made $12 billion in revenue already

J&J is guilty of putting profit over patients, time and time again. They are repeat offenders who, if anyone was ever really put in jail, would get life in prison without the possibility of parole, or they would get the death penalty. There will be no change in corporate behavior. They will continue to hurt and maim patients because the profits are 100 times greater than the fines. With ZERO threat of jail time for anyone at J&J, they will continue their mafia-style tactics in the most dangerous of all fields of commerce  medicine.

And now they make vaccines.

Guess what? J&Js subsidiary Janssen pleaded GUILTY to misbranding an anti-psychotic drug they made and sold back in 2002 to 2003. Yes, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc, the same crooks and freaks that just made the Covid-19 vaccine, introduced Risperdal for an unapproved use, instead of just treating schizophrenia or autism, as they were approved (somehow). They made written sales aids for the sales force to market to elderly folks that were NOT schizophrenic and who did not have autism.

Plus, J&J gave incentives to doctors and pharmacists to recommend this illegal prescribing of Risperdal, just like theyre doing now with the deadly Janssen Covid vaccine. See the pattern? There is a pattern here. Repeat offenders committing criminal acts and being found guilty in court, but nobody who works for J&J goes to prison, ever, for anything.

What a joke our US court system is proving to be when this insidious corporation gets busted for maiming and killing Americans with their products. Unbelievable.

J&Js wrap sheet of crime and abuse by the manufacturing, marketing and selling of faulty, toxic medical and personal care products, including baby products

There are many crimes that land a person in jail or prison for years, some of which are considered non-violent crimes, and they include drug possession, fraud, assault, weapons charges, armed robbery, extortion, kidnapping, rape, treason and murder. Surely, some of the J&J crimes fall under these umbrellas, but will anyone ever serve time for the crime? Or is it just all about lawsuits and recalls, because thats not stopping the J&J criminals from continuing their tyranny.

1995: J&J incurs a $7.5 million fine for destroying documents to cover up an investigation into wrongful marketing of its Retin-A acne cream to remove wrinkles.

1996: J&J pays out an undisclosed settlement on false claims over false condom protection claims to protect against HIV and other STDs.

2001: J&J pays out a cool $860 million in a class action lawsuit for misleading customers about prematurely discarding its 1-Day Acuvue soft contact lens. J&J recommended they should be worn only once, but then it was discovered the lenses were no different than the regular Acuvue lens that last two weeks.

2010: J&J shells out an $81 million settlement for misbranding its anti-epileptic drug Topamax to treat psychiatric disorders, plus they hired outside physicians to join their sales force to promote the drug for unapproved conditions. Just one year later, J&J paid $85 million for similar charges against its Natrecor, a deadly heart drug.

2011: Several of J&Js BABY products were discovered to contain carcinogenic ingredients.

2013: The U.S. Justice Department charged J&J $2.2 billion in criminal fines for marketing its autism and anti-psychotic drug Risperdal for unapproved uses.

And now J&Js Covid-19 vaccine is causing injury and death by causing blood clots, but the CDC says charge forward with them anyway! Who cares how many people die from the vaccine, right? The FDA is forcing J&J to put a warning label on the vaccine insert because they know nobody will read it. That way J&J can go on with the population reduction program using their toxic vaccines and just pay out 1/100th of their profits for injuries and deaths later on down the line.

Tune your internet frequency to Pandemic.news for updates on these crimes against humanity being delivered under the guise of inoculation. Plus, learn how to best prepare for the upcoming vaccine-induced wipeout.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

NaturalNews.com

LifeSiteNews.com

Justice.gov

ChildrensHealthDefense.org
(Natural News) Dr. Chris Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recently told CBS that lab leaks happen quite frequently.

These kinds of lab leaks happen all the time, actually. Even here in the United States, weve had mishaps, Gottlieb said. And in China, the last six known outbreaks of SARS-1 have been out of labs, including the last known outbreak, which was a pretty extensive outbreak that China initially wouldnt disclose that it came out of a lab.

According to Gottlieb, uncovering the true origins of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is key to helping identify potential gaps in safety protocols and reduce the risk of future pandemics.

The theory that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, leaked from a lab has been building steam. (Related: Top researchers insist Wuhan coronavirus lab escape theory still viable, call for more investigations.)

Weve done an exhaustive search for the so-called intermediate host, the animal that could have been a host to this virus before it spread to humans. We have not found such an animal, Gottlieb said.

Known issues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), the facility at the heart of the controversy, further buoyed the case for the lab-leak theory.

We know that that lab was poorly constructed, had poor controls. We know the lab was engaging in very high-risk research, including infecting transgenic animals, animals with fully human immune systems, Gottlieb said.

We know they were working with SARS-like viruses that have never been disclosed before. And now we have new evidence that some lab workers became infected right at the time that this virus was believed to be first introduced.

WIV researchers hospitalized with COVID-like symptoms in November 2019

Late last month, the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources familiar with a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report indicating that three researchers at the WIV were hospitalized in November 2019 with symptoms consistent with seasonal flu and COVID-19.

It was roughly around that time many epidemiologists and virologists believe SARS-CoV-2 began circulating around the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was a man who fell ill on Dec. 8, 2019.

China has denied any connection between the viruss origins and the Wuhan lab, saying that the virus was most likely transmitted to humans by an animal host. However, no intermediate host has been found as Gottlieb pointed out.

Amid questions about the origins of the virus, WIV has refused to share its raw data, safety logs and lab records about its work on coronaviruses in bats.

China could provide evidence that would be exculpatory here, Gottlieb said.

That evidence would include lab records, including some of the original viral source strains, as well as blood samples from the Wuhan lab staff. Theyve refused to do that, Gottlieb said.

Instead, Chinese officials claimed that the virus originated outside of China. At a May 24 press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian accused the U.S. of releasing the virus from the Fort Detrick military base in Maryland.

Shi Zhengli, the top bat coronavirus expert at WIV, told the WHO-led team that traveled to Wuhan earlier this year to investigate the origins of the virus that all staff had tested negative for COVID-19 antibodies and there had been no turnover of staff on the coronavirus team.

Intelligence community to be more involved in probe of COVID-19 origins

Gottlieb urged the U.S. intelligence services to be more involved, saying that the COVID-19 outbreak speaks to the need for viewing public health through the lens of national security.

Traditionally, weve relied on international conventions and scientists working together, multilateral agreements to try to assess the risks and try to uncover these kinds of outbreaks. I think we also need to get better surveillance in place and use our tools of national security to help engage in that mission as well, Gottlieb said.

President Joe Biden announced on May 26 that he has ordered intelligence agencies to take a closer look at two equally plausible scenarios regarding the origins of COVID-19  one through human contact with an infected animal, the other a lab leak.

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. As part of that report, I have asked for areas of further inquiry that may be required, including specific questions for China, Biden said in a statement. (Related: Australian national broadcaster embraces covid lab-leak theory as Biden administration takes closer look at the possibility.)

Biden also directed the countrys national laboratories to assist with the investigation and called on China to cooperate with international inquiries into the origins of the pandemic.

Follow Pandemic.news for more news and information related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

WSJ.com

TheGuardian.com
Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of Lilibet Diana! The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted with the news, reads a statement from the Royal Family.
(Natural News) The U.K.s water market is at risk of collapse due to unpaid water bills piling up amid the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is according to a report commissioned by the U.K. Water Retailer Council (UKWRC), an industry body that represents 18 retailers.

The UKWRC tapped consultancy firm Economic Insight to study the effectiveness of Great Britains Open Water. This is a program launched in 2017 that allows non-household customers, such as supermarkets, charities and public sector bodies, to choose which retail supplier to purchase water and wastewater services from.

The report shows that many Open Water participants were already losing money before the pandemic, and an increase in non-payments during the U.K.s lockdowns has added even more pressure. The report says that there is now a material risk of systemic retailer failure, which would have implications not only for water retailers but also business customers.

If a water retailer closes down, customers can spend a period of time without a retailer. In addition, low profit margins in the sector mean that retailers are unable to invest in the service enhancements and deliver the improvements promised at the time the market was liberalized.

This report clearly highlights that the market is not currently delivering adequately for business customers, UKWRC chair Phillip Mills said. (Related: Megadrought nightmare: No water for crops, horrific wildfires, colossal dust storms and draconian water restrictions.)

The report also shows that pricing is unfair to customers, with some being charged higher bills than necessary to cross-subsidize small business customers. It notes that the actual cost of serving the smallest customers in the market  those that consume less than 1,400 liters a day  is more than 50 percent higher than they are allowed to charge by the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat), the regulator that spearheads the Open Water program.

Ofwat allows water retailers to charge small businesses an average of 78 pounds (around $110) for their services on top of the cost of the water. But the report says that the actual average cost is 121 pounds a year, which covers the cost of metering, scheduling site visits and invoicing, among others. The report notes that small business customers account for around 70 percent of all the programs participants.

Meanwhile, large water customers such as pubs and restaurants are being charged more to subsidize small businesses. John Reynolds, CEO of water retailer Castle Water, said that the prices are completely unfair for many of the smallest customers.

He pointed to several examples of cross-subsidies in the sector. In one case, a pub pays 500 pounds for retail services while an architects practice two doors down pays 50 pounds a year. Yet the cost for providing services at both premises is about 120 pounds annually.

In another example, a charity shop pays 16,000 pounds a year because it has no meter, which transfers the responsibility to landlords. But an amusement arcade on the same street pays only 750 pounds even though it has a meter. (Related: Texas electric company hit with $1 BILLION class-action lawsuit over high energy bills.)

This system of pricing works to the disadvantage of small business customers because it limits the quality of customer service and innovation that retailers are able to offer, according to the report. As such, these customers are not accessing the promised benefits of market deregulation.

Because of these findings, industry stakeholders are urging Ofwat to carry out a review that would look at how the industry can be made more sustainable.

For its part, the regulator says that it has taken steps to protect business customers, especially in the midst of the pandemic. It adds that it will continue working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to determine if there is more it can do.

We are also looking at what additional protections are required to help the market deal with increased customer bad debt resulting from COVID-19, Ofwat stated.

Learn more about how COVID-19 restrictions affected economies worldwide at MarketCrash.news.

Sources include:

FT.com

WaterBriefing.org
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)  El Salvador President Nayib Bukele announced in a recorded message played at a Bitcoin conference in Miami that next week he will send proposed legislation to the country's congress that would make the cryptocurrency legal tender in the Central American nation.

The 39-year-old president, who has maintained approval ratings above 90% and made Twitter his preferred way of communicating, characterized it as an idea that could help El Salvador move forward.

Next week I will send to Congress a bill that will make Bitcoin a legal tender in El Salvador," Bukele said in the message Saturday. In the short term this will generate jobs and help provide financial inclusion to thousands outside the formal economy and in the medium and long term we hope that this small decision can help us push humanity at least a tiny bit into the right direction.

Bukele sweetened his offer Sunday, saying via Twitter that his government will give immediate permanent residence to crypto entrepreneurs.

The U.S. dollar is El Salvador's official currency. About one quarter of El Salvador's citizens live in the United States and last year, despite the pandemic, they sent home more than $6 billion in remittances.

Stephen McKeon, a finance professor at the University of Oregon who studies cryptocurrencies, said Bitcoin is legal to own in most countries but has never been designated as legal tender, which would mean it could be used to to settle financial obligations, including taxes.

But, he added, It is unclear whether anyone desires to pay their taxes in Bitcoin.

Bukele's New Ideas party holds a supermajority in the new congress seated May 1, giving any legislative proposal from the president a strong likelihood of passage.

Additional details of the plan were not released. But Bukele in subsequent messages on Twitter noted that Bitcoin could be the fastest growing way to transfer six billion dollars a year in remittances. He said that a big chunk of those money transfers were currently lost to intermediaries and with Bitcoin more than a million low-income families could benefit.

He also said 70% of El Salvador's population does not have a bank account and works in the informal economy. Bitcoin could improve financial inclusion, he said.

Riding his high popularity and his party's dominance performance in Feb. 28 elections, Bukele has concentrated power. His party's supermajority in congress ousted the justices of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court May 1. They then replaced the attorney general.

They had been critical of some of Bukele's more drastic measures during the pandemic, including a mandatory stay-at-home order and containment centers where those caught violating the policy were detained.

While enjoying a positive relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump, Bukele has had a much more tense relationship with the administration of President Joe Biden.

Last month, the White House Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle Ricardo Zuniga said during a visit to El Salvador that the U.S. government would like to see El Salvador reverse the moves against the court and the attorney general. Bukele said that would not happen.

Bukele's concentration of power, attacks on critics and open disdain for checks on his power have raised concerns about El Salvador's path. However, Bukele has a wide base of support in part due to the utter failure of the country's traditional parties who ruled during the past 30 years to improve people's lives and to his ability to provide short-term benefits.

Bukele has been praised for aggressively obtaining COVID-19 vaccines and running an efficient vaccination program far more successful than El Salvador's neighbors.
New Castle, PA (16103)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 55F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
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
Mr. Rablen, dear friend, she wrote in one letter. You spoke about the boy. He has had no father since he was a month old. The father left me. I havent seen him. If a man leaves me I dont want to see him. No one knew where the dad was.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Domestic traders body CAIT on Saturday welcomed the Delhi government's decision to allow markets to open from Monday but opposed the 'odd-even formula', claiming that it does not suit the business character of the city.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday announced further relaxations in the lockdown, and said Delhi Metro will operate at 50 per cent capacity and markets and malls in the national capital will open on an odd-even basis from June 7.

"The odd-even formula is never suited for the business character of Delhi because being the largest distribution centre of the country, Delhi has a totally different business format where one trader is dependent upon the other for procurement of goods and in many cases, both these format of trade will adopt different day for opening the shops due to the odd-even formula," said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

"It would have been better if the Delhi government would have adopted staggered timings between different markets of Delhi," he suggested.

In its earlier letter to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Kejriwal, the CAIT had suggested staggered timings for the wholesale markets -- 10 am to 4 pm -- and 12 pm to 7 pm for retail markets.

The Delhi government had first imposed a complete weekly lockdown on April 19 which was later extended multiple times, last on May 23.

The Delhi government allowed manufacturing and construction activities to resume operation from May 31.

According to the CAIT, the decision would add to the confusion, especially for the consumers, as they would come for shopping in the markets "without knowing whether the shop from which they intend to purchase'' would be open or not due to the enforcement of the odd-even rule.

Asking the government to reconsider its decision of odd-even opening of markets and opt for "staggered timings" instead, the traders body criticised the AAP-led government for not consulting trader associations before taking the decision.

"It will be a satisfaction that shops are open but in reality how much business activities will take place will be (any)one's guess," it said in a statement.

"The Delhi government should have consulted the trade associations before taking decisions on odd-even formula. It is highly regretted that the champion of peoples' advice, Mr. Kejriwal, has not held consultation any prominent association which shows his scant respect for Delhi trade," they added.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A Delhi government hospital Saturday issued a circular asking its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work as "maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language" which it said causes a lot of inconvenience.

The circular issued by the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), one of the leading facilities here, has asked its nurses to use only Hindi and English for communication or face "strict action".

G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani claimed it was issued in pursuance of a complaint sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding use of Malayalam language at the hospital, while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".

The circular says, "A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patient and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience".

"So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. Otherwise serious action will be taken," it reads.

Ramchandani, also the secretary general of Delhi Nurses Federation said, "As a language's name, Malayalam, has been inserted in the circular, many will take offence".

He also claimed that this circular was "consequent of the complaint filed by the patient" and "internally, there is no issue among the nurses and the administration".

Many nurses at various hospitals across India, hail from Kerala, with Malayalam being their native language.

The circular has drawn sharp criticism from other nursing unions too.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Maoist party Dandakaranya special zone divisional committee secretary Gaddam Madhukar alias Mohan alias Shobhroy who was arrested by police at Warangal, two days ago died undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad in the wee hours of Sunday. Madhukar carried Rs 8 lakh reward on his head.

After his arrest, he was initially treated at a hospital in Hanamkonda, Warangal and later sent to judicial custody at Chanchalguda Central Prison, Hyderabad. At Chanchalguda, he developed sickness, following which he was shifted to Osmania Hospital for treatment. While undergoing treatment, he died, confirmed police officials.

Gaddam Madhukar who had tested positive while underground in the Chhattisgarh area, had visited Warangal for better treatment. Police while conducting vehicle checking as a part of the lockdown enforcement at Mulugu Cross Road, Warangal, intercepted one vehicle and found a person was lying in the cars dickey. He was taken into custody and on questioning found that he was the most wanted Maoist. He was then shifted to MGM Hospital for covid-19 virus treatment.

Madhukar, a native of Kondapally village of Bejjur Mandal in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district joined the Sirpur dalam of the then Peoples War Group in 1999.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The sanitation drive in the Old City has been poor during the second wave of Covid-19 and one can see heaps of garbage in every nook and corner, former corporator and Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan stated in a tweet.

He tagged photos of garbage disposed at Dargah Hazrat Abdullah Shah (RA) Misrigunj to Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao, MAUD Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) urging them to take necessary action to clear the garbage.

However, replying to the tweet, Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi said, I am personally monitoring the sanitation in the city. The minute we clear, the people throw it (garbage) again. We have even attached swachh auto tippers. She even asked for suggestions to improve the garbage situation in the area.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: The Rural police on Saturday seized 2 kg of chemical drug MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) worth Rs 5 crore from two persons, which officers claimed was one of the biggest drug hauls effected in the state. Sivaprasad, 29, (Syam) of Vadakkevila, Vaaranattu, Cherthala and Abid, 33, CK, Thalipparambu in Angamaly were the duo arrested in this connection. Officers said that the accused had smuggled 2 kg of MDMA in their pick-up van from Chennai.

The police also seized the pick-up van in which they tried to smuggle the product. The seizure was made on the basis of a tip-off received by Rural police chief K Karthick. The MDMA was smuggled after concealing it under the seat of the vehicle. Based on the tip-off, we conducted a drive at Angamaly on Saturday evening.

As expected, the duo landed in our net. We have already launched a probe to find out how they managed to bring the drug from Chennai. Since MDMA is not a locally produced drug, we will also probe their connections,  said Karthick.

Though the police said that they were yet to receive any indication that the drug was meant for those in the top rungs of society, a source confirmed that the drug was brought from Chennai for the benefit of business people and those in the movie industry.

The demand for addictive substances during lockdown in the state is high compared to the normal times. There are many takers for these drugs, including those occupying top positions,  said a police source. MDMA costs Rs 20,000 per 1 gram in the local market while it is sold for double the price internationally.
Shan A S By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police department will set up a counter-intelligence cell (CIC) to deal with any future threats posed by terrorists and agents of foreign countries inimical to Indias interests. The CIC will be modelled on the lines of the Telangana unit that has been largely successful in dealing with threats posed by extremist outfits. State Police Chief Loknath Behera said several states have formed CICs to deal with terror menace and the move was in line with the policy advocated by the central government.

Though the modalities of recruitment and functioning are yet to be revealed, Behera said the CIC will remain a part of wider intelligence set up and recruitment to the specialised wing would be done in two ways. The manpower can be arranged via direct recruitment and transfers, he said.

Those officers who have the flair and skill can be taught the craft attached to the CIC. Fresh recruitment is another strong option and those inducted will be taught everything regarding the craft from the scratch, he said. He said fresh recruits will prove to be useful in the long-run as they would become experts on the subject. Meanwhile, sources said the CIC personnel will be provided training on intelligence collection, processing, handling of snooping devices and weapons. The police top brass had planned to set up the CIC last year, but was shelved due to Covid-19. Behera said the project would be materialised by the end of this year. The sources said the central government will provide the funds for setting up the CIC, while the recruitment process will be left with the state government.

Coastal police to be separate wing

Meanwhile, a proposal is on to transform the coastal police into a specialised wing. Currently, the coastal police stations come under the supervision of the district police chiefs. Once the proposal is accepted, the coastal police will become a separate wing like the Crime Branch.
Ram Venkat Srikar By

Express News Service

Remember when The Trial of Chicago 7, a film chronicling the litigious aftermath of the anti-Vietnam war protests in the US, bore an uncanny resemblance to the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act protests in India? The similarity, which transcended geographical and political differences, was a testament to the theme of resistance and made the Aaron Sorkin-directorial a timely tale of humanity. Its such timeliness that makes Netflixs Nail Bomber: Man Hunt, a documentation of the 1999 London bombings, a discomfiting, but relevant experience.

Over three consecutive weekends in the April of 1999, homemade bombs stocked up with nearly 1,500 nails each were planted in public places. It cumulatively killed three and maimed over 140. The perpetrator, the-then 22-year-old David Copeland, identified himself as a Neo-Nazi and conceded that his sordid act was fuelled by his resentment towards minorities. The relevance of the 1999 documentary emanates from the hate crimes we continue to read about every day. Directed by Daniel Vernon, this could-have-been brilliant documentary, unfortunately, loses out in its hurriedness.

It is a hasty examination of the hate-instigated catastrophes that leave you wishing there was more than just annotations.

The film shapes the narrative with voices of survivors and frontline workers who witnessed the blasts up and close. Despite this, it gives you the impression of being a mere re-enactment of the tragedy. The intentionto paint a comprehensive picture with multiple perspectivesis commendable, but it whittles the opportunity to examine the bigotry that led to the bomb blasts. The short-format 72-minute runtime is a major impediment, considering that it touches on expansive concepts such as racism, homophobia, marginalisation, and bigotry.

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Also the over-reliance on using the same template as The Search for Bin Laden and Ted Bundy Tapes makes it appear near-formulaic. The idea of using the interview of a spy in a right-wing organisation to give the insider view feels manipulatively dramatic. The hooded actors face is kept in the dark under the pretext of maintaining anonymity, but it is pretty clear that its all scripted. And this sticks out like a sore thumb, robbing the documentary of any empathy that it may have generated.

However, what distinguishes Nail Bomber from other true-crime documentaries is its choice of putting why over who. In the age of Google, the answer to who is the nail bomber? is a search away. Conscious of that, the filmmaker instead chooses to burnish the motives that propelled the titular bombers actions. The subject matter offers plenty of room for mystery, and its commendable that the makers retain it in just the right measure to keep proceedings riveting.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

PUNJAB: In four years, 6.09 lakh students have enrolled in government schools of Punjab; pushing the count up from 23.82 lakh to 29.91 lakh. The rise in the number is attributed to students leaving private schools and joining government ones a reversal of the trend over the years.

It is all thanks to changes in public school system. Gone are the days of shabby-looking government schools devoid of modern equipment. These schools are now showing better results and even in border areas, teachers have been recruited as part of a special drive.

Government teachers are now better trained while cheating in exams has been checked. A programme has been launched to increase the learning levels of students. In 2016-17, the total strength of students in 19,138 government schools of Punjab was 23.82 lakh, which increased to 24.34 lakh in 2017-18. In 2020-21, the count reached 27.20 lakh and this year till May 28, there were 29.91 lakh students.

Multimedia technology has made a bold entry as 12,976 smart schools have been set up across the state. Normal primary, high and senior secondary government schools were converted into smart schools in two years. The students are now taught through e-content (digital teaching) through projectors. The medium of instruction is optional between English and Punjabi.

Besides, there are computer and science labs, indoor stadiums and vocational education. Pre-primary classes have also started in these schools for the first time. The results of government schools have improved by 28%. In 2017-18, the result of Class XII was 68.90%, but in 2019-20, it moved up to 96.95%. Similarly, Class X result was 58.14% in 2017-18, but in 2019-20, it was 100%. In 2020-21, it is 99.96%.

Krishan Kumar, Secretary (Education), says government school teachers are now motivated to take extra classes after schools hours and during holidays. The department organises science, math and social studies fairs to impart practical knowledge, says Kumar.

A special border school teachers cadre was set up in 2018 to discourage teachers from frequently seeking transfer to major cities. The six border districts are Fazilka, Ferozepur, Taran Taran, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Panthankot. As many as 12,760 teacher posts have been filled in these towns. The newly recruited teachers work in these districts only. The government has also issued a teacher transfer policy in which a teacher can opt for his or her place of posting depending upon ones performance, Kumar says.

Breaking the chain of hierarchy, the education department in 2018-19 started direct recruitment of heads of schools principals, headmasters and block primary education officers. Thus, youngsters got a chance to show their management skills. 154 principals, 672 headmasters, 1,558 head teachers, 375 centre head teachers and 38 block education officers were recruited, he says.

The education department has also launched a program Parho Punjab Parhao Punjab to enhance the learning level of students. English language booster clubs have been formed in schools to help students overcome hesitation and improve their spoken English. Besides, Akharkari (telegraphy) project has been started to improve the handwriting of students as well as teachers and listening laboratories have been established in all schools, says Kumar.

Government school teachers are bringing their children to government schools. Both me and my wife are teachers in Government Primary School at Rajpura. We have shifted our children from a private to a government school because the study environment is much better in the latter without any extra fees, says Major Singh, a primary teacher.

Special cadre for border towns

A border school teachers cadre was set up in 2018 to discourage teachers from seeking transfer to major cities. The six border districts are Fazilka, Ferozepur, Taran Taran, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Panthankot. 12,760 teacher posts have been filled in these towns
Sudhir Suryawanshi By

Express News Service

MAHARASHTRA: The Covid pandemic is changing the way we look at various professions, especially the ones that have a straight-jacket definition, such as the police.

For many policemen, maintenance of law and order has also come to mean how you treat the needy; how you possibly stop a future crime by preempting a situation of want and converting it into empathy.

The pandemic has presented an opportunity for the police force to reach out to the poor and needy, says IPS officer Dr Abhinav Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police, Pune (Rural). Dr Deshmukh and his team have distributed the ration and food packets to more than 5,000 people during the pandemic.

He says there are many people, particularly senior citizens, who had everything but emotional support. The elderly have felt trapped in lockdowns. They couldnt even step out to get medicines out of fear. Thats where we as the police have stepped in and provided emotional and mental succour. We created a helpline for senior citizens. We also formed a separate team to look after them, says the 2009-batch IPS officer.

He said the image of the police during the pandemic has undergone a bit of transformation. The tough exterior of a policeman is giving way to a softer man ready to help. After all, policemen are human beings. They too have families and emotions. So, in the pandemic, we have taken proactive measures to reach out to the people, says the police officer.

In the absence of resources, the police have been joined by NGOs, activists, social workers and people with a big heart. We provided ration and food packets to 5,500 families of senior citizens and 2,000 others who were stranded, said Dr Deshmukh. In the first lockdown, Dr Deshmukh served as the Kolhapur Superintendent of Police. He started his humanitarian initiative of extending help to the needy. He followed it up when he got shifted as the Pune SP.

During the first lockdown, more than 200 people started walking from Sindhudurg to Kolhapur -- more than 200 km  before returning to their native places, recalls the officer. Most of them were stranded labourers. As the lockdown was strict, we stopped them at the Kolhapur border and asked them to go back to Sindhdurg, but they dispersed and entered Kolhapur.

The police soon realized that they would not be able to stop the poor labourers. They were missing their families and were deprived of basic needs. We opened shelters for them and provided food. We also arranged transport so that they could easily return to their villages, said Dr Deshmukh. That episode changed his and his mens attitude. We started providing ration and food to tribals and nomadic communities as well as senior citizens.

Narrating another incident, Dr Deshmukh said in the lockdown, neighbouring state Karnataka had refused to take the bodies of their people who were working in various districts across the border in Maharashtra fearing a spread of coronavirus infection. Kolhapur is a border district where several bodies had piled up due to the red tape. Then, we decided to respectfully cremate them at the Kolhapur border by convincing the Maharashtrian villagers. The police performed the last rites, says Dr Deshmukh.

Dr Deshmukh has also worked in the Naxalite-dominated area of Gadchiroli. He worked among the villagers and took on the Maoists who were bent upon violence. In April 2018, he and his team were instrumental in neutralising 40 outlawed extremists. He has been felicitated with various awards for his remarkable work in the police department.
Medha Dutta Yadav By

Express News Service

Tell us about the two-decade-long journey of the Quartet?

I had originally thought of doing a Mughal Quartet. In the end I realised that the really unwritten story was the one that lay between the two great empiresthe Mughals and the Raj. Aurangzeb dies in 1707 and the Raj is declared in 1858. In those 150 years, many different things could have happened. It could have been the Marathas rule, it could have been the French taking over, but the least likely of them all came to the forea trading company. So we have here a corporate body based in a London office that seized India. So the Quartet went in a different direction. Also, I did not write the four books in chronological order. The right order would have been: The Anarchy (1599-1803), White Mughals (1790-1805), Return of a King (1839-1842) and The Last Mughal (1850-1858). It was the end of the Mughals and the end of the Company, and replacement by the British Government. The Anarchy is really the beginning of the storya prequel from where the three others emerge.

What made the East Indian Company so powerful as to be a game-changer?

There are a couple of reasons. First of all, of course, was the shattering fall of the Mughal Empire. At its peak, the Mughals would have been able to swat away the Company like an annoying fly. When Sir Joshua Child led the attack on the Mughals during the reign of Aurangzeb, it was a catastrophy for the Company. But only 50 years later, the Company gains the upper hand. Its a short period, but the Company has all the advantages now. The biggest being that the Mughal Empire is completely broken up. This disintegration of centralised power in India was a big factor. There was no strong opposition to stop the Company. The second factor is the military power. The Company had taken advantage of major changes in military techniques in Europe, especially infantry and ballistics. These techniques were exceptionally good in dealing with Mughal and Maratha cavalry armythey were no match for the modern warfare. Thirdly, there were the bankers of Indiathe jagat seths. They backed the Company. They were fine with giving unlimited credit, because they realised they were going to get their money back with interest. In the end, the Company conquered India with Indian soldiers and Indian credit. It makes for an incredibly unlikely story today.

Do you believe we are still carrying the legacy of corporate exploitation?

Obviously the present day is a very different time. But you can certainly look to the Company as warning about the power of large multinational corporations. The East Indian Company encouraged bringing down a government. We see that in the modern worldfrom Iran and Guatemala to Chile. Today corporations may not have artillery, but they are nonetheless immensely powerful. One of the things the Company invented and the modern corporations have taken that forward, is the power of corporate lobbying.

Which of the Quartet is your favourite and why?

Im very proud The Anarchy, and it has been my bestselling work worldwide. But all the same, the one that is very close to me is The Last Mughal. Its a part of where I live. I first came to Delhi in 1984, and fell in love with the Jama Masjid, Nizamuddin, the Delhi Archaeological Park. In some ways Delhi has changed unimaginably, the things that made me fall in love with the city and build a home here are all here.

Do you think historical and narrative non-fiction is having its moment in Indian publishing?

Abroad people are keen to buy narrative non-fiction. In India, there is often a belief that for history to be serious and accurate, it has to be written in academic language. But in the last decade, I think that perception is slowly changing. There are major Indian historians wanting to write for a more general audience. I believe, one of the major reasons that India is so embraced in myth about its past, is partly because academics turned their backs on the general audience. There was no interest generated in history, which left room for mythology to grow.

What was the role of women in Indias colonial history? Why are they sidelined?

Well, 18th century is when everyone is at war, and it naturally put women in the background. Its, unfortunately, not a thriving period of feminist history. But there are these extraordinary exceptions, for example, Ahilyabai Holkar, or even Zeenat Mahal, wife of Bahadurshah Zafar. Women are certainly behind the scenes, but there are also moments when they step out.

Up next

The authors next book is on the distribution of Indian civilisation. It will talk about the credible influence of Indian civilisationfrom about the time of Ashoka till about the 10th-11th century. Dalrymple says a few very important things happened during this period: Buddhism travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan, and into China; there was a very strong Indian imprint on Chinese culture, language and the arts; also, Hinduism and Sanskrit making its way to Indonesia and even the Philippines, becoming a major force in Java, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam; then there was astronomy and mathematics travelling Westward via Baghdad. All this stuff people are vaguely aware of, but it has never been put together in one book, the writer says.
I just think that for a very long time, Asian Americans have been very side-swept and looked over, and just now, theyre starting to be celebrated in a way that is so diverse and so unique, she said. I would beg people to kind of just look beyond the surface and protect your fellow Asians as well.
Ayesha Singh By

Express News Service

Vertigo literally makes you swallow. Perched 130-foot high on the edge of the Aurora cliff in the small spa town of Gaspra, Ukraine, The Swallows Nest Castle is a historic marvel and the pride of the Crimean Sea. Part of its facade seems to leap into the waters, with balconies and patios dangling off the edge. Precarious as though it may look, its structure is formidable.

The castle has survived the massive earthquake of 1927 that wreaked havoc in the surrounding region. The cliff did develop cracks, as a result of which, the castle was closed to visitors, though it faced only minor damage. Typical of Soviet bureaucracy and Iron Curtain xenophobia, it took 40 years for the castle to be renovated. In 1968, a large concrete plate was inserted into the cliff. An Italian restaurant opened its doors inside the castle.

The first structure on the cliff was a cottage named Castle of Love, built by a Russian general in 1895; his name now lost to history. Back then, it was a summer home of Russian aristocracy. The cottages ownership passed to AK Tobin, a court doctor to the Russian Tsar.

The Neo-Gothic structure you see today was constructed in 1911 on the directions of the castles new owner, Baron von Steingel, who gave the assignment to the celebrated Russian architect Leonid Sherwood. Sherwood taught sculpture at the Academy of Arts in Petrograd. Stalin awarded him the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and was made a Distinguished Artist of the RSFSR. The castle has stayed the same since then. A few years later, Steingel left Russia and The Swallows Nest got a new owner, a tradeswoman from Moscow.

Today, it is an incubating space for the creative arts and a popular site for exhibitions. The castles stunning architecture and location made it the crowning glory of many Soviet films, including Mister Blots Academy, Mio in the Land of Faraway, and Desyat Negrityat. One swallow does not make a summer, but if the coronavirus allows, tourists will make it to Ukraine next summer.

Precarious as it may look, the structure is formidable. It survived the earthquake of 1927 that wreaked havoc in the region.

In the vicinity: ALUPKA

The Vorontsov Palace

This architectural hybrid stands in the small town of Alupka and is the oldest and largest palace in Crimea. Built for the Russian Prince Mikhail S emyonovich Vorontsov as a lavish summer home between 1828 and 1848, nine million silver rubles were spent on its construction.

Museum of the Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Amet-khan Sultan It is an ode to the test pilot and native of Alupka, Amet-khan Sultan. Inside you will find a treasure trove of archival documents, photographs and his personal belongings.

Roomi Athno Cafe You can easily miss this little cafe but then you will also miss one of the best rye and malt bread in the city. So keep an eye out for Roomi Athno Cafe.


Manju Latha Kalanidhi By

The next time you feel sexually harassed in a public space, pin the creep. Literally. With a map on Safecity, a digital platform that collects and analyses crowdsourced, anonymous reports of violent crime, identifying patterns and key insights of sexual violence.

Elsa Marie DSilva, the founder of Red Dot Foundation, is popular for helping women pin the creep on the map. Why? So you can let another woman know that the second railway station gate near Safardarjung Enclave in Delhi has a bunch of creeps who will sexually harass women after 8 pm. Or that the second left near MG Road towards Brigade Road in Bengaluru is a hotspot for such sexual violence.

The website provides maps for every year in the country and you can understand how safe or unsafe your area is and what to do. In April 2021, the website did a #Dhakaldo campaign to get bystander intervention to prevent harassment on the streets. This was part of their Anti-Street Harassment week activities. But how does visually representing ones personal experiences on a map help? It helps to view the problem from a different perspective.

Elsa Marie DSilva

Often the survivor is blamed when she speaks up. When you can show a dataset that highlights a recurring trend, it forces you to demand accountability. Thats what we are trying to do with Safecitymake the invisible visible by bridging the data gap that exists with sexual and gender-based violence. It is a global issue impacting on an average one in three women, yet 80 percent or more never speak up. So the statistics are highly under-reported, says DSilva.

She started Safecity with a couple of friends as an immediate response to the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi in December 2012. The incident was shocking and triggering. I remembered the various incidents that I had faced over the years that amounted to sexual harassmentgroping on a train, witnessing masturbation on a bus, sexual harassment at the workplace. But until then I had never really spoken up. The incident made me reflect on the systemic change that was needed. Lack of data was making the issue invisible. Therefore we launched the crowdmap for anonymous reporting of such violence, says the recipient of the Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices in the presence of Hillary Clinton.

Thus far, Safecitys #PintheCreep is the largest crowd map with over 25,000 personal stories. The data has been used for advocacy in several countries impacting over a million people. DSilva says it has helped to mainstream the conversation and it provides the information in which to hold a dialogue using evidence-based data. The data collected is available open-source for individuals and communities to make their neighbourhoods safer. With information of what kind of incidents happen regularly, you can have better strategies to address the situation. You can also invite your community to help find solutions and work with police or civic officials for better safety. We have had police change beat patrol timings and increase vigilance, elected representatives make budgets available for CCTV cameras and college campus officials strengthen responses to sexual violence prevention.

With lockdowns and curfews across cities, it may look like the creep factor has gone down, but digital violence is an extension of the violence in the physical world. To address this, during the pandemic we hosted workshops on the prevention of online harassment. With Bumble we developed a Stand for Safety guide so that more people can understand the nature of the violence and take measures to prevent it, says the activist listed as one of BBC Hindis 100 Women and the winner of Niti Aayogs

#WomenTransformingIndia award.

CREEPOPEDIA

 Members of all genders who violate privacy and crosses boundaries

 There have been 25,000 creep reports so far. Users can report/pin the violator via Safecity on Android and iOS phones or via a missed call on 9015 510 510

 Information is analysed to engage communities to find solutions and hold civic and police officials accountable. The information remains anonymous.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: More than 9.2 lakh children in India are "severely acute malnourished', with the most in Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar, according to government data, underscoring concerns that the Covid pandemic could exacerbate the health and nutrition crisis among the poorest of the poor.

An estimated 9,27,606 'severely acute malnourished' children from six months to six years were identified across the country till November last year, the Women and Child Development Ministry said in response to an RTI query from PTI.

Of these, Uttar Pradesh counted for 3,98,359 and Bihar 2,79,427, according to the figures shared by the ministry.

Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Nagaland, Manipur and Madhya Pradesh reported no severely malnourished children.

Except for Ladakh, none of the anganwadi centres in the other four, including Madhya Pradesh, one of India's largest states, reported any data on the matter, according to the RTI reply.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines severe acute malnutrition' (SAM) by very low weight-for-height or a mid-upper arm circumference less than 115 mm, or by the presence of nutritional oedema.

Children suffering from SAM have very low weight for their height, and are nine times more likely to die in case of diseases due to their weakened immune system.

The Women and Child Development Ministry had last year asked all states and union territories to identify SAM children for their early referral to hospitals.

The figure of 9,27,606 came following that exercise.

The worry is that the numbers could not just be an underestimation but also rise in view of the ongoing pandemic with fears that the third wave could impact children more than others.

"There is rise in unemployment, there is rise in an economic crisis which is bound to have repercussions on hunger and when there is hunger there will be malnutrition.

The government has a clear cut protocol and they need to ramp that up," Enakshi Ganguly, co-founder of the HAQ Center for Child Rights, told PTI.

While Uttar Pradesh and Bihar top the list for SAM children, they are also home to the highest number of children in the country.

According to 2011 census data, Uttar Pradesh has 2,97,28,235 (2.97 crore/29.72 million) children aged 0-6 years while Bihar has 1,85,82,229 (1.85 crore/18.5 million).

According to the RTI response, Maharashtra reported 70,665 SAM children followed by Gujarat at 45,749, Chhattisgarh at 37,249, Odisha at 15,595, Tamil Nadu at 12,489, Jharkhand at 12,059, Andhra Pradesh at 11,201, Telangana at 9,045, Assam at 7,218, Karnataka at 6,899, Kerala at 6,188 and Rajasthan at 5,732.

The identification of SAM children was done by over 10 lakh Anganwadi centres from across the country.

Ganguly stressed on the role of anganwadi centres in helping improve the nutrition status of the children.

"The anganwadis have to become much more functional and if the possibility of children reaching anganwadis is going to become hard because of lockdowns, then the anganwadis need to reach the children. So what are the plans for that?" she asked.

"Malnutrition will be a huge comorbidity" if what they are saying that children will be affected more in the next wave holds true, then malnutrition will be a huge comorbidity and how are they going to address that?" Dola Mohapatra, executive director, Rise Against Hunger India, agreed that COVID-19 could further exacerbate the situation with shrinking food diversity and low intake combined with episodes of missing food at times.

He said solutions have to be both home-based care and facility-based care.

"Since SAM has direct connection with food availability, utilisation and awareness, the immediate task is to appropriately build linkages with the government systems to ensure families receive not just ration/food, but required education and support," he said.

"COVID-19 has been a big impediment in organising community based interventions, so new ways/methods to disseminate info to the mothers and caregivers have to be found out," he said.

Mohapatra also stressed on the need to strengthen Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) which are meant to treat SAM cases "There are studies that suggest that NRCs have not been very effective. In many cases, we have seen that SAM cases have been discharged early because either the centre could not continue to keep the same case for a continued period, or the caregivers could not stay for a longer duration at the facility, or there was simply not enough supervision by the higher ups."

He also stressed on the need for designing customised menus in consultation with experts for SAM cases and formulating guidelines.

"For administrative and operational convenience, as well as for better accountability, SAM cases could be segregated into smaller units and responsibility to manage/coordinate and monitor smaller units could be handed over to independent entities such as medical colleges, local NGOs, women's collectives , under the overall guidance of the District/Block health staff," Mohapatra said.

While data is not updated year on year, the last available figure of SAM children is from NFHS-4 (National Family Health Survey) in 2015-16 according to which prevalence of severe acute malnutrition among children was reported at 7.4 per cent.

NFHS-4 gathered information from 601,509 households, 699,686 women, and 112,122 men.

Information on 265,653 children below age 5 has been collected in the survey NFHS-5, released in December last year, which gave figures for 22 states and UTs also presented a grim scenario.

It said malnutrition increased among children in 2019-20 from 2015-16 in 22 states and UTs.

Around 13 states and UTs out of the 22 surveyed recorded a rise in percentage of children under five years who are stunted in comparison to 2015-16; 12 states and UTs recorded a rise in percentage of children under five years who are wasted; 16 states and UTs recorded a rise in the percentage of children under five years who are severely wasted and underweight in 2019-20.

The NFHS-5 was conducted on 6.1 lakh sample households.

Wasting is low weight for their height among children, reflecting acute undernutrition.

Wasting is a strong predictor of mortality among children under five years of age.

To tackle high persistence of malnutrition in the country, the Centre launched the Poshan Abhiyan programme in 2018 to reduce low birth weight, stunting and undernutrition and anaemia among children, adolescent girls and women.
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: After a brief lull, tension has returned to haunt the locals of some villages along the Assam-Mizoram border.

Two days ago, the miscreants, allegedly from Mizoram, had intruded into Hailakandi border district in southern Assams Barak Valley and burnt down two abandoned huts and constructed a house.

In the aftermath of the incident, the Assam government is strengthening some border outposts (BoPs) to instil a sense of security in the minds of the locals.

The two states have different perceptions of the border and they have been locked in a bitter border dispute for years.

The Hailakandi district police said the latest incursion had taken place at two Assam villages.

They constructed a house at one place and burnt down two abandoned huts at the other, Hailakandi Superintendent of Police, Ramandeep Kaur told this newspaper.

The matter has been already taken up at a higher level between both states. We have strengthened the BoPs by deploying additional forces, she added.

In two back to back incidents that occurred a few months ago, the miscreants, allegedly from Mizoram, had blown up two government schools in Cachar, a neighbouring district of Hailakandi.

Assam also has border disputes with Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

On May 27, Assam Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi was fired upon by the miscreants and alleged land grabbers from Nagaland when he was visiting a village on the inter-state border along with a group of journalists.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had viewed the incident seriously. At his direction, Special Director General of Police, GP Singh had rushed to the spot to carry out an investigation.


By PTI

LUCKNOW: BJP national vice-president Radha Mohan Singh on Sunday dismissed speculations over an imminent Cabinet reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath government and said the chief minister may fill a few ministerial vacancies at an appropriate time.

Singh, also the party's UP in-charge, made the remarks after his meeting with Governor Anandiben Patel, which he described as a personal one.

Asked about the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle, Singh told reporters that there is nothing like that.

Asked about the Cabinet expansion to fill some ministerial berths, Singh said some seats are vacant but they are not major ones.

As far as vacant seats are concerned, the chief minister will take a decision at an appropriate time, he added.

Singh also said the BJP has the strongest organisation and most popular government in Uttar Pradesh.

About his meeting with Governor Patel, he said he had come to meet her because he had not been able to meet her for some time.

"After becoming the party's in-charge of UP, I have not met the governor, he said.

When she was the Gujarat chief minister, I was the agriculture minister. I had an old association with Gujarat. As I could not meet her in the past six months, I met her today. This was a personal meeting, he said.
By PTI

HYDERABAD: Brazil has given clearance to the proposal to import Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin into the South American country with some conditions.

The National Health Surveillance Agency of Brazil- Anvisa - had earlier denied permission to import Covaxin after authorities found that the Indian plant in which the jab was being made did not meet the good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements.

The Brazilian health regulator also approved another proposal to import Russia's Sputnik V vaccine into that country.

According to Anvisa's approval, Brazil is expected to receive four million doses of Covaxin initially.

After using the authorised doses, the agency will analyse the data for monitoring the use of the vaccine in order to assess the next quantities to be imported.

"Anvisa authorised this Friday the exceptional import of the Covaxin vaccine by the Ministry of Health for distribution and use under controlled conditions. The authorisation defined the amount of 4 million doses, which can be used only under specific conditions. The decision was taken at the 9th Extraordinary Public Meeting of the Collegiate Board," it said in a statement in Portuguese.

All batches to be destined for Brazil must have been manufactured after the adaptations of the GMP implemented by the manufacturer Bharat Biotech, according to the corrective and preventive action report (Corrective and Preventive Action - CAPA) presented to Anvisa, the regulator said narrating a slew of conditions for the importing of Covaxin.

On February 26, Bharat Biotech Ltd had said it signed an agreement with the Brazilian government for the supply of 20 million doses of Covaxin during the second and third quarters of 2021.

BharatBiotech presented an adequate action plan and fulfilled all the pending issues related to the certification of GMP request, Anvisa said.

Bharat Biotech, on May 25, filed new requests with Anvisa on the issues ofGMP.

Anvisa recently authorised the conduct of clinical trials of CovaxininBrazil.

Approval for tests on the immuniser developed in India will serve to assess the efficacy, safety and consistency between vaccine batches.

Announcing the approval of Spuknik V by Brazil on its official twitter page, the Russian vaccine-manufacturer said, "#SputnikV will be used in Brazil following ANVISA's approval. Brazil has become the 67th country in the world to authorise Sputnik V. The Sputnik V team fully answered all questions fromANVISA on the vaccine's efficacy & safety."
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is lodged in Sunaria jail in Haryana's Rohtak district, was on Sunday taken to a private hospital in Gurgaon for some tests, a senior prison official said.

Earlier on Thursday, Singh had undergone some tests at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak after he complained of abdominal pain.

The 53-year-old sect head of the Sirsa-headquartered Dera was taken to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon for further tests on Sunday.

Sunaria Jail Superintendent Sunil Sangwan told PTI over the phone that all tests related to Singh's condition could not be completed at PGIMS, Rohtak.

When another top government hospital was approached in this regard, they said the tests were currently not being done due to the COVID-19 situation.

Later, it was suggested to the prison authorities that these tests could be done at Medanta Hospital.

The permission for the same was granted, he said.

Singh was taken to the hospital under heavy police escort.

Among other tests, Singh had undergone an abdominal CT scan at PGIMS, Rohtak on Thursday, officials had said.

In May, he was admitted to the government hospital after he complained of dizziness and blood pressure fluctuation.

He was discharged after an overnight stay at the hospital.

Singh is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his women disciples.

He was convicted in August 2017 by a special CBI court in Panchkula.
Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: An FIR has been lodged against West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, his brother Soumendu Adhikari and two others, for allegedly stealing relief materials meant for those displaced by Cyclone Yaas.

In the complaint filed at the Contai police station in East Midnapore, Ratnadeep Manna, a member of the Kanthi Municipal Administrative Board, alleged that some of the items meant for cyclone relief were stolen with the help of central force personnel assigned for Suvendus security.

On May 29, around 12.30 pm, central force personnel came to a godown in Contai municipality with a small truck. With the help of two employees of the civic body, Himangshu Manna and Pratap Dey, they loaded the tarpaulin sheets worth D1 lakh, given by the state government as relief materials for cyclone victims, onto the truck and decamped, Manna wrote in his complaint.

I and another member of the board of administrators questioned Himangshu and Pratap. The two fumbled and admitted that they committed the crime on the direction of Suvendu and Soumendu," Manna alleged in the First Information Report.

Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 379 (theft), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 448 (trespassing) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 51/53 of Disaster Management Act, 2005, which deals with the misappropriation of goods meant for relief. Suvendu or Soumendu could be contacted for their reaction.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the Modi government, saying it is fighting for a blue tick while leaving people to become "aatmanirbhar" (self-reliant) to get Covid vaccines.

Hitting back at the Congress leader, the BJP said he should get out of social media and work on the ground.

The party also asked him to speak to chief ministers of Congress-ruled states regarding alleged scams and irregularities in the Covid vaccination programme there.

Gandhi's remarks came a day after outrage over the removal of 'blue tick' badge from the personal accounts of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and RSS top functionaries, including Mohan Bhagwat, by Twitter, only to restore it later.

"The Modi government is fighting for the blue tick. If you want a Covid vaccine, then be self-reliant," he said in a sarcastic tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag "#Priorities".

Taking a dig at Gandhi, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said doing politics on Twitter is his (Gandhi's) "most important subject" and "biggest platform".

Patra asserted that the Modi government has done an admirable job in spearheading such a big inoculation programme and providing free ration to the poor.

Meanwhile, the former Congress president also talked about stopping language discrimination after a Delhi government hospital asked its nurses not to converse in Malayalam.

The hospital order has been revoked.

"Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination," Gandhi said in another tweet.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared the concern and posted the order of the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research warning the nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication, else serious action will be taken.

"This order is a violation of the basic values of our country. It is racist, discriminatory and utterly wrong," she said in a tweet in Malayalam, saying Malayali nurses are risking their lives in Covid times to save people.

"This order is also an insult. We owe them a debt of gratitude and respect. It should be withdrawn as soon as possible and an apology should be published," she demanded.

In another tweet, Priyanka alleged that the Modi government reduced oxygen beds by 36 per cent, ICU beds by 46 per cent, ventilator beds by 28 per cent between September 2020 and January 2021.

"Is the health of Indian citizens less important than the Central Vista project?" she asked, alleging that the government has declared the project as an essential service with people working day and night to complete it by 2023.

"When every expert in the country, the Parliamentary Committee on Health and their own sero-surveys warned them that additional beds would be needed for an inevitable second wave," she said as part of her 'ZimmedarKaun' (Who is responsible) campaign.
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has initiated the process to set up more than 75 oxygen plants to produce additional 300 MT of the life-saving gas if the demand for it goes up during the possible third wave of COVID-19, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said on Sunday.

At present, 800 to 900 MT of medical oxygen is available at any time in the state, he said.

"The state government has started working on the scenario when there is a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 patients requiring medical oxygen in the third wave of the pandemic," he told reporters in Mehsana.

"In the worst situation during the second wave, Gujarat required over 1,200 MT oxygen," he said.

With the aid from the PM Care Fund, grants of MPs and MLAs, and funds from charities, Gujarat has started working on setting up more oxygen plants, Patel said.

"Our first target is to produce 300 MT of oxygen for us to become self-reliant even when the number of daily patients go past the 14,000-mark," he added.

The government has formed a committee to see to it that there is no shortage of medical oxygen even during the worst pandemic situation, unlike in the second wave when the government had to press hard to meet the demand, Patel, who also holds the health portfolio, said while on a trip to Mehsana to inspect various health facilities.

"We have 800-900 MT of medical oxygen available at any time in Gujarat. To meet the demand in the possible third wave, when the number of daily patients may go beyond 14,000, we need an additional 300 MT oxygen.

"We have already started working on setting up oxygen plants for the purpose and identified more than 75 locations for large oxygen plants. They are at different stages of development," he said.

Priority is being given to large government hospitals, district-level hospitals, community health centres, large private hospitals, charitable-trust run hospitals, he said.

Facilities are also being set up to refill oxygen cylinders to be supplied to the patients getting home treatment, the deputy CM said.

Funds for the purpose is being raised from MP-MLA grants, as well as government fund, donations of private companies, and PM Care Fund, Patel said.
After its development last fall, the program kicked off at five different prisons across the state in January. It has now established 21 different dorms, involving almost 150 mentors and almost 1,500 mentees, according to FDC spokesperson Michelle Glady. She said about 250 people who were in the program have since been released, but said its too early to track their success in the community.
By PTI

SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh government Saturday cancelled the class 12 board examinations for 2020-21 and also extended the 'Corona curfew' till June 14, Education Minister Govind Singh Thakur said.

He said that the ongoing coronavirus curfew, which was to end on June 7, has now been extended till 6 am on June 14 with all the existing restrictions.

The decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here.

The Cabinet decided to cancel 10+2 examinations for the year 2020-21 in line with the decision of Central government in this regard, he said.

He said that for calculating the awards for class 12 students, the HP Board of School Education would devise a formula taking a cue from the one being prepared by the CBSE, which had recently announced to cancel its class 12 exams due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In case some students are not satisfied with the results arrived at so, they would be allowed to appear in a special examination to be conducted once the situation is conducive for holding the exams, he added.

During the ongoing curfew in the state, shops are allowed to open from Monday to Friday between 9 am to 2 pm, while dhabas, restaurants and other eateries can operate all days till 6 pm.

It was also decided that the health department would explore more options for procuring additional vaccines directly from producers, he said.

Earlier, the state Cabinet passed a resolution mourning the demise of Narinder Bragta, HP Assembly Chief Whip and BJP MLA from Jubbal-Kotkhai constituency of Shimla district.

The cabinet lauded his contributions, particularly in the development of the horticulture sector in the state.

Two-minute silence was also observed by the cabinet as a mark of respect to the departed leader.

Nineteen more people died due to COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh, raising the toll to 3,263, while the tally climbed to 1,94,742 with 818 fresh cases, an official said on Saturday.

According to the state health department, active coronavirus cases in the state have now reduced to 9,484.

The recovery count rose to 1,81,972 with 1,102 patients recuperating from the disease in the past 24 hours, the official said.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: India's rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015, a new report has said.

The State of India's Environment Report 2021 revealed that India's rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country.

India ranks below four South Asian countries -- Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, it said.

The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100.

Elaborating state-wise preparedness, the report said Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030, which is the target year.

While Jharkhand lags in five of the SDGs, Bihar lags in seven.

It said the states/UTs with the best overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership.

The 17 SDGs adopted by UN member states are SDG1- no poverty, SDG 2-zero hunger, SDG3-good health and well-being, SDG4- quality education, SDG 5- gender equality, SDG 6- clean water and sanitation, SDG 7- affordable and clean energy, SDG 8  decent work and economic growth, SDG 9- industry, innovation and infrastructure.

SDG 10  reduced inequalities, SDG 11- sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12- responsible consumption and production, SDG 13- climate action, SDG 14- life below water, SDG 15- life on land, SDG 16- peace, justice and strong institutions and lastly SDG 17- strengthening global partnerships for the goals.

The report also said that India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in terms of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) which is calculated on various indicators, including environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc.

India's rank was 172 in the environmental health category, which is an indicator of how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks.

According to the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, India ranked 148, 21 positions behind Pakistan which was at 127th position in the category of biodiversity and habitat which assesses countries' actions toward retaining natural ecosystems and protecting the full range of biodiversity within their borders.
By PTI

KOCHI: Amid protests by islanders against its "reform" measures, the Lakshadweep island administration has taken a set of decisions, including deputing government officials onboard local fishing boats for intelligence gathering.

The administration also issued a new order on managing cleanliness and hygiene, on June 4, directing the people of the islands to scientifically dispose of the tender coconut shell, tree leaves, coconut husk, coconut shell, trunk etc in and around dwelling and public places.

Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal attacked the administration for its new directives, terming them as a "mockery" and urged the authorities to withdraw them immediately.

It was on May 28, a meeting chaired by Principal Secretary cum Advisor to the Administrator decided to depute responsible government servants onboard local fishing boats for intelligence gathering.

The meeting also decided to strengthen the security measures to monitor the local fishing boats and crews, intensify checking of passenger boats and vessels reaching the islands and strengthen the ship berthing points and helibase by installing CCTV cameras.

The administration later gave direction to officials concerned to initiate action as per decisions taken on the meeting.

He questioned the practicality of implementing the order, saying there are hundreds of fishing boats operating from the islands and how many officials are going to be deployed in such vessels.

Noting that a well established system of surveillance by the Navy and the Coast Guard was already in place in all the islands, the MP said the Coast Guard headquarter in islands have an effective radar system which can cover activities of any vessels operating in 30 nautical mile areas.

Faizal said every month or once in three months Coast Guard is having regular interaction with the local fishermen to train them on how to report the movement of suspected objects in the seas.

"All this training is given to the fishermen. They are very cooperative with the security agencies. By introducing such a law, what are they (administration) trying to establish?" he asked.

Faizal alleged that the administration's actions showed that they donot believe the innocent fishermen community of Lakshadweep.

"The recent order, which has come in the way of surveillance on the coastal areas of Lakshadweep, is really a mockery. I feel", he told PTI.

Alleging discrimination, he asked why such surveillance using officials onboard fishing vessels were not happening in coastal states like Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Issuing the order on hygiene and cleanliness, the administration said whoever violates or contravenes any of the directions shall be liable for punishment with fine as per Schedule I of the Lakshadweep Solid Waste Management Bye-Law, 2018 and also be liable to criminal proceedings for offence punishable under Section 188 of IPC.

Questioning the provision in the order directing scientific disposal of biodegradable materials like coconut leaves, Faizal said the land of Lakshadweep became fertile because the forefathers who lived in the islands buried them in the soil.

He also said it is the responsibility of the administration to provide technology for scientifically managing the waste.

Asked whether he had taken up the matter with the Union Government, Faizal said, "I feel really ashamed of taking up such matters with them".

Meanwhile, the Congress has decided to step up its agitation against the administration for its "anti-people" reform measures in the islands.

According to party sources, the MPs from the Congress- led UDF in Kerala will organise a 'dharna' in front of the territorial administration office in Kochi on Monday.

Expressing solidarity with the people of Lakshadweep, the Kerala Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution demanding the recall of island administrator Praful Khoda Patel and requesting the Centres immediate intervention to protect the lives and livelihood of the islanders.

An archipelago located in the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep has been witnessing protests by locals for over the recent actions and administrative reforms being implemented by Patel.

Defending its action, the Lakshadweep administration has said it was laying the foundation for the future of islands in a planned way and to develop it on the lines of Maldives in two decades.
By PTI

PUNE: The Maharashtra government is making "all possible efforts" to grant reservation to Marathas, which was struck down by the Supreme Court, without disturbing the existing quotas of other communities, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Sunday.

Pawar's comments came two days after a committee headed by high court judge justice Dilip Bhosale (retired) recommended in its report that the Maharashtra government file a review petition against the apex court's decision.

Pawar was speaking to reporters at the Pune Zilla Parishad office on the sidelines of "Shiv Swarajya Din" to mark the anniversary of the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj as "Chhatrapati" in 1674.

The Maharashtra government has decided to celebrate the coronation day as "Shiv Swarajya Din" by installing 'gudis'- a colourful silk scarf-like cloth tied at the top of a long bamboo- atop the offices of local bodies, schools, colleges, and houses in the state.

"We, under the leadership of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, are making all possible efforts to grant reservation to the Maratha community which was struck down by the Supreme Court," Pawar said.

He said the apex court had raised questions about the MC Gaikwad Commission's report, which was the basis for the Maratha quota, but some people are still trying to incite the feelings of people.

Pawar was replying to a question about former MLC Narendra Patil's statement that a "true Maratha" like him will not remain silent, and if needed, he will strap a bomb to his body and detonate it for the quota cause.

The Supreme Court had last month struck down the Maharashtra law granting quota to Marathas in admissions and government jobs, terming it "unconstitutional", and held there were no exceptional circumstances to breach the 50 per cent reservation cap set by the 1992 Mandal verdict.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan concurred on three major issues, framed during the hearing, and said the MC Gaikwad commission report which was the basis for the Maratha quota did not highlight any exceptional circumstances for grant of reservation to Marathas.

"On this occasion, I would like to assure the people, especially those from the Maratha community, that the MVA government is making efforts to ensure that Marathas get reservation without disturbing quotas of other communities," said Pawar.

He said a delegation led by Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on the Maratha quota issue.

When asked about senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis' statement that forming a government with Ajit Pawar was a mistake, the senior NCP leader said, "14 months have passed after that episode and we are now moving ahead".

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday described his teaming up with Ajit Pawar to form a short-lived 80-hour government in the state in 2019 as a mistake, adding he does not regret it.

On November 23, 2019, amid hectic parleys between the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress to form a non-BJP government in the state after the polls threw up a hung Assembly, Fadnavis and Pawar were sworn in at dawn in a ceremony at Raj Bhavan.

Queried about Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's statement that if his party strikes an alliance with the NCP for the Pune civic polls, the Sena will contest at least 80 (out of total 162) seats, Pawar said everybody expresses his opinion to expand the base of the party he belongs to.

Meanwhile, Pawar said it was his personal view that there should be a two-member ward system for civic polls.

"There will be a 'one member-one ward' system in Mumbai (for 2022 civic polls). However, for other civic bodies, members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi will hold discussions. My personal view is that there should be a two- member ward," he said.

The NCP leader said a decision on the ward system will be taken after consulting the alliance partners- the Shiv Sena and the Congress.
By PTI

NEW DELHI/ CHENNAI/ MUMBAI: Haryana and Sikkim were the latest to extend lockdown from Monday but have eased the curbs like several other states including Maharashtra that have announced cautious steps towards restarting or scaling up activities after over a month following a decline in COVID cases.

"The state government is taking a calculated risk and hence people have to take care of themselves. Nothing is going to be eased immediately," Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said ahead of the start of the 'five-tier' unlock process based on weekly positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds in districts.

READ MORE: Maharashtra to lift lockdown-like restrictions in 18 out of 36 districts from June 4

Thackeray emphasised that the local administration will take decisions on whether to ease restrictions and further tighten them.

In Mumbai, the country's financial capital, restaurants, shops selling non-essential items and public places are set to reopen from Monday but malls, theatres and multiplexes will continue to remain shut as the metropolis has been categorised under level 3 of the 'unlock' plan.

However, the national capital, which began the unlock exercise from May 31 will see further easing of restrictions from Monday, with the government allowing resumption of metro services at 50 per cent capacity and reopening of markets and malls on an odd-even basis.

READ MORE: Malls to reopen, shops to operate under odd-even format as Haryana extends lockdown till June 7

Officials said teams of police and district administration have been deployed across the city to enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour.

Possible super spreader areas like prominent markets, malls and liquor stores that attract large crowds have been marked for strict compliance with precautions like the use of face masks and social distancing.

In June, several states and Union Territories have begun easing the lockdown restrictions which they first started imposing in mid-April as the second COVID wave hit the country, but the Centre has cautioned that the unlock process has to be slow and that COVID-appropriate behaviour needs to be strictly followed.

ALSO READ: CM Stalin extends Covid-19 lockdown in Tamil Nadu for one more week with a few relaxations

"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 had said last week.

The Uttar Pradesh government also extended the relaxations in the coronavirus curfew to four more districts on Sunday.

With this, curbs have been eased in 71 districts where shops and markets outside containment zones will be allowed to open for five days a week.

While the count of active cases has fallen below the 600-mark in these districts, a watch is being kept on the remaining four districts of Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Saharanpur, and a decision on these districts may be taken on Tuesday, an official statement said The Haryana government said it was extending the lockdown, clamped in the state on May 3, till June 14 as a preventive and precautionary measure though the COVID positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined.

While further relaxations regarding the opening of shops and shopping malls have been given, religious places are also allowed to open now with 21 people at a time.

Corporate offices can have 50 per cent attendance after adopting social distancing norms and gatherings of up to 21 people are allowed at weddings, funerals and cremations from the earlier 11.

The Sikkim government, while announcing the state-wide lockdown for one more week till June 14, also allowed relaxation for shops selling groceries and hardware.

Even as the COVID situation has relatively improved in most of the northern and western states, southern and eastern parts of the country are still reporting a high number of cases.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had announced the extension of the lockdown by a week till June 14 with some easing of restrictions from Monday, except in 11 districts where the number of new cases reported was still high.

Earlier, neighbouring Karnataka had extended the lockdown till June 14. Himachal Pradesh and Goa had also extended the 'Corona curfew' till June 14 with some easing of curbs.

Ladakh on Sunday announced a gradual unlocking after a month-long 'corona curfew' in the Union Territory.

India reported 1,14,460 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 60 days, while the daily positivity rate further dropped to 5.62 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

With the fresh cases, the total tally of coronavirus cases in the country climbed to 2,88,09,339. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,46,759 with 2,677 daily deaths, the lowest in 42 days, while the active cases dropped below 15 lakh, the data updated at 8 am showed India had reported more than 88.

82 lakh coronavirus infections in May alone during the raging second wave of COVID-19, accounting for 31.67 per cent of the over 2.8 crore cases reported in the country so far and making it the worst month of the pandemic.

The month of May also saw 1,17,247 fatalities due to the disease, which is around 35.63 per cent of the total 3,29,100 deaths recorded so far.

The daily cases peaked on May 7 when the country registered 4,14,188 infections in a span of 24 hours, while daily deaths were the highest on May 19 with India reporting 4,529 fatalities due to COVID-19.

The active cases had peaked on May 10 at 37,45,237. Here is a look at coronavirus-induced restrictions/lockdown imposed by states and union territories: *Delhi will continue with lockdown with the second phase of easing of restrictions from June 7.

*Haryana has extended lockdown till June 14 with some easing of restrictions.

*Punjab has extended the coronavirus restrictions till June 10.

*Uttar Pradesh has eased restrictions in 71 districts. Night curfew and weekend lockdown to remain in the state.

*Bihar has extended lockdown till June 8.

*Jharkhand has extended lockdown till June 10.

* Odisha has extended lockdown till June 17.

* West Bengal government extended ongoing COVID-19 restrictions till June 15.

*Rajasthan has extended lockdown till June 8 but has eased some restrictions.

* Madhya Pradesh has extended corona curfew with eased restrictions till June 15.

The state has announced separate unlock guidelines for districts.

*Gujarat has extended night curfew in 36 cities of the state for a week from June 4, with further relaxation in timings.

*Chhattisgarh government has on May 31 extended lockdown till further orders.

*Kerala has extended lockdown till June 9 with some concessions.

*Tamil Nadu has extended the lockdown till June 14.

*Puducherry has imposed lockdown till June 7.

* Lakshadweep administration has extended lockdown till June 10.

*Karnataka has announced an extension of lockdown till June 14.

*Telangana has extended lockdown till June 9.

* Andhra Pradesh has extended curfew till June 10.

*Goa government has extended curfew till June 14.

*Maharashtra has extended the lockdown-like restrictions till June 15, though they will be eased from June 7.

*Assam has extended the restrictions till June 15 though on June 4 it increased the curfew relaxation by one hour.

*Nagaland has extended the lockdown till June 11.

*Mizoram has extended the lockdown, which was imposed in Aizawl and other district headquarters, till June 6.

* Arunachal Pradesh has imposed complete lockdown in Anjaw, Dibang Valley, Lower Subansiri, Lohit and Tawang districts and the Capital Complex Region till June 7.

*Manipur government has imposed curfew in seven districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Kakching and Churachandpur till June 11.

* Meghalaya extended lockdown in the worst-affected East Khasi Hills district till June 7.

*Tripura government has extended corona curfew in Agartala Municipal Corporation areas and urban areas in the state till June 10.

*Sikkim has extended lockdown till June 14.

*Jammu and Kashmir administration has eased restrictions but night curfew and weekend lockdown will remain.

*Uttarakhand has extended COVID curfew till June 8.

*Himachal Pradesh government has extended the coronavirus curfew till June 14 with some relaxation.

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By PTI

INDORE: The 'Noorjahan' mango, cultivated in Madhya Pradesh's Alirajpur district, is fetching a higher price this year thanks to the good yield and sheer size of the fruit compared with the last year.

The 'Noorjahan' mango is priced at Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 apiece this season, a farmer said on Sunday, adding unlike the last year, the yield of this variety of mangoes has been good this time due to favourable weather conditions.

Locals claim 'Noorjahan' mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.

"The three Noojahan mango trees in my orchard have produced 250 mangoes. The fruit has been priced between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per piece. Bookings have already been done for these mangoes," Shivraj Singh Jadhav, a mango cultivator from Katthiwada, told PTI.

He said people who have booked 'Noorjahan' mangoes in advance include fruit lovers from Madhya Pradesh as well as neighbouring Gujarat.

"This time the weight of a Noorjahan mango is going to be between 2 kg to 3.5 kg," Jadhav added.

Ishaq Mansoori, an expert in cultivating 'Noorjahan' mangoes in Katthiwada, said, "This time the crop of this variety has been good but the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the business".

He said 'Noorjahan' trees could not flower properly due to unfavourable climatic conditions in 2020.

"In 2019, one mango of this variety weighed around 2.75 kg at an average and buyers paid as high as Rs 1,200 apiece for it," he added.

The 'Noorjahan' variety produces fruits towards the beginning of June.

These trees start flowering in January- February.

A 'Noorjahan' mango can grow up to a foot long and its kernels weigh between 150 to 200 grams, local cultivators claimed.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday asserted that nothing can be achieved by killing political activists like BJP councillor Rakesh Pandita and said such incidents only defame the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pandita was shot dead by militants in the Tral area of Pulwama district on Wednesday. "It was unfortunate. We condemn those who killed him and nothing can be achieved by such things. In fact, it defames the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Mufti told reporters in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. She said the entire Union Territory has to bear the brunt of such incidents.

Asked about the possibility of the government conducting the Amarnath Yatra amidst the Covid pandemic, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the decision on allowing the annual pilgrimage in the south Kashmir Himalayas was for the Centre to take.

She also criticised the police over reports of the booking of a 15-year-old boy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in north Kashmir's Bandipora.

"They (Centre) do not listen to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Had they listened, they would not have booked a 15-year-old under UAPA. They do whatever they want to do.

"On one hand, there is Covid and it is difficult for people to come out of their homes, but on the other hand, if they want to have the yatra, who will tell them (not to have it)? They are the decision makers, they do whatever pleases them," Mufti said.

She, however, added that the "government of India has to take a decision on the yatra".

Meanwhile, in a tweet, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief said the booking of the 15-year-old boy under UAPA "is yet another example of institutionalised tyranny".

"Booking a 15-year-old under UAPA is yet another example of institutionalised tyranny. Not being satisfied with converting Kashmir into an open-air prison where dissent is crushed this regime is now going after children. Does anyone in the country care?" she wrote on Twitter.

Mufti was referring to reports of police in Bandipora booking a 15-year-old boy for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at a funeral.
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: A special police station for preventing water theft may sound unusual but it's turning into a reality.

Rajasthan government is opening a unique police station in Hanumangarh district which is an attempt to prevent any theft of irrigated water that flows through the Indira Gandhi canal running in the area. It will cover over 200 villages of Nohar and Bhadra assembly constituencies of the district.

For the first time in the state, the government has opened police stations to protect water. A staff of 60 policemen will take immediate action on the incidents of water thefts that have become rampant in the area.

During the last few days, 12 new police stations were sanctioned in the state and this unique police station is one of them. Joint Secretary (Home) Ramniwas Mehta has given administrative and financial nod for opening a new police station and creating new posts.

In the last four years, 74 cases of water theft have been registered in Hanumangarh district itself. Of these, maximum 28 cases have been registered in Bhirani police station.

Police says that due to lack of 'chakbandi' (official documentation of division of land) in the area there is laxity in water transporting system and hence, its theft is very common and many farmers who are at the tail-end are often denied any water while those at the start of the canal often tend to take much more water than they deserve.

Police sources say that for stealing water, long pipe is inserted into the canal and water is taken into the field. There are siphons around the canal trunk and the main canal. Some farmers water their fields by withholding e water . Due to this, other farmers do not get full water.

Addl SP (Hanumangarh) Jassaram Bose says that the theft incidents are more in Nohar and Bhadra Vidhansabha areas as there is no 'chakbandi'. "There are few people from Haryana who steal water which leads to water shortage in the tail areas here. People who are caught stealing water are registered under IPC 397. Last time we had to deploy a lot of police force during peak time even in the winters to make sure water reaches the tail areas also," he said.

Nohar MLA Amit Chachan says "Here influential and dominating farmers take water to their fields. In such a situation, many common farmers do not get water."

Amit also said that this will be a CI-headed police station where 5 sub-inspectors, 8 head constables and 40 constables will be deployed. "We feel that the opening of these police stations will definitely curb the incidents of theft and the farmers at the tail end will be able to receive adequate water," Chachan said.

Indira Gandhi canal is the longest canal of India. Around 650 km long, it starts from Harike Barrage in Punjab and terminates in irrigation facilities at the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. The canal traverses seven districts of Rajasthan which includes Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer , Jodhpur and Sriganganagar.

Most incidents of water theft have been reported from Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts. In such a situation, the number of such police stations will increase in the future. The Canal Department also wants the police to be stationed at a certain distance from the canals.
Express News Service By

PATNA/BHOPAL/KOLKATA/RANCHI: Fewer senior citizens died of Covid-19 in the second wave in some states as compared to the first one last year. Also, there was a steep rise in the fatality rate among the youth and middle-aged people during the second wave, according to data accessed and analysed by this newspaper.

The sharpest fall in the fatality rate among persons aged more than 60 was witnessed in Bihar, figures available till the end of May has revealed. The death in this category was about 45% last year, this fell to just 2% in the second wave.

Madhya Pradesh has also seen a dip, it was down to 13% this time from 20% during the first wave. West Bengal recorded a marginal fall, from 43% to 41%, while in Uttarakhand it came down from 26.2% to 24.2%.

About 27% of the population is in the 25-44 age bracket. A comparative study of the data from several states shows that cases of infection and deaths have been higher in this age bracket.Bihar provides a fair reflection of this situation.

Deaths in the 26-35 and 36-50 age groups rose from 10% to 20% and 35% to 45%, respectively, in the second wave. In Madhya Pradesh in the 18-44 years population, positive cases climbed to 58% from 49%. West Bengals death toll in this group reached 10% after 6% in the first wave.

In Chhattisgarh, deaths in the 14-30 section shot up to 243 from 38. The hills of Uttarakhand witnessed the death tally in the 30-39 group touch 9% from 5.3%. Jharkhand recorded 12.4% deaths in persons aged between 30 and 44. This was 9.14% last year.

The trend is different in Maharashtra. The number of positive cases has remained more or less the same in the state that suffered most in both waves of the pandemic. In the first wave last year, 38.53% of cases in Maharashtra were from the 21-40 group. This figure is around 40% in the second.

The mortality rate in the second wave among people in the age group 25-50 has been higher than the first. This could be because fewer people got vaccinated and also because they did not adhere to safety protocols. Among people above 60, mortality rate remained restricted because of the higher ratio of vaccination and enhanced awareness levels after the first wave, said Rajiv Ranjan, a senior member of Indian Medical Association and physician-cum-researcher in Patna.

But a doctor in Kolkata said it was too early to analyse the reasons. We are yet to identify the exact reason. A majority of the people in this age bracket are yet to be vaccinated. But its a fact that many of these patients, who had no comorbidity, died of Covid, said Sumana Ganguly, who is attached to a private hospital in Kolkata.

(Inputs from Rajesh Kumar Thakur, Anuraag Singh, Pronab Mondal, and Mukesh Ranjan)
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: Maharashtras Maratha community has decided to launch a massive agitation, demanding reservations for them on June 16. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to discuss the subject of reservation for the Marathas. NCP chief Sharad Pawar is also likely to meet Narendra Modi in Delhi for the same reason.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Sambhaji announced the date for the launch of state-wide agitation at the memorial of the Shahu Maharaj in Kolhapur. The BJP state president Chandrakant Patil has extended support to the agitation. Patil said the BJP is with the Maratha community and will continue to fight for them till the community gets justice. Chhatrapati Sambhaji said that he is ready to sacrifice his life for the community.

I will fight till the last moment of life. The community should get the reservations. I will keep raising my voice for the community. Every community is getting reservations, then why not the Maratha community, asked the BJP leader. He said he has met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders with demands for reservation.

The Bhosale committee had given the report that has to be pursued in Supreme Court and other forums as well, he said.

The Supreme Court on May 5 quashed the Maratha quota law passed by the state legislature in November 2018. A state government constituted committee, headed by Justice (retd) Dilip Bhosale, studied the SC judgment and recommended filing a review petition. The apex court had termed the state quota law as unconstitutional.
Our towns are different, with unique challenges and opportunities. What works in a beach community may not work in a rural community; what works in a rural community may not work in an urban core. When our communities cannot address the climate crisis, hire local, address gun violence, protect consumers, safeguard our health, pass local budgets, approve local referendums or act swiftly in emergencies, the livelihoods and lives of Floridians are at risk. Studies also show that state interference in local policymaking impacts people of color, women, and low-income workers the most.
A Surya Prakash By

While the social-media platform, Twitter, is dragging its feet in regard to compliance with the provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, there is growing evidence of this company's double standards and what one would regard as direct interference in the internal affairs of our country.

Being a global giant with a net worth far bigger than the GDP of many nations, the company has begun to imagine itself as bigger than the Indian Republic. Before we do anything else, we need to help the company overcome this conflict with reality.

Hopefully, the recent Delhi High Court order directing it to comply with the new rules will have a sobering effect, because its public posturing in recent times smacks of an affront to the Constitution and the laws of India.

Twitter claimed recently that it had proved to be vital "for public conversation and a source of support for people during the pandemic and that consequently, it is concerned about the potential threat to freedom of expression for the people we serve".

The usefulness of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook for human conversations is undeniable, just as many other technological advances in various fields such as motor transport, aviation, telephony, robotics, the internet, etc., over the last two centuries have promoted human communication, mobility, health care, etc., and have contributed to human advancement. All these developments have also contributed to the advancement of democracy and fundamental rights like freedom of expression, movement, trade and profession. But that cannot make any motor or aviation company the sole arbiter when it comes to freedom of movement. Nor does it give a telecom company the right to adjudicate on freedom of communication.

Twitter has responded to the new IT regulations by saying that it is "deeply committed to the people of India" and that along with civil society in India and around the world, it has "concerns" about "core elements of the new IT Rules". It claims that some aspects of these regulations inhibit free, open public conversation".

Ravishankar Prasad, the Union Minister for IT, has called out Twitter and exposed its hollowness. The government has said that while it respects privacy, the only instance of scuttling free speech on Twitter has been done by the company itself through its opaque policies "as a result of which peoples accounts are suspended and tweets deleted arbitrarily without recourse".

The international news channel Wion has also called out the micro-blogging site and provided an exemplary example of Twitter's opacity and double standards.

The channels popular anchor Palki Upadhyay reported that Wion's weekend edition of Grativas Plus on May 30 on women's reproductive freedom, women's rights and the right to abortion, broadcast only on digital media, was "filtered" out by Twitter.

The ten-minute video, which was based on research and data, argued for repeal of regressive laws and giving women a choice. Twitter branded this "sensitive material", filtered it out and restricted the channels access to conversation on the video.

As a result, the channels social media team could not see viewers responses. Does a conversation on abortion qualify as "sensitive material"?

The channel quoted one expert, Jitin Jain, who said, "Twitter is today attempting to control global content discourse from a corporate board room. Its decisions on content are often opaque and smack of policy contradictions and double standards, often guided by the political atmosphere rather than long-term policy and principles."

This is indeed a sharp indictment of Twitter and the site, which is given to so much of grand-standing, will have to clean up its act. Also, the company must certainly resist the temptation to deliver sermons. It claimed, "It is the collective responsibility of elected officials, industry, and civil society to safeguard the interests of the public."

By doing so, it seeks to place itself on par with elected officials (persons chosen by the people to head the executive branch of government) and Indian civil society. This is clearly out of line. No company, Indian or international, can claim parity with an elected government that has been given the mandate by the people. Nor can it say that it is in the same league as India's civil society.

In fact, by its obstinacy, Twitter has provoked a razor-sharp response from the Union government, which has said, "Twitter needs to stop beating around the bush and comply with the laws of the land. Lawmaking and policy formulations are the sole prerogative of the sovereign. Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what Indias legal policy framework should be." One wonders whether any government in India has had to be so blunt with any other corporation.

With regards to safeguarding the interests of citizens, Twitter must be told in unequivocal terms that neither the Constitution nor the people of India have outsourced this responsibility to any individual or corporation. Under the Constitution, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary share this responsibility. Therefore, no citizen or institution will allow Twitter to become a supra entity that will legislate, execute and adjudicate and, above all, become the supreme dispenser of fundamental freedoms in our country.

One hopes Twitter will contain itself while dealing with the worlds largest and most vibrant democracy. It would be delusionary for it to think that a Republic of Twitter can supplant the Republic of India. If it does not understand this basic truth, it will learn it the hard way!

(The writer is a former Chairman, Prasar Bharati and Scholar, Democracy Studies and can be contacted at suryamedia@gmail.com)
Shankkar Aiyar By

Hope is not a strategy. The truism often echoed in corridors of power reflects the gap between pronouncement and policy implementation. Intent, however sincerely declared, isnt a strategy either. Success calls for championing articulated agenda.

This week saw the 13-letter word privatisation surface on the news map. India was informed that the Niti Aayog has finalised names of public sector banks to be privatised in the current financial year. Also in attendance is the buzz about ten more public sector enterprises cleared for privatisation/ disinvestment.

The good news is that the much-speculated post-poll Bengal effect has not come to be and privatisation continues to be on the governments agenda. There is what is called the contingency effect, the mounting pressure for resources. Then there is the fact that crises are a high-octane propellant of change in Indias political economy. The not-so-good news is that the list of entities is growing but the expected outcomes, sale and exit of government from defined non-strategic businesses, are yet in the realm of a promised land. In classic management speak, there is much motion and minimal movement.

It is true that the pandemic has imposed constraints on process and potential. But the saga of procrastination predates the arrival of the virus. The facts of the case are as follows: since 2016 the government has cleared or to quote government legalese given in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment of 35 CPSEs. There is no disputing the flow of announcements, notifications and declarations. But the fact remains that the only big tag disinvestment has been that of HPCL, which was bought by the government-owned ONGC.

Take the case of the sale of Air India. The Niti Aayog recommended the sale of the beleaguered airline, citing rationale and the fragile finances as part of its note in strategic disinvestment of CPSEs on May 12, 2017. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for privatising Air India and its five subsidiaries on August 28. It took nearly 30 months for the issue of preliminary information memorandum for inviting expression of interest. In May 2021, the disinvestment of Air India is yet stalled on the runway.

It is not just privatisation. The virus of delays afflicts listing of state-owned enterprises too. On February 1, 2020, the government declared in Budget 2020-21 that it now proposes to sell a part of its holding in LIC by way of IPO. In May 2021, the process of listing is yet underway  these include the legal challenges of converting LIC to a company, the definition of surplus and valuation. The opportunity lost in delays is worth noting  by one estimate in the fiscal year 2020-21, while the listing of LIC was left pending, the market value of stocks listed in Indian bourses vaulted by a stupendous $ 1.27 trillion.

There is the cost of opportunity lost and then there is the price being paid in losses. This column has repeatedly raised the flag on the enlarged presence of the government in businesses that it has no business to be and the continuing erosion of public wealth. Indeed, as per the governments data (SCOPE 2019) over 70 CPSEs are in losses and have cumulatively lost over Rs 2.65 lakh crore in the past decade that is roughly Rs 26,500 crore a year, or Rs 70 crore a day.

Time translates into money in the modern economy. Indeed, as time passes, many of the entities listed for sale, may no longer be saleable. And new factors are emerging  for instance, the rise of ESG norms will impact both interest in and valuation of even a prized enterprise such as BPCL and the disruption triggered by Fin-Tech in the financial sector threatens the viability of traditional banks.

It is true that for the first time since the liberalisation policies of 1991, and after decades of semantics over getting government out of business, the politically combustible phrase privatisation has found a place in this years budget speech. But the mention needs empowered follow through action. Currently, the process of disinvestment is overseen by a Core Group of Secretaries. This template falls between necessary and sufficient conditions systemic oversight without political push.

Thomas Sowell, the noted economist observed, it is hard to imagine a more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong. It is no secret that the one brief period when the government succeeded in privatisation was under Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the process was led by an empowered minister, namely Arun Shourie. For intent to progress beyond mention, the government needs to empower and install a minister committed to championing the cause.

The magnitude of challenges faced by the political economy is yet unravelling. There is the immediate circumstance of debt and deficit  already the government is scheduled to borrow over Rs 135 crore per hour this year and pay interest of Rs 92 crore per hour and the impact of the second wave is yet to be quantified. There is also the emerging spectre of creative destruction of businesses and economic models across the economy. The need to invest in human infrastructure to equip a young demography for an uncertain future makes monetising calcified assets more urgent than ever.

Shankkar Aiyar

Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar:

A Biometric History of Indias 12 Digit

Revolution, and Accidental India

shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com
T J S George By

It spoke a great deal about the Governments concept of democracy when a journalist was charged with sedition for criticising the Governments Covid policy. The Supreme Court had to tell the Government that it was the right of journalists to criticise, even brutally, Government policies.

The judgment put it in words that must always be remembered by all, elected authorities and the public and journalists themselves. As the bench put it: The time is long past when the mere criticism of governments was sufficient to constitute sedition. The right to utter honest and reasonable criticism is a source of strength to the community, rather than a weakness.

This is all the more so when we are passing through a phase of history that is wrought with unpredictabilites. Old values are no longer respected and new values keep changing depending on who is resorting to them and when. Leaders are no longer driven by concepts of public good; private and personal interests carry more weight. Sometimes things lead to comic situations.

In the very modern state of Kerala, a new rule has come into force: Wedding receptions must be restricted to a guest list of 20. If only 20 people can attend, it makes no sense printing invitation cards. You can simply hand-write notes and send them off instead of printed invitations. But 20 or 200, you need wedding sarees and wedding shirts with the sheen of silk etcetera. To buy wedding clothes, you have to show wedding invitations to shopkeepers. What conundrum is this? Print invitation cards not to be sent to people, but to buy clothes with!

Okay, you cant fight with the Government, so you decide to print invitation cards. Suddenly you realise that it is lockdown and all printing presses are closed. This is what Churchill called a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. No printing press, so no invitation card, so no buying of essentials.

These are unheard-of problems creating unheard-of situations. So words take on unheard-of meanings. Mask was a word associated with theatre. The outbreak of Covid made masks a habit. In India, even TV newsreaders do their jobs wearing masks that go close to the eyes, making it difficult for viewers to figure out what they are saying. Mask-wearing became such a universal habit that some countries made news by saying that they had grown mask free. Israel cancelled the mandatory wearing of masks in the open air in April. This was after completing one of the most rapid vaccine rollouts in the world. New Zealand made maskwearing mandatory only in public transport, including flights. Bhutan, after vaccinating more than 90 per cent of its adult population in just two weeks, made itself mask-free.

Masks became irrelevant when a new policy concept was announced by the Modi Government. In an amazing brainwave, they set up what is called The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd. The Corporation promptly shortlisted Adani and eight other companies to submit proposals to develop the Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, popularly known as VT (for Victoria Terminus).

The British had a habit of building railway stations as magnificent architectural showpieces. VT was perhaps the finest example of this. Imagine Adani re-doing this terminus complex. In the name of making Thiruvananthapuram airport more efficient, Adani increased fees on aircraft landing there. In the end, the passenger, otherwise known as citizen, will end up bearing the brunt of modernisation.

VT station, spread across 2.8 hectares, is an architectural masterpiece. It has been an iconic landmark of Mumbai With deep verandahs for ventilation, a blend of polychrome masonry and elaborate sculptural ornamentation, crowned by a towering masonry dome meant to dominate the skyline.

What proposal would Adani submit to the Railway Stations Development Corporation? To get an idea of which way the wind may blow, we must recall a recent news report headed Under Modi Rule, Ambani, Adani have doubled their wealth. Then look at the Covid-19 vaccination certificate issued by the Government of India. Every certificate carries a photograph of Narendra Modi with a message. The effort to give Narendra Modi credit for all things good is quite frank.

It is not difficult to imagine reforms in the railways after Adani takes charge. Every compartment will carry a photograph of the Prime Minister with an uplifting message. Every ticket will, of course, carry his photo. Every traveller will be given a chance to know that he is travelling by courtesy of the caring Prime Minister. More innovations will follow because, after all, those who doubled their wealth need to triple them.
Prabhu Chawla By

Mantris Mess up Message

Too many cooks spoil the brotherhood. NDAs top honchos have finally got it that BJPs aggressive and acerbic infodemic on pandemic management isnt getting the government any kudos. Those not even remotely connected with handling Covid perception are defending the government without a proper brief. With the Opposition berating the ruling party over public perception, BJP leadership has instructed motor-mouth ministers to stay schtum on Covid. Only Health Minister Harsh Vardhan will give the macro picture. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal (yet to speak) will brief the media on oxygen movement. Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Sadananda Gowda will run interference with the media concerning the supply of essential drugs.

But Goyals and Gowdas inputs have been as useful as a cylinder without oxygen. Many senior mantris gave contradictory statements because inter-ministerial communications are nil. For example, Nitin Gadkari, one of the most effective ministers, spoke frankly on May 18, If the demand is more and supply is less, then it creates problems. So, instead of one, licence should be given to 10 vaccine companies. Twenty-four hours later, he walked back his words. He re-tweeted: Yesterday. I had made a suggestion to ramp up vaccine production. I was unaware that before my speech.

Mansukh Mandaviya had explained the governments efforts to ramp up vaccine production. I am glad and congratulate he [Mandaviya] and his team for this timely intervention in the right direction. I feel important to put this on record, he tweeted. Mandaviya is a state minister in Gowdas ministry and Modi has tasked him with managing the supply chain of all Corona-related drugs. Natch, the crossed wires between ministers were manna for the Congress. But BJP insiders are more concerned more about mandarin misspeak that hides more than they reveal to their bosses. The NDA which was setting the agenda has discovered the virtue of speaking in one voice rather than myriad monologues. No wonder, numerous hyper active ministers and social media mandarins have gone into hiding.

Too many Gandhis

After its whipping in the recent state elections, the Congress still cant find its feet. The Ashok Chavan Committees report on poll reverses have skipped the real villains and chosen to point a finger at some satraps; the document will be shelved as usual. The party isnt able to plug into the new Gandhi Dynasty dynamics. Surviving on meagre political rations, Congress leaders are finding it tough to handle three Gandhis simultaneously without hurting the feelings of any one of them. Historically, the party has had a dominating duo from the family. Jawaharlal Nehru and daughter Indira Gandhi called the shots in the party. The father ensured that Indira became the youngest Congress president. After her progeny Rajiv and Sanjay grew up, Sanjay became mamas advisor in early 70s.

He created a parallel outfit and picked over half the MP candidates who won the 1980 Lok Sabha elections. While the old guard needed Indira for survival, a large part of the party became Sanjay loyalists. Soon after his death Rajiv arrived. The Indira-Rajiv combo controlled the government and the party. Rajiv inducted his Doon School mates and technocrats to guide him after his mothers assassination. For the next couple of years, he was the only Gandhi with total control over the party. Later on, Sonia became his invisible advisor and Congress leaders viewed her as a parallel power centre. After Rajivs assassination, she retreated into silence only to return in 1998 as party chief. Until 2004, she was the only Gandhi ruling the roost.

Rahul joined mother and won in Amethi. Since then, there were only two Gandhis at the helm. Sonia is the unifier; Rahul has his own team and became party president for a short period. Now, Priyanka Gandhis foray has disrupted the equation. Congress followers are confused over the new family troika. The rank and file are at sea without well-defined separation of responsibilities between the brother and the sister. Priyanka, the General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh whose brief is to revive the outfit in the state, is a pan-India political frequent flyer. Rahul is keeping away from his old state. Which of the three Gandhis is the most powerful? Congress netas are hard-pressed to figure the G-force egging on the rebels in Punjab and Rajasthan against the chief ministers. For the first time, the Congress appears to be victims of Plenty of Gandhis.

Vista is Centres Trouble

No communication is bad communication. What is the real bill for the Central Vista? What are its contours? After letting the dirt fly over its actual size and dimensions, the government is finally on the defensive. The cost is Rs 13,000 crore and not Rs 20,000 crore as has been publicised without a word from the government. The money will be spent over the next five years and not in one year and is the estimated expenditure for building a new Parliament, while the Central Vista is for recreational purposes.

The whole project will house all the Central government offices scattered across the city, the Prime Ministers residence, the Vice-Presidents House and a world class convention centre. Of course, the project is meant to be a precious and everlasting gift to the nation, but history would record it as a puerile mid-pandemic political circus. The Opposition, including the Congress, is calling the Vista a monumental waste of time and money solely to satisfy the Prime Ministers ego. Actually, when it is completed, it would be recorded in history as one of the most innovating architectural marvels conceived by Indians, developed by Indians and for Indians. So claims the government. So far, India is known for monuments and buildings built during the Mughal or British rule.

What a Gas!

Petroleum product prices are on fire. But political parties arent bonding to douse it fast. Instead, they are at each others throats over Pandemic Panic and seeking accountability. Barring, a few inane tweets and press statements, no party has a sore throat after demanding a reduction in the prices of petrol and diesel which almost touched R100 a litre.

In one month alone, oil companies have hiked prices over a dozen times at a time when the global cost of crude is either stable or declining. All states which want GST on Corona drugs to be withdrawn are mum on the rollback of fuel taxes. Petroleum products contribute over 20 per cent of the revenue of both the Centre and the states. It varies from state to state.

Around half of the price of a litre of gas goes into government coffers. Petroleum products have been kept out of the GST regime so that no single party gets a bad name for fleecing consumers. Since states have no desire to reform tax collection and leakages, they are willing partners-in-sin. Looks like India is seeing Cooperative Federalism joined at the hip at least on the fleecing through fuel.

Prabhu Chawla

prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com

Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) authorities have partially demolished and seized a no-profit school being run for special children in MVP Colony locality of Visakhapatnam city leading to a furore. The organisers of the school said that no notices were served to vacate the premises while the GVMC officials maintained they have orally intimated the organisers several times to vacate the premises as the lease was not renewed.

The GVMC officials demolished the sheds constructed by the organiser Saturday evening and on Sunday, they seized the premises.

The Hidden Sprouts, special school for mentally handicapped children, was founded by Kandipilli Srinivas Rao in 2013. What began as a home school for only six children now has 190 such students. The two-room building was given on lease by GVMC in 2013 and the organiser erected sheds to accommodate more children as the numbers grew and physically challenged and autistic students too were admitted.

"These students of various age groups spend most of their time here developing their skills and discovering their hidden talents. And now, they might have no school to go to," said Srinivas.

Hidden Sprouts provides free education, transport and all necessary school equipment for the children. All the children are from financially unstable families.

Several mentally and physically challenged students and their parents along with the school staff protested in front of the locked school premises during the non-curfew hours Sunday. Srinivas stated that the school received funds thanks to the support of the local politicians and others.

P Lakshmi, mother of one of the special children told TNIE, "My husband blamed me for having my child saying it was my fault and left us. I never thought my son would go to school. But thanks to Hidden Sprouts and Srinivas, he is going to school. What have these children done? Why is their school being taken away from them?"

She said that it was unfair that the sheds were brought down and requested the authorities to let the school continue its services, for the sake of the special children. "Until then, we will come here to protest every day. These mentally and physically challenged children need a school,''she said.

The premises in which the school was run was given to Srinivas for lease for a nominal amount of Rs 3,000 per month in 2013. Srinivas claims to have paid the first six months advance after which he did not pay any amount as the officers appreciated his services and told him that he need not pay.

"In November 2020, GVMC Commissioner G Srijana had visited our school and appreciated the staff and students and asked us to continue our work," Srinivas stated adding that she had talked positively and had not brought up the topic of renewal of the lease of the site. He stated that he is ready to re-apply for a long-term lease for the land so that they can continue educating the children there. "I don't want the children to lose out on education," he said



"The school began on amount of personal debts by me. I was moved by the plight of mentally and physically challenged children and I wanted to do something to help them," he explained.

Speaking to TNIE, Zonal Commissioner (Zone-III) Srinivasa Rao stated that the allotted area was seized as the lease period was not renewed. "Several community people had also complained stating that sheds were being built without permission," Rao added. Originally, only two rooms were allotted by the GVMC.

School founder Srinivas explained that the sheds were built nearly 5-6 years back. "Infrastructure worth 5-6 lakhs was demolished by the authorities Saturday. If they had told me to remove the sheds, I would had done so,'' he said. The sheds were built to accommodate more children and conduct outdoor activities.

The Zonal Commissioner explained that the school authorities were asked to move or look for a different place several times before the premises was seized. However, the organisers did not want to move, he said.

"It takes a lot of time for autistic children to adjust to certain surroundings. Hence, we does not want to move to another place," the school authorities explained.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Alleging that a mobile phone confiscated during his arrest from his Hyderabad residence on May 14 by the AP Crime Investigation Department (CID) was not listed in seizure records with the courts and it is being used to send offensive messages to others, rebel YSRC MP Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Delhi police seeking action against APCID chief PV Sunil Kumar. The MP was arrested on May 14 by the APCID on sedition charges.

In the complaint, Raju alleged that CID officials took away his iPhone 11 with phone number 900092222 and WhatsApp number 9000911111. It was neither shown on records as a seized property during the case proceedings nor returned to him after he was discharged from Secunderabad Army Hospital, he alleged.

I have already sent a legal notice to Sunil Kumar regarding the unlawful seizure, he said. Raju alleged that on the night of May 14, Sunil Kumar and four other CID sleuths beat him up mercilessly. One among them sat on my chest and compelled me to disclose the lock number of my mobile number and in order to save my life, I revealed it, the MP claimed.

Raju said former IAS officer PV Ramesh tweeted tagging him saying, I am notifying this information in public interest. I and my family members have been receiving Whatsapp messages from an unlisted number +91 90009 11111 purported to be from @raghuRaju_MP. MP may respond.

The MP said he had promptly responded to the tweet saying that his mobile was unofficially seized on May 14 and it was still with the CID and a legal notice was also issued for the return of the phone. Raju also said that he blocked the SIM and got a new one.

From May 14 to June 1, I have not sent any messages to anyone. I assure you that legal action would be initiated against Sunil Kumar and others if they misused my mobile phone, the MP said in the complaint.

Raju alleged that there are some marital differences between Sunil Kumar and the sister of PV Ramesh and a case pertaining to the same is pending before the High Court and he suspected that his mobile phone is being used for dubious reasons including falsely implicating him in other frivolous cases and damaging his reputation among the public.

I have reasonable apprehension to believe that such messages would have been sent by Sunil Kumar to many others from May 14 to June 1. Only a thorough investigation will reveal the gravity of the misuse of my mobile phone, Raju said in the complaint.Stating that the acts of the CID chief amounts to violation of various laws including theft, dishonest misappropriation of property and others, the MP urged the Delhi police to initiate appropriate legal action under Sections 119, 379, 403, 418, 426, 504 and 506 of the IPC against Sunil Kumar.
Arunkumar Huralimath By

Express News Service

HUBBALLI: After Google, Amazon on Saturday landed in a controversy by putting up a bikini with Karnataka flag colours and emblem on sale on its Canada website.

The e-commerce giant later removed the product after Kannadigas from across the world slammed the company.

On June 3, a Google search had shown Kannada as the ugliest language in the country. After a severe backlash, Google removed the website link and also apologised in Kannada.

The bikini that was being sold on Amazon had Karnataka flag colours and also depicted the emblem. It was being sold under the brand name BKDMHHH.

Remove offensive product, netizens tell Amazon

The product link and its screenshot went viral on social media sites.

Many Kannadigas put up posts on Twitter and Facebook, asking Amazon to remove the offensive product from its website immediately and to take action against the brand.

Kannada and Culture Minister Aravind Limbavali said, Without knowing the rich history of our State, multinational companies are insulting our flag and language.

He threatened to sue Amazon.

Ashok Chandargi, president, Kannada Organisation Action Committee, said Amazon, knowingly or unknowingly, has insulted the Kannada flag.

The firm should warn the seller not to insult others sentiments.
Chetana Belagere By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: A team of doctors conducted a feasibility study to sequence a batch of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 through RT-PCR test and found that of the 44 genomic samples sequenced, 41 of them were of the new double mutant variant sub-lineage B.1.617.2, also known as the Delta variant.

The Delta variant is said to be at least 50 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which was first seen in the UK and has replaced all the other variants UK and South Africa in many states, including Karnataka.

The study found that it is feasible to sequence batch-level processing in a quick manner so that one can identify variants quickly and prepare for the next wave.

ALSO READ | Delta COVID variant counted for 60 per cent of Delhi cases in April: Study

Dr U S Vishal Rao, Dean, Centre for Academic Research, HCG Cancer Center and member of expert committee, Covid-19 task force, and his team, including Dr Vamsi Veeramachaneni, Chief Scientific Officer at Strand Life Sciences, and Rohan Pais, COO, Strand, met Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwanth Narayan and submitted a report stressing that it is important to carry out genomic surveillance to identify emerging strains early so that scientists can establish the transmissibility of the new strains, assess vaccine protectiveness, verify RT-PCR kit performance and study clinical presentation.

We know that this strain is going to continue evolving and more and more questions will be asked. Is it more transmissible? Is the vaccine protectiveness compromised or not? Are the RT-PCR kits that I am using in my local lab going to work against these new mutations or not? We need a quick way of analysing the data and trends, explained Dr Vamsi to The New Sunday Express.

He said that the study showed that infections that result in ICU admissions are particularly important to monitor and genomic sequencing of all Covid ICU admissions may shed valuable insights.

ALSO READ | More than 70 percent of COVID cases caused by Delta strain in Puducherry, 19 percent by Alpha

Speaking to The New Sunday Express, Dr Vishal Rao said, Clinical correlation of genetic lineages is very important. It is now evident that in many states, the second wave was caused by the Delta variant.

He said such a spread could be prevented and policy decision on lockdown, tracing, tracking etc., can be effective if they are based on genomic data.

There is a time gap in defining the genome and acting of policy on this finding. This clinical bridging has to be done. We found a great increase in black fungus cases, but not all were oxygen related. So, we will have to study if this variant has tendency of activating fungus etc, he said.

Dr Vamsi is confident that aggressive fungus genomic mapping will help track the aggressive course of spread as well as vaccine efficiency. He explained that this pilot study showed that genome surveys can be effectively and quickly done.

ALSO READ | Third Covid wave: India may not be doing adequate genome sequencing to identify threats quickly

As clinicians, we are saying that ICUs must be monitored and our governments should be more proactive than reactive. We should keep track of the ICUs, especially where the number of deaths are high. It can be noted that even now, with the cases coming down, we have 80 per cent of the ICUs still occupied. We must do genome focus on them. Airports and ICUs are the places where genome data can be monitored for new variants, Dr Vishal Rao said.

What is the Delta variant of Covid-19

There are many SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating globally. In India, we have so far found 8,572 variants from 28 states. One of these is the B.1.617 lineage, which was found in India in December, 2020. It is now found that its sub-lineage B.1.617.2 labelled as Delta by the WHO is a variant of concern.

Why so dangerous?
Ashwini M Sripad By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Ever since the second wave of Covid-19 hit, workers at graveyards and crematoriums in Bengaluru had been working tirelessly for 18 to 20 hours every day.

But with the number of deaths coming down over the last few days, they are now heaving a sigh of relief.

In May, the state witnessed over 550 daily deaths across the State, with Bengaluru alone recording about 350 deaths.

In Bengaluru, there are 12 electric crematoriums i with two furnaces each. Of the 12, seven are earmarked for cremation of Covid victims.

In Bengaluru, there are 148 people working at crematoriums and graveyards.

Raju, who used to work at the Kalpalli graveyard, one of the biggest graveyards in Karnataka, said he was deputed to the electric crematorium in Hebbal where sometimes, one of the two furnaces would stop working due to overload.

We would get around 25 bodies in a day. We need at least one hour for a body to burn after which the furnace has to be cleaned and the next one taken in. We used to come at 7 am and end up working till about 2 am. For the last two months, we couldnt even have dinner on time. But, over the last three to four days, we are winding up by 9 pm as the number of bodies coming to our crematorium has reduced. I return home by 11 pm and have dinner with my family, which I was missing all these days, he said. Most days, they even skipped breakfast.

We used to start the day with just one cup of tea at 7 am, he said.

Explaining their trauma, Raju said many of the dead were aged between 25 and 45.

It was such a sad state to see grieving parents and family members every day who would come for cremation. I have even done the cremation of a month-old baby, he said.

Most of them are contract workers and their previous generations too were in the same profession.

I have been working for the last 15 years. Both my father and grandfather worked at graveyards. None of them had faced this kind of work pressure, Nagaraju, another worker, said.

Though my grandfather would talk about the plague, Covid deaths have broken all the records, which is depressing, he said.

They would sleep three hours a day on most days last month.

Now, with cases declining, we are able to sleep for six to seven hours a day, he said.

Ravi, who works at the Sumanahalli crematorium, took his first dose of the vaccine this week. According to him, since April , they have cremated more than 1,600 bodies at their crematorium alone.

I have not gone home. My aged parents, wife and children stay at home and I have not seen them for many days. I am scared to go home as I work here, he said.
Mahima Anna Jacob By

Express News Service

Surprising, but true. Tribal village Edamalakudy, a 40km drive from mountainous Munnar, Kerala, has been lockdown-ready for ages. They made health a priority right from the beginning. The place

is home to the reclusive Muthuvan tribe of 2,600 members living in 26 settlements over 35,000 acres of forest on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. They do not believe in communicating with the outside world.

This habitual seclusion allows them to follow social distancing automatically since their hamlets are spread far and wide in the Idamalayar Reserve Forest. Outsiders have to walk at least eight km through thick jungles to reach Edamalakudy. It is no wonder that this first tribal grama panchayat in Kerala has not reported a single case since Covid-19 hit India in 2020. Though development is a foreign word to the Muthuvans, they were aware of the consequences of Covid-19 infection. With limited resources, the tribal hamlet was able to chalk out a perfect containment plan for the entire village.

ALSO READ | Wayanad's isolated tribal hamlet keeps virus at bay

When the first Covid-19 case was reported in Kerala, our panchayat officials called a meeting with the poru moopans (hamlet elders) of each settlement to brief people about the pandemic and the necessary precautions the community has to adopt to stay safe and healthy. The officials also provided Muthuvans with sanitisers and masks. Absence of sophisticated health care facilities, road connectivity and availability of basic amenities pose a threat if adequate precautionary measures are not taken, says R Varghese, the panchayat secretary.

Edamalakudy village

The Muthuvans took a conscious decision to go into self-lockdown by restricting outside travel and blocking all outsiders, other than panchayat and health officials. To collect food and essential items, the tribals have to take hired jeeps to Munnar. In the early days, someone from each family would go once a week to buy items they need. Now with rise in Covid-19 cases, two or three persons go to Munnar to buy provisions for the entire hamlet. They stay in quarantine for 14 days after they return, says Varghese. The jeeps stop at Pettimudi, from where they have to walk for around 20km carrying their purchases.

Since the community is adamant about not letting interlopers into their village, the Forest Department has stopped issuing passes. A time came where the members didnt encourage the entry of even the panchayat officials. When a few members of the community experienced mild symptoms, they went to Devikulam. They were negative, explains Varghese.

ALSO READ | A quaint TN hamlet - Nariankonai - continues to evade Covid

With the second wave hitting the state, the Panchayat officials set up a second meeting with the hamlet leaders and urged them to stick with their containment plan. Reports of a few migrant labourers in nearby Pettimudi being infected with Covid-19 are a matter of concern for both officials and tribals. People on their way to Munnar to purchase essential commodities have to cross Pettimudi.

Apart from their effective containment plan, officials believe that the Muthuvans lifestyle is responsible for keeping Edamalakudy a zero Covid-19 village. The community depends on farming and are mostly vegetarians. The clean air and water contribute to sustaining their immune system, adds Varghese. Local politicians have been vocal about road connectivity from the village to the city for emergency healthcare to reach. But this is also what keeps the Muthuvans stay home, stay safe.

The Muthuvans are mostly vegetarians. The clean air and water contributes to strengthening their immune system, R Varghese, panchayat secretary


Pinellas County Parks and Recreation provides a checklist with specifics about which areas of the park are the best places to spot more than 300 species of birds. To catch more variety, check out the park during the spring or fall for a glimpse at migrating birds using the park as a rest stop. While a family of wood warblers often gets all the glory during migration times, you can also spot vireos, thrushes, flycatchers, tanagers and orioles, to name a few. But remember, per the parks department, the weather is a huge factor and is often the reason youll see dozens of a certain species one year and none the following.
By PTI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday deplored the controversial circular issued by a Delhi government-run hospital, barring the use of Malayalam language by its nursing employees at work, and called it an "assault on our diversity".

However, he lauded the hospital authorities for withdrawing the order following criticism from various quarters.

"Malayalam is one of the official languages of India which has a classical language status. Although it was a delayed decision, the authorities did a commendable job by withdrawing the circular which was against the cultural and democratic set up of our country," Vijayan posted on his Facebook page.

ALSO READ: Delhi government hospital bars nurses from talking in Malayalam at work, union fumes

The CM hailed officials of GB Pant hospital for taking corrective measures by revoking the circular and said it was "unacceptable for a civilised society to divide the employees on the basis of language and culture".

The Delhi health department has issued a memo to Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) in connection with the controversial circular, sources said.

According to the circular issued by the hospital on Saturday, a complaint had been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER.

ALSO READ: After uproar, Delhi hospital revokes order barring nurses from talking in Malayalam at work

t stated that maximum patients and colleagues do not know the language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience.

The order then directed all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. The circular has drawn flak from the medical fraternity, political leaders and the public.
M P Prashanth By

Express News Service

KOZHIKODE: Security agencies are trying to verify Islamic States (IS) claim that a Malayali engineer, who joined the terrorist organisation, has become a martyr while fighting in Libya. The reference to the Keralite appeared in an IS document titled Know your martyrs, which says Abu Bakr Al-Hindi was a Christian who embraced Islam while working in the Gulf. The document says he is the first Istishhadi (suicide bomber or martyr in an attack) from India to be killed on the African continent.

The IS document, unlike in the case of other Malayali cadre who were killed in Syria and Afghanistan, did not mention Abu Bakrs real name. There is no clue about his other whereabouts either, except that the person was born in a rich Christian family where there are many engineers.IS says Abu Bakr was working in Bengaluru before moving to the Gulf.

Agencies yet to identify Keralite killed in Libya

That was the first time he was in a complete Muslim environment, said the document. He was introduced to Islam through a pamphlet handed over to him while he was shopping at a market. He was shocked to know that Muslims believe in Jesus and respected him, said the document adding that Abu Bakr wanted to know more about Islam.

The speeches of late American rabble-rouser Anwar Al-Awlaki radicalised him and led him to the IS. Abu Bakr wished to do hijra (migration) like other Malayalis who had joined the IS, but he had to come back to India as his contract with the company in the Gulf expired. The IS handlers asked him to go to Libya where its activity was going strong. As he was an engineer and his passport had Christian name, he flew easily to Libya, said the document. Three months after reaching the country, Abu Bakr was killed in an operation.

Security agencies have not yet identified the person. It is not known either as to when the incidents referred to in the document took place. Security experts had warned that the IS may shift their operations to Africa after the elimination of their strongholds in Syria and Afghanistan. Though many Keralites who had joined the IS did hijra to Syria and Afghanistan, this is for the first time Libya is coming in the picture.

IS had declared formation of Wilayat (province) in Libya in 2014 and many foreign fighters had been dispatched to the country. IS claimed that its cadre from Kerala had taken part in many Istishhadi operations in Afghanistan including the attack on Gurudwara in Kabul and a prison in Jalalabad last year.
By PTI

ROURKELA: The next of kin of a medical student in Odisha will finally receive a compensation of Rs 50 lakh eight months after her death due to COVID-19.

Twenty-nine-year-old Priyashri Mishra, a second-year surgery student at the Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela, succumbed to the infection in September last year while rendering her services during the first wave of the pandemic.

However, despite being a 'corona warrior', her family did not receive the benefits of health insurance for medical personnel under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package.

The Rourkela Steel Plant management and her colleagues pursued the matter and finally, a decision was taken to hand over a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to her family, an RSP PR Department official said.

"It would have been a complete dishonour to her had her family not received the compensation," RSP executive association president Bimal Bisi said.

Mishra, a resident of Bihar's Nalanda, had contracted the disease on September 22 last year and died five days later.

The Sundergarh district administration had given her a guard of honour during her last rites.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package, health workers' families are covered under insurance of Rs 50 lakh in case of any adversity to them due to COVID-19.

The scheme is being implemented through an insurance policy of the New India Assurance company.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: The State government has expanded the Phase III COVID-19 vaccination of 18-44 years age group to 22 more district headquarters.

The decision to add more districts was taken after the State government received 2.27 lakh doses of Covishield on Saturday along with a commitment of getting 6.45 lakh doses more this month from the Serum Institute of India.

Initially started in Bhubaneswar on May 3, the drive was expanded to four more municipal corporations and later six more municipalities having high test positivity rate.

Additional Chief Secretary (Health) PK Mohapatra said that with the available stock, the vaccination of the 18-44 years age group can be initiated in all district headquarters and important towns where the infection rate is high.

"The State task force has approved the expansion of the vaccination drive for the 18 to 44 years age group in the rest 22 district headquarters, municipalities/NACs. The State expects to receive 6.45 lakh doses of Covishield in three trenches this month," he said.

The vaccine received on Saturday has been distributed to the districts for the first dose of vaccination based on their target beneficiaries. The Collectors, Municipal Commissioners and CDMOs have been asked to remain in readiness in their respective district headquarter to saturate the urban population in the shortest possible time.

Mohapatra said that the officials have been asked to give priority to students and athletes, who will be going abroad. The districts will notify the vaccination dates and they need to ensure the registration of all beneficiaries through the CoWIN portal, he added.

So far, of the targeted 12.05 lakh beneficiaries in four municipal corporations and six municipalities, 5.78 lakh doses have been supplied and they require 6.3 lakh more doses to complete the first dose vaccination.

The Health and Family Welfare department has listed 5.88 lakh beneficiaries in the 22 district headquarters that are going for Phase III vaccination from next week. The vaccine doses will be dispatched to districts in phases as per the supply from manufacturer and requirement.

Meanwhile, the State government has procured 800 monoclonal antibody cocktail of Casirivimab and Imdevimab and 1000 single-dose Covid drug Virafin. The Health department will soon take a decision on the use of the drugs.
By PTI

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu continued to maintain its declining trend in daily COVID-19 cases, registering 20,421 infections in the last 24 hours, pushing the aggregate to 22.37 lakh.

The toll in the state climbed to 27,005 with 434 more deaths due to the deadly disease. Recoveries continued to outnumber new cases with 33,161 people walking out of health care institutions totalling 19.65 lakh till date, leaving 2,44,289 active infections, a medical bulletin said on Sunday.

Among districts, Coimbatore recorded the maximum number of cases at 2,645 followed by Chennai with 1,644, Erode 1,694, Salem 1,071 and Tiruppur 1,068. The state capital, however, leads in total positives among districts with 5,16,628.

The number of deaths also remains high in Chennai with 7,475 fatalities to date. The number of samples tested today stood at 1,74,982, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to 2.87 crores.

Chengalpet, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli, reported cases in excess of 500 today while the rest was scattered across other districts.

Among the 434 deceased, 110 succumbed to the virus sans any pre-existing illness including a 21-year-old woman from Dindigul.

Three of those who tested positive today include returnees from Jharkhand, Karnataka and Kerala, the bulletin said.

Earlier in the day, Medical and Family Welfare Minister M Subramanian inspected construction work of a government medical college and hospital coming up at a cost of Rs 447.32 crore in Ooty.

The hospital, once operational, would serve the residents in the region, an official release said. The college will have an auditorium with a seating capacity for 1,200 people. Besides, it would house an intensive care unit, physiotherapy department, among others.

Addressing reporters, Subramanian noted that 921 people have been affected by the 'Black Fungus' disease in the state so far and special wards are being set up in all government hospitals to treat patients.

The government was also looking at other options to treat those affected by the fungal infection by forming a 'committee' comprising senior doctors, he said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Eight trainees from Hyderabads Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), including five IPS probationers, two from Maldives and one from Bhutan, rescued the family of an Indian Air Force Officer from drowning at Lakshadweep two days ago.

The trainees were on a trip to the islands as a part of Bharat Yatra, as a part of the training exposure.

When they were at one of the beaches in Lakshadweep, they saw the family drowning in the sea and immediately jumped to their rescue.

They acted valiantly and rescued a family drowning in the sea. The Academy appreciated the selfless act of bravery true to the sense of uniform to help the people in need, the academy said.
By Express News Service

JAGTIAL: Hundreds of workers, planning to go abroad, are waiting for their turn to get vaccinated in Jagtial.

These workers, who have received their job visas, have been directed by their respective companies to take the jab before returning to the Gulf countries.

These workers have formed several groups on social media and as per one post, the workers were told that they could get the vaccination at couple of centre on Saturday.

However, when they reached the vaccination centres at Durgamma Gadda, Old High School and Government Junior College for Girls, they had to return disappointed.

At vaccination centres, health workers told them that they had not received any orders to vaccinate the Gulf workers.

Later, the workers submitted a memorandum to the district administration requesting further action and help for thousands of families, who are dependent on jobs in the Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Qatar.

A person named Md Abbas, who has received a job visa, also returned from one of the centres, along with many others. Gulf Returnee Welfare Society president and social worker, Saikh Chandpasha said that there were around 3,000 NRIs waiting for the vaccination.

"If government does not take up their case immediately, they might lose their employment in the Gulf countries. There is no employment option available in their native places and they would be left with nothing," he said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: In view of the mega vaccination drive at Hitex Exhibition Grounds in Madhapur on Sunday, the Cyberabad police have issued a traffic advisory. 40,000 people are expected to be vaccinated in a joint initiative by the Cyberabad Police, Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC) and Medicover Hospitals.

This may very well be the biggest ever vaccination drive in India.

People coming to Hitex from Kondapur should proceed via Khanamet, National Academy of Construction (NAC) main gate to the venue. Those coming from Cyber Towers should proceed via Hitex Kaman, Khanamet, NAC Main gate to the venue.

Those coming from Kothaguda should proceed via CII Junction, Hitex Kaman, Khanamet, NAC main gate to the venue.

Entry shall be from the NAC Main gate only and vehicles must be parked in the A, B and C parking slots. After completion of vaccination, persons who have parked their vehicles in A and B slots should exit from Gates 6 and 7 and proceed towards MMTS station road.

Those who have parked their vehicles in Slot C should exit from Kondapur gate or the MMTS gate. The police have urged people to follow the traffic advisory to avoid congestion.
Express News Service By

GUWAHATI: Raimona in Assams Kokrajhar district was declared as the states sixth national park. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made an announcement in this regard on the occasion of World Environment Day on Saturday.

The states Environment and Forest Department has issued a notification declaring Raimona as a national park. The chief minister said a process was on to also convert the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a national park.

Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya called the announcements a piece of welcome news for conservationists and nature enthusiasts. The Raimona park, which has a rich flora and fauna and falls under the Bodoland Territorial Region, is a part of a contiguous forest patch with an area of 422 sq km, covering the northern part of the Ripu Reserve Forest that forms the western-most buffer to Manas Tiger Reserve in the southern foothills of Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.

It runs northwards till it touches the Indo-Bhutan international boundary on the north and the remaining part of Ripu Reserve Forest on the south. Historically, the area was a part of the migratory route of the faunal species from Himalayan Mountain, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese realms towards the west and peninsular Indian realm species to the east, a forest official said.

The new national park shares contiguous forest patches of Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Jigme Singye Wangchuk National Park in Bhutan, creating a transboundary conservation landscape of 2,400 sq km.
Kumar Vikram By

NEW DELHI: Underlining the poor public health infrastructure particularly in small towns and rural areas, a majority of the beneficiaries covered under the governments ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme availed of hospitalisation benefits in private hospitals rather than in government facilities.

Till March 24 this year, the total number of admissions under the scheme in private hospitals was 74.91 lakh while it was only 62.96 lakh in public hospitals, according to a reply received this newspaper under Right to Information Act.

The RTI reply also revealed that of the total Rs 17,934 crore spent by the government till March 24 this year towards coverage of the beneficiaries, Rs 11,611 crore worth of hospital admissions were in private hospitals and Rs 6,323 crore in the government sector.

The average expenditure per admission in a private hospital was Rs 15,500 while in a public hospital it was Rs 10,042.

The RTI reply said 14.66 crore health cards were issued till March 24 and a total 172.48 lakh hospital admissions were authorised.

The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was launched on September 23, 2018. It provides health insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year to poor households for secondary and tertiary healthcare hospitalisation.

Those covered under the scheme are mainly manual scavenger families, primitive tribal groups, domestic workers, street vendors, cobblers and hawkers, among others.

Hospital admissions in private facilities as compared to public sector institutions are not uniform among the states.

The RTI information reveals that in some states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, admissions in private hospitals were 300- 400% more than in public healthcare facilities.

In UP, there were 5,19,388 private hospital admissions but only 1,50,282 admissions were in public health facilities.

Similarly in Maharashtra, there were 3,14,419 private hospital admissions in comparison with 89,026 public hospital admissions.

In sharp contrast to these two states, in Kerala public healthcare facilities have played a dominant role in admissions under the scheme.

The state recorded 5,75,872 admissions in private hospitals whereas there 14,14,712 admissions in public hospitals.

Karnataka also showed a similar trend with 2,38,793 private hospital admissions and 10,78,237 public hospital admissions under the scheme. Many northeastern states, including Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya also showed a similar trend.

Public hospitals lack healthcare infrastructure

Experts blamed the poor state of public healthcare infrastructure for fewer admissions.

Chandrakant Lahariya, a public health and policy expert, said people dont prefer government hospitals because either these are not available or they are not providing competitive services, resulting in government money going to the private sector.

The government is purchasing the services from the private sector in the short term. But, there doesnt appear any intention or desire to strengthen public sector healthcare facilities for such a process. In the long run, theres a lot of demand for health services which are not available, he said.

Former union health secretary K Sujatha Rao blamed the poor condition of public health facilities.

Once you take out the financial barrier where you dont have to pay, would you rather go and stand in queues at AIIMs or will you go to Apollo? Obviously, you will go to Apollo which is cleaner and easier. that is the reason.

The National Health Authority, the authority that implements the Ayushman Bharat scheme, said: One of the objectives of the scheme is to provide beneficiaries with the option to avail quality healthcare services across both public and hitherto inaccessible private healthcare providers. It is up to the individual beneficiary as to where he/she would prefer healthcare treatment.
Express News Service By

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are responsible leaders capable of solving the bilateral issues.

Putin said it important that no extra-regional power interfere in matters between the two countries. Yes, I do know that there are some issues related to India-China relations. But, there are always a lot of issues between neighbouring countries. I know the attitude of both the Prime Minister of India and the President of China. These are very responsible people and they earnestly treat one another with the utmost respect and I believe that they will always arrive at a solution to any issue that they might face. It is important that no other extra-regional power is interfering with that, he said.

ALSO READ | Russia only country in the world which is ready to transfer anti-COVID vaccine technology: Putin

On the Quad grouping, the Russian president said it was for Moscow to tell any country not to participate in any grouping. However, he said there should be no grouping against any country. Russia has been critical of the Quad, comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia, saying it is an effort by Washington to keep a check on Beijings ambitions. China, too, has expressed concerns about the grouping.

On the impact of growing Russia-China relations on Russias ties with India, especially on the defence and security cooperation, Putin said, We highly appreciate such a high level of cooperation with our Indian friends. These relations are of a strategic nature.

They cover a whole range of avenues of our cooperation in economy, energy and hi-tech. In defence, and I am not just talking about the purchase of Russian arms...We have very deep profound relations with India based on trust. Putin also asserted that India is Russias only partner that they are working together with on elaborating and manufacturing, especially in India, advanced weapon systems and technologies but that is not where our cooperation ends because our cooperation is multifaceted.
By AFP

LOS ANGELES: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced on Sunday the birth of their daughter Lilibet 'Lili' Diana, named for Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and late mother, the Princess of Wales, after a year of increasingly strained ties between the couple and the British royal family.

Their daughter, who will be eighth in line to the British throne, was born healthy on Friday in the southern California city of Santa Barbara and is now at home with Meghan in Los Angeles. "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, the Princess of Wales," said a statement from Harry and Meghan.

"She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home," the statement said of the couple's second child.

Shortly after the announcement, well-wishing statements began pouring in from around the world, led by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. "Many congratulations to The Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter," he wrote in a tweet.

Many congratulations to The Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 6, 2021

The couple live near Los Angeles following their decision to quit frontline royal duties early last year. They sat in March for a bombshell interview with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, triggering the royal family's biggest crisis since Harry's mother died in a car crash in 1997.

During the two-hour sit-down, viewed by more than 17 million people in the US and over 11 million in Britain, Harry and Meghan said racism had played a part in them quitting the UK for North America.

Grateful for 'love and prayers'

The couple said that a senior royal had speculated how dark their child's skin would be before he was born. Meghan's mother is Black and her father is white. Meghan, a former actress, also told Winfrey she was "naively" unprepared for life as a royal and had contemplated suicide while pregnant with her first child Archie.

Harry (36) and Meghan (39) accused newspapers of racial stereotyping, particularly set against coverage of Harry's sister-in-law, Kate, who is white. Prince Harry was said to have a good relationship with his grandparents.

He told talk show host James Corden earlier this year that he had spoken via video call Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip since moving to the United States so they could see their great-grandson Archie. Harry has spoken to his father multiple times since the Oprah interview came out, notably after Prince Philip's funeral, according to British media.

In a new documentary series released last month, Harry once again emphasized that his family turned a blind eye to the struggles of his wife, saying he will "never be bullied into silence." However, the announcement of their child's arrival caps a painful, public period in their lives on a sweet note.

"She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family," Harry and Meghan said.
By ANI

KATHMANDU: Amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, the movement of the country's migrant workers through the Trinagar-Gauriphanta border point alongside India has not stopped.

Despite a ban put in place by the district authorities, scores of Nepali migrant workers cross the border point on a daily basis, The Kathmandu Post reported citing the information from Armed Police Force Check Post in Trinagar.'

According to the check post data, around 200 to 400 Nepali migrant workers cross the border point into India every day. Nepali migrant workers who had previously returned home due to the spike of cases in India are returning to the neighbouring country in search of jobs.

According to the Kathmandu Post, more than 27,000 migrant workers have returned home to Nepal since April 29. Laxman Joshi, the Police Inspector of the Armed Police Force said that over 9,000 individuals have crossed the border to India in search of jobs.

Despite the halt of public transportation since April 29, migrant workers under desperate circumstances are trying to reach India for employment. Most of these workers are even paying outrageous prices for transport in vehicles with passes granted for emergency services.

"This is the fourth time that I am travelling to Maharashtra since the start of the pandemic last year. I came home last year in mid-March. It's time I go back and earn some money. There is no source of income here," said Pahal Saud, a local resident of Pahalmanpur in Kailali, was found crossing Trinagar border point in search of a job in Maharashtra, India.

Another local Dil Bahadur Saud said, "There are no jobs in the villages. We have to work for a living, pandemic or not. Otherwise, we will have nothing to eat." After 99 more deaths reported today, the COVID-19 toll in the country is inching to the eight thousand mark, The Himalayan Times reported. The countrywide total covid count has reached 588,124 cases.
By Associated Press

TAIPEI: The US will give Taiwan 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, part of President Joe Biden's move to share millions of jabs globally, three senators said Sunday, after the self-ruled island complained that China is hindering its efforts to secure the injections amid an outbreak.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who arrived in Taiwan with her two colleagues, said the trip underscores the bipartisan support for the democratic island that Beijing claims as its own renegade territory.

"We are here as friends, because we know that Taiwan is experiencing a challenging time right now, which was why it was especially important for the three of us to be here in a bipartisan way," said Duckworth.

"It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines, because we recognize your urgent need, and we value this partnership."

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, a member of the Armed Services Committee, and Democratic Sen.

Christopher Coons of Delaware, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, also arrived Sunday morning.

ALSO READ | 'The evil empire': Is China on its way to world domination?

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu received the senators at the airport said he was "delighted" to welcome them and thanked them for their staunch support.

"Taiwan is facing unique challenges in combating the virus," he said.

"While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicine are delivered free from troubles of Beijing. He said China continues to try block Taiwan's international assistance and prevent it from participating in the World Health Organization.

"We are no strangers to that kind of obstructionism," he said.

Wu said Taiwan was fortunate to have many like-minded countries showing their support, which he said is about sustaining freedom and democracy in the face of autocracy.

China has in recent months increased pressure on the island, including flying warplanes into Taiwan's airspace.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and most Taiwanese favor maintaining the current state of de facto independence while engaging in robust economic exchanges with the mainland.

But vast improvements in China's military capabilities and its increasing activity around Taiwan have raised concerns in the U.S, which is legally bound to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the island's security as matters of "grave concern."

Taiwan, which has weathered virtually unscathed the initial outbreak last year, is now facing its most serious flare-up with over 10,000 cases since the end of April.

Biden announced last week the U.S. will swiftly donate an initial allotment of 25 million doses of surplus vaccine overseas through the U.N.-backed COVAX program, which to date has shared just 76 million doses with needy countries.

Overall, the White House has announced plans to share 80 million doses globally by the end of June, most through COVAX.

The Thai-born Duckworth said the American donation also reflects gratitude for Taiwan's support for the U.S, as Taiwan donated personal protective equipment and other supplies to the U.S. in the early days of the pandemic.

The three senators plan to meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and senior government officials to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations and other issues.
By AFP

ABUJA (NIGERIA): Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau killed himself in a fight against rival jihadist fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) according to audio AFP obtained from the group Sunday, two weeks after reports emerged that he had died.

"Shekau preferred to be humiliated in the hereafter to getting humiliated on earth. He killed himself instantly by detonating an explosive," a voice speaking in the Kanuri language resembling that of ISWAP leader Abu Musab Al-Barnawi said.

The audio was given to AFP by the same source who sent previous messages from the group. Boko Haram has not yet officially commented on the death of their leader, who waged a more than decade-long insurgency in northeast Nigeria, while the Nigerian army said it was investigating the claim.

ISWAP described in the audio how it sent out fighters to Boko Haram's enclave in the Sambisa forest, who found Shekau sitting inside his house and engaged him in a firefight. "From there he retreated and escaped, ran and roamed the bushes for five days. However, the fighters kept searching and hunting for him before they were able to locate him," the voice said.

After finding him in the bush, ISWAP fighters urged him and his followers to repent, the voice added, but Shekau refused and killed himself. "We are so happy," the voice said, adding that Shekau was "someone who committed unimaginable terrorism and atrocities."
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WASHINGTON (AP)  A key Democratic senator says he will not vote for the largest overhaul of U.S. election law in at least a generation, leaving no plausible path forward for legislation that his party and the White House have portrayed as crucial for protecting access to the ballot.

"Voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen,'' Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia wrote in a home-state newspaper, the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

He wrote that failure to bring together both parties on voting legislation would risk further dividing and destroying the republic we swore to protect and defend as elected officials.

The bill would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, strike down hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a murky campaign finance system. Among dozens of other provisions, it would require states to offer 15 days of early voting and allow no-excuse absentee balloting.

Democrats have pushed the legislation as the antidote to a wave of restrictive state voting laws sweeping the country, many inspired by former President Donald Trumps false claims of fraud in his 2020 election loss. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has pledged to bring the election bill to a vote the week of June 21, testing where senators stand. But without Manchins support, the bill has no chance of advancing. Republicans are united against it.

In appearances on two Sunday news shows, Manchin stressed his reasons for opposing the bill, including his view that it is too broad.

I think its the wrong piece of legislation to bring our country together and unite our country and Im not supporting that because I think it would divide us further, Manchin said. He also said he believes Republicans will see the need for a bipartisan deal.

And if they think theyre going to win by subverting and oppressing people from voting, theyre going to lose. I assure you they will lose, he said.

Manchin said lawmakers should instead focus their energies on revitalizing the landmark Voting Rights Act, which was weakened by a Supreme Court decision in 2013. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has joined him in calling for that approach.

Manchin's opposition to the broader elections bill is just the latest challenge facing Democrats as they debate how to deliver their promises to voters. Manchin reiterated he would not vote weaken or eliminate the filibuster, a route that many Democrats see as the only realistic path forward. The filibuster rule requires 60 votes to pass most bills, and in today's Senate, which is split 50-50, that means many of the Democrats biggest priorities, from voting rights to gun control, are dead on arrival.

Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have frustrated their party by their defense of the filibuster. But they aren't alone, with as many as 10 Democratic senators also reluctant to change the rules.

President Joe Biden this past week used the 100th anniversary of Tulsas race massacre to make a plea for legislation to protect the right to vote, which comes as Republican-led administrations in Texas and other states pass new restrictions making it tougher to cast ballots. Biden also seemed to call out Manchin and Sinema for stalling action on voting measures, though he has not said he wants to end the filibuster.

Biden said the right to vote was "precious and must be protected, and pledged that June would be a month of action on Capitol Hill. Were not giving up, Biden said. Im going to fight like heck with every tool at my disposal for its passage.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has promised to block the elections bill, which he characterizes as undue government overreach into state election systems. He said no GOP senators support it.

I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act, Manchin wrote. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.

In March, House Democrats passed the voting bill by a near party-line 220-210 vote. The legislation would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, eliminate hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a campaign finance system that allows wealthy donors to anonymously bankroll political causes.

The measure has been a priority for Democrats since they won their House majority in 2018. But it has taken on added urgency in the wake of President Donald Trumps false claims about the 2020 election, which incited the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Manchin was interviewed Sunday on Fox News Sunday and Face the Nation on CBS.
Alice B. McGinty (alicebmcginty.com) is the award-winning author of almost 50 books for children and is taking registrations for her Words on Fire Writing Camp for Teens this summer at wordsonfirecamp.wordpress.com.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
Zanzibar, Tanzania (PANA) - Nearly 400,000 residents of Zanzibar, offshore island of Tanzania, will have access to new or improved electricity services, while the isles will also experience a reduction in annual unplanned system outages and associated losses, with new International Development Association (IDA) financing approved this week by the World Bank
Erik Salna is the associate director of education and outreach for the Extreme Events Institute at Florida International University in Miami. He wrote this for The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
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A study by researchers at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has found that cancer patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who received care at home via remote patient monitoring were significantly less likely to require hospitalization for their illness, compared to cancer patients with COVID-19 who did not participate in the program. Results of the study were presented Friday, June 4, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"For our study, we evaluated 224 Mayo Clinic patients with cancer who were found to have COVID-19 through standardized screening prior to receiving cancer treatment, or due to symptoms or close exposure," says Tufia Haddad, M.D., a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist and the study's senior author. Researchers followed the patients March 18-July 31, 2020.

Dr. Haddad says that at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayo Clinic rapidly developed and implemented a remote patient monitoring program to support Mayo Clinic patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and at risk for severe illness.

The program featured the use of in-home technology to monitor oxygen levels, vital signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection, and a centralized virtual care team of nurses and physicians to manage patients. Dr. Haddad says the program had served more than 8,000 patients in rural and urban locations across 41 states by November 2020.

Researchers found that among patients who did not require urgent hospitalization at the time of their COVID-19 diagnosis, those whose care was managed by the remote patient monitoring program were significantly less likely to require hospitalization for their illness, compared with those who were not managed by the program.

After balancing the two groups of patients who were or were not managed by the remote monitoring program for factors known to impact COVID-19 outcomes, such as old age, male gender and obesity, there was a 78% reduction in the risk of hospitalization (a 2.8% risk for patients on the remote monitoring program, compared to 13% for patients not on the program) attributed to the remote monitoring program." Dr. Tufia Haddad, M.D., Mayo Clinic Medical Oncologist

In addition, Dr. Haddad says that when cancer patients who had been managed through the remote monitoring program were hospitalized, they experienced fewer hospitalizations of more than a week, ICU admissions and deaths.

"It is possible that our results were due to early detection of adverse symptoms and vital sign trends that enabled earlier care interventions to alter the trajectory of disease." Dr. Haddad is encouraged by the results, but she cautions that further research will be necessary to confirm them.
Hong Kong: Mediation promotion vital

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng

The advantages of mediation include the preservation of relationships and creating a solution that will be beneficial to both sides, resulting in a win-win situation. Timing is also of the essence. The earlier mediation is conducted, before views get entrenched, the more likely it is for reaching an amicable settlement, thereby preventing differences from getting into a dispute that might end up in court or arbitration. It is for that reason that the Department of Justice has been promoting the Mediate First Pledge since 2009 and now with some 700 pledgees from around the world. Being a brand of Hong Kong, Mediate First events have been conducted in Shanghai, Shenzhen, etc, and on May 28, we held the Mediate First, Anchoring the Future webinar, which discussed three areas in which mediation has a pivotal role in avoiding and resolving differences.

(1) Mediate disputes in family office and private wealth sectors

Using mediation in resolving disputes in private wealth and asset management is a relatively new area. Family offices and wealth management services have grown exponentially in Hong Kong, usually involving family wealth being managed for family purposes. If and when disputes arise between members of the family, trustees and beneficiaries, it is much more sensible for mediation to be used as an amicable and confidential resolution mechanism, where each family member can voice out their underlying issues and concerns in the process. Family members from different generations can acknowledge the views and needs of each other and work out a mutually agreeable roadmap together. Resolving disputes amicably lays a solid foundation for the smooth operation of the family business in the long run.

(2) Mediation in healthcare disputes: A viable alternative

Mediation techniques are in particular suitable for clinical services in order to avoid disputes. The feelings and emotions experienced by healthcare practitioners, patients and their family in the clinical setting may easily cause conflicts or misunderstandings. By using mediation skills, mutual understanding and communication will be enhanced. Disputes between medical staff and patients can also be resolved through a third party by means of mediation. Further, the Apology Ordinance, which came into effect in 2017, allows medical practitioners to express their sympathies or apologies to patients without concerns of admitting liabilities on their part. This helps prevent medical disputes from escalating.

(3) Use of mediation for employees compensation claims

Additionally, mediation plays a key role in resolving employees compensation claims. It can address the disputes involving work injuries in a more humane and sensitive manner, thereby preserving the employer-employee relationship whilst saving costs and time as compared to litigating the claim. The Legal Aid Department is supportive of the use of mediation in legally aided cases, and seeing that mediation can assist all parties to reach a mutually agreeable outcome, we will continue our efforts to promote Mediate First in this area.

Last but not least, I would like to extend my congratulations to the 34 Mediate First Pledge Star Logo awardees for their active involvement in this meaningful campaign. As we have covered how to Unlock the Potentials of mediation in the Mediate First Pledge event in 2019, we hope that the event this year can anchor the future and set the scene for the rapid development of mediation. We will continue to roll out various initiatives to capitalise on the benefits and advantages that mediation can bring to the table.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on June 6.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Malaysian foreign minister unable to join ASEAN-China foreign ministers' meeting due to COVID-19 quarantine

CGTN) 13:18, June 06, 2021

Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is unable to attend the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Chongqing, China, on Monday as he is undergoing quarantine due to exposure to a COVID-19 patient, said a statement issued by the ministry.

Hishammuddin's working visits to Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar will also be postponed, added the statement.

"Although the foreign minister has undergone two PCR tests which have been found negative, under guidelines prescribed by MOH, the foreign minister is required to undergo compulsory quarantine and self-isolation," the statement said.

Hishammuddin will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar as the head of Malaysia's delegation to participate in the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
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
A study of over 59,000 Icelandic adolescents by a team of Icelandic and North American behavioral and social scientists found that COVID-19 has had a significant, detrimental impact on adolescent mental health, especially in girls. The study is the first to investigate and document age- and gender-specific changes in adolescent mental health problems and substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic, while accounting for upward trends that were appearing before the pandemic. The findings are published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

The study found that negative mental health outcomes were disproportionately reported by girls and older adolescents (13-18-year-olds), compared to same-age peers prior to the pandemic. At the same time, it revealed a decline in cigarette smoking, e-cigarette usage and alcohol intoxication among 15-18-year-old adolescents during the pandemic.

The decrease observed in substance use during the pandemic may be an unintended benefit of the isolation that so many adolescents have endured during quarantine." John Allegrante, collaborating senior investigator, affiliated professor of sociomedical sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and applied behavioral scientist

Thorhildur Halldorsdottir, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Reykjavik University who is the study co-principal investigator, said the study represents a "landmark contribution to what we now know about just how psychologically devastating being socially isolated from peers and friends during the ongoing pandemic has been for young people."

According to the researchers, prior studies have not been designed to determine whether clinically relevant levels of depression--as opposed to self-reported depressive symptoms--and substance use have increased during the pandemic.

Inga Dora Sigfusdottir, professor of sociology at Reykjavik University, scientific director of the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis, and research professor of health education at Teachers College, said the study "differs in methodology from previous studies in that it tracked population-based prevalence of mental health outcomes and substance use over several years in order to better understand the potential effects of COVID-19 from recent upward trends in adolescent mental health problems.

Previous studies of adolescents during COVID-19 found evidence of increased mental health problems and certain types of substance use that had been rising before the pandemic. This study, however, compares current data with several pre-pandemic time points, which enabled the researchers to separate the effect of COVID-19 from other recent, downward trends in adolescent mental health.

The implication of the new study is that interventions intended to lessen the negative impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health might help improve the mental health outlook for young people around the world who have been caught up in the pandemic, observed Allegrante, who is also senior professor of health education at Columbia Teachers College.

"Isolation during the pandemic has been universal and it is global, and it is having a clinically important, negative impact on young people who have not been in school during the pandemic. Whether an adolescent was an Icelander in Reykjavik who had been at home for most of the last year or an American in New York City, living under the same circumstances - being at home, engaged in remote learning and separated from friends--the consequences of not going to school not only set back their learning but also negatively affected their mental health. What we don't know is by how much."

The study shows that population-level prevention efforts, especially for girls, are warranted," but that "more study is needed to determine the long-term effects of quarantine and being socially isolated from one's peers, including the effects on learning and academic achievement and relationships with parents, siblings, and peers," said Allegrante.

Ingibjorg Eva Thorisdottir, chief data analyst at the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis (ICSRA) at Reykjavik University (who studied at Teachers College in 2009 as part of an exchange with Reykjavik University), was the principal investigator and lead author of the report.

Alfgeir L. Kristjansson, Senior Scientist at ICSRA and Associate Professor of Public Health at West Virginia University and a co-author of the study, said the "results underline the significance of social relationships in the health and well-being of youth and the importance of nurturing and maintaining strong social support mechanisms in their lives. The Lancet Psychiatry study report highlights these findings at population scale." Kristjansson was a postdoctoral fellow with Allegrante at Teachers College during 2010-2012.

In a commentary that accompanies the article's publication, Gertrud Sofie Hafstad and Else-Marie Augusti, both senior researchers at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies in Oslo, write that the study "clearly shows that gauging the mental health status of adolescents over time is of imminent importance."
New research suggests that African American families living in public housing are a "hidden population" when it comes to national suicide prevention efforts.

The study showed 11% of Black teens and young adults living in a mid-Atlantic public housing development reported that in the previous 12 months, they had made a plan to die by suicide.

The finding fits with what previous research has shown: that African American youths are the fastest-growing group engaging in suicidal behavior and dying by suicide, and have the highest suicide death rate increase among any other racial or ethnic minority group, from 2.55 per 100,000 in 2007 to 4.82 per 100,000 in 2017.

Males were more likely than females to have come up with a suicide plan, and certain family dynamics increased the chances a youth would engage in suicidal behavior: mothers who were currently incarcerated or fathers with a history of alcohol abuse.

Researchers suggest the findings warrant expansion of the types of locations that national suicide prevention experts have targeted as the best places to deliver prevention programs. Rather than basing interventions at community hospitals or schools, the researchers argue, culturally tailored suicide-prevention interventions should be offered within public housing communities themselves as well as these other locations.

Though public housing was originally envisioned as a temporary residence for transitory families, societal changes - the collapse of manufacturing jobs, crack cocaine epidemic and welfare-to-work mandates among others - combined to leave most families in these developments without the means to move out.

I call it a 'constellation of correlations.' There was no more transition and these communities were devastated, and as a result, you see a 'Lord of the Flies' type of narrative where children were unintentionally left to their own devices." Camille R. Quinn, lead author of the study and assistant professor of social work, The Ohio State University

"Today, even though there is not as much drug trafficking, it is still part of the tapestry in these communities and that has definitely left an imprint. And parents and their children are likely living with the aftermath," Quinn said. "If either parent is in or out of the prison system, or has charges or offenses on their record, that makes it harder for them to find employment, and that makes it difficult for them to do the best they can for their children."

The study is published online in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.

This study used select data from a larger research project examining the association for residents in public housing between neighborhood factors and health risk behaviors. The sample of a subset of the participants in the initial study included 190 African American youths and young adults between ages 15 and 24.

Quinn and colleagues analyzed results from survey questions asking the youths if they had made a plan to attempt suicide in the past 12 months, if either parent were currently or had previously been in jail, and if either parent had ever had problems with illegal substances or consuming too much alcohol.

Almost 34% of fathers and 8.4% of mothers were incarcerated at the time the survey data were collected, and more dads than moms had had drug and alcohol problems. Statistical analysis showed that a father's past alcohol problem or a mother's current incarceration had the strongest association with a youth's plan to die by suicide. Males were significantly more likely than females to have planned a suicide.

"It's significant that so many males reported a plan to die by suicide, which is really stark," said Quinn, adding that this finding matches patterns seen in previous research: Girls and women as a whole are much more likely to think about, plan and attempt suicide but survive, while young men who have decided they are going to die are more likely to follow through.

The researchers cite U.S. Census data showing that public housing constitutes almost a quarter of households in the most highly segregated and lowest-opportunity neighborhoods in the United States, and African American households represent 51% of the families living in public housing in these neighborhoods. Of those families, 29% have been contacted by child protective services - suggesting these housing communities are marked by violence and social problems, including parental substance misuse and jail time, which have been linked in previous research with youths' suicidal behavior.

The study findings imply that African American families living in public housing should be targeted for family-centered, evidence-based interventions delivered in their residential communities, the researchers say, which could lead to development of the most effective suicide prevention practices for this specific population.

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Research Prioritization Task Force published a plan in 2014 to reduce suicide attempts and deaths by 40% or more by 2024. The plan recommended reaching "boundaried" populations by delivering interventions in hospital emergency rooms, schools, correctional facilities, and mental health and substance abuse centers - systems from which families living in public housing may be isolated and therefore missed by suicide prevention outreach.

In the meantime, Quinn is investigating potential factors beyond the family that could influence - positively or negatively - suicidal behavior in African American teens and young adults living in public housing.

"What impact might school have, or peers?" she said. "In this paper, we don't even know whether or not the young people in this sample have any involvement with any system - child welfare, special education or juvenile justice. We would guess that if they were, that would have implications for what kind of considerations might be made for treatment."
Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High around 90F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 65F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
(Newser)  Sebastian Morris was hoping to do as his father had done. The 13-year-old Florida boy had been captivated by some of the finds his dad uncovered as a commercial diver, including a 300-year-old shipwreck he discovered in the Black Sea in 2019. On May 4, 2020, the father and son set out on a dive trip at St. Andrews State Park near Panama City Beach. Sebastian had only been diving for about six months, which is how long it took him to find treasure. "In the corner of my eye, I see something shine," he tells David Kushner in a piece for Outside Online. He noticed a leather strap, and spent about 10 minutes trying to wrench the object from the sand. Turns out it was a lega prosthetic one worth about $9,000. But the story doesn't end there. Sebastian managed to find the man who lost it.

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That would be Sergeant Carter Hess, who lost much of his right leg below the knee while in Afghanistan in 2012. Hess had grown up surfing off Panama City Beach, and in 2014 he tried to see if he might be able to surf with his standard prosthetic. It popped off on his first attempt to stand up on the board. The leg washed ashore, he went home, and "I became a shut-in." Things might have stayed that way had he not reached out to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to see if its prosthetics team could design him a leg that could withstand aggressive surfing. The titanium and carbon fiber model they came up with worked the first time Hess tried it, and he got so proficient that he started teaching other veterans the sport. While surfing in March 2020, he got knocked off the board by a wave hard enough that the leg came off and was lost. Until Sebastian found it. The teen posted his find on Facebook, and it was reunited with Hess soon after. (Read the full story.)
(Newser) 

Dont call it a cold case. We had Julie's picture on our desks for all these years, Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall said of Julie Ann Hanson. Julie was only 15 when she disappeared, only to be found dead hours later in Illinois in 1972. Now, 49 years later, police have charged a man in her killing, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Barry Lee Whepley, who was 27 when Julie rode off on her brothers bike for the last time, is being held in Minnesota, where he now lives. He was a neighbor to the Hanson family back in 1972.
(Newser)  Venice hosted a cruise ship Saturday for the first time since the pandemic began, drawing celebration from port employees thrilled at the return of business and demonstrations from those concerned about the damage the large ships cause. Hundreds of people on land and in small boats, displaying "No big ships" flags, encircled the MSC Orchestra, escorting the 16-deck ship out of port on its way to Croatia and Greece, Reuters reports. At the same time, tugboats alongside spouted water in celebration, and the Orchestra blasted its horn. "We are here because we are against this passage," a protester said, "but also against a model of tourism that is destroying the city, pushing out residents, destroying the planet, the cities, and polluting." The chairman of the Federlogistica business group said, "It's an important day for us, for 4,000 workers and many others who work in this sector."

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Opponents said Italy's government deceived them, per the Guardian. They weren't expecting a liner to sail in after the government had said months ago that cruise ships would no longer be allowed to docking in the historic center and instead would be sent to the industrial port of Marghera. Just last month, the culture minister said ships "as tall as apartment buildings" had been stopped from arriving in the center of Venice permanently. But much infrastructure work has to be completed first, including dredging of the canal. "The government knew it was impossible," an activist said. Also, he said, the dredging will cause more damage. The issue has received global attention, and the protesters want an explanation from the government. "It's shameful," the activist said. The opposition has been working on the issue for more than a decade, per the AP. (Two years ago, a cruise ship slammed a tourist boat and a dock in Venice.)
(Newser)  Former Alabama Gov. John Patterson, who entered politics as a reformer but was criticized for failing to protect the Freedom Riders from angry white mobs, has died. He was 99. His daughter, Barbara Patterson Scholl, said Patterson died peacefully at home, the AP reports. His involvement with state government spanned a half-century, beginning with his election as attorney general at 33 after violence in Phenix City, and later as a judge. A segregationist as governor, he drew criticism when Freedom Riders were attacked while in Alabama and Patterson did nothing to protect them. He later voiced regret for what happened. He ended his political career on the Court of Criminal Appeals, where he continued to write opinions into his 80s. Patterson also was involved in the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, helping the CIA get Alabama Air National Guard members to train Cuban exiles. Some Alabama pilots died when the 1961 invasion of Cuba failed.

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After serving on Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's staff during World War II, Patterson got his law degree from the University of Alabama and went into practice with his father. His father ran for attorney general in 1954 but was shot to death in June. Patterson ran in his place and won. As attorney general, Patterson cleaned up gambling and vice, as his father had promised. He also fought civil rights groups in court. He got a restraining order to keep the NAACP from operating in Alabama that remained in effect until the US Supreme Court lifted it in 1964. During his term as governor, the state launched a $100 million school building program, increased old age pensions, returned the State Docks to profitability, and enacted a small-loan law to curb loan sharks. But Alabama also saw attacks on the Freedom Riders seeking to integrate bus waiting rooms and lunch counters. Patterson said later he mistakenly trusted local police to protect the Freedom Riders. Exactly 50 years after they were beaten by a white mob in Montgomery, Patterson welcomed 10 Freedom Riders back for the dedication of a museum honoring them. "It took a lot of nerve and guts to do what they did," he said.

(Read more obituary stories.)
(Newser)  An 86-year-old is accused of shooting and killing his boss who fired him after 31 years of work at a Florida sugar mill. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Felix Cabrera of Belle Glade was fired from the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative on Friday morning and asked if he could stay on one additional year for financial reasons. After being told no, law enforcement officials say "Cabrera became upset, pulled the gun out of his pocket and shot the victim several times, killing him. The AP reports the victim has thus far only been identified as a 67-year-old man from Martin County.

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WPTV reports the victim was found dead near the building's entrance; Cabrera was found with a handgun in hand, per deputies. NBC News reports Cabrera has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder and is being held without bond. The cooperative is made up of 44 sugar cane farms covering about 70,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area near Lake Okeechobee. The cooperative said in a statement that it was "horrified and deeply saddened by the senseless violence." (Read more workplace shooting stories.)
(Newser)  Gabriel Taye's classmates beat, kicked, and bullied him, even leaving him unconscious, his parents say. School administrators were dismissive of his injuries, telling Gabriel's parents that he'd knocked two teeth loose in a playground accident, and attributed his being punched in the face by two students to "horseplay." Gabriel never complained or told anyone about the abuse. But one day in 2017, the 8-year-old came home from school, went into his room, and hanged himself with a necktie. After fighting their federal lawsuit, arguing governmental immunity, school district officials have now agreed to pay his parents $3 million. The settlement goes to the board of Cincinnati Public Schools for a vote Monday, the New York Times reports.

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The school district admits no guilt for Gabriel's death in the settlement, per CNN. "The defendants strongly believe that neither CPS, its employees, nor the school nurse were responsible for the tragic death of Gabriel Taye," a district lawyer said. But Cincinnati schools agreed to take steps to prevent bullying, and its strengthened program to counter it will be monitored by lawyers for Gabriel's parents; in 2017, the elementary school reported four cases of bullying, though incident logs show many. A three-judge panel that rejected dismissing the suit also found the school didn't punish the students who attacked Gabriel. Employees are to receive training. And a memorial to Gabriel will be installed at Carson Elementary School. In seeking the changes, a lawyer said, his parents "have been waiting for the moment that they would see the possibility that Gabe did not die in vain." (Read more bullying stories.)
Former President Donald Trump applauds the crowd after he speaks at the North Carolina Republican Convention Saturday, June 5, 2021, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

Former President Donald Trump applauds the crowd after he speaks at the North Carolina Republican Convention Saturday, June 5, 2021, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
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.
(Newser)  Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor has arrived, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced Sunday. Their second child was born Friday morning at a Santa Barbara hospital, the couple said in a statement, weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces. "Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home," they said. Their daughter becomes the most senior royal in the line of succession to have been born in another country, CNN reports. Her California birth also makes her a dual citizen, eligible to become president of the US though she's in line for the British thronecurrently eighth, just behind her 2-year-old brother, Archie.

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"She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe," Harry and Meghan posted on their website, per People. They chose "Lilibet" because it's the royal family's nickname for Queen Elizabeth, great-grandmother of the newborn, per the BBC. "Diana" is in honor of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana. Harry and Meghan revealed in their interview with Oprah Winfrey that they were expecting a girl. Lili has the right to be Lady Lili but is unlikely to use the title, per CNN. Like her brother, she's not entitled to be addressed as HRH. Harry has said before that two children probably would be about right. In the interview, he said: "To have a boy and then a girl ... now we've got our family." (Read more Prince Harry stories.)
But royal expert Phil Dampier disagreed with Harry's approach, telling The Sun coming back to celebrate the jubilee "does smack a bit of hypocrisy".

"I think it is arrogant of Meghan and Harry to opt-out of things they don't want to do, ie, normal royal duties and representing the Queen throughout the Commonwealth, but they are quite happy to come back and pick and choose," he says.

"If you are not supporting the monarchy, why celebrate 70 years on the throne? Obviously, he wanted to come back for Prince Philip's funeral which is fair enough as it's his beloved grandfather, but coming back to celebrate the Jubilee, it does smack a bit of hypocrisy."

Even though it is just Harry who has expressed a desire to return for the jubilee, some commentators have suggested Meghan, their son Archie, and baby Sussex, who is due in the UK's summer, could also come along, Express reports.

Dampier believes the Queen is unlikely to stop them from attending and could even get them a place on Buckingham Palace's balcony, as is tradition for family members.

"The Queen is always somebody who will try and be conciliatory and she's made it clear in a few statements that Harry and Meghan are still much-loved members of the family, despite the fact that I'm sure that deep down she is very disappointed they have left the royal family."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have welcomed their second child into the world, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, named in honour of her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and her late grandmother, Diana, the Princess of Wales.

Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40am (local time) at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

"On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement. "Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."

Both mother and child are healthy, well and settling in at home.
Dr Baker thinks all border-facing workers should have had their injections by now.

He says it's an important line of defence for the country to have all border-facing workers vaccinated, and there's no excuse for not having that coverage provided by now.

Air New Zealand says 79 percent of its border workers have had at least one dose of the vaccine and 76 percent have had both.

The Ministry of Health has not specified how many border workers overall are unvaccinated but says the vaccination programme is running about 9 percent ahead of target.

RNZ
More than a million pills were seized by police and Customs in 2020 and the latest wastewater data indicates we're consuming almost the same amount of MDMA a week as we are methamphetamine.

It's often called the 'love drug', and it's an increasingly familiar fixture in the party scene. MDMA is known for its euphoric effects - and Kiwis are loving it a lot.

Police say some view it as a softer drug, without the gang connections and stigma associated with methamphetamine.

"I think we're seeing somewhat of a 'culture shift' that MDMA is now seen as a socially acceptable drug to use," explains Deputy Inspector Blair MacDonald.

With premium pricing, New Zealand is an attractive market for importers.

"One kilo of MDMA purchased on the international market would cost around $4000. Once you land that back in New Zealand you're looking at upwards of between $80,000 and $100,000," says Det Insp MacDonald.

The amount of MDMA seized by authorities from 2018 to 2019 increased by 560 percent.

Last year more than one million pills were captured by police and Customs and even with a decrease due to COVID-19, it was still more than double the amount seized in 2018.

Known as 'MD', 'molly' or 'ecstasy', it's mostly imported from Europe through the dark web and then sold locally on social media or encrypted apps like Snapchat and Discord.

Police say Kiwis pay around $200 for a gram of powder or $40 for a single pill or 'cap'.

"We understand that cost is a big factor so at $40 for a 'line' or a 'pill' that's much much cheaper than perhaps an expensive night out in town," says Det Insp MacDonald.

This 'cheaper' class B drug is more accessible than ever before, police say it's even in Aotearoa's high schools.

Newshub spoke to three 17-year-olds who say MDMA for many, is now the norm.

"Well we're not allowed to drink at our school ball and a comment earlier today actually was 'we'll still have a really good time, we'll just do a line before we come'."

They say some of their peers take it most weekends, teens as young as 14 have tried it and it's easy to get.

"I've seen photos on people's stories on Snapchat simply selling and you'd go back 20 minutes later and it'd be gone."

A new police report says the part of the attraction is there's no calories or hangover from the drug, but these teens say there's another motivator.

"We know people who take it to 'sober drive'. If you get pulled over when you're on MD you're not 'illegal', like they're not gonna test you for it, you can get away with it."

Bar owners are also seeing more punters high on party drugs.

"There are more people using it, especially before they go out. But also whilst they're out during the night. You also see it if there's a rave in town."

Wellington's Trinity Group owns three bars and restaurants across the city and says some nights half of its customers could be under the influence.

"We get caught out a bit by the speed at which someone can look ok, to not being ok, and we know they haven't been drinking. "

While more people are using it, some experts say the harm associated with pure MDMA is relatively low.

The problem starts when people take what they think is 'MD' but it's actually something else.

St John Auckland central territory manager Braden Stark says he usually sees "anxiety hallucinations, seizures, nausea, vomiting or in the worst-case scenario, death".

These frightening symptoms are often caused by a substance known as 'synthetic cathinones'.

It's usually sold to unknowing party-goers as 'MDMA' but it's more potent and wears off quickly, so people take more, and that's when they overdose.

St John sees overdoses often and Newshub was with paramedics when they were called to one in Auckland's CBD. At 1:30am on a Saturday, they find an 18-year-old woman slipping in and out of consciousness. When she comes to she thrashes her head and grinds her jaw.

Paramedics were told she'd taken anti-anxiety medication lorazepam but St John says it's impossible to know.

"We don't get told what people are taking a lot of the time, often they don't know. We don't know what the substance is that they're taking, it could be anything," says Stark.

An unknown that makes this illegal and unregulated drug that much more dangerous at a time when its popularity is soaring.
Police said the crash happened near the intersection of Alford St and Great North Rd, Waterview.

Two others were injured in the collision, one seriously.

A police statement said an investigation is underway.

"Diversions are in place and will be for some time, as heavy lifting equipment is required to remove the vehicle.

"Enquiries are continuing to locate and advise next of kin."
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Interim President Pat Pitney stands outside the University of Alaska System Office in Fairbanks. Pitney has said her work involves rebuilding confidence, trust and stability for UA stakeholders. Photo courtesy of UA photo by Monique Musick.
NEWSALERT-G7-LEADERS-CHINA-HK G-7 leaders agree to call on China to respect human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. (AP)G-7 leaders agree to call on China to respect human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. (AP)

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Bahrain is following a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to ensuring workplace safety, said the health minister. Terming workers as pillars of the nation-building process, Jameel Humaidan, the Minister of Labour and social development, urged employers in the private sectors to maintain productivity by ensuring workplace safety.

The minister also announced conducting 14,176 inspection visits to worksites to strengthen national efforts to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The inspections, until may 2021, spanned worksites across all governorates of the Kingdom, the minister said, adding that this was for ensuring adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures in establishments operating in the private sectors. Humaidan added: Strengthening national efforts to limit the pandemic calls for raising the level of preventive measures at worksites. Do not expect any tolerance towards lapses in this regard amid this exceptional period, the minister warned. Bahrain, the minister said, is committed to promoting a sound and safe work environment.

Efforts should be made to ensure the safety of the workers at the worksite and their places of stay by maintaining social distancing and other COVID-19 preventive measures. The minister also urged employers to ensure social distancing measures, temperature checks and sanitisers at worksites and entry points. Overcrowding should not be allowed at the worksite, the vehicles used for transporting workers and at their places of stay.

On this note, the minister reminded that by ensuring worksite safety, we could turn these challenges into opportunities. The minister also called for developing work and administrative methods to reduce risks, highlighting the importance of transferring successful experiences. Many major international companies in the field of occupational safety and health have developed their systems in line with the developments the world is witnessing.

The minister further called for enhancing cooperation between the government, workers and business owners for the safety of the workers and the country.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Justice Department said Saturday that it no longer will secretly obtain reporters' records during leak investigations, a policy shift that abandons a practice decried by news organizations and press freedom groups.

The reversal follows a pledge last month by President Joe Biden, who said it was simply, simply wrong to seize journalists' records and that he would not permit the Justice Department to continue the practice. Though Biden's comments in an interview were not immediately accompanied by any change in policy, a pair of statements from the White House and Justice Department on Saturday signaled an official turnabout from an investigative tactic that has persisted for years.

Democratic and Republican administrations alike have used subpoenas and court orders to obtain journalists' records in an effort to identify sources who have revealed classified information. But the practice had received renewed scrutiny over the past month as Justice Department officials alerted reporters at three news organizations  The Washington Post, CNN and The New York Times  that their phone records had been obtained in the final year of the Trump administration.

The latest revelation came Friday night when the Times reported the existence of a gag order that had barred the newspaper from revealing a secret court fight over efforts to obtain the email records of four reporters. That tussle had begun during the Trump administration but had persisted under the Biden Justice Department, which ultimately moved to withdraw the gag order.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Saturday that no one at the White House was aware of the gag order until Friday night, but that more broadly, the issuing of subpoenas for the records of reporters in leak investigations is not consistent with the Presidents policy direction to the Department.

In a separate statement, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said that in a change to its longstanding practice, the department "will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media doing their jobs."

He added: The department strongly values a free press, protecting First Amendment values, and is committed to taking all appropriate steps to ensure the independence of journalists."

In ruling out compulsory legal process" for reporters in leak investigations, the department also appeared to say that it would not force journalists to reveal in court the identity of their sources.

Bruce D. Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said he welcomed the Justice Department's policy change but that serious unanswered questions remain about what happened in each of these cases.

To ensure it does not happen again, we look forward to pursuing additional policy reforms with the Biden administration to further safeguard these essential rights, he said in a statement.

The two newspapers whose reporters' phone records had been secretly obtained also said more needed to be done.

This is a welcome step to protecting the ability of the press to provide the public with essential information about what their government is doing," New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger said in a statement. "However, there is significantly more that needs to be done and we are still awaiting an explanation on why the Department of Justice moved so aggressively to seize journalists records.

Washington Post executive editor Sally Buzbee said the newspaper was calling on the Biden administration and Justice Department "to provide a full accounting of the chain of events in both administrations and to implement enduring protections to prevent any future recurrence.

The Justice Department statement did not say whether it would still conduct aggressive leak investigations without obtaining reporters' records. It also did not define who exactly would be counted as a member of the media for the purposes of the policy and how broadly the protection would apply.

Even so, it marked a startling reversal concerning a practice that has persisted across multiple presidential administrations. The Obama Justice Department, under then-Attorney General Eric Holder, alerted The Associated Press in 2013 that it had secretly obtained two months of phone records of reporters and editors in what the news cooperative's top executive called a massive and unprecedented intrusion" into newsgathering activities.

After blowback, Holder announced a revised set of guidelines for leak investigations, including requiring the authorization of the highest levels of the department before subpoenas for news media records could be issued.

But the department preserved its prerogative to seize journalists' records, and the recent disclosures to the news media organizations show that the practice continued in the Trump Justice Department as part of multiple investigations.

Separately on Saturday, the Justice Department said it was withdrawing its subpoena that demanded USA Today provide information to identify readers of a story about a suspect in a child pornography case who fatally shot two FBI agents in February.

The subpoena was issued in April but came to light this past week when USA Today and its parent company Gannett filed documents in federal court asking a judge to quash it. The subpoena sought the IP addresses and mobile phone identification information of readers who clicked on the article for a period of about 35 minutes on the day after the shooting.

The government hadn't provided details about the case or why it was specifically interested in the readers who clicked on the USA Today story during that brief period. Officials had only said the subpoena was connected to an ongoing federal criminal investigation.

But a federal prosecutor notified lawyers for USA Today on Saturday that the FBI was withdrawing its subpoena because authorities had been able to identify the subject of their investigation  described in an email as a child sexual exploitation offender"  by other means. The prosecutors email was included in a court filing by Gannett.



Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.



Follow Eric Tucker on http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
After an academic year frequently interrupted by viral outbreaks, virtual, at-home learning, and six-foot-spacing, several area school districts plan to expand or enhance their summer programs. Their goal: keeping students engaged over the next few months.

The past 14 months have taken a toll on student grades and morale. This March, officials noted slipping grades and hinted at a multi-year recovery for their schools. With the combination of state and federal grants, districts from Danbury to New Milford and Brookfield are rethinking plans to meet student needs in new and creative ways.

The preliminary list of kids that Danbury puts together for summer programming is already much greater than it has been in the past, said Kara Casimiro, director of instruction and assessment.

In response, the district is expanding its elementary school offerings, adding classes for English learners as well as project-based learning programs to engage their middle schoolers.

Our newest arrivals have probably been most affected by the lack of in-person learning because they really learn by being immersed, said Casimiro

At the high school level, things are staying pretty standard, she said, with the added option of summertime credit recovery courses. Usually, this only takes place during the school year.

In March, Danbury High School reported that the percentage of students passing certain courses had fallen by 4 to 10 percent.

In Brookfield, the district plans to invite around 90 students to its inaugural K-8 summer programs. Previously, the school only held special education summer programs, according to Dr. Maureen Ruby, assistant superintendent.

The district is aiming for tight student-to-teacher ratios and are hiring local high schoolers to work alongside certified teachers as student teaching assistants.

Region 12 is also focused on younger students, adding a free kindergarten readiness program to help more tots get ready for the classroom. After the district had to cut down its preschool programs by one-fifth this year due to the pandemic, officials are hoping this program will close gaps for some, according to Megan Bennett, superintendent of the district that covers covers Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington.

In New Milford, a review of math and literacy data from this year has led the district to enhance its existing programs, adding both in-person and online offerings to students. There will also be a free credit recovery program for high schoolers. Previously, those who failed classes or needed graduation credits would pay out-of-pocket to attend courses in Brookfield.

Reached by email, Superintendent Alisha DiCorpo said she hopes to continue offering the expanded programming in coming years.

Bethel schools have already had extensive programming in place and dont intend to make any major changes this year, Superintendent Christine Carver said.

In a normal year, Bethel has about 400 to 500 students attending its programs out of the population of 3,100. She expects about the same number this year.

Finding funding for the summer months

Most schools are using some federal coronavirus grants  known as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER, funds  alongside other grants to cover summer funding, which the state has encouraged them to do.

Casimiro said that while theyve always had funding set aside for programming in Danbury, student numbers are extra large this year so theyre using ESSER funds to handle the increased amounts.

Additionally, the state has doled out hundreds of thousands of dollars in Summer Enrichment grants to local organizations, which often host their programs at local schools, to help cover the costs of summer programming, including increasing capacity and staffing.

Basically, our goal here is to get students caught up for the fall and were taking a lot of different approaches, said Peter Yazbak, spokesman for the Department of Education. One of those approaches includes a partnership between Norwalk schools and the Maritime Aquarium Friday.

The aquarium is receiving $244,180 from the state to run interactive science programs for students there.

New approaches

Yet, adequately addressing student needs is not as simple as scheduling a program.

When it comes to the benefits and impact of traditional summer schools, much of the current research is not very compelling. Students who take part in summer classes dont show much academic improvement from their other peers, as The Hechinger Report , which reports on education issues, has oft noted in its review of academic studies.

A 2017 study from Brookings Institute on summer learning loss said the best outcomes result from centering programs around evidence-based curriculums, including hands-on activities and recreation for students, and enforcing policies and incentives for consistent student attendance.

I think we need to take a breath and define what were trying to accomplish, said Dr. Sandra Chafouleas, the Neag Endowed Professor of Educational Psychology at UConn.

Chafouleas said instead of focusing on making up for a loss during the summer, educators should put energy into the idea of acceleration.

The design of summer school should be for engagement and connection, with academic spaces focused on what do we need to do to accelerate our ability to move forward in the next school year, she said.

She said that includes making sure the programs are fun, engaging and interactive, and letting students drive the learning process.

This was something Ruby focused as she researched the best program. Now, Brookfields offerings will be STEM-based with a focus on fun, scientific investigations and social-emotional growth.

Its like Progresso Soup, everything is in there, said Ruby of their curriculum from the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

The students will engage with modules called things like Castles, Catapults, and Coats of Arms, and Boulder Builders.

Im not running a dog and pony show to make it look like were doing something. Its going to be real, she said.

Ruby hopes this type of program will keep students engaged, building their academic confidence in a collaborative, non-threatening environment.

The states goal this summer is to keep students at every level academically and socially involved, according to Yazbak.

Staffing challenges

While creative learning solutions may be the key to engaging tired students, some districts are struggling to engage their tired teachers.

Staffing has remained an issue throughout the pandemic, with reports of low substitute teacher numbers impacting local schools last fall.

Our teachers are very tired, theyre exhausted, Casimiro said of Danbury staff.

Some of the teachers that usually raised their hands arent doing so this summer.

We are trying to rally the troops, she said.

Chafouleas noted that there hasnt been a real reset period for students or teachers since last March when the pandemic arrived.

Its been a hard year and trying to make sure we have the staffing to meet all the needs we have internally is rough, said Carver in Bethel.

With many elements to juggle ahead of a big summer, school districts are still a few weeks away from finalizing their plans. Many are still waiting for grades to close and final assessments to come in.

Our summer program has always been responsive to the needs of the students and whatever happened that year, said Casimiro. This is a little bit of a steeper fluctuation so well continue to respond based on student needs.
DANBURY  When Tim Nolan used to talk to his daughters about the career opportunities in the watershed industry, they tuned him out.

Their eyes would glass over, said Nolan, the superintendent of public service for Danbury. It doesnt appeal to the younger generation, but theyre good-paying jobs.

A proposed initiative aims to show Danbury High School students how water affects them and their community, while getting them interested in this career field.

The real crux of what makes this promising is it will be focused in solving real-life problems, said Melissa Nadeau, curriculum administrator for Danbury Public schools.

Various groups are partnering to develop a unit on watershed management in the high school chemistry classes and create internships for students in places like Danburys Public Works Department.

Western Connecticut State University has applied for a grant through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, known as NOAA, to create the program.

The partners are excited enough about the initiative to make it happen without the grant, but the internships could become paid with the money, said Theodora Pinou, a biology professor at Western Connecticut State University.

This would make the internships more enticing and doable to the at-risk students who the group wants to attract, she said.

You have a whole group of kids who maybe arent sure why they are in school and what its all about, said Pinou, adding this program would elevate them.

Hands-on experiences in field with jobs

Pinou and Nadeau have already worked together to retool an existing aquatic science class, an initiative that was also done through a NOAA grant. Spurred by remote instruction during COVID-19, they realized they could do better in other classes to make real-world issues and experience part of the students learning, Pinou said.

This ties into the work the high school is doing as part of the career academy project to make learning more hands-on and interactive, as well as give students career experience.

The educators have talked to many professionals in this field, who reported the workforce is waning. Nolan said most of the employees he saw at re-certification classes were in their 50s or older.

There is a need to focus on these areas because a lot of people are retiring out of positions and its very difficult to find people to fill those positions, Nadeau said.

WestConn faculty, Danbury public works employees and other partners will train the teachers, who will work with the students.

The unit will be taught at as part of the high schools core chemistry class for sophomores.

Potentially 900 students would go through this unit in chemistry and then be exposed to what certifications are available to them, Nadeau said. The content of the chemistry course will be connected to some of the emerging technologies that exist within public utilities.

The school district is still working out how students would be selected for the internships, she said.

Nolan expects about five students in summer 2022 and around 15 interns the following two summers. These internships could lead students to pursue careers in this field, he said.

Were hoping to see in the future, kids from Danbury, students from Danbury, that work in Danbury and who own homes in Danbury and bring up their family in Danbury and work in this industry, he said.

Addressing real-life problems

Students would learn what happens to water when it goes through purification systems and storm drains, as well as larger effects on the environment.

What were trying to do is provide students with the opportunity to study the real-life challenges that face our city and, inevitably, theyll face as well, whether they know it or not, Nadeau said.

Water is a perfect field for students to study because it connects to issues such as development, conservation and equity, Pinou said.

Its just so personal, Pinou said. Who doesnt need water?

Fields and jobs like fisheries, plumbing and infrastructure are tied to water, she said. Water is likely to become a scarce resource worldwide, too, she said.

The question is not are there jobs? Pinou said. The real question is: Are there problems that need solutions? And I think, yeah, we need some solutions for modern day problems.

These students could be part of addressing these challenges, she said.

It may not be that they stay (in this field) long term, Pinou said. But theyll remember it. Theyre never going to look at a stormwater drain the same way.
OTTAWA, ON, June 4, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is building a clean energy future to strengthen the economy, create jobs and support workers in the natural resource sectors. This is more important than ever as we recover from COVID-19.

Building on the success of last year's Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial meetings, the Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, participated in the 12th CEM and 6th MI ministerial meetings hosted virtually by the Government of Chile.

This year's meetings also coincided with Canadian Environment Week, which celebrates Canada's environmental accomplishments and encourages Canadians to contribute to conserving and protecting their environment.

International clean energy leaders and innovators participated in the meetings alongside Ministers, united by the common goal of advancing a global clean energy transition.

During CEM12, Canada was joined by other CEM members in endorsing an ambitious approach to the third phase of the CEM, which seeks to accelerate deployment of clean energy over the coming critical decade. Canada proposed bold calls to action to advance priority issues, including clean hydrogen, nuclear energy, zero-emission transportation, gender equality and youth participation in the clean energy sector.

Minister O'Regan highlighted the importance of building a diverse and inclusive workforce that leaves no energy worker behind in reaching net-zero commitments. He announced that Canada, alongside the United States and the European Commission, is launching the Empowering People Initiative to promote fair and equitable transitions in the clean energy sector, as well as advancing skills, inclusivity and workforce development.

At MI-6, Minister O'Regan joined twenty-two MI members in launching a "decade of clean energy innovation" to mobilize and accelerate RD&D efforts in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Canada also announced having exceeded the MI commitment to double investments in clean energy RD&D over five years with total federal spending amounting to $786.8 million in 201920.

Renewing our commitment to MI, Minister O'Regan announced Canada will join the new Green-Powered Future and Clean Hydrogen Missions to address major energy challenges under bold innovation objectives.

Progress on these important initiatives will continue throughout the year leading up to CEM13/MI-7, which will be hosted by the United States in 2022.

Quotes

"The world needs to get to net-zero. There's no other option. Bold action, international collaboration and energy innovation will get us there. As a valued member of the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation communities, Canada is leading global efforts to build a low-emissions energy future that is prosperous, creates jobs and leaves no one behind."

The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr.

Minister of Natural Resources

Related Information



CEM12/ MI-6

Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

For further information: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6100, [email protected]; Ian Cameron, Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 613-447-3488, [email protected]

Related Links

www.nrcan.gc.ca


OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2021 /CNW/ - Prime Minister's Office

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Canadian Armed Forces Day:

"Today, we thank the brave members of the Canadian Armed Forces, past and present, for their tremendous courage, service, and sacrifice. We owe them and their families a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.

"Canadian Armed Forces members serve our country in many capacities at home and throughout the world, representing our most cherished values of peace, freedom and democracy. Every day, our military personnel contribute to international peace and security and defend our country, including by responding to natural disasters.

"This year, our Canadian Armed Forces members have responded to the call to help fight COVID-19 and protect lives. Through Operation VECTOR, they are providing support to the federal, provincial, and territorial governments for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, while helping fight the global pandemic across Canada through Operation LASER. Given the challenges of working in a pandemic, the Canadian Armed Forces have worked hard to mitigate health risks to their members, while ensuring their ability to continue to serve around the world, with approximately 2,000 personnel deployed in more than 20 different operations.

"On this day, we are also mindful that we must improve the culture and working conditions for our military. Our government is working hard to help achieve long-overdue culture change in the Canadian Armed Forces through measures to eliminate unacceptable conduct, toxic culture, discrimination, violence, and harassment. Since 2015, we've taken important steps to do this, including introducing clear policies around hateful conduct, as well as the establishment of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre, but there's still much work to do. That's why we recently appointed former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour to lead an external review into the causes of sexual harassment and misconduct within the Forces, and why Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan will serve as the military's Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture. We are also taking concrete steps to address sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the military, and to better support survivors, through new investments in Budget 2021. Together, we will build a Defence Team that reflects the best of Canada, and ensures a safe and inclusive working environment for all.

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I invite all Canadians to join me in extending our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families, past and present, for their service to Canada. Our brave soldiers, sailors, and aviators have stepped up to help Canadians and vulnerable populations around the world get through this crisis, and we owe them our sincere thanks."

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: [email protected]
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to create stress and anxiety for many Canadians, particularly those who do not have ready access to their regular support networks. Through the Wellness Together Canada online portal, people of all ages across the country can access immediate, free and confidential mental health and substance use supports, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2021 /CNW/ - June is Pride Month and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the first gay rights protests that took place in Vancouver and Ottawa in 1971, a turning point for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit (LGBTQ2+) movement in our country. Pride Month provides an opportunity to look back on all of the voices who have fought for the rights and freedoms enjoyed today, and to celebrate diversity and inclusion. However, we must also recognize that the fight for equity is not over. Research indicates that LGBTQ2+ people continue to face health disparities linked to stigmatization, discrimination, exposure to violence, food insecurity, and barriers in access to care. As noted in my Addressing Stigma: Towards a More Inclusive Health System 2019 report, many people experience multiple and intersecting stigmas based on race, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, language, age, substance use, ability, social class and health conditions which can prevent them from attaining the resources they need to achieve optimal health. As long as discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or other persistent forms, including racism and sexism, still exists, we must challenge it.

I would like to take this moment to recognize the ongoing work of Pride and community-based organizations across the country who have found innovative and creative ways to have safe Pride celebrations during this pandemic. For example, through the many virtual pride celebrations that will take place across the country this month, including in Toronto and Saskatoon. Amid the ongoing pandemic, virtual celebrations like these are an important opportunity to promote community and support mental health and wellbeing. I encourage all Canadians to find a safe way to show their support and respect for LGBTQ2+ communities and wish everyone a happy and safe Pride Season.

As COVID-19 activity continues in Canada, we are tracking a range of epidemiological indicators to monitor where the disease is most active, where it is spreading and how it is impacting the health of Canadians and public health, laboratory and healthcare capacity. At the same time, the Public Health Agency of Canada is providing Canadians with regular updates on COVID-19 vaccines administered, vaccination coverage and ongoing monitoring of vaccine safety across the country. The following is the latest summary on national numbers and trends, and the actions we all need to be taking to reduce infection rates, while vaccination programs expand for the protection of all Canadians.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 1,391,174 cases of COVID-19 and 25,712 deaths reported in Canada; these cumulative numbers tell us about the overall burden of COVID-19 illness to date. They also tell us, together with results of serological studies, that a large majority of Canadians remain susceptible to COVID-19. However, as vaccination programs expand at an accelerated pace, there is increasing optimism that widespread and lasting immunity can be achieved through COVID-19 vaccination over the coming weeks and months.

As immunity is still building up across the population, public health measures and individual precautions are crucial for COVID-19 control. Thanks to measures in place in heavily affected areas, the strong and steady declines in disease trends continues. The latest national-level data show a continued downward trend in disease activity with an average of 2,339 cases reported daily during the latest 7 day period (May 28-June 3), down 31% compared to the week prior. For the week of May 23-29, there were on average of 78,089 tests completed daily across Canada, of which 3.8% were positive for COVID-19, compared to 4.7% the week prior. Until vaccine coverage is sufficiently high to impact disease transmission more broadly in the community, we must sustain a high degree of caution to drive infection rates down to a low, manageable level, and not ease restrictions too soon or too quickly where infection rates are high.

With the considerable decline in infection rates nationally, the overall number of people experiencing severe and critical illness is also declining. Provincial and territorial data indicate that an average of 2,344 people with COVID-19 were being treated in Canadian hospitals each day during the most recent 7-day period (May 28-June 3), which is 19% fewer than last week. This includes, on average 1,006 people who were being treated in intensive care units (ICU), 14% fewer than last week. Likewise, the latest 7-day average of 34 deaths reported daily (May 28-June 3) is declining, showing a 21% decrease compared to the week prior.

Canada is continuing to monitor and assess genetic variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including impacts in the Canadian context. Overall, variants of concern (VOCs) represent the majority of recently reported COVID-19 cases across the country. The World Health Organization has established new simplified labels for variants of concern using letters of the Greek alphabet. Four VOCs (B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), and B.1.617, which includes B.1.617.2 (Delta)) have been detected in most provinces and territories, however, the Alpha variant continues to account for the majority of genetically sequenced variants in Canada. Evidence demonstrates that the Alpha and Delta variants are at least 50% more transmissible. As well, the Gamma, Beta, and Delta variants each have certain mutations, which may have an impact on vaccine effectiveness, although the evidence is still limited. Nevertheless, we know that vaccination, in combination with public health and individual measures, are working to reduce spread of COVID-19.

As vaccine eligibility expands, Canadians are urged to get vaccinated and support others to get vaccinated as vaccines become available to them. However, regardless of our vaccination status, it is important to remain vigilant, continue following local public health advice, and consistently maintain individual practices that keep us and our families safer, even as we're beginning to see the positive impacts of COVID-19 vaccines: stay home/self-isolate if you have any symptoms, think about the risks and reduce non-essential activities and outings to a minimum, avoid all non-essential travel, and maintain individual protective practices of physical distancing, hand, cough and surface hygiene and wearing a well-fitted and properly worn face mask as appropriate (including in shared spaces, indoors or outdoors, with people from outside of your immediate household).

For more information regarding the risks and benefits of vaccination, I encourage Canadians to reach out to your local public health authorities, healthcare provider, or other trusted and credible sources, such as Canada.ca and Immunize.ca. Working together, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, Canada's Chief Medical Officers of Health and other health professionals across the country are closely monitoring vaccine safety, effectiveness and optimal use to adapt approaches. As the science and situation evolves, we are committed to providing clear and evidence-informed guidance in order to keep everyone in Canada safe and healthy.

Canadians can also go the extra mile by sharing credible information on COVID-19 risks and prevention practices and measures to reduce COVID-19 in communities. Read my backgrounder to access more COVID-19 Information and Resources on ways to reduce the risks and protect yourself and others, including information on COVID-19 vaccination.

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

For further information: Contacts: Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]
Both India and China have been deployed in eastern Ladakh and along the Line of Actual Control in a big way against each other. The area saw multiple face-offs incited by Chinese aggression.

What seems to be a move triggered by extreme weather conditions at high altitudes in the Eastern Ladakh sector, the Peoples Liberation Army has rotated 90 percent of the Chinese troops. China has been maintaining 50,000 men close to eastern Ladakh in the Indian territory since the April-May timeframe. The rotation to bring new manpower from the hinterland is done to replace the troops who had been deployed in the sector since last year.

Both India and China have been deployed in eastern Ladakh and along the Line of Actual Control in a big way against each other. The area saw multiple face-offs incited by Chinese aggression. The Peoples Liberation Army was rotating the troops on a daily basis even when they were deployed in high-friction points in the Pangong lake area.

The Chinese are less immune to extreme cold weather and high altitudes and get severely affected, due to which there arises a need to rotate the troops periodically. The Indian Army deploys its forces for a tenure of two years. ITBP soldiers are deployed for tenures much longer than two years. Despite this, the Indian Army rotates around 40-50 percent of the troops every year. The Indian Army is much more resilient to extreme weather conditions.

Also Read: Clamour over Wuhan Covid-19 probe: China to build more bio labs

The month of June marks one year since the Galwan clash took place, and the world saw the brave sacrifice of Colonel B Santosh Babu along with 20 other gallant soldiers. Post-clash, India valiantly showed the world that it no longer brings a knife to a fight. India is not the India of 1962 anymore.
The US government has promised to give Taiwan 750,000 vaccine doses as part of the global vaccine sharing programme. This donation will come at a crucial time, as Taiwan is facing severe vaccine shortage.

Three US senators namely Democratic Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, along with fellow Democrat Christopher Coons of Delaware and Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska arrived at Taiwan for a 3 hour stop, as part of the Indo-pacific trip. Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, welcomed the senators at the airport, said that Taiwan is fortunate to have like-minded countries showing support, which he said is move towards sustaining freedom and democracy in the face of totalitarianism.

The US senators showed their strong support towards the island and said that US will stand with the people of Taiwan and will help them to the best of their capabilities to fight this pandemic. The island of 24 million has been facing acute shortage of vaccines after a sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 in April.

Taiwan was included in the COVAX- UN backed program last week which aims to provide vaccines to low and middle- income countries. This initiative will help Taiwan receive 25 million doses as part of the US first tranche of global distribution, though the date of arrival of the vaccines has not been decided yet.

China is likely to be rattled by this meet, since they claim the island as their own region and has been trying to block Taiwans international assistance and hamper its participation in the World Health Organisation. In the recent months, Chinas communist party has increased the pressure on the island, including flying warplanes near Taiwan causing grave concerns for the islands security.

President Tsai Ing-wen, expressed his gratitude towards the US government for including Taiwan in the first group to get the vaccines. US has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is its most important international backer and supplier of arms.
ATHOL, Idaho (AP)  Authorities suspect an arsonist set a wooden roller coaster on fire in an overnight blaze at a northern Idaho theme park.

The Kootenai Sheriff's Office responded to the Silverwood Theme Park near the town of Athol at about 1:30 am Saturday to find one of the roller coasters on fire. A fire extinguisher was used to put out the blaze.

An initial investigation indicated someone snuck into the park after it had closed and set fire to one of the roller coaster's wooden supports, KREM-TV reported.

State fire authorities were assisting the investigation and the sheriff's office asked anyone who might have information to step forward.

Silverwood is the largest theme park in the Pacific Northwest and has four roller coasters, according to Idaho tourism officials.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Police on the Greek island of Corfu said Sunday that a Greek man facing eviction killed his landlady and another man who came to her rescue and then committed suicide.

The deaths occurred shortly before noon Sunday, in the resort town of Dassia, in the island's northeast.
NEW HAVEN  The Democratic mayoral candidates have had sharp exchanges on policing and budgeting as they make the rounds of the ward committees in anticipation of the town committee nominating convention in July.

Karen DuBois-Walton has accused Mayor Justin Elicker of lacking a sense of urgency in addressing crime in the city and said, while homicides spiked to 20 last year, a response did not come until he announced a plan last week.

Elicker, in turn, accused DuBois-Walton of politicizing one of the biggest challenges that our city is facing right now and many cities around the nation are facing.

DuBois-Walton is calling for a refocus on when the police budget was cut last year by $2 million. She charged that the mayor subsequently failed to make an investment in the things that are going to make our community safer.

I think we have left the community feeling at a loss and a Police Department feeling unsupported, she said.

Elicker pushed back on DuBois-Waltons charges.

He said he has increased walking beats, recreated the shooting task force, and boosted efforts around Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Longevity, a program that targets help for those considered at risk. Elicker said the number of street outreach workers has been increased, there was a gun buyback program and they have opened a reentry welcome center for individuals returning from incarceration.

Elicker said it was also time to be straightforward about everyones record.

When Dr. DuBois-Walton was chief of staff in 2006 and Mayor (John) DeStefano was running for governor and going around the state. Dr. DuBois-Walton was basically overseeing the city, including the Police Department, and there were 24 homicides in that year.

He said that was the second-highest number of homicides in a single year in the last two decades. There were 34 homicides in the city in 2011.

This year there have been 13 homicides to date and 45 shootings; at this time last year it was four homicides and 31 shootings.

The recent exchange between the two candidates and Macye Torres, a third candidate for the Democratic nomination, was sponsored by the 26th and 27th Democratic ward committees, which represent parts of Westville and Beaver Hills.

DuBois-Walton said there needs to be a better use of police intelligence to guide deployment of officers.

It is unacceptable that we would have homicides and shootings a day apart in the same area. That is a failure of intelligence, she said.

The candidate, who has taken a leave from running Elm City Communities, the citys Housing Authority, said New Haven needs to focus our police on solving crimes as unsolved crime leads to a sense of lawlessness and it leaves families without a sense of closure.

She said police have to rebuild community relationships if crimes are going to be solved.

Elicker said the issues are challenging and they tear at the heart of the community.

He said he was at the recent wake for Tashawn Brown, seeing his family suffering. He said he was knocking on doors checking in with residents on Sheffield Avenue just two weeks ago and Sherman Parkway more recently after a homicide Wednesday.

I am mayor and I am in the business of reality and we cant stand on the sidelines and wave a wand and say that we are going to make things better like the other candidate (DuBois-Walton) is acting like she can do, Elicker said.

City budget

About whether the citys budget should be cut or if New Haven in need of more revenue, they both come down on the side of more funding. Elicker points to the negotiations in the state legislature led by state Senate Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, to boost PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes), with New Haven potentially getting a $49 million boost.

DuBois-Walton accused the mayor of not making the tough decisions on the budget, but instead passing it to the Board of Alders to make the call without knowing the revenue from the state or the voluntary payment from Yale University.

Historically, the state budget process is later than the citys deadline, while Yale decisions are not always timely. Elicker has said the discussions with Yale continue to be productive.

Elicker said the review and vote by the Board of Alders is part of the legal process and said he has been proactive in making challenging decisions about the budget.

He said he has worked hand-in-hand with the alders, who along with Unite HERE, the Yale unions, testified in support of the increased PILOT funding unlike other candidates here.

To insinuate that I dont take this budget seriously is just not connected to reality, he said.

Social issues, housing

About what they have done to eliminate systemic racism, DuBois-Walton pointed to her work at Elm City Communities for the past 14 years that has transformed the housing there.

She said she has undertaken the work of repairing the damage of past housing policies, which includes working for changes at the state level so families can access housing in a broader footprint. She said the Housing Authority is the only institution that provides housing at 30 percent of a familys income and it is now high quality housing infused with services.

I bring that rooted in an equity frame knowing and understanding this community. It is not new to me, she said.

DuBois said Elm City Communities has leveraged private investment at a rate of 3, 4 and 5 times the match to public funds in building the apartments.

On economic development, she said the city needs a clear vision and the team to implement it that goes beyond help from the state and Yale.

Elicker said the city has looked to help those historically not served by economic development through a partnership between the public schools and programs at 101 College St., the newest biotech building that is ready to break ground. He said there also is a project labor agreement with Tweed New Haven Regional Airport; a small business training program and a construction training program to expand the reach of development.

He said his administrations housing initiatives are part of the fight for equity, with a new accessory dwelling unit policy and plans for an inclusionary zoning proposal. He said there is also a dramatic increase in the enforcement of its lead ordinance to protect children. Elicker said the proposed Crisis Response Team also is part of a racial justice agenda, as is working with Desegregate CT to open up housing in the suburbs.

Torres focused on policing and her efforts to get the city to address drug sales and the violence that stems from them, particularly in the Hill neighborhood.

She accused Elicker and former Mayor Toni Harp of not responding to her concerns, holding up a handful of emails.

The number of killings in my neighborhood are all black men. It hurts my heart. ... It is all part of racism, systemic racism in the containment zone, which is what I call the inner city. That is what we have become in the city of New Haven, Torres said.

She said she has written to a judge complaining that the police are not doing their job to close drug houses.

Torres said what she brings to the mayoral race is real life experience. She said she comes from a street called crack street. I say hi to prostitutes in the morning. I have seen so many people get shot in the last year and a half. At one point she said the mayor was as guilty as the shooters for allegedly overlooking the violence.

This brought a rebuke from the moderator Sharon Jones of the 26th Ward, who asked the candidates to not attack one another. This is a forum to answer our questions so we know where you stand, she said.

Torres said she was proud of Connecticut for calling racism a health crisis, but nothing has changed in the city.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Re: The anti-Israel protesters immoral deadly silence

Yes, the Israeli-Hamas battle (currently and in the past and future) is about humanity. But the anti-Israel protesters (many if not most of whom are also anti-Semitic) are aiming their claims of inhumane conduct at the wrong target. Israel was acting as humanely as it could to protect Israelis and minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. Its Hamas that was launching missiles at civilian targets in Israel, a war crime, and it was Hamas utilizing civilian facilities in Gaza for military purposes, also a war crime which converts the civilian facility into a legitimate military target.

Furthermore, its Israel that humanely issues advance warnings to the civilian facilities that Hamas has militarized, that the facility will be bombed. For anyone who has any doubt about this, just look at the relatively low number of Gazan civilian casualties claimed by Hamas, in comparison say, to the tens of thousands of Germans and Japanese civilians who were killed during World War II as a result of allied bombings of civilian targets.

Most importantly, the protesters fail to target the real ultimate villain in this tragedy, Iran, which funds and supports Hamas and other terrorists throughout the middle east and elsewhere.

The anti-Israel protesters silence on Hamas responsibility and Irans ultimate responsibility for this tragedy is immoral. Perhaps those protesters would think differently if they and their children were under bombardment and had only a brief period of time to run to a bomb shelter.

Lester Freundlich

Stamford
DANBURY - For 30 years Connecticut has had a law requiring businesses owned by women and minorities to get their fair share of state contracts.

And for 30 years, as cities such as Danbury have become increasingly diverse, Connecticut has been unable to hold itself accountable to the law because there is no data about the talent pool of minority-owned businesses to prove that contractors of color are being denied state contracts.

We do not see ethnic minority contractors on highway projects that proliferate in and around urban centers in Connecticut, and we do not see major construction projects supporting Black and Latinx contractors and laborers on school building projects, said Stan McCauley, president of the Greater Hartford African American Alliance, during testimony in the state capital. (Minorities) are often not able to obtain bonding or business loans so that they can bid competitively on larger jobs.

In response, a second-term lawmaker from Danbury pushed legislation through the state Senate last week to commission the first statistical analysis in a generation of Connecticuts women and minority-owned businesses to learn whether there is evidence of past or continuing discrimination in the awarding of state contracts and to determine if there are barriers in the process that prevent small contractors and minority business enterprises from fully participating.

State Sen. Julie Kushner, a second-term Democrat and co-chair of the state legislatures Joint Committee on Labor and Public Employees, said the statistical analysis of minority-owned businesses has been a back-burner issue in Hartford for years. But the sea change in America in 2020 after the coronavirus crisis and the George Floyd movement made equity a priority in the state capital in 2021.

The events of last year highlighted the need for everyone to focus on equity issues and to focus on the root causes of systemic racism, Kushner said on Friday. It raised awareness that we have to be more intentional in the legislation we pass to address inequities in Connecticuts economy.

The minority business disparity study, which was authorized by Connecticuts House in May, goes to Gov. Ned Lamonts desk for his signature.

The bill is part of a larger effort in Hartford to close the gap between the states affluent suburbs and the working poor in its cities and communities of color. Lamont is also expected to sign a recently passed bill declaring racism a public health crisis, and dedicating state resources to fight it.

Advocates who spoke in favor of the minority business disparity study included construction industry representatives, state officials and union leaders.

It is time to face these problems and prioritize what really matters and address the unfairness that exists in our state, said Carl Chisem, president of the Connecticut Employees Union Independent, SEIU Local 511 and the Municipal Employees Union Independent, SEIU Local 506, in testimony. Determining whether there is racial or gender discrimination in the awarding of state contracts is a necessary step in eliminating any barriers for small contractors and minority business enterprises.

Leticia Colon de Mejias, Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Advisory Board interim-chair at the Connecticut General Assemblys Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity agreed.

This (proposed disparity study) results from long standing events, policies, laws, and practices that were, intentionally or unintentionally, designed to provide economic advantages to one group at the expense of another, said Colon de Mejias, in testimony. Acknowledging the history of structural discrimination and institutional racism is critical in creating equitable and inclusive state plans and policies.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

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Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 81F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

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The Northern Elders Forum spoke today on the agitations for secession by Igbo people and advised the authorities not to stand on their way.

The Northern Elders Forum spoke today on the agitations for secession by Igbo people and advised the authorities not to stand on their way.

The Forum has arrived at the difficult conclusion that if support for secession among the Igbo is as widespread as it is being made to look, and Igbo leadership appears to be in support of it, then the country should be advised not stand in its way, said the Forum in a statement signed by Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, its publicity secretary.





But the Forum also warned Igbo it will not be their best choice to leave a country we have all toiled to build and a country we all have responsibility to fix.

It will not help a country already burdened with failures on its knees to fight another war to keep the Igbo in Nigeria, the statement added.





The Northern Elders Forum also noted the weakening of political and coercive authority in the country, such that the Buhari administration appears to have lost the capacity to halt the gradual descent of the country into anarchy.





Read the Full statement





Northern Elders Forum has reviewed of events and tendencies which suggest that the country is headed for more crises. Nigerians live in fear of violence today, and in fear of uncertain future. The capacity of the Nigerian State to secure citizens, protect the countrys territorial integrity and resist violent assaults on our unity is weakening to the levels of making threats that have no impact. Armed criminals of all types have increased their audacious stranglehold over our lives in all parts of the country. Irredentists are increasingly asserting their influence over in the South East and some part of the country, and in the manner that millions of Nigerians now live. Rhetorics from political leaders and ethnic champions who speak in threats and demands routinely suggest that the sentiments in support of irredentism are becoming more widespread.





All Nigerians are paying the price of failure of two sets of leaders. At the national level, the administration appears to have lost the capacity to halt the gradual descent of the country into anarchy. Political leaders in the South East appear to have submitted to violence and terror of IPOB and ESN. Muted voices of millions of Igbo cannot be heard so that fellow Nigerians could understand the degree to which secession by the Igbo represents the popular choice.





All Nigerians are paying the price of failure of two sets of leaders. At the national level, the administration appears to have lost the capacity to halt the gradual descent of the country into anarchy. Political leaders in the South East appear to have submitted to violence and terror of IPOB and ESN.





This nation has had to fight a terrible war to preserve the country. The North had paid its dues in that war, as indeed it did in many ways throughout the history of the country. Under our current circumstances, no Nigerian should welcome another war to keep the country together. The North in particular has more than enough challenges, and we recognize that violent secession by any part of Nigeria will compound the problems all Nigerians live with.





The Forum has arrived at the difficult conclusion that if support for secession among the Igbo is as widespread as it is being made to look, and Igbo leadership appears to be in support of it, then the country should be advised not stand in its way. It will not be the best choice for the Igbo or Nigerians to leave a country we have all toiled to build and a country we all have responsibility to fix, but it will not help a country already burdened with failures on its knees to fight another war to keep the Igbo in Nigeria.





The Forum insists that attacks and killings of Northerners and Federal Government employees and destruction of National assets must stop. Those who have been involved in it must be arrested and prosecuted. Until the Igbo decide whether it wants to secede or remain part of Nigeria, the law applies to it, and Federal and State Governors who have responsibility to enforce the law and protect citizens must enforce it. We support calls for Northerners who are exposed to harassment and violence to consider relocating to the North.





Unlike the postures and complacency of the leaders of the South East, we advise that all Igbo and other ethnic groups from the South residing in the North should be accorded the usual hospitality and security.





The Forum believes that it is vital to address amendments to the constitution and achieve major changes in the structure and operations of our Federal system now. Members of the National Assembly elected by Nigerians have lost touch with the people they are supposed to represent. This explains the major distances which exist between the people and the vital national institution which should play a major role mitigating national crises. The National Assembly should explore additional avenues for tapping into opinions that can help redress serious limitations to the Federal system before the 2023 elections. The North is willing to discuss all matters related to constitutional amendments/ restructuring with the leadership of the country and other groups who see their presence in the future of Nigeria.





Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

Director, Publicity and Advocacy,

Northern Elders Forum,

Abuja.
Some gunmen have invaded Iganga town in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, causing collateral damages in the town. It was lear...





Some gunmen have invaded Iganga town in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, causing collateral damages in the town.

It was learnt that the gunmen who were suspected to be Fulani herdsmen invaded the town around 11.pm on Saturday and left the town around 3.am on Sunday.

Our correspondent gathered that during the invasion, several residents of the town were killed.

Sources within the town said they have maintained that the number of lives lost during the invasion have not been ascertained.

The residents claimed that it was Fulani herdsmen that invaded the town, though it has not been confirmed if it was Fulani herdsmen that invaded the town as claimed by the residents.

Oladiran Oladokun, Convener of Igangan Development Advocate (IDA), confirmed the attack on Sunday.

Oladokun who confirmed the killing of many residents during the attack, however, said that the number of casualties have not been confirmed.

He alleged that the invasion was due to the banishment of the Seriki Fulani in the town.

He added that Fulani herdsmen had been threatening to attack the town since the Seriki Fulani was banished from the town.

Are you calling in respect of Iganga incident? That is how we saw it.

It was the Fulani herdsmen that have been threatening to come and attack Iganga because of the Seriki Saliu that we sent away from the town.

So, we have been receiving threats and they carried out their threat midnight.

They operated between 11.pm on Saturday till around 3.am today (Sunday).

We cant count casualties now because it was not safe for anybody to come out now.

So, it was during daybreak that some people are coming out from bushes where they ran to. We are still counting.

Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command Mr Adewale Osifeso, when contacted promised to provide details of the incident soonest.

He is yet to provide the details when this story was filled.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his counterpart, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State on Sunday made surprise visit at the Deeper L...





Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his counterpart, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State on Sunday made surprise visit at the Deeper Life Bible Church headquarters, Gbagada to honour the General Superintendent of the church, Pastor William Kumuyi as he clocks 80 years.

The visiting governors, who listened with rapt attention as the General Superintendent preached, expressed the optimism that Nigeria would come out of her prevailing challenges.

In their individual remarks, the governors appreciated Kumuyi and all members of the church for the opportunity given them to worship with the church.

Speaking, Sanwo-Olu expressed gratitude to God for the strength and continued grace He has granted Pastor Kumuyi, as he reached the age of 80.

The governor said Kumuyi had over the years remained steadfast in standing in the gap not only for the church but for the nation, in general.

Sanwo-Olu said: Bloodshed will not continue in our country. The Lord will help us to surmount all our problems as a nation. And because we are serving the God that is supreme, He will see us through as a nation.

Also speaking, Emmanuel expressed hope of a turn-around for Nigeria.

He said that it was the fervent prayer of the likes of Pastor Kumuyi that had so sustained Nigeria that all the counsels of the enemy to destroy the country have always come to naught.

God is on the throne; we shall come out stronger as a nation, Emmanuel said, adding that The only hope for this nation is the church. God is interested in the affairs of this country.

In his sermon, Kumuyi said that what matters in life was the fulfillment of Gods purpose for every individual, and not the number of years spent on earth.

It is not the number of years but the appointment of God that matters, he said.

Kumuyi, who noted that people are usually interested in how long a person lives, said emphasis should rather be on whether or not such an individual lived in line with the plan of God.

Pastor Kumuyi, was speaking in his sermon entitled: Our glowing privileges from glory to glory, challenged all to strive to live out the purpose of God for their lives.

Taking his text from the Book of Psalms 90 and 91, the cleric said although it was the promise of God to grant long live to every creature, it was also Gods prerogative to determine the end of every one of his saints.

He, therefore, urged believers to serve God and humanity, irrespective of their age, while they still have the opportunity.

According to him, Moses started ministry at the age of 80 years of age and went on to 120 years. It was not only him; think of Caleb, beyond the age of 85 he was still strong and he said, give me this mountain. Think about Joshua; when he was quite an age, nearing 100 years, he said there was still much land to be conquered. Think about John the beloved, at the age of 95 or 96, he was still given the revelation to go and reveal to the nations.

That is why we do not question that so and so died at 57 or at 72; thats the appointed time. Yet, the promise of a fulfilled life is for everyone in Jesus name.

Kumuyi emphasised that believers had the privilege of living a beautiful and radiating life despite the present challenges.

He urged saints to continue to abide under the shadow of the Almighty, noting that there is absolute security in the shelter of the Almighty God.

He stressed the need for a transparent life in Christ which, he noted, guaranteed divine protection and preservation.

The cleric, however, warned against presumptuous sin, saying such lifestyle and indulgences did not guarantee divine protection but detract from the original promise for man, noting that If you are incorruptible, you will be a wonder. God will be a strong refuge. He will keep you from evil.
The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) has confirmed the last words of its founder, Temitope Balogun Joshua, AKA T.B Joshua. Recall th...





The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) has confirmed the last words of its founder, Temitope Balogun Joshua, AKA T.B Joshua.

Recall that the renowned gospel preacher died at the age of 57.

Confirming the death on his Facebook page, T.B Joshuas Ministries said he died on Saturday, June 5th 2021.

The Church also insinuated that God revealed the Prophets death to him.

It quoted the book of Amos 3:7 which says, Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

It continued, God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home  as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for.

As Prophet TB Joshua says, The greatest way to use life is to spend it on something that will outlive it.

Prophet TB Joshua leaves a legacy of service and sacrifice to Gods Kingdom that is living for generations yet unborn.

It further revealed that Prophet TB Joshuas in his last words urged Christians to watch and pray.

Here are Prophet TB Joshuas last words: Watch and pray.

One life for Christ is all we have; one life for Christ is so dear.
The death of Pastor TB Joshua has been generating reactions as the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu described the late cleric as a b...





The death of Pastor TB Joshua has been generating reactions as the Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu described the late cleric as a blessing to humanity when he was alive.

Joshua died in Lagos on Saturday at the age of 57.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Olabode Olatunde, the governor said Joshua was a great ambassador of the Sunshine State whose ministry was noted for charity.

The statement read, Undoubtedly, Pastor Joshuas demise came as a rude shock. The pains are not mere emotional flashes; they are indeed piercing. The Ondo-born pastor and televangelist was a philanthropist whose exit will be sorely missed by many.

Pastor Joshua was committed to giving and was more often inexorably imbued with calmness while lifting the downtrodden. As a televangelist, he did not just win souls for Christ, he was passionate about changing lives.

He demonstrated timelessly an alluring service to humanity and compassion by assisting not only his home local government, Akoko North West, but other adjoining local governments in Akoko land benefitted from his large heart of benevolence.

Of significant note too, Pastor Joshua never hesitated to assist in whatever manner the Ondo State Government desired such. To us in Ondo State, we consider this a personal loss. He was a pride to the Sunshine State.

Not only Africa is hit hard; this is a great global knock as his Pastor TB Joshuas ministry attracted immeasurable foreign followership. Christendom has lost a giant.

The reality of the finality of death truly hurts the heart. But for TB Joshua, he had played his own part of the endless life orchestra; he has departed. We must take solace in his good deeds while here. He is now a heavens gain. The people have lost a committed giver. We shall continue to remember his contributions to the development of our state.

The governor prayed God to grant the late man of God an eternal rest in His bosom and comfort grieving family members, friends and associates.
Watertown, NY (13601)

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Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

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Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low near 60F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 80F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low near 60F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday asserted that there was no proposal before the ruling BJP's high command to seek Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's resignation.

"There is no proposal before the high command for seeking Yediyurappa's resignation," Joshi told reporters at Hubballi in the state's northwest region hours after the Chief Minister said that he was ready to resign if the party's leadership wanted him to do so.

Joshi is BJP's fourth-term Lok Sabha member from Dharwad constituency, about 430km northwest of Bengaluru.

Ruling out change of leadership, Joshi said the party was focused only on containing the Covid pandemic's second wave, which claimed 31,580 lives and infected 26,95,523 people across the southern state till Saturday.

"The party is seized of only one issue and that is how to handle the Covid-19 situation and not leadership change," reiterated Joshi.

Echoing Joshi, party's state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel said there was no discussion on change in the Chief Minister's post.

"As the party has not discussed the issue at any level, the question of a change of leadership does not arise," Kateel told reporters at Mangaluru on the state's west coast, about 375km from Bengaluru.

Kateel is the third-term Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada seat.

Denying that attempts were being made to oust Yediyurappa by a faction of party's members, Kateel said a meeting of all Legislators and Ministers would be convened this month in Bengaluru to sort out differences,if any.

Yediyurappa will continue to be Chief Minister for the rest of the (Assembly) term, which is up to May 2023. He is our leader who has vast experience in governance and administration," added Kateel.

State Revenue Minister R. Ashoka also told reporters here that Yediyurappa was the BJP's legislative party leader and would continue in the top post.

"There is no question of leadership change in the state. Yediyurappa is leading the fight against the pandemic from the front, visiting hospitals and meeting Covid patients and holding meetings daily on containing the virus spread," said Ashoka after meeting the chief minister at his official residence.

Yediyurappa,78, became Chief Minister for the fourth time on July 26, 2019 after the 14-month-old Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government fell when its Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy resigned on losing the confidence vote in the state legislative assembly on July 23, 2019.
A driver died and a passenger was seriously injured during a crash in Pearl River Saturday afternoon, according to the Louisiana State Police.

At around 3 p.m., troopers began investigating the single vehicle crash on Interstate 59 in St. Tammany Parish.

On Sunday, State Police identifed the crash victim as Travis Ledale House, 29, of Bay Springs, Mississippi.

Troopers said the driver was traveling southbound on I-59, in the left lane, in a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis.

For reasons still under investigation, the vehicle veered into the right lane and rotated before traveling off the roadway.

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The vehicle then travelled down a grass embankment before hitting a tree on the drivers side.

State Police said the driver was properly restrained, but died during the crash.

A blood sample was taken from the driver for scientific analysis.

The passenger was not restrained and was seriously injured.

The investigation is ongoing.
Convicted former federal drug agent Chad Scott is headed back to court in New Orleans on Monday to face his third  and final  trial in the long-running investigation of the highly-decorated agent who led a drug task force that racked up numerous arrests on the north shore.

Scott and codefendant Rodney Gemar face three federal charges, including conspiracy and conversion of government property, i.e. tampering with evidence, stemming from their work on the task force. The jury trial was originally scheduled for last year, but was delayed repeatedly by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government has broadly accused Scott and his task force of corruption, including stealing from suspects, lying about seizures and asking suspects to lie in court. Two members have already pleaded guilty to federal drug crimes; and a third, Gemar, is set to go to trial with Scott Tuesday.

Scott has been on house arrest since August 2019, when a federal jury found him guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice and falsifying government records. That guilty verdict came on the government's second attempt to convict Scott after an earlier trial ended with a hung jury.

The upcoming trial marks the fading chapters in a saga that began in January 2016, when federal agents arrested Johnny Domingue, then a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's deputy who was detailed to Scott's task force. Soon after Domingue's arrest, another TPSO task force member, Karl Newman, was also arrested.

Both eventually pleaded guilty to various federal charges and served time.

Domingue and Newman worked closely with Scott, and prosecutors used their insider perspectives to paint a picture of a task force riven by corner-cutting, thievery and disregard for the law, with the biggest finger pointing at Scott.

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Domingue and Newman are expected to again be key witnesses for the prosecution, but both have significant credibility issues on which the defense is likely to pounce. Domingue and Newman have admitted taking drugs and money from suspects and, in one case, of planting evidence on a suspect. In addition, Domingue was recently arrested in Texas and accused of attempting to traffic eight kilograms of cocaine.

Court filings in that case indicate that the Domingue case is likely headed for a plea deal, but the terms of any prospective deal have not been made public.

Scotts attorney, Kerry Miller, wondered why the government  which has run the entire investigation out of Washington, D.C.  is even prosecuting these last three charges. Earlier this year, prosecutors dropped four other charges still pending against Scott, and the three remaining counts wont add any time to Scotts potential sentence on the earlier conviction.

"The value of the property is not alleged to be high," he said. "If this were a civil conversion count, we would be between a justice of the peace and city court."

Federal prosecutors declined to comment on the case.

Scott's trial is expected to last seven days.
A state court judge in New Orleans followed the recommendation of prosecutors and handed a 10-year prison sentence to a youth who admitted fatally shooting a 14-year-old boy.

Latrell Alexis was 16 years old when he shot and killed JaMichael Frith on the porch of his mothers home in the 8400 block of Oleander Street in Hollygrove at about 12:50 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2019.

Charged as an adult by former Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaros office, Alexis pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Feb. 2020, weeks before the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Louisiana. His sentencing was delayed until Thursday.

When I walked out that door, my baby was dead: 14-year-old killed in Hollygrove shooting Jane Washington had been waiting on her 14-year-old son to get home from a Mardi Gras parade Wednesday night (Feb. 27) when she fell asleep.

Alexis, now 18, appeared before the judge via video link. He's also referred to as Alexis Latrell in some court records.

In the cycle of retaliatory actions, Mr. Alexis took actions into in his own hands after having multiple attempts on his life," First Assistant District Attorney Bob White said in a written statement. "While we dont condone these actions, Mr. Alexis was a juvenile at the time, took responsibility early on in the investigation and had only one prior non-violent charge."

Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Karen Herman said she had multiple conversations with the state and defense attorney J.C. Lawrence about the circumstances of the killing before agreeing to the states recommendation.

Friths mother did not appear at the sentencing. Shes previously said that she was waiting for her son to return home from a Carnival parade when she fell asleep, and awoke to the sound of a gunshot. She emerged from the home to find her son dead, she said.

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+10 Mardi Gras 2019 included tragedy and controversy Revelers watch a small float sink into the Mississippi River at the Moonwalk in New Orleans on Mardi Gras, March 5, 2019. A guest columnist fo

A school administrator described Frith, the youngest of 10 siblings, as a bright student at the NET Charter High School, which he attended after being kicked out of his previous school over discipline problems.

Frith, who loved gospel music, had been diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to his mother, who said she worried about him falling in with the wrong crowd at his new school.

Alexiss sentencing comes at a time of renewed attention on juvenile justice in New Orleans. Last week, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams backtracked on a campaign promise and charged two teens with murder in adult court in connection with the fatal shooting of a 52-year-old woman.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old girl was shot and killed by stray gunfire in the Lower 9th Ward on Sunday night, illustrating how the surge of gun violence since the coronavirus pandemic hasn't spared even the youngest of victims.

After his June 2019 indictment, Alexis faced a potential life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Lawrence, the defense attorney, declined comment.
New Orleans police are investigating an early morning shooting late Saturday that injured eight people.

Update: Videos of suspects in New Orleans East shooting that injured 9 released by police

The shooting happened in the 10100 block of South I-10 Service Road (map) in New Orleans East. The NOPD said it happened about 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

Police said the victims were at the location for a "gathering."

Victims' injuries range from critical to minor, according to the NOPD. A woman is in critical condition after she was shot in the face. Two victims were taken to area hospitals via EMS, and six others were taken by private vehicles.

Information on a motive or possible suspect(s) hasn't been released.

This story has been updated with additional details.
Louisiana officials have failed to say how the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion can be operated without killing off most of the bottlenose dolphins in the Barataria Basin, or to identify ways to successfully protect the dolphins from health issues or death, according to the federal agency charged with protecting dolphins, whales and other marine mammals.

In a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, the federal Marine Mammal Commission argued that officials need to evaluate how to protect some 2,000 dolphins in the Barataria Basin as part of the planning work on the $2 billion diversion project.

The near total loss of the Barataria Bay bottlenose dolphin stock due to (diversion) project operations, or even losing the stock completely, appears inevitable if the project goes forward as planned, the commission said in an official comment letter in response to the project's proposed environmental impact statement and draft restoration plan.

+6 Bottlenose dolphins might go 'functionally extinct' here due to Mid-Barataria diversion Bottlenose dolphins would become "functionally extinct" in two of four areas of Barataria Bay, and the number of dolphins will drop dramatical

And while the commission acknowledged that the diversion received a waiver from federal law that would have barred the project from injuring or killing any dolphins, the letter argues that the state is still required to consult with federal regulators to look at alternative projects, or to make sure the impacts on dolphins and other marine mammals are minimized.

It is unclear ... what effort was made by the state of Louisiana to meet this statutory responsibility, the commission said.

The official comment, which was sent in ahead of the Thursday deadline for groups to respond to the draft plans for the Mid-Barataria project, comes as the Corps, the state and the trustees work towards addressing concerns about the project's environmental impacts before issuing a final plan expected in early 2022.

The letter is one of hundreds submitted after the project's environmental impact statement was issued in early March. Since then, the Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany Parish councils and the Grand Isle City Council have all passed resolutions opposing the diversion. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser also submitted a letter in opposition.

Several environmental groups and local and state business groups have submitted comments in favor of the project, as has a group of 55 scientists that have worked on coastal issues in Louisiana.

The Mid-Barataria Diversion is the keystone project in the state's $50 billion Coastal Master Plan and involves building a channel through the Mississippi River levee in Plaquemines Parish to allow sediment to flow through and rebuild land.

The states proposed plan for operating the diversion would result in freshwater and sediment flowing into the basin when the river reaches a predetermined flow rate.

The diversion would operate an average of 177 days a year, mostly from January through June. The state predicts that the sediment carried by the water would create 27 square miles of new wetlands and marshes  and save many more  by the end of 30 years, with continued sea level rise reducing that to 21 square miles at the end of 50 years.

+13 Here's why Mississippi River diversion was proposed, how it might work Picture an hourglass lying on its side, the top resting in the Mississippi River to capture the sands of time floating downstream from the Mid

But all that freshwater won't be good for the dolphins that call the area home. Studies indicate that by the end of the diversion's first 10 years of operation, its freshwater will kill most dolphins in two of four areas of the basin, and dramatically reduce the number of dolphins in the other two areas.

At the end of 50 years, only a handful of the approximately 2,000 dolphins now in the basin would still be alive, and those would mostly be the ones close to barrier islands along the Gulf.

Dolphins exposed to water containing only 5 parts per thousand of salt for more than 21 straight days have a low survival rate. In most cases, they develop lesions on their skin that ultimately kill them. The freshwater also reduces the ability of dolphins to reproduce.

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Researchers say that the dolphin groups also have fealty to the different areas of the basin in which they are currently swimming and feeding, and it's unlikely that they could be enticed to move. If they were moved, they'd then be forced to compete with dolphins living in those areas.

The commission said that despite the project waiver under the marine mammal act, the near extinction of dolphins in the basin would violate provisions of the Oil Pollution Act, under which the trustees are funding the diversion's construction costs.

The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group was created under that law to oversee the spending of $5 billion in BP settlement funds following the Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill, and has proposed using that money to pay the $2 billion construction cost for the diversion.

But the commission said the oil law provides that evaluation of the proposed restoration alternatives must be based on, at a minimum, the extent to which each alternative will prevent future injury, and avoid collateral injury, as a result of implementing the alternative.

The deaths of the majority of the dolphins in the basin because of the diversions fresh water would be such a collateral injury, the commission said.

It recommended that the trustee group consider a number of alternatives to the diversion, including creation of barrier islands and marshes using dredged material; using smaller-scale diversions, and backfilling oil and gas and navigation canals and removal of spoil banks along those canals throughout the basin.

See interactive timeline of Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project's history Conservationists, business people, residents and politicians have been wringing their hands for decades over Louisiana's fragile coast. One pr

And if the state decides to go forward, the diversion should be operated to reduce the harm to dolphins, potentially by cutting its flow and therefore its ability to build land.

The project's developers have already said that smaller diversions and the use of dredging wouldn't make sense, based on modeling that shows they wouldn't build nearly as much land as the bigger diversion.

Chip Kline, chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority board, which oversees the project, said the state believes its goal for the diversion remains in line with the commission, and that the diversion's operations can adapt if needed.

"Because it is not possible to precisely predict future conditions, the project will be operated under an adaptive management plan that allows flexibility for changes in operation to optimize project benefits and minimize impacts where possible," Kline said. "CPRA anticipates a good deal of public comment on this adaptive management plan which will be used to refine our strategy as project planning moves forward. Additionally, the project will include some defined mitigation measures that will be put into place well before the project ever begins operating."

+5 Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion study should focus on fisheries effects: public commenters An environmental study required for permitting of the state's proposed $800 million Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion in Plaquemines Parish should

The diversion project includes more than $40 million for mitigation measures, Kline said.

Also submitting comments to the Corps and trustees opposing the project were a number of animal advocacy groups, including the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Humane Society of the United States, among others.

In a joint letter, they said restoring the Barataria Basin is "a worthy endeavor," but they couldn't support it due to the impact on the dolphins.

"Their deaths will be agonizing and slow," the letter said. "Should this sediment diversion proceed, the BBES dolphins will pay the price for the past mistakes of humans."
With moves afoot to pack both the United States and the Louisiana Supreme Courts, the advantage, in terms of experience, is with Baton Rouge.

We have shown how to do it, although Supreme Court packing is more complex at the state level. Congress can change the size of the U.S. Supreme Court any time it feels like it, whereas expanding the state Supreme Court requires a constitutional amendment.

At least, that's how it's supposed to work, but we didn't let legal technicalities cramp our style the last time we needed an extra body on the bench. We hid the Louisiana Constitution in a drawer, hoping that nobody would notice that it mandates a seven-member Supreme Court. The ruse worked great.

That was in 1992, when the state settled a lawsuit filed by Black folk weary of a system so rigged against them that not one of their number had ever been elected to the state Supreme Court.

You'd have to comb through the annals of Jim Crow to find a more cynically racist set-up than the way Supreme Court elections were conducted in Louisiana until the dying days of the 20th century.

There were five single-member districts throughout the state, each with a comfortable majority of White voters. Two justices were elected from the last district, which spanned four parishes in metro New Orleans, ensuring that the votes of the city's Black majority were lost in a suburban avalanche.

Louisiana found an ingenious way to settle the suit challenging this subterfuge and created a seat on the court of appeal reserved for a New Orleans jurist who would be automatically transferred to the Supremes. Each of the court's now eight members would take turns to step aside. Thus one justice would always be metaphorically on the bench, but literally off the bench.

That awkward arrangement put a Black face on the court in the person of Revius Ortique. The second to occupy the extra seat was Bernette Johnson, who was elected in 1994, went on to become Louisiana's first Black chief justice and retired last year.

Although adding an extra justice finally breached the judicial color bar, the consent decree that achieved that happy result was in such blatant violation of the state Constitution that our Supreme Court had to say so. But it did not so rule until 1997, too late to make any difference.

The Legislature then carved up the state into seven single-member districts for Supreme Court elections, with one, in New Orleans, containing a Black majority. Johnson was elected to it in 2000. It is now occupied by Piper Griffin, while the rest of the justices conform to the lily White tradition.

If the system is marginally improved these days, black defendants and litigants will still approach it with grave misgivings. The districts vary widely in the size of their populations, adding an extra layer of unfairness to a system that leaves Black voters at a blatant disadvantage. Clearly, this must change, so that Supreme Court districts contain roughly the same number of voters, and Black candidates have a chance of winning more than one seat.

Legislators can't be bothered to arrange this themselves, but want you to pass a constitutional amendment that adds two more justices to the public payroll. Just what we need  more politicians.

Email James Gill at gill504nola@gmail.com.
For his reelection campaign next year, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy is looking to revive some of his greatest hits.

The greatest part is, of course, subjective. Many of his constituents are tired of the highly educated Republicans cornpone shtick, although clearly it works for others. As for Kennedy himself, hes apparently content enough with the image he started cultivating during his third and only successful campaign for Senate five years ago; hes decided to recycle his old lines.

Theres the one about the weed killer, a staple of 2016 when he often riffed that hed rather swallow poison than support the Affordable Care Act. Obamacare survived and is increasingly popular, so hes not saying that anymore. But Kennedy repurposed the line for a reelection kickoff video he released last week, in which he vows that that I will not let you down. Id rather drink weed killer.

Then theres this oldie but goodie, which he revived for a recent National Rifle Association social media post: Folks, I believe that love is the answer, but you ought to own a handgun just in case, the senator says while cleaning a firearm while some strangely funky music plays. The NRAs accompanying text promises that Sen. Kennedys New Message Will Trigger Libs, and judging by multiple angry comments noting the link between gun deaths and domestic violence, it did indeed push buttons.

But then he had to know it would, having debuted the sentiment in a 2016 commercial that was hastily recut when observers noted that the handgun line accompanied photos of Kennedys family.

So the point seems to be that, when Kennedy promises six more years of the same, he means it.

His first term so far has been marked mostly by an avalanche of folksy quips, many indeed seemingly written to please viewers of Fox News, where hes a regular, and to provoke those who disagree with him and with the president he supported for four years, Donald Trump.

That it hasnt been marked by much else is an unintentional takeaway from the reelection announcement. The video goes on for 2 minutes, and yet Kennedy mentions no specific accomplishments or policy goals, not even to pay lip service. Instead, he chitchats with voters in quaint settings and pets his dogs, says he spent his first term working to make America great again, promises to fight the socialists who are racing to undo it all, and vows not to be silenced by nut jobs.

Thats it. Its pretty weak sauce for a longtime politician who once showed a wonky side, but if history is a guide, it may well be enough.

With the Senate closely divided, results in every state affect the national balance of power. Kennedy doesnt mention President Joe Biden and the ever-so-slight Democratic congressional majority in his announcement, but he doesnt need to. He has his foil; all he has to do is say hell try to stop the other side.

Its a strategy thats worked before in Louisiana Senate races.

In 2010, David Vitter ran less against Democratic opponent Charlie Melancon than against Barack Obama; his easy victory despite the prostitution scandal of a few years earlier surely masked voters continued distaste for bad behavior. But that resurfaced when Vitter had to run against John Bel Edwards rather than the national Democratic Party in the 2015 governor race.

Bill Cassidy ran a national election too in 2014, and beat longtime Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a moderate who focused relentlessly on state-specific issues. And Kennedy himself followed the script in 2016, in a campaign that was short on substance and long on the type of rhetoric hes been trotting out ever since. He sided with Team Trump versus Team Obama and Clinton, and was rewarded with an easy win.

Democrats will be hard-pressed to avoid a repeat, even in the unlikely scenario in which they field a strong candidate.

Maybe, though, theyll at least recruit someone wholl talk about the problems facing our state and country in detail, not as a punchline. That way, at least someone will.
Im disappointed with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills board of trustees. Ive known each, or known the work of each, of UNCs Knight chairs. Through the normal academic processes, UNCs chancellor, provost, journalism dean and tenured faculty endorsed Nikole Hannah-Jones as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Reporting, with tenure. The trustees did not approve.

Its another part of a history whitewash and disinformation campaign.

The Knight Foundation first funded a special position at UNC to ensure that practicing journalists and media professionals are a part of the academic experience for students.

Philip Meyer started working at UNC in 1981 and was appointed Knight Chair in Journalism in 1993. With tenure. Joann Sciarrino was appointed Knight Chair in Digital Advertising and Marketing in 2012. With tenure. Penny Muse Abernathy was appointed Knight Chair of Journalism and Digital Media Economics in 2008. With tenure.

Meyer was a legendary journalist, one we might call a database reporter these days. He used a huge mainframe computer to research  in 1967. His reporting and computer skills were examples for journalists for decades.

Sciarrino was an executive with BBDO North America for years before joining UNC. She has a national reputation for brand analytics, research and modeling based in part on her work with AT&T, Starbucks, FedEx and Hyatt.

Abernathy excelled as a journalist then as an executive with The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Shes the author of several books. Her "news desert" research brought the school national attention.

As accomplished as Meyer, Sciarrano and Abernathy were when they were appointed as Knight chairs, none of them had the national recognition and stature that Hannah-Jones has upon appointment.

Hannah-Jones has had an illustrious career. Shes worked in Raleigh, Portland, Washington and shes been at The New York Times for several years. Unlike the others, who are White, 1619 creator Hannah-Jones is Black. Unlike the others, Hannah-Jones has won a Pulitzer Prize. The 2020 award was for the 1619 Projects lead essay, "Our Democracy's founding ideals were false when they were written. Black Americans have fought to make them true. Also unlike the others, she won a Peabody Award for radio reporting (2016), a George Polk Award (2016), the John Chancellor Award from Columbia University (2018). In addition, she was a 2017 MacArthur Fellow, sometimes called a "genius grant." She has a special relationship with New Orleans and Louisiana. She received an honorary doctorate from Xavier University in Louisiana. Theres more. Theres not enough space.

I have a great deal of respect for each UNC Knight chair. Ive known each, one way or another. Ive known Hannah-Jones since she was a graduate student at UNC. I loved her die-hard determination, her indefatigable energy and her fierce will to do exceptional work. Ive enjoyed watching her grow. I love the impact shes had on journalism and journalists, including me.

This tenure drama is bad for UNC and higher education in Louisiana and elsewhere. Weve had some higher education institution controversies and dramas, and we need to steer clear of the type of thing happening in North Carolina.

The denial of tenure is clearly political, and its a part of a deliberate disinformation movement to discredit Hannah-Jones and the 1619 Project. The ambitious, long-form journalism project refocused our nations history as we observed the 400th anniversary of one of the key time markers, the beginning of slavery in America. It added historical and social context with Black people at the center of the economy that led to the ultimate success of what became the United States. Some prominent people have used commissions, columns and interviews to tear apart the work, produced by Hannah-Jones and a host of others. This tenure denial is a part of this effort.

Walter Hussman Jr., the $25 million Arkansas donor for whom the school is named, said he considers the project an agenda, inconsistent with what he considers the school's core values. I dont think the faculty feels the decision-making process meets the standards donor Walter Hussman Jr. codified for the school.

UNC may reverse its decision and grant tenure, but significant damage has been done. A prominent Black woman chemist recently withdrew from consideration at UNC. University donors and boards need to understand that those roles should not include day-to-day operations, hiring, promotion and tenure.

As of Wednesday, the UNC Hussman School of Journalism had 28 tenured faculty members. If the UNC Board knows whats best for Hussman, UNC-Chapel Hill and higher education across this nation, Hannah-Jones will be No. 29.
Editor's Note This article is brought to you by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

When Tomi Charleville first enrolled at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2014, she loved the campus and the culture. But the combination of long commutes, difficulty focusing in class and indecision about her major prompted Charleville to take some time away from school. She soon had a full-time job at a community health center, which she loved. However, she also knew she wanted to complete her education.

That was why Charleville was intrigued by UL Lafayettes online program that would allow her to earn a bachelors degree in business administration in management. Before long, she had enrolled and was taking her first online classes.

It was exactly what I needed, Charleville said. When I was in school, I would go home and learn from the book anyway because focusing in class is just hard for me, so the online program was perfect. It was ideal because I was still able to work full time at a place that I love while finishing my degree at the same time.

The flexibility of UL Lafayettes online courses was also appealing for Maria-Teresa King. She was interested in completing her bachelors degree, but was unsure how to proceed while balancing her family and military duties. When her husband learned about the UL Lafayette online bachelors degree in health services administration, King was immediately excited.

It was perfect for my schedule because I needed something that was flexible, she said. I had to pause for military duty a couple of times because I got recalled twice. It took quite a bit longer than it normally would have because of that, but I was so happy when I finished.

Kings experience was so positive that once she finished her bachelors degree, she enrolled in UL Lafayettes Master of Business Administration in Health Care Administration program online. That education has allowed her to move into a role as a quality program and incentive coordinator, working with multiple medical practices in the region.

I always have the yearning of wanting to continue my education and better myself, she said. I want to absorb other peoples expertise and abilities. Ive been able to do that with both of these programs. If it wasnt for the highly skilled educators and professors who genuinely love to teach, I would not be able to do what I do now.

Charleville graduated in fall 2020, an accomplishment she said would not have been possible without the help she received from UL Lafayette staff and professors. Her academic advisors were instrumental in making sure she took all of the correct courses, while her professors were readily available to answer questions.

If it wasnt for ULs online management program and the support I received, I dont know if I would have gone back to school, she said. It was hard since I was also working full time, but I also had time in the evenings and on weekends to get the assignments done. I didnt feel like the pace was any faster than if I was going to class in person.

Charleville said her degree has opened up new career possibilities. Her organization moved her to a larger location with more responsibilities and allowed her to work closely with the chief financial officer to learn more about business operations. She was promoted from a front desk receptionist to an accounts payable clerk. In May, she was accepted into an online post-bachelor certificate program.

I learned so much in my bachelors program and I really feel like it kicked off my career, she said. Its allowed me to move into a more significant role.

King said her experience has been similar, as her UL Lafayette education and the support she received was crucial, especially as she transitioned from military service to a role as a professional in civilian life.

I found that I really do thrive in goal-oriented environments and I constantly want to challenge myself, she said. I look for opportunities for positive growth, and a lot of that comes from my professors. Their influence has helped me tremendously with goal-setting and my ability to achieve.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers five online bachelors degrees and eight online or hybrid graduate degree programs. For more information on programs, admissions, registration and more, visit online.louisiana.edu.
Norman, OK (73070)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 90F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 68F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Norman, OK (73070)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low 68F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Wellsboro, Pa. - Fun and information will be available at The Green in downtown Wellsboro on Saturday, June 12 during the 19th Annual Family Day and Children's Health Fair! The free event will be held rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Each youngster participating in Family Day will be given a free foam rocket or foam ball. There will be a visit by Smokey the Bear and a one-hour dance party at 11 a.m. for preschoolers to 12-year-olds and anyone else who wants to participate.

Related reading: Check out the 2021 Laurel Festival schedule!

Families and individuals can visit booths that offer games and creative projects to do on-site or at home, such as planting seeds, making musical instruments, butterflies, or sock monkeys.

Other booths will provide information for childrens health, safety and well-being, on nutrition, mentoring, health insurance, music programs and classes, bike safety, wildfire prevention, water safety, managing childhood asthma, promoting positive mental health, substance abuse and crime prevention, outdoor recreation opportunities, foster parenting and adoption services, pets and much more.

Among the many free treasures at the booths will be comic books, ribbon wands, reusable grocery totes, coloring books, key chains, stickers, children's toothbrushes, pens, pencils and magnets.

In order to protect all youngsters attending Family Day, everyone is asked to wear masks as no vaccine is currently available for children under 12. Additional space has been provided around each booth to allow for social distancing.

Joining forces to organize this special event to kick off the weeklong 2021 Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival are: the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, Wellsboro Foundation, Inc., UPMC Wellsboro, UPMC Wellsboro Office of Pediatrics, the Tioga County Partnership for Community Health and AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania.

For more information about Laurel Festival events, stop in at the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro, call (570) 724-1926 or email info@wellsboropa.com.
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China approves emergency use of Sinovacs COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 3-17

Global Times) 13:29, June 06, 2021

China has authorized the emergency use of CoronaVac, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac, for children aged between 3 and 17, Sinovac Chairman Yin Weidong told the media on Friday.

Sinovac confirmed to the Global Times on Friday evening that CoronaVac has been approved for emergency use for this age group. "But when the vaccine will be put into [emergency] use, and starting from what age in the group has yet to be decided," he said.

Sinovac has finished the Phrase I and II clinical research stage, involving several hundred volunteers in this age group, which has proved that the vaccine is as safe and efficient as it is for adults, Yin told China Central Television (CCTV) in an interview on Friday.

The medicine regulatory authority in Nepal authorized the emergency use of the CoronaVac inactivated COVID-19 vaccine on Friday local time, Nepal-based media outlet The Kathmandu Post reported. It became the 48th country, region or international organization that has approved its use following the World Health Organization (WHO).

To date, Sinovac has provided more than 600 million doses of finished and semi-finished vaccine products to nearly 40 countries and regions including China.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

A few showers this morning, becoming a steady light rain during the afternoon hours. High 72F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of light rain. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
The Art Barn School of Art, the vision of founder Jan Sullivan, continues to be a place of inspiration for an artists creative soul. This June, Art Barn is kicking off a year-long tribute to Sullivan in honor of her 100th birthday and contribution to the arts with the 27th Annual Juried Art Exhibition. In 1969, Sullivan and husband Bud purchased the 19th century farm east of Valparaiso in Jackson Township, where cattle filled the pastures and were herded into the lower barn. Sullivan began hosting art workshops, classes, and plein air painting in the woods and fields of the farm aptly nicknamed Happy Jans Farm. The purpose of the annual juried exhibition is to promote the creation and recognition of original two-dimensional and works of ceramic art. Juror Randall Roberts of the Midwest Museum of American Art has selected 90 pieces for inclusion in this salon-style exhibition out of 198 submissions from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. Art Barn will present artists with over $3,000 in merit and purchase awards. The exhibit can be viewed through July 8. https://www.artbarnschool.org/
His love for Chicago and history only grew with jobs as a city beach lifeguard and after college as a driver for an airport shuttle service.

Thomas said those two jobs, which took him to parts of the city he'd otherwise never go, caused his curiosity to explode.

"As a black guy from Chicago I'd have no other reason to go to a lot of those places," Thomas said. "My curiosity was growing. I'd be driving down a block and wonder "Why do all these houses look alike?"

Then when he was hired by ComEd he saw every bit of the city as a meter reader.

"That was the best Chicago awakening," Thomas said of his job.

Thomas' notoriety is growing each day on social media. He's been drawn the attention of actors, comedians and politicians.

He has more than 51,000 followers on TikTok and thousands more on Twitter and Snapchat.

But that's not what drives Thomas. He has many aims but a big one is to educate young black and brown children across Chicago about where they come from and where they can go.
The crash attracted attention far beyond the local Duneland community, as was evidenced by the FBI documents Alaspa obtained through his Freedom of Information Act search.

There were notes from (the first FBI Director J. Edgar) Hoover himself, he said.

What Alaspa learned from his research is that the plane in question was on its way to California. Planes in those days were not able to carry enough fuel to make the cross-country trip in one leg, so stops were scheduled along the way like this one in Cleveland that was next headed to Chicago.

This plane was considered pretty high-tech for the era, nonetheless, with its height during flight, pressurized cabin and air conditioning.

Investigators never did determine whether the explosive on this flight was loaded on the plane somewhere en route or carried on by a passenger or crew, he said.

There has been a lot of talk about a businessman on board from Chicago, who appears to have gone to New York just to get away, Alaspa said. What has raised suspicion is that he got on board in New York with a package that he was not willing to turn over to be stowed away with the other luggage.
The ordinance would require the city to begin a campaign to explain and clarify the purposes and requirements of the ordinance.

Everybody is entitled to their freedom as long as it doesnt impact the rights of those around you, Gulley said.

Councilwoman Gina Giese-Hurst, D-1st, said she has been contacted by venues that currently allow smoking. She would love to hear from constituents in her district, she said.

Megan Fisher, of Valparaiso, who is involved in fighting addictions, said the proposed ban would create a level playing field for businesses.

All were asking is step outside, she said.

We are not aware of any credible statistic or study that shows negative financial impact; any study making that claim is funded by the tobacco industry, Fisher said.

She urged the council to consider the timing of the ordinance. Its very beneficial in the wake of this COVID pandemic that were all battling, she said. Smoking expels air, which exacerbates the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
VALPARAISO  The Porter County Park Board has begun the process of searching for a new park superintendent.

Walter Lenckos, who has held that position for 11 years, is leaving June 18 to work for Opportunity Enterprises, offering accessible recreational opportunities for the respite care program.

A part-time interim superintendent will be selected soon, board attorney David Hollenbeck said.

Were looking for someone to hold the ship down and keep the rudder under control, he said.

Hollenbeck said hes working on the procedure to replace Lenckos with another permanent superintendent.

We have a job description, but it, too, is 11 years old, he said. Lenckos likely will help update that document, Hollenbeck said.

The time, energy and talent that Walter has given us this last 11 years has taken us to places we didnt think wed ever go, Hollenbeck said.

The true test of a man is whether he leaves a place better than he found it, Hollenbeck said. Walter passes that test with an A.

Board Chairman Craig Kenworthy also complimented Lenckos for his outstanding service.
But the damage done by abortion to Black Americans goes beyond this massacre of unborn Black children. It has tangible, damaging effects on the well-being of the Black family.

Why, after all these years, do poverty rates persist so much higher, on average, in Black communities compared with national averages?

Data shows a compelling correlation between family structure and incidence of poverty.

Per the Census Bureau's "Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019" report and per Statista, the incidence of living under poverty is more than four times higher for Black families headed by a single woman than for Black families headed by a married couple. And 41% of Black families are headed by a single woman.

Per data from Pew Research Center, in 1970, three years before the Roe v. Wade decision, around 10% of Black adults over 25 had never been married. By 2012, this had more than tripled, to 36%.

Abortion undermines the values of the traditional family. And traditional family values provide the offramp from the cycle of poverty.

The persistence of problems in Black communities stems from federal policies that pretend to fight the sin of racism with the sins of the destruction of life and family.

Now President Biden not only wants to continue this destruction; he wants to use our tax dollars to subsidize it.

Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the new weekly television show "Cure America with Star Parker." The opinions are the writer's.

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The meeting on May 21 between President Joe Biden of the United States and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea is a significant event, characterized by the relative absence of media coverage. The conversations between these two highly experienced leaders were extensive, but not public, which is how the best most effective diplomacy is conducted.

Media attention focused on presentation of the Medal of Honor to retired U.S. Army Colonel Ralph Puckett, in an award ceremony attended by President Moon. This is the first time the head of a foreign government has attended the special ceremony. Puckett had received the Distinguished Service Cross, now upgraded, for extraordinary heroism and leadership during heavy combat in the Korean War.

Over the past four years, Moon appeared overshadowed by the public posturing and often-extreme statements of President Donald Trump and North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un. Trump and Kim held several summits with exceptional media attention, statements about breakthroughs and promises of progress in the tense relations between the two nations. Nothing consequential resulted.
How is this happening? We are the envy of the world when it comes our economy and our freedoms, and both are slowly being worn away. Our freedoms are being compromised in the name of COVID "safety." Your government can now decide if you are an essential business, they can decide if you can even open your private business up at all and they can decide how many people you may assemble with at any given time. It well and truly is the "Nanny State" and unfortunately too many people either like it or are comfortable with it.

The government will take care of you, dont worry. Look at how many people have decided to let the government look after them this summer when 8.1 million jobs are open  the government is paying them to stay home. It is the beginning of universal basic income, a failed idea that is being embraced by the left in the U.S. Pay people for nothing  let them stay home and basically be a ward of the state. I am amazed at how many Americans would choose that option. I guess I am sad that they would rather take the easy cheese than work hard and maybe make a lot more cheese. That is my big takeaway from the pandemic last year. I am massively disappointed on how we reacted. The mere fact that we chose to trade freedoms for some perception of safety makes me very sad.
First, he admits that death sentences are "often" overturned on appeal. He even cites the case of a 14 year-old sent to the chair in 1944, only to be exonerated 70 years later. He says that creates "pause (sic) for concern." But not a pause in the death penalty, however. Without it, there is no civil society. Only the death penalty can assure that, he says. And so, he applauds South Carolina for reinstating capital punishment after a 10-year hiatus. Then comes the clincher: the best part of the new law for Williams is its ... re-introduction of the firing squad! More humane, he says. Maybe the Republicans in Indy will follow suit. I feel safer already.
As Memorial Day weekend has passed, I wonder if any of my fellow citizens have learned anything from the sacrifices that were made by a few for the many. It is sad to believe that less than 1% of Americans enlist in the military. Maybe that is why so few ever want to be a first responder. Maybe, the idea of putting others first is distasteful or unacceptable in a society were individuals care only about themselves.

We look around Northwest Indiana you can see people hurting, people hungry, and those in need of some support to allow them to live. But do we reach out to those individuals, no, we look down on them and thank God its not us. But what would God think of those who had the ability and resources to help but refused to do so. I understand that we as a society can't help everyone, everywhere, but can we help just one neighbor this week, and maybe next week we can help just one more person. If every company, government agency and nonprofit asked their employees to donate a few hours each month to help a senior citizen clean their yard or fix a wheelchair ramp, how much better our neighborhoods would be? If we asked our government officials to get out from behind their desks and really putting in some sweat equity, maybe they would understand that change, change of all types starts with one person. Let's remember the sacrifices made by the few for the many and lets be part of those willing to sacrifice.
Brynna Bantley, 27, was working as a personal chef in San Diego, but had to return home to Atlanta in July after she couldnt find consistent work because of pandemic shutdowns. Ms. Bantley said shes been putting off her eventual move out of the house, in part to save money, but also because shes anxious about leaving home. She worries about being able to support herself without her parents help and her ability to find steady freelance work in the hospitality industry. In college, she said, she felt she had a purpose. Now if I move out, I dont know if Ill have as much of a directive, she said. You dont know exactly what youre going to do. Its a little bit daunting.

Have a plan.

Erica Sandoval, a licensed clinical social worker and president of the New York City Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said young adults have always faced challenges when leaving home, but the pandemic has added an additional wrinkle of uncertainty to what their lives will look like going forward. There are a lot of different emotions due to the fact that youre really not sure what its going to be like, said Ms. Sandoval. The world is not the same.

Having a plan can relieve anxiety. She advises young adults to start with a financial plan that takes into account how much you have saved in the bank, how much money youll be earning after leaving home and which bills youll be responsible for paying on your own. Set short-term and long-term career goals, and have a Plan B in case you need to adjust during uncertain times. Make a plan for health emergencies, too. Who is the person who should be called, and how do you plan on checking with each other? she said.

Set up a support squad.

Young adults leaving family support systems behind should be proactive about setting up a support squad in their new city, particularly if they are struggling with mental health. The support team should include any friends, family and a therapist in the area. A pet can also be a great comfort, said Ms. Sandoval.

Try to build new relationships to add to the support squad, said Danielle Burks, a licensed clinical professional counselor specializing in teens and young adults based in Chicago. Ms. Burks suggests chatting with neighbors, looking for community events and heading to the local bookstore to meet new people. Apps like Bumble BFF and Meetup can help foster new relationships.

Moving to a new place during this time, it can feel scary and lonely, she said. Maintaining current relationships, leaning in on those relationships is important.

Create a routine.

Julie Lythcott-Haims, a former dean of freshmen at Stanford University and author of the book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, said an easy way for young adults to create a routine in their new home is to think about three categories: bodies, bills and belongings. Schedule time in the mornings for self-care activities like exercise (bodies) and make room for household chores (bills and belongings) in the evenings. She also recommends the YouTube account Dad, how do I? which offers videos with tips on how to take care of many of these adult responsibilities, from changing a toilet seat to mowing the lawn.
Thomas Wynne, a spokesman for Seastreak, said in an interview on Saturday that the warnings had come about 45 to 60 seconds before the boat ran aground, adding that the company was still investigating the event.

The crash on Saturday was less severe than another Seastreak crash in 2013. Several dozen passengers on a commuter ferry were injured when the vessel struck two slips at Pier 11, at South Street and Gouverneur Lane.

George Weinmann, the vice president of the Greenpoint Monitor Museum, a nonprofit organization devoted to the site where the USS Monitor, an ironclad launched during the Civil War, was built, said he was at the site for an event of the Harbor School in which students tend oysters that are used to filter the water.

He said he saw the ferry going by and it turned into the inlet and as it was coming in, it was coming pretty fast.

He turned there and then the stern of the boat actually swirled around to the side and took all the pilings that are in the center of the inlet right out, knocked them out where the oysters and everything are, or were, I should say.

He said the ferry started to list to the side and take on water. If he hadnt turned, he would have come up right on the shore, Mr. Weinmann said.

Ian Christner of the Bronx was traveling with his wife and two children. He said that as the ferry had passed beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, shortly after stopping at the Battery Maritime Building on the southern tip of Manhattan, it began to drift to the Brooklyn side.
John M. Patterson, a defiant segregationist who defeated and preceded George C. Wallace as the governor of Alabama as the South plunged into the violence and turmoil of the civil rights movement in the late 1950s and 60s, died on Friday at his home in Goldville, Ala. He was 99.

His daughter, Barbara Patterson Scholl, confirmed the death, The Associated Press reported.

In a state where white supremacy, racism and brutality against African-Americans were ways of life, Mr. Patterson, supported by the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens Councils, made Mr. Wallace, who was then a state judge backed by the N.A.A.C.P., look like a milquetoast moderate when he defeated him in the 1958 Democratic primary. In those days, a primary victory was tantamount to election in heavily Democratic Alabama.

The youngest governor in Alabama history at 37, Mr. Patterson had only one term, from 1959 to 1963, and was constitutionally barred from a second consecutive term. But his tumultuous tenure coincided with centennial celebrations of the Civil War. Rebel yells and Confederate flags  one fluttering atop the State Capitol  were the backdrop for a toxic racial climate on his watch.

Klan activity surged across Alabama. Torchlight parades of white-robed men terrorized wide areas. Hooded men in cars roamed roads with shotguns and whips, flogging Black people and their white sympathizers. Crosses burned outside churches, schools and homes. Klan welcome signs were posted in many towns, and Klan leaders called openly at the governors mansion in Montgomery.
Fears over Israels coalition

Israels internal security director issued a rare public warning on Saturday night about what he called rising levels of incitement. The social tensions come ahead of a vote on a political coalition designed to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Far-right Jewish activists announced plans for a provocative march through Palestinian neighborhoods of Jerusalem to occur later this week. And on Sunday, Israeli police detained Palestinian twins whose activism helped bring attention to the displacement of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, which precipitated the recent conflict in Gaza.

The heterogenous coalition could usher in a more liberal civil rights agenda and would include, for the first time in Israeli history, an independent Arab party.

But some fear the political turbulence might prompt hard-right members to withdraw. Netanyahu and his supporters are turning up the heat, accusing ultranationalist members of betraying the country. And hundreds of right-wing protesters picketed the homes of several wavering members.
Fisher-Price is recalling its 4-in-1 Rock n Glide Soother, a baby sleep product, after it was linked to reports of four infant deaths, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The infants who died were reported to have been placed on their backs unrestrained in the product, which is supposed to rock babies to sleep, and were later found on their stomachs, the commission said.

The deaths took place between April 2019 and February 2020, and included a 4-month-old; two infants, both 2 months old; and an 11-week-old.

Robert Adler, the acting chairman of the commission, said the products were not safe for infants to sleep in because of the risk of suffocation.
Graeme Ferguson, a Canadian documentarian who cocreated Imax, the panoramic cinema experience that immerses audiences in movies, and was the chief creative force of the company for years, died on May 8 at his home in Lake of Bays, Ontario. He was 91.

His son, Munro Ferguson, said the cause was cancer.

In the 1960s, Mr. Ferguson was making a name for himself as a young cinematographer known for working in the cinema verite style when he was asked to direct a documentary about the Arctic and Antarctic for the Expo 67 worlds fair in Montreal. He traveled for a year filming the movie, which included footage of Inuit life and the aurora borealis.

The documentary, Polar Life, was screened in an immersive theater configuration: Audiences sat on a rotating turntable as the movie played on a panorama of 11 fixed screens. The experience was a hit. Another movie at Expo 67 that similarly used multiple screens, In the Labyrinth, was directed by Roman Kroitor, who was Mr. Fergusons brother-in-law. Soon, the two men had a vision.

We asked each other, wouldnt it be better to have had or been able to have a single, large-format projector filling a large screen? Mr. Ferguson told Take One, a Canadian film magazine, in 1997. Obviously the next step was to have a large film format, larger than anything that had ever been done.
The program is entirely voluntary, officials at both Kinsa and City Hall stress. Schools that opt into the program will send Kinsas brochures home to students families; if parents want to participate, they can download Kinsas app and order a free thermometer.

Join Michael Barbaro and The Daily team as they celebrate the students and teachers finishing a year like no other with a special live event. Catch up with students from Odessa High School, which was the subject of a Times audio documentary series. We will even get loud with a performance by the drum line of Odessas award-winning marching band, and a special celebrity commencement speech.

Theres nothing about this program that is mandated, Dr. Varma said. Schools are not required to participate. Families are not required to participate, and of course they can kind of discontinue it at any time.

The program  which is partly being funded by Lysol  will be free to schools and families.

Readings from the thermometers will be sent to the accompanying app, which also asks users to log any other symptoms they may be experiencing. Depending on what they report, the app may recommend that a child stay home from school, suggest a visit to the doctor or direct users to a nearby Covid testing site. School administrators and families can view information about grade-level trends at their own schools  that there are four ailing fourth-graders, for instance.

City health officials will also have access to this aggregated, anonymized data, which they hope will help them identify unusual illness clusters earlier than is currently possible. Its measuring something that weve never really been able to measure before, Dr. Varma said. This is information about peoples biological measurements, being taken by somebody in their home before theyve actually, in many situations, sought care.

If officials see an illness beginning to spread through a school, they could marshal a targeted response, Dr. Varma said  perhaps by doing some deep cleaning, temporarily closing a school building or helping students and staff members access care.

And while the rollout focuses on schools, Kinsa says that the system could benefit all New Yorkers. The reason that were targeting elementary schools is because we know parents of elementary-age children are power users of thermometers, said Nita Nehru, vice president of communications at Kinsa. In a normal illness season, illness spreads rapidly within schools, and thats where you want to start gathering data earlier, if you want to be able to stop the spread of illness more broadly.

The data has limitations. Thermometers, of course, will not catch ailments that are not accompanied by fevers, and many cases of Covid, especially in children, are asymptomatic. Moreover, schools and families that opt into the program may not be representative of the citys population at large.
Ed Warren is sitting in a musty living room in North London, trying to establish contact with a demon. Behind him sits a little girl, said to be possessed. The demon wont talk, she insists, unless he faces away and gives him some privacy. With his back to the girl, Ed gets down to business. Now come on out and talk to us, he says brightly.

Out comes the demon, cackling and taunting in a fiendish, guttural voice, like a cockney Tom Waits. He wants to rattle Ed, but as played by Patrick Wilson, Eds not easily rattled. Alongside his wife, Lorraine, he works as a paranormal investigator, and this is hardly his first tete-a-tete with a malignant spirit. Your father called you Edward, the demon snarls, trying to get under his skin. But Ed just rolls his eyes and shakes his head impatiently. Youre not a psychiatrist, and Im not here to talk about my father, he says. Lets get down to business. What do you say?

This scene in The Conjuring 2 (2016), the sequel to the sumptuous, vigorously terrifying The Conjuring, encapsulates what these hit movies do so well. The director James Wan shoots the entire conversation in one long, unbroken take, zooming in so slowly that the movement of the camera is virtually undetectable. The demon, in the background, is a sinister blur. Instead, our attention fixes on Ed, staring ahead.
The protests last summer following George Floyds death sparked a national outcry over police brutality. Here are the most important police reforms eight of the leading candidates for mayor of New York say they would pursue:

Were no longer going to allow police officers who are abusive to remain in the department for such a long period of time. Im going to have a fair but speedy trial within a two-month period to determine if that officer should remain a police officer. The goal here is to rebuild trust, look at our police budget, look at areas such as overtime and civilianization of policing.

We need to reform policing by creating real transparency, real accountability, weeding out the bad apples. But we also need to reduce what were asking the police to do. Theyre asked to be mental-health experts with our homeless and in so many other situations.

The most important police reform that I would pursue as mayor is to ensure that we have very clear and transparent discipline for our officers. We have to instill new training programs, and make sure that we are promoting those officers who are rebuilding trust with communities.
[Watch the NYC mayoral debate live.]

The next mayor will inherit an economy devastated by the pandemic. Heres how eight of the leading candidates for mayor of New York say they would help the city recover:

We will focus on our small businesses to get our small businesses up and operating again. We will look after those over a million New Yorkers who are rent-insecure so that we can stabilize them. And then we will also assist those small-property landlords so that they wont lose their homes in the process.

I would make sure everyone can walk into a restaurant, everyone can walk into a theater, with an app on their phone that lets them know that its a safe place and that the restaurant or the theater knows that person has been vaccinated.

Art, culture, restaurants. When theyre strong, that means offices are strong, and that means that tourism comes back. Thats how we come out of this.
Justin, who was about to turn 11 on Tuesday, was struck in the stomach and pronounced dead at St. Johns Episcopal Hospital. His cousin, Kyle Forrester, whom police earlier identified as an uncle, was shot in the shoulder but expected to survive.

Image Justin Wallace Credit... The Rev. Dr. Les Mullings

He was my pride, my joy, Aretha Douglas Wallace, Justins mother, said on Sunday afternoon after emerging from the familys home on Beach 69th Street in neighboring Arverne. My rock.

Tears rimmed her eyes as she walked out of the houses front gate, describing where their party plans had left off.

I was going to make calls to the children for the party, she said. Justin was going to give me a list, and I was going to call everyone.

Down the sidewalk, she wrapped her arms around a young man in a suit, and they held each other in a long embrace.

Justin was finishing up the fifth grade at Challenge Preparatory Charter School, according to the Rev. Dr. Les Mullings, the founder. Nicole Griffin, the principal, sent a note to staff on Sunday announcing his death and the schools plans for a ceremony to remember him.

The boy was one of nine people shot on Saturday in six separate incidents, according to the police. Another child, a 12-year-old girl, and a man were shot earlier Saturday in an unrelated incident in the Bronx.
Clarence Williams III, the reflectively intense actor who starred as Linc Hayes, a young, hip undercover police officer on ABCs The Mod Squad, died on Friday in Los Angeles. He was 81.

The cause was colon cancer, his manager, Allan Mindel, said.

The Mod Squad, which ran from 1968 to 1973, was one of the first of its kind  a prime-time network series that focused on members of the hippie generation at the same time that it exploited them.

The show had two ad taglines. First they got busted; then they got badges summarized the shows back story: three hippies in trouble with the law who then joined the police force as plainclothes cops with built-in disguises  their youth and their counterculture personas.
To the Editor:

Re The Truth May Yet Be Out There, by Adam Frank (Opinion guest essay, June 2):

As a nonscientist, I hesitate to quibble with a professor of astrophysics about the criteria for acknowledgment of extraterrestrial life. However, Dr. Frank addresses the matter as if it can be adequately probed by the application of current scientific and technological tools.

Wouldnt it be safe to say that, whatever might be out there, a few quadrillion miles away from us, is likely to be utterly dissimilar to everything we know with our earthbound consciousness? If so, we literally couldnt even conceive of that worlds nature or its inhabitants, if there be any.

If an 18th-century scientist were somehow to obtain a view of our 21st-century world, what capacity would he have to recognize nuclear power, an M.R.I. scan or Wi-Fi? Or, indeed, the principles behind spaceflight? He would be, as we all are, a prisoner of his paradigm.

Extraterrestrial life may be no more graspable by science than the charms of music.

Simon Marcus

Oakland, Calif.
As the nation edges closer to President Bidens goal of a 70 percent vaccination rate, many people are beginning to wonder how long their protection will last.

For now, scientists are asking a lot of questions about Covid-19 booster shots, but they dont yet have many answers. The National Institutes of Health recently announced that it has begun a new clinical trial of people fully vaccinated  with any authorized vaccine  to see whether a booster of the Moderna shot will increase their antibodies and prolong protection against getting infected with the virus.

Although many scientists estimate that the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines authorized in the United States will last at least a year, no one knows for sure. Its also unclear whether emerging variants of the coronavirus will change our vaccination needs.

Were in uncharted waters here in terms of boosters, said Dr. Edward Belongia, a physician and epidemiologist at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, Wis.
A sculptural representation of a bookworm  140 feet of scripts and songbooks, twisted along a steel skeleton  corkscrews across the Drama Book Shop in Manhattan. It starts with ancient Greek texts and, 2,400 volumes later, spills into a pile that includes Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

This 3,500-pound tribute to theatrical history is the centerpiece of the century-old bookstores new location, opening Thursday on West 39th Street.

The shop  like so many bookstores around the country  had brushes with death, caused not only by e-commerce but also by fire and flood, before encountering a rent hike it could not withstand, in 2018. The beloved institution, where students, artists, scholars and fans could browse memoirs and bone up for auditions, was in danger of closing.

Then came an unexpected rescue. Four men enriched by Hamilton, including the musicals creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda; its director, Thomas Kail; its lead producer, Jeffrey Seller; and the theater owner, James L. Nederlander, bought the store from its longtime owners. Kail has a particularly close relationship with the shop  20 years ago, just out of college, he formed a small theater company in its basement. After he teamed up with Miranda, the two worked on In the Heights there.
Ever Lopez of Asheboro, N.C., was set to become the first member of his immediate family to graduate from high school, but instead, he said, he was denied his diploma because he wore a Mexican flag over his gown at his graduation ceremony this past week.

Until Mr. Lopezs name was called on Thursday, the graduation ceremony at Asheboro High School had played out like any other: A students name was called, the student received a diploma holder, handshakes were exchanged and people clapped.

But when Mr. Lopez approached the center of the stage with the red-white-and-green Mexican flag draped over his shoulders, he had a brief exchange with the schools principal, Penny Crooks, drawing boos from the audience. After a moment, Mr. Lopez walked off the stage, raising a fist as he returned to his seat.

The moment was captured on video and posted to TikTok by Mr. Lopezs cousin Adolfo Hurtado, who said that Ms. Crooks had asked Mr. Lopez to remove the flag and that he refused to do so.
On the other side, Randy Bishop eyes the King Orchards farm stand with similar rancor.

The white-bearded Mr. Bishop, sometimes called the Rush Limbaugh of Antrim County, abandoned long-distance trucking during the 2009 recession and currently hosts a talk radio show. He will boycott Kings forever, he said, along with other progressive, communist business owners in this county.

Differences that had always simmered beneath the surface were inflamed by the coronavirus pandemic and pushed many people in places like Antrim County into their tribal corners. Now the molten flow of anger over the presidential election and virus mitigation measures is hardening into enduring divisions over activities as simple as where people buy their fruit.

Political divisions have infiltrated other parts of peoples lives a lot more than they used to, said Larry Peck, 68, a retired oil company executive. Choosing where you go, choosing where you shop, choosing all the things that your life interacts with that used to be not political now are a lot more political.

Antrim County, population 23,324, is known for its chain of 14 long, narrow, sometimes turquoise lakes spilling into Lake Michigan. The abundant water tempers the climate and, combined with the low, cigar-shaped hills, creates ideal conditions to grow fruit.
WASHINGTON  The rapid U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan is creating intense pressure on the C.I.A. to find new ways to gather intelligence and carry out counterterrorism strikes in the country, but the agency has few good options.

The C.I.A., which has been at the heart of the 20-year American presence in Afghanistan, will soon lose bases in the country from where it has run combat missions and drone strikes while closely monitoring the Taliban and other groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The agencys analysts are warning of the ever-growing risks of a Taliban takeover.

United States officials are in last-minute efforts to secure bases close to Afghanistan for future operations. But the complexity of the continuing conflict has led to thorny diplomatic negotiations as the military pushes to have all forces out by early to mid-July, well before President Bidens deadline of Sept. 11, according to American officials and regional experts.

One focus has been Pakistan. The C.I.A. used a base there for years to launch drone strikes against militants in the countrys western mountains, but was kicked out of the facility in 2011, when U.S. relations with Pakistan unraveled.
Democrats defeated President Donald J. Trump and captured the Senate last year with a racially diverse coalition that delivered victories by tiny margins in key states like Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin.

In the next election, they cannot count on repeating that feat, a new report warns.

A review of the 2020 election, conducted by several prominent Democratic advocacy groups, has concluded that the party is at risk of losing ground with Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters unless it does a better job presenting an economic agenda and countering Republican efforts to spread misinformation and tie all Democratic candidates to the far left.

The 73-page report, obtained by The New York Times, was assembled at the behest of three major Democratic interest groups: Third Way, a centrist think tank, and the Collective PAC and the Latino Victory Fund, which promote Black and Hispanic candidates. It appears to be the most thorough act of self-criticism carried out by Democrats or Republicans after the last campaign.

The document is all the more striking because it is addressed to a victorious party: Despite their successes, Democrats had hoped to achieve more robust control of both chambers of Congress, rather than the ultra-precarious margins they enjoy.
With Mr. Manchins vow, passage of the full For the People Act appears to be impossible, though parts of it could pass in other ways if Democrats are willing to break up the bill, a move that they have resisted. Mr. Manchins blockade of filibuster changes makes other Biden initiatives far less likely to pass, including any overhaul of immigration laws, a permanent expansion of the Affordable Care Act, controls of the price of prescription drugs and the most serious efforts to tackle climate change.

Under Senate rules, 60 votes are needed to end debate and break a filibuster on policy legislation. Republican and Democratic Senates have chipped away at the filibuster, ensuring that most executive branch appointees and judicial nominees can be confirmed with a simple 51-vote majority. A budget rule, called reconciliation, has also been stretched to pass ambitious legislation under the guise of spending and taxation. Major tax cuts pressed by President George W. Bush and Mr. Trump were passed with simple majorities as budget bills, as were parts of the Affordable Care Act and a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill this year.

But bills that are purely policy oriented are still subject to a 60-vote majority in the Senate, and all 48 Democrats and both liberal-leaning independents would have to align to change that rule. Even if they did, all 50 would have to vote for the voting rights and ethics bill, considering that no Republican is expected to back it.

Mr. Manchin said instead that he would support passage of another bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore federal oversight over state-level voting law changes to protect minority groups that might be targeted. He cited one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, as a supporter of the measure, which would give the Justice Department powers to police voting rights that the Supreme Court took away in 2013.

That decision freed nine states, mainly in the South, to change voting laws without pre-approval from Washington. After the 2020 election, many of those states  and several others  jumped at the chance, powered by the false claim that voting in November was rife with fraud.
Injustice is a root cause of migration, Ms. Harris said during a White House meeting on May 19 with four women who fought corruption in Guatemala. It is causing the people of the region to leave their homes involuntarily  meaning they dont want to leave but they are fleeing.

While White House officials say their push to help Central America can do a tremendous amount of good, there is growing recognition inside the Biden administration that all the money spent in the region has not made enough of a difference to keep people from migrating, according to several administration officials and others with knowledge of the discussions.

Weve looked extensively at different programs that have been approached, said Nancy McEldowney, a longtime diplomat who serves as Ms. Harriss national security adviser. She obviously has learned a lot from what then-Vice President Biden did. And so we are very mindful of the need to learn of both positive and negative, what has happened in the past.

Foreign aid is often a difficult, and at times flawed, tool for achieving American interests abroad, but its unclear whether there are any simple alternatives for the Biden administration. President Donald J. Trumps solution to migration centered on draconian policies that critics denounced as unlawful and inhumane. Moreover, members of the current administration contend that Mr. Trumps decision to freeze a portion of the aid to the region in 2019 ended up blunting the impact of the work being done to improve conditions there.

But experts say the reasons that years of aid have not curbed migration run far deeper than that. In particular, they note that much of the money is handed over to American companies, which swallow a lot of it for salaries, expenses and profits, often before any services are delivered.
Respect for the United Nations in Haiti was forever destroyed by the cholera epidemic that ravaged the impoverished country after the 2010 earthquake, the leader of the global organization during that period said in a new book.

Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean statesman who was the United Nations secretary general from 2007 to 2016, also asserted in his book that the organization should have done far more to arrest the cholera scourge, which at least three investigations linked to poor sanitation by U.N. peacekeepers there.

Our delayed and insufficient early response had made the tragedy worse, Mr. Ban wrote.

But he also expressed disdain for Haitis leaders  particularly its president at the time of the quake and cholera outbreak, Rene Preval, whom he described as lost, panicked and paralyzed.

And Mr. Ban was similarly critical of aggrieved cholera victims and their lawyers who unsuccessfully sued the United Nations for compensation in the American court system. He described it as a fraudulent extortion attempt and said it could have undercut U.N. work everywhere if it had prevailed.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua  Opposition candidates have been detained. Protests have been banned. And political parties have been disqualified.

Just months before seeking re-election, Nicaraguas president, Daniel Ortega, has brought his country a step away from becoming a one-party state, clamping down on the opposition to an extent not seen since the brutal suppression of anti-government protests in 2018, experts say.

The aggressive moves by Mr. Ortega present an unexpected challenge to the Biden administration, which has made strengthening democracy in Central America one of the pillars of its policy toward the region.

Mr. Ortegas crackdown reached an inflection point on Wednesday, after his government charged a leading opposition candidate, Cristiana Chamorro, with money laundering and ideological falseness and placed her under house arrest hours after she announced her plans to run for president in the Nov. 7 election. Another candidate, Arturo Cruz, was detained Saturday by the police for allegedly conspiring against Nicaraguan society.
Still, Mr. Bidens visits to NATO on June 14 and then the European Union for brief summits, following his attendance at the Group of 7 in Britain, will be more than symbolic. The meetings are synchronized so that he can arrive in Geneva on June 16 with allied consultation and support for his first meeting as president with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

The hopeful, optimistic view is that Biden is kicking off a new relationship, showing faith in Brussels and NATO, saying the right words and kicking off the key strategic process of renovating the alliance for the next decade, said Jana Puglierin, Berlin director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. But Biden also wants to see bang for the buck, and we need to show tangible results. This is not unconditional love, but friends with benefits.

Francois Heisbourg, a French defense analyst, sees only positives from the Biden trip.

The U.S. is back, Bidens back, theres nothing cynical here, said Mr. Heisbourg, a special adviser to the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. Biden has some strong views, and he is determined to implement them. International affairs are not his priority, but his basic positioning is, Lets be friends again, to reestablish comity and civility with allies.

But eventually, Mr. Heisbourg said, policy reviews have to become policy.

Ivo H. Daalder, who was U.S. ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama, sees the whole trip as part of Were back, and important to show that alliances and partners matter, that we want to work with other countries and be nice to our friends. Even the G-7 will be like that.

But he and others note that Mr. Biden has not yet named ambassadors to either NATO or the European Union  or to most European countries, for that matter  let alone had them confirmed. For now, officials insist, that absence is not vital, and many of the most likely candidates are well-known.
SULMONA, Italy  Workers ladled sugar water on the almonds roasting in spinning copper basins. They set them to tumble hypnotically in tubs of chocolate, collected the confections spit out of packaging machines and loaded white, blue, pink and green varieties onto crates.

As Italy lifts more than a yearlong ban on wedding receptions, the production of confetti  the traditional sugarcoated almond confections that Italian brides spoon out to their wedding guests  is roaring back, and all of Sulmona is experiencing a sugar rush.

We are on our way, said Mario Pelino, whose candy factory, Confetti Pelino, looms Wonka-like over the fertile Abruzzo valley, tucked between the high Apennine Mountains.

Sulmona may be the birthplace of Ovid, the ancient Roman poet who wrote The Art of Love. It may have come to prominence as a crossroads for Italys great sheep migrations. It may have wonderful hiking and special red garlic. But most Italians know it best as Italys candy land, the ancestral home of the wedding party favors, sometimes known as Jordan Almonds, that are beloved in Italys south and by Italian grandmas everywhere.
LONDON  Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, on Sunday announced the birth of a daughter, whose name, Lilibet, pays tribute to Harrys grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, after a year of estrangement between the couple and the British royal family.

The baby, who was born on Friday morning in Santa Barbara, Calif., will go by the name Lili, an abbreviated version of the nickname given the queen when she was a young girl. The babys middle name, Diana, honors Harrys mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

This is the couples second child, and her birth adds a joyful note to what has been a year of turmoil and ill will after a sensational interview with Oprah Winfrey in which Meghan, a biracial American former actress, accused the royal family of racism and callousness after she married Harry in 2018.

In a statement, the couples press secretary said Meghan and her child were healthy and back home in Montecito, Calif., where the couple moved last year after a rancorous separation from the family.
JERUSALEM  Fears of renewed unrest in Israel heightened over the weekend, leading the countrys internal security director to issue a rare public warning about what he called rising levels of incitement following rightist efforts to derail progress toward a new coalition government.

Far-right Jewish activists announced plans for a provocative march through Palestinian neighborhoods of Jerusalem while, adding to the tensions, the Israeli police on Sunday detained a pair of Palestinian siblings whose activism and media appearances recently drew a wave of international attention to the displacement of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, forming the backdrop to the recent conflict in Gaza.

The events raised the specter of a new wave of turmoil in Israel and the occupied territories, just days before the Israeli Parliament is expected to hold a vote of confidence in a fragile new government whose formation would force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to leave office for the first time in 12 years.

The new coalition is formed from eight ideologically diffuse parties drawn from the far left to the hard right and would include, for the first time in Israeli history, an independent Arab party.
JERUSALEM  Still reeling from bearing the brunt of Israels coronavirus pandemic, then a deadly stampede at a religious festival, Israels ultra-Orthodox Jews now face the prospect of losing the power they have wielded in government  a setback that could relax some of the strictures on life in Israel.

The heterogeneous coalition that is emerging to replace the 12-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spans the Israeli political spectrum from left to right, including secular parties, modern Orthodox politicians from the religious Zionist camp and even a small Arab, Islamist party.

Missing are the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, a Hebrew term for those who tremble before God. Their political representatives have sat in most, though not all, governments of Israel since the late 1970s, when the right-wing Likud party upended decades of political hegemony by the states socialist founders.

Over the years, the two main Haredi parties have forged a tight alliance with Mr. Netanyahu, the Likud leader, and leveraged their role as linchpins in a series of governing coalitions. There, they have wielded what many critics view as disproportionate power over state policy that became apparent as they successfully fought or, in the case of some sects, simply refused to follow pandemic restrictions.
Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi on Sunday said that despite his states relatively low vaccination rates, case numbers showed there was no longer a high risk of contracting or being hospitalized with Covid-19.

I took my first dose in January, as did my wife, on TV, live, Mr. Reeves said of the shot on the CNN program State of the Union on Sunday. President Bidens goals for July 4 are otherwise arbitrary, to say the least.

The state is among the countrys slowest in vaccinations, with 34 percent of the population having received at least one shot, according to a Times database. While the state was far from the 70 percent vaccination goal for that date set forth by the White House, Mr. Reeves said that Mississippi would continue focusing on keeping its case and hospitalization numbers stable.

For over a year, we tried to focus our goals on reducing hospitalizations, reducing the number of individuals in I.C.U. beds, because we think the most important thing is that, if you get the virus, if you can get better with good quality care, that you receive that quality care, he said. The states case load is improving. At our peak, we had 2,400 cases per day over a seven-day period, Mr. Reeves said. Over the last seven days, weve had barely 800 cases in total over those seven days.
The vaccine shortfall is widest in Africa, where about 3 percent of 1.2 billion people across more than 50 countries have received one shot, and the World Health Organization reported last week that eight countries had seen cases surge 30 percent or more in the previous seven days. Compare that with the United States, where more than 60 percent of people have received one dose, and new cases have dropped 80 percent since mid-April.

The efforts to help poorer countries are a baby step, said Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine expert at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The donations to date are so modest you really wont have much of an impact, he said. I dont think any of the efforts from the U.S. even come close to recognizing the scope and magnitude of the problem.

But experts say its not just a problem of political will. There is a huge bottleneck in the global vaccine supply, with the Serum Institute of India saying that it wont resume exports until next year as it saves doses to inoculate Indians. And mishaps at factories in the United States have forced producers to sit on 100 million doses as regulators review whether they were tainted.

Last year, rich nations including the United States, Britain and Germany rushed to lock up supplies of vaccines even before it was clear that they were effective against the coronavirus. That early stockpiling has meant that of the roughly two billion vaccine doses that have been administered globally, about 85 percent have gone to the wealthiest nations. The worlds poorest, according to data tracked by the The New York Times, have administered just 0.3 percent of those doses.

Covax, which set a goal of delivering two billion doses by the end of the year for the worlds poorest countries, has distributed about 100 million doses so far.
Costa Ricas total concessional finance for development reached USD 10 million in 2015, compared to USD 24 million in 2014 (OECD estimates based on Government of Costa Rica, 2014, 2015; and websites of multilateral organisations). In 2014, Costa Rica channelled USD 10 million through multilateral organisations.[i]

The Directorate General for International Co-operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs manages Costa Ricas incoming and outgoing development co-operation. Fundecooperacion para el Desarrollo Sostenible is a non-governmental organisation that is in charge of monitoring and administering the Programme of South-South Cooperation on Sustainable Development with Benin, Bhutan and Costa Rica as well as some triangular co-operation projects. It also acts as a platform for alliances among the government, civil society, academia and private stakeholders.

Costa Rica mainly provides development co-operation in the form of technical co-operation through bilateral and regional initiatives. Spain has a triangular co-operation fund to support Costa Rica in its triangular co-operation projects with other Central American and Caribbean countries (e.g. El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras) in areas such as social cohesion, competitiveness and production, and participative democracy. Costa Rica also participates in projects of the German regional fund for the promotion of triangular co-operation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 2015, Costa Ricas multilateral development co-operation was primarily channelled through the International Development Association (30%) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (25%).

Costa Rica is an OECD accession country.
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Trump joined a chorus of Republican politicians who are criticising Fauci for asking Americans to wear masks to guard against the virus.
Tommy Berry has given up on winning the Sydney jockeys title but he will turn his attention to the Stradbroke with Wild Planet on Saturday.
As Queensland MPs prepare to debate assisted-dying legislation, doctors in Victoria  where euthanasia has been legal since 2019  say the process there is overly bureaucratic.
A top silk has warned that two Sydney councillors under investigation by the corruption watchdog could plunge their council into administration.
Trump made the remark in a fundraising video, appearing to reference the bizarre theory he could soon be reinstated as president.
Thousands took to the streets in opposition to the expensive project as soaring debt to China and Prime Minister Viktor Orban's overly friendly attitude toward Beijing anger many.
The fund represents the country's biggest-ever support package for culture. The government said it hoped the measure would "bring the diverse cultural landscape in Germany back to life."
A security agency chief has warned that Moscow has a "very complex intelligence interest in Germany." However, far-right extremism is the country's current "greatest threat," he said.
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A team of bipartisan US senators has arrived in Taiwan, and is expected to meet President Tsai Ing-wen later. The US will give 750,000 doses of COVID vaccines to the island, they said.
The ongoing Corona crisis in India has effectively repudiated the demographic dividend theory, which now appears to be an utopian thought.

by N.S.Venkataraman

The recent decision of the Government of China to allow families to have three children has once again focused the global attention about the population policy of the governments. Alarmed by its over population scenario, Chinese government ordered several years back that no family should have more than one child. With the dictatorial regime of China and known for its readiness to impose draconian measures to implement decisions, people of China simply obeyed the governments directive to adhere to the one child family norm and the population growth steadily decreased. Now, the situation in China has undergone one full circle and the government finds that with the longevity of life due to medical advancement, the proportion of the aged population in China has increased, with the number of youth (working hands) reducing in the overall population, that could create a crisis in future.

The question is whether the population of a country should be compulsorily restricted and controlled ?

In sharp contrast to the scenario in China, India is a free and democratic country , where the decision of the government on any matter would be shaped by public opinion and preference of citizens.. India too has been discussing the need for checking the population growth for several decades now and many soft measures to check the rise in population have been introduced, which has not resulted in the desirable level of de growing the population.

There are also vague and confusing discussions in India about what is called a demographic dividend , which means that a higher level of population could mean greater number of working hands and consequently larger output of goods and services.

However, the ongoing Corona crisis in India has effectively repudiated the demographic dividend theory, which now appears to be an utopian thought.

During this Corona crisis, one reason that the second wave of Corona spread rapidly and uncontrollably in India has been due to the density of population. With such a high level of population density, the social distancing norm has gone for a toss and many people think that the lack of observance of social distancing norm is the biggest issue in tackling the Corona crisis in India today.

In such a scenario, discerning observers are of the firm view that any idea questioning the need for population control is absurd and counter productive.

While under population could create some manageable problems, over population inevitably causes economic and social stress and serious public health issues. This is the biggest problem faced by India today due to its high population density.. With such a crowd of people all over India which is constantly growing , no measures taken by the government are adequate enough to meet the needs of the people and the society. This has become very evident during the Corona crisis.

Some people tend to compare the size of the USA and its population with that of India . Such people seem to conclude that even with the present size of India ( which is less than that of USA), if India were to have only the population level of the USA, then India could be as prosperous a country as the USA, particularly considering several natural advantages that India has.

In any case, the ongoing Corona crisis in India is a clear pointer to emphasise the fact that overpopulation with high density is the primary problem in tackling the Corona crisis today. Now, the debate on over population versus under population has been firmly decided in favour of controlling the over population, even if it would lead to under population.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the last seven years of his governance, has taken some extraordinary and innovative measures to implement economic and social reforms in the country. Some positive results have already been seen and several other measures are in the work in progress stage.

What causes concern is that while Mr. Modi has taken several proactive measures, he has not paid attention to the adequate level to check the population growth in India. In the absence of Mr. Modi speaking about the need to control the population, the population control strategy is not a subject of national discussion today in India.

I hope that in the next three years of his present term of office, Mr. Modi would stress on population control and effectively explain to the people that the Corona crisis proved difficult to overcome only due to over -density of the population of the country. He must convince the people that the larger family size is not only an economic issue but also a health issue of serious proportion.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for the world's population to be vaccinated by the end of next year. . Follow DW for the latest.
Al Jazeera STUDIO 06 Jun 2021

US donation comes after Taiwan accused China of trying to block the island from accessing vaccines internationally.
The move - backed by the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan - would make it mandatory for all major companies to disclose information such as their carbon dioxide emissions.
CBC.ca 11 Jun 2021

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Halifax says he's willing to work with other church leaders across the country to ask the..
The Cointelegraph 12 Jun 2021

El Salvador has become the first country to make Bitcoin legal tender, but what are the complexities and potential short-term..
(MENAFN - Gulf Times) India will provide free Covid-19 vaccines to all adults, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, in an..

MENAFN.com 07 Jun 2021
(MENAFN - Gulf Times) Thousands of Hungarians demonstrated in Budapest yesterday against a plan by Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government to build a campus of a top Chinese university in the city. Around 10,000 people, according to an AFP photographer, marched through the Hungarian capital to protest the proposed Fudan university campus which is planned for completion by 2024. According to a deal signed between Hungary and the Shanghai-based universitys president, the campus, its first in Europe, would be a 500,000sq m (5mn sq ft) complex. But the sprawling project has fed unease about Hungarys diplomatic tilt from west to east and its soaring indebtedness to China, as well as sparked a diplomatic spat between Beijing and Budapests liberal mayor. Leaked internal documents revealed that China is expected to give a EUR1.3bn ($1.6bn) loan to cover most of the estimated EUR1.5bn costs. ''No Fudan! West, not East! read one placard at the protest, while another accused Orban and his ruling right-wing party Fidesz of cosying up to China. ''Orban and Fidesz portray themselves as anti-communists but in reality the communists are their friends, Szonja Radics, a 21-year-old university student, told AFP at the protest, the first major demonstration in Hungary this year. With an opinion poll last week showing that a majority of Budapest residents oppose the plan the capitals liberal mayor Gergely Karacsony has urged Orban not to force unwanted projects on the city. On Wednesday he announced the renaming of streets around the proposed campus site to ''Free Hong Kong road, ''Dalai Lama road, and ''Uyghur Martyrs road to highlight Chinese human rights sore points. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday that the move was ''beneath contempt but added that it shouldnt affect the project. Orbans government argues that a prestigious outpost of Fudan university would permit thousands of Hungarian and international students to acquire high-quality qualifications. It would also fit in with an older plan to build a ''Student City dormitory project for thousands of Hungarian students at the site, it insists, although Karacsony, who is eyeing a run against Orban at a general election next year, fears the Fudan campus would take over most of the area. Yesterdays protest ''made no sense as the process is still at the planning stage, Tamas Schanda, a government official, said yesterday, adding that final decisions would be made ''in the second half of 2022. Fudan is the latest landmark in Orbans foreign policy of ''Eastern Opening, which analysts describe as a geopolitical balancing act. Critics portray the nationalist prime minister as China and Russias ''Trojan horse inside the European Union and Nato. The courting of Fudan, which deleted references to ''freedom of thought from its charter in 2019, also fuels concerns about academic freedom in Hungary.In 2018, the Central European University, founded by liberal Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros, said it was ''forced out of Budapest to Vienna after a bitter legal dispute with Orban. MENAFN05062021000067011011ID1102217213
Donald Trump returned to the GOP political scene Saturday with a speech at the North Carolina Republican Convention, where he called on China to pay reparations to the U.S. for coronavirus-related damages.
Sky News 05 Jun 2021

Microsoft has blamed "accidental human error" for its search engine Bing failing to produce any results for 'Tank Man' on the..
A top political aide to former President Donald Trump is calling for a commission to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of nearly 600,000 Americans.
There is one theory that the nitric acid spill is going to destroy the corals. There is no scientific basis for this argument. Nitric acid added to the vast expanse of the ocean gets diluted to harmless levels.

by Prof. O. A. Illeperuma

There is nothing we can do now for the disastrous fire on the container ship X-Press Pearl. This will certainly have serious environmental implications, where we must be guided by science rather than personal theories. Some of the academics who have their own explanations, will only confuse the general public to the extent of giving up eating fish, which is our main protein source. When these theories are given over the media there is so much hype that people tend to accept all what they say.

The shipping company is at fault for not properly containing the leak in a container transporting concentrated nitric acid. This acid is highly corrosive, as well as a strong oxidising agent. Generally, transporting such a strong acid, along with highly oxidisable organic compounds, is highly undesirable. We are not sure how the nitric acid was packed inside the container. An inert packing material such as vermiculite, which is a silicate mineral, should have been used as packing to absorb any accidental spills. In the case of a leak from a container, it should be first soaked in this type of adsorbent material, and after soaking the acid in this manner the adsorbent with the acid can be washed away with water, using a high pressure water hose. Ship crews should be trained in such disposal procedures when they transport such dangerous cargo. Shipping crews may not have a good knowledge of the chemistry involved, but they could have contacted experts on the ground with specialized knowledge in hazardous waste disposal.

There is one theory that the nitric acid spill is going to destroy the corals. There is no scientific basis for this argument. Nitric acid added to the vast expanse of the ocean gets diluted to harmless levels. NASA scientists have estimated that nitric acid formed due to lightning, which comes down with the rain, annually amounts to 8.4 million metric tons world-wide. This is part of the nitrogen cycle in nature which has been going on for millions of years. Similarly, sodium methoxide undergoes ready hydrolysis, giving sodium hydroxide and methanol, and their biological effects are minimal considering dilution in the ocean.

Some scientists have claimed that this fire will result in acid rain. Acid rain is caused by the burning of fossil fuel and coal producing sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. These dissolve in water and come down as sulphuric and nitric acids giving acid rain. While theoretically acid rain from the ship fire is a valid argument, looking at the cargo contents there are no sulphur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide sources, and only burning of ship fuel can result in sulphur dioxide which can cause acid rain. Also, since there is only one container of nitric acid, the amount of nitrogen dioxide produced will not be significant, particularly if the nitric acid goes into sea water. Vehicles in Colombo city during the combustion of fuel produce more than the possible emissions from this ship. By all accounts so far, fuel tanks are intact and apart from an oil spill, there is less likelihood of these burning, now that the ship is under water.

The real environmental issues are the plastic pellets and oil spills, and not acid rain or nitric acid. These plastic beads belong to the groups, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) according to the inventory of cargo. What is really disturbing is the fate of the plastic pellets, which are washing ashore, polluting our beaches and ending up in fish. Plastic microfibres have been detected in marine fish for some time since oceans throughout the world are getting heavily polluted with plastics. Very small strands of microplastics are everywhere including our homes. For instance, our own clothes are made up of polymers which give out these, and this matter has received attention from scientists in the last few years. Similarly, soft toys and other plastic toys peel off during use and these are present in the air we breathe. Plastics can remain for at least a hundred years without breakdown. Government agencies such as the Central Environmental Authority, Marine Environment Protection Authority and National Aquatic Research Agency can undertake to monitor the presence of microplastic fibres in the flesh of fish. It is a simple test, involving observing the flesh under the microscope.

If we look at the information available, the ship carried a total of 1886 containers and the distribution of cargo (along with the number of containers in brackets) is as follows: nitric acid (1), 25,000 bags of LDPE and HDPE each weighing 25 kg (55), caustic soda (42), urea (88), lead ingots (8), lubricants (30) methanol, sodium ethoxide, vehicles and other miscellaneous items (rest of the containers). The greatest environmental concern here are the LDPE and HDPE pellets, and the lubricant oils, which can cause oil spills along with the 325 tons of ship fuel.

The question arises as to what can be done to deal with the enormous amount of plastic wastes collected in our beaches. Our plastics industry imports this product as a raw material in large quantities, to produce films for food packaging, which accounts for about 55% of global consumption. Our familiar shopping bags are also made from this polymer, and there are many other applications with injection moulding, which include household goods, toys and sporting goods, caps and various medical devices.

I wish to propose that the accumulated plastic beads be used for the plastics industry and they should be encouraged to reuse the plastic beads washed ashore. A simple gravity separation can separate the sand from the beads. Immersion in sea water, with a higher density than freshwater, can separate the beads from sand, and there is a possibility of reusing these pellets. Some of the bags collected by those who thronged the beach can be purchased, and the initiative of the plastics industry is critical in dealing with the plastic problem.

The damage to the environment caused by the X-Press is enormous, and it is doubtful whether Sri Lanka can at least partially recover the cost of the damage by way of compensation from the ship owners. In the earlier incident involving New Diamond, the Attorney General claimed damages for Rs. 3.4 billion, and according to what a government Minister stated at a recent news conference, only around Rs. 400 million has been paid. It is not clear whether Sri Lanka has signed the appropriate conventions to deal with compensation. Some of these conventions are the Bunker convention (2001), Athens convention (2002) and the London convention on limitation of liability for maritime claims (1996). For instance, Canada has enacted the Marine Liability Act in 2018 to make sure that in the event of an oil spill, compensation is available for the victims and other responders. Environmental remediation is also 100% compensable irrespective of the size of the spill.

The danger of oil pollution from 30 containers containing lubricants and the 325 tons of engine fuel should receive the attention of authorities, to procure the equipment and chemicals needed for its remediation. More importantly, we should have personnel with the necessary expertise to deal with the problem of extensive oil pollution. Oil booms are a popular and most widely used method for oil clean up, due to their simplicity and easier execution. This method has to be carried out immediately after the oil spill is detected. Once the oil is bounded by oil booms, it has to be extracted with the use of skimmers to scoop up the oil. The most effective way is to use adsorbents, and some cheap materials available for this purpose are peat moss, vermiculite and paddy straw. If the oil spill has not dispersed, it is even possible to burn the oil since oil floats on sea water. In addition, dispersants which are chemically similar to the detergents used for household washing, are used for the remediation of oil spills. These break the oil droplets into a smaller size, which makes it easier to mix with water, and the oil eating microbes will eventually ingest and break down these smaller globules.
A plane carrying Vice President Kamala Harris was forced to return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland Sunday about 25 minutes after it had taken off for a trip to Guatemala and Mexico.
BEIJING (AP)  At least 11 people were killed and 37 seriously injured Sunday after a gas line explosion tore through a..

SeattlePI.com 13 Jun 2021
On this US politics edition of Encounter, John Fortier, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and Jim Kessler, senior vice president for policy at Third Way, discuss with host Carol Castiel the status of US President Joe Bidens ambitious agenda and the challenge of passing at least part of it, like infrastructure legislation or police reform, with bipartisan support.
Irans reformist and ultraconservative presidential candidates traded accusations Saturday over the countrys economic crisis during the first pre-election debate broadcast live on television. Iranians are set to elect a successor to President Hassan Rouhani on June 18 amid widespread discontent over a deep economic and social crisis caused by the reimposition of crippling sanctions after []
Germans in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt are heading to the polls on Sunday, with the far-right posing a tough challenge to Angela Merkels conservatives in the final major test before the first general election in 16 years not to feature the veteran chancellor. Saxony-Anhalt is one of Germanys smallest states with a population of just []
El Salvador may become the first country to make bitcoin legal tender, President Nayid Bukele announced Saturday, saying he would soon propose a bill that could transform the remittance-dependent economy. The move would make the Central American nation the first in the world to formally accept the cryptocurrency as legal money and would allow the []
Police in northwest Nigerias Kebbi state told AFP Sunday that the death toll from an attack by a gang of cattle thieves on seven villages Thursday had risen to 88. The region has struggled with decades-long communal clashes over resources but more recently some groups have become more violent, looting, killing and kidnapping for ransom. []
The education secretary praises testing in schools amid concerns that more pupils are being sent home.
Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman has been ruled out of Tuesdays friendly with Hungary due to a hamstring problem.
This has been a fantasy of Danish governments for some time. There have been gazes of admiration towards countries like..

Eurasia Review 07 Jun 2021
An underappreciated factor in the racist violence of the 1921 Tulsa massacre is how white supremacist forces decimated Black wealth.

by Sonali Kolhatkar

One hundred years after the worst instance of racist mob violence in 20th-century America, the Tulsa Race Massacre is finally getting the attention it is due. The 1921 terrorist attack by an armed white mob against a prosperous Black community is perhaps one of the clearest and most extreme illustrations of how many African Americans were stripped of their wealth for a generation.

In the span of just 24 hours, an army of deputized white men devastated the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, burning down what had been known as Black Wall Street, and killing hundreds of residents and business owners. There has never been a full accounting of the murder and mayhem unleashed upon the community, and some estimates put the minimum death toll at 300.

While major media outlets are finally covering this dark incident as a symbol of historic white supremacist violence, a critical lesson of the Tulsa Race Massacre is how economic injustice was foisted upon Black America and how wealth was stripped out of the hands of those few Black Americans who found success within a capitalist system.

Professor Karlos K. Hill, department chair and associate professor of African and African American Studies at the University of Oklahoma, is one of the nations preeminent scholars on the history of racial violence and the author of The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: A Photographic History. He explained to me in an interview that the Greenwood District [of Tulsa] was perhaps the wealthiest Black community in the country and a symbol of what was possible even in Jim Crow America. According to Hill, Greenwoods 11,000 Black residents lived in an area that was home to hundreds of successful businesses and included four millionaires and six near-millionairesin todays dollars. It was Booker T. Washington who in 1913 famously called Greenwood the Negro Wall Street.

In a single day, all that was built was destroyed. The Greenwood District and its affluence drew the ear of whites, said Hill. He argued that the armed white mob and its supporters saw in Greenwood not just [their own] resentment of Black economic wealth accumulation, but they saw in Greenwood the future. In other words, the fear was, if Black people could have economic and political equality, then social equality would follow right behind. And that was a threat to the foundations of Jim Crow segregation.

One survivor of the massacre, 107-year-old Viola Fletcher, testified to Congress a few weeks ahead of the 100th anniversary and recalled growing up as a child in Greenwood in a beautiful home with great neighbors and friends to play with. I had everything a child could need. I had a bright future ahead of me, she said. A few weeks after Fletcher turned seven, the armed men struck on May 31, 1921. After recounting the violence of the white mob, and her memories of seeing Black bodies lying in the street and Black businesses being burned, she went on to describe the grinding poverty she was thrown into as a result of the massacre.

Fletcher never made it past the fourth grade in school. The promising future that her family had worked hard to give her was obliterated in the ashes of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Most of my life I was a domestic worker serving white families. I never made much money. To this day I can barely afford my everyday needs, she told lawmakers during her testimony.

The Tulsa Race Massacre was unusual in its scope, the ferocious speed of its destruction, and the extent of prosperity that was decimated. But it was not unusual in that there were relentless pogroms against Black communities, especially between the years of 1917 and 1923so much so that one report characterized the period as a reign of racial terror after World War I, when whites rose up to quash prosperous Black communities.

President Joe Bidens proclamation on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre and his moving speech in Greenwood went much further than any president has ever gone to acknowledge the horrors of Tulsa and to offer a starting point for justice. Short of making a case for reparations, his announcement of New Actions to Build Black Wealth and Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap is also a far more progressive nod to systemic race-based economic injustice than we might expect from the White House.

While Hill admits that Bidens plan is a good start, he maintains, its not sufficient. We need to stay focused on reparations for victims, survivors, and descendants, he said. Indeed, the Tulsa Race Massacre Commission, which was created more than two decades ago by the state of Oklahoma, recommended reparations that involve compensation at the individual and community levels. In reflecting on what Fletchers life might have been like had her familys wealth and her community not been burned to the ground, we can only imagine what was lost for her as an individual, and for generations of Black Americans like her as well as her descendants.

Today Black activists, leaders, and advocates are demanding a reckoning of racial violence and the systemic stripping of wealth from Black communities. The Movement for Black Lives, for example, explicitly calls for economic justice for all and a reconstruction of the economy to ensure Black communities have collective ownership, not merely access. There is a direct link between the U.S.s macabre history of racialized violence and contemporary forms of systemic racism that are designed to suppress Black success and wealth building. Study after study proves ongoing discrimination against Black Americans in home mortgages, rental housing, employment, wages, and college admissions, so much so that it hurts the economy as a whole.

And yet white conservatives still refuse to accept that the American economic system is designed to benefit them at the expense of people of color and especially Black people. Hill maintained, We need to think bigger and more aggressively about the ways in which systematic racism has not just reduced Black wealth but made it impossible to build.

The latest front in the right-wing culture war is a bizarre new campaign against the field of critical race theory being taught in academic institutions. In fact, in the same year when the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre occurredwhen a U.S. president finally gave an unprecedented acknowledgment of the event, and when the history of racist violence in Tulsa has finally begun to gain the prominence it deservesthe state of Oklahoma banned the teaching of critical race theory. Hill roundly denounced the move, saying, it is so offensive that this state on the 100th anniversary of the race massacre would pass such a bill. Its so maddening, its so frustrating, its such a slap in the face. Perhaps because this is precisely the educational framework that can help young Americans analyze the history of racialized economic injustice, todays white conservatives see it as a threat to the maintenance of their racial and economic privilege.

During her testimony about surviving the Tulsa Race Massacre, Fletcher warned, Our country may forget this history, but I cannot. I will not and our descendants do not.

This article was produced by Economy for All, a project of the Independent Media Institute.

Sonali Kolhatkar is the founder, host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. She is a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute.
Reuters - Politics 06 Jun 2021

[NFA] Democratic lawmakers are readying an infrastructure package in the U.S. House of Representatives that they intend to move..
Recent statements that President Joe Biden will be ousted by Donald Trump in August, but it is dismissed by many as a random claim with no basis.
An 86-year-old sugar mill worker in Florida who had been on the job for more than three decades shot and killed his boss Friday..

FOXNews.com 07 Jun 2021
The head of Israel's domestic security service issued a rare warning on Saturday of possible violence during one of the most politically charged periods in decades, with the
At least 100 civilians were killed in a terrorist attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso, local media reported on Saturday.



In the night from Friday to Saturday, terrorists raided the village of Yagha in northern Sahel region, and opened fire on residents and villagers, according to AIB news agency.



The attackers also...
Gunmen killed at least 100 people in a northern Burkina Faso village, the government said Saturday, in what was the country's deadliest attack in years.
Gunmen have killed at least 100 people in a northern Burkina Faso village, the government says, in the country's deadliest attack in years.The attack took place on Friday evening local time in Solhan village, in the Sahel's Yagha...
Turkey's president promised to rescue the Marmara Sea from an outbreak of "sea snot" that is alarming marine biologists and environmentalists.A huge mass of marine mucilage, a thick, slimy substance made up of compounds released...
The two new local infections bring Victoria's total cases to 72, including two recovered cases, in the outbreak that began in late May after a man who tested negative in hotel quarantine in Adelaide returned to Melbourne and tested positive.
Hainan free trade port to implement simplified tax system

Global Times) 13:31, June 06, 2021

Chinas Hainan free trade port (FTP) is going to implement a different tax policy, including simplifying and combining different taxes and tax refunding for goods from Chinese mainland, according to a draft of Hainan Free Trade Port Law which is scheduled to be reviewed for the third time next week.

Simplifying the tax system is one of the key segments in building FTP in Hainan, said Zang Tiewei, a spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, at a press conference on Friday.

When the FTP completes construction and starts operation as a whole, taxes and fees such as value-added tax, consumption tax, vehicle purchase tax, urban maintenance and construction tax and education surcharge will be combined, and sales tax will be levied in the retail of goods and services. The tax simplification work will continue afterward.

The draft law also made clear about the arrangements of tax refunding for goods from Chinese mainland. Value-added tax and consumption tax will be refunded for goods from the mainland to avoid unbalanced tax burdens, and to make sure there is a fair competition of goods from the mainland and from overseas.

The draft also added provisions about establishing policy and institutional systems for the FTP through a series of steps, to realize free and convenient exchange of trade, investment, cross-border capital, personnel and transportation, as well as to achieve secure and orderly data transmission.

It also improved relevant regulations on ecological and environmental protection, including making an ecological environment access list, preventing alien species invasion and achieving sustainable development.

The construction of the FTP in South Chinas Hainan Province, Chinas largest special economic zone, is a major move for the country to boost high-level opening up, and a practical action for supporting economic globalization and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

A total of 11 key industrial parks are being developed into demonstration zones for the construction of the FTP, Xinhua News Agency reported. In 2020, the 11 key parks earned a total business revenue of 506.78 billion yuan ($79.36 billion), up 49.8 percent year-on-year, and a total tax revenue of 39.54 billion yuan, up 13.3 percent year-on-year.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
On 23 June Antarctic Treaty celebrates its 60th anniversary I will monitor 15476 kHz on that day, may be LRA36 will have a special transmission (not confirmed yet).



BBC Midwinter Broadcast again will be broadcast to Antarctica on 21 June.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct2gb6



Regards Harald  Our thanks to Mike Terry for the above information
VOA News 05 Jun 2021

Liberal opponents of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban accuse him of cozying up to China and fear the campus could undercut..
The first Indigenous head of the Canadian Bar Association is calling for hiring practices at law firms that could attract and retain more Indigenous lawyers, articling students and administrative staff.
Scientist Marc Van Ranst is in hiding with his family in a safe house with 24-hour security after a far-right sniper staked out his home.
Indigenous leaders and school survivors on Sunday dismissed Pope Francis' expressions of pain at the discovery of 215 children's remains at a former Catholic residential school, saying the church needed to do much more.
New Zealand Herald 10 Jun 2021

By Conan Young of RNZ Beds at Christchurch Hospital are sitting empty because there are not enough nurses to manage them.That is..
VENICE, Italy (AP)  The first cruise ship since the pandemic wended its way Saturday through the heart of Venice, escorted by triumphant water-spouting tugboats and elated port workers as it traveled down the Giudecca Canal but also protested by hundreds on land and a small armada of wooden boats waving No Big Boats flags.

The battle for Venices future was stark as the MSC Orchestra set sail with some 1,000 passengers. The voyage heralded the return of cruise ships to the historic city of canals after more than 18 months, but the vessel reignited an anti-cruise movement that for more than a decade has opposed the passage of the enormous ships through the fragile lagoon due to environmental and safety concerns.

Italian Premier Mario Draghis government pledged this spring to get cruise ships out of the Venice lagoon, but reaching that goal will take time. Even an interim solution rerouting larger ships away from the Giudecca Canal is not likely before next year. Ridding the lagoon of the ships, which run more than 250 meters (yards) in length and weigh over 90,000 tons, could take years.

Venice has become one of the worlds most important cruise destinations over the last two decades, and in 2019 served as a lucrative turnaround point for 667 cruise ships embarking nearly 700,000 passengers and carrying a total of 1.6 million, according to the association Cruise Lines International (CLIA).

Passengers arriving Saturday for the week-long cruise aboard the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra, with stops in southern Italy, two Greek islands and Dubrovnik, Croatia, were greeted at the port with signs reading Welcome Back Cruises.

Antonella Frigo from nearby Vicenza had her departure date delayed multiple times due to the pandemic and was excited to finally be leaving on vacation. But she also sympathized with activists who want the huge ships moved out of the center of Venice.

I have always said that they should be moved, but Im sorry, I need to depart from Venice, since I am from nearby, Frigo said after being was dropped off with a companion at the cruise terminal. But I hope they can be rerouted. I ask myself, Is it not possible to come up with another solution, so they dont pass where they shouldnt?'

The message for passengers taking in Venice from the ship's decks was mixed as the ship navigated the Giudecca Canal, past St. Mark's Square and the Doges Palace. Hundreds of Venetians gathered at a noisy canal-side protest to demand an immediate halt to cruise ships moving through the lagoon, citing a series of past decrees they say were never enforced.

The MSC Orchestra responded with noisy blasts of its horn, while two dozen boats filled with port employees and VIPs motored alongside, celebrating the renewal of cruises and the return to work for hundreds of port workers. According to the Venice Works Committee, more than 1,700 workers deal directly with cruise ships, from tug boat drivers to baggage carriers, while another 4,000 jobs depend on cruise traffic.

The long battle over cruise ships in Venice ramped up after the Costa Concordia cruise ship sank off Tuscany in 2012, killing 32 passengers and crew members. And it sharpened after the MSC Opera struck a dock and a tourist boat, injuring five people, while maneuvering through the Giudecca Canal two years ago this week.

In all those years, no viable alternative has ever gotten off the drawing board.

The Venice Environmental Association, one of the groups against the ships, is demanding that Italian cultural and Venice port officials immediately ban ships from the lagoon, threatening legal action if there is no action within 15 days.

It is a great provocation that a ship has passed, Andreina Zitelli, an environmental expert and member of the association, said. You cannot compare the defense of the city with the defense of jobs in the interest of big cruise companies.

The cruise industrys trade association said it supports moving bigger ships to other areas to avoid traversing the Giudecca Canal but maintains that cruise ships still need access to Venices lagoon.

We dont want to be a corporate villain, said Francesco Galietti of Cruise Lines International Italy. We dont feel we should be treated as such. We feel we are good to the communities.

Galietti said cruise ships account for only a small percentage of the tourism to Venice, somewhere around 5%, and that many passengers stay in the city before or after their cruises, contributing an average of $200 a day to the tourism-dependent economy.

Prior to the pandemic, Venice struggled with over-tourism, receiving 25 million visitors a year. It was about to impose a tax on day-trippers before the pandemic struck, bringing tourism to an abrupt halt.

In Rome, the Italian government said it is organizing bids for a viable alternative outside the lagoon, and the request for proposals should be posted any day now. Still, even an interim alternative route to the Giudecca Canal - moving larger ships to an industrial port west of Venice - wont be ready until next year, Italys Ministry for Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility told The Associated Press.

Preparing the port of Marghera, which is still within the lagoon, requires lengthening existing piers to accommodate larger vessels as well as dredging a canal on the approach, cruise industry officials say. Under current plans, ships over 250 meters, representing about 70% of cruise traffic, would be rerouted.

While some cruise companies have experimented with Trieste to the east or Ravenna to the south as drop-off points for those visiting Venice during the pandemic, industry officials say the lagoon city with 1,600 years of history remains a key port of call for cruises in the Adriatic Sea and eastern Mediterranean.

But environmentalists say the cruise industry must change.

Venice is at water level. There are days when Venice is below water level," said Jane da Mosto, executive director of We Are Here Venice who was also representing the Global Cruise Activist Network. "We need ships that use renewable energy. We need ships that dont bring thousands of people into our narrow alleyways at one time. We need visitors that are interested in learning about Venice.
The Midland Center for the Arts' annual Summer Art Fair drew hundreds of people to downtown Midland on Saturday, kicking off summer events in the community.

Last year, the event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But on Saturday, residents gathered downtown to shop at the vendor booths, listen to live bands and participate in art competitions. The event concluded on Sunday.

The event featured over 80 Michigan-based artists with booths to showcase different artwork, from paintings and jewelry to dog accessories and natural blends.

Midland resident Colleen Milster said shes happy to attend the outdoor event. She said shes been able to shop for items for her new home, catch up with friends and grab a bite to eat.

It's fun to just run into old friends that I haven't seen in a long time, Milster said. At the same time, all these vendors were probably struggling quite a bit over the last year, so I think everyone's excited to support them and come out to buy some of the cool stuff that they're offering.

Milster said she moved into her Midland home during March 2020, just before COVID-19 cases became widespread in Michigan. She said she purchased a wind chime for her new home from a vendor at the art fair.

One vendor, Fletcher Dean, is a hobby painter who uses melted beeswax. This type of technique is used to create encaustic art. The Midland resident said he mixes the melted beeswax with pigment to layer on birch panels until he has the image he wants.

He said four years ago, he began using his technique on his own photographed images. Recently with the pandemic, this outlet has become more than creative expression.

Art was a savior for me in many ways, Dean said. It was just a great outlet because we couldnt do any art shows last year, there were none. I spent a lot of my time in my studio creating and for me, that was a mental health gain.

Among the traditions like Mural Blast, where teams of artists competed on large-scale canvas, the fair included a new booth: the Midland County Historical Society, which is a part of the Midland Center for the Arts.

At the historical societys booth, visitors can sign up to tour the historical buildings and homes in and around downtown. This will take place again on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m..

Visitors can also contribute to the historical society's initiative to collect oral history archives. During the art fair, people can go into the Northwood University Gallery downtown to record their stories.

Midland In Our Own Words aims to gather people's Midland experiences during the recent flood, COVID-19 pandemic, and/or protests against racial injustice.

Its just about sharing your life experience so 50 years down the line, when someone comes into the archives and says, What was life like at the turn of the 21st century or after the flood? well be able to share some real stories with them, said Jake Huss, the manager of Historic Programs and Exhibitions with the Midland County Historical Society.

Northwood University is one of the partners of the Summer Art Fair.

Director of Museums with the Center for the Arts, Julie Johnson, said some of the artists have participated in the annual event for over 20 years. She said in a typical year, the Summer Art Fair welcomes between 8,000 and 10,000 visitors over the weekend-long event.
Colombia is a founding member of the Pacific Alliance and has free-trade agreements with the U.S. and many other nations.

by Anwar A. Khan

Colombia is South Americas oldest democracy and fourth-largest economy. Distance from Bangladesh to Colombia is 16,469 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 10,233 miles. The country is situated towards the North-western part of Bangladesh. Its population is about 50 million of which 95% are Roman Catholics, and its official language is Spanish. Average life expectancy is 75 years.

Center-right president Ivan Duque began his four-year term in 2018 and has pursued a reformist agenda in Columbia. The Duque administration has been challenged by fluctuating approval ratings, antigovernment social unrest, and an opposition-controlled Congress that includes nonelected members of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) narco-terrorist group. Because of the previous administrations flawed peace deal, Colombia remains the worlds top producer and exporter of cocaine.

Colombia is a founding member of the Pacific Alliance and has free-trade agreements with the U.S. and many other nations.

It is increasingly an urban country, with around 75 percent of the population living in urban areas. This trend began during La Violencia and accelerated in the 1970s and 1980s. At least 3.9 million persons have been internally displaced due to the armed conflict in Colombia, leaving their homes in rural areas and seeking safety and economic opportunity in large cities.

Cali is the capital of the department of Valle del Cauca in southern Colombia. It is the industrial and commercial center of the Cauca Valley. Cali has about 3 million inhabitants and is after the capital Bogota, the largest city in the country. In the twentieth century made the city a tremendous growth - in the 50s the population doubled. In the city are coffee, cotton, sugar, meats and soybeans traded. In addition, there are tires, tobacco, textiles, paper, chemicals and building materials produced.

But over the last two weeks, protests against a tax reform proposed by the Colombian government have left dozens of people dead, injured hundreds more, and brought much of the country to a standstill. At least 15 people have been killed in Cali, Colombias third-largest city, where more than 10,000 troops and police officers are fighting rioters whove barricaded the main highway, burned buses and attacked police stations. The violence threatens the stability of South Americas second-most-populous democracy.

Juan Camilo Suarez was standing on a street in the Colombian city of Cali on a recent evening, lighting candles in homage to those killed in the nations recent unrest, when he suddenly found himself in the midst of violence.

Riot police descended on the scene, he recalled, firing what he believes were rubber bullets. One struck him in the face, near an eye, leaving him partially blind. He is now awaiting surgery in hopes of regaining some of his vision.

All I thought was, You have to run. You have to run for your life, he said.

As Colombians fill the streets, Cali has emerged as the epicenter of the nations recent bloodshed. Long simmering social tensions, persistent violence from illegal armed groups and excessive use of force by authorities have fueled citizen angst. Most of the at least 42 people killed in two weeks of protest lost their lives in the city, according to accounts from human rights organizations.

President Ivan Duques government has initiated talks with protest organizers, but analysts say he faces an uphill battle in trying to stabilize the nation. Negotiations aimed at quelling a previous wave of protests in 2019 ended before reaching a resolution, and skepticism among a frustrated public remains high. Some fear that the situation in Cali could foretell what other Latin American cities might experience in the months ahead.

I see all of this as very difficult, said Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis. Among protesters, the trust in institutions is broken.

Thousands of Colombians took to the streets again and again in several cities protesting against the government and police brutality. Despite evidence of human rights violations, Duque claims officers have largely acted in accordance with the law, with the exceptions already addressed by the authorities.

Officials have taken disciplinary action against 65 officers, including eight under investigation for homicide.

Protesters gathered in Bogota, Colombia, on May 5, 2021 to express discontent with the government after dozens were injured during earlier demonstrations against planned tax reforms.

Colombias protests began April 28, 2021 over a proposed tax increase, but quickly morphed into a larger airing of grievances as the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. The countrys gross domestic product plunged 6.8% last year and millions joined the ranks of the poor. In recent weeks, ICU occupancy rates have soared as Colombia embarks on a slow and delayed vaccination campaign.

Many are upset not just at the governments handling of the public health crisis, but also Duques piecemeal implementation of the historic 2016 peace accord with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. In southwestern Colombia, the conflict has largely persisted, as dissident factions battle with other illegal armed groups over lucrative drug territory within hours of the city.

Protesters have also been clamoring for a better social safety net to protect those who live in poverty in one of Latin Americas most unequal countries.

You have an unequal city in Cali with great social problems, with great public safety problems, said Juan Carlos Garzon, a drug policy expert at Colombias Ideas for Peace Foundation. All these aspects come together at a critical moment where there is no response from politics or security agents.

The heavy-handed response by authorities has sparked international alarm, with the United Nations human rights office pointing to the deteriorating situation in Cali, where it said police had opened fire on demonstrators on May 3 last. Local authorities said at least five people were killed during the confrontation.

The police abuses have been brutal, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. I believe that, in reality, we dont have a record in Colombia of such generalized and brutal police abuse like weve seen during these protests.

Human Rights Watch has confirmed 40 deaths and another 400 injuries in the demonstrations. Investigators have also documented the presence of armed civilians at the gatherings. Recently, armed civilians confronted a group of indigenous people in Cali in a clash that left at least eight injured, according to the ombudsmans office.

Vehicles arrive, without plates, they get down and fire, Vivanco said. We dont know if these civilians are police dressed as civilians or bands of criminals.

Cali has a celebrated cultural history, and in recent years, has tried to emerge from its violent past, luring foreigners as a destination for salsa dancing and street art.

But ongoing violence in neighbouring towns and departments has overshadowed those attempts, as forced displacements, murders of social leaders, massacres, illegal mining and drug trafficking make the southwest region one of Colombias most dangerous.

Human rights leaders say police are accustomed to using excessive force and that officers lack proper training on crowd control. Videos shared on social media and confirmed by rights groups have documented the heavy-handed response. One shows an officer firing at a protester who kicked his motorcycle.

They did not know how to put order in the city, Garzon said. It got out of control.

CristhianPerea, a community leader in a poor Cali neighbourhood, said protesters armed with sticks and stones have been tasked with containing the police. The mostly young demonstrators are also organizing popular assemblies, inviting the population to present proposals to share with local, state and national authorities.

But he said authorities have shown little willingness to take them seriously, pointing to Duques quick visit to the city earlier in the week.

The president of the republic came after there was pressure, he said, adding that on the visit officials only talked to each other.

Meanwhile, demonstrations and road closures are causing a logistical headache. Authorities said they were forced to use a helicopter to transport COVID-19 vaccines. Grocery stores have reported food shortages and prices have risen by 50% or more, aggravating the citys already ample inequality.

It is a completely segregated city, said Alejandro Lanz Sanchez, co-director of Temblores, a nonprofit that monitors abuse by the police. He said those who live on the peripheries have been attacked with a lot of repression in recent years.

Suarez, the 22-year-old student protester, said he currently cant see out of one eye, which is swollen and full of blood.

Still, his doctor said he was lucky.

The doctor told me that if the projectile hit me a centimeter lower, it would have blown my eye away, he said. It was a night where many were wounded.

The unrest in Colombia is a reminder of the economic pain afflicting tens of millions across Latin America and a warning about its potential consequences.

Theres no food and no fuel, just helicopters all the time, one resident of Cali told the news media. Militarization is in process, gunshots and gas fill the streets.

-The End 

The writer is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA)  Member States of the United Nations on Monday celebrate this years World Food Safety Day (WFSD) underlining food safety as a shared responsibility between governments, producers and consumers
NORMAL  A drawing he did in an art class at Heartland Community College changed the life of Richard Casper, a Marine Corps combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient. In fact, he says it saved his life.

The drawing was based on a photo of him at the grave of his gunner, Luke.

He wanted to capture the moment because it was special to him, but I was not going to let any other students see it.

Casper recalled the experience Friday in an interview at Heartland before a banquet at which he received the Community College Distinguished Alumni Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association.

The award goes to alumni who demonstrate exceptional achievement in their profession and make a positive impact on their community. Casper graduated from Heartland in 2009.

It was an experience that showed him the healing power of art and led him to become co-founder and executive director of CreatiVets, a nonprofit that helps veterans heal through art, music and writing.

Im drawing this using chalk pastels. Im coloring everything the colors its supposed to be  my skin tone, my cammie shorts, my black shirt, everything is the way its supposed to be until I get to the background which is the grass. So you think green, said Casper.

But his instructor, Michael Mac McAvoy, had another idea.

My teacher Mac at the time came up to me and said, Richard, I think you should do a different color. One that doesnt make sense what grass would be but it makes sense to the way you feel about this experience, Casper said. So I thought it was dumb at the time, but it ended up changing my life.

He did all the background in red, even though he didnt know why. Then he agreed to let students critique his work.

The students one by one told me why I put red in there. They said, You put red in there because you saw him die or that youre angry that he died, and everything they said was so true to how I felt that I felt connected to the student that wasnt a combat vet, he said.

I didnt say a word, but they understood me  civilians understood me, said Casper. It all started here at Heartland.  It saved my life.

Meanwhile, he met Brett Gillan, an Illinois State University grad and songwriter with the band Brushfire (now called Brushville), while Casper was working as a bouncer at Six Strings in Bloomington.

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He taught me songwriting and how to play the guitar, said Casper. And Gillans songwriting connections in Nashville helped launch the songwriting part of CreatiVet, where Gillan is program director.

From nine veterans who participated the first year in 2013, more than 300 have been involved so far this fiscal year.

Partnerships include the Dallas Museum of Art, Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Southern California and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, from which Casper graduated after Heartland and where he now teaches.

A tattoo on Caspers his upper left arm is a tribute to his gunner. I even wrote a song called Angel on My Shoulder for Luke, he said.

Casper had shipped off to boot camp two weeks after graduating from Low Point-Washburn High School. The 9/11 terrorist attack that happened during his junior year inspired him to enlist.

He was selected for a special team that guarded then-President George W. Bush in Camp David. But after 14 months there, Casper decided, I couldnt go out of the Marine Corps without knowing I had served for the reason I joined. So he volunteered for combat and was shipped to Fallujah.

Caspers Humvee was hit four times and Casper was next to Luke when he died. It all happened in the space of five months.

After that, he didnt think much about his continuing headaches, but he knew he had changed.

The teenager who had been the prom king and class clown in high school was now filled with anxiety, depressed and unable to speak in front of fellow students. He couldnt remember things, including assignments.

When he failed a class for the first time ever, he went to the VA and was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and degenerative discs.

But it wasnt until that art class that things started to turn around.

The teacher who told him to let his drawing show what he felt said, I couldn't be more proud of a former student than I am of Richard.

McAvoy said, We all face adversity in our lives, but Richard turned his into a way to save lives. I'm very humbled when he claims I had something to do with that. I taught Richard how to communicate feelings through making art. Richard is now teaching me how to live with honor and integrity.

Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota

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In this technological age, just what amazing things can one discover that otherwise would go fully unseen?

Check out a find made by Chris Griffin of Bloomington.

The son of Ken Griffin  Ken worked 21 years at the Mitsubishi Motors plant on Normals west edge  Chris was checking out Google Earth satellite photos of the auto plant, to discover a Google satellite photo of the factory from 2015 that showed something a bit odd.

On the north end of the plant, as Mitsubishi was announcing its closing, someone (Chris figures it might have been an exiting Mitsubishi employee) pieced together a bunch of old shipping containers, wood pallets, random materials, etc.  sort of like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle  to form a message  THE END  that would, as the artist knew, be captured by satellite at some point.

My dad, says Chris, provided well for our family. It was sad to see it get shut down.

But now?

As Chris has discovered via Google Earth, which recently updated its imagery of the area after Rivian, the automotive company, purchased the property and began readying to build electric trucks, someone has now gone back to update the 2015 message so that it reads, NOT THE END.

I find the juxtaposition between the messages quite interesting, says Chris. Its neat to see the breath of life Rivian is putting into it out there.

Wed fully agree.

A lifelong Illinoisan, now Maryland, too?

While computers were created to make these lives of ours easier, they can add humor to it, too, and inadvertently at that.

Take David Skillrud.

A Bloomington-based doctor, Skillrud accessed his phone's voicemail the other morning to hear this message:

"This is Walgreens Alliance, with a phone message for ... DAVID SKILLRUD MARYLAND. If this is ... DAVID SKILLRUD MARYLAND ... please call 800-xxx-xxxx.

Skillrud says he usually skips such messages.

"But my curiosity, he says, got the best of me. I called the number a couple of hours later, and said, 'This is David Skillrud, but not David Skillrud Maryland.'

A nice lady, says Dr. Skillrud, asked for his birthdate, looked up his account and asked, Are you David Skillrud, MD?

Yes, said Skillrud.

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And so it was explained why the computer had identified him as "David Skillrud Maryland."

Says Skillrud: "We both laughed and I explained I got my MD almost 42 years ago, and NEVER have I been called David Skillrud Maryland."

That is, until now, in this computerized age of simpler times.

Coincidentally for a doctor, hes actually practicing in ILL, of course.

One "solution" to the waiter/waitress/cook shortage

As we slowly emerge from the extended shadow of COVID, youve no doubt heard or read about the severe waiter/waitress shortage as restaurants and pubs desperately work to hire more staff.

If creativity counts, wed say an award should go to Busy Corner, the legendary (especially renowned for its pies) restaurant in Goodfield, along Interstate 74 between Bloomington-Normal and Peoria.

Nothing seemed to be working at all, says owner Derek Vollmer.

So he and wife, Emily, posted the following notification on Facebook:

Cooking 'CLASSES available NOW!

5am-1pm, 5 days a week, or after school, 4pm-9pm, and weekends, available as part-time and full time classes!

Learn how to make our amazing pies  and our homemade foods, soup entrees and more! No cost to you as we will actually pay you to attend!! Give us a call today to get registered!

Other classes available include learning how to dish-wash, or count cash, and give change back. Dont miss out on this great opportunity!!!

We checked back.

The clever help wanted post on Facebook got more than 360 likes, 27 comments (all positive), 229 shares and  dangit  no applicants.

But, says Derek, the busy corner of Busy Corner (its one of the most accurately named eateries around) has been able to hire several cooks, and a new idea has been born as well.

We got so much interest in those 'classes, we will keep that in mind for the future, says Derek. I originally went to school to be a culinary teacher and have always wanted to do that.

The Even Busier Corner, anyone?

Bill Flick is at bflick@pantagraph.com.

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BOSTON  A consortium of private equity firms has reached a deal  reportedly worth about $34 billion  to acquire family-run Medline, the medical supply and equipment company announced Saturday.

The leveraged buyout's value was reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said the acquiring firms  Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group and Hellman & Friedman LLC  had beat out a rival bid from Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian investing firm.

Northfield, Illinois-based Medline is a major producer and distributor of everything from anesthesia to wheelchairs, beds and lab supplies used in hospitals and other health care centers in more than 110 countries. It also sells consumer products including the Curad line.

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Medline said in a statement that the company will continue to be privately held and led by the family of Charlie Mills, the chief executive officer, and that it will remain the largest single shareholder.

It said the entire senior management team will remain in place.

Medline, with 28,000 employees worldwide, said it had revenue of $17.5 billion in 2020.

It said it would use the new investment to accelerate international expansion and strengthen its global supply chain.

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Pieces of history cover almost every inch of the walls in a little, tucked away room in Robert J. Strupp's basement. Certificates and pictures dating back centuries fight for space and tell the story of a military family dating back generations.

Col. Robert E. Strupp, Robert J. Strupp's late father, has a Bronze Star Medal citation. It's hanging on his son's wall, along with his diploma from Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and a posthumous commendation medal from the Army.

The son has other things his father picked up over the years during his military service, but artifacts like Nazi flags shouldn't be displayed.

The elder began his military career in 1939 when he entered the National Guard, and was commissioned as an officer in 1941. Strupp was sent to Oklahoma to train before being deployed, then went to England to prepare for the invasion of France.

According to the combat diary of Battery B, or Baker Battery, of the 979th Field Artillery Battalion in the European theater of combat, Strupp  who commanded the battery landed on Omaha Beach a few weeks after the June 6, 1944 arrival of Allied forces on D-Day.

Commander Strupp arrived June 24, 1944, midway through the grinding six week campaign that wore the Germans forces down and led to the liberation of Normandy, France.

Robert J. Strupp, 77, found the combat diary while researching his father's military history.

Baker Battery fought through northern France, in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. They saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge, and spent 307 days in combat in Europe. This is where Strupp earned his Bronze Star Medal.

The younger Strupp used to ask his father which was worse, Normandy or the Battle of the Bulge. The answer was Normandy was awful, the Bulge was worse, exacerbated by horrible winter weather.

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After World War II, Strupp's National Guard career continued  he fought in the Korean Conflict and Vietnam War, and his unit was called to Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention to quell riots. When he wasn't fulfilling his military duties, Strupp worked for Deere & Co.

"He was a citizen soldier," the younger Strupp said.

While away from home, the elder Strupp wrote his wife, urging her not to worry, that he wasn't near combat. He was a good liar, Strupp laughed.

He stayed with the National Guard and Deere until he died in 1972 at the age of 56. He is buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Arsenal Island.

Like many veterans, the elder Strupp didn't like to talk about his service overseas. He shared stories with other veterans, but his son said he had to pry stories out of his father. As the eldest of seven, Robert J. Strupp got to know his father better than his siblings.

The son recalled an instance from when he was six years old, seeing a photograph in his dad's footlocker before he headed to camp. Strupp said it looked like someone had taken a picture of a large pile of dolls, but those "dolls" were children and infants killed in a Nazi concentration camp.

"It was so horrible. I don't think anybody can even understand how horrible it was for those guys to see all that," Strupp said.

About a decade ago, Strupp began to learn more about his father's service in World War II. The daughter of the elder Strupp's Jeep driver contacted Strupp and told him stories.

A retired National Guard captain and Deere & Co. employee himself, Robert J. Strupp said it's important to pass this history to future generations so they understand there is evil in the world, and people sacrificed everything to eradicate it.

"I really don't think the average person understands what these people went through, the soldiers, Marines," Strupp said. "The suffering."

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Even as we prepare to reopen Illinois and celebrate a victory over a virus, we can take a few things away from the experiences of the last 18 months.

But before we do that, we need to devote some time to return to being a society.

Were not talking here about revising our manners of behavior, although thats worth examining as well. Rather, its time to show our fellow citizens a little patience as everyone re-acclimates to 2019 standards. Its not that long ago, but 18 months is even longer when we consider how much weve been yelling at and criticizing one another.

Public events are coming back in full. If it suits your desire, theres not a long wait until you can be part of a crowd at a concert or a church or a play, watching a movie, exploring a festival or visiting an adult beverage station. There will likely be a bit of awkwardness, and were going to have to start reading social cues again, and that will take a little time.

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But those concerns combined cant overcome the delight of being part of society again. While a few may have realized how little they need other people, the majority of us are social creatures, and we thrive when were around others.

Weve also learned ways to better take care of ourselves. The Dracula sneeze/cough  turning away and coughing into the crook of your elbow  was becoming more the norm pre-COVID, and we all should be doing it by now. We received enough reminders about how to wash our hands and how we need to touch our faces as seldom as possible. Those should be becoming second nature.

While vaccinations have somehow become politicized, we shouldnt ignore their track record. Incidents of typhoid, cholera and smallpox  to name just three diseases  are minimal in the United States, largely thanks to mass vaccination. Flu cases were down last year. Whether that was a result of vaccinations, less direct contact with other people or a fluke, we may have learned some lessons that will serve us better in the future.

In addition, taking advantage of remote workplaces, we may have found that some people are more productive outside of the office. Employers accepting that as a reality would be a boon to the workforce.

Unfold your pants, pull your shorts out of storage, remember to use sunscreen, and enjoy the coming months. Weve learned how precious they are.

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100 years ago

June 6, 1921: About 30 government and business leaders rode in a caravan to the Hudson area. They were looking at possible sites where Money Creek or the Mackinaw River can be dammed to make a new water supply for Bloomington and possibly Normal. They were impressed.

75 years ago

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June 6, 1946: Professionals continue to return to Bloomington after the war. Dr. R. A. Chrisman will go into his fathers dental practice on North East Street. Also, Lander Van Gundy will open an insurance office with Jack Stoltz on Beaufort Street in Normal.

50 years ago

June 6, 1971: A sort of mystery emerged when Vernon Gray found an old map with a South Street in Bloomington. Hes curator at the McLean County Historical Society. South Street is presumably Olive Street, but no other maps have been found showing South Street.

25 years ago

June 6, 1996: The Grand Cafe, a Chinese restaurant in downtown Bloomington, is celebrating its 75th anniversary. It began in 1921 when Charlie Lum bought a restaurant from two Chinese men and renamed in the Grand Cafe. Ike Chiu is the general manager, and is the fourth generation of his family to work there.

Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com.
Armed robbers have attacked a shop at Buokrom Estate in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region making away with GHC140,000 in broad daylight. Reports say one of the two robbers stood in front of the shop while the other entered and attacked one of the clients.



The robbers then held some staff hostage amid sporadic gunfire. One person who attempted to enter the shop to help the workers was shot at the entrance of the shop by the robbers leaving him with wounds.



The robbers after their successful operation sped off on motorbikes amid gunshots to ward off people who attempted to chase them.



No arrest has been made yet.



Police have commenced investigations into the incident.

Source: kasapafmonline.com









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National Peace Council (NPC) has called for strong financial support from members of the public to enable it to achieve its mission of sustaining peace in the country.



Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Chairman of NPC, said the Council lacked adequate resources to build the capacities of Staff and enhance their work.



He made the appeal, in a speech read on his behalf, during a three-day Northern Sector Peace Council staff training workshop in Tamale.



The event was funded by the Danish Embassy through its Peace Building and Conflict Prevention Project and aimed to build the capacity of participants in conflict management techniques.



Reverend Dr Adu-Gyamfi said the NPC needed support to enhance the establishment of early warning and response mechanisms at the national and sub-national levels.



He advised members of the NPC to be professional in their line of work and to maintain peace and development in the country.



Reverend Father Thaddeus Kuusah, Executive Secretary of Northern Regional Peace Council (NRPC), said the NRPC had begun processes to index the performance of the Council's essential services by generating a reference list that would be used to check its routine work.



He noted that indexing was one of the tools used to keep records on conflicts, which helped to improve on sustaining peace in the Northern sector.

Source: GNA









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Tributes are pouring in for Prophet Temitope Balogun, the General Overseer of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), who reportedly passed on yesterday June 5, at age 57.



Media reports suggest he died suddenly on Saturday evening after participating in a meeting of the Church.

All flags adorning the SCOAN in Lagos had been lowered at half-mast as sympathizers thronged the Church, following the news of the death of Prophet TB Joshua, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.



It said sympathizers and followers of the Prophet were seen crying around the Church premises and that the usual church service did not come off.



An official confirmation of TB Joshua's passing by the Church's verified Twitter and Facebook page quoted him as counseling his followers in his final words to "Watch and Pray"



Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.  Amos 3:7.

"On Saturday 5th June 2021, Prophet TB Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting-'Time for everything  time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service."



"God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home-as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for.



"As Prophet TB Joshua says, 'The greatest way to use life is to spend it on something that will outlive it.'"



"Prophet TB Joshua leaves a legacy of service and sacrifice to Gods Kingdom that is living for generations yet unborn.

"The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family.



"Here are Prophet TB Joshuas last words-'Watch and pray.'"



"One life for Christ is all we have; one life for Christ is so dear."



Born on June 12th, 1963 in Ondo State, Nigeria, T.B. Joshuas journey had been described as a humbling story of how God raised a young man from a poverty-stricken home to lead an international ministry that attracts thousands worldwide to witness the reality of Gods power.



His life story from dropping out of secondary school in his first year and working in a poultry farm, teaching little children while attending evening classes and washing peoples legs on the muddy streets of Lagos to becoming a mentor to presidents, a friend to widows and less privileged was an encouragement hope for the weak.

Source: GNA









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Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said a state-wide ban on Twitter which prompted international condemnation over the weekend was only a temporary measure in response to misinformation, in comments posted on Facebook.



Many Nigerians, who use mobile networks to access Twitter, found they were unable to access the social media platform on Saturday.



The Information Ministry's announcement that it had suspended access to Twitter came days after the platform removed one of the president's tweets.



Twitter said it had deleted the Buhari tweet because it violated the site's rules against abusive behaviour. The US technology giant also suspended the account for 12 hours.



Buhari said on Saturday that the suspension of Twitter was not just a response to the removal of his own tweet.



"There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real-world violent consequences," Buhari said. "All the while, the company has escaped accountability."



The president added in his statement that the removal of his tweet was "disappointing" and that "the censoring seemed based on a misunderstanding of the challenges Nigeria faces today."



There was widespread criticism of the Twitter ban, domestically and abroad, with the EU, US, Canada and Britain expressing disappointment in a joint statement on Saturday. Banning systems of expression is not the answer, the statement said.

Source: GNA









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Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has bid farewell to Mr Iain Walker, the outgoing British High Commissioner to Ghana.



Mr Walker was appointed British High Commissioner to Ghana in August 2017.



Prior to that, he served as a Board Member of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London as its Director of Finance and Strategy.



During the meeting, the Minister congratulated the High Commissioner on the successful completion of his official duty tour.



She acknowledged that bilateral relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom witnessed active engagements and growth during the tenure of the High Commissioner, who discharged his duties creditably with a high sense of purpose and tenacity.



The Minister applauded the High Commissioner for his exemplary work, which resulted in a number of high-level official visits to Ghana, including the visit by the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in November 2018.



Others are Mr James Duddridge, Minister for Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, in January 2021.



Other visits were by Mr James Heappey, UK Minister for Armed Forces in February 2021 and the just-ended visit of Madam Priti Patel, UK Secretary of State for Home Department from 1st to 2nd June 2021.



Madam Ayorkor Botchwey mentioned that Ghana and the UK had signed the Interim Trade Partnership Agreement, which was expected to provide duty-free and quota-free access for Ghana to the UK market and the same preferential tariff reductions for British exporters into the Ghanaian market.



She added that relations between Ghana and the UK in the area of security had moved a notch higher during his tenure of office.



The Minister hailed the instrumentality of the High Commissioner in the establishment of the Ghana-UK Business Council in 2018 to promote bilateral relations and strategic partnerships between the private sectors of Ghana and UK trade and investment.



She acknowledged the immense contribution that the UK had made and continued to make towards the socio-economic development of Ghana and highlighted the commendable work of the UKs Department for International Development (DFID) in working closely with Government to reduce Ghanas reliance on UK aid, by improving domestic tax mobilization and improved management of the economy.



Others are helping over 900,000 poor and vulnerable Ghanaians to lead safer, healthier and more prosperous lives through various social intervention initiatives.



And supporting Ghanas industrialization and economic transformation agenda, which are critical to strengthening Ghanas economic resilience and unlocking its ambition of the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.



The Minister expressed appreciation to the High Commissioner for his efforts in ensuring UK support for Ghanas fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the UKs pledge of a 450,000 support package to help Ghana's Pharmaceutical Sector to adapt and build back better in the wake of COVID-19 and its commitment to continue to offer public health epidemiological modelling support.



She said the Ambassador had contributed to the enhancement of cooperation between Ghana and the UK and would be sorely missed by the Ghanaian populace.



She expressed the hope that Mr Walker would be an advocate of Ghana wherever he found himself.



She assured the out-going High Commissioner of the determination of Government to transform the Ghanaian economy through value addition and export-oriented growth with the private sector as the main player, and expressed hope that he could be relied on as Ghana's Ambassador-at-large in canvassing support for the country.



She also assured the High Commissioner of Government's resolve and commitment to the promotion of democracy and good governance and the pursuit of peace and security within the West African region and the continent at large.



On his part, Mr Walker said it was great to be a High Commissioner in Ghana, saying "I have enjoyed my tenure here in Ghana".



He said during his tenure there were a number of areas in which the two nations engaged in bilateral cooperation and in multilateral fora.



He said his success, Madam Harriet Thompson, who is the first female British High Commissioner to Ghana, would soon arrive in the country to assume duty.

Source: GNA









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June 4, 1979, burst Flt Lt. JJ Rawlings onto Ghana's political landscape & changed the course of history.I thank God that last year, per the invitation of the Atta-Mills Institute, Papa J visited Asomdwee Park to make peace with Prez Atta-Mills: they are together!RIP my bosses pic.twitter.com/WvWyItpZTp



 Samuel Koku Anyidoho (@KokuAnyidoho) June 4, 2021

Before his demise last, year Former President Jerry John Rawlings visited the Asomdwee Park where the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills was buried to make peace with him, Koku Anyidoho, a former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said.The Founder of the Atta Mills Memorial Institute said this to mark the 42nd anniversary of the June 4 celebrations on Friday.In a tweet, Mr Anyidoho said June 4, 1979, burst Flt Lt. JJ Rawlings onto Ghanas political landscape & changed the course of history.I thank God that last year, per the invitation of the Atta-Mills Institute, Papa J visited Asomdwee Park to make peace with Prez Atta-Mills: they are together!RIP my boss.Meanwhile, Former President John Dramani Mahama has said in relation to the celebration that Ghana is currently going through crisis of confidence in the political leadership.According to him, this is due to economic hardship, insecurity, political and ethnic polarization, deepening inequality, politicization of democratic institutions, corruption, serious problems in the education and health sectors are challenges Ghanaians are confronted with in their daily lives.This has led to a crisis of confidence in the political leadership. Ghana is a country with exceptional human talent. Time is ticking fast and yet we can make things right if we work as one nation with a common destiny. As I have said in the past, broad consultations and consensus building does not take anything away from a leader, he said on the occasion of the June 4 celebration.In a statement, Mr Mahama who was the NDCs Presidential Candidate in last years elections said For the first time, the people of Ghana, comrades, supporters and sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will commemorate the June 4 Uprising without the inspirational and arresting physical presence of the Founder of our party, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings (Rtd.), our former President, who departed from us last year.He was a key influence on Ghanas history for the two decades straddling the late 70s till year 2000. The June 4 Uprising was an epochal event that represents a major landmark in our nations existence. Together with its sister event, the 31st December Revolution, the two shaped the course of Ghanas history resulting in a turnaround in Ghanas economic fortunes and the advent of the 4th Republic.Forty-two years on, our economy and democracy are in dire straits. Economic hardship, insecurity, political and ethnic polarization, deepening inequality, politicization of our democratic institutions, corruption, serious problems in the education and health sectors are challenges Ghanaians are confronted with in our daily lives.This has led to a crisis of confidence in the political leadership. Ghana is a country with exceptional human talent. Time is ticking fast and yet we can make things right if we work as one nation with a common destiny. As I have said in the past, broad consultations and consensus building does not take anything away from a leader.He added Broad consultations that bring the best and brightest together with stakeholders can forge consensus around issues such as economic recovery strategy, or implementational challenges of Free SHS in the national interest.The values June 4 espoused some four decades ago, remain as relevant today as ever before in our nations democratic journey. June 4 engendered hope in our people that the ills of our society would be rooted out and replaced with values of virtue and honesty.If we must get our people to hope again and to trust in our institutions and government, then we must encourage fearless honesty as enjoined by our national anthem.We must embrace and be guided by truth, transparency, probity and accountability  principles that have been bequeathed unto us, which are the bedrock upon which our nation, undoubtedly, will become great, strong, resilient and prosperous.We must encourage freedom of thought and expression rather than a culture of hypocrisy and silence. May the spirit of our Founder live on! I wish all our comrades a happy June 4 Anniversary!

Source: twitter/3news.com









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Former US President, Donald Trump is demanding that China pays ten trillion dollars for its role in the coronavirus pandemic as he added to growing calls for US health expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci to explain exactly how much he knew about work being done at the Wuhan Institute of virology, China.



Donald Trump publicly feuded with Dr. Anthony Fauci throughout 2020 and is now claiming victory amid growing questions over how much his then adviser, Fauci knew about work being done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Chinese laboratory is at the center of conspiracy theories that the novel coronavirus came out from a scientific facility rather than jumped the species barrier naturally.



Fauci's role in the early days of the crisis is under fresh scrutiny after two news organizations obtained his emails under a Freedom of Information request.



In particular, Republicans claim the communications show Fauci knew the Wuhan Institute of Virology - at the center of the lab leak hypothesis for the origins of the COVID-19 crisis - was carrying out experiments with genetically engineered coronaviruses.

They also show he was warned of the possibility of a lab leak at a time when he was publicly insisting the pandemic emerged naturally by jumping from an animal host to human.



In a statement on Thursday, June 3, Trump derided Fauci by claiming he (Trump) saved hundreds of thousands of lives by resisting Fauci's guidance on everything from closing borders, developing vaccines and wearing masks.



'Now everyone, even the so-called "enemy, are beginning to say that President Trump was right about the China Virus coming from the Wuhan Lab,' Trump said.



'The correspondence between Dr. Fauci and China speaks too loudly for anyone to ignore.



'China should pay ten trillion Dollars to America, and the world, for the death and destruction they have caused.'

Trump demanded to find out how much Fauci really knew about the Wuhan lab.



'There are a lot of questions that must be answered by Dr. Fauci,' he said. 'The funding of Wuhan by the U.S. was foolishly started by the Obama administration in 2014 but ended under the Trump administration.



'When I heard about it, I said no way.'What did Dr. Fauci know about gain of function research, and when did he know it?' Fauci says his emails obtained by Buzzfeed News and the Washington Post have been taken out of context. 'I have always said, and will say today to you ... that I still believe the most likely origin is from an animal species to a human, but I keep an absolutely open mind that if there may be other origins of that, there may be another reason, it could have been a lab leak,' he told CNN













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Major (Rtd) Boakye-Djan is accusing late president JJ Rawlings of engaging in an illegality in his second coup. "The fact that he is dead does not exonerate him. He can be tried posthumously if people have the nerve and sincerity that what happened was wrong and should not be encouraged." Major (Rtd) Kojo Boakye-Djan, widely accepted as the key architect of the 4 June 1979 uprising, has said former President Jerry John Rawlings died as a walking criminal.



Speaking to Kojo Mensah on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday 4 June to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the uprising, Boakye-Djan said Rawlings could be prosecuted posthumously for his actions in the second coup on 31 December 1981.



He died as a walking criminal, Boakye-Djan said.



The fact that I built a democracy doesnt mean that I could bear responsibility for somebody destroying it. Remember we handed power over to [Hilla] Limann and I left to London to do my postgraduate course and 31 December came, I was not here but on the same day I opposed it and put down my uniform to roll it back which in the end I succeeded in doing.



No regrets

Remember the rule of law we used to hold senior officers accountable to, was the same difficulty that the second takeover had put us in. That is why I use to call him a walking criminal. The fact that he is dead does not exonerate him. He can be tried posthumously if people have the nerve and sincerity that what happened was wrong and should not be encouraged, Boakye-Djan sad.



However, Boakye-Djan said he has no regrets about the June 4 uprising despite the wide condemnation that greeted the incident.



In fact, I have nothing to regret, he said, adding: You see if you consider that we took over a country in distress right because soldiers were in charge, does the constitution allow soldiers to rule a country? So you cant tell me that is a normal time.



Rawlings began to hatch a political and social scheme with a growing circle of colleagues and friends who were in agreement with his plans, and at the same time read widely. This awareness-raising culminated in his first coup attempt of May 1979, followed by a successful coup detat on 4 June 1979 in which friends and supporters freed him from jail.



Among the early actions of the new Armed Forces Revolutionary Council government were the executions of eight senior military officers, including three former heads of state.



He stood down after democratic elections that year which were won by Hilla Limanns Peoples National Party (PNP). He staged a second coup on 31 December 1981, however, ousting Limann and launching the self-styled revolution out of which his Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) was born.



The 31 December Revolution was followed by in-camera military tribunals and a slew of extrajudicial killings, notably the murders in 1982 of three senior judges and a retired military officer.



Rawlings died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday 12 November 2020.

Source: asaaseradio.com









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"Ckfather" Ships the 888poker XL Spring Series 6-Max ($8,372)

June 06, 2021 Jason Glatzer

Short-handed poker enthusiasts were in for a treat on Saturday, June 5 as it was 6-Max day in the $1 million guaranteed XL Spring Series at 888poker.

Russia's "Ckfather" was the biggest winner of the day after shipping the XL Spring #20 - $30,000 6-Max for $8,372, while "COMINGEASY" and Vadym "vaduwka" Khabarov also won XL Spring Series titles on Saturday.

Check out the results from the seventh day of the XL Spring Series at 888poker.

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XL Spring #20 - $30,000 6-Max

Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $109 June 5 364 $36,400

The XL Spring #20 - $30,000 6-Max attracted 643 entries for a $32,150 prize pool to smash the $30,000 guarantee.

After more than eight hours of play, Russia's "Ckfather" defeated Soraya Estrada "railerita" Gonzalez (second - $5,824) in heads-up play to win the title which came with a huge $8,372 top prize.

Romania's "IonelSimion" was also on the podium after finishing in third place for $4,368 while "ESARJE87" (fourth - $2,912), "drPokermarv" (fifth - $2,184), and "mywifesT7i" (sixth - $1,492) also managed to add four-figures to their 888poker account at the final table in this event.

XL Spring #20 - $30,000 6-Max Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Ckfather $8,372 2 Soraya Estrada "railerita" Gonzalez $5,824 3 IonelSimion $4,368 4 ESARJE87 $2,912 5 drPokermarv $2,184 6 mywifesT7i $1,492

XL Spring #21 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max

Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $16.50 June 5 1,094 $16,410

The XL Spring #21 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max also crushed its guarantee of $15,000 after 1,094 entries generated a $16,410 prize pool.

United Kingdom's "COMINGEASY" made things like easy as they skated their way to victory in this event for $2,954 after defeating Romania's "Lucian2211" (second - $2,215) in heads-up play.

Russia's Anton "toshapiter86" Vinokurov (third - $1,641) and Brazil's Tiago "TTigela" Tigela (fourth - $1,149) also banked four-figure scores in this event.

XL Spring #21 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 COMINGEASY $2,954 2 Lucian2211 $2,215 3 Anton "toshapiter86" Vinokurov $1,641 4 Tiago "TTigela" Tigela $1,149 5 sash2016ura $821 6 mongol75 $492

XL Spring #22 - $15,000 Late 6-Max

Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $55 June 5 309 $15,450

Ukraine's Vadym "vaduwka" Khabarov shipped the XL Spring #21 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max for $3,554 after sending "sjollema22" to the rail in second-place for $2,472.

Sweden's "Ilikepugs" (third - $1,854) and "vedat01" (fourth - $1,236) also added four-figures to their 888poker accounts after deep finishes at the final table.

The event itself squeezed past its $15,000 guarantee with 309 entries creating a $15,450 prize pool.

XL Spring #21 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Vadym "vaduwka" Khabarov $3,554 2 sjollema22 $2,472 3 Ilikepugs $1,854 4 vedat01 $1,236 5 cankiller15 $927 6 brunocasadei $633

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

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Niklas Astedt Wins the WSOP Super Circuit Online Series Main Event at GGPoker ($758,443)

June 06, 2021 Jason Glatzer

Niklas Astedt added a WSOP Circuit ring to his many accomplishments as Saturday evening he was the last player standing in the 2021 WSOP Super Circuit Online Series $525 Main Event at GGPoker to collect $758,443.

Astedt needs no introduction as he has been ranked as the top online poker player in the world at PocketFives over several long periods with the site crediting the Swedish superstar more than $22 million in online tournament cashes. Even more amazing is that he doesn't have his GGPoker screenname listed on his profile where he has won nearly $11 million according to GGPoker's PokerCraft.

The Swedish poker sensation began the final table with the chip lead but was facing a nearly 4:1 deficit against Yanfei "aoteman1888" Chi before coming back to win the event.

In addition to winning his first WSOP Circuit ring and a massive prize, Astedt became the inaugural member of Team Champions at GGPoker.

Team Champions benefits include a custom avatar, Platinum Fish Party status, a Team Champions badge, a unique affiliate code, and a whopping $50,000 tournament package which can be used for the GGPoker Online Series Main Event, the live WSOP Main Event, the live WSOP Europe Main Event, and other events upon agreement. In addition, Astedt will be granted access to GGPoker lounge at live events.

The tournament itself was another huge success story for GGPoker with the massive field generating an enormous $7,248,000 prize pool to smash the event's lofty $5 million guarantee.

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WSOP Super Circuit Online Series Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Niklas Astedt Sweden $758,443 2 Yanfei "aoteman1888" Chi China $568,746 3 sssssAK China $426,499 4 Allan "Freedom35" Mello Brazil $319,829 5 Noksukow Poland $239,838 6 Fabian Spielmann Germany $179,853 7 Promoking United Kingdom $134,871 8 David Miscikowski United States $101,139 9 Patrick "Egption" Tardif Canada $75,843

Final Table Action

Niklas Astedt began the final table with the chip lead with Yanfei "aoteman1888" Chi and "sssssAK" closest on his tail.

GGSquad streamer Patrick "Egption" Tardif (ninth - $75,843) began the final table in the middle of the pack but he lost half his stack to Astedt and was down to nine big blinds when Astedt took the rest when his ace-seven was unable to hold against ace-deuce.

A break took place and the second hour was action packed with five players hitting the rail before the second break took place. A short-stacked David Miscikowski (eighth - $101,139) was the first of the five to hit the rail after he was unable to win a flip with deuces against the Chi's king-queen.

United Kingdom's "Promoking" was eliminated in seventh place for $134,871 immediately after when their big slick didn't win a flip against Chi's snowmen.

Fabian Spielmann (sixth - $179,853) also went out with big slick to Chi but his situation was more of a cooler than it was for "Promoking". Chi held ace-queen and improved to a flush after four spades appeared on the board.

Poland's "Noksukow" (fifth - $239,838) also hit the showers on a bad beat when their nines didn't hold against the ace-three suited held by Allan "Freedom35" Mello.

Despite just eliminating an opponent, Mello still held the shortest stack during four handed play and was the next player to go in after his king-jack didn't get there against the big slick held by "sssssAK" to hit the showers in fourth place for $319,829.

Chi extended his chip lead during three-handed play and Astedt was finding himself low on chips. Both players laddered up after "sssssAK" (third - $426,499) didn't win a flip with ace-jack suited against Chi's nines.

Heads-Up Action

Chi began heads-up play with a nearly 4:1 chip advantage against Astedt before he extended it to a 5:1 chip edge. Astedt was down but not out as he battled his way back into contention after betting all three streets with cowboys including a jam on the river to double-up against Chi, who improved to a pair of tens holding ten-nine.

Astedt then managed to hit flushes in two hands to hold a commanding 4:1 chip advantage before the final hand took place.

Astedt jammed the button with ace-four and Chi called off for 18 big blinds with king-seven suited. The board ran blank for Chi and he was ousted by Astedt in second place for $568,746.

Niklas Astedt Wins the 2021 WSOP Super Circuit Online Main Event

Congrats again to Niklas Astedt for winning the WSOP Super Circuit Online Series $525 Main Event at GGPoker.
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More people are traveling now, and many have been shocked by the sky-high prices for renting a car  high enough to prompt reports of travelers renting U-Haul trucks as an alternative.

There's a better way to save money on a rental car, and there's also a way to make money from this situation, which has been driven by rental car companies simply not having enough vehicles on hand.

To set the stage, let's look at what someone visiting South Carolina could expect to pay if they wanted the very least expensive airport car rental for four days, in mid-July. With taxes and fees, based on quotes from Expedia, here's what four days in a compact car would cost:

Myrtle Beach: $778

Charleston: $669

Greenville: $494

Columbia: $463

Ouch, that's a lot.

Another option is to check out a company I first wrote about years ago, called Turo (turo.com). The company connects people who need rental cars with vehicle owners willing to rent to strangers, sort of like how Uber and Lyft connect people who need rides with people willing to give rides to strangers.

Here's what it would cost to rent a car through Turo on those same dates in July:

Myrtle Beach: $408 (in the least expensive car listed, a 2015 BMW 3 Series)

Charleston: $259

Greenville: $193

Columbia: $248 (in the least expensive vehicle listed, a 2011 Ford Explorer)

Obviously, the savings can be significant. More than $100 per day in Charleston, on those days.

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Or, while still saving money, renters can upgrade. Instead of paying $778 to rent a compact car in Myrtle Beach for four days, how about a 2021 Tesla Model 3 for $545?

On Turo.com renters can see a menu of vehicles for rent, with photos, prices and reviews. Airport pick-up and drop-off is widely available.

No city in South Carolina is among the top cities nationally for Turo, so the selection is limited. On those four days in July that I use as an example, there were 17 vehicles available in Myrtle Beach, two of which were three-wheel Polaris Slingshots. On those same days in Atlanta, for airport pickup, there were about 200 vehicles, starting at $24 per day.

I tried it out myself in 2015, and inexpensively rented a bright yellow 2012 limited-edition, 490-horsepower Dodge Challenger. A rental car company would typically charge a high premium for a car like that. I recall that I paid less than $60 a day.

Of course, the flip-side of this is that right now would be a great time to make some extra money by renting out a vehicle, for those so inclined. I have not tried that myself, this is not an endorsement, and I know that some people offering vehicles to rent through Turo aren't offering their personal vehicles, but ones they own or lease solely for that purpose.

The company provides insurance coverage, roadside assistance, customer support and, of course, the website and app that connects car renters with rental cars.

According to Turo's website, vehicle owners get 60 percent to 85 percent of the price of each trip, depending on the insurance option they choose. For example, taking the insurance with a $2,500 deductible means the car owner gets 85 percent of the trip price, but taking the zero-deductible plan that comes with loss-of-income coverage means the car owner gets 60 percent of each trip.
South Carolina had 169 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on June 6.

One death from the coronavirus was also reported to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, bringing the total number of COVID-related deaths to 8,594 since the start of the pandemic.

Statewide numbers

New cases reported: 169 confirmed, 99 probable.

Total cases in S.C.: 492,308 confirmed, 101,822 probable.

Percent positive: 1.8 percent.

New deaths reported: 1 confirmed, 1 probable.

Total deaths in S.C.: 8,594 confirmed, 1,160 probable.

Percent of ICU beds filled: 67.9 percent.

S.C. residents vaccinated

DHECs vaccine dashboard indicates that 45.4 percent of South Carolina residents have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. According to the dashboard, 38 percent of the states residents have completed vaccination.

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Hardest-hit areas

Richland (25), Spartanburg (18), York (16), Greenville (13) and Lexington (13) counties saw the highest total numbers of new cases.

What about tri-county?

Berkeley had 12 new cases on June 6, while Dorchester had seven and Charleston County had three.

Deaths

The one confirmed death on June 6 was a patient who was 65 and older.

Hospitalizations

Of the 232 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of June 6, 69 were in the ICU and 31 were using ventilators. This dashboard was last updated on June 4.

What do experts say?

Herd immunity from COVID-19 can happen when enough people are immune to the coronavirus, either by contracting it or getting vaccinated. According to the DHEC, 70 to 80 percent of the states population would need to be immune to COVID-19 in order to reach herd immunity.

To find a COVID-19 vaccine in South Carolina, go to vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov or call 866-365-8110.
The morning of Nov. 28, 2018, calls were reaching transplant hospitals in Charleston; Nashville, Tenn.; and Charlotte, all with disastrous news: Physicians at each of the centers had just unknowingly given their patients organs with incompatible blood types.

In all three instances  a heart in Charlotte, lungs in Charleston, a liver in Nashville  medical teams rushed to save their patients' lives.

Two of the recipients survived after physicians did second transplants. Allen Holliman, an Aiken man with pulmonary fibrosis, died at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

It all stemmed from the same problem. People affected by the ordeal allege in lawsuits that the North Charleston-based nonprofit We Are Sharing Hope SC did not get the two required tests done to confirm a South Carolina donors blood type before their organs were matched to patients and shipped.

We Are Sharing Hope SC is one of 57 organizations like it across the country. The alleged mix-up in South Carolina showcases the life-and-death role of these organ procurement groups and highlights the human cost that can come if the job isn't done correctly.

In Washington, D.C., meanwhile, a debate was brewing about accountability of these stewards of organ donation. Advocates believe these nonprofits are missing thousands of possible organs to transplant.

To become an organ donor You can choose to authorize physicians to harvest your organs and potentially save multiple people's lives by registering to become a donor at donatelifesc.org/register or at the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles. Learn more about the process at sharinghopesc.org/about-donation.

Bipartisan Congressional committees have cited The Post and Courier's reporting as they continue their investigations into the nation's organ procurement system. In December, a U.S. House oversight committee announced it would open an investigation into We Are Sharing Hope SC and 10 other organizations like it across the country.

The congressional investigations come not long after regulators overhauled how they would measure success for these kinds of organizations, all of which are nonprofits that work under guaranteed regional monopolies in the organ-sharing business.

A new federal rule laid out new, simple metrics, and it rated every organization in the country. The score We Are Sharing Hope SC got, based on 2018 numbers, lands it in the bottom tier of performers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it believes if every organization hits its goals, between 5,600 and 7,300 additional organ transplants could happen every year. And for those that can't improve their scores, the agency is threatening to put the organization out of business.

While he declined to comment on the pending lawsuits, David DeStefano, CEO of We Are Sharing Hope SC, said in an interview he welcomes the new metrics, and improvements at the organization have already been made since 2018. He said the nonprofit facilitated more donations in 2020 than any other year in its history, and is on the path to meeting the government's goals.

"We feel very strongly that if we live that mission every day in South Carolina, then we'll meet any metrics that are put before us," DeStefano said. "We just remain committed to be the best entity we can in the state, and to serving the community as best we can."

Sharing Hope has fully cooperated with the investigation, he said.

Fatal error

Ykeiah Lawrence awoke in the middle of one August night feeling like she was having an asthma attack. But her condition was far more serious.

Doctors told Lawrence her heart was enlarged, the result of a condition called cardiomyopathy that makes it hard for the heart to pump blood. She needed to give birth to her daughter that same night, by C-section.

But even after the birth, Lawrence said her condition didn't improve. Instead, it progressed until her medical team told her she would need a new heart on Nov. 3. The news that a heart had been found for her came just weeks later, as doctors tried multiple treatments to improve her worsening condition.

The donor was a woman who had been admitted to Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach as a trauma patient on Nov. 24, 2018, and had type A blood. The hospital gave her a massive blood transfusion in an effort to save her life, which would later muddle the results of blood testing, according to the lawsuits. Transplant doctors operated on the belief that the donor had type O.

The problem was that Lawrence has type B-positive, which is compatible with type O. Two other people desperately hoping for a transplant, Allen Holliman and Joe Patterson, each had type O.

Organ procurement organizations like We Are Sharing Hope act as middle men, facilitating much of the complicated system of organ transplant. The nonprofits recover organs and distribute them to waiting patients; part of their job is to secure two blood tests to make sure organs and patients match. They are also advocacy groups, working to convince people to agree to be donors and lending support to donor families.

Lawrence, then 26 and a new mother to a 2-month-old daughter, didn't wake up until after she had rejected the first heart and a second transplant had been done. A rehabilitation process began. She made it home from the hospital for Christmas Eve, but Lawrence still had milestones to reach. She couldn't walk at first, and holding her daughter was a challenge. It would be another seven months before she returned to her job as a kindergarten teacher in the North Carolina public school system.

Lawrence said she and her husband didn't know for sure that other people were hurt in the error until she heard from lawyers.

"We never knew for sure that anybody else got any of the other organs," she said. "It was really a big shock to know it didn't just happen to me."

Now, We are Sharing Hope SC is facing three lawsuits, one each from Patterson, Lawrence and the wife of Allen Holliman. Lawrence filed her lawsuit May 3.

Atrium Health, the Charlotte-based system that operates the hospital where Lawrence was treated, is also a defendant in the lawsuit. It declined to comment on the litigation.

Transparency, accountability

The nation's organ networks "can easily hide or manipulate their outcome measures in the current system," a group of five former federal agency leaders wrote in a January report. They point out that no organ procurement organization has ever lost its certification.

The current system won't be in place for much longer. With the new federal rule, if the organizations with poor scores don't improve by 2026, they could lose their contracts with the government.

The changes have elicited mixed reviews among the 57 nonprofits.

DeStefano and We Are Sharing Hope SC weighed in with a letter in February 2020 expressing concern "that the overarching principles of the proposed metrics would ... prioritize metrics over mission" and arguing that what works in one part of the country may not be applicable to South Carolina or other regions.

DeStefano followed up in a letter this March, writing that he supports the effort to implement new standards and agrees that organizations that consistently perform poorly should be put on a path to decertification.

While We Are Sharing Hope SC scored in the top half of the pack in its donation rate, or how many organs were donated by people who had consented to give, in 2018. But in its transplant rate, which measures how many organs were actually recovered from eligible patients, its score was at the bottom.

The association that represents most organ procurement groups maintains the system in place already works to encourage improvement through reporting to federal agencies and oversight from boards of directors.

"There are a lot of ways that we're accountable and transparent to others," said Jan Finn, CEO of the Midwest Transplant Network and incoming president of the nationwide Association of Organ Procurement Organizations.

Finn said she supports the new rule. Her association has pointed out transplant hospitals also play a major role in the success of the organ-sharing process.

Donna Cryer, CEO of the patient advocacy group the Global Liver Institute, said decades of promises from organ procurement groups have not brought improvement. For years, she said, there was little appetite to change the complex system. Now, people who had been ignored by the system finally have a voice, she said.

Cryer, who is also a transplant recipient, testified on the topic at a hearing of the House Oversight subcommittee on May 4. There, members of the U.S. House are targeting financial waste, abuse and fraud.

Cryer said the rule and committee investigations have put organ procurement organizations on notice that they actually have to change their ways and improve, "not just give lip service."

"I think it's all in the execution," she said.

She hopes regulators will follow through on promises of tough oversight.

Meanwhile, as of June 2, 1,457 people are waiting for an organ in South Carolina.
One of South Carolina's highest-ranking members of the military made a worried comment to Charleston business leaders recently: The quality of the state's education system is hurting the ranks and, maybe, Pentagon readiness, too.

Col. Marc Greene, commander of the 628th Air Base Wing at Joint Base Charleston, said while the military is thriving overall in the Lowcountry, the state's poor reputation for education is a red flag for active-duty airmen, retired service members and their families who want to make South Carolina their permanent home.

"If you have a base that needs to support people, and the education system is not up to snuff, then it's hard to retain that family long term," Greene said at a June 1 meeting of the North Charleston Chamber of Commerce and the Palmetto Military Support Group.

"And so our readiness, our ability to do our jobs, gets degraded over time," he warned.

South Carolina is home to bases representing each branch of the armed services. It boasts one of the largest veteran and military retiree populations in the country. And, notably, the Pentagon provides for nearly 200,000 jobs in the Palmetto State.

But South Carolina's education system consistently ranks as one of the lowest in the nation, most recently listed 43rd in the country for education by U.S. News and World Report.

While they may not seem connected, military officials said the consistently low marks of South Carolina's schools can affect long-term stability, make it hard to recruit new service members and, at the extreme, might potentially influence a base-closure decision.

Addressing education quality across the nation has been a long-standing issue for the Department of Defense. In a 2018 letter to the National Governors Association, the former secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force identified two main issues for service members and their families: low-quality education systems and the reciprocity of professional licenses for military spouses so they can stay employed when moving around the country.

The letter stated these are "factors military families cite most frequently as drawbacks to military service." It added the Department of Defense "will encourage leadership to consider the quality of schools near bases and whether reciprocity of professional licenses is available for military families when evaluating future basing or mission alternatives."

South Carolina lawmakers addressed the license reciprocity issue in 2020 when Gov. Henry McMaster signed the Armed Service Members and Spouses Professional and Occupational Licensing Act into law. It allows temporary licenses for jobs such as cosmetology, physical therapy and nursing to spouses of active military members who already hold a license in another state.

State lawmakers have vowed to make fixing schools a top priority. Interest in an education overhaul has grown since The Post and Couriers five-part Minimally Adequate series detailed broad disparities in South Carolina's education system that now threaten the states economic vitality.

But reforms have been slow-moving.

"It's never moving fast enough," said Patrick Kelly, the director of governmental affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association. "We've seen movement, but it has been incremental."

Kelly added that factoring in the military's concerns is important because it shows how improving educational outcomes for students touches every aspect of life in the Palmetto State.

Retired Army Gen. William Grimsley, secretary of the S.C. Department of Veterans' Affairs, agreed and said quality education and military readiness are connected.

"This is one of the things we want to work on and this is not the first time we've heard this," Grimsley told The Post and Courier. "It's a huge component for a service member when it comes to choosing where to stay or where to go after their term of service."

Outside of the Joint Base Charleston fences, there are several Charleston County and Berkeley County schools. Charleston County's Lambs Elementary, for example, is near the main gate of the Air Force and Navy installations. Compared to a school in more economically well-off Mount Pleasant, such as Belle Hall Elementary, it is underperforming.

Only 40 percent of the students at Lambs were on track with academic subjects, compared with 70 percent at Belle Hall, according to South Carolina's education scorecard.

Similarly, 43 percent of students at nearby Marrington Elementary School were on track academically, as compared with 60 percent of students at Mount Pleasant's Jennie Moore Elementary School.

While many schools in Summerville or Mount Pleasant may be superior to those directly outside Joint Base Charleston, many young service members with families simply don't have the financial resources to send their children to other schools in instances where they live near an installation, Greene said.

"I have a lot of single parents who have kids," Greene said. "And so that single mom and dad who has kids can't drive their kid to a school of choice elsewhere in the state. And so they're left to live on base and live with the schools or those immediately adjacent to the base because they have no other options."

Grimsley said he plans to sit down with base leaders in the coming weeks to talk about solutions to fixing schools near bases. One such option could be redirecting federal dollars the state gets for schools and prioritizing those elementary, middle and high schools near military installations.
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.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
A May 29 letter writer asks, Why even get vaccinated if you still have to wear a mask?

For me, the answer is in The Post and Couriers daily article that gives the statewide reported cases of coronavirus.

In the last section of the May 29 article, the headline is What do experts say? The answer is, Through the end of April, the CDC recorded 10,262 cases of COVID-19 in people who were fully vaccinated in 46 states ... But of the thousands of breakthrough cases that were identified, just 160 people died.

For more than a year I have worn a mask in public to protect other people in case I was an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus.

Now that I am fully vaccinated, I wear a mask to protect myself from unvaccinated people.

I cant tell who is vaccinated and who is not, and I dont want to be a rare breakthrough case that ends up as a note at the end of a newspaper article.

My age puts me in a higher risk group, and being fully vaccinated does not make me feel safe in public without a mask.

I am not asking the letter writer to wear a mask, but I will continue to do so because, as the letter writer stated, Its their health and their decision.

DENISE CHASTAIN

Commons Way

Goose Creek

Environmental win

Thanks to the hard work and effective legal arguments of Amy Armstrong, the executive director of the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, Kiawahs developers have been stopped from developing Captain Sams Spit.

The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled Wednesday the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control erred in issuing permits for a 2,380-foot-long steel wall along the narrow neck connecting Captain Sams to Kiawah, which would have led to construction of 50 homes.

Since the September 1994 signing of the first development agreement between the town of Kiawah Island and Kiawah Resort Associates, building on this fragile teardrop of land at the western end of Kiawah has been in dispute.

I would like to believe the latest ruling by the state Supreme Court against development of Captain Sams would put an end to the issue. History probably indicates otherwise.

I urge Kiawah Development Partners to accept this decision and allow the spit of land to remain pristine for the benefit of the public, Kiawah property owners, the environment and the animals that nest and feed there.

WENDY KULICK

Marsh Edge Lane

Kiawah Island

Not a job for county

A May 20 commentary by Adam J. Shoemaker regarding affordable housing left me puzzled.

The writer mentioned two reports, one in 2014 and another in 2019, and a tool used in other communities, the affordable housing trust fund.

He also mentioned that there is a long list of groups in the Charleston area that support the use of this tool.

What puzzled me is that he seems to think that only Charleston County Council can establish and fund the affordable housing trust fund.

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There is little support in the community to give Charleston County Council a blank check. Council has already cost county taxpayers millions with its lack of real estate knowledge, more precisely the Naval Hospital ordeal. And the council lacks transparency.

More importantly, after so many years, why havent the large number of groups that support the trust fund created it along with a list of projects that can be funded?

The trust fund sounds like a great idea, but ideas are easy; execution is everything.

This is not a job for Charleston County Council.

CHARLES DILLARD

Pinelog Lane

Johns Island

Project well done

Hats off to the Beach Company for the great job it did on construction of 310 and 320 Broad St. I drive past the building several times a day and have since construction started.

It is a perfect bookend to the Peoples Building at the other end of Broad Street. It looks good, fits well and will be a glowing testament to company founder J.C. Long and his family for a long time.

The only real negative is what the Beach Company had to endure to get plans approved and deal with a vocal minority of neighborhood residents who opposed the project.

There was no merit to the opposition of the marvelous addition. The right result was approved, as evidenced by the final product, and the Beach Company should be commended for carrying through with its plan.

The structure and design are a win-win for all of Charleston.

CHARLES THOMPSON JR.

Riverdale Drive

Charleston

Electricity's failure

To combat global warming by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, it appears that we are moving quickly to electric automobiles in the United States, and possibly Asia and Europe. This is a step in the right direction, but it is only a step.

Electric cars use a lot of electricity and must be frequently recharged. The electricity to recharge the batteries comes from the electric power companies.

And what do the electric power companies use to generate this electricity? Sometimes coal, which is the dirtiest and most polluting of all fuels. The smokestack emissions of coal-fired generating plants are almost all carbon dioxide, which is what we are trying to reduce. Also, the ash contains many hazardous and toxic materials, and its difficult to dispose of.

The global warming situation is not going to improve until coal is banned as fuel for electric generation. There are other ways to generate electricity: solar, wind and water (hydroelectric dams), and none of them require any fuel.

Research may find additional ways to generate electricity, such as tides in places that have 20-plus-foot tides and ocean wave action.

JOSEPH KOZAK JR.

Robert E. Lee Drive

Walterboro
The traditional kickoff to the boating season in South Carolina is Memorial Day weekend, but I was able to kick mine off a few days earlier thanks to my persistent oldest grandson, to whom my boat has been promised when he reaches an appropriate age.

I hemmed and hawed when Jon Thomas broached the idea of getting out on the water. The boat was dirty. The motor hadn't been run for some time. I had some non-boating work I had to do. But when I returned home from my work I found the boat in the driveway, sparkling clean. He had given the boat a good wash and he and his dad, Jonathan, had run the motor for a few minutes. All we needed was gas. Or so he thought.

South Carolina has more than 3,000 miles of coastline in the 200-mile stretch between the North Carolina and Georgia borders. There are more than 8,000 miles of rivers and 460,000 acres of lakes. And with approximately a half million boats registered to South Carolina owners, things can be extremely busy on our waterways.

There was a lot more to do than my grandson thought, but not nearly as much as there had been the day before. So we began emptying the various storage compartments and taking inventory. If you don't know the requirements, be sure to visit the S.C. Department of Natural Resources website (dnr.sc.gov) and select the boating tab.

I have my own inflatable personal flotation device which I store inside and Jon Thomas, who is 10, has his PFD as well. But the other life jackets that had been shoved into damp storage compartments had mildewed and needed to be replaced. Having an appropriately sized Coast Guard-approved PFD that is in serviceable condition (meaning not mildewed and dry-rotted) for everyone on board is one of the minimal requirements for boating in South Carolina. My throwable device, however, was still in good condition.

The next item I checked was my fire extinguisher, and sure enough it no longer indicated that it was usable. So add that to the list. A Coast Guard-approved hand-held portable fire extinguisher must be aboard each boat less than 26 feet if your fuel tanks are permanently installed.

I found the whistle that keeps me compliant with the requirement of having an efficient sound-producing device, and I've also acquired an air horn.

Unfortunately, I'm going to need Jon Thomas and his dad to help out with the navigation light requirement (must be on between official sunset and sunrise). I have a couple of electrical issues I'm hoping they will take care of for Father's Day. Another requirement is flares for boats operating in coastal waters.

There are some other things that aren't on SCDNR's official list of needed safety items, but I also wanted to make certain that they hadn't wandered off since the last time the boat was out. My anchor and anchor chain were stored in the bow compartment along with a paddle. Paddles aren't required but if you lose power and need to make your way to shore or a dock, you will certainly appreciate having one. Ask me how I know.

You should also check your boat trailer to make certain it is in good operating condition and the trailer lights are working.

While looking things over I also noticed my registration sticker expires on the last day of June 2021. Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, South Carolina registrations renewed every year instead of every three years. And beginning January 2021 the $10 annual registration fee is billed by the county along with your property taxes. Questions about a boat owners' individual tax bills must be directed to that county's Auditor or Treasurer's Office.

There also is a new federal law pertaining to safety you should know. Operators of recreational boats less than 26 feet long on federally regulated waters are now required to have and to use the engine cut-off switch and engine cut-off lanyard, also known as a kill switch. The law went into effect April 1. If the engine cut-off lanyard becomes disengaged from the switch, the motor will shut down, preventing a runaway boat.
Looking at the Pride Month exhibit near the Legislature, I admire Guam's support for political pluralism and the free expression of people. My Read more
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Robert L. Harris is an attorney practicing in Idaho Falls. This column is provided by the 7th District Bar Association as a public service. Submit questions to Its the Law, P.O. Box 50130, Idaho Falls, ID 83405, or by email to rfarnam@holdenlegal.com. This column is for general information. Readers with specific legal questions should consult an attorney. A lawyer referral service is provided by calling the Idaho State Bar Association in Boise at 208-334-4500.
My Dartmouth classmate John Floberg recently retired after a distinguished career in neurology. We took Professor Peter Biens freshman seminar on Politics and the Novel together during our first term at the college. John is originally from Chicago but we reconnected in the Twin Cities through Power Line 40 years after our studies with Professor Bien.

Following in a family tradition, John served as a commissioned Navy officer after our graduation. In 2016 John sent me this Daily Journal article about his fathers service on D-Day and his sister Anne Wilsons then upcoming visit to the Normandy beaches where John and Annes father fought. Please check out Corey Elliots excellent story on Frederic Floberg, the executive officer on PC-565.

The story concludes: Anne Wilson has a copy of the D-Day orders passed onto her fathers ship in May of 1944. Here is the briefing all members of the United States Navy received just two weeks before D-Day, June 6, 1944. I thought readers would enjoy a look at this bracing call to duty:

27 May, 1944. Secret From: Naval Commander, Western Task Force To: ALL HANDS 1. We of the Western Naval Task Force are going to land the American Army in France. 2. From battleships to landing craft ours is, in the main, an American Force. Beside us will be a mainly British force, landing the British and Canadian troops. Overhead will fly the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. We all have the same mission  to smash our way onto the beaches, and through the coastal defenses, into the heart of the enemys fortress. 3. In two ways the coming battle differs from any that we have undertaken before: it demands more seamanship, and more fighting. We must operate in the waters of the English Channel and the French coast, in strong currents and twenty-foot tide. We must destroy an enemy defensive system which has been four years in the making, and our mission is one against which the enemy will throw his whole remaining strength. These are not beaches held by apathetic Italians or defended by hasty fortifications. These are prepare[d] positions, held by Germans who have learned from their past failures. They have coastal batteries and mine fields; they have [illegible] and E-boats and submarines. They will try to use them all. We are getting into a fight. 4. But it is not we who have to fear the outcome. As the German has learned from failure, we have learned from success. To this battle we bring our tested methods, with new weapons, and overwhelming strength. Tides and currents present a challenge which, forewarned, we know how to meet. And it will take more than the last convulsive effort of the beaten master race to match the fighting spirit of the American Navy. It is the enemy who is afraid. 5. In this force there are battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. There are hundreds of landing ships and craft, scores of patrol and escort vessels, dozens of specials assault craft. Every man in every ship has his job. And these tens of thousands of men and jobs add up to one task only  to land and support and supply and reinforce the finest army ever sent to battle by the United States. In that task we shall not fail. I await with confidence the further proof, in this the greatest battle of them all, that American sailors are seamen and fighting men second to none. 6. Captains will please publish this letter at quarters on the day that the ships are sealed; then post on bulletin boards; and remove and burn prior to sailing. A.G. Kirk (Commander, U.S. Navy)

John noted that you can find part of the rest of the story on page 369 of Stephen Ambroses D-Day, June 6, 1944, where Ambrose quotes ships cook Exum Pike. Pikes quote concludes: I have often told my two sons that I have no fear of hell because I have already been there.
Senator Tom Cotton and others were excoriated for suggesting that the possibility that the Wuhan virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology should be investigated. Not only have such suggestions been denounced, until last week, Facebook did not even allow the idea that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory to be discussed.

Over the last couple of weeks, a consensus has emerged that the lab leak hypothesis is plausible and definitely deserves investigation. This is not, however, because anything new has come to light in recent days. Andy McCarthy argues that not only is the lab leak theory plausible, it has already been proved to be correct beyond a reasonable doubt. He makes a strong case:

Lab accidents are common, and have been known to spawn infectious diseases (including the escape of SARS1 from the Chinese National Virology Institute in Beijing no less than four times, according to Wade). WIV scientists were conducting gain-of-function research on bat-based coronaviruses, in particular their capacity to infect humans. The bats in which are found closely related (but, importantly, not identical) viruses do not inhabit the vicinity of Wuhan  they are nearly a thousand miles away from that densely populated city and have limited flight range. The likelihood of naturally occurring interspecies transmission (outside a lab setting) is infinitesimal. The lab conditions in Wuhan were insufficiently safe  grossly so, it appears. Several of the labs researchers fell ill (at least three severely enough to be hospitalized) right at the critical time, in autumn of 2019, before the first identified case of infection with SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Here, two additional points are salient. First, those implausibly claiming that the circumstantial case is weak always skip past the inconvenient fact that the circumstantial case for their preferred theory of natural transmission (from bat to human, directly or through an intermediary species) is so weak as to be negligible  there being, most tellingly, no known existence of a bat (or pangolin, etc.) in which a virus matching SARS-CoV2 has been found.

I dont know where the coronavirus came from, but the arguments Andy makes are obviously telling. I would emphasize two different points.

First, the anxiety of the entire American establishment to protect the Chinese Communist Party is remarkable. Prominent Americans from Joe Biden to Mark Zuckerberg to Lebron James apparently prioritize loyalty to China over pretty much everything else. We normal Americans need a much better understanding of why this should be true.

Roger Simon addresses this question:

Many of them [Wall Streeters]almost all of them to the left of center, at least publiclyhave quietly decided, whether they admit it to themselves consciously or not, that China will be the winner in its struggle with the United States and the West. Some of them even want it that way for their own advantage. Again, for the most part unspoken, they see the CCP as monolithic and better organizednot having to deal with the untidiness of democracyand clearly more ruthless (from Tiananmen to the Uyghur to the Falun Gong), and therefore inevitably victorious. Its an if you cant beat em, join em situation, as pathetic as that sounds. And its all around us. Making mega-bucks then off China trumps opposing their horrifying policies for a great percentage of our country, often especially to those who pretend otherwise.

***

Globalism, as I wrote in an earlier piece, is in reality China-ism. Thats how it works. A perfect example is giant Apple whose most recent quarterly China revenue came in at a record-breaking $21 billion+. At the same time we got all sorts of social justicey talk from CEO Tim Cook. What Cook is doing, cashing in big on one side while mouthing liberal pieties on the other, suits the Chinese communists perfectly well, essentially enabling them. Apple then becomes a linchpin of American communism much in the way Huawei is a linchpin of Chinese communism. (Not inconsequentially, Apples top five executives, including Cook, earned a total of almost exactly $120 million in 2020, up 13 percent during the pandemic.) Almost our entire corporate world is trotting eagerly behind, the majority acting in the same manner. And now, scariest of all, the military has gone woke. Who benefits from that?

Not you and me, to be sure.

The second key point, I think, is how the American press combined with pro-China social media to suppress discussion of covids origin. The New York Times and the Washington Post might as well be Pravda and Tass for all the interest they have in disseminating information that casts doubt on the Leftist party line. And Facebook, Twitter et al. not only support the Democratic Party/Chinese Communist Party line, but worse, aggressively suppress any suggestion that a different view is even possible.

We are living in a very dark time.
I want to add more notes to our coverage of Winston Boogie Smith, the target of a North Star Fugitive Task Force arrest operation that cornered him at the top of the parking ramp adjacent to Uptowns Seven Points (better known as Calhoun Square). Smith appears to have engaged in a gun battle with members of the task force when they sought to arrest him on an outstanding warrant this past Thursday afternoon.

 Doing the work that the Star Tribune wont do, Kyle Hooten provides background on the deep thoughts of Winston Smith in the Alpha News story Minneapolis man shot by police published plans for war to kill cops. Subhead: Winston Smith asked protesters to target police from the rooftops and bring bombs to rallies. Kyles story is documented with social media including two Instagram videos.

 Alpha News has also posted the video below of the rioting in Uptown late Friday night and early Saturday morning. This is what it looked like at one of Minneapoliss prime intersections.

 As usual, the Star Tribune obscures a rounded view of whats going down in Uptown in Smiths honor. Maya Rao had the help of two other reporters for the story on last nights festivities in Uptown: Protesters converge for third night at Uptown spot where Winston Smith was killed. Subhead: Crowd vandalizes site of law enforcement teams killing of Winston Smith. Let us observe, Star Tribune style, that the protests veered into vandalism.

 One has to get to paragraph 15 of Raos story to be reminded: Authorities say they recovered a handgun and spent shell casings from Smiths car, suggesting that he fired a weapon at some point. The Star Tribune is exercising extreme epistemological caution on the chain of events leading to Smiths reported death.

 Raos story is thin and inadequate, but she has an excuse. She was busy on the story Three shot to death overnight in Minneapolis; officer shoots, wounds suspect in one homicide. Subhead: Two of the three people killed were bystanders watching street racing.

 For those not in the know  the so-called street racing with hot-rodders, as the Star Tribune refers to them, is conducted by gangs with stolen cars and unlawful firearms.

 The tweet below gives us a look at one of the hot-rodding events cum shootout in Minneapolis last night.

Here's last night's hotrodder shootout at E Lake St and Hiawatha Ave S that resulted in the murder of one person last night. The hotrodders murdered two people last night. .https://t.co/VpebMaLQfb  CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) June 6, 2021

 My first friend in life lives in Uptown. Yesterday he wrote me regarding Uptown Crime on Facebook: This is the page that I follow for the most accurate accounts of what is going on in my neighborhood and how safe it is on a daily/nightly basis.

 Uptown Crime is run by Steve Taylor. On Friday Taylor caught up with Minneapolis City Clowncil President Lisa Bender for a gonzo street interview. It is posted here on Uptown Crime and is accessible via the tweet below.

Facebook Uptown Crime's Steve Taylor catches up with Minneapolis Council President Lisa Bender for an interview on June 4. Must watch to understand what's going down in Minneapolis.https://t.co/BceB3225C5  Scott Johnson (@scottwjohnson) June 6, 2021

 Yesterday morning the United States Attorneys Office sent out this statement to media:

The North Star Fugitive Task Force (the Task Force) is a U.S. Marshals-led Task Force, established pursuant to federal law, that locates and apprehends fugitives in the District of Minnesota. The Task Force is comprised of members of local, state and federal law enforcement who partner to arrest the states most violent fugitives. The Task Force adopts warrants issued by state and local courts for pending criminal charges, probation violations, or failures to comply with court-ordered conditions. Task force officers (TFOs) are state and local law enforcement officers who receive special deputations from the U.S. Marshals Service. While on a task force, these officers can exercise U.S. Marshals authorities, such as being able to cross jurisdictional lines to apprehend violent fugitives. Nationally, these critical partnerships result in the arrest of nearly 100,000 violent fugitives each year. In October 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a Body-Worn Camera (BWC) policy to permit TFOs to utilize body-worn cameras on federal task forces. In February 2021, the U.S. Marshals Service began to phase-in this policy, which continues to be implemented in the District of Minnesota.

The statements concluding paragraph reiterates what we already know: The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is leading the investigation into the officer involved shooting incident that occurred on June 3, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Some of the worlds wealthiest nations have reached an agreement to tackle tax abuses and reform the global tax system.

Finance ministers from the G7 group of wealthy nations signed a landmark deal on Saturday as part of talks held in London.

According to the UKs Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, the group has agreed to introduce a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent, a move that will see tech giants and multinationals cough out more taxes.

I am delighted to announce that today after years of discussion G7 finance ministers have reached a historic agreement to reform the global tax system, Sunak said after a Group of Seven (G7) meeting in London.

To make it fit for the global digital age, but crucially to make sure that it is fair so that the right companies pay the right tax in the right places and thats a huge prize for British taxpayers.

Nations listed as part of the agreement include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the U.S

Reports said the nations will ensure that multinationals pay more tax where they operate, in order to avoid companies setting up local branches in countries with low corporate tax rates and then declaring their profits there.

The first pillar of the agreement would apply to global companies with at least a 10 per cent profit margin, according to the BBC .

The second pillar of the agreement is a commitment to introducing a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent , which will disincentivise major companies from declaring profits in tax havens and stop countries from trying to undercut each other.

Sunak said on Twitter that a 20 per cent tax on any profit above the agreed margin would be reallocated and taxed in the countries where the companies make sales.

The UK Guardian reports that big tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, the Google owner Alphabet, Netflix, and Apple have long been accused of avoiding paying tens of billions less tax over the past decade on trillions of dollars of revenue than the figures cited in annual financial reports.

PREMIUM TIMES recalls similar concerns around tax abuse and avoidance involving the Nigerian government and multinational companies operating in the country.

In 2019, Nigerias attorney general, Abubakar Malami, slammed a $2 billion demand against telecommunications giant MTN over unpaid taxes.

The demand, which was later withdrawn, came in the heat of controversies generated over a separate $5.2 billion fine against the company.
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My friend, Prophet T. B Joshua is dead. I am sad. Sad that he died just a few days to his 58th birthday.

On April 23, he tried several times to speak with me, unfortunately the network was bad. The last time we saw was in December at his Egbe-Ikotun spiritual retreat site.

He was in the bathrobe as our relationship was such that he was quite free with me and I could see him beyond his public image, in knickers, T-Shirt.

On few occasions I have had to meet him in his bedroom. He could discuss anything with me. After our discussion, he saw me off in his usual manner, showing me new stuff in the retreat.

I jokingly told him something was always being added to the spiritual ground. Workmen were always working on the site, new construction being done everytime. I never knew that visit was going to be our last meeting .

I knew T.B. Joshua as far back as 1995 and he had always respected my religious inclination. He never tried to convince me to be a member of his congregation. He was a man I greatly respect because he was humble to a fault.

During my infrequent visits to him, our discussions have always been on national issues, on the state of the nation. Through him and still accepting my personal spiritual conviction, he still invited me to accompany him on his spiritual/revival journeys. I visited Brazil, Columbia and the Dominican Republic with him.

T.B. Joshua was generous, he was all-giving. The early days and through our discussions, I had insights into his various concerns concerning the Pentecostal churches, his acceptability or other wise into the fold.

If there are issues of concern to him, he could call several times within the hour or invite me over.

Whenever T.B. Joshua was travelling to Arigidi Akoko, his hometown in Ondo State, he would call me on getting to Ibadan. My friend, I am in your city o. And on going back to Lagos, he would do the same thing.

May his soul rest in peace and may he finds peace with his maker.

Bolaji Tunji is a former editor at ThisDay and former special adviser to late Governor Isiaka Ajimobi of Oyo State. He first posted the above tribute to his Facebook page.
Four major western nations and the European Union (EU) on Saturday condemned the Nigerian governments suspension of Twitters operations and the countrys plan to impose registration requirements on other social media platforms in Nigeria.

The EU and the four countries  the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, and the Republic of Ireland  issued a joint statement through their diplomatic missions in Nigeria expressing their disappointment over the Nigerian governments action late Saturday.

The joint statement added to the growing condemnation which the ban on Twitter and move to impose licensing requirements on other social media in Nigeria has received since it was announced by Nigerias information minister, Lai Mohammed, on Friday.

In the joint statement shared via their separate Twitter handles on Saturday, the diplomatic missions expressed their support for human rights of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy.

According to them, the rights applied both online and offline.

They added that banning the systems that promote such rights would only inhibit access to information and commerce at a time Nigeria needed to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions and share vital information during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The diplomatic missions of Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States of America, convey our disappointment over the government of Nigerias announcement suspending #Twitter and proposing registration requirement for other social media.

We strongly support the fundamental human rights of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline. Banning systems of expression is not the answer. These measures inhibit access to information and commerce at precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital info in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, the statement read.

The missions added that The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication to accompany the concerted efforts of Nigerias citizens in fulsome dialogue toward unity, peace and progress.

Pledging to always support Nigeria, they stated that as Nigerias partners, they stand ready to assist in achieving these goals.

The joint statement came on Saturday after some of the diplomatic missions had issued separate statements criticising the Nigerian governments action.

UK minister also speaks

The UKs Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, also expressed concerns over the Twitter suspension in a tweet on Saturday.

I am concerned that the Government of Nigeria has suspended Twitter. We hope that all Nigerians are able to enjoy their full rights to freedom of expression, and do so responsibly, his tweet read.

Ban

Nigerias federal government had on Friday suspended Twitters activities, two days after the social media giant deleted a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari which it said violated its rules.

Apart from banning Twitter in Nigeria, the federal government also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.

Despite the numerous backlash this decision has received, the government has since doubled down on the crackdown with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, saying defaulters of the order would be charged to court.

Many lawyers have however told PREMIUM TIMES that the threat by Mr Malami lacked legal basis.

The latest ban of Twitter is believed by many to be part of a wider clampdown on civic space by the Buhari administration which had repeatedly stated its intention to regulate social media despite opposition by many Nigerians.

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At least 99 people were killed in Lagos during the #EndSARS protest and had their bodies deposited at a morgue in the state, an official has said.

The victims include three that were killed in Lekki during the shooting by soldiers at unarmed protesters on October 20, 2020, the Chief Pathologist of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), John Obafunwa, told a Judicial Panel of Inquiry.

He said autopsies were done on the 99 dead bodies which were brought to the morgues between October 19 and 24, 2020. He, however, did not present the details of the autopsies.

Mr Obafunwa, a professor of Medicine and Head of the Department of Morbid Anatomy at the Lagos University College of Medicine, spoke on Saturday while giving evidence to assist the judicial panel in its investigation of the October 20, 2020, Lekki tollgate shooting incident.

The don told the panel that only three corpses were recorded to have been from Lekki, and 96 other bodies from different parts of Lagos.

Saturday proceedings

While giving evidence on the number of dead bodies received from Lekki on the day of the shooting incident, Mr Obafunwa said LASUTH has only three records.

He presented the pictures of three bodies from Lekki to the panel, showing different degrees of injuries.

Those are the three bodies I was told were from Lekki as recorded by the people who brought them in, he said.

While being cross-examined by Olumide Fusika, a counsel to some #EndSARS protesters, Mr Obafunwa disclosed that a total of 99 bodies were recorded between October 19 and 24.

I want to prove to this panel that the claim that only three dead bodies were brought in from Lekki is not true, Mr Fusika said, while questioning the pathologist.

Mr Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, requested that the panel order the chief pathologist to present the records of all 99 cases recorded during the period.

Since he was told that only those three are from Lekki, he might have been told the wrong thing, Mr Fusika said.

Mr Obafunwa explained that the bodies were deposited by the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU), an agency in charge of recovering dead bodies.

I dont go about scavenging for dead bodies. It is when they are brought in that we are told and it is recorded where they were taken from.

The chief pathologist said according to their records, the bodies were recovered from different parts of Lagos including Ikorodu, Lagos Mainland, Yaba and Mushin.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the Lagos State Chief Coroner, Mojisola Dada, called on members of the public whose family members went missing between October 19 and 27 to contact the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, LASUTH for the bodies.

This is to notify the General Public that the Chief Coroner of Lagos State, Hon Justice M. A. Dada (Mrs.) pursuant to Section 15, Coroners System Law of Lagos State, 2015 the Pathology Team would want all those who have lost loved ones between 19th  27th October 2020 (that is, next-of-kin of the victims) to provide relevant information that would assist the identification exercise, the public notice read.

However, there have been several testimonies from witnesses of the Lekki tollgate shooting incident that many protesters were shot dead by soldiers

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Sarah Ibrahim, one of the protesters, told them panel that at least 10 persons died in the incident.

Mr Fusika requested that the chief coroner be ordered to produced records of the 99 deaths to the panel, including the autopsy reports.

In her ruling, Doris Okuwobi, the chair of the panel, ruled that the chief pathologist should produce a record showing the 99 deaths at the next adjourned date.

However, she said, autopsy reports will not be required as that would expand the work of the panel beyond the terms of reference.

The matter was adjourned till June 19.

Lekki Shooting

The shooting of unarmed protesters by soldiers on October 20, 2020 generated controversies, including the number of people killed and injured during the incident.

Although the Nigerian Army initially denied its soldiers shot at unarmed protesters, the multitude of evidence presented by witnesses, including videos showed that soldiers shot at protesters.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, initially said no one died from the shooting, but later said only two persons died.

Several protesters have appeared before the judicial panel to give evidence that many people were killed at the Lekki tollgate and many others injured.

The protesters said some of the corpses were taken away by the soldiers.

It is still unclear the number of people that died from the shooting incident, but several protesters have come forward with different degrees of gunshot injuries sustained during the shooting.
A member of the House of Representatives, Mark Gbillah (PDP, Benue), has said he will try to halt Tuesdays legislative proceeding if an attempt is made by the leadership of the House to stop members from discussing the illegal Twitter ban.

Mr Gbillah, who represents Gwer East/Gwer West federal constituency of Benue State, while speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, urged his colleagues in the National Assembly to abandon party loyalty and address the breach of Sections 35 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution on the rights of Nigerians to free speech and freedom of expression.

The lawmaker said President Muhamadu Buhari would have faced an impeachment process if he had been the president of a more democratic country.

He said the ban is a confirmation that Mr Buharis administration has not been ruling according to the principles of the Constitution.

House Leaderships Interventions

There have been instances where the House leadership has used technicalities to prevent the opposition from raising critical issues that concern the actions of the executive arm of government.

Mr Gbillah was once prevented by the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), from submitting a petition from the Mutual Union of Tivs in America (MUTA) on the killings in Benue. Mr Wase, who presided over the House sitting on that day, ruled that Nigerians living abroad had no right to submit a petition to the House even through a lawmaker.

It took protest by Nigerians in the Diaspora for the leadership of the House to allow Mr Gbillah to submit the petition.

Also, during the heat of the controversy surrounding the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami, a point of privilege was raised by minority leader Ndudi Elumelu.

The matter was not allowed to be debated by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamia, who argued that Mr Elumelu raised the issue under the wrong protocol.

Also, during the ENDSARS protest, there was an altercation between the deputy speaker and Shina Peller (APC, Oyo), after the former, who presided over the plenary session, refused to allow Mr Peller the opportunity to raise a point of order.

The Twitter Ban

PREMIUM TIMES reported the ban of the microblogging site, Twitter, by the federal government.

This came two days after Twitter took down a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari which the microblogging site said violated its rules. Many Nigerians had described the tweet as a veiled threat of violence against the Igbo ethnic group while others disagreed saying it was targeted at perpetrators of violence.

Despite the ban, Nigerians have continued to access Twitter, through Virtual Private Network (VPN). However, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, announced that his ministry will prosecute Nigerians bypassing the restriction.

Mr Malami, in a statement on Saturday, directed the Director of Public Prosecution to liaise with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to prosecute Nigerians violating the ban.

So far, the leadership of the House and the Senate have not commented on the Twitter ban.

On Saturday, the European Union, alongside the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the Republic of Ireland, issued a joint statement, expressing their opposition to the ban.

House Resumption

The House of Representatives is due to resume plenary on Tuesday, following a two weeks break for the zonal public hearing on the constitution review exercise.

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Speaking on his planned action, Mr Gbillah said, I will speak for myself, we will have to ensure that the proceedings of the House for that day are jettisoned if that kind of attempt is brought up again, either by the speaker or the deputy speaker.

If our privilege is breached, which is enshrined in our laws, we will no longer lay low. If that is done, we will have to interrupt the proceedings of the House for the whole world to see that our hallowed chamber has become a partisan chamber, instead of the representative assembly that Nigerians expect.

These are the actions I am willing to take, I am imploring my colleagues to tow the same line. The opposition will have to take a stand to ensure that the proceedings of the House do not go on if this issue is not tackled.

Mr Gbilla said he would discourage his colleagues in the minority party from walking out of the House sitting if the matter is not allowed to be discussed.

Staging a walkout, in my own opinion, is not enough. We have had a situation where hoodlums, led by the now deputy (senate) president (Ovie Omo-agege), came and removed the mace in the upper legislative chamber. Yet there is no consequence for this erosion of our democratic institution. It is time to rise to our responsibilities as those who represent the people.

The president has failed to make comments on killer herdsmen, aside from periodic statements by Garba Shehu, where he goes about insulting people, including my governor, Samuel Ortom. I am not sure that Mr President has made any comment about 100 people killed along the Benue/Ebonyi border.

The lawmaker also challenged Mr Malami to tell Nigerians which law he plans to use to prosecute people still using Twitter despite the ban.

According to Mr Gbillah, the attorney-general has not been giving President Buhari the right advice.

I want to ask him, prosecution under what law. He should tell Nigerian s under what law they will be prosecuted. To be prosecuted by fiat of the executive. An unconstitutional fiat. This is how the attorney-general keeps displaying questionable conduct as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

He should show us what law he is banking on to prosecute Nigerians who are within their rights. The president is not being advised properly by the attorney-general, he said.

Lawmakers Keep Mum

Aside from the press statement by the minority caucus of the House, most lawmakers in the National Assembly are trying to avoid making public comments on the ban.

Two other lawmakers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES asked not to be named despite being members of the opposition party, PDP. While they both condemned the action of the government, they were not willing to make their stance public.

When the house crumbles, everything goes with it. Our country is crumbling so anything goes. No civility, No dignity. We have a president and a presidency. We dont know who is in charge. Its the beginning of totalitarianism in Nigeria and a ploy to take away our right to speak freely.

The minority caucus has issued a statement condemning the ban. And well take it farther. But understand that this president has a penchant for disobeying the parliament.

It is a fact that some legislators are still slave to political parties and give allegiance to party instead of the Constitution and the nation, one opposition lawmaker said.

Another PDP lawmaker from the South-west said the government has no justification for the ban.

I am totally against this Twitter ban by President Buhari. There is no valid reason to do it. It encroaches on the right to free speech and casts Nigeria in a very bad light, he said.

None of the lawmakers spoken to expressed commitment to openly join Mr Gbillah in any protest.
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Igangan, a southern Oyo town that shot to prominence amid Yoruba-Fulani tensions early this year, came under a night attack, leaving several persons dead and properties razed.

Still and motion pictures obtained by PREMIUM TIMES depict severely hacked and bloodied human bodies, apparently attacked in their homes early Sunday morning. A narrator in one of the videos is heard, saying these are human bodies on the floor and blaming the attack on Fulani militias.

In that video, at least six bodies could be seen.

We also reviewed a video showing a razed filling station and at least one burnt car.

Residents, who survived the attack, told PREMIUM TIMES the assailants were Fulani herders, believed to be carrying out a reprisal.

The Fulani families and their leader, Abdulkadir Salihu, resident in Igangan, were forcibly removed from the town in January by aggrieved indigenous Yoruba population inspired by Sunday Igboho Adeyemo, a self-acclaimed Yoruba warlord.

The Yoruba accused Mr Salihu, the Sarkin Fulani, of masterminding or enabling the Fulani attacks, including rape, murder, destruction of farms, and abductions. Mr Salihu denied the allegations.

A resident and youth leader in the community, Oladiran Oladokun, told PREMIUM TIMES that a son of Mr Salihu, Umar, had repeatedly sent him messages threatening that the Fulani would retaliate for how they were attacked and forced out of Igangan.

The Governor of Oyo State, Oluseyi Makinde, said he had received the shocking news of the attack but did not mention the Fulani though he indicated he was still being briefed in a short statement posted on Facebook.

Mr Makinde is known for his moderate view on ethnic clashes, a position that has received mixed reactions. While some criticise him for not doing enough to ensure the safety of the majority Yoruba population, others praise him for ensuring no one suffers unjustly because of their ethnicity and crimes of others.

His administration says the Fulani have a right to remain in Oyo State in accordance with the law.

The attack on Sunday started after midnight, PREMIUM TIMES understands from the timeline of messages that residents were sending amid the attacks.

A community leader and secretary of the farmers association in the area, Taiwo Adeagbo, said state support was slow to come as police and Amotekun lines were off. But help later came, including from agro rangers, police and hunters, he said.

He said at least five of the assailants were then killed.
Over 200 people were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria last week, as the insecurity across the country continues despite the efforts of security agencies.

Also, no fewer than 137 people were abducted across the country last week.

The figures were gathered from newspaper reports and family members of victims.

Sunday

A former political adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, was shot dead in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Mr Gulak, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was killed on his way to the airport as he commenced his return to Abuja.

Also, the police in Oyo State confirmed the killing of a 51-year-old Ibadan businessman, Maduabuchi Owuamanam, by gunmen.

Mr Owuamanam was murdered at a relaxation spot at Oremeji Mokola area of Ibadan.

Also on Sunday, armed bandits abducted many pupils of an Islamic school in Tegina, a densely populated town in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

The bandits first attacked the police station in the town. They then went around the town shooting sporadically into the air to scare residents before breaking into the private school where they abducted children attending Islamic lectures.

The Niger State Government later confirmed the number of students abducted by the bandits to be 136.

In a separate incident, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen attacked some Ebonyi communities, killing at least 30 persons. The gunmen attacked Odoke, Ndiobasi and Obakotara communities in Ebonyi Local Government Area.

The Chairman of the local government, Chinyere Nwaogbaga, confirmed the incident.

Monday

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that at least seven soldiers of the Nigerian Army were killed by an improvised explosive device planted by Boko Haram terrorists, in Borno state, North-east Nigeria.

Also, the Gombe State Government said a communal clash between Shongom and Filiya districts over farmland resulted in the death of one person and the burning of over 50 houses.

Wednesday

The Nigerian Army said its officials in Sabon Birni, a border town between Sokoto State and Niger Republic, intercepted and killed three gunrunners moving weapons on foot into Nigeria.

The army spokesperson, Mohammed Yerima, stated this on Wednesday in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES.

In a separate incident, an aide to Benue Governor Samuel Ortom on security, Christopher Dega, was shot dead.

Mr Dega, a retired police officer, was killed in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

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Also, no fewer than seven people including police officers were shot dead in Osun State on Wednesday evening as armed robbers attacked two banks and a police station.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the operations were carried out at a First Bank in Ikire and Access Bank in Apomu around 6:00 p.m.

Thursday

The Nigerian Army said it successfully repelled a terrorist attack on Damboa, a Borno community, killing over 50 attackers in the process.

Army spokesperson Mohammed Yerima said the terrorists came in an armoured personnel carrier and 12 gun trucks all mounted with Anti Aircraft Guns, as well as Locally Fabricated Armoured-plated Vehicles loaded with explosives and motorcycles.

He said the terrorists, members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), were defeated so much that they had to abort their suicide mission.

In a separate incident, some gunmen on Thursday morning hijacked a bus belonging to Chimola School in Oba Ile Estate of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo state.

The gunmen abducted a staff member who was on duty.

Also, the police said 88 people were killed on Thursday by bandits in attacks on some communities in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

Friday

Twelve farmers were reportedly killed and nine others injured by suspected bandits in Magami and Mayaba communities in Gusau local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The armed bandits launched the attack when the farmers were on their farms trying to clear their lands in preparation for this years farming activities.

The bandits also carted away livestock and other valuables.

Channels Television reported that the twelve persons killed were buried according to Islamic rites while those injured were taken to the hospital.
Broward Sheriffs deputies rushed to a neighborhood near 29 Northwest Fourth Avenue, west of U.S. 1, after a 911 caller reported gunfire. Deputies arrived to find a man shot several times, said Gerdy St. Louis, a spokeswoman for the agency.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an Urgent Appeal to Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, urging her to apply the Commonwealth Charter to hold the Nigerian government to account over the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and the resulting repression of human rights particularly the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom, as well as flagrant disregard for the rule of law.

The organisation asked Ms Scotland to urgently consider recommending the suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth to the Heads of Government, the Commonwealth Chair-in-office, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as Head of the Commonwealth to push the government to take concrete measures to respect and promote the Commonwealths values of human rights, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.

In the Urgent Appeal dated June 5, 2021, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: The Nigerian government has repeatedly demonstrated that it is not committed to protecting human rights. The Commonwealth should take a clear stand to ensure accountability of institutions, freedom of expression and access to information in Nigeria.

SERAP said: Nigerians can only freely participate in the democratic processes and shape the society in which they live if these fundamental human rights are fully and effectively respected, protected and promoted.

According to SERAP, The suspension has the character of collective punishment and is antithetical to the Nigerian Constitution and the countrys international obligations. Nigerian authorities would seem to be suppressing peoples access to Twitter to exploit the shutdown to cover up allegations of corruption, abuses, and restrict freedom of expression and other fundamental rights.

The Urgent Appeal, copied to Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; and Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, read in part: The Nigerian government has also called for the prosecution of those who violate its order suspending Twitter operations in Nigeria. This order for prosecution of Twitter users violates the legal rule that there should be no punishment without law.

The principle that only the law can define a crime and prescribe a penalty (nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege) is a fundamental part of Nigerian constitutional jurisprudence.

The Commonwealth Charter recognises the right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression and access to information, which apply both offline and online.

Respect for Commonwealth values is essential for citizens to trust Commonwealth institutions. The Commonwealth ought to take a strong stand for protection of human rights, transparency and the rule of law in Nigeria, principles which are fundamental to the Commonwealths integrity, functioning and effectiveness of its institutions.

Allowing citizens to freely exercise their human rights including freedom of expression and access to information without threat of reprisal or prosecution would enable them to contribute to society on issues of transparency, accountability, good governance, integrity and human rights.

Nigerian government has a legal responsibility under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] and international human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to respect, protect and promote freedom of expression, access to information, and to ensure a safe and enabling environment for people to enjoy these rights.

The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria demonstrates the authorities determination to suppress all forms of peaceful dissent by the Nigerian people. There are well-founded fears that the human rights situation in Nigeria will deteriorate even further if urgent action is not taken to address it.

According to our information, the Nigerian government on Friday 4 June, 2021 unlawfully ordered all internet service providers to suspend Twitter in Nigeria. The suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria followed the deletion of President Muhammadu Buharis tweets, which according to Twitter violated the Twitter Rules.

The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is taking place against the background of repression of the civic space and harassment of media houses, and journalists who are targeted simply for performing their professional duty.

The suspension of Twitter has seriously undermined transparency and accountability in government. The lack of transparency undermines the rule of law and Nigerians ability to participate in their own government.

Lack of transparency and accountability, and the absence of the rule of law in Nigeria have contributed hugely to denying Nigerians their fundamental human rights. People have been targeted simply for using Twitter and peacefully exercising their fundamental human rights.

SERAP, therefore, urged the Commonwealth to:

1. Publicly condemn the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and put pressure on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the unlawful suspension;

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2. Urge the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to respect freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom, as well as promote transparency and accountability, and the rule of law;

3. Urge the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the threat to prosecute Nigerians simply for peacefully exercising their rights through Twitter

4. Establish a mechanism to visit Nigeria to monitor and report on violations of Nigerians right to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom, absence of transparency and accountability, and persistent disregard for the rule of law, and to get to the root of the facts and circumstances of such abuses, with a view to ensuring full accountability. Such mechanism would be the right response from the Commonwealth to protect the integrity of the institutions and ensure compliance by members to the Commonwealth values as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and declarations

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director
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An estimated N2 billion naira has been lost to the ban on Twitter by the Nigerian government, NetBlocks, an international Internet monitor, says.

NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool (COST) is a data-driven online service that enables anyone to quickly and easily produce rough estimates of the economic cost of Internet disruptions.

The digital rights advocacy platform estimates the economic impact of an internet disruption, mobile data blackout or app restriction using indicators from the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Eurostat amongst others.

According to its analysis, an estimated N2.1 billion naira is lost when Nigeria shuts down Twitter for 24 hours.

NetBlock says it uses the Brookings Institutions method which relies on development indicators and Naira/dollar exchange rate of November 2019.

However, it did not specify whether this estimated loss is from advertisement revenue, Twitter marketing and sales of products, traffic generated by Twitter or a drop in telecommunications operators revenue.

Nigerias information minister Lai Mohammed, on Friday, announced the ban and a federal government directive ordering the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.

As a result of the restrictions implemented by telecommunications operators, Nigerians have been denied access to the microblogging platform and can only access by bypassing domain restrictions through alternative mediums.

The suspension followed Twitters deletion of President Muhammadu Buharis controversial tweet about the civil war after some Nigerian users found it offensive.

The government, in its response, accused the platform of meddling in Nigerias internal affairs and undermining Nigerias corporate existence.

While the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has ordered the prosecution of Twitter users in Nigeria after its ban, the presidency says the ban is temporary and an attempt to curb fake news.

Nevertheless, human rights groups as well as members of the international community have continued to mount pressure on the federal government to reverse the suspension.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has expressed readiness to sue the federal government over the suspension of Twitter.

The PDP lawmakers, in a statement by their leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), said the action of the government lacked the backing of the law and would lower the image of Nigeria in the comity of democratic nations.

Mr Chinda said the government was trying to introduce the unpopular Social Media Bill by mere executive fiat with the directive to the National Broadcasting Commission to license social media operators in the country.

The opposition party in the National Assembly has been speaking over the controversial ban.

On Saturday, the minority caucus in a press statement condemned the ban, while a lawmaker, Mark Gbillah (PDP, Benue), vowed to halt the proceeding of the House if the leadership of the House should attempt to gag members from raising motion on the ban when the House resumes on Tuesday.

The lawmakers in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have refused to speak on the ban.

Temporary restriction

PREMIUM TIMES on Friday reported the ban of the microblogging site, Twitter, by the federal government.

This came two days after Twitter took down a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari which the microblogging site said violated its rules.

Many Nigerians had described the tweet as a veiled threat of violence against the Igbo ethnic group while others disagreed, saying it was targeted at perpetrators of violence.

Despite the ban, Nigerians have continued to access Twitter, through Virtual Private Network (VPN).

However, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, announced on Saturday that his ministry would prosecute Nigerians bypassing the restriction.

The Presidency also said the suspension of Twitter was temporal.

Threat to sue

Mr Chinda said the caucus was ready to approach the court if the government fails to reverse the ban.

The announcement by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture also insidiously instructed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT (Over-The-Top) and social media operations in Nigeria.

We also call on the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to immediately rescind its directive to the NBC to begin the licensing of social media operators in the Country, having regard to the absence of any enabling legislative framework for such directive.

We hereby give you NOTICE that in the event of the failure, refusal and or neglect of the Federal Government to withdraw, reverse and/or cease the implementation of these oppressive and unconstitutional actions, we shall be constrained to institute legal proceedings at the appropriate judicial venue within the shortest possible time, he said.

The lawmaker explained that there is a pending case against the NBC between him and the NBC. The case, according to him, is titled: FHC/ABJ/CS/1136/2020 between Rep. Kingsley Chinda & 8 Ors v. Minister of Information & 2 Ors.

Mr Chinda explained that the case is over the amended 6th NBC code.

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Nigerians will recall that on 4th August, 2020, the Minister of Information and Culture issued/enacted an Amended 6th National Broadcasting Code for the country which similarly imposes restrictions on sundry fundamental freedoms.

Convinced that the Broadcasting Code is a violation of Chapter IV of the Constitution, this Caucus filed a suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division in Suit No, he said.
A Nigerian comedian, Atunyota Akpobome aka Ali Baba, has paid a glowing tribute to one of Africas most influential and controversial preachers, T.B Joshua, who died on Saturday.

The comedian revealed he had a personal relationship with the late founder of The Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) in a tribute he shared on his Instagram handle on Sunday.

Relieving his first encounter with Mr Joshua in 2013, Alibaba said the late cleric invited him over to SCOAN for a performance but he was reluctant to attend because of public perception.

Alibaba also added that his colleagues Mc Abbey and Lepaciousbose were the only ones who agreed to perform at SCOAN despite their reservations.

He wrote, When you turned 50, and your people said you wanted comedians to come entertain your congregation, I was very skeptical.You said you wanted them to know that laughter helps to heal the soul, just as a little red wine was good for the stomach.

I remember during the performances, when my colleagues were done, and during my performance, I walked to the Altar and picked an apple and a banana and the whole congregation went silent. You later told me that you watched all our performances from your office and cracked up at the look on the faces of the congregation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPxyKSdLvUJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Personal encounter

Alibaba said when all three of them met with the late cleric privately, he encouraged them to go into church ministry because of their individual gifts.

You asked why I had not gone into church ministry. I replied that I didnt think I wanted to fast or intercede for anyone. And I said I have not been a good boy.

You laughed and asked me, Are you badder than King David and the Apostle Paul? Even if you are a killer God can use anyone.

You then started telling me, what only I knew about my life. Just as you were saying those things, I thought, this man may be fake, and you said, You may think I am fake, its ok. I cant make you change your thinking. That is you

The comedian added that he was handsomely rewarded by the cleric for gracing his 50th birthday celebration .

Then you prayed and gave me a thanks for coming. I then said thank you. And thought I would share it 3 ways. You did that mind reading again. Thats for you alone.

You stopped at the door and went to a drawer to gift me a Fisher Electronic Bible. Always stay close to God and read his word every day. You have a destiny for God

Alibaba also added that they have kept in touch with each other in the last eight years and remained good friends ever since.

He said, You have consistently called to say My brother, how are you? Draw nearer to God. One time you asked, What is holding you up from Gods work?

And after my covid experience you called to pray and sent something for phensic. I told you the phensic made the prayer work faster. You laughed.You always joked that you were older than me by just 12 days, as I was born on June 24th..

Rest on Man of God.

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The church said Mr Joshua died at 57 on Saturday spending his last moments on earth in the service of God.

He was to clock 58 in about a weeks time.

In its statement posted on its website announcing his death, the church said Mr Joshua still spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting on Saturday.
The threat by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to prosecute violators of the governments ban on Twitter operations in Nigeria lacks legal basis, some lawyers have argued.

The government, through the information minister, Lai Mohammed, had on Friday suspended Twitter operations in the country.

The crackdown on Twitter came two days after the social media platform deleted President Muhammadu Buharis controversial tweet seen as a veiled threat of violence against the Igbo ethnic group.

It is seen by many Nigerians as an attack on citizens right to freedom of expression and a step closer the execution of the governments years-long ambition to impose regulations on the social media space in the country.

But since the ban on Twitter on Friday, many Nigerians have been using various Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications to remain active on the microblogging site.

Mr Malami, in reaction to the development on Saturday, ordered the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Umar Muhammed, to begin the prosecution of those bypassing the ban.

He directed the DPPF to liaise with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, National Communication Commission (NCC) and other relevant government agencies to ensure the speedy prosecution of the offenders without any further delay.

No constitutional backing

But in separate telephone interviews with our correspondent on Saturday, lawyers argued that there were no constitutional provisions to support Mr Malamis directive to the DPPF to try Nigerians for alleged breach of the governments suspension of Twitter operations.

A legal practitioner and human rights activist, Malcolm Omirhobo, said it was unfortunate that the attorney-general was unable to offer sound legal advice to President on the Twitter matter and other issues in the country.

The inability of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to distill issues so as to guide the President and government properly on what decisions to take in issues of law and many others in the country is most unfortunate.

Mr Malamis directive to the DPP of Nigeria has no legal backing, Mr Omirhobo said.

Use of Twitter not codified as an offence

Also a constitutional lawyer, Daniel Bwala, agreed with Mr Omirhobo, that the use of Twitter had not been defined as an offence by mere suspension of the social media platform by the federal government.

According to Mr Bwala, unless the use of Twitter is codified in law as an offence, you (the government) cannot prosecute any Nigerian for the use of Twitter.

He explained, The law of the land says nobody will be convicted or prosecuted for any offence that is not defined by law for which the punishment is prescribed in a written constitution.

In a video post on Facebook, Mr Bwala, agreed with the governments suspension of Twitter operations on the grounds the firms double standards in allowing other alleged violators of the companys policy, but urged Nigerians to discard the assertion by the AGF that people can be prosecuted for the use of Twitter in Nigeria.

Tending towards dictatorship

Another lawyer, Silas Onu, queried what law would be violated if a Nigerian used Twitter.

He noted that the action of the AGF was tending towards dictatorship.

What law will be broken if someone uses Twitter? Some things done by this Attorney General truly do not deserve any response. Nothing is an offense unless it is clearly stated as such and punishment also prescribed for breaches. Therefore, the action of the AGF is tending towards dictatorship, Mr Onu said.

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Disregard prosecution threat

While lampooning the minister on Twitter on Saturday, Inibehe Effiong, urged Nigerians to disregard his threat.

In his tweet, Mr Effiong, a human rights lawyer, said inter alia, this is supposed to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Nigerians, ignore this infantile statement. It is brutum fulmen. Using VPN to bypass illegal suspension of Twitter is not a crime.

Amounts to crime against humanity

On its part, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), in a tweet said arresting and misusing the criminal justice system to prosecute Nigerians using Twitter in Nigeria (on the basis of a public statement by the Federal Government) would amount to a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.

Referencing Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, another lawyer, Festus Ogun, explained,

Malamis order for the arrest and prosecution of Twitter users has no stand in law. Section 36(12) of the Constitution provides that an arrest and prosecution cannot be made except by a law.

Is Malami now a law unto himself?, the lawyer wondered, adding that Nigerians would resist any attempt to deny them of their liberty.

Condemnation

Meanwhile, a group known as Youth Rights Campaign, has condemned the ban on Twitter, describing it as an attack on democratic rights.

In a statement by its national coordinator, Adaramoye Michael, the group demanded an immediate reversal of the ban.

The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) strongly condemns the recent suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. This declaration of suspension is dictatorial and a direct attack on the democratic rights of Nigerians to freely express themselves.

We hereby call on the Federal government to reverse this suspension immediately. At the same time, we call for a halt to all attacks on democratic rights including reversal of the social media bill and indeed all measures aimed at curtailing civil liberties. We also demand the unconditional release of all political detainees.
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In response to Twitter deleting a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari which the social media platform deemed as inciting violence, the Nigerian government on Friday suspended Twitters operation in Nigeria indefinitely.

The government said it would have none of Twitters actions to undermine the corporate existence of Nigeria and its meddling in the countrys internal affairs.

The Twitter ban is a step towards further social media regulation, according to the statement released by Nigerias ministry of information.

This means that the long-sought social media regulation resolve of the government which had been heavily criticised was underway.

This added Nigeria to an infamous list of eight countries that have banned Twitter in recent months and analysts said it is reminiscent of Mr Buharis years as a military dictator who wielded prosecutorial powers without checks.

Amid outrage and international pressure, the Nigerian government said the ban was temporary.

By Saturday, telecommunication companies had complied with the order, pushing Nigerians to began to bypass the ban by using Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

Violators risk being charged to court, Attorney-General Abubakar Malami said, a threat he failed to substantiate with a clear legal footing. Lawyers also told Mr Malami his statement had no legal spine.

The international community, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland and Canada berated the ban which they said passes a poor message about Nigeria to investors and businesses.

Expectedly, the ruling APC has pulled its weight behind the federal government with members of the party at both chambers of the National Assembly keeping mute about the ban.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, one of the few governors that spoke publicly about the ban, opposed the censorship.

Press freedom groups also faulted the ban. The Nigerian Bar Association threatened to press charges, the same promise made by rights group SERAP.

The government would not budge. It accused Twitter of double standard by not deleting alleged inciteful tweets by the leader of the separatist group, IPOB.

After saying the tweets were not a violation of its rules, Twitter made a u-turn by deleting Mr Kanus tweets.
The police in Imo State, Nigerias South-east, said they have repelled another attempt by hoodlums to attack the commands headquarters in Owerri on Sunday.

Five of the gunmen, the police said, were killed during the attack.

The police also announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Uguchi Unachukwu who returned home from Germany and was allegedly murdered on May 31 in Imo State.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Abutu Yaro, confirmed the failed attack in a statement from the police spokesperson, Bala Alkana.

Mr Yaro said gallant officers killed five of the hoodlums during crossfire, while others fled with gunshot injuries.

Hoodlums masquerading as unknown gunmen attempted an attack on the police headquarters this morning but suffered a huge defeat.

They made efforts to access the police headquarters through the Works Layout around Avan Nursery and Primary School but were vehemently repelled.

They came in a white Hummer Bus, five of the hoodlums were killed during an exchange of fire and others were injured.

The Hummer bus was recovered with four AK47 rifles previously stolen from the police during a recent attack on its station, while officers have been deployed to apprehend the fleeing hoodlums.

A similar attack on the police headquarters in the state in April had rattled police authorities in the state. Gunmen on the same day also attacked a correctional facility in Owerri and freed over 1,800 inmates.

Police operatives in the South-east and South-south have been the target of deadly attacks by gunmen suspected to be members of IPOB, a pro-Biafra group.

The group, which has been proscribed by the Nigerian government, has denied their involvement in the attacks.

Unachukwus death

On Mr Unachukwus death, the police commissioner said the command would unravel circumstances leading to the death.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Mr Unachukwu was shot dead on his way to the Sam Mbakwe Airport to catch a flight to travel back to Germany.

He was allegedly murdered in front of his wife and two children by men in military uniform.

On May 31, 2021 at about 0804 hours, the deceased person was alleged to have been shot by personnel suspected to be staff of 211 Regiment of the Nigerian Air Force, responsible for the security of the International Airport.

The deceased is said to be on his way to catch a flight to Lagos, a survivor stated that one of the Air Force operatives shot the car of Unachukwu when he failed to stop at the Air Force checkpoint after they had flagged him down.

The Air Force team at the toll gate, who were already on red alert especially considering the recent killing of a high profile politician around the same area, intercepted a fast approaching Mercedes Benz vehicle.

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Preliminary investigations revealed that the personnel flagged down the vehicle and ordered the driver to park by the roadside for search but the driver who at first slowed down and pretended to move to the side of the road, suddenly took off.

According to the Air Force, being suspicious of the mission of the occupants of the said vehicle at the International Airport, they made effort to demobilise the vehicle and when the vehicle eventually came to a halt, the operatives rounded it and ordered the occupants out.

It was at this point that a female passenger in the car mentioned that the man driving the vehicle was her husband and that he was rushing to catch his flight.

He was however, rushed to hospital by the Air Force team for medical attention where the doctors on duty made frantic efforts to stabilise him, but he later died at about 1900 hours of the same date.

We sue for calm and assure the family and friends of the deceased that no stone will be left unturned in unravelling the circumstances surrounding the death, the statement stated.

(NAN)
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the National Assembly to put a stop to the practice of fixing its members pay.

The judge, Chuka Obiozor, ruled in his judgment delivered on June 4 that only the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is empowered by law to fix the salaries and remunerations of public officers.

Background

There has been public outrage amongst Nigerians over the humongous emoluments of senators and members of the House of Representatives, despite widespread poverty and unemployment in the country.

It would be recalled that, Shehu Sani, a former member of the Nigerian Senate representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, had in March 2018, revealed that each senator received the sum of N13.5 million monthly as running cost, in addition to N750,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances.

Two plaintiffs, Monday Ubani, who is a former 2nd Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and John Nwokwu, had filed a suit to challenge the constitutionality of this jumbo-sized pay said to be collected by the members of the National Assembly.

The defendants in the suit were the Attorney General of the Federation, RMAFC, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the National Assembly Service Commission.

Defence

In their argument before the court, the two chambers of the National Assembly had filed a defence denying its members ever collecting such jumbo-sized pay, but failed to disclose to the court how much members earn.

On its part, the National Assembly Service Commission filed a defence, denying being responsible for the mouthwatering pay being taken by the members of the National Assembly.

They equally contended that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi (the legal right) to institute the action against them, contending that the plaintiffs had no cause of action against them.

They urged the court to strike out the suit.

Judgment

However, delivering judgment on the matter, the judge, Mr Obiozor, dismissed the preliminary objections of the 3rd and 4th defendants, a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the plaintiffs stated.

The judge said the plaintiffs were properly clothed with the right to institute the legal action, citing the Supreme Court case of Centre for Oil Pollution Watch v. NNPC.

The court held that public spirited individuals (taxpayers) had sufficient interest in ensuring that public authorities submitted to the rule of law and that no public authority had power to arbitrarily or with impunity break the law or general statute.

He therefore declared that the 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants (the Senate, the House of Representatives and the National Assembly service Commission) have no power, close or semblance of power and cannot determine, direct, command and/or instruct the 2nd defendant (RMAFC)) or any person howsoever, to make, determine and/or fix the salaries, wages, remuneration, running cost or allowances of the 3rd and 4th defendants.

Only RMAFC can fix salaries of public officers

The RMAFC (2nd defendant) is the only body responsible for determining the salaries, remuneration and/or allowances of the National assembly or political office holders, the court ruled.

In line with Section 32 (b)(d) of part 1 of third schedule of the Constitutional of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, the 2nd defendant should forthwith downward review and fix the salaries, remuneration or allowances of the 3rd and 4th defendants to reflect the economic realities in the country.

READ ALSO: RMAFC begins exercise to recover N10 trillion from govt agencies

The 5th defendant cannot or have no power whatsoever and howsoever to fix, determine or allocate the remuneration. Allowances, salaries, emolument or monetary value/s to the 3rd and 4th defendants, the statement had read.

Possible prosecution over jumbo pay

The judge was also quoted as saying that since the members of the National Assembly has denied collecting the jumbo remunerations and allowances, the EFCC should look at their books and if it is found that they truly collect such amount of money, they should be prosecuted.

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Similar case was filed by SERAP and assigned to the same judge who held that whatever decision is reached in Messrs Ubani and Nwokwus case in Suit No FHC/LA/CS/690/ 2018 should bind on them, the plaintiffs statement added.
There are many things to admire in Aliko Dangote and his group of companies. It will be sad if all the hard work put into building the Dangote brand over the years is allowed to be smeared by NNPC. Investing public money in private enterprise may be good in some instances but this is not one of them This kite ought not to fly. And if it attempts to, it should be shot down.

Beware when a naked man offers to clothe you in fine linen. That is the piece of advice I have for Aliko Dangote, Africas richest entrepreneur.

When the headlines caught fire with news that four oil firms, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were planning to acquire a stake in the Dangote refinery, which goes into operation soon, many tongues started wagging. The interest of international companies is understandable, after all Dangote himself has interests in other countries. But a state-owned NNPC? Why would one of the cesspits of opaque oily deals and incompetence dole out public money to buy shares in a private company?

This question becomes more pertinent when you consider the fact that NNPC has failed to successfully run government-owned refineries in Nigeria. This country, which is Africas biggest crude oil exporter, imports virtually all of its fuel due to the moribund state of its refineries. It is the view of many analysts that NNPCs reason for continued existence today is its continued monopoly of the importation of refined petroleum products. There is no greater scandal than the fact that NNPC imports what it is supposed to be producing, thereby picking the pockets of Nigerians through high prices.

Should any company that cares about its reputation be found in bed with NNPC, which loses $340 million per month on PMS sales alone?

Dangote oil refinery, a 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) integrated refinery and petrochemical project, It is expected to be the worlds biggest single-train facility, upon completion. The US $12 billion project is expected to process a variety of light and medium grades of crude to produce Euro-V quality clean fuels, including gasoline and diesel, as well as jet fuel and polypropylene.

NNPCs Chief Operating Officer, Refining and Petrochemicals, Mr Mustapha Yakubu, was reported as saying that discussions were already going on with the Dangote Group for the acquisition of the stake which, he said, would further ensure undisrupted product supply to Nigerians.

A brand that enjoys positive perception may shoot itself in the foot when it unwittingly sends negative or subliminal messages in terms of whose company it keeps. It is possible for a company which has not done anything wrong to be negatively perceived  the baggage of the people theyre associating with will drag them down.

That disclosure riled Dr Uju Ogubunka, a former Executive Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Bankers who wondered how NNPC would give what it does not have: NNPC has not adequately managed its own assets too well, he said. The four refineries under its supervision have not refined at an optimal capacity over a decade he said, noting that most successful acquisitions were better perfected by private entities.

It is understandable if firms from Western and Middle-East countries, in their quest to secure crude supply agreements, seek to have a 20 per cent minority stake in the $19.5 billion Dangote refinery, which is scheduled for mechanical completion in 2021, with commissioning by January next year. It is understood that Dangote Refinery has held talks with firms, including Vitol (VITOLV.UL) and Trafigura (TRAFGF.UL), over the supply of crude and lifting of petroleum products for sale abroad.

If the disclosure of NNPCs intention to buy into Dangote Refinery was but kite-flying by government officials to test the waters of public reaction, it is in the interest of the country and even Dangote himself that the kite be shot down quickly.

Anyone with a nodding knowledge of PR 101 will tell you that a continental can-do brand like Dangote should not be seen in partnership with a company that symbolises everything that is wrong with Nigeria. Because of NNPC and the corruption of subsequent governments, Nigerians are forced to wash their faces with spit, even though they live beside the stream.

A brand that enjoys positive perception may shoot itself in the foot when it unwittingly sends negative or subliminal messages in terms of whose company it keeps. It is possible for a company which has not done anything wrong to be negatively perceived  the baggage of the people theyre associating with will drag them down.

Reputation is forever fragile. Experts have compared it to a deck of one trillion playing cards, some of which are meticulously positioned to form the base of a mighty pyramid. Just one costly mistake on your behalf (or a force from elsewhere), they say, can send the whole lot tumbling down (especially when social media plays such a huge role in our daily lives).

Allowing an underperforming public entity like NNPC to invest public money in an iconic project like Dangote Refinery is to force the new refinery to start on a dark note. Questions will be raised at the National Assembly as to why a Dangote Republic is being created with public funds in the petroleum sector.

A cursory evaluation of what people are saying on social media shows that Dangote has to be wary of the political fallouts of this rumoured romance with NNPC. Whether rightly or wrongly, there are already a lot of people out there who consider Dangote the prime beneficiary of government policies and import duty exemptions. In my neck of the woods, when youre suspected of being a thief, you must avoid carrying a baby goat under the pretext of dancing with it.

Allowing an underperforming public entity like NNPC to invest public money in an iconic project like Dangote Refinery is to force the new refinery to start on a dark note. Questions will be raised at the National Assembly as to why a Dangote Republic is being created with public funds in the petroleum sector. More questions will follow on how many other Nigerian enterprises the government has bought shares in. Why, for instance, has the government not asked to buy 20 per cent of Innoson Motors or Proforce Auto plant?

And those would be the least of the kind of questions that will be asked, aside from the combustible mix of ethnicity and religion, both of whose fault-lines Dangote seems to have risen above, but which nonetheless come in handy as weapons of brand destruction.

There are many things to admire in Aliko Dangote and his group of companies. It will be sad if all the hard work put into building the Dangote brand over the years is allowed to be smeared by NNPC. Investing public money in private enterprise may be good in some instances but this is not one of them.

This kite ought not to fly. And if it attempts to, it should be shot down.

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Gumis Logic

Many people will interpret Gumis suggestion as a backdoor way of achieving his clamour that bandits be given amnesty and employed by the government. In my books, a bandit is a satanic phoenix that cyclically burns to death and is reborn from its own ashes. Nothing good can come out of collaborating with outlaws.

In reaction to the mass abduction of children from an Islamic school in Tegina, Niger State, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi wants the Federal Government to employ some compliant bandits to fight the hardened ones in order to bring banditry to an end.

We are all horrified by the sight of mere children, some as young as seven, under the guns of kidnappers, but what kind of desperation would make anyone think that one criminal can serve as a mercenary to destroy the satanic kingdom from which he rose? We might as well employ armed robbers to help us tackle armed robbery and employ Boko Haram to tackle Boko Haram. And also negotiate with ISWAP to help us defeat ISWAP.

Government needs to be proactive with them. We have a lot of them that are ready to fight the bad ones. Use the bad to fight the ugly, and use the good to fight the bad ones when youre done with the ugly. Look at Boko Haram, who finished Shekau? Was it not the splinter group? So, it is easy, says Gumi.

According to him, All these agitations you see, if the government can do a splinter group and the splinter group is empowered, every man wants power and money, they will do your job. There are many ready to submit themselves. All the ones you see me meeting in the bush, they are all telling us, we are ready,

If the circumstances hadnt been so tragic, Gumis suggestion would have elicited uproarious laughter from Badagry to Sokoto; from Maiduguri to Yenagoa. But this is a tragedy of unmitigated proportions and woolly reasoning cant be deployed in pursuit of a solution.

Should we disband the armed forces, the police and secret security agencies so that we can hand over law enforcement to bandits?

Many people will interpret Gumis suggestion as a backdoor way of achieving his clamour that bandits be given amnesty and employed by the government. In my books, a bandit is a satanic phoenix that cyclically burns to death and is reborn from its own ashes. Nothing good can come out of collaborating with outlaws.

Perish the jejune thought!

Wole Olaoye can be reached through wole.olaoye@gmail.com.
This is the time to rise with everything in us. This move is a indicator of many worse decisions to come. This is about our future. This is about us as a nation! We cant get tired now. This anger over losing jobs and a lot more must fuel us to act Get back on Twitter Let the whole world know we are under a siege of tyranny and as a result, Buharis time is up and he needs to go!

For far too long we have allowed the Nigerian government and the Buhari administration dismiss and downplay the impact and reach of social media on our culture, governance and economy. We let them lie blatantly about how we were simply wasting our time, called us miscreants, tried to delegitimise our collective power to advocate for ourselves on a global platform. We persevered, we mobilised, we crowdfunded, we advocated. But once our online power began to spill offline, into the streets of Akwuzu and Ikeja and Barnawa and Wuse, the government acknowledged us in the only way they seem to value; through reactionary violence.

How can we begin to explain or even make sense of the Nigerian governments decision to ban a major source for real time news, activism, jobs and accountability?

How can a platform that helps citizens express their dissenting opinions on issues, provide a source of livelihood for people, be banned because the government woke up and wished it into existence?

Twitter, for over 10 years, has served as the primary medium for lightning fast dissemination of information, so powerful in its ability to reach global audiences that even the government was forced to adopt it to prop up its usually ineffective communication strategies. It has become a major information platform helping the government, private sector, businesses, to engage real-time with citizens.

I cant recall the number of lives saved because of the quick responses from people via twitter; how many kidnap, rape cases, police harassment and extortion cases, armed robbery, mental health responses and breaking news we are able to get daily, because of the real-time nature of Twitter. Only last month, ordinary citizens rallied together to expose a rapist and murderer who had operated with impunity for years, protected, as evidence suggests, by the very law enforcement agencies that are supposed to prevent people like that from operating freely. We mourned the victim, Inibong, as a nation and demanded for change as one voice.

Twitter is the engine which we use to navigate a failing state like Nigeria, and even the president acknowledged it in his swearing-in speech, how the platform aided his win at the polls.

However, on June 4, the current administration showed us how much it is defined by cowardice by suspending Twitter indefinitely. General Buhari of the 1984s decree 4 is back. The ruse is done and the tyrant is back, but 2021 is not 1984.

Millions of Nigerians use Twitter as a democratised alternative to an incompetent government that refuses to prioritise the welfare of its citizens. Graduates have become micro influencers, bloggers, content creators, and built MSMEs, all of which will be affected by this ban. Through this move, the government has ensured that new businesses wont come into the country.

This administration considers itself a supreme ruler rather than a steward of the electorate, and by banning social media, it has made it clear that Nigeria does not have a democratic government. This is as good as a military regime. It has come to steal, destroy and encourage killings.

Its time everyone wakes up to see that this government has no plan for the people of Nigeria, other than to return the country to ground zero. Each time youths in this country bring up a plan/idea to survive, this government deliberately ensures we die of hunger and frustration. Mr President promised Nigerians in 2015, a more secure living environment, better economic opportunities, a more accountable government, and a country we can be proud of.

Has Mr President been able to give us all of the above?

We claim to operate a democracy and social media gave people an opportunity to participate in government. Government is a function of peoples participation. However, this government spends its time attacking criticism rather than do its job right.

This administration considers itself a supreme ruler rather than a steward of the electorate, and by banning social media, it has made it clear that Nigeria does not have a democratic government. This is as good as a military regime. It has come to steal, destroy and encourage killings.

In the last six years, we have not experienced what it is like to be Nigerian. The progress we voted for to make Nigeria a place of pride has not materialised. Citizens are treated as enemies of the nation or terrorists when they complain or express their anger.

For a government that has spent more than 2,000 days in office to still blame the opposition party for its failings shows that it has nothing to offer.

Nobody should fall for its tricks any longer.

We made jokes about Twitter setting up in Ghana, but we can see that its not our tweets that is keeping investors away, it is clamping down on private businesses that keeps investors away! This government is ready to unfairly target any business that sides with the people and upholds their inalienable rights.

Remember all this as we draw closer to the polls: There is no sector that this government can be scored 30 per cent in. Instead of this government to cover its face in shame, it is flexing its muscles.

We made jokes about Twitter setting up in Ghana, but we can see that its not our tweets that is keeping investors away, it is clamping down on private businesses that keeps investors away! This government is ready to unfairly target any business that sides with the people and upholds their inalienable rights.

What is left of our quality of life as citizens?

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What is left of our dignity and respect as people of the world?

Has our President bothered to ask us like he did six years ago, if he can keep us safe when we travel to any part of the country? Are our lives better than it was six years ago?

This is the time to rise with everything in us. This move is a indicator of many worse decisions to come. This is about our future. This is about us as a nation! We cant get tired now. This anger over losing jobs and a lot more must fuel us to act.

Get back on Twitter.

Get ready to hit the streets strategically!

Let the whole world know we are under a siege of tyranny and as a result, Buharis time is up and he needs to go!

Rinu Oduala, a brand strategist, was one of the prominent activists of the #EndSARS campaign.
Police say Carlos Diaz Mieses shot Peguero and Jose Oca Martinez during an argument the morning of May 14 at Good Greek Moving and Storage, where all three men worked. The business is located in the 3300 block of SW 12th Avenue, a warehouse district just north of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will welcome back Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State if he decides to return to the PDP, a former governor of the state, Liyel Imoke, has said.

Mr Ayade, who is doing his second term as governor, recently defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His defection came at a time a former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, returned to the PDP.

I will welcome him. I will definitely welcome him. Ben and I dont have personal differences, maybe political differences and thats why I said that his decision to quit PDP may be personal to him, Mr Imoke, a chieftain of the PDP, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Yes, its a game of power which should be played fairly and everybody has a right to take whatever decision that they choose and we should not hold it against them in eternity.

So, certainly for anyone that wants to work to see the growth and development of Cross River State, we are willing to work with them at any time, he said.

If Ayade gets to the APC and it doesnt look as good as he thought, then well be glad to welcome him back as one of us, its a game of numbers so the more the merrier, Mr Imoke added.

It is very interesting that I havent seen Governor Ayade hold a broom, but I have always imagined in my head that Ben would look at the broom once or twice before he holds it.

In all honesty, even that is alien to him. So to the people of Cross River State, I say stand firm, we are PDP. We are committed, we are resolute, we are a grassroots party and we are sufficiently strong.

I want to commend the strength and the will of the people who said listen, we are not going. PDP is our party. We will remain here.

Mr Ayade said he joined the APC in order to attract federal assistance to Cross Rivers.

He subsequently said that the personal character of President Muhammadu Buhari attracted him to the ruling party.

I moved into the APC because of my personal relationship with Mr President, Mr Ayade told reporters at the Presidential Villa on Thursday after a meeting with Mr Buhari.

I have watched him and I found honesty, integrity and I see his wish and commitment to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

To that extent, I have a leader that I trust, he said of the president.

(NAN)
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Whatever agreement the Nigeria Governors Forum has entered into with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) is not binding on Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike has said.

Mr Wike said this on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the Senate Building of the Rivers State University and the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the faculty building for the College of Medical Sciences.

Governors Forum is not a government. It is an association of governors to share ideas and not to sign agreements on behalf of state governments, Mr Wike said, according to a statement from the governors media aide, Kelvin Ebiri.

The statement was posted on Facebook.

Even when they (the Governors Forum) say something, I will have to come back to the State and call a State Executive Council meeting, and we will take it as our resolution that this is what we are going to do.

So, whatever they have signed with JUSUN, let me tell you people, it is not binding on the Rivers State government.

Mr Wike, who said Rivers State was already implementing financial autonomy for the legislature and judiciary, vowed never to sign any agreement with the two arms of government since they are already enjoying financial autonomy.

Rivers State Government has implemented financial autonomy for the legislature and Judiciary. The judiciary has collected the first and second quarters of their capital fund.

We still use our money to do infrastructure for them in spite of that we release and give to them their capital expenditure, Mr Wike said.

He further said the state government had begun implementing no work no pay policy.

Governor Wike at the occasion announced the award of full scholarship for all the 55 students already admitted into the College of Medical Sciences of the institution and directed the university management to refund all monies already paid by the affected students.

He further mandated the Rivers State University to commence construction work on the building to house the School of Nursing within the premises where the Faculty of Medical Sciences has been sited.

George Sekibo, a senator from Rivers State, who commissioned the building, thanked Mr Wike for his administrations efforts to develop the state.

Innocent Ujah, a professor and president, Nigeria Medical Association, who laid the foundation for the Faculties of Basic Clinical, Clinical Science and Pathology buildings, said that under Governor Wikes administration the health sector has received special attention geared toward the sustainable development goals.

Judiciary workers strike

The judiciary workers in Nigeria have been on a nationwide strike since April 6. They are demanding financial autonomy for the judiciary at the state and federal levels.

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) is a body of governors from the 36 states of the federation that was created to provide a platform for collaboration among governors on matters of public policy and promotion of good governance.

The forum at its meeting with the judiciary workers agreed to accede to their demands in order to end the two-month-old strike.
Medical doctors in the service of Ondo State government, South-west Nigeria, have condemned what they described as insensitive comments made by the states governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, over the backlog of salaries owed the states workers including doctors.

The doctors, under the aegis of the states chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA), in a statement issued at the weekend, said they received their February salary in June.

They insisted on receiving their full salary despite the recent statement by Mr Akeredolu, which suggested part-payment of salaries for all categories of workers in the state.

Akeredolus comment

Mr Akeredolu had, in a television interview on June 3, 2021, queried what he described as the audacity of the doctors in the state to insist on full payment of their salaries.

He said other workers had agreed to receive part-payment of their salaries pending when the finances of the state would improve and the full salary payment would be restored.

In a short clip of the video of the interview obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the governor said the doctors were not better than teachers, civil servants and other categories of workers, whom he said have agreed to receive partial payments.

He said; I think the doctors are not even in the country. How will they say others can receive such a salary but they cannot. Do they have two heads?

They would say their children are in school as if children of the teachers are not in school. I think they need to be talked to by well meaning people of the state.

NMA kicks

The doctors association in a statement signed by its president and secretary, Stella Adegbehingbe and Olorunfemi Owa respectively, said the governors statement was disparaging and dehumanising to the medical profession.

The statement reads in part; The immediate need for this press release was precipitated by Mr. Governors outburst seeking to know whether Doctors have two heads to be asking that they be paid their 100% salary. It is rather unfortunate that Mr. Governor, who was voted for, is outraged that we had the audacity to request our dues from his administration. He is apparently of the view that since he sporadically pays less than 100% of monthly salaries to other workers, we should meekly accept less than 100 of our hard-earned salaries from his administration.

Mr. Governor chose to vilify doctors for asking

him to ensure that he meets contractual obligations freely entered by the state government. Regrettably, Mr. Governor elected to irritably disregard basic obligations of government to her citizens. He has chosen to blame victims of governments indebtedness for the inability of the same government to perform its duties. His government demands that her workers should work on credit, while gratefully accepting less than their due wages, along with insults, packaged as an admonition.

The NMA insists that the state government pays its members salaries in full and that it should ensure that it is regular.

Existing policy

The union said Ondo State government pays a percentage of salaries of its workforce, as reportedly agreed with the state by the Joint Negotiating Council, comprising representatives of government and the Nigerian Labour Congress.

This, according to the statement, is not peculiar to healthcare workers in the state as teachers had been getting percentage payment of salaries for as far back as nine months.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that the policy has been in place since the coronavirus pandemic hit Nigeria.

However, NMA said it did not agree with the decision and asked for a 100 per cent payment of salaries for its members.

Manpower shortage

According to the association, some doctors have begun to resign their appointment over salary cuts and a backlog of unpaid wages.

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They said the situation has led to a chronic shortage of manpower with crushing overwork for those on the ground who are working on credit.

The association noted that following mass resignation among the University of Medical Science Teaching Hospital staff in the state, the institution was about to lose some of its accredited programmes.

This fact of indebtedness and avoidable delay in payment of salaries, should ordinarily attract a different approach from a responsive government, it said.

The association lamented that all efforts it had made to meet the governor had been futile.

It also said general hospitals in the state are left with two doctors each.

This makes it practically impossible for the hospital to function at a minimum acceptable level, it said

Government keeps mum

Meanwhile, this newspapers efforts to get the reaction of the state government on the development were unsuccessful.

Calls to the the telephone line of the chief press secretary to Mr Akeredolu, Olaode Richard, were unanswered, and messages sent to the line were also not replied as of the time of filing this report.

The telephone line of the states commissioner for information, Donald Ojogo, was not available on Sunday afternoon when our reporter called.

However, a member of the states cabinet who does not want to be quoted, said the government was not prepared to exchange words with the doctors.

The source, who said his identity should be protected because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said; There is absolutely nothing to react to because we cannot be going back and forth with the doctors.

The governor has spoken and that is it.
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
Industry leaders to discuss climate change policies and net-zero impact on APAC markets

First public presentation of Wood Mackenzie Lens Power

SINGAPORE, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wood Mackenzie invites registration for its inaugural Power & Renewables Asia Pacific (APAC) Conference on June 22-24.

As western economies and major corporations pledge carbon neutrality, the Asia Pacific region, the world's largest fossil fuel demand centre, must equally step up efforts to decarbonise.

Wood Mackenzie Asia Pacific Head of Power and Renewables, Alex Whitworth, said: "China, Japan and South Korea have all announced net-zero targets by 2050 and 2060. This virtual conference is an excellent platform to discuss expectations for climate change action in these key markets and set the way forward for industry players."

The virtual conference will feature streams dedicated to key markets including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and emerging Southeast Asia. The three-day event will also address topics on policies, next-generation technologies, and investment strategies that will help APAC markets navigate the energy transition.

Wood Mackenzie will also unveil Lens Power - a game-changing data and analytics platform which will empower organisations to maximise investment opportunities in clean energy and be at the forefront of the energy transition.

As well as exclusive presentations from Wood Mackenzie experts, and a top-tier speaker line-up, the virtual conference offers opportunities to connect with leading renewable developers and utilities. Delegates can also connect with transmission operators, national and energy regulatory bodies, investment entities, and technology providers.

Key external speakers include:

Riki Kojima , Executive Vice President and CFO, TEPCO Renewable Power ;

, Executive Vice President and CFO, ; Dr. Alex Wonhas, Chief System Design and Engineering Officer, AEMO ;

; Shinichi Kato , Country Director and President, Japan , RWE ;

, Country Director and President, , ; Miyuki Zeniya , Deputy Head of Global Sustainability, Dai-Ichi Life Insurance ;

, Deputy Head of Global Sustainability, ; Daniel Mallo , Managing Director  Head of Natural Resources and Infrastructure, Asia Pacific , Societe Generale ;

, Managing Director  Head of Natural Resources and Infrastructure, , ; Sriram Madapura , Head of Onshore Renewable Power, Asia , Renewables and Energy Solutions, Shell ;

, Head of Onshore Renewable Power, , Renewables and Energy Solutions, ; Vinutha Hosur , Head of Strategy for APAC, BayWa r.e. ;

, Head of Strategy for APAC, ; Dr. Attilio Pigneri , CEO, H2U ;

, CEO, ; Shinichi Yasuda , Senior Vice President, Structured Finance, Development Bank of Japan ;

, Senior Vice President, Structured Finance, ; Tuna Kildis, General Manager, Head of Engineering, Vena Energy ;

; Toru Inoue , Vice President, Head of Structured Finance, Goldman Sachs.

To register for the Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables APAC conference, please click here.

About Wood Mackenzie:

Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk Analytics business, is a trusted source of commercial intelligence for the world's natural resources sector. We empower clients to make better strategic decisions, providing objective analysis and advice on assets, companies and markets. For more information, visit: www.woodmac.com or follow us on Twitter @WoodMackenzie.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1482968/Wood_Mackenzie_Logo.jpg

For speaking and programme enquiries:

Juan Monge

+44 (0)7929 865456

juan.monge@woodmac.com

Related Links

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SOURCE Wood Mackenzie Ltd
On behalf of the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia (MoTCE), Deputy Minister for Tourism Marketing, Mrs. Nia Niscaya, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy Republic of Indonesia and Emirates Airlines during ATM 2021. The Cooperation aims to boost marketing activities overseas, especially in Dubai.



In total, 20 Indonesian destinations took part onsite. Based on a questionnaire submitted by 100 Indonesian co-exhibitors, 606 bookings were made during the 4-day show in Dubai from 16-19 May 2021 and 2.443 bookings in Bali during the ATM Dubai Virtual event from 24-26 May 2021. These two events -- in-person and online -- were complementary and allowed exhibitors to reach a broader audience to ensure no one misses out.



A New Dawn for Travel and Tourism



The theme of this year's show is 'A New Dawn for Travel and Tourism'. The spotlight focuses on how the latest 'COVID' news worldwide is likely to affect international tourism in 2021 and beyond.



Sixty-two countries joined the exhibition floor this year, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the U.S. In comparison, while 140 countries participated in the virtual event.



In participating in a global travel market in the pandemic era, Indonesia demonstrates its firm commitment to CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environment Sustainability) implementation by focusing on health and safety protocols at destinations and the Indonesia Pavilion in the Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.



Middle East travelers have long been a key market for Indonesian tourism destinations. In 2019, the Middle East recorded a significant increase in arrivals to Indonesia, registering 263,923 visitors (27,88% higher than 2018).



"By participating in ATM Dubai 2021, outbound tourism's leading global event, we are demonstrating that Indonesia is confident of maintaining its position as a world-class destination," said Mrs. Nia Niscaya, Deputy of Minister for Tourism Marketing.



Plans to re-open borders in July



His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, announced plans to re-open borders in July 2021, with destinations including Bali, Batam and Bintan serving as 'locomotive' regions to kickstart tourism for the whole country - if the pandemic is handled as well as expected.



In preparation, the government has carried out a widespread vaccination program for targeted groups, including the tourism workforce. In addition, the government has also initiated the Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) certification program throughout the tourism sector in Indonesia.



For real-time updates on Indonesian travel, please visit www.indonesia.travel

Contact:



Vinsensius Jemadu

Head of Communications Bureau

Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy

[email protected]

[email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522621/Image4.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1475943/LOGO_KEMENPAR_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy
In those early years, volunteers were overwhelmingly young Canadians, newly minted with university degrees. Over the decades, as Cuso's programming focus evolved, skilled professionals with long-service careers from various sectors stepped up. "Cuso's programming and geographic footprint has changed over the years, but the commitment to a better world for all has never wavered," says Glenn Mifflin, CEO of Cuso International. "Our work continues to seed long-term sustainable solutions to combat poverty and inequality. Together with our local partners, we have impacted millions of lives."

"Global Affairs Canada is proud to support the work of Cuso International," says the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development. "The thousands of Cuso volunteers who have provided their expertise around the world are helping build capacity for hundreds of local partners and their communities. Thank you to the organization, to everyone who has volunteered with you, and all who have supported your efforts for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world. You have been tremendous ambassadors for Canada."

Regardless of where or when they served, Cuso volunteers have helped raise awareness of the developing world, an experience they were eager to share when they returned home. During these six decades, more than 14,000 volunteers have travelled to more than 100 countries, where they became the face of Canada in the Global South. They applied their skills to train, mentor and work alongside local partners and communities. While Canadian volunteers still travel overseas, Cuso also engages e-volunteers and recruits volunteers abroad. Today, Cuso works with local partners in 10 countries, as well as in Canada's Northwest Territories, to advance gender equality and social inclusion, increase access to education, develop decent economic opportunities and enhance women and girls' sexual and reproductive health.

"Generations of people on four continents have benefited from Cuso programs," says Patricia Perez-Coutts, Board Chair of Cuso International. "We are honoured to celebrate the lives of those who have contributed, the donors who have supported us, those who have benefitted, and those who continue to passionately pursue creating a more inclusive world for all."

On June 10, 2021, a virtual town hall will mark the 60th anniversary, featuring Shirley M. Tilghman (Sierra Leone, 1968-1970), Officer of the Order of Canada, Fellowship of the Royal Society, Professor of Molecular Biology and Public Policy and President Emerita of Princeton University, and Lloyd Axworthy, Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada, Companion of the Order of Canada, Order of Manitoba, and Cuso International Chair from 2014-2018. To learn more, visit: https://cusointernational.org/events/

Cuso International

Cuso International is a Canadian charity committed to ending poverty and inequality. Cuso works with local partners around the world to advance gender equality, enhance women, and girls' empowerment, and improve economic opportunities for youth. Through skills sharing, we are building sustainable futures. Each year we mobilize hundreds of professionals who volunteer their time and provide their knowledge to amplify our impact. Learn more at: cusointernational.org.

SOURCE Cuso International

Related Links

http://www.cuso.org


JERUSALEM, June 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2021 American Jewish Committee (AJC) Virtual Global Forum opened today with remarks by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, whose seven-year term ends in July.

"For many years, AJC has played a central role as an advocate for the Jewish people, combating antisemitism, BDS, and supporting Israel's fight against terror," said Rivlin. He thanked AJC for its "work to promote Muslim-Jewish relations and ties between Israel and Arab states, and for all you do for Israel and the Jewish people."

Addressing a worldwide audience of thousands participating in the AJC Virtual Global Forum, Rivlin spoke about rising antisemitism, libelous attacks on Israel, U.S.-Israel relations, and challenges to building a cohesive Israeli society.

"We expect world leaders to show zero tolerance for all forms of antisemitism, hatred and racism, and to use all the tools at their disposal, from physical security, to law enforcement, to education, and adopting the IHRA definition, in order to combat those threats," said Rivlin. He expressed appreciation for one leader by name, President Joe Biden, for his statements condemning antisemitism.

"The United States has always been our closest ally, based on shared values," said Rivlin. "The unique ties between our two countries have always been based on open discussion, transparency, and real time coordination."

For Rivlin, equally dangerous to the precipitous rise in antisemitism is the spread of anti-Israel libels.

"Criticism of Israeli policies is legitimate, but it should be criticism based on knowledge, not based on ignorance," stressed Rivlin. "We must preserve the ability to understand the situation in Israel on its own terms rather than falling into the trap of using concepts taken from other contexts and countries."

Expressing hope that the ceasefire which ended the 11-day Hamas-launched conflict with Israel will hold, the president declared that "the State of Israel will take all steps necessary to ensure that our citizens can live in peace and security."

He also spoke about the violence between Israeli Arabs and Jews that erupted during the conflict last month and its repercussions.

"I have made building partnerships and cooperation with all the communities in Israel one of my key goals as president," said Rivlin, who has been outspoken since 2015 about the division of Israeli society into four tribes -- secular Jewish, religious Jewish, ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish, and Arab.

"We must always remember that we are not doomed to live together. We are destined to live together, and we must walk together down the path of understanding and cooperation," he told the AJC Virtual Global Forum.

In June 2018, Rivlin addressed, in Jerusalem, the AJC Board of Governors on the eve of the AJC Global Forum, which convened that year for the first time in Israel. "It has been a pleasure to host AJC delegations, and I deeply appreciate the solidarity delegation which came to Israel during the last conflict (in May)," he said.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


The woman shot dead was identified by law enforcement sources as 20-year-old Florida Department of Corrections officer Tyleisha Taylor. Two men, who also might have been shot, died when their red Toyota Camry smashed into a wall of Miami Dade Colleges Kendall campus while leaving the scene of the shooting.
LONDON, June 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- During a government programme, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of the Commonwealth of Dominica provided viewers with an update on the anticipated international airport. The government has now officially signed an agreement with Montreal Management Company to construct the airport funded entirely by the country's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme.

Project manager Collin McIntyre joined the Prime Minister to discuss the importance of using CBI funds instead of taking out loans that would burden taxpayers and generate additional debt. Prime Minister Skerrit also reviewed how the funds are used, detailing the government's transparency. This includes a budget for the airport's construction with the government appropriating CBI allocations to meet the budgeted amount.

Prime Minister Skerrit also noted how vital the programme was to the public sector as a whole: "We thank God for the CBI and the many opportunities the programme has brought to our country. [] The CBI funds are used for public sector investment projects [like] roads, bridges, schools, housing, health centres, hospitals and paying down on our most expensive debts. We really have not been using the CBI funds for recurrent expenditure except after Hurricane Maria."

As of late, funds from the programme have contributed to constructing a state-of-the-art hospital, an expansive housing project, and 12 health centres on the island. The programme's transparency has been corroborated by independent bodies, including Pricewaterhouse Coopers, which did an audit of the programme and its expenditure analysis in a 2019 report.

With nearly three decades of experience within the investment migration realm, Dominica's CBI Programme is consistently ranked as the world's best by the annual CBI Index. The programme enables wealthy individuals and additional dependants to become citizens of the country by investing in a government fund or purchasing pre-approved real estate. Applicants are then subjected to rigorous due diligence checks to ensure only those of upstanding character become citizens. Only once passing these checks do applicants receive a receipt of citizenship and apply for their second passport. Citizens and expats from or residing in the Middle East, particularly in the United Arab Emirates, have flocked to Dominica for decades under its economic citizenship programme due to its affordability, longevity and its family structure that enables applicants to add a wide list of dependants to an application.

Being a Dominican citizen comes with a wealth of opportunities like increased global mobility to over 140 countries and territories, alternative business prospects in a stable democracy and significantly, the ability to pass citizenship down for generations to come.

Contact: +447867942505, [email protected], www.csglobalpartners.com

SOURCE CS Global Partners

Related Links

http://www.csglobalpartners.com


Proactive analyst Emma Ulker talks to Proactive London about Open Orphan ( ).

She says ORPH has firmly established its core pharma services offering, underpinned

by the world-leading quarantine facilities, unique challenge study models and its established clinical trial services.

ORPH is focusing on converting an extensive and substantial amount of non-Covid-19 related services worth over 100mln. This is in addition to substantial contracts already

signed with the UK Government for COVID-19 vaccine challenge studies.

Click here to read Proactive analyst Emma Ulker's latest research note on 'Open Orphan: Unlocking the value of non-core assets'
Lucknow, June 6 : In yet another gesture towards children who lost their parents due to the Covid pandemic, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has upwardly revised the help being given to children whose guardian's income is below Rs 2 lakh per year.

"For the legal or natural guardian, the annual income of Rs two lakh limit is very low, hence should be increased," the chief minister has directed officials.

According to the government spokesman, a monthly financial assistance of Rs 4,000 will be given to a child's guardian or caretaker, till he or she attains adulthood, while those who do not have anyone to look after them will be sent to child protection homes.

The chief minister has directed the women and child welfare department to identify such children at the earliest and ensure that no eligible child is deprived of this welfare scheme.

Speaking about the Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana, Manoj Rai, Director of Women and Child Welfare said, "Adequate steps are being taken to identify such children who lost their parents due to COVID-19 pandemic. So far, 300 children have been identified and the work is still in progress." Orphans aged up to 10 years, who do not have any guardian or extended family to take care of them, will be rehabilitated in five Rajkiya Bal Grah (children's shelter homes) in Uttar Pradesh. These shelter homes are in Mathura, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Agra, and Rampur.

For the upbringing and education of Covid orphans, the chief minister has launched the 'Uttar Pradesh Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana'.

A free education facility will be provided in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and Atal residential schools to these children.

Yogi Adityanath has also directed officials to ensure that the education of orphaned children above 18 years of age, is not disrupted due to financial reasons.

Under the Abhyudaya Yojana of the state government, laptops and tablets will be provided to facilitate higher studies of such children.

The Yogi Government will also provide financial assistance of Rs 1,01,000 for the marriage of girls under the scheme.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Addis Ababa, June 6 : The African Union (AU) has deployed its long-term observers for Ethiopia's general elections scheduled to take place on June 21.

Following an invitation from Ethiopia, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, approved the deployment of both long- and short-term AU observers to the general elections in the Eastern African country, Xinhua news agency quoted a statement from the pan-African bloc issued on Saturday as saying.

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia announced last month that the countrys sixth general elections, which had been previously scheduled for June 5, would be held on June 21.

Drawn from various AU member states, eight long-term observers arrived in the capital Addis Ababa on June 2 and 3 to undertake observation and analysis of key aspects of the electoral process, particularly the political environment, electoral legal framework, the effectiveness and transparency of electoral preparation and administration, and campaign environment, the statement said.

The analysis will form a key part of AU's overall assessment of the conduct of the June 21 elections in the country,it added.

The long-term observers, deployed in teams to cover different locations in the country, will be joined later by short-term observers, who will arrive in Ethiopia's capital, approximately a week before the election day, according to the statement.

The mission will present its findings at a press conference in Addis Ababa shortly after the conclusion of the elections, where a preliminary statement will be released, which will also be followed by a more detailed final report that will include recommendations for improvement of future elections.

More than 31.7 million Ethiopians including more than 1.2 million prospective voters in Ethiopia's capital city, Addis Ababa, have registered to cast their ballots.

Under Ethiopia's parliamentary government system, the Prime Minister who is the highest authority of the land is selected from the party that wins the most seats at federal parliament level and will be sworn in after parliamentary vote.
Kiev, June 6 : Iran is ready to pay $150,000 in compensation to the families of each victim killed in a Ukrainian passenger airplane downed near Tehran in January 2020, the Iranian Embassy in Kiev said.

"The Iranian delegation announced its readiness to pay compensation to Ukrainian families of those killed in the tragedy $150,000 for each victim, following the resolution of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and asked the Ukrainian delegation to bring this information to the notice of the relatives of the Ukrainians who passed away," said a statement published by the Embassy on Saturday after the third round of talks on the crash.

During the negotiations, the parties also discussed a wide range of issues related to criminal proceedings and technical issues, including aviation and flight safety, as well as Iran's final report on the tragedy.

The third round of talks between Ukraine and Iran took place in Kiev on June 2-3.

On March 17 of this year, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization published its final report on the crash, identifying a "mistake" by the air defence operator as the cause of the accident.

However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticised the Iranian report, calling it a "cynical attempt" to hide the true reasons for the downing of the plane.

The Kiev-bound Ukrainian Boeing 737 passenger plane with 179 people on board crashed on January 8, 2020, shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital of Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.

The aircraft was shot down by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps with two missiles.

Later, Iran's armed forces confirmed that an "unintentional" launch of a military missile by the country was the cause of the incident.

In July 2020, the transcript of the black boxes from the plane confirmed the fact of an illegal interference with the plane.
New Delhi, June 6 : Believed to be Indian nationals, Gullo Jan, Naqaya, Hasina and Ajmeera are among 17 "mentally unsound persons" who are still lodged in Pakistani jails as they have not been able to give any other particulars about themselves except their names.

Of these 17 persons, four are women and the remaining are men aged between 25 to 60 years.

Due to their mentally unsound condition, the names of parents or relatives of these 17 persons as well as their address in India is yet to be ascertained, resulting in their incarceration in jails in Pakistan.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has released photographs of these individuals in an "important announcement". They have been shared with all states and Union Territories (UTs) to circulate in their regions to get inputs about these persons.

In the announcement, it is mentioned that the persons who can identify these 17 persons should give the information to Under Secretary (Foreigners) in the Ministry of Home Affairs; home department of state governments or UT administration concerned; or Director General of Police or Inspector General of Police or Commissioner of Police of state government and UT concerned.

"Photographs of 17 mentally unsound persons, believed to be Indian nationals, who are lodged in jails in Pakistan, are attached. These persons have not been able to disclose any other particulars about them including the names of their parents or relatives, address in India, etc. due to their mentally unsound condition," the announcement mentions.

Indians lodged in Pakistani jails and vice versa is not a new phenomenon, but the two countries share the list of their prisoners twice every year.

Pakistan in January this year handed over a list of 319 Indian prisoners including 49 civilians and 270 fishermen lodged in the country's jails to the High Commission of India as part of a bilateral agreement.

The 17 mentally unsound persons are in the list of those people who are believed to be Indians, said a source.

Besides, the four women the 13 men lodged in the Pakistani jails have been identified as Sonu Singh, Surinder Mahto, Prahlad Singh, Silrof Salim, Birju, Raju, Bipla, Roopi Pal, Panwasi Lal, Raju, Shyam Sunder, Ramesh and Raju Roy.

As per the Foreign Office (FO), the step is consistent with the provisions of the Consular Access Agreement between the two countries signed on May 21, 2008.

The two countries under the agreement are required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other's custody twice a year, on January 1 and July 1. Despite recurrent tension over the years, the two countries have been exchanging the lists of prisoners without any break.

The exchange of information comes despite the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

The relationship dipped after India's war planes pounded a terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were killed.

Tensions between the two nations spiked further after New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.

Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic relations with India and expelled the Indian High Commissioner following the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, June 6 : Petrol and diesel prices increased across the four metros on Sunday, with petrol price in the national capital crossing the Rs 95-per-litre mark.

In Delhi, the fuel was sold for Rs 95.03 a litre, up from Rs 94.76 on Saturday.

Price of petrol in Mumbai crossed the Rs 101-a-litre mark at Rs 101.25 per litre.

In Chennai and Kolkata, the fuel was sold for Rs 96.47, Rs 95.02, respectively, higher than the levels on Saturday.

Similarly, diesel prices also rose across the four cities.

In Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, rose to Rs 85.95, Rs 93.30, Rs 90.66 and Rs 88.80 per litre, respectively.

Mumbai is not the only city to have unique distinction of petrol breaching the Rs 100 per litre mark.

Thane reached the mark few days back while few other cities in Rajasthan (including Jaipur), Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra with the highest VAT levels on auto fuels in the country, have already been selling normal petrol for over Rs 100 a litre for past several days.

Premium petrol price had already crossed the Rs 100 per litre mark in several parts of the country through increase in the retail rates in the month of January and February.
Kolkata, June 6 : In an effort to encourage e-vehicles and reduce the dependability on traditional fossil-fuel driven vehicles, the West Bengal government has proposed special inter-city corridors which can be used only by electric vehicles, with charging stations every 25 km.

The state has already introduced sophisticated e-vehicles in different state government transport facilities and has a target of 10 lakh battery-powered vehicles by 2030.

"The state government has always wanted a pollution free state and this policy will take forward our fledgling dream of zero-emission transportation. E-vehicles will not only give us a greener and cleaner environment but at the same time it will keep us immune from the ever-rising fuel prices, which are pushing up prices of every commodity. This is the future of vehicles. We all must work together to achieve this common goal at the earliest," said Transport Minister Firhad Hakim.

Initially the government has proposed to develop the environment-friendly lanes along two popular routes, one from Kolkata to Asansol - a distance of 215 km and the other from Kolkata to Digha - a distance of 185 km. Along these routes, electric vehicles are planned to have priority movement channels, and rapid charging stations will be set up every 25 km. There will also be green zones which might be developed into parking areas or other facilities where only battery-powered vehicles will be allowed.

The tariff for charging or input electricity tariff for public charging stations could be kept low to contain operating costs and more people could go for such cars, an official said.

"We will try to keep the fare as low as possible because the state government wants to promote e-vehicles for smoother, greener and cleaner transport facilities," the official added.

The policy identified Kolkata, Howrah, Asansol and Darjeeling as model e-mobility cities, New Town being the pilot city for all the initiatives, said an officer of Bengal's power department, the project's nodal body that drafted the policy.

WBSEDCL is the state-level nodal agency for the charging infrastructure.

At present, stated the electric vehicle policy, 2021, the number of such vehicles in Bengal was 37,400, of which 36,000 were e-rickshaws or totos. The state aimed at setting up one lakh public or semi-public charging stations while implementing the policy.

Bengal, the policy document stated, aimed to be among the top three states in India in having electric mobility penetration by the end of FAME II implementation year 2022. The state also targets to be the best in electric mobility penetration by 2030.

The policy also emphasised the use of other renewable energy sources like hydrogen generation and refuelling stations, the first few to be developed by the government. Private developers will also be allowed to set up hydrogen stations in coordination with central guidelines and adhering to state safety standards.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Sanaa, June 6 : At least 16 people were killed in a ballistic missile attack launched by the Houthi rebels onYemen's oil-rich province of Marib, a government official said.

"The Houthi-fired missile landed on a fuel station in the country's northeastern province of Marib, causing huge explosions at the scene," the official told Xinhua news agency on Saturday.

He said the explosions that occurred at the fuel station in al-Rawda neighbourhood, north of the Marib's city, killed at least 16 people, and injured several others.

"Many civilian vehicles at the fuel station were completely burnt as a result of the fire that broke out after the explosions," he added.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in February began a major offensive against the Saudi-backed Yemeni government army to capture the province of Marib.

A recent UN-brokered negotiation between Yemen's warring sides and other relevant parties has failed to produce any agreement of ceasefire.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.
New Delhi, June 6 : All speculations to a change of guard in Uttar Pradesh were put to rest after a visit by the BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) to the state. After the end of the visit, B.L. Santhosh sent out a tweet appreciating Covid management of the Yogi Government.

A senior BJP leader said that lots of speculation had started doing the rounds about a possible change of guard in both the government and the organization in Uttar Pradesh. He said no major changes will take place in the government and the party, as the party has started preparing for next year's Assembly polls.

Earlier this week, Santhosh and BJP Uttar Pradesh In-charge Radha Mohan Singh visited the state capital and held several rounds of review meetings and took feedback from the Yogi Adityanath government.

Since Santhosh reached Lucknow, the political circle in the state was abuzz with the possibility that Yogi may be replaced for his style of functioning that had led to a gap between the government and the party.

But Santhosh's tweet has put an end to all political speculations in Uttar Pradesh ahead of next year's Assembly polls. "In five weeks, Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh reduced the new daily case count by 93 per cent. Remember it's a state with more than 20 crore population. When municipality CMs could not manage a city of 1.5 crore population, Yogiji managed quite effectively," Santhosh tweeted.

A BJP leader in the national capital told IANS that whether one believes or not Yogi is the third most popular leader in the party after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and replacing him will cost dear to the party.

"BJP, which is known to put all its efforts to win even a municipal election, will not take a risk by replacing Yogi with someone else less popular than him. Some of his opponents are trying their best but they will not succeed," he said.

Another senior party leader suggested there might be a reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh cabinet and the state organization. "There could be a cabinet reshuffle or some organizational restructuring which is generally done with the changing situations," he said.

Last months, the Yogi government faced severe criticism for Covid management after images of bodies floating in the river or buried in shallow graves came up from different parts of the state.

Resentment within the party also came out in open after Union Minister Santosh Gangwar raised questions over Covid Management and party Lok Sabha member Kaushal Kishore demanding the cancellation of panchayat polls to contain the spread of infection.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Gaza, June 6 : Yehya Sinwar, leader of the Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, said on that the tunnels damaged by Israeli fighter jets last month in the enclave were renovated.

"Israel had only succeeded to destroy 3 per cent of Hamas tunnels and our fighters fixed them all," Sinwar said in a meeting on Saturday.

During the tit-for-tat violence in the Gaza Strip that began on May 10, the Israeli Army claimed that it had "neutralised" an extensive tunnel system dug by the Palestinian Hamas militants in the besieged enclave.

According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the tunnels were built over five years and allowed Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, to move ammunition, fighters and food within the coastal strip.

The fighting finally ended on May 21 after an Egypt-brokered ceasefire took effect.

During the 11 days of fighting, more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

Severe destruction was caused to the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
Lucknow, June 6 : Two-and-a-half-year-old Ananya Yadav stares blankly at visitors. She cannot fathom the sudden influx of strangers in the house, mostly media persons, who seem to be streaming in.

Ananya does not answer questions and when anyone calls out her father's name, Satya Prakash, she turns around looking for him.

She does not accept toffees -- once her favourite -- and refuses to eat her meals.

At night, she cries uncontrollably as she snuggles up to her mother.

Ananya is one of the many children who have lost one or both their parents and are now facing severe mental trauma.

These children-known as Covid orphans -- have no help forthcoming from either their family members or the government or NGOs.

In several cases, relatives have refused to take their responsibility and it is only the grandparents -- if any left alive by the Covid -- who are looking after the children.

S.K. Tiwari, a child psychologist, said: "These children, who are facing loss of one or both parents, are facing intense emotional trauma, insecurity and abandonment.

"The worst is that they cannot even express themselves. Their relatives, who have adopted them for the time being, are unable to take care of the child's emotional needs and the government is only concerned about giving them stipend and education.

"More than all this, these children need emotional support at the moment." P.K. Pandey, a lawyer in Sultanpur, related the case of his tenant's family.

"My tenant and his wife succumbed to Covid within a week, leaving behind two daughters. Their relatives did not even come to perform their last rites because of the Covid stigma. We got their cremation done but their two daughters, aged 11 and 9, are left alone.

"At present I am taking care of them. They are unusually quiet -- do not talk and quietly eat whatever is given to them. I do not know how to handle them though my wife does try to talk to them," he said.

The lawyer said that even after being informed, none of their family members had come forward to take the responsibility of the girls.

Both the girls have withdrawn completely into their shell and spend hours in their room, staring into the wall.

Their school teacher, Anamika, visited them after learning of the death of their parents.

"The girls did not even talk to me. It seems that they are in a state of shock. Earlier, they were rather naughty and kept chatting in class," she said.

Tiwari said that it was apparent that the girls were in deep trauma and needed regular counselling to get back to normal.

Another such case is from Jhansi where, Sunny, Sandhya and Sonia -- aged between 12 and 7 years -- have lost their father Shekhar to Covid and then their mother died, three days later, due to heart attack.

The children are living with their widowed grandmother who has no source of income. She has started sweeping and washing utensils in other people's houses to earn enough to feed the children.

Sandhya wanted to be a police officer when she grows up but says that she does not know whether she will be able to continue with her studies. "Paise nahin hai," she says tearfully.

Sunny and Sonia are younger and do not, perhaps, realize the importance of money. However, they keep asking their grandmother when their parents will return.

The three do not move out of their house to play or mingle with their friends.

R.K. Saxena, another psychiatrist, said that efforts should be made to provide immediate counselling to Covid orphans before their mental health issues settle into their personality.

"In children, it is difficult to see whether they are suffering from mental illness but efforts should be started at the earliest to provide them counselling so that they overcome the trauma and insecurity caused by the loss of their parents," he said.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has, so far identified 2,309 Covid orphans in the state. Of these children, 287 have lost both their parents.

The government has approved the 'Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Child Service Scheme' for the provision of maintenance and education of these children.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Ayodhya, June 6 : The proposed mosque and hospital complex that is to be built in Dhannipur village in Ayodhya, will be named after noted freedom fighter and revolutionary Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah Faizabadi, who died 164 years ago.

The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) has decided to dedicate the entire project comprising the mosque, hospital, museum, research centre and community kitchen, after Faizabadi, also called 'Lighthouse of Independence' for keeping Awadh free of British dominance for over two years after the 1857 revolt.

IICF secretary Athar Hussain, said: "On his martyrdom day, we have decided to name the entire project after his name. In January, we dedicated the research centre to Maulvi Faizabadi, who was the icon of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood. Even 160 years after the first war of independence, Ahmadullah Shah Faizabadi is yet to get his due in the annals of Indian history. Masjid Sarai, Faizabad, which was Maulvi's headquarters during the 1857 mutiny, is the lone surviving building that preserves his name." After being killed and decapitated by a British agent, they buried his body and head in two different places to prevent people from turning his grave into a mausoleum, said Husain.

War veteran and mosque trustee Captain Afzaal Ahmad Khan said: "The British feared Maulvi was as dangerous in death as he was during his lifetime. It's unfortunate that even though British officers like George Bruce Malleson and Thomas Seaton have mentioned his courage, valour and organizational capabilities in the history of Indian mutiny, Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah is blanked out in our school and college textbooks." Researcher and historian Ram Shankar Tripathi, said: "While being a practising Muslim, he was also the epitome of religious unity and Ganga-Jamuni culture of Faizabad. In the revolt of 1857, royalties like Nana Sahib of Kanpur, Kunwar Singh of Arrah fought alongside Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah. His 22nd Infantry Regiment was commanded by Subedar Ghamandi Singh and Subedar Umrao Singh in the famous Battle of Chinhat.

"Maulvi wanted Raja Jagannath Singh of Pawayan, a zamindar in district Shahjahanpur to join the anti-colonial war. On June 5, 1858, with prior appointment, he went to meet Raja Jagannath Singh in his fortress. On arriving at the gate, he was greeted with bullets from Jagannath Singh's brother and retainers. The Maulvi died on the spot." The Ayodhya mosque and hospital project will be built on the on the five-acre land given to the Muslims in the Supreme Court verdict of November 2019

The IICF trust constituted by Sunni Waqf Board had taken a decision not to name the mosque after Mughal emperor Babur.
Los Angeles, June 6 : Los Angeles County authorities said investigations were being conducted after videos emerged on social media showing Asian passengers were being slapped while travelling in the metro.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a statement on Friday that it on June 3 took note of the Instagram video recording at least two Asian riders were separately attacked, reports Xinhua news agency.

The authority said it was working to gather more information about exactly when and where the assault occurred, and who filmed the footage, adding investigators would determine if the victims were singled out because of their race and the possibility that the incidents constitute hate crimes.

"Metro has a zero-tolerance policy for any acts of violence against customers or employees. We strongly and unequivocally condemn any offenses done in the name of race, religion, sex or national origin," the agency's CEO, Stephanie Wiggins, said in the statement.

Blake Chow, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department's Transit Services Bureau, was quoted by the local KTLA 5 news channel as saying that detectives were collecting proofs like what somebody heard on a train or something the suspects said to the victims.

Metro said it was also running a "Stop Asian Hate" campaign that includes advertisements on its buses and trains.
Nay Pyi Taw, June 6 : Myanmar is willing to work together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to safeguard the domestic stability of the country and implement the relevant consensus, State Administration Council (SAC) Chair Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said.

Min Aung Hlaing, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services, made the remarks on here Saturday during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to a statement issued by the Chinese embassy in Nay Pyi Taw, Min Aung Hlaing introduced the domestic situation in the country and said Myanmar is committed to promoting national stability, economic growth and improvement of people's livelihoods, and safeguarding democracy and the rule of law.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues including China-Myanmar relations and the joint prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Second Minister of Brunei's Foreign Affairs Erywan bin Pehin Yusof, whose country currently holds the rotating chair of the ASEAN, and the bloc's Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi had arrived in Myanmar to hold talks with top officials about the current political situation in the country following the February 1 military coup.

The envoys met Min Aung Hlaing and they exchanged views on matters related to the outcomes of a recent ASEAN leaders' meeting on Myanmar; implementations of ASEAN recommendations from the Preliminary Needs Assessment; ASEAN's efforts on access to Covid-19 vaccines; and bilateral friendship between Myanmar and Brunei.

The military leader also apprised ASEAN envoys of the progress of review on the 2020 general elections in Myanmar, situation of terrorist actions, matters related to re-holding elections when the country restores stability and future cooperation plans on humanitarian assistance.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Chennai, June 6 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin honoured Jayakumar who is a male nurse working with the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children in Chennai.

The male nurse had rescued 47 infants and their mothers when a fire broke out in the hospital on May 26. Jayakumar broke open the windows and used fire extinguishers to douse the flames before the Fire and Rescue servicemen arrived.

An official statement from the office of the Chief Minister said that Jayakumar and his wife Devika were invited by the Tamil Nadu Chief minister Stalin to the Secretariat and were honoured.

At least 36 infants, 11 children who were kept in incubators and their mothers were saved by the timely intervention of Jayakumar and the presence of mind shown by the male nurse to douse the fire and break open the windows.
New Delhi, June 6 : The Indian Public Cloud services market revenue reached $3.6 billion for 2020 and is set to reach $9.5 billion by 2025, grow at a CAGR of 21.5 per cent, according to a new IDC report.

For the second half of 2020, the Indian public cloud services market totalled $1.9 billion, according to according to IDC's 'Worldwide Semiannual Public Cloud Services Tracker'.

The Public Cloud services market includes infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS).

"Public clouds played a critical role for organisations in 2020, driven by business continuity, flexibility and agility. Cloud will become crucial as organisations expedite the development process and deployment of business applications to meet the changing work and business environment," said Rishu Sharma, Principal Analyst, Cloud and Artificial Intelligence, IDC India.

SaaS continued to be the largest component of the overall public cloud services market, followed by IaaS and PaaS last year.

The spending continues to accelerate, with the top two service providers holding 49 per cent of the Indian public cloud services market for 2020.

Even though enterprises in the country have been discussing cloud adoption for the past few years, the Covid-19 pandemic forced enterprises to expedite their cloud strategy.

"This accelerated cloud adoption in the country by several years. Businesses started adopting cloud to host a wide array of applications ranging from email servers to many complex systems like data warehousing, advanced analytics, etc," said Harish Krishnakumar, Senior Market Analyst, IDC India.

There was also an increased migration of enterprise applications to the cloud.

"Moreover, the remote working induced by the pandemic propelled the demand for remote storage capabilities and also resulted in increased adoption of cloud-based collaboration tools, VDI applications, etc," Krishnakumar added.

The pandemic continued to be the key driver of cloud adoption as enterprises continued their investments in cloud infrastructure, platforms, and software to improve the resiliency of their business operations and equip themselves to tackle successive waves of the pandemic.

As business objectives aim at gaining resiliency, IDC expects cloud adoption to be further accelerated for rapid digital innovation.
Ouagadougou, June 6 : More than 100 civilians were killed and dozens injured by suspected terrorists in a village in northern Burkina Faso, according to media reports.

Terrorists raided the village of Solhan in the province of Yagha, killing residents, burning homes and the market, said the country's official news agency AIB.

The death toll could rise, Xinhua news agency quoted the AIB as saying citing government sources.

It added that the country's Forces of Defense and Security have launched a search operation to "get their hands on the individuals responsible for the attack".

So far, no group has claimed responsibility.

Following the tragedy, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore declared a 72-hour national mourning period from Saturday to Monday.

"I bow to the memory of the hundred civilians killed in the barbaric attack, and send my condolences to the families of the victims," Kabore tweeted on Saturday.

"We must stand united against the forces of evil." Also on Saturday, Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire condemned the attack as "incredible barbarism", and called on all people of Burkina Faso to "remain united and committed to valiantly defend our country".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed outrage over the killings, and underscored the urgent need for the international community to redouble support to member states in the fight against violent extremism and its unacceptable human toll.

He expressed his deepest condolences to the victims' families, as well as to the government and people of Burkina Faso, the statement said.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been facing a worsening security situation, with more than 1,000 people being killed and over 1 million displaced by terrorist attacks.
Wellington, June 6 : Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers have committed to speeding up the cross-border flow of Covid-19 vaccines and related goods to fight the global pandemic.

The pledge came following the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor, Xinhua news agency reported.

"As we face the biggest health and economic crisis of our lifetimes, I was greatly heartened to see how we united to make progress. We represent half of global GDP and wanted to use trade as a force for good," O'Connor said in a statement on Sunday.

"We know nobody is safe until everybody is safe from COVID-19, and we know that our region prospers economically by keeping our markets open to one another rather than closing ourselves off." He said the APEC Trade Ministers agreed to speed up the flow of jabs and vaccine-related goods by eliminating trade restrictions that increase the cost.

They also agreed to a set guidelines for the customs authorities to ensure quick vaccines flow, and to remove barriers to freight and logistics services to support trade in vaccines and vaccine-related goods.

"It is encouraging to see APEC trade ministers working together to respond in practical, concrete terms to the Covid pandemic and rebuild our economies," he said.

New Zealand Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth Phil Twyford said the APEC had returned to its traditional role of championing multilateralism by rejuvenating the World Trade Organization (WHO) and injecting momentum into a series of trade negotiations with the aim of concluding these by the end of this year.

New Zealand is hosting APEC 2021 with more than 300 meetings scheduled across the country.

APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific region.

Its 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Kabul, June 6 : The Afghan National Police (ANP) on Sunday announced the arrest of 27 suspected criminals in Kabul in the past 48 days.

The arrested persons were involved in murder cases, armed robberies, possession of illegal weapons, sale of narcotics, car theft and other crimes in the city, Xinhua news agency quoted the ANP as saying in a statement.

According to the statement, the ANP confiscated seven hand guns, and the operations were part of the preventive measures to ensure a high level of security and safety in Kabul.

Last week, Kabul witnessed a series of blasts targeting passenger buses that have led to increasing concerns and panic among the local residents of the Afghan capital city.

On June 3, four civilians, including a female journalist and her mother, were killed and five others wounded when a mini-bus was struck by a sticky improvised bomb in Pul-i-Sokhta of Police District 6.

The blast came hours after a bomb hit a mini-bus in the same district, killing four people and injuring four others.

One June 1, eight civilians were killed and 14 others wounded in twin blasts hitting two public buses in a short span of time in the same neighbourhood.

Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts as more than 2,950 civilians were killed and over 5,540 others wounded due to fighting in the country last year, according to the country's independent human rights commission.

The agency has attributed 53 per cent of civilian casualties to the Taliban and 15 per cent to pro-government security forces over the period, while 25 per cent were caused by unknown perpetrators and the rest 7 per cent were blamed on other reasons.

Out of total casualties, 330 women and 565 children were killed in separate attacks last year, according to figures of the independent human rights commission.
China, Indonesia vow to further deepen maritime cooperation

CGTN) 13:35, June 06, 2021

China and Indonesia vowed to upgrade their cooperation into the maritime sector and also for political security, economy, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

The consensus, along with agreement in the other four sectors, was reached during the inaugural meeting of the China-Indonesia high-level dialogue cooperation mechanism on Saturday.

The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian president's special envoy and the country's coordinator for cooperation with China, in Guiyang, the capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Expand maritime cooperation

After the meeting, the two countries signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) on maritime cooperation, which will help "enrich, expand and upgrade" the cooperation mechanism, the statement said.

The two sides agreed to take Indonesia's construction of a "national fish storage center" as an opportunity to launch fishery cooperation in an all-around way and bring tangible benefits to the fishermen of both countries.

They also agreed to carry out ecological marine pastures and demonstration projects for seawater desalination and support several new high-quality projects.

Accelerating consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea were discussed in the meeting.

Strengthen vaccination cooperation

The two sides agreed to continue to deepen cooperation across the entire vaccine industrial chain, including research and development, production and distribution, and China will help Indonesia build a regional vaccine production center.

Both sides supported the exemption of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, stressing to work together to promote the fair and reasonable global distribution of vaccines and safeguard the right to life and health of people in developing countries.

Upgrade Belt and Road cooperation

They vowed to intensify efforts to align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis vision, highlighting the construction of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway on schedule and the regional comprehensive economic corridor.

China will carry out high-level investment and financing cooperation with Indonesia through multiple channels, and actively support Indonesia in speeding up its infrastructure construction.

Meanwhile, China welcomes Indonesia to increase exports of competitive commodities to China, deepen bilateral trade connectivity and jointly tap the huge market of China and Indonesia with 1.7 billion people, according to the statement.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) with Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian president's special envoy and the country's coordinator for cooperation with China, in Guiyang, capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 5, 2021. /China's Foreign Ministry

Consolidate strategic unity

Recalling the spirit of the recent telephone conversation between the two heads of state, the two sides agreed to strengthen political mutual trust and keep closer strategic communication in the general direction of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two countries will firmly support each other's efforts to achieve national development and rejuvenation, and shoulder the important responsibility for regional peace and stability and jointly uphold international fairness and justice as well as the rights and interests of developing countries, said the statement.

Enrich cultural and people-to-people exchanges

Carrying forward the traditional friendship between the two sides, they also agreed to innovate interactive models, such as the "cloud tour" project to make full preparations for the full resumption of tourism cooperation after the epidemic.

They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in vocational education, conduct exchanges on athletes' training and expand interaction between think tanks and the media.

After the meeting, the two countries signed a MoU on establishment of a high-level dialogue and cooperation mechanism, and exchanged two MoUs separately on promoting cooperation on the construction of the regional comprehensive economic corridor and on the establishment of the joint committee for cooperation on the construction of the regional comprehensive economic corridor.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
The reason for the renewed interest in summer programming is the COVID slide, the name for the academic struggles students faced during a year disrupted by the pandemic. Schools were closed for months during the spring and fall of 2020, switching to virtual learning, and about half the students stayed home even after schools opened.
New Delhi, June 6 : Amid the clamour for an in-depth investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, an Indian scientist couple have supported the lab-leak theory.

The Pune-based scientist couple, Rahul Bahulikar and Monali Rahalkar, are among multiple scientists and experts who have piled up circumstantial evidence pointing to the theory that the coronavirus may have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

Rahalkar is a scientist at Bioenergy Group, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune.

Bahulikar is scientist at BAIF Development and Research Foundation, Pune.

While the lab-leak theory has long been dismissed as a conspiracy, it has now become too substantial to ignore.

According to media reports, Bahulikar and Rahalkar started an online expedition at the end of March 2020 to unravel the origins of Covid-19.

They read several scientific papers on coronaviruses and Covid-19 and found that a relative of SARS-CoV-2, RATG13, a coronavirus was collected from a mineshaft in Mojiang of Yunnan province in South China by the WIV.

They also found that the mineshaft was infested with bats and six miners hired to clean the fecal matter were infected with pneumonia-like illness.

They published their findings in the science journal Nature, post which they were contacted by a Twitter user called SEEKER.

SEEKER has been part of a group of amateur sleuths called 'DRASTIC', who with few resources are working to reveal the dark secrets of WIV. DRASTIC stands for "decentralised radical autonomous search team investigating Covid-19" and it has set itself the mission of exploring the origins of SARS-CoV-2.

"Thanks to DRASTIC, we now know that the WIV had an extensive collection of coronaviruses gathered over many years of foraging in the bat caves and that many of them -- including the closest-known relative to the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2 -- came from a mineshaft where three men died from a suspected SARS-like disease in 2012," Newsweek reported.

The scientist-duo stated that the claim that Covid-19 originated as a natural infection leaping from animals to humans does not have any proof. According to them, the structure of the SARS-CoV2, the virus behind Covid-19, reveals that it was ready to infect humans, indicating that it might have come from a lab, media reports have said.

They have urged the World Health Organization to probe deeper into lab leak theory.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has also recently ordered the intelligence community to re-double efforts to examine how the virus originated, including the lab accident theory.

The European Union, the UK, Australia, and Japan also have joined the US in seeking a deeper probe into the origins of the pandemic.

China's Foreign Ministry has last week dismissed the Wuhan lab leak theory as "extremely impossible" and have accused the US of "political manipulation", media reports noted.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, June 6 : The ongoing pandemic has caused unprecedented economic disruption and unemployment worldwide, prompting both a financial and a humanitarian crisis. Career counsellors need to now focus on how they can provide effective career counselling for the post-Covid world.

Abhishek Gupta, Founder and CEO of High School Moms (HSM) and International Alliance of Counselors and Educators (INACE) suggests what one should be mindful of, hereon.

At the outset, it is important to understand that career guidance helps learners understand their strengths and weaknesses and then match them with their skills and interests so that they can get the best suitable career choice. The pressure to make career and higher education choices is a nerve-wracking experience for most learners. Career counselling enables students to manage their careers and move from a general understanding of life and work to a specific understanding of the realistic learning and work options that are open to them.

As society is trying to come to terms with this global crisis, technology inevitably has emerged as our knight in shining armour in many ways. Nicholas Picic, a US-based lecturer, rightly pointed out, our new Covid-related glossaries have forced us to learn and get crash courses in a number of unanticipated fields--from biology and immunology to statistical rhetoric, government operations, and civics. This pandemic has shown us the power of technology, exposed cyber security risks, and helped businesses develop new ways to use data effectively. It is now time for students to up their game in order to expect greater job opportunities or alternate career options in the post-pandemic world.

Gone are the days when medicine and engineering were the only two options that students were presented with. The pandemic has compelled us to turn to virologists, yet, virology has been a neglected area. The field is a rapidly evolving branch of medicine with immense relevance to medical studies.

Conventional subjects like zoology, botany, and physiology have been left back in the race by the domains of microbiology, biotechnology, biochemistry, and other applied programmes. The amalgamation of biological and medical sciences in these applied programmes has made them very much sought after in recent times among the student community who are looking for alternatives to medical sciences.

Careers in computational biology have also emerged to be promising in recent times. Computational biology is basically the study of physical principles which are the part of biological phenomena and processes. Statistics say that this is exceptionally a great time to start a career in computational biology. With a relevant degree, students can work in the commercial, academic and government domains.

As the pandemic spread across India, most of the processes went online, generating huge amounts of data across sectors. This has led companies to develop more sophisticated algorithms, creating a need for more data science roles. With the world starting to open amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of jobs available in data science is seeing an upward trend in India as we inch closer to providing vaccines for everyone.

Coronavirus is turning our world upside down. It has shown us how fragile so many of our political systems are and how dependent our normal lives are on things that we take for granted. This is where career guidance comes in as it is essentially a set of tools that helps people to think through how they live their lives, manage their work-life balance and so on.

(Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in)

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New Delhi, June 6 : Delhi's Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) has withdrawn its order released a day ago directing all nursing staff to use only Hindi and English language for communication at the premises of the healthcare facility.

The hospital administration said that the circular was issued without their information after the controversy erupted over its specific notice that mentioned "serious actions" to be taken against anyone found speaking in other languages.

The GIPMER's action came after Delhi Health department also issued a memo to it earlier in connection with its recent notice directing nursing staff to communicate only in Hindi or English.

The circular was issued on Saturday by the nursing superintendent of the hospital who had said that GIPMER had received a complaint against the use of the Malayalam language.

"A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language is being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience," the circular read.

"So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication otherwise serious action will be taken," it added.

Soon after the GIPMER issued the circular, Rajya Sabha MP and Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal requested Union Health Minister through a letter for immediate withdrawal of the order.

"I urge to Hon'ble health Minister @drharshvardhan to order an immediate withdrawal of the bizarre & unconstitutional circular issued by the authorities of GIPMER," Venugopal tweeted.

"Nurses from Kerala are sincerely discharging their duties across the world and taking care of the patients. Naturally, nurses belonging to the same region would speak the language among themselves as it is their mother tongue. it is illogical to assume that they would speak in their mother tongue to a person who can't speak that language. The circular is, undoubtedly, highly discriminatory and denying the basic fundamental right guaranteed by our constitution," the Congress leader said in the letter.

Congress Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor also criticised the circular, saying it is violation of the basic human rights of Indian citizens.

"It boggles the mind that in democratic India a government institution can tell its nurses not to speak in their mother tongue to others who understand them. This is unacceptable, crude, offensive and a violation of the basic human rights of Indian citizens. A reprimand is overdue!," Tharoor tweeted.

While Rahul Gandhi said, "Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination!"
New Delhi, June 6: Pakistani establishment appears to have realised that in case the Taliban captured Afghanistan by force, there can be a serious blowback against Islamabad, which it can ill-afford.

Pakistan's Prime Minister apprehends that the establishment's control over the Taliban is slipping. And this was evident when he stated that Pakistan is pushing hard for a political settlement in Afghanistan before foreign troops leave later this year, in order to avoid a Civil War across the Durand line.

Pentagon officials have said that one fourth of the US withdrawal, slated to be completed by September 11, has already been accomplished. The US forces have already handed over some bases to Afghan forces, including the New Kabul Compound, known as NKC, in Kabul.

"There is a lot of fear right now in Pakistan and I assure you that we are trying our level best that there is some sort of political settlement before the Americans leave," Khan told Reuters in an interview in Islamabad. "Since the moment the Americans gave a date, of when they were going to leave Afghanistan... the Taliban feel they have won the war," Khan said, adding it was not going to be easy to get concessions from the Taliban once the US had made its withdrawal decision.

Fighting has intensified in Afghanistan since the US and NATO began withdrawing their forces. Nearly 1,800 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in clashes in the first three months of 2021, according to the United Nations. That's a 29 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

Khan said Pakistan would suffer the most, after Afghanistan, if there was civil war and a refugee crisis erupted. "And then there would be pressure on us to jump in and become a part of it," he said, adding that his government has changed Pakistan's decades-long policy of pushing for 'strategic depth' in Afghanistan to ensure that there was a friendly government there. "Any Afghan government chosen by the people is who Pakistan should deal with," he said, adding that Pakistan 'should not try to do any manipulation in Afghanistan', a veiled reference to the Pak military establishment.

Yet it is evident that the Afghan government deeply distrusts Pakistan. Unsurprisingly, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has on various occasions asserted that it's time that Pakistan chose its path when it comes to its relations with Afghanistan. He has stressed that the Taliban receives support from Pakistan and its finances as well as recruitment is controlled from there. The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shura, Miramshah Shura and Peshawar Shura - named after some of Pakistan's major cities.

Reacting sharply to Ghani's observations, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has shot back by saying that there are people within Afghanistan who want to disrupt the peace process in the country. But the Afghan government claims that Pakistan's failure to live up to its promises of containing the Taliban has contributed to the unending cycle of violence in Afghanistan.

While Pakistan has been taking credit for facilitating the US-Taliban Doha Agreement last year, it has, of late, realised that it cannot trust the Taliban in future. Pakistan also worried about the re-emergence of the militant organisation the Tehreek-e-Taliban also known as Pakistani Taliban, which poses a threat in Pakistan and beyond.

There is also Chinese pressure on Pakistan, not to bond deeply with the Taliban. On June 3, Pakistan, China and Afghanistan in a trilateral meeting, opposed any attempt to impose a government in Afghanistan, in an apparent reference to growing concerns that the Taliban are trying to take control of the country in the wake of withdrawal of foreign forces.

While international pressure on Pakistan to get the Taliban back on the negotiating table grows, the Chinese side is wary of the Taliban coming to power. In May the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had said China hoped to see a "moderate Muslim" leadership in Afghanistan in the future and has assured the country of help in strengthening its anti-terrorism capacities. China fears that a radicalised Afghanistan can become both a sanctuary and a springboard for launching Uyghur insurgents into the mainland across the Wakhan corridor.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
New Delhi, June 6: A United Nations Security Council report released earlier this week has once again established that a significant part of the leadership of Al Qaeda resides in the Afghanistan and Pakistan border region and that the terrorist organization, founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, and like-minded militants continue to celebrate developments in Afghanistan as a victory for the Taliban's cause and thus for global radicalism.

The 12th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Taliban and other associated individuals and entities constituting a threat to the peace stability and security of Afghanistan reveals that the security situation in Afghanistan remains as tense and challenging as at any time in recent history, with uncertainty surrounding the peace process and the Taliban proving resilient in the face of pressure from Afghan security forces.

It also said that the Taliban and Al Qaeda remain closely aligned and show no indication of breaking ties as the United States of America and allied forces complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 2021.

What remains worrisome is that the Taliban's messaging remains uncompromising, and it shows no sign of reducing the level of violence in Afghanistan to facilitate peace negotiations with the government of Afghanistan and other Afghan stakeholders.

"The Taliban's intent appears to be to continue to strengthen its military position as leverage. It believes that it can achieve almost all of its objectives by negotiation or, if necessary, by force. It is reported to be responsible for the great majority of targeted assassinations that have become a feature of the violence in Afghanistan and that appear to be undertaken with the objective of weakening the capacity of the government and intimidating civil society," the report said.

According to Member States, the Taliban now contest or control an estimated 50 to 70 per cent of Afghan territory outside of urban centres, while also exerting direct control over 57 per cent of district administrative centres. They (the Member States) have also reported that a significant part of Al Qaeda leadership remains based in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the core is joined by and works closely with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.

"Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent operates under the Taliban umbrella from Kandahar, Helmand (notably Baramcha) and Nimruz Provinces. The group reportedly consists of primarily Afghan and Pakistani nationals, but also individuals from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. Its current leader is Osama Mahmood (not listed), who succeeded the late Asim Umar (not listed). The group is reported to be such an "organic" or essential part of the insurgency that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to separate it from its Taliban allies," the report says.

The UN team warns that it will be important for the international community to monitor any sign of Afghanistan again becoming a destination for extremists with both regional and international agendas.

Though, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN Monitoring Team was unable to visit Afghanistan during the period under review (May 2020 to April 2021), but it held numerous video teleconferences with senior Afghan officials in Kabul. They also interacted regularly with the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations in New York and received information from a wide range of other Member States on issues relevant to the Security Council Committee.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
London, June 6 : A A team of scientists has identified a genetic link explaining why some people who catch Covid-19 don't become sick.

The team led by Newcastle University in the UK demonstrated that the gene HLA-DRB1*04:01 is found three times as often in people who are asymptomatic, suggesting that people carrying this gene have some level of protection from severe Covid.

It is known that the human leukocyte antigen gene identified HLA-DRB1*04:01 is directly correlated to latitude and longitude. This means more people in the North and West of Europe are likely to have this gene.

This suggests that populations of European descent will be more likely to remain asymptomatic but still transmit the disease to susceptible populations.

"This is an important finding as it may explain why some people catch Covid but don't get sick," Carlos Echevarria from the varsity's Translational and Clinical Research Institute.

"It could lead us to a genetic test which may indicate who we need to prioritise for future vaccinations.

"At a population level, this is important for us to know because when we have lots of people who are resistant, so they catch Covid but don't show symptoms, then they risk spreading the virus while asymptomatic," Echevarria said.

The study, published in the HLA journal, compared asymptomatic people to patients from the same community who developed severe Covid but had no underlying illnesses.

The team used samples from 49 patients with severe Covid who had been hospitalised with respiratory failure, samples from an asymptomatic group of 69 hospital workers who had tested positive through routine blood antibody testing and a control group from a study into the relationship between HLA genotypes and the outcomes of joint replacement surgery.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, June 6 : Transborder cattle smugglers have assaulted Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along India-Bangladesh border, resulting in an injury of a personnel, the border guarding force said on Sunday.

The incident took place around 11.25 a.m. on Saturday in Dakshin Dinajpur district in West Bengal when the BSF troops on duty detected movement of 8-10 cattle smugglers along with cattle coming from Indian side along the bank of Chhoti Jamuna river with an intent to cross the cattle towards Bangladesh side.

The BSF troops challenged the smugglers to stop but the transborder cattle smugglers aggressively encircled and assaulted BSF troops with sticks during which one of the BSF troops sustained injury on his head, reveals a statement issued by the BSF.

"Injured BSF personnel has been evacuated to government hospital in Hili for medical treatment and his condition is presently stable," said the statement.

The BSF, one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), is mandated to guard 4,096 km India-Bangladesh and 3,323 km India-Pakistan borders to curb illegal trade, infiltration and other crimes along with ensuring security to the country.

The 2.5 lakh personnel strong force, BSF, has been facing cattle smuggling menace for years as the smugglers had earlier also assaulted the BSF troops who used to avoid firing bullets to stop them during their movement while engaging in the illegal trade.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, June 6 : Kotak Mahindra Group (Kotak) on Sunday announced the introduction of a Pandemic Benevolent Policy for its employees.

Under the policy, family members or nominee of deceased employees, who lost their life after April 1, 2020, and subsequent cases up to March 31, 2022, will receive full monthly fixed salary (cost to company) for two years beginning June 2021, said a statement from the bank.

Further, this policy is applicable to families or nominee of all deceased employees, irrespective of the cause of death - whether pertaining to Covid-19 or any other cause not related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The family or nominee of deceased employees eligible for annual bonus will also receive the annual year-end bonus for FY2020-21. In addition, Kotak's Mediclaim Insurance will cover the spouse and minor children of the deceased employee for FY2021-22.

To help and support employees across the country in their fight against the pandemic, Kotak has put in place a series of emergency measures including tie-ups for medical emergency response services, isolation facilities, telemedicine services, financial assistance for medical expenses as well as the formation of internal volunteer teams across the country to assist employees and their families with critical resources.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Lucknow, June 6 : The Uttar Pradesh government, on Sunday, lifted Covid-imposed curfew from all districts barring Lucknow, Meerut, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur, as active cases in these four districts are still above 600.

According to Additional Chief Secretary-Information Navneet Sehgal the situation in these districts will be reviewed again and if the situation improves, a further decision will be taken.

Till Saturday, Lucknow had reported 1,121 active cases, Meerut had 1,248 active cases while Gorakhpur had 783 and Saharanpur 1,171 active cases.

The state government, on Saturday, announced relaxations in curfew in Bareilly and Bulandshahr districts from Monday. It allowed shops and markets outside the containment zones to open for five days a week.

The unlock process in UP began a week ago when the government lifted the curfew for 20 districts. It stated that the districts where active cases were over 600 would remain under restrictions.

Over the last week, the cases have further declined in the state with overall active cases coming under 20,000. On Saturday, UP recorded 1,028 daily count while the recoveries were 4,346. So far, 21,151 people have succumbed to infectious disease.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
San Francisco, June 6 : With an aim to offer mental health support, Apple is likely to introduce a "Mind" app during its WWDC keynote address.

Found by developer Khaos Tian and posted to Twitter, an image showing an App Store profile lists several bundle identifiers, largely associated with watchOS 8.

Among the list are some items that may hint at what could be arriving on the Apple Watch very soon, AppleInsider reported on Saturday.

The key finding in the list is "com.apple.Mind," which is a new addition as there are no apps from Apple bearing the title.

It is plausible that Mind could be a new app included within watchOS 8, which could provide some form of mental health-related functionality, the report said.

Many other items listed in the image include "NanoTips" and "NanoContacts," which could point to Apple Watch variants of the existing iPhone apps.

This may be part of a continued push to make the Apple Watch less reliant on the iPhone and iOS apps handling and managing data on its behalf.

Apple is holding its keynote address of WWDC 2021 on June 7 and is expected to announce a variety of new features it will be bringing in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, watchOS 8 and macOS 12.

While Apple's announcements are usually very secretive, it appears the Cupertino tech giant may have accidentally let some secrets slip early.
In Mexico, Lopez Obrador continues to face a complicated security situation in many parts of the country. Nearly three-dozen candidates or pre-candidates were killed before this weekends midterm elections as drug cartels sought to protect their interests. The governments inability to provide security in parts of the country is of interest to the U.S. in an immigration context, both for the people who are displaced by violence and the impact it has on a severely weakened economy trying reemerge from the pandemic.
Hyderabad, June 6 : Telangana State Cabinet will meet on June 8 to discuss several key issues including Covid-19 situation, agriculture operations and the impact of ongoing lockdown on the State economy.

To be presided over by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the Cabinet meeting will be held on June 8 at 2 p.,m. at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister.

It is likely to discuss the situation in the State amidst Covid-19 pandemic, medical and health, agriculture operations and the economic situation in the state due to lockdown.

The Cabinet may also review ongoing works on various irrigation projects, measures to be taken and availability of water for irrigation during the monsoon, said the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Sunday.

The Cabinet may also discuss the financial assistance being given to farmers under Rythu Bandhu, measures taken to control the sale of spurious seeds, availability of fertilisers and pesticides and other agriculture related issues.

With the Corona on the downward trend following the measures taken by the government, the Cabinet may discuss about the action to be taken department-wise. It may dwell on the preventive measures to be taken by the medical and health department and its readiness to face the third wave of Corona, which may hit the State. The Cabinet will also focus on the impact of lockdown on the State's economy and may take decisions accordingly, the CMO said.

The Cabinet is likely to decide whether to extend the lockdown or lift it. The lockdown is coming to an end on June 9.

It was on May 12 that the State government had enforced the lockdown for a week with daily relaxation from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. It was later extended by 10 days.

On May 30, the State Cabinet extended the lockdown for 10 days with daily relaxation from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Brasilia, June 6 : The Rio Negro river in Brazil's Amazon region has reached its highest level since records began in 1902, rising to 30 metres in the city of Manaus, a news portal said.

More than 24,000 families were affected by the river's flooding, dpa news agency quoted the portal as saying on Saturday.

The Rio Negro flows into the Amazon River near Manaus and is subject to strong fluctuations during the rainy and dry season.

It recorded its lowest level, 13.63 metres, in 2010.

The entire state of Amazonas recently experienced severe flooding, and a state of emergency was declared in 48 out of 62 cities.

In rural communities, the floods destroyed much of the harvest. In other parts of Brazil, however, there is currently a severe drought.
Jerusalem, June 6 : A correspondent for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel was arrested during a protest in the Arab neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Liberation Organization's (PLO) Xavier Abu Eid accused Israeli police forces of attacking the TV crew on Saturday and destroying their equipment, dpa news agency reported.

A spokesman for Israeli police said the correspondent had physically attacked security forces while they were trying to break up the demonstration and that she had refused to identify herself.

However, video footage of the incident shows that Givara Budeiri was wearing a vest with the word "Press" on it.

According to police, residents pelted security forces with stones and firecrackers during the protests.

In a statement, Al Jazeera said that the journalist was released from custody hours after her arrest.

The broadcaster said that one of its cameramen also had his equipment destroyed during the incident.

"They came from everywhere, I don't know why, they kicked me to the wall," Al Jazeera cited Budeiri as saying following her release late on Saturday.

"They kicked me inside the car in a very bad way, they were kicking me from everywhere," she added.

"We condemn the actions of the Israeli occupation forces in the strongest terms. The systematic targeting of our journalists is in total violation of all international conventions," Al Jazeera Media Network acting director general Mostefa Souag said in a statement.

"Today's violent actions by Israeli occupation forces against Givara Budeiri and Nabil Mazzawi are in total disregard for the fundamental human rights of journalists." Conflict over the possible evictions of Palestinian families in the neighbourhood have exacerbated tensions recently. It has been the focus of attention for decades because of property disputes.

Both Israeli settlers and Palestinians claim ownership.

Protests continue in Sheikh Jarrah even after a May 21 ceasefire was reached between Israel and the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

A court decision on the forced evictions had been postponed.
Mumbai, June 6 : Actor Mehul Nisar, who is currently seen in the show "Santoshi Maa - Sunayein Vrat Kathayein", says that showbiz is a very unpredictable profession.

He says that money has been a criteria for choosing work at times for him.

"Every actor has to consider the reward aspect as the work done is an outcome of hard work and effort. Acting is a very uncertain profession; it is seasonal in some ways. At times your work in 30 days a month and at times you are at home doing nothing for months," he told IANS.

However, the actor adds that things have really changed for him over the years.

"I feel things have changed a lot drastically over the years. I am fortunate enough to have had an opportunity to portray so many varieties of roles. I started my career in 1998 with aHip Hip Hurray', where I played a schoolboy. Gradually, I started playing the younger brother to the protagonist and then the elder brother. Later I started playing chacha to the protagonist. And now I am playing a role of a father to the protagonist. It feels as though along with me my characters have also grown in age," he says.

Talking about being part of a mythological drama, he says: "I am very happy shooting for the show ;Santoshi Maa Sunaye Vrat Kathayein;. It has been more than a month that we are shooting in Silvassa due to the shoot restrictions in Maharashtra. As far as the track goes the character of DC - Dheeraj Chaddha is very important and has shaped up really well. And the co-actors with whom I am shooting are also very cordial and friendly. I have always wanted to do a mythological show. Even though in 'Santoshi Maa Sunaye Vrat Kathayein', I am a part of Prithvi Lok and not the Dev Lok, I feel happy to be a part of the wonderful show."
San Salvador, June 6 : El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has announced that he would send a bill to Congress next week to make the bitcoin cryptocurrency a legal tender in the Central American country, in what will be a world first.

Bukele announced the move in a pre-recorded message played on Saturday at the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami, Florida, during a presentation hosted by Jack Mallers, founder digital wallet company Strike, reports dpa news agency.

"Next week I will send to Congress a bill that will make bitcoin a legal tender in El Salvador," Bukele said.

"In the short term this will generate jobs and help provide financial inclusion to thousands outside the formal economy," the President added.

Mallers said he has been working with Bukele to determine the logistics of the move.

"Over 70 per cent of the active population of El Salvador doesn't have a bank account. They're not in the financial system," Mallers said during the presentation.

"They asked me to help write a bill and that they viewed bitcoin as a world-class currency and that we needed to put together a bitcoin plan to help these people." As cited by the Strike founder, the bill says that "in order to mitigate the negative impact from central banks, it becomes necessary to authorise the circulation of a digital currency with a supply that cannot be controlled by any central bank and is only altered in accord with objective and calculable criteria".

The International Labour Organization estimates that six out of every 10 Salvadorans are scraping a living out of the informal economy in the country.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Taipei, June 6 : The US will donate 750,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, Senator Ladda Tammy Duckworth said here on Sunday.

"It was critical to the US that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines, because we recognise your urgent need and we value this partnership," Duckworth said at the Taipei Songshan Airport according to state-run Central News Agency.

On Friday, the American Institute in Taipei, which acts as the de facto American embassy, said that Taiwan would be included in the first tranche of the more than 80 million Covid-19 vaccines set to be donated by the US, without mentioning details.

Duckworth and fellow US Senators Dan Sullivan and Chris Coons on Sunday arrived at Taipei airport and were greeted by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

Wu said Taiwan was "very grateful" for being included in the Biden administration's plan to export coronavirus vaccines to other countries.

Coons also noted that Taiwan was prevented from joining the world health alliance and has encountered roadblocks in its access to safe and effective vaccines.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen later also expressed her appreciation to the delegation for the donation, which she said shows the bipartisan support of the US Congress for Taiwan.

The US Senators stayed in the capital for about three hours before leaving.

Tsai said Japan and the US sharing vaccine doses recently have been a major help in Taiwan's fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Since May 15, Taiwan has tightened its coronavirus control measures as it saw a surge in new cases.

The Covid-19 vaccination rate for the island's 23.6 million people remains lower than 3 per cent.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Brussels, June 6 : NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Sundaywarned Russia and Belarus against threatening the alliance's allies, following the forced landing of a passenger plane within the European Union (EU0 by Belarusian authorities.

"We are of course ready, in an emergency, to protect and defend any ally against any kind of threat coming from Minsk and Moscow," dpa news agency quoted Stoltenberg as saying to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

"We are vigilant and we are following what is happening in Belarus very closely," he said.

Belarus is becoming "more and more dependent" on Russia, he added.

Stoltenberg said NATO was seriously concerned about the closer cooperation between Moscow and Minsk in recent months.

"We have had to learn in the past that Russia has massively violated the territorial integrity of states such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova." He did not want to speculate too much, Stoltenberg said, noting, "NATO is a defensive alliance." Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, all members of NATO, share borders with Belarus.

On May 23, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko forced a Ryanair commercial flight between two EU capitals, Athens and Vilnius, to make an emergency landing in Minsk.

Dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, passengers on the plane, were arrested and are being held in custody.

While the EU responded with sanctions on Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Lukashenko for talks and said Moscow would support Belarus with $500 million in credit.

Putin also underlined his continuing support for Lukashenko in his confrontation with the West.
Baghdad, June 6 : The Iraqi Army said two drones were shot down on Sunday over a military base hosting US-led international forces fighting the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

The air defence system at the Ain al-Assad base, located in western Iraq, intercepted and shot down the two drones, the Iraqi military-linked Security Media Cell said.

No casualties or damage was reported, reports dpa news agency.

The attempted attack was the latest in a series against the same base.

Last month, an air attack targeted Ain al-Assad, causing no casualties.

In March, a US civilian contractor died in a rocket attack on the facility.

Ain al-Assad was one of the bases that Iran attacked in January 2020 to avenge the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in US strikes on Baghdad.

In recent months, the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, home to the US embassy, and facilities hosting US troops in Iraq have been the target of repeated attacks blamed on pro-Iranian groups.
Hyderabad, June 6 : The Telangana government will be offering free diagnostic services to poor at government-run hospitals in 19 district headquarters in the State from June 9.

These diagnostic centres can conduct 57 types of tests including some speciality and expensive tests which were hitherto conducted in corporate hospitals and three major government hospitals in Hyderabad.

The tests to be conducted at diagnostic centres include Covid tests, blood and urine tests and the tests related to diabetes, hypertension, cardiac ailments, orthopedic, liver, kidney, thyroid and x-ray.

The centres were to be launched from June 7 but this has now been postponed to June 9. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said all the ministers should be present at the launch on the same day and same time.

The State Cabinet meeting, scheduled on June 8, will decide which minister should be present at the launch of which diagnostic centre.

The diagnostic centres have come up in Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Jangaon, Mulugu, Mehboobabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jagtial, Siddipet, Nalgonda, Khammam, Sircilla, Vikarabad, Nirmal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Gadwal and Asifabad districts.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, said the decision to set up 19 diagnostic centres at the district headquarters is a landmark one in the history of medical and health sector in the State.

"Medical treatment is becoming more and more costly for the people. The poor are forced to sell their properties to get the treatment. The cost of diagnostic tests became more than the disease. People are forced to go to private diagnostic centres for tests," he said.

KCR said diagnostic Centres will also be set up in other places in a phased manner. He claimed that this move demonstrates the government's commitment to public health. He asked ministers, MLAs, local body representatives to coordinate with the medical and health department officials and ensure better medical care is given in their respective constituencies to the people.

These diagnostic centres launched during the Corona pandemic time would render major help to the people and suitable name would be given to these centres, he said.

The chief minister said the government has also made arrangements to send the results of the test reports to the patients' mobile phones.

Very expensive equipment with state-of-the-art technology is installed at the centres. These include fully Automatic Immunoassay analyzer, Five Part cell counter, fully automatic urine analyzer. Along with these, ECG, 2 D Echo, Ultra Sound, Digital X Ray and other such imaging testing units were also provided. The CM said that the officials informed him that these testing equipment work very fast and they produce 400 to 800 reports per hour.

"There are four types of expenses for the medical treatment. The transport expenditure to reach the hospital, doctor's fee, medicines, diagnostic tests, expenses for the inpatient, if discharged transport charges to come back home and in case of death, funeral expenses. The government is bearing all these expenses and offering free services to people in the government hospitals.

For the emergency services, the government is running 428 ambulances under 108 services. As many as 300 vehicles are already in operation for pregnant women under Amma Vadi Scheme, where the pregnant mothers are transported free to the hospitals and back home after the delivery.
Bengaluru, June 6 : An embattled Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday said he was ready to quit office if the BJP high command wanted him to go.

"I will resign if the party high command directs me to do so. Till then, I will continue as chief minister and work for the state's development," Yediyurappa told reporters here in Kannada at an event outside the state secretariat.

Asserting that he would remain in office as long as the party high command had trust in him, the chief minister said he would not react to rumblings in the party over his leadership but will work for the state day and night.

"I don't want to react to such (dissident) activities. As long as the high command has trust in me, I will continue as chief minister," Yediyurappa reiterated after paying floral tributes to the portrait of former state chief minister D. Devaraj Urs on his 39th death anniversary.

Urs (1915-82) was the eighth chief minister of the southern state from 1972-80 for two terms of the Congress.

Noting that the party had provided him an opportunity to serve the state for the fourth time, Yediyurappa said as he was busy in fighting Covid pandemic, he was not concerned over activities or statements of some party members against him.

Admitting that there was no lack of alternate leaders in the party's state unit, Yediyurappa said he does not agree with the view that there were no leaders in the party other than him.

"I don't agree with those who say there are no alternate leaders. There is no dearth of leaders in our party at the state or national level," he quipped, reacting to opposition Congress leader Siddaramaiah's remark that the BJP was forced to keep Yediyurappa in office for want of an alternate leader to replace him.

In a related development, party's national general secretary and former state minister C.T. Ravi said Yediyurappa would continue in the post and there was no question of replacing him.

"Yediyurappa was unanimously elected as the legislative party leader and became the chief minister. Nobody can destabilise the BJP government in the state," Ravi told reporters in New Delhi on Sunday after the party's national meeting.

Yediyurappa,78, became chief minister for the fourth time on July 26, 2019 after the 14-month-old Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government fell when its chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy resigned after losing the confidence vote in the state legislative assembly on July 23, 2019.

Though Yediuyrappa took oath as chief minister for the third time on May 17, 2018, he resigned three days later on May 19, as the BJP was 8 seats short of simple majority (113) in the 225-member lower house.
The SNS entered 2020 prepared for a nerve gas attack or smallpox outbreak, but neither of those things happened. It also has plenty of anthrax vaccine. The last anthrax attack in the United States happened 20 years ago and killed five people, which was a tragedy to be sure, but not on the scale of a pandemic. While we must be prepared for terrorist and manmade threats, the ongoing greatest challenge to humans is nature and the infections it produces. The worst epidemics and pandemics this world has seen, from the Spanish Flu to COVID, stemmed from a tenuous relationship with nature that risks wide-scale spreading on a regular basis.
Chennai, June 6 : The Tamil Nadu Government in another bureaucratic rejig in the police department, effected the transfer of 26 IPS officers. This is the third reshuffle of IPS officers after the M.K. Stalin government assumed office.

A government order issued on Sunday stated that K. Palanikumar, SP, Railways has been posted as SP, Commercial crime investigation wing, Chennai. K. Stalin, SP, Master control room, Chennai has been posted as SP, Civil Supplies CID, Chennai. TP Suresh Kumar, SP-II, Crime against women and children, Chennai has been posted as commandant, Tamil Nadu Special Police Battalion, Chennai.

R. Ponni, SP, Central Range, DVAC has been transferred as SP, Idol wing, Chennai.

M. Chandrashekharan, DC, Law and Order, Salem City is posted as commandant, Tamil Nadu special police battalion, Vellore. A. Thangavelu, SP, State Human Rights Commission has been posted as SP, EOW- II, Chennai.

Sujith Kumar, Madurai district SP is posted as SP, NIB-CID, Chennai. M Durai, SP is posted as the Assistant Inspector General(AIG) of Police, Headquarters.

Deepa Sathyan, SP from the office of DGP at Police headquarters have been posted as SP, Railways, Chennai. P. Perumal, SP, Virudhanagar district has been transferred as SP, Enforcement, Chennai. R. Sivakumar, SP, Ranipet is transferred to Tamil Nadu Police academy as SP, administration.

K. Sugumaran, DC, traffic, Madurai City has been posted as SP, Marine Enforcement Wing, and D. Shanmughapriya, SP, Kancheepuram district has been posted as SP, Crimes division, Chennai. D. Ashok Kumar, SP, Marine enforcement wing is posted as SP, IPR, Enforcement cell, Chennai. G. Subbulakshmi, SP who was to the DGP office has been posted as SP, CIU, Prohibition offenses, Chennai.

M. Chandrashekharan, DC, Law and Order, Salem City has been posted as commandant, Tamil Nadu Special police battalion, Vellore. A. Thangavelu SP, SHRC Chennai is posted as SP, EOW-II, Chennai.

K. Pandiarajan, SP Nilgris district has been posted as Commandant, Tamil Nadu Special Battalion, Poochampalli, M. Bhaskaran, DC, Headquarters, Madurai city has been posted as SP, Civil supplies, Madurai Zone, M Kingshi, SP Special investigation cell, DVAC, Chennai has been posted as SP, II, Crime against women and children. K. Adheevarpandian, DC, Headquarters, Chennai has been posted as SP, Railways, Trichy.

T. Senthil Kumar, Commandant, Tamil Nadu Special Police battalion, Vellore has been transferred to New Delhi and will head the TN Special Police battalion there.

S. Radhakrishnan, SP, Villupuram district has been posted as commandant, Tamil Nadu Special Police Battalion, Avadi, P.K. Pethu Vijayan is posted as SP, Police Master control room Chennai and K. Gunasekharan, SP, Enforcement, Salem Zone has been posted as SP, CSG, Nagapattinam.
New Delhi, June 6 : Before the class 12 Board exams were cancelled, the issue was widely discussed in the Supreme Court on the plea filed by a young lawyer Mamta Sharma, who challenged the conduct of the exams in the top court. She appeared several times on behalf of the students, but did not charge a rupee as fee.

Thirty-three-year-old advocate Mamta Sharma told IANS that initially only a few students studying in Class 12 approached her. However, with the passage of time, more and more students got in touch with her through social media platforms like Twitter, Google etc. Later more than 40,000 students came in contact with her during the campaign.

Lakhs of class 12 students were quite active on social media, running an online campaign to demand cancellation of the exams.

Advocate Mamta Sharma formed a special group of 7,224 parents to move ahead on the issue. According to her, she found it strange that when the class 10 board examinations can be cancelled, then on what basis can class 12 students be asked to take the examinations amid the raging pandemic.

Mamta Sharma said the first appeal was filed in the Supreme Court on May 3. Following which a petition was filed again on May 5. Despite the spread of Covid-19 infection in Delhi, she herself went to the Supreme Court and inquired about her petition in the registry.

A group of 7,224 parents formed by this young lawyer through social networking sites discussed with each other on Twitter, Google Call, video conferencing etc. Afterwards, at the behest of their lawyer, this group also reached the Supreme Court with all the documents and submitted their petition in the registry. The young lawyer said that her petition was accepted by the court on May 27 and the hearing started on May 28.

Mamta Sharma said she was also not in favour of conducting the exams with objective type questions for class 12 students, as giving such a test is a separate process and requires different kind of practice.

Meanwhile, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1, a decision was taken to cancel the class 12 examinations. According to Mamta, now she and her team of parents and students are waiting for the criteria to be devised to evaluate the students.

As many as 14,30,247 students were due to appear for the CBSE's class 12 board examination this year.

Vishnu Karthik, CEO, The Heritage Schools, said the challenge now before the CBSE is to establish an alternative standard of evaluation for class 12. Delays or rumours about the new grading system will create confusion and tension among the students.

It would be imperative to give clear instructions to Indian universities to amend the admission criteria so that the merit and fairness of the students is not compromised.

Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman, Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, said it is very important to set standards for evaluation of students. It has to be kept in mind that many children work whole-heartedly till the last stage of preparation and hence they should be given due benefits.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has constituted a 12-member committee which will decide the basis of evaluation for declaring the result of class 12 students.
Chennai, June 6 : Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday revamped the State Policy Development Council (SPDC) by appointing Prof J. Jayaranjan as the new Vice-Chairman. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu will be its Chairman.

The state government in a statement said on Sunday that Prof Rema Srinivasan will be its permanent member. The other part-time members are Prof M. Vijayabaksar, Prof Sultan Ahmed Ismail, former IAS officer M. Deenabandhu and medical practitioners J. Amalorpravanatham and K. Sivaraman.

Industrialist Mallika Srinivasan and DMK MLA from Mannargudi, TRB Rajaa are also part time members in the council.

The State Policy Development Council is the latest form of the State Planning Commission floated by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on May 25, 1971 as an advisory body to recommend developmental schemes for the state. The AIADMK government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami renamed it as State Policy Development Council with the former State finance minister, C. Ponnayian as its State Vice-Chairman.
New Delhi, June 6 : Slamming the controversial order directing all nursing staff at a Delhi government health facility to use only Hindi and English for communication, the BJP on Sunday termed it an attempt to snatch the right to speak in Malayalam.

It also questioned silence of Kerala's LDF government on the issue.

Citing the circular at the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) ordering the nursing staff to only communicate in Hindi or English and specifically disallowing Malayalam, BJP national spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said: "The subsequent withdrawal in a haste clearly indicates we have an anarchist state government for whom the Constitution of India and its recognised language do not matter.

"It is an irony that when this government was in need of oxygen, the request was directed to Kerala and now their attempt to snatch the right to speak in Malayalam amongst each other." Vadakkan stressed that globally the largest number of nurses come from Kerala, and they have served the country as frontline workers along with doctors and other paramedics.

"They suffered casualties along with doctors and paramedics too. I was also surprised at the deafening silence so far from the Kerala government," he said.

The circular issued on Saturday by the GIPMER nursing superintendent said that a complaint was received against the use of Malayalam.

"A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER, whereas maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless, causing a lot of inconvenience. So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication, otherwise serious action will be taken," it said.

The hospital administration, however, withdrew the order on Sunday after the controversy broke out.
New Delhi, June 6 : After the curbs were eased out and markets were allowed to open in Delhi from Monday, Connaught Place became the first market in the national capital where vaccination camp was held for shopkeepers and staff.

Due to the drop in Covid-19 infections in Delhi, the government has started the process of unlocking the state from Monday.

Markets will also resume operations in the state on the basis of odd-even formula. The main objective of the vaccination drive conducted in Connaught Place was to make the market Covid-free and safe for customers.

New Delhi Traders Association organised a vaccination camp on Saturday where more than 400 shopkeepers and employees got the jab.

Amit Gupta, Executive Member of the Association, told IANS, "We had organised a vaccination camp on Saturday in which more than 400 people received the vaccine shots. Some employees of the market had already got themselves vaccinated." "Markets will open in Delhi from Monday. As many as 80 per cent of our market employees have received the jabs. This will make the Connaught Place market safe for customers." However, the lockdown will continue in Delhi with some relaxations allowed by the state government.

From Monday, the government and private offices will open in Delhi with 50 per cent strength. At the same time the Metro services will operate as well with 50 per cent capacity.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said all markets and malls in Delhi are being reopened on the basis of odd-even formula. This means half the shops will remain open on one day and half the shops on alternate day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
San Francisco, June 6 : US-based fashion brand Fossil, the biggest Wear OS wearables maker, is planning to launch a premium Gen 6 smartwatch that will run on Google's revamped operating system for the devices.

Fossil executives told CNET that their upcoming Android smartwatches will be entirely new, featuring chips with faster performance, better battery life, and global LTE cellular options, Gizmodo reported.

The company plans to launch a sole premium watch, its most successful category, as its flagship under the new Wear OS. However, other brands in the Fossil Group, which include Diesel and Michael Kors, will likely develop their watches.

According to CNET, the newest Fossil smartwatch should have features similar to what Google and Samsung offer.

In May, the tech behemoths announced that they would be partnering up to create a new smartwatch operating system that aims to be 30 per cent faster at launching apps and allows for features such as continuous heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking.

"All of the software benefits that Google's talking about and launching with the unified platform is something we'll be building into that as well," Fossil chief commercial officer Greg McKelvey told CNET.

As far as hardware goes, Fossil said it has some "pretty major" upgrades planned for its future smartwatches. These could include faster performance, better battery life, and more advanced health features.

The watch's touchscreen would remain the principal way to interact with the device, Prokup explained, while the buttons and crowns would be design flairs and shortcuts.

There is some bad news if you already own a Fossil smartwatch now, though, they won't be able to upgrade to Google's new Wear OS.

Although the company was tight-lipped on price, CNET speculated that it could be on par with the newest Apple Watch Series 6, which starts at $400.
Chandigarh, June 6 : Controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail sentence in Haryana for raping two of his disciples, was on Sunday tested possitive for Covid-19, jail authorities said.

He was taken to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram where he was diagnosed coronavirus positive.

Earlier, he had undergone tests at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak after he complained of abdominal pain.

Ram Rahim (53) is currently lodged at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak, 250 km from Chandigarh.

Last month, he was hospitalised at the PGMIS after he complained of low blood pressure. But he had refused a Covid-19 test in the hospital.

The self-styled godman was sentenced to 20 years in jail in August 2017 for raping two women.

A special CBI court in Panchkula in January 2019 also sentenced him and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist over 16 years ago.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Bhopal, June 6 : The pace of coronavirus infections is continuously slowing down in Madhya Pradesh but it will take some more time for life to return to normal in the state. The 'Corona curfew' will continue in the state till June 15 after which it is most likely that the curfew will be lifted.

Relaxation has been provided from the Corona curfew in the state from June 1 but life has still not completely returned to normal. Essential services are operational right from milk to grocery shops which remain open for a stipulated time. However, markets remain open partially and educational institutions are completely shut. Malls, cinema halls, public and religious events are prohibited.

City transport services remain closed. In the last few days, the government and the general public are feeling relieved due to the slowing pace of Covid infections.

The Covid positivity rate has come down from one per cent to 0.8 per cent now. There are five districts of the state in which not a single case of Covid-19 has been reported in the past few days. Cases of Covid-19 have been reported from Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur. The government said, if the positivity rate is less than five per cent, the infection is said to be under control while the state has a positivity rate of 0.8 per cent now.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has asked people to exercise restrain despite the decline in the state's Covid positivity rate. He said, "Crisis Management Committees of villages, wards, cities and districts are keeping full vigil in the process of un-lockdown in the state. We have to inculcate Covid-appropriate behaviour such as wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, washing hands frequently etc. Shopkeepers will also have to adopt precautions like maintaining social distancing and prevent overcrowding.

Chouhan said, "Nearly 75,000 to 80,000 tests will be conducted daily in the state. Our effort is that if an infected person is found in any part of the state, he/she must be identified immediately. They must be placed in home quarantine or admitted to a Covid care centre and provided necessary treatment." The Chief Minister said, "It is our endeavour that utmost care should be taken so that employment and businesses can operate and Covid-19 infection is also kept under control. I am sure that the cooperation of the people of the state will continue. Corona curfew will remain in force till June 15 but relaxation will be provided as per the requirement." Due to Covid-19 infection in the months of April and May, it was reported that patients were not getting beds in the hospitals and were suffering from lack of oxygen. Black marketing of Remdesivir injections was taking place in large numbers in the state. Now the overall situation has improved as compared to the last month.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, June 6 : The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) will soon launch 12 more Centres of Excellence (CoE) in various parts of the country.

STPI Director General, Omkar Rai, revealed this on the occasion of the 30th foundation day of STPI.

AIC STPINEXT, a CoE in health tech, big data and Artificial Intelligence will come up at Bengaluru while CoE in agriculture will be launched at Akola.

A CoE in Efficiency Augmentation at Bengaluru, FinTech CoE at Gandhinagar, SmartAgri IoT CoE at Patna, a CoE in Emerging Tech at Bhubaneswar and CoE in Industry 4.0 Technology at Visakhapatnam will also come up.

Five CoEs will come up in north-east, one each in 5 north-east capital cities -- Gangtok (IT Applications in Healthcare and AgriTech), Itanagar (GIS Applications including Drone Tech), Kohima (IT Applications in Graphic Design), Aizawl (Gaming), Agartala (Data Analytics).

For nurturing start-up ecosystem and to create world class software products by Indian start-ups, STPI has embarked the journey of establishing domain-centric CoEs in various emerging technology areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision, Internet of Things (IoT), Fintech, Block chain, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Gaming and Animation etc through collaborative model.

STPI has in the past launched 13 CoEs at Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Mohali, Bengaluru, Pune, New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Shillong, Imphal and Lucknow.

STPI under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Indian government, working with the objective of encouraging, promoting, boosting software exports, and nurturing the startup ecosystem in the country.

"Reimagination, recreation, restoring, and repositioning are in the DNA of STPI. We are constantly evolving apropos the dynamic needs of the Indian IT industry. We have also infused inclusiveness and competition in the work culture of the organisation. And all these have contributed to setting up 13 CoEs in various emerging technologies and subsequently planning for the launch of the next 12 CoEs in a time-bound manner. These CoEs will play a pivotal role in revving up R&D, innovation, IP creation, and product development, making India a product nation in times to come," said Omkar Rai.

STPI, which started its journey from three centres, now has 60 centres pan India with 52 centres in tier-II and tier-III cites. Today the 194$ billion IT industry comprising around 18,000-plus firms that directly employ 4.47 million strong workforce, that contributes 8 per cent of GDP is a testimony to the STPI's resolute performance in transforming Indian IT industry into a global outsourcing destination for software exports.

"Today our head is held high by fulfilling our primary mandate of boosting IT/ITES exports from the country from Rs 17 crores IT/ITES exports in 1992-92 to Rs 5.08 lakh crore during 2020-21 despite the Covid-19 pandemic," Rai added.

Under STPI's BPO Promotion Scheme, at present 247 BPO/ITES units are operational in 102 cities with reported direct employment of 41,628 people, with highest employment generation reported in Andhra Pradesh (10,673). IT/ITES/EDSM export has grown from Rs 526.69 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 836.42 crore in 2020-21 from Andhra Pradesh.
Kolkata, June 6 : He prefers to be called 'The Seeker'. To protect his anonymity, he communicates through Twitter handle '@TheSeeker268', with the logo of a little-known tribal art of Bankura or Birbhum but this West Bengal man, who is in his late 20s and probably from Kolkata, has been responsible for challenging the conventional theory that SARS-Cov-2 was a spillover from animals and to show how it was a lab leak from Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

A member of DRASTIC (Decentralised Radical Autonomous Search Team Investigating COVID-19, "The Seeker" is neither a scientist nor a scientific researcher but this former teacher of science is an avid internet data miner who managed to learn the weird but painstaking technique of searching the back alleys of the web, far beyond the well-lit places patrolled by Google, and there, stumbled upon some obscure documents that perhaps could become the biggest revelations of the 21st century.

In a series of mails to IANS, 'The Seeker' explained what prompted him to look beyond the conventional Chinese "Animal-to-Human" theory that the world had started to believe.

It was in early 2020 when the "The Seeker" posted one paper on Canadian Yuri Deigin's theory on Reddit, which promptly suspended his account permanently. This aroused his curiosity and led to delve deep into the investigation.

"It was a Medium post by the Canadian longevity entrepreneur Yuri Deigin that discussed RaTG13, a virus Shi Zhengli had revealed to the world in a February 3 paper in the journal Nature. In that paper, Shi presented the first extensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2, which had seemed to come from nowhere - the virus was unlike any that had been seen before, including the first SARS, which had killed 774 people from 2002 to 2004. In her paper, however, Shi also introduced RaTG13, a virus that is similar in genetic makeup to SARS-CoV-2 but never mentioned where RaTG13 had come from.

"He (Deigin) wondered if SARS-CoV-2 might have emerged through some genetic mixing and matching from a lab working with RaTG13 or related viruses. His post was cogent and comprehensive and I posted the theory on Reddit after which my account was permanently suspended. This aroused my suspicion further," 'The Seeker' wrote.

After a lot of trial and error, 'The Seeker' stumbled upon exactly what he was looking for: a master's thesis written by a Chinese doctor. The document contained an account of six cases of "severe pneumonia caused by unknown viruses" in workers who had been cleaning an abandoned copper mine in Yunnan, China, in 2012. The patients' symptoms seemed eerily similar to those of Covid-19. Three of the patients, it said, died from the mystery illness.

"It was a 60-page master's thesis in 2013 titled 'The Analysis of 6 Patients with Severe Pneumonia Caused by Unknown Viruses'. In exhaustive detail, it described the conditions and step-by-step treatment of the miners. It named the suspected culprit: 'Caused by SARS-like (coronavirus) from the Chinese horseshoe bat or other bats," he wrote.

"Finding it, at that moment, felt big... like a homicide detective solving a cold case," 'The Seeker', who presently works with diverse elements like architecture, painting, and filmmaking, wrote.

'The Seeker' dropped the link, without fanfare, on May 18, 2020, then followed up with a second thesis from a PhD student at the Chinese CDC, confirming much of the information in the first. Four of the miners had tested positive for antibodies from a SARS-like infection. And the WIV had been looped in to test samples from them all.

Shortly after 'The Seeker' posted the theses, China changed the access controls on CNKI so no one could do such a search again.

The Yunnan mine and its resident bats, 'The Seeker' knew, had been sampled by researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He'd uncovered a missing puzzle piece: an association between the closest known relative of the coronavirus and research conducted at the institute in Wuhan, China.

Though a majority of scientists and experts agree that the coronavirus emerged after jumping from a wild animal to humans somewhere in or around Wuhan, where the first cases appeared in 2019 but an alternative theory posits that the pandemic began after SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, potentially the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which needs further investigation.

Though there are lots of grey areas regarding the origin of the virus but thanks to DRASTIC and particularly 'The Seeker', from whom it is now known that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had an extensive collection of coronaviruses gathered over many years of foraging in the bat caves, and that many of them -- including the closest known relative to the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2 -- came from a mineshaft where three men died from a suspected SARS-like disease in 2012.

It is now known that the WIV was actively working with these viruses, using inadequate safety protocols, in ways that could have triggered the pandemic, and that the lab and Chinese authorities have gone to great lengths to conceal these activities.

Asked whether he faced any pressure after these things came to light, 'The Seeker' only said: "I want you to focus on the facts, not me. It's an article. Write about my findings."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ComBank sponsored Hack:bit 2020 a spectacular success View(s):

Six teams of students from local schools and universities have been recognised for demonstrating their coding skills by developing innovative and useful applications, and have won a fully-equipped IT Lab, laptops, electronic devices, microcontroller kits, and other equipment from the Commercial Bank of Ceylon.

The talent search was launched in the form of Hack:bit 2020, a virtual hackathon organised by the STEMUp Educational Foundation whose mission is to inspire and engage with students to interest them to pursue scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) degrees and careers. The CSR Trust of the Commercial Bank of Ceylon was a sponsor of the event and extended its support to this exemplary tech competition to pave the way to build a collaborative platform for young Sri Lankans who are interested in innovation through technology, the bank said in a media release.

Commenting on the sponsorship, Commercial Bank Managing Director S. Renganathan said: The CSR Trust of the Bank already invests 70 percent of its funds to promote education in Sri Lanka. In Hack:bit 2020, we saw another opportunity to be a part of encouraging young minds to pursue their passion for technology and create practical solutions to existing problems.

The national level hackathon for school students and university undergraduates, Hack:bit 2020 invited participants to use programming tools and languages of their choice to develop innovative products of relevance to the real world. After receiving over 200 applications, a panel of judges assessed the initial participants based on criteria including uniqueness of the idea, innovativeness, implementation, business value, and sustainability of the developed product. The panel of judges comprised local technology and academic professionals with years of domain expertise between them.

Subsequently, 10 school teams and 10 university teams were shortlisted to participate in the semi-finals. At this stage, participants were provided with training, technical and non-technical knowledge sharing, and mentoring sessions headed by industry leaders. Lastly, five teams from each category were invited to submit their case online on the day of the final presentation.

Commercial Bank funded the organising of the competition and the exciting prizes that were presented to the first three winning teams of both the school and university categories. Team Tech Army from Central College, Kuliyapitiya; Team Crop Protector from Presidents College, Embilipitiya and Team Nixo from Ananda College, Colombo, were the first, second, and third prize winners in the Schools category.

Team Tech Army won an IT Lab with 10 computers and furniture for its school and Arduino starter packs to encourage the coding and building of electronic systems, and external hard drives for each team member. The second placed winners also received Arduino starter packs as well as portable Wi-Fi routers while the third placed winners won BBC Micro:bit starter kits and computer mice.
San Francisco, June 6 : SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly been the latest target of a notorious group of hackers called "Anonymous".

According to the New York Post, the politically charged hacker group posted a video blasting Musk for "constantly trolling" cryptocurrency markets.

"For the past several years you have enjoyed one of the most favourable reputations of anyone in the billionaire class because you have tapped into the desire that many of us have to live in a world with electric cars and space exploration," a person with a digitally altered voice said in the video, posted to Twitter on Saturday.

"Recently people are beginning to see you as another narcissistic rich due who is desperate for attention," it added.

The message came after Musk posted yet another cryptic tweet about Bitcoin that devalued the asset on Friday.

"Millions of retail investors were really counting on their crypto gains to improve their lives," the figure in the video said.

"Of course, they took the risk upon themselves when they invested, and everyone knows to be prepared for volatility in crypto, but your tweets this week show a clear disregard for the average working person," it added.

Anonymous, which has been linked to cyber attacks on police departments, politicians, financial companies and religions, went on to issue what appeared to be a vague warning to the tycoon.

"You may think you are the smartest person in the room, but now you have met your match. We are Anonymous! We are legion. Expect us," the person said.

Musk did not address the thinly veiled threat directly, but about 20 minutes after the group's post, Musk tweeted; "Don't kill what you hate, Save what you love."
Kolkata, June 6 : Relations between West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and the state's ruling Trinamool Congress could not get any worse.

On Sunday, the party raised serious allegations of nepotism against the Governor himself.

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, in a tweet, named eight relatives of the Governor whom, she said, had been appointed as Officers-on-Special Duty or OSDs after Dhankar occupied the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.

Addressing Governor as "Uncleji", she asked him to go and "take your extended family with you" as she tweeted a list of those who are related to the Governor and have been appointed OSDs.

Earlier Trinamul MP Kalyan Banerjee had asked party supporters to file cases against the Governor.

Banerjee said it may not be possible to prosecute him while he is Governor but "he can be dragged to court once he is not Governor anymore".

Dhankar has been highly critical of the Trinamool Congress government, blaming it for failure to control post-poll violence .

He not only raised the issue at the swearing-in ceremony of the new ministers but also went on a tour of north Bengal and Assam to meet victims of post-poll violence.

The Trinamool is also upset with him after he granted permission for prosecution of two current ministers, one former minister and one former Mayor in the Narada scam that considerably embarrassed Mamata Banerjee's government.

Maitra's charges are seen as the latest fusilade against the Governor, whose immediate removal has been demanded by the Chief Minister.
New Delhi, June 6 : The southwest monsoon on Sunday further advanced into central Arabian Sea, thus covering further parts of the country, including the entire northeastern region.

The monsoon, which hit Kerala two days ago, has advanced into most parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, some more parts of Maharashtra, the entire Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, some more parts of Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, central Bay of Bengal and northeast Bay of Bengal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Due to strengthening of southwesterly winds and a cyclonic circulation over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and neighbourhood in lower tropospheric level, the IMD predicted fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activitywas very likely over northeastern states and adjoining east India during next 4-5 days.

Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday and Tuesday; over Assam and Meghalaya and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on Tuesday and Wednesday; over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura on Sunday and Monday; over Odisha on Tuesday and Wednesday; and over Gangetic West Bengal on Thursday.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is also very likely over Assam and Meghalaya and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on Sunday and over Odisha on Thursday, the IMD said.

Under the influence of the offshore trough at mean sea level from north Maharashtra coast to north Kerala coast and a cyclonic circulation over Konkan and Goa in lower tropospheric levels, scattered to widespread rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds is very likely over parts of south peninsular India and the west coast with isolated heavy rainfall on Sunday and reduction in intensity thereafter.
Imphal, June 6 : Amid strong public protests and tension that erupted over the killing of a civilian in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Friday night, the civil societies, Assam Rifles and the state police have signed an agreement that announced a police probe into the incident and compensation of Rs 10 lakh by the central para-military force, police said on Sunday.

A police official said that according to the tripartite agreement the present company of 44 Assam Rifles at the Banglabung outpost would be removed or replaced at the earliest after approval from the Army Headquarter in New Delhi.

A fully functional armed police station would be set up in the area with a minimum of 40 in strength at the earliest.

The agreement, jointly signed by Commander of the 22 Sector Assam Rifles Brigadier P.S. Arora, Additional Director General of Manipur Police, Sub-Divisional Officer and three leaders of the local civil societies.

The agreement was signed after the widespread public protest into the incident that took place at Chalwa in Kangpokpi district of Manipur on Friday night.

Police said that an Assam Rifles Major reportedly shot dead a villager Mangboilal Lhouvum, 30, at Chalwa village triggering massive outrage among the locals, including women, as they torched two Assam Rifles vehicles, two AK 47 rifles and also ransacked the force's camps and furniture.

Police said that the Assam Rifles Major accompanied by four jawans in civil uniform raided the house of Lhouvum on Friday night, dragged him out of his room and then shot at him.

The victim, who subsequently succumbed to his bullet injuries at a hospital, is a daily wage earner and father of two children.

The police after taking the Assam Rifles Major in their custody for a brief period have registered a case and begun a probe.
Srinagar, June 6 : Seven people were injured in an explosion in Tral town in J&K's Pulwama district on Saturday, police said.

Police sources said an explosion, apparently a grenade blast, took place in the bus stand of Tral town in the afternoon.

"Seven persons were injured in the explosion. They have been shifted to sub-district hospital in Tral where doctors referred one of the injured to Srinagar for specialised treatment.

"Doctors said all the injured had reported with splinter injuries," a source said.

Meanwhile, the bus stand area has been cordoned off to carry out searches.
Paris, June 6 : Slovenia's world No. 85 Tamara Zidansek's dream run at the French Open continued as he delivered a masterful performance to beat a higher-ranked Romanian Sorana Cirstea 7-6(4), 6-1 and move into her first Grand Slam quarter-final on Sunday.

Tamara will meet Paula Badosa of Spain in the quarterfinals. World No.35 Paula defeated Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Tamara, 23, also became the first Slovenian player to enter the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event since the country attained independence in 1991.

Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 29, fought back from a set down to beat No.15 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 and enter the quarter-finals 10 years after her maiden French Open quarter-final appearance, in 2011.

This is the seventh Grand Slam quarter-final for Anastasia, and her first outside Australia in five years.

Anastasia will meet the winner of the pre-quarterfinal match between No.7 seed American Serena Williams and No.17 seed from Kazakhstan Elena Rybakina, who play later on Sunday.

Prior to Sunday, Tamara had never got past the second round in a Grand Slam, but she had given an indication of her potential when she had accounted for No.6 seed Bianca Andreescu of Canada in the first round.

The best a Slovenian player has gone in major was former world No.20 Katarina Srebotnik who made it to the fourth round of the French Open in 2002 and 2008, and the US Open in 2008.

Tamara showed great composure that belied her rookie status, saving six out of the seven break points she faced, including a set point at 5-6 in the first set.

Sorana, the 54th ranked Romanian, who had been seeking her second Grand Slam quarter-final place since the 2009 French Open, committed several double faults, including giving up a double break with consecutive double faults.
London, June 6 : UK Health Minister Matt Hancock on Sunday said that the 'Delta' variant of Covid-19, first reported in India, is 40 per cent more transmissible than the 'Alpha' strain, detected in the UK itself.

"We were previously told by the scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) that there would be problems if a variant was 40 per cent to 50 per cent more transmissible," Hancock was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"The latest scientific advice is that the Delta variant, first detected in India, is 40 per cent more transmissible than the Kent strain," he said.

While hospitalisations currently remain broadly flat, majorly because of the vaccination programme, the rapid spread of Delta would likely "lead to a substantial resurgence of hospitalisations" and put pressure on the NHS, Hancock said.

Hancock also said he "wouldn't rule out" the continued wearing of face masks and working from home measures and noted that the UK government is "open" to delaying June 21 unlocking if needed, the report said.

According to Public Health England (PHE), the Delta variant, the variant of coronavirus first identified in India, is now the dominant strain in the UK.

The number of cases of the Delta variant has arisen by more than 5,000 since last week to 12,431, according to the data from PHE released on Thursday.

An analysis of 38,805 sequenced cases in England revealed that the Delta variant was associated with a 2.61 times higher risk of hospitalisation within 14 days of specimen date than the Alpha variant, the Guardian reported.

Data from Scotland supported the findings, also pointing to a more than twofold higher risk of hospitalisation for those infected with the Delta variant compared with the Alpha variant, it added.

"Although only a small number of cases end up in hospital, the proportion is about twice as high for Delta cases than Alpha cases in both England and Scotland," Professor Adam Finn of the University of Bristol, was quoted as saying to the Guardian.

"The number of cases is still small, but if this trend continues and case numbers continue to rise quickly, that would point to a larger number of people being seriously affected as this variant continues to replace the alpha variant over coming weeks," Finn added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mumbai, June 6 : Actress Sonali Bendre took to Instagram on Sunday to share a picture of herself during the time she was battling cancer.

As the world celebrates Cancer Survivors Day on June 6, the actress said that she won't let the illness ever define her.

Sonali was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in 2018 and was treated for it in New York. She battled the illness and emerged victorious eventually.

The actress put up a picture of herself from days in hospital and merged it with her current, happy self.

She captioned the image as: "How time flies. today when I look back, I see strength, I see weakness but most importantly I see the will to not let the C word define how my life will be after it...

You create the life you choose. The journey is what you make of it... so remember to take #OneDayAtATime and to #SwitchOnTheSunshine." The actress has spoken earlier on how her positive approach during the struggle helped her overcome the illness.
Amritsar, June 6 : The officiating Jathedar (chief) of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh, on Sunday asked to refrain from using the word Operation Bluestar as it hurts the Sikh masses.

He said the incident of 1984 should always be remembered as 'Ghallughara', meaning a wipeout of the Sikh community.

In a message to mark the 37th anniversary of Operation Bluestar here that was marred by heated arguments between Sikh activists and police as they forced their entry into the Golden Temple, the chief of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh religion, said the day should be remembered as "Chaurasi (1984) Da Ghallughara".

"We should avoid words like 'Operation Bluestar' or 'Saka Neelataara' as they hurt the sentiments," he said.

Operation Bluestar was carried out by the Indian Army at the Darbar Sahib complex between June 1 and 8, 1984.

Every year, prayers are held at the Akal Takht by radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa to mark the anniversary of the Army operation carried out to flush out heavily-armed terrorists from inside the complex.

Describing the earlier massacres of Sikhs in 1746 and 1762 'chhota ghallughara' and 'vadda ghallughara' in which 7,000 and 35,000 Sikhs were killed respectively, the Akal Takht chief said 1984 Army attack was nothing short like the previous massacres.

"Like the earlier two 'ghallugharas', the third one occurred in 1984 when the Indian Army attacked the Golden Temple the way China and Pakistan attacked India in 1962 and 1965," he added.

In a parallel function organised to mark the occasion by Giani Dhian Singh Mand, the interim jathedar of the Akal Takht appointed by radical Sikh groups, SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann and the prime accused of the Red Fort violence, Deep Sidhu, were present.
Mumbai, June 6 : For the second time in two months, thespian Dilip Kumar was on Sunday admitted to P.D. Hinduja Hospital at Khar after he complained of breathlessness and subsequently diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion.

Later in the evening, pulmonologist Dr Jalil Parkar who is treating him, said that the actor has been diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion and kept on oxygen support in the Intensive Care Unit ward, where "his condition is stable".

The health of the 98-year-old legend is being monitored by a team of medicos headed by Parkar and cardiologist Dr Nitin Gokhale.

Earlier, his wife Saira Banu, posted an update on Dilip Kumar's health status around noon on his Twitter handle as social media poured concern for the actor.

"Dilip Sahab has been admitted to non-Covid PD Hinduja Hospital Khar for routine tests and investigations. He's had episodes of breathlessness. A team of healthcare workers led by Dr. Nitin Gokhale is attending to him. Please keep Sahab in your prayers and please stay safe," she said.

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, 81, went to the hospital and enquired after the actor's health from Saira Banu this afternoon.

"Visited legendary actor Dilip Kumarji at Hinduja Hospital today to check on his health and treatment, with the veteran actress Saira Banu. I wish Dilip Kumarji a speedy recovery and good health!" Pawar tweeted later.

Last year, Dilip Kumar had lost his two younger brothers Aslam Khan, 88 (August 21) and Ehsan Khan, 90 (September 3), to Covid-19 complications.

Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh said in a tweet: "Wishing the living legend, the ultimate thespian, clearly the last word in the school acting and our all-tie favourite a speedy recovery."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Healthcare and Consumer propel Sunshine Holdings strong FY21 performance View(s):

Diversified Sri Lankan conglomerate Sunshine Holdings has recorded resilient revenue and profit growth in a pandemic-affected macroeconomic environment, reporting notable top-line and bottom-line performances growth during the year ended 31 March 2021 (FY20/21).

The groups Healthcare and Consumer sectors led growth while the healthcare segment remained the major contributor to total group revenue in FY21, it said in a media release.

Sunshine recorded a consolidated group revenue of Rs.24.3 billion for the year ended 31 March 2021, an increase of 16.6 percent over last year. Profit after tax (PAT) for the period in review also increased to Rs. 2.5 billion, an increase of 38.5 percent YoY, and profit margins have also increased to 10.4 percent compared to last years 8.8 percent.

The groups Healthcare business emerged as the largest contributor to Sunshines revenue, accounting for 53 per cent of the total, while Consumer Goods and Agri Business sectors of the group contributed 29 percent and 16 percent respectively of the total group revenue. The gross profit closed at Rs. 7.7 billion, up 25.2 percent YoY compared to the previous year, backed by the contribution from the Consumer goods and Agribusiness sectors. The group EBIT closed at Rs. 3.5 billion, an increase of 21.2 percent YoY.

Profit after Tax and Minority Interest (PATMI) increased by 32.7 percent YoY to Rs.1.5 billion; the Healthcare sector made the largest contribution to PATMI, accounting for 37 percent of the total.

Commenting on the performance, Sunshine Holdings Group Managing Director Vish Govindsamy said as a group, Sunshine has been facing challenges in some of their core sectors and will continue to do so in short to medium term due to the negative economic impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

During the period under review, Groups Healthcare sector grew its revenue by 14.5 percent YoY to Rs. 12.8 billion. The sector achieved growth in Pharma, Medical Devices and Retail subsectors with significant improvement in second half of the year owing to the recovery from the COVID-19 lockdown.

Pharma and Medical Devices sectors achieved the highest per quarter revenue during the last quarter while Healthguard, the retail arm of the Healthcare sector, witnessed an increase in sales in the mid of FY21 which was predominantly driven by the increase in health and wellness consciousness of consumers with the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The groups Healthcare sector merged with Akbar Pharmaceuticals in January 2021 making it Sri Lankas first fully integrated Healthcare company with the addition of pharma manufacturing and R&D operations.
New York, June 6 : Nineteen million years ago, sharks nearly disappeared from Earth's oceans, according to a new study, which provides evidence for a previously unknown mass ocean extinction event.

Sharks as a species never recovered from this, said Earth scientists from Yale University and the College of the Atlantic.

The shark today represents only a fraction of what it once was, according to the study published in the journal Science.

The findings showed that sharks vanished from the record during the early Miocene roughly 19 million years ago, declining in abundance by more than 90 per cent and in morphological diversity by more than 70 per cent.

This puzzling extinction event appears to have occurred independently of any known global climate event or terrestrial mass extinction. While the drivers remain unknown, the team suggest that this event fundamentally altered pelagic predator ecology and subsequently set the stage for the large, migratory shark lineages that now dominate Earth's oceans.

"We happened upon this extinction almost by accident," said Elizabeth Sibert, lead author and postdoctoral associate in Yale's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

"I study microfossil fish teeth and shark scales in deep-sea sediments, and we decided to generate an 85-million-year-long record of fish and shark abundance, just to get a sense of what the normal variability of that population looked like in the long term.

"What we found, though, was this sudden drop-off in shark abundance around 19 million years ago, and we knew we had to investigate further," Sibert said.

For the study, the team used microfossils in the sediment cores called ichthyoliths -- scales and teeth shed from sharks and other bony fishes that naturally accumulate on the seafloor. They constructed a record of shark diversity and abundance spanning nearly the last 40 million years.

"The current state of declining shark populations is certainly cause for concern and this paper helps put these declines in the context of shark populations through the last 40 million years," said Leah Rubin, a student at the College of the Atlantic at the time of the research.

"This context is a vital first step in understanding what repercussions may follow dramatic declines in these top marine predators in modern times," Rubin stated.
Chennai, June 6 : Mixed views were expressed by various experts on the impact of the new wage code on the pay packets and the retirement benefits of employees/workers.

They also said it is "myopic" to term social security as a cost to the company.

One view is that the companies may rejig the salary structure in such a way that there will not be any additional outgo, which, in turn, may reduce the monthly take home pay.

The other view is that there will not be any reduction in the take home pay as the companies may have to compensate any shortfall in the take home pay with a small hike in case the pay structure is rejigged.

"There is limited scope for corporates to rejig their pay structure as per the Wage Code," Labour Economist & Professor at Xavier School of Management (XLRI), Jamshedpur, Dr K.R. Shyam Sundar, told IANS.

Experts also said owing the new wage code, the terminal benefits of an employee/worker may go up due to higher provident fund (PF) corpus.

"Companies may go for restructuring their employee pay structure. But some may have to pay extra to protect the take home pay of its employees to avoid dissatisfaction and to retain talent," Ciel HR Services Private Ltd Co-Founder, Director and CEO, Aditya Narayan Mishra, told IANS.

He also agreed that all companies may not be able to bridge the shortfall in the take home pay and there may be a pay reduction for some.

As a part of labour law reform, the Central government has brought in four labour codes merging various standalone laws. The four codes are: Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, and Industrial Relations Code.

As the new law, 50 per cent of the gross salary should be towards basic wages (Basic Pay and Dearness Allowance). The ceiling on the allowances will be 50 per cent of the gross salary.

Corporates in order to reduce their contribution towards the employee Provident Fund (PF) companies used to fix the basic pay at a low level and allowances at a higher level, and the contribution to the PF is calculated on the basic wages.

"The new definition ensures at least 50 per cent or the prescribed limit comes within the definition of wages for the purpose of social security benefits. So, it is a step forward for the social security of the workers," senior advocate V. Prakash, who has appeared in several labour cases, said.

The corporates are dwelling on the possible reduction in the take home pay to influence the employees.

But Sundar said: "Viewing social security as a cost is a dangerous quality. It hurts the very foundation of securing for the future." He said owing to the Wage Code, employees will know the fixed component in the pay and can do financial planning and there will be a decent sum at the time of retirement.

The Wage Code challenges the myopic view that take home pay is the most important one, Sundar said.

According to Mishra, the state governments have to bring in their own rules/guidelines to implement the Central law and the compliance cost may be there.

"Initially there will be a lot of paperwork as most state government labour offices in the country do not have an online system," he added.

He also pointed out that there is already confusion as to PF contribution.

Mishra said as per a Supreme Court judgement, the PF contribution should be 12 per cent of the gross pay or on Rs 15,000 which is Rs 1,800.

Some companies are paying 12 per cent of the gross pay as PF contribution.

Hoping that there will be clarity on this as well, Mishra said with capping the allowances at 50 per cent, there is also the possibility of the Central government making all the allowances taxable in the future.

However the general view is that the Wage Code is employee positive.

Meanwhile, nearly half of the companies in India are confident about their readiness to implement the new labour codes, according to Grant Thornton Bharat's Industry Expectation Survey on New Labour Codes.

The survey was released this March.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Hyderabad, June 6 : A Maoist leader, who had tested positive for Covid-19 and was arrested last week in Warangal while going to a hospital for treatment, succumbed at a government-run hospital in Hyderabad on Sunday.

According to family members of Gaddam Madhukar, he died at the Osmania General Hospital.

Dandakaranya Special Zone Divisional Committee (DKSZCM) Secretary, Gaddam Madhukar alias Mohan alias Shobroy, was arrested on June 1 in Warangal when he was coming to Hanamkonda town for Covid treatment.

According to police, Madhukar was hiding in the car being driven by a Maoist courier.

Warangal's Commissioner of Police, Tarun Joshi had told reporters on June 2 that Madhukar and a courier were arrested during a vehicle-check near Mulugu crossroads.

Madhukar, who hails from Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district, had joined the Sirpur dalam of the then People's War Group (PGW) in 1999.

The outfit, which subsequently became CPI-Maoist, shifted him to the Dandakaranya Special Zone Committee and since then, he was involved in several offences including killing of police personnel and snatching their weapons.

Madhukar had told police that about a dozen top leaders of the banned outfit are suffering from Covid-19.

The Maoist leaders who are infected with Covid include two Central Committee members -- Katakam Sudharshan alias Aanand, and Tippari Thirupathi alias Devuj.

Some of the Maoist leaders hiding in the forests in Chhattisgarh near the Telangana border are believed to have succumbed to the virus. This confirmed the suspicion of the police that Covid is ravaging the Maoist cadre.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, June 6 : A mega vaccination drive was held on Sunday at Hitex, Hyderabad. Concerned about the spike in cases in the past 60 to 70 days that caused loss of lives, Medicover Hospitals, in association with the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate & The Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC), planned this initiative to combat Covid-19.

The place was filled with people looking to get vaccinated since 8 a.m. when the drive began and it was slated to continue till 9 p.m. With over 500 counters for no waiting, different time slots were allocated all through the day.

Nursing stations for lactating mothers, emergency ward with 5 beds in each hangar and tea, coffee and biscuits were provided for guests who come for the vaccination.

The objective of this drive was to inoculate the maximum number of people in the tri-city. This drive was being held in the safest environment strictly observing Covid appropriate behaviour and protocols. This would not only set a trend but motivate more people to organise such drives to vaccinate the maximum population in the least possible time to fight impending waves, if any.

While many are flocking to vaccine centres, because of the increased awareness due to the second wave, still a large section of people are hesitating to get the vaccine jab. This drive will also motivate those who are still in dilemma. Camps like this will send a strong message and will also give them confidence that it is safe to take the vaccine.

All necessary arrangements are made to follow strict protocols to ensure proper hygiene and safety of the participants.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner V.C.Sajjanar said: "It is important to take all steps to prevent the surge of the pandemic. This vaccination drive will help us to control the surge as well as prevent the possible third wave." SCSC General Secretary Krishna Yedula said: "We are very happy to be associated with this drive as we believe vaccination is the only solution under the current circumstances. We hope maximum people take benefit out of this drive." Medicover Group of Hospitals India Executive Director Hari Krishna said: "Vaccination has proven to be effective in combating the pandemic in many countries. Since we are hugely populated, it is necessary to conduct such mass vaccination drives to cover the maximum population." Cyberabad Police, and the SCSC are known for many mega drives like this.

Among the dignitaries who attended the vaccination drive were Director of Public Health, Dr G. Srinivas Rao, Sajjanar, Director of Medical and Health, Dr Swarajya Lakshmi directorate of Medical and Health, Sherlingampally MLA Arekapudi Gandhi, Medicoover Hospitals India Chairman and Managing Director Dr Anil Krishna, Director, Clinical Services, Dr Sharat Reddy, Director, Dr Krishna Prasad, Hari Krishna, Telangana superspeciality hospital Secretary Govinda Hari, DCP, Madhapur, Venkateswarlu, Medicover Hospitals Chief Business Officer Mahesh Degloorkar, and Vice President Neeraj Lal.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, June 6 : BJP Chief J.P. Nadda and party's General Secretaries met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and apprised him of the upcoming Assembly polls preparations in five states early next year.

Assembly elections are scheduled in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur during February - March next year. Gujarat Assembly polls are also slated for 2022 end.

Sources said that Modi was apprised of the outcome of the discussion held on the upcoming Assembly polls prepartions and the ongoing organisational works including 'Sewa Hi Sangathan 2.0'.

"Main focus of the discussion with the Prime Minister was the Assembly polls, especially Uttar Pradesh," they said.

BJP General Secretary Bhupender Yadav said, "We had a meeting with the national president. Poll-bound states were discussed in the meeting. Future programmes of the party are also discussed in the two-day meeting." It is also learnt that the results of the recently-held Assembly polls were also discussed in Nadda's two-day meeting with the General Secretaries.

Sources added that the works done by the state units under 'Sewa Hi Sangathan 2.0' campaign, which was launched to provide help and relief to the people during the second wave of Covid pandemic, were also reviewed.
Thiruvananthapuram, June 6 : The Lakshwadeep administration has started exporting premium tuna fish to Japan through Bengaluru.

The first consignment of chilled tuna fish was transported from Agati airport to Bengaluru on Saturday, with the Union Territory administration joining hands with a private partner for the export.

Lakshwadeep District Collector S. Asker Ali told IANS: "We are planning to increase exports of tuna fish from the islands to Japan." The administration is planning to export 5 tonnes of tuna daily from islands to Tokyo, through Bengaluru, and this chartered flight will bring all essentials for the island from Bengaluru.

Of the 12,500 households in the islands, there are 7,197 registered fishermen operating 2,158 mechanised and motorised fishing boats.

According to a study by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Lakshwadeep has the potential to export 1 lakh tonnes of tuna fish a month.

According to marine scientists and exporters, tuna from Lakshwadeep have the least histamine content, mainly due to the traditional hook and line fishing methods and short fishing durations.

Three major containerised ice plants with German technology were installed in Minicoy, Agatti, and Amini Islands and around 20 tonne cold storage facilities were provided on various islands.

The Lakshwadeep administration had conducted a meeting of Lakshwadeep tuna exporters and stake holders in Kochi and around 50 exporters from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Goa participated.

Sashmi Food Private Ltd, a Bengaluru-based export company that has an European Union approved export plant, had then come forward to export tuna fish from Lakshwadeep to Tokyo.

The Lakshwadeep administration is planning to fecilitate full-fledged tuna export, both by air cargo and through vessel directly operated by selected export companies after September 15. An agreement will be signed between fishermen cooperative societies and the exporters.

Lakshwadeep District Collector said that this would provide a better price and open new markets for the premium Lakshwadeep tuna.
Bengaluru, June 6 : Outraged by back-to-back attempts to humiliate Kannadigas by global search engine Google and world's largest e-tailer Amazon, Karnataka Congress on Sunday sought an investigation into the US-based tech giants for insulting their Kannada language and the state flag.

"The state government must investigate Google and Amazon for their attempts to humiliate Kannadigas by insulting their language and abusing their state flag by using its colours and emblem on a bikini," opposition party's state unit president D. K. Shivakumar tweeted in Kannada.

Though Google apologised on June 3 for hosting a website, which carried a mock result dubbing "Kannada is the ugliest language in India", Shivakumar wondered who wanted to hurt Kannada pride and what problem they have with the great culture and tradition of resilient Kannadigas.

"I hope the state government will investigate into the alleged attempts by Google and Amazon to humiliate us by insulting our language and state flag," said Shivakumar after Amazon's web sites in Britain, Canada, Japan and Mexico flagged on Friday a bikini or a two-piece fabric in yellow and red, which are colours of the state flag.

Urging multinationals to study Indian culture, the Congress leader said they should refrain from indulging in such acts, which the 6.5-crore Kannadigas would not tolerate or forgive.

Protesting against the e-commerce firm on Saturday, Kannada Rakshana Vedike (Protection Forum) president Praveen Shetty called for boycotting Amazon's goods, as it had hurt the sentiment of Kannada people.

The state flag or "nada dwaja" was unveiled by party's leader Siddaramaiah when he was the state chief minister from 2013-2018.

Karnataka is the second Indian state to have a flag of its own after the undivided Jammu and Kashmir.

"Kannada has a history of its own having come into existence over 2,500 years ago and has been the pride of Kannadigas through the ages," said state Kannada and Culture Minister Arvind Limbavali on Saturday.

Janata Dal-Secular leader and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also criticised Google for behaving in an "irresponsible manner".

In its Twitter handle, Google's India arm apologised by posting in Kannada that "search isn't always perfect. Sometimes, the way content is described on the internet can yield surprising results to specific queries. We apologise for the misunderstanding and hurting anyone's sentiments."
Bengaluru, June 6 : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday asserted that there was no proposal before the ruling BJP's high command to seek Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's resignation.

"There is no proposal before the high command for seeking Yediyurappa's resignation," Joshi told reporters at Hubballi in the state's northwest region hours after the Chief Minister said that he was ready to resign if the party's leadership wanted him to do so.

Joshi is BJP's fourth-term Lok Sabha member from Dharwad constituency, about 430km northwest of Bengaluru.

Ruling out change of leadership, Joshi said the party was focused only on containing the Covid pandemic's second wave, which claimed 31,580 lives and infected 26,95,523 people across the southern state till Saturday.

"The party is seized of only one issue and that is how to handle the Covid-19 situation and not leadership change," reiterated Joshi.

Echoing Joshi, party's state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel said there was no discussion on change in the Chief Minister's post.

"As the party has not discussed the issue at any level, the question of a change of leadership does not arise," Kateel told reporters at Mangaluru on the state's west coast, about 375km from Bengaluru.

Kateel is the third-term Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada seat.

Denying that attempts were being made to oust Yediyurappa by a faction of party's members, Kateel said a meeting of all Legislators and Ministers would be convened this month in Bengaluru to sort out differences,if any.

"Yediyurappa will continue to be Chief Minister for the rest of the (Assembly) term, which is up to May 2023. He is our leader who has vast experience in governance and administration," added Kateel.

State Revenue Minister R. Ashoka also told reporters here that Yediyurappa was the BJP's legislative party leader and would continue in the top post.

"There is no question of leadership change in the state. Yediyurappa is leading the fight against the pandemic from the front, visiting hospitals and meeting Covid patients and holding meetings daily on containing the virus spread," said Ashoka after meeting the chief minister at his official residence.

Yediyurappa,78, became Chief Minister for the fourth time on July 26, 2019 after the 14-month-old Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government fell when its Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy resigned on losing the confidence vote in the state legislative assembly on July 23, 2019.

Though Yediyurappa took oath as chief minister for the third time on May 17, 2018, he resigned three days later on May 19, as the BJP was 8 seats short of a simple majority (113) in the 225-member lower house after the party won only 104 seats in the assembly elections three years ago.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Paris, June 7 : No.21 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan on Sunday created a massive upset as she defeated three-time champion and seventh seed Serena Williams of the USA 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth round and entered the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Elena stunned the 23-time Grand Slam champion in one hour and 17-minute. The Kazakh was playing in her first ever round-of-16 match in a Grand Slam tournament and her 64th.

Elena converted five of her seven break points, besides winning nearly 60 per cent of points returning the Serena's second service.

Elena will face Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals.

Anastasia, 29, fought back from a set down to beat No.15 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 and enter the quarterfinals, 10 years after her maiden French Open quarterfinal appearance, in 2011. This is the seventh Grand Slam quarterfinal for Anastasia, and her first outside Australia in five years.

Meanwhile, Slovenia's world No. 85 Tamara Zidansek's dream run continued at the French Open as he delivered a masterful performance to beat a higher-ranked Romanian Sorana Cirstea 7-6(4), 6-1 and move into her first Grand Slam quarterfinals on Sunday.

Tamara will meet Paula Badosa of Spain in the quarterfinals. World No.35 Paula defeated Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Serena said it was a "close" match.

"I got some good matches in here. I did not have the best clay-court season, but it was good to finally get some wins on clay. It was definitely close," Williams said at a press conference after her match with Elena.

"There is literally a point here, a point there, that could change the whole course of the match. I'm not winning those points. That literally could just change everything. " Tamara, 23, also became the first Slovenian player to enter the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event since the country attained independence in 1991.

Prior to Sunday, Tamara had never got past the second round in a Grand Slam, but she had given an indication of her potential when she had accounted for No.6 seed Bianca Andreescu of Canada in the first round.

The best a Slovenian player has gone in major was former world No.20 Katarina Srebotnik who made it to the fourth round of the French Open in 2002 and 2008, and the US Open in 2008.

Tamara showed great composure that belied her rookie status, saving six out of the seven break points she faced, including a set point at 5-6 in the first set.

Sorana, the 54th ranked Romanian, who had been seeking her second Grand Slam quarter-final place since the 2009 French Open, committed several double faults, including giving up a double break with consecutive double faults.
Kuwait City, June 7 : Kuwait launched on Sunday free PCR tests for unvaccinated students of Grade 12 to ensure their safety during the upcoming school exams next week.

The Kuwait's Ministry of Education said in a press statement that this measure comes in cooperation with the Ministry of Health (MoH) on Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time in a number of schools in each educational area in the country, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement said that the move aims to ensure the highest standards of health and safety for the students and to reduce the risks of Covid-19 infection.

Students taking the school exams will require a presentation of the vaccination certificate issued by MoH or negative result of PCR test, it said.

Any student who suffers from Covid-19 infection or has contact with the infected should not come to school for exams, it added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hela Clothings sustainability recognised with Most Sustainable Factory award by Asdas George View(s):

Sri Lankas Hela Clothing, a global apparel manufacturer with factories across Kenya, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, was recognised for its continued commitment to sustainability as it was recently presented with The Most Sustainable Factory award at the first-ever Global Sustainability Conference organised by George, the private label clothing brand for Asda in the UK and Walmart in the US.

The award was presented to Hela Clothing in recognition of its consistently-high performance in sustainability. This is the second such international award won by the company in 2021 having received the Sustainability Award at the Tesco Non-Food Partner Conference earlier this year, the company said in a media release.

The Global Sustainability Conference is Georges largest sustainability conference and a testament to the brands commitment to building a brighter future. The event, which brought together suppliers from across the globe, was used as a forum to conduct discussions on reducing the brands impact on the environment and help protect the natural world while also recognising suppliers for their outstanding achievements in these areas.

Todays apparel manufacturers are making greater efforts to incorporate impactful sustainability measures into their business model while maintaining a healthy bottom line. All Hela Clothing factories have successfully achieved this goal as they are environmentally-friendly across all pillars of water, air, chemicals, energy, emissions, and waste. Many of these factories have even achieved a Higg Index Score of over 90 percent. Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Higg Index is an apparel and footwear industry self-assessment standard for assessing environmental and social sustainability throughout the supply chain.

Such continued commitment to sustainability has seen Hela record a 35 percent reduction in water consumption across the group with 104 percent of electricity needs being solar powered, while a 51 percent reduction in electricity consumption has also been successfully achieved.

Expressing his views about the latest award won by the company, Sanath Amaratunga, CEO of Hela Casual said, We are proud to receive this prestigious award and be recognised for our long-standing commitment to sustainability. This award further cements our position as an industry leader when it comes to this vital aspect of our business operations and will certainly motivate us to further improve in all sustainability measures.

Hela Clothing is a US$200 million company that provides sustainability-focused apparel supply chain solutions. With 10 factories across three countries and a workforce of over 15,000 across the globe, Hela leads the industry in ethical and sustainable working environments.
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M. Richard "Dick" Robinson Jr., the chairman, president, and CEO of Scholastic, whose nearly five decades at the head of the company shaped it into one of the world's most prominent and recognizable publishers of children's literature and an influential education and media company, died on Saturday, June 5. He was 84. In a statement, a Scholastic representative said Robinson died unexpectedly, noting that he had been in excellent health and had been overseeing Scholastics long-term strategic direction and day-to-day operations as he has been for the better part of five decades.

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dick Robinson, Scholastic's board of directors said in a statement. Dick was a true visionary in the world of childrens books and an unrelenting advocate for childrens literacy and education with a remarkable passion his entire life. The companys directors and employees, as well as the many educators, parents, and students whose lives he touched, mourn his loss.

Robinson's contributions to Scholastic, of which he was elected president in 1974 and CEO in 1975, are manifold. The company was founded in 1920 by Maurice R. Robbie Robinson, Robinson's father, as a publisher of youth magazines, and went on to publish its first book in 1926 before branching out into the book club business in 1948, international publishing in 1957, and educational publishing in 1961. Under Dick Robinson, Scholastic branched out further, expanding into the school book fairs business in 1981a business that now comprises 120,000 yearly book sale events at schools across the countryand teaching resources with the debut of Scholastic Professional Publishing in 1989.

During Robinson's tenure, the publisher acquired activity kit publisher Klutz, production company Weston Woods Studio, and encyclopedia publisher Grolier, and launched the influential kids' graphic novel imprint Graphix in 2005. Its trade publishing arm also published such zeitgeist-dominating series as Ann M. Martin's the Baby-sitters Club, Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen's the Magic School Bus, R.L. Stine's Goosebumps, Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants and Dog Man series, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, and Suzanne Collins's the Hunger Games.

Robinson is widely admired throughout the publishing industry, and has been recognized by major organizations including the National Book Foundation, which awarded him its Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the Literary Community in 2017, and PEN America, which honored him at its 2019 gala. He was a former chair of the Association of American Publishers, and is a member of the Association of Educational Publishers Hall of Fame.

A steadfast champion of the power of the book, Robinson considered reading a civil rightand his publisher one of its boldest champions. We have been banned in schools in the '30s and '50s for being too soft on communism; in the '40s and the '60s for promoting liberal views on race, civil rights, and the Vietnam War; in the '70s for articles on student rightsnot a popular subject in schools; in the '80s and '90s for climate change; and in the 2000s for the Iraq war, he told the PEN gala audience in 2019. Despite these controversies and temporary bans, schools have relied on our balanced approach to help the young gain basic knowledge about their world, with the larger goal of helping kids know how to build and maintain a fragile democracy.

That commitment to the life of reading focused, of course, for Robinson, on the reading life of children. Research says that if children choose and own their books, they are much more likely to finish them, he said upon accepting the 2017 Literarian Award. Scholastic is privileged to be the link between the child, the school, and the book.

Scholastic's Class A shareholders and its board of directors will meet independently in the coming days to determine the best course for the companys direction, including the appointment of an interim operating head. Until then, as per a pre-authorized governance strategy, operations will be overseen jointly by James Barge, Scholastics lead independent director; executive v-p and chief strategy officer Iole Lucchese; executive v-p and general counsel, and secretary Andrew S. Hedden; and chief financial officer Kenneth Cleary.

As word of Robinson's death spread over the weekend, tributes to the late publisher began to be posted. Among the first was one from bestselling author J.K. Rowling, whose Harry Potter books were published by Scholastic. I heard the news of Dick Robinsons passing with shock and profound sadness. Dick was a wise, kind, and humane man, who leaves behind him an extraordinary legacy in the world of childrens literature, Rowling said in a statement. Im just one of thousands of childrens authors who were proud to be published by Dick Robinson, and Ill miss him very much indeed.

This story has been updated with further information.
Today

Cloudy early followed by heavy thunderstorms this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 82F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy skies. High 88F. Winds light and variable.
Dr. Hannah Milch, assistant clinical professor, Department of Radiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Westwood, Calif., reviews a mammogram.
People have long anticipated the moment when life can return to "pre-pandemic normal, but with that reality in sight, many people are feeling increasingly anxious, said Dr. Tanya Middleton, a clinical assistant professor at Ohio State University.
President Joe Biden has ordered US intelligence agencies to do a 90-day investigation into the signs COVID-19 leaked from a Chinese lab. But the country (indeed, the world) needs more: a full,
LOLC global expansion strategy eyes former Soviet states By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

With the South Asian, and African markets under its belt, the LOLC Group  Sri Lankas most profitable conglomerate  has set its sights on investments in the former Soviet states, officials said.

We are exploring opportunities in the financial space in countries like Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan etc., an official told the Business Times on Wednesday. He said that the economic growth in most of these nations is linked to the growth of medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) in three important sectors of the economy  trade and services, transportation, and agriculture. Increased awareness of the underestimated role of MSMEs in the production of agricultural exports may contribute to the revitalisation of agricultural growth within the context of limited natural and financial resources, he said.

LOLCs financial services footprint now stretches across Cambodia, Myanmar  the two countries it initially forayed into while Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Zambia were within the past four years.

In 2017, LOLC ventured into Pakistan by investing in Pak Oman Microfinance Bank (POMB), a joint venture with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Sultanate of Oman, into Indonesia in 2018, acquiring the controlling interest in PT Sarana Sumut Ventura (SSV), and a year later invested in the Philippines through LOLC ASKI Finance and LOLC Bank Philippines  a thrift bank. Last year it made its first finance sector investment in the African region by acquiring a controlling stake of FinaTrust Microfinance Bank in Nigeria  a West African nation while starting operations in Zambia by incorporating LOLC Finance Zambia as a greenfield operation  which operates through six branches.

The LOLC Group is easily the most successful at imprinting its mark on foreign soil and flying the Sri Lankan flag. They bought into PRASAC, the Cambodian microfinance firm in 2007 with an 18 per cent stake at the invitation of FMO the Nederland Governments Development Finance Company, Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, and Dragon Capital. In less than a decade the company raised the holding by 52 percent. Then in a US$ 603 million deal in April, LOLC Group sold 70 per cent of PRASAC, the largest micro-finance company in Cambodia to Kookmin Bank.

Their global expansion strategy for the financial services sector in Africa remains a key focus, with plans being made for expanding into more markets, the official added.

LOLC Cambodia is the fourth-largest microfinance institution in terms of portfolio size. LOLC Myanmar is the fourth-largest microfinance institution among 174 market players in the country in just over five years of operation. LOLC Indonesia has grown to 20 branches in the regions of Java and Sumatra Islands. LOLC Bank Philippines incorporated as Inte-Asia Development Bank(IADB) aims to serve the strategic objective of financial empowerment and inclusive social responsibility by empowering women and micro-entrepreneurs, with LOLC replicating its function as a catalyst in inclusive, sustainable development.
There are several questions around Vice President Kamala Harris's upcoming trip to Mexico and Guatemala on June 7 and 8. They mainly involve the larger of those two countries, but as the US seeks to deepen its ties in Latin America -- and, importantly, as it hopes to stem the flow of migrants heading to the southern US border -- the answers will help determine whether the Biden administration can effectively address the so-called "root causes" of that migration in Mexico and the Northern Triangle of Central America.
NORMANDY, France, June 6, 1944

In a surprise aggressive move, American and British troops are landing on the beaches in Normandy today. Germanys Transocean News Service reports that Germans vacationing in the sleepy hamlets of this coastal region were awaked by the ships, planes, guns, and bombs of this sneak attack. A few brave German tourists quickly ran to bunkers and began retuning fire to protect their French brothers and sisters.

Germany has already been subject to a horrifying 363 air raids by the Allied air forces in an attempt to terrorize its citizens. British bombers have already dropped over 45,000 tons of bombs while American aircraft dropped 23,000 tons. Nearly 1.7 million people have been forced from their homes, creating what the League of Nations has called the greatest refugee problem in history. Many fleeing Germans only stopped briefly to say their goodbyes to the friends they made at the various camps throughout Germany and Poland.

The attack on the Normandy coast was an oppressive show of military might, the Allied forces having amassed the largest armada in human history, building a harbor where none previously existed, and sneaking into it unnoticed. On college campuses, various socialist student organizations have held vigils, protests, and riots to condemn this illegal occupation. They noted that the deaths in Germany have numbered in the millions while Americans have had relatively few casualties, perhaps only 100,000 to 200,000. If the number of vacationers in the German camps are included, that German death count increases by another 6 million. It is obvious from the numbers that this militant operation is an attempt to murder innocent Germans and wipe out their culture. The League of Nations has labeled this action illegal under international law.

Protests are occurring in all major American cities, with demonstrators shouting that they will support the indigenous people of Germany against the occupying Allied forces, and they will not stop until this disproportionate action is halted, and the imperialist invading military is defunded.

American heroes including Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford have come out strongly against this illegal and heartbreaking invasion that has resulted in the deaths of innocent Germans. Of course, some known deplorables like communist Charlie Chaplin and B-movie actor Ronald Reagan have stood by America and foolishly proclaimed that this invasion is needed for self-defense and to save Western civilization, as if Western civilization were somehow superior to others, such as Aryan civilization.

American Corporations including Coca-Cola, MGM, Ford Motor Co., General Motors and IBM all declared that in they are operating in solidarity with their oppressed German brethren. They will be donating money to the German Lives Matter group and step up their hiring of Germanic-Americans.

The Squad, consisting of Mildred Axis Sally Gillars, William Lord Haw-Haw Joyce, and Iva Tokyo Rose Toguri have been sitting for interviews with the press and doing radio and television shows to get out the word about their cause and make Americans aware that their politicians are being dishonest and immoral and also advising the Allied soldiers that their wives are cheating on them back home.

From the comfort of his simple bunker amid the constant bombing, German leader Adolf Hitler stated that Germany simply wants to reclaim land that was forcefully and illegally taken from it in 1918: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Poland. If only these stolen lands were returned, there would be peace, he said.

The League of Nations condemned the Allies for their unequal response and called for an end to the cycle of violence. League officials hope that a cease-fire can be obtained before Germany has been overrun and the Allies institute their own government, as these officials have discovered a secret Marshall Plan that surely will impose martial law on Germany and result in the end of the German Reich, which is intended to last 1,000 years.
age 73, died Friday June 4, 2021. He was born to Louis Cedric and Ida May (Marshall) Cotton, in Sledge, Miss. on July 31, 1947. Louis is survived by his wife, Rosemarie (Hensel) Cotton; sons, Torrey Cotton and Louis Cotton Jr and his grandchildren. Private services will be held. Please visit
Tourism impact: Xpress Pearl pollutes shoreline By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

The hotel industry is unlikely to suffer crucial damages to its coastal belt as authorities have ensured that the beaches were cleaned up following the MV Xpress Pearl vessel catastrophe off the Colombo Harbour.

Jetwing Symphony Hotels Chairman Hiran Cooray told the Business Times that they have spoken to their managers in their Negombo hotels and their beaches were cleaned well within a day or two. Jetwing has hotels in Negombo whose beaches were also impacted by the debris of the Singapore-registered ship carrying tonnes of containers of chemicals.

NKar Travels Managing Director Nilmin Nanayakkara pointed out that had this occurred at a time when the industry was in operation then it certainly would have had a huge impact.

However, he believes this is likely to die a natural death once it fades off from the news in a couple of months time.

With just a trickle in the number of tourists visiting the country as a result of several travel bans imposed on the country following the increased number of cases of COVID-19, he noted that they hope there will not be any damage to the environment.

Images of vastly polluted beaches along the coastal belt of Wattala and Negombo were received indicating the pollution caused as a result of the debris from the Xpress Pearl vessel washing ashore causing much damage to the beaches. The tourism industry is likely to suffer should the beaches be inundated with this debris since a majority of tourists visit the country to enjoy the vast stretch of the golden beaches.

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Cooray pointed out that the government should consider waiving the interest on their loans if they are serious and want to continue with this industry.

He noted that once the industry restarts they should be granted a waiver on their interest on the loans as the product should be properly maintained.

In this respect, he wanted authorities to consider waiving off the interest on their loans over the last 26 months.

How are we going to pay interest on interest  with the restart  all we are expecting is an interest waiver for this period since April 2019, he said.

He noted that the industry faced a worst blow during this third wave and right now some hotels may have closed while reopening a hotel costs money.

Despite this dark phase the industry expects a revival during the upcoming winter season with most tourists likely to arrive from India and China following the vaccination drives carried out in these countries and the further relaxation of their travel restrictions.
Greenville, NC (27833)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Low near 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
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.
Beckley, WV (25801)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
US$1 bn cost for organic fertiliser transformation By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas transformation to organic fertiliser from chemical fertiliser would cost the country more than US$1 billion from the import of organic fertiliser, spare parts to manufacture machinery to produce manure locally and owing to the loss of export crop production, draining the countrys already-precarious foreign reserves.

Currently chemical fertiliser imports cost $400million annually but this will rise to $500 million for organic fertiliser to meet the requirement for the Yala and Maha seasons, official estimates revealed.

Additionally earnings from export crops  tea, rubber, coconut, and other crops such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom  will drop by at least $1100 -1540 million from current revenue of around $2200 million per annum putting an additional burden on government finances, provisional government estimates indicated.

Export crop production is likely to fall by 30-50 percent sharply cutting export revenue as organic fertiliser results in lower yields than chemical fertiliser.

China is the only country which will be able to supply organic fertiliser at a cheap price compared to other exporters like Vietnam, Thailand and the Netherlands, official sources said, adding that the country also has to be careful not to import cheap, substandard fertiliser.

Also several millions of US dollars would have to be spent on the import of spare parts for the manufacture machinery needed for organic fertliser production locally.

Therefore this will not serve the governments policy of import restrictions to save much needed foreign exchange and the policy goal of protecting foreign reserves, economic analysts said.

The massive reduction in output in other agri crops would make it difficult for farmers to survive unless farm gate prices more than double, market sources said.

The need to pay special attention on the production of fertiliser at the local government level has been highlighted at a top level meeting held under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, his office announced on Thursday.

He has emphasised the need to impart technical knowledge to these relevant institutions and use the raw material required for the production of organic fertiliser from the rural environment itself.

The President directed the officials to study the machinery required to produce organic fertiliser and manufacture machines that could be built locally with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army Engineers Corps at state-owned factories and import the rest.

State Minister Mohan de Silva, Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Finance Secretary S.R. Attygalle, Secretaries and officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and state ministries were present at the meeting.
Beckley, WV (25801)

Today

Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 81F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
NEW HAVEN  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a motion to compel Yale New Haven Hospital to turn over dozens of cognitive exams that were required of older doctors, as it pursues a lawsuit against the institution for alleged age discrimination.

In the motion, filed June 1, government attorneys Caitlin Brown, Kirsten J. Peters, Kimberly A. Cruz and Markus L. Penzel argue the hospital is required to turn over the specific tests in question.

The hospital previously denied the request, arguing the tests were protected by peer review privilege, the attorneys said in a brief supporting their motion.

The EEOC attorneys argue peer review privilege does not apply in federal civil rights cases, as previously established in judicial precedent, and, even if it did, the public interest in the provision of the records would outweigh confidentiality concerns.

The EEOCs motion to compel first was reported by Law 360.

Further, the attorneys contend, the documents would be shared under a protective order, guarding them from improper consideration.

Attorneys for Yale New Haven Hospital argued that the request for the tests was improperly vague, according to the brief.

The hospital also said the tests were in the possession of a doctor, and it could not be compelled to produce them as he is a Yale University employee, according to the brief.

The EEOC attorneys contend the hospital has practical control over that doctor , paid part of his salary and has relied on him in the case, including offering to have him step forward for a deposition.

The tests themselves are essential evidence, according to the EEOC attorneys.

The EEOC filed the lawsuit against Yale New Haven Hospital in February 2020, charging the hospitals policy that medical staff age 70 and older undergo cognitive testing violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Late Career Practitioner Policy required medical professionals who had turned 70 years old to undergo a battery of cognitive and ophthalmologist tests in order to earn reappointment to their positions.

Hospital staff have said that 141 individuals were tested, 125 of them physicians, and that 18 retired as a result.

Dr. Leo Cooney, a geriatric specialist at the hospital, and Dr. Thomas Balcezak, chief medical officer for the hospital, wrote a report on the program for the JAMA Network in its Performance Improvement series.

A spokesman for Yale New Haven Hospital said in an email in response for a request for a comment, YNHH does not generally comment on pending litigation, but will be filing its opposition papers which will be accessible at a later date.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
TORRINGTON  When resident Frances Moulder tried to help a friend find a place to store a few things before moving, she was surprised by how difficult it was to find one.

She said another friend warned her that storage space is hard to come by right now.

I was trying to find a unit, for a friend who wanted to store their household things while putting their house on the market, Moulder said. They were going to show it, so they wanted storage so there wouldnt be so much stuff in the house. I called Torrington and New Hartford, and I was really surprised to find nothing at all.

I called places in Canton, Avon, Bristol, Winsted, Harwinton and Goshen, and there was nothing, she said.

By nothing, she meant there were no climate controlled, larger spaces to rent to store furniture, appliances and other belongings.

If you dont want something thats climate controlled, thats really small, like a 5-by-5-foot space, you can get that, she said. But if people are looking for a bigger unit thats climate controlled and not exposed to heat and cold, theyre not around.

For what she was able to find, the prices also were daunting, Moulder said. I found something in Avon that was $300 a month, but that was more than my friend wanted to spend, she said. That was all I could find.

Moulder asked about rented units at the storage companies she spoke with, and most told her that shortages are being caused by the housing market. Theyve had people coming and going, renting spaces, and one person told me its been like this for over a year, she said.

At All Star Storage in Torrington, company supervisor Maureen Keegan said there absolutely has been a huge surge for storage.

Theres a lot of moving going on, she said. People are buying houses, and a lot of people are closing the sale on their own, before they find a new place. That has a lot to do with bidding wars going on for homes. Sellers are taking the money from the sale of their own home before they can move. Its all happening too fast.

All Star Storage has just over 800 units for rent. Keegan said the Torrington location was very close to full, with just a few units remaining. The company, with another location in New Hartford, has multiple sizes of storage units, and most are filled with household items, Keegan said.

Renters can reserve a unit two weeks in advance, if they are available. But we have a long waiting list, Keegan said. The wait depends on what size they want, if they want climate control, things like that.

People call and theyre very surprised, she said. They have all their stuff packed up and they have nowhere to go. I feel bad for them.

House sales have boomed during the last year, according to a recent Hearst Connecticut Media story. According to the story, The May market report is the first to provide a glimpse at year-over-year comparisons for home sales and listings across Connecticut. It comes roughly 12 months after New York City residents started hunting for new homes in the suburbs to ride out the pandemic.

Berkshire Hathaway reported nearly 4,250 Connecticut houses and condos selling in May, a 22 percent increase from a year earlier and up 7 percent from April, according to the report.

Adding to the need for storage space is the possibility of peoples housing status changing due to the pandemic and its resulting job losses. While landlords were prohibited from evicting people for nonpayment of rent in 2020, the states moratorium on evictions is ending. Its likely, Moulder said, that there are people who have had to put their belongings in storage because of a situation such as that. There are a lot of people struggling out there, she said.
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

Today is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi in the Catholic Church, which is observed on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. It is a day I remember growing up.

In the Diocese of Allentown, at the declaration of its bishop, the Most Rev. Alfred A. Schlert, this year is the Year of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe that at Mass/Divine Liturgy, the bread and wine are consecrated by the priest to become sacramentally the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ, but continue to be seen and tasted as bread and wine.

The official start to the Year of the Real Presence in the diocese was Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11. The bishop chose St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church in Schuylkill Haven to be the diocesan location of the celebration of the solemnity today as a continuation of this theme. The jubilee year will close on June 19, 2022, at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Bally. The church is the oldest church in the diocese.

Mass at St. Ambrose will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and then a procession with the Holy Eucharist in the monstrance will be held from the church into the parking lot and to the rectory, where an altar has been placed for adoration and prayers.

It is good to see traditions returning. Many of us grew up with religious devotions of many different types, all to honor God in different ways. There was a loss of them for years in many places, although we were lucky, or maybe a better word is blessed, in our area that we kept many of them. Whatever we lost in our devotional lives, we must bring back and never, ever lose them again.

Here is a homily by Pope St. John Paul II on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi on June 14, 2001. If you will note, he makes reference to Holy Thursday, when the Holy Eucharist was first consecrated by Jesus. The Corpus Christi solemnity is on Thursday, but the solemnity has been transferred to a Sunday. In fact, I am writing this column on Thursday, June 3, which is the date.

Here is the homily:

1. Ecce panis Angelorum, / factus cibus viatorum: / vere panis filiorum Behold the bread of angels, as pilgrims food inherited, it is the bread of all true heirs(Sequence).

Today the Church shows the world the Corpus Christi  the Body of Christ. And she invites us to adore him: Venite adoremus. Come let us adore him.

The attention of believers is focused on the Sacrament in which Christ has left himself: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. It is the reason for considering it as the holiest reality: the Blessed Sacrament, living memorial of the redeeming Sacrifice.

On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, we return to that Thursday which we call Holy, on which the Redeemer celebrated his last Passover with the disciples: It was the Last Supper, fulfilling the Jewish passover supper and inaugurating the Eucharistic rite.

For this reason, for centuries the Church has chosen Thursday for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, feast of adoration, contemplation and exaltation. On the feast the People of God draw close to the most precious treasure left by Christ, the Sacrament of his own Presence, and they praise, celebrate and carry it in procession through the streets of our cities.

2. Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem! Praise, O Sion, your Redeemer.. (Sequence).

The new Sion, the spiritual Jerusalem in which Gods children are gathered from every nation, language and culture, praises our Savior with hymns and canticles. Indeed, wonder and gratitude for the gift received are inexhaustible. This gift exceeds all praise, there is no hymn worthy of it (ibid.).

It is a sublime and ineffable mystery, a mystery before which we remain astonished and silent, in a state of deep and ecstatic contemplation.

3. Tantum ergo Sacramentum veneremur cernui. Let us fall down in adoration of so great a sacrament.

Christ who died and rose for us is really present in the Holy Eucharist. In the consecrated bread and wine, the same Jesus of the Gospels remains with us whom the disciples met and followed, whom they saw crucified and risen, whose wounds Thomas touched, exclaiming prostrate in adoration: My Lord and my God! (Jn 20,28) (cf. ibid., 17-20).

In the Sacrament of the altar, there are offered for our contemplation the full depths of the mystery of Christ, the Word and the flesh, the divine glory and his tent among men. Before this Sacrament, we are sure that God is with us, that in Jesus Christ he assumed all the dimensions of our human nature, except sin, emptying himself of his glory to clothe us with it (cf. ibid., 21-23).

The invisible face of Christ, the Son of God, is manifest in his Body and Blood in the simplest and, at the same time, the most exalted way possible in this world.

The ecclesial community responds to people in every age who ask perplexed: We wish to see Jesus (Jn 12,21), by repeating what the Lord did for the disciples of Emmaus: He broke the bread. In the breaking of the bread, the eyes of those who seek him with a sincere heart are opened. In the Eucharist, the intuition of the heart recognizes Jesus and his unmistakable love lived to the end (Jn 13,1). And in him, in that gesture, it recognizes the Face of God!

4. Ecce panis Angelorum  vere panis filiorum. The angels food is given  see the bread of the sons [of God].

We are nourished with this bread to become authentic witnesses of the Gospel. We need this bread to grow in love, the necessary means for us to recognize the face of Christ in the faces of our brothers and sisters.

Our diocesan community has need of the Eucharist in order to continue on the path of missionary renewal on which it has set out. In the last few days the diocesan convention was held, which examined the perspectives of communion, formation and mission in the Diocese of Rome for the coming years. It is necessary to continue to set out anew from Christ, that is, from the Eucharist. Let us walk generously and courageously, seeking communion within our ecclesial community, and lovingly dedicated to humble and disinterested service to all, especially the neediest.

On this journey Jesus goes before us, with the gift of himself to the point of sacrifice and offers himself to us as nourishment and support. Indeed, he does not cease to repeat to the Pastors of the People of God in all the ages: Give them something to eat (Lk 9,17); break this bread of eternal life for everyone. A demanding and exalting task. A mission that lasts until the end of time.

5. All ate and were satisfied (Lk 9,17). The echo of a feast that has gone on without interruption for 2,000 years reaches us through the words of the Gospel we have just heard. A Feast of the people on their way in their exodus from the world, nourished by Christ, the true Bread of salvation.

At the end of the Mass, we will process in the heart of Rome, carrying the Body of Christ hidden in our hearts and clearly visible in the monstrance. We will accompany the Bread of immortal life through the city streets. We will adore him and around him will be gathered the Church, living monstrance of the Savior of the world.

May Romes Christians, revived by his Body and Blood, show Christ to everyone through their way of life: through their unity, their joyful faith and their kindness.

May our diocesan community courageously set out anew from Christ, the Bread of immortal life.

And you, Jesus, living Bread who gives life, bread of pilgrims, may you feed us, may you guard us, may you let us see good things in our homeland eternally. Amen.

(Staff writer Usalis can

be reached at jusalis@republicanherald.com)
Mahanoy City

Elks Lodge 695, 135 E. Centre St., will have a Flag Day program at 6 p.m. Thursday. There will be free refreshments following the program. For more information, call 570-573-2649. Flag Day is traditionally on June 14.

Saint Clair

The Saint Clair Senior Citizens organization will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Lions Club quarters, 259 McCord Ave. Members are urged to attend.

Schuylkill Haven

Luther Ridge at Seiders Hill will have an information session from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Bubeck Park pavilion, about the Road to Recovery: How vitality can help you or someone you care about. RSVP to Abbie at 570-621-7200.

Shenandoah

The Shenandoah Valley School District is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Grab-and-go meals will be provided to all children 18 and younger without charge 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, from Monday to Aug. 14. (It will be closed July 5-6.) The site is the district elementary parent drop-off. Each meal will consist of a daily lunch and a breakfast for the following day. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age or disability, with no discrimination in the meal service, according to a release.

Shenandoah

The Shenandoah Coal Cracker 10K Committee posted on its Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/coalcracker10k  that the 10K and Fun Run originally scheduled for Saturday is postponed until June 11, 2022. We value the health and safety of our runners, volunteers and community supporters above all else  We do not feel that it is ethically or morally right to ask (local businesses) for monetary sponsorships due to the toll COVID-19 has taken on businesses and communities.
100 years ago  1921

On Thursday afternoon in the lecture room of the First Presbyterian Church was held the second annual reciprocity meeting of the womens clubs of Pottsville as guests of the Philanthropic Club, with over 100 women in attendance.

75 years ago  1946

J. Richard Hoffman of Arch Street, Pottsville, was graduated Thursday from Temple University, Philadelphia, and received the degree of bachelor of arts. He is a graduate of Pottsville High School and has majored in economics.

50 years ago  1971

ASHLAND  A board of directors meeting of the Kiwanis Club was held Thursday night, following the regular meeting. A Broom Sale as a fund raiser was discussed.

25 years ago  1996

MARYD  Saying they fear opening Schuylkill Township to liability it cannot afford, the township voted to pull the township out of the countys Drug Task Force. The township was named in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in April. In the suit, a MaryD driver and his passenger claimed they were mistreated when mistakenly stopped by a team of officers from Tamaqua borough and Rush, Ryan and Schuylkill townships two years ago.
The Rev. Dr. Philip K. Smith grew up attending St. Johns Lutheran Church in Hamburg.

One Sunday during worship I looked at Pastor John Long and thought, That could be something I would like to do. That clicked and here we are, he said.

He followed through, and on Monday, Smith celebrates the 40th anniversary of his ordination.

Known to many as Pastor Phil, Smith serves the congregations of Emmanuel and Mount Zion Lutheran churches in Nuremberg and Zion Grove.

His sermon tackled the complexities of the Holy Trinity one recent Sunday. From the pulpit, he referenced Bible teachings, history and stories.

No doubt that Smith is well-versed in Gods word. But theres much more behind the black shirt and white collar.

It was almost 40 years ago  soon after Smith was assigned to his first church  that a Reading Eagle article called him the rail-riding pastor.

Ask Smith a question about steam or diesel engines, railroad history or rail lines, and hell rattle off an answer.

His interest developed at a young age. His childhood home in Berne, Berks County, was a stones throw from milepost 72.4 of the Reading Companys Main Line.

His father was a railroad worker. His grandfather ran the towns store, cut hair and served as postmaster. He would take mail to and from the Reading Company station at Berne, Smith recalled.

After the station closed he fastened the mail sack to a trackside clamp. A clerk inside the RPO (railway post office) car raised a hook by the door to a horizontal position and snagged the sack on the fly. Another clerk threw out a sack of sorted mail, Smith remembered.

Smith considered working on the rails for a time, but eventually dedicated his life to serving God.

At Muhlenberg, he graduated magna cum lade with a degree in English and a minor in religion. The latter wasnt offered as a major when he attended, he explained.

Hes always enjoyed English and writing. He wrote and edited for his Hamburg Area High School newspaper, and is frequently published in hobby and history magazines. Hes written articles for O Gauge Railroading Magazine, Classic Toy Trains, the Historical Review of Berks County and the TCA (Train Collectors Association Quarterly. Hes also penned articles for The Gravely Gazette.

I like trains and Gravely tractors (and astronomy) because I grew up with them, just as children grow up with computers, cell phones and video games today, Smith said.

One of his most rewarding ventures was reviewing and compiling more than 15,000 photographs that had been submitted to the Berks County Historical Society.

In many  perhaps most  cases no one in the family was interested in them. If the society had not accepted them they would have been thrown out. We published more than 200 of them in Reading Trains and Trolleys by Arcadia Publishing, he said. Smith is credited on the books cover.

He received his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and was ordained on his mothers birthday.

Shortly thereafter, he was assigned to St. Johns Lutheran Church in Auburn and Zion Church near Orwigsburg. The woman hed eventually marry  the former Beverly Faust  was treasurer at St. Johns.

She signed my paychecks. I started smiling at her early and it took,  Smith said.

The couple married May 6, 1984, and honeymooned at the Red Caboose Motel in Strasburg.

Smith later served at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stouchsburg and earned a doctor of ministry degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 2012.

He has had charge of Mount Zion and Emmanuel since 2007.

Smith said he enjoys sharing the word, serving the community and sending time and stories with parishioners and visitors.

I like meeting people and the ministry presents many opportunities. COVID-19 has been an ordeal for all of us. We have reached out on the Net and on social ministry. I hope we can gather face-to-face soon, he said.
WSO2 hosts webinar on modern customer identity and access management View(s):

WSO2, a Colombo-based global leader in digital transformation technology, is to host a roundtable webinar on the current state of customer identity and access management (CIAM) applications, existing challenges, and innovative solutions to overcome them.

The virtual roundtable will take place on June 17, 2021, at 10:30 AM IST / 01:00 PM SGT. It will feature a panel of distinguished multi-disciplinary experts and senior management from the telecommunications and banking sectors, the company said in a media release.

The webinar will be moderated by Pulasthi Samaraweera, associate director of sales and channel development, WSO2. It will feature cross-industry panellists, including Prabath Siriwardena, vice president and deputy CTO  security architecture, WSO2; Nisala Kodippili, chief information officer at the Union Bank of Colombo; Chun-Yeow Yeoh, principal researcher from Telekom R&D Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia; and Anindya Pramanik, a senior WSO2 application architect at LTI Digital Integration.

During the roundtable event, participants will discuss the role of CIAM in todays digital markets and its benefits, how CIAM enables smoother digital transformation, the latest trends in adoption, real-world challenges and how to overcome them, and what you should look for when deciding on an ideal CIAM solution. The virtual event will be ideal for chief officers, systems architects, and senior management from companies that aspire to and/or currently work with CIAM solutions.
POTTSVILLE  In the continuing battle against small-town blight, the Schuylkill County commissioners on Wednesday approved advertising five demolition projects.

Three projects are in Mahanoy City and the other two in Tamaqua. Bids are due in the controllers office by June 28; they will be opened on June 30, with a tentative date to award the contract or contracts on July 7.

We got a state grant last year to fund the demolition work, County Administrator Gary R. Bender said.

The Mahanoy City buildings slated for demolition are 337-339 W. South St., 523 E. Pine St. and 625-627 W. Market St. The Tamaqua buildings on the chopping block are 252 W. Cottage Ave. and 307 E. Broad St.

The commissioners also approved three measures to help rebuild County Bridge 103 on Old Mill Road in East Union Township.

Those measures include extending the contract with Lehigh Asphalt Paving and Construction to Oct. 29 for repairs, increasing to $111,500 the fee to be paid to Arro Consulting for professional engineering services and earmarking $275,000 in liquid fuels money for replacement of the bridges superstructure.

The fascia beams were removed. We noticed that there were additional issues, County Engineer Lisa Mahall said. The abutments are going to stay but the rest will go.

Also, the county approved the hiring of the Harrisburg law firm of McNees, Wallace & Nurick LLC to defend itself and prothonotary Bridget McGowan Miller against the class-action lawsuit filed against most of the prothonotaries in the state. The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania will pay the firms fee.

Bender said the lawsuit involves the fees the offices charge.

In other business:

 Increased the cap on the contract with Mid Penn Legal Services, Harrisburg, to $119,611. Bender said the contract is work done for the Office of Senior Services.

 Extended the contract with Mechanical Service Co. to an end date of Aug. 31. Bender said the contract is for monitoring the protective area around the emergency generator at the prison.

 Acknowledged the retirement, effective June 30, of Director of Public Works Paul Fetterolf.

Pauls done an excellent job, Commissioner Gary J. Hess said.

Commissioners Chairman Barron L. Hetherington agreed.

You wouldnt meet a more dedicated guy, he said.

Human Resources Director Heidi Zula said the county has started interviewing possible replacements for Fetterolf. She said county officials want to hire someone before Fetterolf actually leaves.

We are actually in the process of seeking the replacement, Zula said.

 Appointed Robert Boardman and Erik Miranda, both of Pottsville, as part-time corrections officers. The salary board approved an hourly salary of $21.7486 for each man.
POTTSVILLE  Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael A. OPake and the Schuylkill County detectives are asking for the publics help in finding a woman who failed to appear in court last month as required.

Detectives said that Cindee Hartman failed to appear in Schuylkill County Court on May 6 for guilty plea court.

The original charges against Hartman are felony theft by deception, felony receiving stolen property and misdemeanor bad checks, detectives said.

Hartman, 36, is described as white, about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing around 130 pounds. She has a last-known address of 132 Penn St., Box 101, Port Clinton.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Hartman or any other fugitives in Schuylkill County is asked to call the district attorneys office at 570-628-1350 or the Schuylkill County Tip Line at 570-624-3988.

Information can also be submitted by email to dadd@co.schuylkill.pa.us.

In addition, detectives said that anyone who may see or come in contact with Hartman should call the Schuylkill County 911 Center or their local police department immediately.

All information received will remain confidential.

A list of Schuylkill County bench warrants is available on the Schuylkill County website at www.co.schuylkill.pa.us.

Bench warrants served for the month of May totaled 123, bringing to 525, the yearly total served to date.
China has ousted Taiwan as Apple Inc.s top supplier, a development that further tangles supply chains of geopolitical rivals-Peoples Republic of China and the US. Out of Apples 200 suppliers in 2020, 52 were based in Chinese territory, including Hong Kong, according to an analysis by Nikkei Asia released last week. The latest numbers soared from 48 recorded in 2018. Apple did not release data in 2019 owing to the pandemic.

According to the report, Chinese suppliers are not bound to the mainland but are also aiding the California based technology firm increase its production in other countries. Testifying the same, Nikkei Asia reported that the number of Apple suppliers in Vietnam grew to 21 last year from 14 in 2018. Seven of those 21 are owned by Chinese- or Hong Kong-based companies including AirPods assemblers Luxshare Precision Industry and GoerTek.

Faced with tough competition from China, the numbers of suppliers in Taiwan and Japan have also dwindled over the past two years. The island, which held the top stop for more than a decade, fell behind China with 48 suppliers in 2020 as compared to 52 in 2017 and 47 in 2018. Meanwhile, Japan had only 34 suppliers in 2020, a considerable plunge from 43 in 2017 and 38 in 2018.

The number of Apple's US-based suppliers has dropped as well, to 32 last year from 37 in 2017. However, the company remains the largest generator of jobs across the American territory, ogling over 2 million jobs across the 50 states. In the US, major suppliers include 3M, Corning, Micron, Lumentum and Qualcomm, all of whom supply semiconductors and materials that are difficult to replace.

Apple's business continues to thrive

Regardless of where the products are supplied from, Apple Inc. is on the rise. Recently, California based technology giant, transformed and preserved Rome's grand Palazzo Marignoli, making it the site of the 17th Apple Store in Italy. "The new store represents a celebration of the unique history and art of Roman culture, and we hope to inspire creativity among the local community with our Made in Rome program and future Today at Apple sessions, said Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's senior vice president of Retail + People in a press release. Located in the heart of Rome, Via del Corso is the main street in the city and is famous for its artistic Piazzas.

Image: AP/Pixabay
After TV Czarina Ekta Kapoor penned a strong note in defense of actor Pearl V Puri who was arrested on rape charges, Mumbai Police DCP has commented claiming the accusations to be true and citing proof against the actor of the same. Ekta in her note had shared that she had spoken to the mother of the victim, who lodged the complaint against the actor and she had stated that he was innocent. However, Vasai DCP Sanjay Kumar Patil has said that the accusations against Pearl are not false.

DCP Sanjay Kumar Patil says there's proof behind Pearl V Puri's arrest

Recently, during a press conference, Patil was asked about Ekta calling the accusations false, In reply, he said, "No, the accusations are not false. His name has come up in the investigation. There is evidence against him. That is why the police have arrested him. The truth will be decided in the trial." The DCP further stated that the father of the victim had lodged a complaint in Versova police station claiming that their daughter has fallen prey to sexual assault. Since the jurisdiction was from Naigaon as the shooting was happening there. So the case became a zero FIR and got transferred. The actor was then booked under Section 376 A, B, and POCSO Act. We have conducted the medical examination and have also recorded the statement of the accused under CRPC 164 and since.

DCP STATEMENT on minor girl case pic.twitter.com/E7MmI8AePa   (@_Listzomaniac) June 5, 2021

In a long note after the Naagin actors arrest, Ekta had expressed her displeasure about the actor being allegedly dragged into a marital dispute and custody battle with misuse of the 'Me too' movement. Ekta, who had worked with Pearl, asked her fans if she will ever support a child molester or molester of any kind. The producer stated that what she witnessed last night was an absolute low in human depravity.

She asked why a third person' was being dragged into a fight. Ekta stated that the victims mother told her that the victims husband was trying to create stories in a custody battle for their child, to prove that working mother on a set cannot take care of her kid. She stated that if this was indeed true, then it was wrong on many levels. She then stated that the film industry was safe or unsafe as any other industry, and to give it a bad name, like in this case, of there being predators onset, was the lowest form of low ever. Ekta urged her followers to look more deeply on how movements like #MeToo were being used unfairly, reducing the gravitas of the situation. She also used the hashtag May Justice Prevail. The actor was reportedly sent to 14-day judicial custody after being arrested in the rape case.

IMAGE: PTI/ PEARLVPURI/Instagram/LISTZOMANIAC/Twitter

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While fans follow and love the work of several celebs across the globe, many are also curious about their families, complex ethnic backgrounds, and their early career days. Here's a quick peek into some celebs that fans might not know have Asian lineage. Scroll down to see the list.

Olivia Rodrigo

In May 2017, Olivia Rodrigo had spilt the beans about her familys heritage in a video on YouTube for Disney Channels honour of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. She had mentioned that shes part Filipina on her dads side of the family and that her Filipino heritage comes from her great-grandfather.

Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen is half Norwegian and half Thai. She has always been vocal about her Asian heritage. She also raised her voice last month about the rise in anti-Asian attacks during her appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. She had said that she thinks people just came out of a long line of politicians that put a target on Asian people's backs. On February 3, she penned her thoughts about the huge spike in hate crimes among Asian Americans.

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens' father was of Irish, French, and Native American descent, whereas her mother hails from Manila, Philippines. However, Hudgens was born in the US. But because of her mother being a Filipina, she is a Filipino American, according to CelebAnswers. In January 2019, she had shared a picture with a caption that read, "Feelin' like the Asian Kendall Jenner."

Olivia Munn

Olivia, an American of Chinese-Vietnamese descent, had opened up about her heritage and background to USC Price School of Policy and Asian Pacific Islander Caucus (APIC). She had remarked that it was really important to her to talk about Asian culture, her family. She had stated that she takes a lot of pride in being able to say that shes Asian.

Chad Michael Murray

According to Fame Focus, the actor is one-quarter Japanese on his mothers side and his maternal grandfather met and married a Japanese woman while he was stationed in the army in Japan. He is best known for playing Lucas Scott in the drama One Tree Hill.

IMAGE: OLIVIA RODRIGO/ CHRISSY TEIGEN/ VANESSA HUDGENS' INSTAGRAM

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Misogyny and prejudice against women, debatably, is not only prevalent in the South Indian cinema but also promoted subtly, throughout the history of Indian Cinema. Over the years, only a handful of artists have come forward to raise their voice over it, and adding to the list was Kaduva actor Prithviraj Sukumaran. After an unsettling incident with a close friend, the actor publicly vowed against misogyny in his movies.

Prithviraj Sukumaran vowed to not celebrate misogyny

Back in 2017, the 38-year-old made a public statement via his Facebook account, where he openly apologized for promoting misogyny and disrespecting women through his movies. He vowed to never let his movies celebrate misogyny in any form. The actor proceeded to talk about the significance of women in his life that have become a source of inspiration for him.

Post witnessing the struggles of his mother in raising two young boys and his wife suffering 40-hours of labour to give birth to their child, the actor realized just how much of a lesser being he is compared to the women in his life. Talking about the incident where his friend, a Malayalam actress, getting abducted and molested in a moving car, Prithviraj saluted her courage to not let the incident dictate her life.

When Prithviraj apologized for his past movies

Commending his friend's courage to walk into the shooting of the movie after a few days of the incident, Prithviraj apologized to all the brave voices he hurt through his movies. He promised that as an actor, he will never let a problematic character's unjust actions be justified and glorified in the movie. Lastly, the actor applauded the bravery of his friend to make a resounding statement through her courage.

Some more Prithviraj Sukumaran trivia

1. The actor attended a university in Australia where he graduated in Information Technology at the University of Tasmania, Australia.

2. Prithviraj Sukumaran's films like Mumbai Police, Memories, Classmates, and Mozhi are some of his best movies.

3. The young actor once criticized Mohonalal and Mammmotty to take up roles that do not correspond to their real age.

(Disclaimer: The above trivia is sourced from various websites/ media reports. The website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy of the same.)

IMAGE- PRITHVIRAJ SUKUMARAN'S INSTAGRAM

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized about 12 kgs of Heroin which is worth Rs 78 crore at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) Hyderabad. Based on specific Intelligence information, officers of DRI intercepted two lady passengers from Uganda and Zambia at Hyderabad Airport.

On June 5, DRI officials intercepted a lady passenger from Ugandan when she came to RGIA to collect her missing baggage. She had arrived in Hyderabad from Zimbabwe via Johannesburg and Doha a few days before. The baggage was examined and found to have concealment in the sides. The powder was recovered and tested positive for the presence of Heroin. The Drug was seized and the person was arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act 1985.

Later, during the early hours of June 6, officers of DRI intercepted a Zambian lady passenger who flew from Zambia via Johannesburg and Doha. Detailed examination of her baggage resulted in the recovery of off-white powder from beneath the Pipe rolls which was brought in the baggage. The substance tested positive for Heroin. The Drug was seized and the person was arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act 1985.

Heroin worth Rs 70 Crore Seized At Chennai Airport

Around 10 kg heroin worth  70 crores has been seized at Chennai International Airport following which, two African ladies were arrested. Based on the information that narcotics drugs are likely to be smuggled into India, a high alert was maintained at the Airport. Two young African lady passengers who had arrived by Qatar Airways flight 528 from Johannesburg via Doha were intercepted at the exit on suspicion of carrying narcotics.

(Image Credits: Republic World)
Around 10 kg heroin worth  70 crores has been seized at Chennai International Airport following which, two African ladies were arrested. Based on the information that narcotics drugs are likely to be smuggled into India, a high alert was maintained at the Airport. Two young African lady passengers who had arrived by Qatar Airways flight 528 from Johannesburg via Doha were intercepted at the exit on suspicion of carrying narcotics.

"Total 9.87 kg of white coarse powder suspected to be Heroin approximately valued at Rs. 70 crores in the International market, was recovered and seized under NDPS Act 1985, read with Customs Act," an official read.

Since one of them was using a wheelchair despite appearing to be fit physically, the officials interrogated the two and checked their baggage, the release said. The check yielded eight plastic packets concealed in the baggage that contained powder which was heroin.

One of the women was traveling for medical treatment in New Delhi along with her attendant on a visa which was granted on the basis of communication from the hospital. Due to the COVID-19 scare in New Delhi, the passengers landed in Chennai.

COVID In TN

Tamil Nadu logged 21,410 new COVID-19 cases and 443 fatalities on Saturday, pushing the tally to 22.16 lakh and the toll to 26,571. Recoveries continued to outnumber fresh cases with 32,472 people getting discharged, taking the total number to 19,32,788, leaving 2,57,463 active cases, a health department bulletin said. The number of cases has seen a declining trend since May 21 when the state recorded an all-time high of 36,184 infections. On May 30, the state saw its daily cases dropping below the 30,000 marks. On Saturday, Coimbatore district recorded the maximum number of 2,663 cases, followed by Chennai with 1,789, Erode 1,569, Salem 1,171, and Tiruppur 1,104.

The state capital leads in the number of total infections among districts with 5,15,018 cases overall and also in fatalities, with 7,425 deaths to date. A total of 1,75,365 samples were tested today, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined so far to just over 2.85 crores. Chengalpet, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Thanjavur, Tiruvallur, Tiruchirappalli, reported new cases each in excess of 500, while the rest was scattered across other districts.
A company in Malta has expressed interest in supplying 60 million doses of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V' to Haryana, the state government said on Sunday. According to the Haryana administration, Europe-based Pharma Regulatory Services Ltd has submitted an "Expression of Interest" in directly supplying the COVID-19 doses to Haryana at the price of Rs.1,120 per dose. With this, Haryana becomes the first state to receive an EOI from a foreign company for direct vaccination supply.

"As per the offer made by the firm, the per dose cost of the vaccine will be nearly Rs. 1,120. The firm has further given a timeline of 30 days to supply the first batch of 5 lakh doses, followed by 1 million doses every 20 days till supply is completed against a letter of credit issued in their name," the Haryana government said in a statement.

Haryana floats global tender

To expedite the vaccination drive in the state, the Haryana Medical Services Corporation Ltd (HMSCL) on May 26 issued a global tender asking companies to directly supply COVID-19 vaccines to the state, however it was closed on June 5 after it received no bids. Notably, the Maltese firm missed the deadline nonetheless, it expressed interest in supplying 'Sputnik V' to Haryana.

Even though the European firm was late in submitting its EOI, Haryana Additional Chief Secretary of Health Rajeev Arora has announced that the Haryana government will review the bid seriously to see if it fits the contracts parameters

Although no bid was received in the tender but an international pharma company with its headquarters in Malta namely Pharma Regulatory Services Limited has given an expression of Interest to HMSCL to provide up to 60 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine manufactured by Gamaleya Institute and Russian Direct Investment," the Haryana government said.
Dividends flow from ecological improvement along Yellow River

Xinhua) 13:47, June 06, 2021

-- The Yellow River, meandering over 5,000 km from west to east, is called the "mother river" of the Chinese nation, as the river basin has nurtured the Chinese civilization.

-- The ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin has been regarded by the Chinese government as a long-term project concerning the very rejuvenation of the nation.

-- The river basin is home to 420 million people, accounting for 30 percent of China's total population. From the plateau headwater to the estuary, increasing biodiversity and people's ever-improving living standards have been observed along with the restoration of the great river.

XINING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a fluorescent vest and a red armband, Tibetan ranger Sogsog travels deep into the vast Sanjiangyuan (Three River Source) National Park every month, picking up garbage along his way and checking for any signs of unusual activity on the grassland.

The plateau reserve, known as the headwater region of China's three major rivers -- the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang, is also the hometown of the 33-year-old Tibetan in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The pilot national park, with a total area of 123,100 square km, covers two prefectures, four counties and 53 villages, and harbors more than 70,000 herdsmen.

Aerial photo taken on May 25, 2021 shows a view of Ngoring Lake in the Sanjiangyuan National Park in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Li Zhanyi)

Since the pilot project started in 2016, grazing has been banned in 53 million mu (3.5 million hectares) of degraded grassland in the core conservation area of the park.

Sogsog's family ranch is inside the grazing-ban area. He is entitled to government subsidies to compensate him for his lost income from herding his livestock, and another 1,800 yuan (about 281 U.S. dollars) a month from his job as a ranger.

In the Sanjiangyuan National Park, there are 17,000 wildlife rangers like Sogsog who regularly carry out ecological patrols, monitor wild animals and report suspicious poaching activities to the park's administration bureau.

"Now the grass has grown knee high," said Sogsog, after his latest patrol.

He said local herdsmen have never been far from the grassland and livestock. They love to contribute to the park's ecological protection and preserve the luxuriant grassland and lucid water, especially after experiencing terrible grassland degradation, shrinking lakes and rampant rodent damage.

Data from satellite remote sensing show that since the ecological protection of the Sanjiangyuan National Park was launched, the size of Gyaring Lake and Ngoring Lake, two major lakes at the headwater of the Yellow River, has increased by 74.6 square km and 117.4 square km, respectively, and 104 square km of wetland areas have been newly added.

Madoi County in the park's core area, which is dubbed "the county of a thousand lakes," has seen its number of lakes increase from 4,077 to 5,849 since the pilot national park was launched.

Members to maintain ecological security patrol to collect garbage in Madoi County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

The Yellow River, meandering over 5,000 km from west to east, is the second-longest river in China. It runs through nine provinces and autonomous regions in western, central, northern and eastern China.

It is called the "mother river" of the Chinese nation, as the river basin has nurtured the Chinese civilization. The ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin has been regarded by the Chinese government as a long-term project concerning the very rejuvenation of the nation.

At the eastern end of the waterway, the environment in the delta deteriorated in the 1980s, due to frequent disruptions in the flow of water from the Yellow River. Many areas had become salinized.

Due to the sparse vegetation and fragile ecological environment, migrating birds such as oriental storks only made brief stopovers on the shore before they traveled to China's warm south.

However, with the protection of the river's headwater taking effect as well as coordinated management measures implemented in the whole river basin, the delta region has been gradually replenished with water from the Yellow River.

In 2020, the river's water feeding into the delta region reached 174 million cubic meters, thrice the annual average in the previous 10 years.

Aerial photo taken on June 23, 2018 shows the wetland of the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in Dongying, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Wang Andong, a researcher with the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, said 315 oriental storks were born in the reserve in 2020.

Now, more than 370 bird species have been observed in the reserve, including 24 species under national first-class protection such as red-crowned cranes and oriental white storks, and 64 species of second-class protected birds such as big swans and grey cranes.

"Birds know best where the environment is good," said Li Kuanduan, secretary of the Dongying municipal committee of the Communist Party of China.

He said the city of Dongying in the Yellow River delta has learned the importance of the ecological environment. The city has initiated a spate of wetland restoration programs so as to increase the total wetland area to 4,567 square km, accounting for about one-quarter of the wetland area in east China's Shandong Province.

As part of efforts to promote differentiated measures taken by provincial-level regions along the Yellow River, disciplinary inspection teams have been dispatched to strengthen coordination and oversee the fulfillment of key responsibilities.

The river basin is home to 420 million people, accounting for 30 percent of China's total population. From the plateau headwater to the estuary, increasing biodiversity and people's ever-improving living standards have been observed along with the restoration of the great river.

For this year's World Environment Day, which falls on Saturday, China's theme is harmonious coexistence between people and nature. It is also the theme of ecological dialogue between the western and eastern ends of the Yellow River.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
It is madder than you think View(s):

As though Sri Lankas Government did not have multiple problems in its hands that appear to be getting more complex by the day, there enters a ship into our territorial waters. That is not surprising, for Colombo Port accommodates many from different parts of the world, even a suddenly surfacing Chinese submarine as happened in 2014 when the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was visiting Sri Lanka.

But this is a funny vessel. It appears to be leaking some noxious substance. Then it decides to self immolate within spitting distance, as it were, of the Colombo Port City (CPC), the newly legalised piece of land reclaimed from the sea by some Chinese company that now holds 43 percent of it for 99 years as part of a deal that has sent shock waves in more knowledgeable sections of the Sri Lankan community and elsewhere despite the intervention of the Supreme Court to make it more acceptable.

That was expected to satisfy the dubious and the sceptics. But there are those who continue to insist the country has been hawked to the Chinese and all this political talk of preserving Sri Lankan sovereignty is a lot of rubbish uttered by some who cannot even spell sovereignty let alone understand its implications.

If we are ready to sell our souls to the Chinese leaders who have claimed to be our all-weather friends as both sides claim with such self-serving conviction, why is it that Beijing sells its Sinopharm vaccine to us at $15 a dose and to Bangladesh at $10?

Despite professorial attempts to cast doubts over the truth of this with the help of Chinese diplomatic missions, there emerged a message from the Bangladesh Prime Ministers assistant who confirmed the price our neighbour has agreed to pay.

It would seem our friend, come rain or sunshine, is dragging us further into what some describe as a debt trap, thank you very much. The China initiated Belt and Road is fine. But it is the poor Sri Lankans who have to tighten the belt if they can find one.

So this ghost ship somewhat ostentatiously named X-Press Pearl that emerged from over the horizon after two other countries apparently refused to touch it even with a barge pole heads toward the 270 hectares that the Chinese dug out of the sea.

The timing is interesting when you think of it. The Pearl, if I might call it that, decides to cast itself and sink to the bottom of the sea and die the day before China was to recollect one of the blackest days in its post-revolutionary history. I write this on June 4, when 30 years ago the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders ordered the troops to end the mainly student protest at Beijings Tiananmen Square. The troops did it all right, turning Tiananmen into a new killing field, even moving in a column of tanks in a show of military muscle to crush a protest by unarmed protestors.

Three months later, I went to Hong Kong to work for the Hong Kong Standard. The unprecedented reaction of the people there and the anti-Beijing protests by millions of its inhabitants were still reverberating  during my 10 years there and for several years later. That is until the heavy hand of Chinas one-party state under Xi Jinping put an end to Hong Kongs public show of anger and dissent.

But thats another story, yet it needs telling perhaps at another time, for several reasons that would be pertinent for Sri Lanka in the months and years to come.

In the meantime, there are stories aplenty in the country that was once home and still is in many ways. In the days gone by when people had more faith in astrologers and saathara karayas as they were called, politicians and their hangers-on whose livelihood depended on hanging-on as long as possible, would have rushed to these forecasters with horoscope in one hand and a sheaf of betel in the other.

Here in the UK, those with a passing knowledge of Buddhism or have heard of karma  often misused in conversation or in writing  are wont to say that what is happening in Sri Lanka (in fact in the world today) is as a result of the karmic law.

Back in that country like no other, those of older generations or village inhabitants would call it the karumey. But our karumey is the political class and those aspiring to political leadership or prominence.

(Neville de Silva is a veteran Sri Lankan journalist who was Assistant Editor of the Hong Kong Standard and worked for Gemini News Service in London. Later he was Deputy Chief-of-Mission in Bangkok and Deputy High Commissioner in London.)
Tata Group's Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, on World Environment Day expressed his thoughts for an 'Indian environment' which included fresh air, clean water, nutritious food with no one left hungry and better healthcare for everyone. He urged citizens to have this as a 'priority' and posted the message on his official social media accounts including Twitter and Instagram. The post that was shared on the afternoon of Saturday has racked up over 155.7K likes and over 22.7K shares on Twitter. Meanwhile, on Instagram, the post has received over 696K likes and more than 6000 comments so far.

Tata who is known for sharing conscious messages with citizens, this time has spoken about issues related to the environment. Earlier this year, on the occasion of Earth Day, the 88-year-old philanthropist in a note of appreciation for volunteers, innovators and organizations working for the environment, asserted, "They deserve all our support and help, as does the earth."

"They deserve all our support and help, as does the earth, a place common to us all," he had added.

World Environment Day

On June 5, World Environment Day is celebrated worldwide and serves as the primary platform for the United Nations in raising awareness and promoting action for environmental protection. It has provided a venue for raising awareness on environmental issues such as marine pollution, global warming, human overpopulation, sustainable consumption, and wildlife crime since its establishment in 1974. Here's a wide list of World Environment Day slogans to spread awareness about the day.

World Environment Day 2021- 'Ecosystem Restoration'

This year the theme of the World Environment Day is 'Ecosystem Restoration' which will focus on saving existing natural ecosystems and building new ones. Pakistan is set to be the global host for 2021 World Environment Day. On this day, the United Nations also launched their UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Each year of World Environment Day has a specific theme. Previous years' themes include discussions on topics like biodiversity, air pollution, plastic pollution. In 1972, the United Nations Assembly had first established World Environment Day with the theme of 'Only One Earth'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the nation on the occasion with India's this year's theme "promotion of biofuels for a better environment".
Hyderabad, June 6 (PTI): A Zambian woman was on Sunday caught here for allegedly smuggling 8 kg of heroin worth Rs 53 crore, said the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

Makumba Carol of Zambia arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here from Doha with the narcotic substance, the DRI said.

Investigation is on, the DRI said.

PTI GDK NVG NVG

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Gorakhpur, Jun 6 (PTI) An alleged gangster involved in a BSP leaders murder over two years ago and operating from neighbouring Nepal was shot dead by UP STF sleuths on a visit here on Sunday, an official said.

STFs Gorakhpur unit DySP Dharmesh Kumar Shahi said sharpshooter Pervez Ahmed had escaped to Nepal after killing BSP leader Jugaram Mehndi and the police had declared a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest.

A resident of Makhdoomnagar in Ambedkar Nagar district, Ahmed was killed in an encounter with the STF sleuths at Sarharai Road in the Pipiganj of Gorakhpur area where he was spotted on a motorcycle along with one of his associates, said Shahi.

The police team surrounded the two on Chiuntaha-Sarhari bridge and asked them to surrender, but he opened fire at the police team, he said, adding he was killed in retaliatory firing.

The police also found a country-made pistol on his person, the Dy SP said, adding that Ahmed was a wanted criminal in several murders in Makhdoomnagar.

He was also a close aide of Ambedkar Nagar district's underworld don Khan Mubarak.

He operated from Nepal, smuggling fake currency notes in UP districts neighbouring Nepal and making extortions from businessmen in Gorakhpur and Ambedkar Nagar, the Dy SP said.

He had come to Gorakhpur from Nepal to meet someone and the Pipiganj police surrounded him at Chiluatal area of Gorakhpur. PTI CORR NAV RAX RAX

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Dublin, Jun 6 (The Conversation) When microorganisms  such as bacteria or viruses  infect us, our immune system jumps into action. It is highly trained to sense and eliminate infections and clear up any damage caused by them.

It is typically assumed our immune systems work the exact same way regardless of whether an infection occurs during the day or at night. But research spanning over half a century now shows our bodies actually respond differently at day and night. The reason for this is our body clock, and the fact that each cell in the body, including our immune cells, can tell what time of day it is.

Our body clock has evolved over millions of years to help us survive. Every cell in the body has a collection of proteins that indicate the time depending on their levels. Knowing whether its day or night means our body can adjust its functions and behaviours (such as when we want to eat) to the correct time.

Our body clock does this by generating 24 hour rhythms (also termed circadian rhythms) in how cells function. For example, our body clock ensures that we only produce melatonin as night falls, as this chemical makes us tired  signalling its time for sleep.

Our immune system is composed of many different types of immune cells that are continually patrolling the body looking for evidence of infection or damage. But it is our body clock that determines where those cells are located at particular times of the day.

Broadly speaking, our immune cells migrate into tissues during the day and then circulate around the body at night. This circadian rhythm of immune cells may have evolved so that immune cells are directly located in tissues at a time when we are more likely to be infected, primed for attack.

At night, our immune cells circulate around the body and stop off at our lymph nodes. Here, they build up memory of what was encountered during the day  including any infections. This ensures they can respond better to the infection the next time they encounter it.

Given the body clocks control over our immune system, its hardly surprising to learn that some research has shown that the time were infected with a virus  such as influenza or hepatitis  can impact how sick we become. The exact timing is likely to differ depending on the virus in question.

Other research has also shown that the time we take our medicines can affect how well they work  but again, this depends on the drug in question. For example, since we make cholesterol when we sleep, taking a short-acting statin (a cholesterol-lowering drug) just before bedtime provides the most benefit. Its also been shown that time of day impacts how well certain types of immune cells work.

Body clocks and vaccines Theres also an increasing body of evidence showing vaccines  which create an immune memory of a particular pathogen  are impacted by our body clock, and the time of day that a vaccine is administered.

For example, a 2016 randomised trial of over 250 adults aged 65 and older showed having the influenza vaccine in the morning (between 9am and 11am) resulted in a greater antibody response compared to those vaccinated in the afternoon (between 3pm and 5pm).

More recently, people in the mid-twenties who were immunised with the BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine between 8am and 9am had an enhanced immune response compared to those vaccinated between noon and 1pm. So for certain vaccines, theres evidence that early morning vaccination may provide a more robust response.

One reason for seeing improved immune response to vaccines in the morning may be due to the way our body clock controls sleep. In fact, studies have found that sufficient sleep after vaccination for hepatitis A improves the immune response by increasing the number of vaccine-specific immune cells which provide long term immunity compared to those who had restricted sleep following vaccination.

Its still not fully understood why sleep improves vaccine response, but it might be because of how our body clock directly controls immune cell function and location during sleep. So for example, it sends the immune cells to our lymph nodes while we sleep to learn about what infections were encountered during the day, and to build a memory of this.

Of course this raises the question of how this might all relate to the current pandemic and worldwide vaccination programmes. How our immune body clock works might be important in terms of whether we develop COVID-19. Intriguingly, the receptor which allows the COVID virus, SARS-CoV-2, to gain entry into our cells is under control of our body clock.

In fact, there are higher levels of this receptor on the cells which line our airways at distinct times of day. This could mean were more likely to get COVID-19 at certain times of the day, but further research will be needed to determine whether this is the case.

Whether the time of day were vaccinated against COVID-19 impacts immune response remains to be answered. Given the high effectiveness of many COVID-19 vaccines (with both Pfizer and Moderna reporting over 90 per cent efficacy) and the urgency with which we need to vaccinate, people should be vaccinated at whatever time of day is possible for them.

But current and future vaccines which do not have such high efficacy rates  such as the flu vaccine  or if theyre used in people with poorer immune response (such as older adults), using a more precise timed approach may ensure better immune response. (The Conversation) PMS PMS

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Yuka Saso shot a 67 to take a two-shot lead at six-under after the second round of the US Women's Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco on Friday.

Jeongeun Lee6, the 2019 champion from South Korea, birdied three of her final four holes to shoot 67 and finish one shot behind Saso at the Lake Course.

17-year-old American amateur Megha Ganne is two shots back in a tie for third with Megan Khang at four-under after the high school junior from New Jersey fired a 70 on Friday.

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At 12:26 am on June 6, Space Xs Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral carrying digital radio satellite SiriusXM. The mission, which marked SpaceXs 18th Falcon 9 flight since January 1, ended after the rocket landed successfully on Just read the Instructions droneship. Soon after the completion of the mission, the company CEO took to Twitter to dish out a cryptic joke.

'Read the instructions'

Sharing a 19-second video clip of Falcon 9s landing on the autonomous spaceport, Musk wrote, I guess we read the instructions haha. His tweet left many in chuckles while the video clip racked up 1.8 million views. Is there any instructions on how to manipulate the crypto market? commented a user. Meanwhile, Elon ... Do something good for CRYPTO," joked another.

I guess we read the instructions haha https://t.co/S3YXcUCaWN  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 6, 2021

Earlier this week, Falcon 9 rocket was launched as a part of SpaceX's 22nd cargo resupply mission to send the micro-animals which includes 5,000 tardigrades dubbed as 'water bears, 28 glow-in-the-dark baby squids, Tardigrades, Butterfly IQ Ultrasound and new solar panels into space. The microscopic creatures will reach the International Space Station next week for the astronauts to study stress factors that affect humans in space. NASAs resupply mission carrying scientific research and technology will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Tardigrades [ tiny, just 0.04 inches or 1 millimetre long] are tiny bear-like creatures that tolerate environments more extreme than most life forms can. And therefore, these microorganisms will assist NASA in more research related to biological survival under extreme conditions in space. Scientists will study how different environmental conditions affect the tardigrade gene expression both on Earth and in Space. On 11 April 2019, Israeli spacecraft Beresheet carrying these microbial creatures crashed into the moon. However, these life-forms survived the crash as they were stored in a dehydrated "tun" state and could be resuscitated later.

Image: AP/SpaceX
SpaceX Dragons resupply services mission for NASA en route to International Space Station (ISS) was seen flying into orbital on Saturday morning, daytime. Sharing the footage, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wrote on its official Twitter handle, The SpaceX cargo Dragon flies into orbital daytime as it continues an approach to the Space Station for docking this morning. The SpaceX Dragon was loaded with scientific experiments and other cargo. The spacecraft carried approximately 7,300-pound (3,300-kilogram) shipment, including fresh lemons, onions, avocados, and cherry tomatoes for the station's seven astronauts.

The @SpaceX cargo Dragon flies into orbital daytime as it continues approach to the @Space_Station for docking this morning: pic.twitter.com/AbuLLzrXCq  NASA (@NASA) June 5, 2021

As the SpaceX rocket is journeying closer to ISS, it will fire its thrusters to move a safe distance from the stations space-facing port of the Harmony module and will initiate a deorbit burn to begin its re-entry sequence into Earths atmosphere. Dragon is a US commercial cargo resupply spacecraft launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All previous arriving cargo Dragon spacecraft was captured and attached to the space station by astronauts operating the stations robotic Canadarm2. On such cargo resupply mission delivered more than 6,400 pounds of hardware, research investigations, and crew supplies.

 Success! A SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station after launching today at 1:29pm ET from @NASAKennedy in Florida, carrying more than 7,300 pounds of science experiments, new solar arrays, & other cargo: https://t.co/JGprErjk60 pic.twitter.com/ihnV5htGqI  NASA (@NASA) June 3, 2021

[A look inside the upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft as time-sensitive payloads bound for the International Space Station

on SpaceXs CRS-21 mission are loaded. Credit: SpaceX/NASA]

NASA sends 'micro-animals'

Earlier, NASA announced that it was launching SpaceX's cargo resupply mission to send the micro-animals which include 5,000 tardigrades dubbed as 'water bears, 28 glow-in-the-dark baby squids, Tardigrades, Butterfly IQ Ultrasound and new solar panels into space. The microscopic creatures were being sent for astronauts to study stress factors that affect humans in space. NASAs resupply mission carrying scientific research and technology will enable experiments aboard ISS including the study of how water bears tolerate space, whether microgravity affects symbiotic relationships, analyzing the formation of kidney stones, and more.

Tardigrades [ tiny, just 0.04 inches or 1 millimeter long] are tiny bear-like creatures that tolerate environments more extreme than most life forms can. And therefore, these microorganisms will assist NASA in more research related to biological survival under extreme conditions in space. Scientists will study how different environmental conditions affect the tardigrade gene expression both on Earth and in Space. On 11 April 2019, Israeli spacecraft Beresheet carrying these microbial creatures crashed into the moon. However, these life-forms survived the crash as they were stored in a dehydrated "tun" state and could be resuscitated later.
After a ban on Twitter, the Nigerian government has now ordered federal prosecutors to arrest and prosecute users of the social media app. According to CNN, Nigerias Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami issued the directive on June 5 in a statement signed on his behalf by his spokesman, Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.

It read that Malami directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) at the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to swing into action and commence in earnest the process of prosecution of violators of the Federal Government De-activation of operations of Twitter in Nigeria. Further, the Attorney General directed the countrys communications regulator, NCC, and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to collaborate with prosecutors to ensure the speedy prosecution of offenders without any further delay.

Indefinite suspension of Twitter

Meanwhile, Nigeria's Ministry of Information and Culture announced the "indefinite suspension" of Twitter's operations in Nigeria on Friday, after the company deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that was widely perceived as offensive. Information Minister Lai Mohammed condemned the 'persistent use' of Twitter for activities allegedly capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence. He also questioned Twitter's motives in Nigeria, saying, "the mission of Twitter in Nigeria is very very suspect".

Mohammed called Twitters mission in Nigeria suspicious and added that the US technology company has an agenda. Further, the Nigerian minister said that the social media firm had overlooked the tweets of leading secessionists in the nation. He went on to say that when people were burning police stations and killing policemen in Nigeria during 'End SARS', a decentralised social movement, then for Twitter it was about the right to protest. But when a similar thing happened in the US, it became insurrection, Mohammed said.

(Image: FACEBOOK/UNSPLASH)


Nigeria's government announced on Friday that it was suspending Twitter indefinitely in Africa's most populous nation, a day after the company deleted a controversial tweet President Muhammadu Buhari made about a secessionist movement.

It was not immediately clear when the suspension would take effect as users could still access Twitter late Friday, and many said they would simply use VPNs to maintain access to the platform.

Many Nigerians, however, were outraged by the move.

In Abuja, Pastor Wisdom told the Associated Press on Saturday that the move would bring "a lot of chaos" as many Nigerians use Twitter as their main news source.

"I don't think it's a good idea to ban Twitter because Nigeria has come of age, we are advancing. So why go back?" said another resident, Raphael Onoja.

Meanwhile, Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, told that Associated Press that President Buhari was not simply getting annoyed over a deleted tweet.

"I think it is much more related to a systematic attempt by the authorities to limit people's access to information, to control what kind of information people receive and also to determine who has a right to share information they consider sensitive or criticism to their government" Ojigho said in an interview via Zoom.

Twitter deleted Buhari's post on Wednesday, calling it abusive, after the president threatened suspected separatist militants in the southeast.

More than 1 million people died during the 1967-1970 civil war that erupted when secessionists sought to create an independent Biafra for the ethnic Igbo people.

Buhari, an ethnic Fulani, was on the opposing side in the war against the Igbos.

In recent months, pro-Biafra separatists have been accused of attacking police and government buildings, and Buhari vowed to retaliate.

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The Danish foreign minister on Sunday pledged his country's financial and logistic support for the fight against Islamic State militants as he visited Iraq's capital.

Jeppe Kofod discussed bilateral ties with his Iraq counterpart Fuad Hussein, and the two agreed to deepen cooperation and strengthen ties between their countries.

During his visit, Kofod is scheduled to meet with Iraq's president, parliament speaker, and the prime minister.

Iraq is still struggling to emerge from the chaos that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

After the invasion, the temporary U.S.-led administration disbanded the Iraqi army, leaving tens of thousands of trained personnel jobless and bitter.

Many took up arms, and while the insurgency waned the Islamic State group flourished.

IS has since been dislodged from much of the Iraqi territory that it once held, but the group still poses a threat and the Iraqi armed forces remain relatively weak.

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Lanka: The burning pearl View(s):

A raging inferno at sea and disaster clusters on land:

Has all hell simultaneously broken loose in Paradise?

It seems as though this once thrice blessed nation has been rendered bereft of its four guardian deities and left, naked and bare, to the mercy of incessant calamities to strike at will with wanton impudence. Such has become the accursed fate of this condemned state of Lanka that even a disaster waiting to happen at sea is held suspended until it arrives on these island shores to break out with catastrophic consequences.

While a natural pestilence rages throughout the length and breadth of the island mass and has made the people prisoners in their own homes, with graves increasingly opening up to receive its new possessors as a result; while the rain forests and ecosystem wrought by nature to maintain the earths equilibrium stand endangered with mans foul hand felling centuries old trees and indiscriminately clearing the countrys forest cover; while the fires of racial hate is rekindled again and again to tom-tom beat hollow Sinhala supremacy with no effort taken to douse the flames for good; while the economy is in shambles with a beggared government forced to seek succour from former beggars now made good; while life on the land is under siege on all fronts, with the islands surrounding territorial waters, the last frontier, now condemned with chemical contamination and its pristine beaches tarred, it seems all hell has simultaneously broken loose in Lanka.

Take the ill-fated odyssey of X-Press Pearl, the container vessel that freighted doom to Lankas sea and shore.

Chinese-built and Singaporean flagged, the 186-meter-long container ship was handed to X-Press Feeders on February 10 this year. It had a maximum carrying capacity of 2743 twenty-foot container units. Deployed to ply the Straits to Middle East route, from Malaysia to Dubai, the port of call for this brand new ship on its return voyage were Port Hazira in Gujarati, India and Colombo, Sri Lanka before reaching its final eastern destination. Earlier it had made two voyages docking in Colombo on March 17 and April 18. This was her third and, as it turned out, final voyage in her short life.

On the third-time-unlucky voyage home, the ship carrying 1,486 containers, which included 25 tons of nitric acid, other chemicals, cosmetics, even penis enlarging cream and low density polyethylenepellets. Somewhere in the Arabian Sea, the ships crew detected that the container carrying nitric acid was leaking. According to reports, the ships captain informed the port at Qatar of the leakage and requested permission to offload the offending cargo but was refused.

It then proceeded to its next scheduled port of call, Port Hazira in India. Again permission was denied on the ground that there were no specialist facilities or expertise immediately available to deal with the leaking acid. It then set course to its next scheduled port of call in Colombo. It reached Sri Lankan territorial waters on the night of May 19 and dropped anchor 9 nautical miles from coast, northwest of the Colombo Port. The question has been raised: Who allowed the ship in to Lankan waters?

But it must be noted that under Article 17 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, all ships have the inherent right to innocent passage through the territorial sea which is 12 nautical miles from the coastline over which coastal states enjoy sovereign rights.

Clause 2 of Article 18 states that Passage shall be continuous and expeditious. However, it can also be rendered necessary by force majeure, Act of God, or when the ship is in distress.

Article 19 states that passage is innocent so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State. It further states that passage will cease to be innocent if any act, among others, of willful and serious pollution is committed.

The X-Press Pearl, not only possessed legal cover to unilaterally traverse Lankas sovereign waters under the right of innocent passage and did not violate the immunity granted by not willfully discharging pollutants, but also had for her presence in the outer harbour the added protection of entering the territorial waters by prior notice and approval since her arrival was a scheduled visit. Neither is she, so far, accused of willfully discharging pollutants.

It is what transpired after her authorised entry that is at issue.

Many questions have been raised as to whether the Captain informed and the port was aware of the leakage, whether the port despite being a maritime hub was equipped with the necessary tools to handle a disaster of this magnitude? But these questions and a host of others will have to await answer till the ships black box is found and investigations yield more evidence to make those liable pay for this cardinal sin against nature.

But, as Environment Minister Amaraweera said, even if Rs. 100 billion is paid to the government as compensation, the damage caused to the environment cannot be restored.

True. Except as punitive damages to deter repeats or as a bonanza from the sea to bolster Lankas depleted foreign exchange reserves or to pay for the present task of doing what is possible to clean up the beaches, repairing the colossal damage done to marine life and the coral reef will be a job for nature and time which will once more be called to restore what man has destroyed.

But even as the three-month old Pearl, which hit a sand bed while being towed on presidential orders further out to sea, sinks to its watery early grave the alarm was raised over the possible leakage of 300 tons of oil stored in its hold. If the unthinkable should happen and the feared oil spillage should occur then the damage to the coastal environment would be unimaginable.

A plague ridden desolate landscape laid to waste, a bleak tarred condemned coastal belt, wrapped around by a greasy sea. What more is needed to make the picture of doom as ordained by Hubris replete?

On Friday night another disaster loomed frighteningly over the capitals waterworks. Furnace oil from tanks at the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery had overflowed following heavy rain and was reportedly threatening the Kelani River. If the oil reached the river, it was said, it would affect water distribution from the Ambathale and Biyagama water treatment plants, the sources of the Greater Colombo and Gampaha residents water supply.

If not averted, this would affect millions, with water, water everywhere with the rains in full force, and not a drop to drink, cook or wash? Is there really no end to the nations nightmare of disasters, no end to this curse on the landscape forsaken by the gods?

Thanks Joe, for the AstraZeneca US rids second thoughts and gives Lankans the vaccine The American Government on Tuesday dismissed its second thoughts over sharing her excess stock of COVID vaccines, including the AstraZeneca, and decided to include the Lankan people to her list of beneficiaries. In a message issued by the White House, it was made clear the US was not extending her vaccine largess to governments in return for concessions but to help the people. US President Joe Biden said: We are sharing these doses not to secure favours or extract concessions. We are sharing these vaccines to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic, with the power of our example and with our values. On May 22, two days after Parliament had enacted the controversial Port City Bill which gave legal life to the Chinese-built Port City with the Chinese in occupation as a legal tenant for 99 years, US Embassy Spokesperson Nancy VanHorn told the media that the US Government was in two minds whether to include Lanka to the beneficiaries list for a share of the vaccines. But last Sunday, the SUNDAY PUNCH under the headline Memo to the US: Dont do the dirty on the Lankan people urged the American Government to transcend international power politics at this pandemic hour and help the people of Lanka direct by giving the vaccines, especially the AstraZeneca to the 600,000 people who, after having taken it as their first dose, had been left stranded without the second. In a fervent appeal to US President Joe Biden, the SUNDAY PUNCH urged his Catholic heart that this is the time to forgive, the time to transcend American distaste toward foreign governments which publicly embrace American foes, and, in the name of humanity, to grant the grace of life-saving 600,000 AstraZeneca doses from his nations stockpile to the Lankan people. Thanks, Mr. President. And take a bow. Youve done the American people proud. Cheers. And make ours not a cocktail but an AstraZeneca. Neat.
The Kurdish-led administration in Syria's northeast handed over on Saturday to the Netherlands a Dutch woman, her two young sons, and a Dutch girl, who lived in a camp for families of alleged Islamic State militants.

A delegation from the Netherlands led by special envoy to Syria Emiel de Bont received the four in Qamishli city, at the Kurdish administration's offices.

The group will be taken home and Kurdish authorities say the adult woman faces no criminal charges by his administration.

The move was a small step to resolve a complicated issue for European and Middle Eastern countries- what to do with the thousands of their citizens who have traveled to territories held by IS militants in Syria and Iraq.

At a news conference organized for the handover, De Bont said the four had been living in a small settlement known as Roj camp, holding mostly western women who had travelled to Syria and Iraq, and their children.

"This is a very specific consular legal mission which my government has decided to undertake because a Dutch court of law issued rulings in these specific cases," De Bont said.

He gave no further details about the rulings.

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The sun rose over Omaha Beach on Sunday morning ahead of several ceremonies in the northern French region of Normandy set to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day.

The Allied soldiers' decisive assault on June 6, 1944 led to the liberation of France and western Europe from Nazi control.

More than 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats.

For the second year in a row, anniversary commemorations were marked by virus travel restrictions that prevented veterans and families of fallen soldiers from the U.S., Britain, Canada and other Allied countries to make the trip to France.

Most public events were canceled, and the official ceremonies were limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

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The first debate ahead of Iran's presidential election on June 18 was held on Saturday.

The debate between seven candidates was aired live by state TV.

Out of the seven candidates allowed to run by the Guardian council, five are hardliners, with head of judiciary Ebrahim Raisi being the most prominent.

Raisi competed against current president Hassan Rouhani years ago, winning over 16 million votes.

Moderate allies of Rouhani are represented by the former head of the central bank, Abdonnasser Hemati.

Hemmati crticized Raisi and former revolutionary guard Mohsen Rezai, urging people to vote for him even if they were reluctant to participate in the election.

"Many people think that the result of the election is already decided, but we can change the scene and the result. What I want you to do and you are capable of doing is to vote and if you want to complain about the current situation, do it through voting for me."

Two more debates are scheduled before the vote.

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Iraqi Armed Forces, on June 6, said that they have taken down two drones that attempted to attack its Ayn al-Asad airbase, located in the western part of the country. According to state-run media outlet INA, the drones were intercepted by the militarys Air Defense System at 12:30 am Saturday. As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attempted strike.

"The air defence system at Ain Al-Assad Air Base in Anbar Governorate, at 0030 on June 6, confronted two drones and managed to shoot them down," INA quoted Iraqs Security Media Cell as saying.

Ayn al-Asad airbase is the only station that houses foreign troops in Iraq and has been frequently targeted by attacks. However, in the lights of a recent parliamentary decision, the US has agreed to pull its troops out of Iraqi territory. The parliamentary decision was supported by the country's PM Mustafa Al-Kadhimi who touted that the potential of armed forces has increased significantly and soon they would not need the foreign troops to aid their defence.

Second attack in the day

This comes as three civilians were killed and two injured on June 5, after a Turkish missile attacked a UN-supported Kurdish refugee camp in Northern Iraq. The aerial attack came days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to clean up the district of Makhmur calling it an incubator for terrorists of Qandil, a mountain range noted for being the headquarters of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). If the United Nations does not clean up this district, we will take care of it in our capacity as a UN member state, Erdogan had said in Ankara earlier this week .

Ankara, along with Iranian Revolutionary Guards, frequently bombards the Qandil ranges as a part of its ongoing conflict with PKK, which seeks the foundation of an independent Kurdish state. Additionally, since the mid-1990s, it also maintains several military bases in Northern Iraq pertaining to an agreement inked with now-dead Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussain. On the other hand, PKK maintains camps across Northern Iraq, which it allegedly uses as a base to attack southeast Turkey.

File Image: AP
An Omani delegation arrived in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Saturday for talks with Houthi rebel leaders.

The discussion aim to advance the peace process, chief Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdul-Salam said.

Another Houthi official said the delegation arrived on an Omani military plane and would try to convince Houthi leaders to halt their offensive on Marib and return to the negotiating table in Oman's capital of Muscat.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

The visit comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke over the phone on Friday with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud al-Busaidi.

Blinken reiterated the need for "an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire to help bring the war in Yemen and the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people to an end," according to the State Department.

The U.S. special envoy for Yemen has lashed out at the Houthi rebels, accusing them of failing to try to reach an urgently needed cease-fire in the war-wrecked nation.

Tim Lenderking said the Iranian-backed Houthis bear the major responsibility for refusing to engage meaningfully on a cease-fire and to take steps to "resolve a nearly seven-years conflict that has brought unimaginable suffering to the Yemeni people.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, when the Iranian-backed Houthis swept across much of the north and seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile.

A Saudi-led coalition entered the war the following year on the side of the government. The war has killed more than 130,000 people and spawned the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

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Marmara Sea, located entirely within the borders of Turkey, has been gripped by blooming sea snot, raising concerns amongst environmentalists and biologists. While the naturally occurring mucilage was first documented in Turkey in 2007, it has grown at alarming levels this year. Photographs and video clips that surfaced on the internet show ships and boats jammed by the sea snot while underground footages depict corals, fish suffocated by it.

Image: AP

What is Sea Snot?

Sea Snot, also known as marine mucilage, is a collection of thick, slimy, mucus-like substance found in the sea. It is composed of compounds secreted by marine organisms. At present, it has not only bloomed in the Marmara but also in adjoining the area of the black and the Aegean Sea. Experts have blamed the bloom on Chemical and Industrial waste as well as devastating climate change.

Image: bianet_eng/Twitter

Marmara, an inland sea that connects the Back Sea to the Aegean Sea, is bordered by five Turkish provinces. Additionally, it also covers the coast of the countrys most populous city -Istanbul. With sea snot blooming at an exponential rate, experts have warned of significant damage to trade as well as the fishing industry. On Sunday, boats were diverted to other routes.

Image: AP

'mucilage calamity'

On June 6, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to pull his country out of the mucilage calamity. Speaking in Ankara, he blamed untreated sewage being dumped into the sea, as well as rising temperatures. "My fear is, if this expands to the Black Sea... the trouble will be enormous. We need to take this step without delay," he said.

Erdogan said he instructed the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to coordinate with relevant institutions, municipalities and universities. Teams, which total up to 300 members, are inspecting wastewater and solid waste facilities, along with other potential sources of pollution, he said. We will save our seas from this mucilage calamity, leading with the Marmara Sea, Erdogan said. We must take this step without delay.

Image: bianet_eng/Twitter/AP
Three civilians were killed and two injured on June 5, after a Turkish missile attacked a UN-supported Kurdish refugee camp in Northern Iraq. The aerial attack came days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to clean up the district of Makhmur calling it an incubator for terrorists of Qandil, a mountain range noted for being the headquarters of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). If the United Nations does not clean up this district, we will take care of it in our capacity as a UN member state, Erdogan had said in Ankara earlier this week .

Cross-Border conflict

Ankara, along with Iranian Revolutionary Guards, frequently bombards the Qandil ranges as a part of its ongoing conflict with PKK, which seeks the foundation of an independent Kurdish state. Additionally, since the mid-1990s, it also maintains several military bases in Northern Iraq pertaining to an agreement inked with now-dead Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussain. On the other hand, PKK maintains camps across Northern Iraq, which it allegedly uses as a base to attack southeast Turkey.

Earlier in April, in what Erdogan termed as Operation Claw-Lightning, the Turkish military laid a ground-and-air offensive against Kurdish fighters in Northern Iraq. Describing the operation, the Turkish defence ministry said that commando forces landed in Iraqs Metina region from helicopters while fighter jets bombed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets. Heroic commandos of the heroic Turkish Armed Forces are in northern Iraq, the ministry said in a statement, without specifying how many soldiers were involved in the operation then.

Increased raids

The Turkish administration has been engaged in an armed conflict with various Kurdish insurgent groups including PKK who have demanded separation from Turkey to create an independent Kurdistan or to secure autonomy and greater political and cultural rights for Kurds inside the Republic of Turkey. Over the past few years, the Mediterranean state has increasing raids into PKK bases into a 30 kilometres range in northern Iraq which it terms as temporary security zones." In addendum, the country which shares its borders with Iran, Iraq and Syria has often been rocked by explosions in attacks and counterattacks.

Image:HemmBaban/PictureAlliance/DW
Islamabad, Jun 5 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday urged the rich nations to take responsibility for climate change, reduce their carbon emissions and help poor countries to face the challenge.

Khan spoke at an event held virtually on the occasion of World Environment Day, hosted by Pakistan this year in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program.

"This is a chance for the world to correct its course. Now we have the next decade for ecosystem restoration," Khan said.

He said although Pakistan's contribution to global carbon emissions was quite low as compared to advanced nations, yet the country was one of the most vulnerable to changing climate patterns.

"Pakistan's contribution to global warming and climate change is minimal. Rich countries, which contribute significantly more, have a greater responsibility to provide funds to ones like ours so that we can fight climate change," he said.

"The countries which contribute the most towards pollution and have the resources should support those trying to combat climate change," he said.

Khan also lauded UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for reiterating the message that the developed world has to take responsibility and help countries which do not have the resources when it comes to fighting global warming.

Talking about the steps being taken by Pakistan to tackle the challenge, he said the country was aiming to produce 60 per cent clean energy by 2030.

Khan said one billion trees had been planted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the government would achieve the target of planting 10 billion trees in the next five years.

"If we are successful in our goal of planting 10 billion trees, it will have a major impact on the people, the country and the economy," he said, urging the people to take part in the campaign.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose message was read out by the country's ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, commended the strides made by Pakistan to cope with climate change.

Xi Jinping said his country stands ready to work with Pakistan and other countries to inject new impetus into global environmental governance and contribute to a clean and beautiful world.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson virtually delivering his message appreciated Prime Minister Khan for undertaking the project of planting ten billion trees and termed it a huge campaign for forestation.

UN Secretary General Guterres in his virtual address said the next ten years will be the final chance to avert a climate catastrophe, turn back the deadly tide of pollution and end species loss.

"We should finally make peace with nature and secure a better future for all," he said.

Earlier, Khan in a tweet urged the "world to join hands to protect the environment and reset relationship with Nature".

He said Pakistan was fully committed to play a leadership role in restoration of the ecosystem. PTI SH MRJ MRJ

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Islamabad, Jun 5 (PTI) Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday announced to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of Muslim nations in Islamabad next year to highlight the issue of Kashmir and get their support.

He was addressing a gathering of political workers of his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party in his home town of Multan.

"If God grants me time, then in March 2022 I will invite the foreign ministers of the Islamic world to Islamabad and try to rally them on the Kashmir issue, he said.

India has repeatedly said Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and the country is capable of solving its own problems.

India has told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

Qureshi also warned Afghan leaders to stop issuing insulting statements against Pakistan otherwise the country would stop even talking to them.

He took strong exception to the remarks of Afghan National Security Advisor who had called Pakistan a brothel house. PTI SH MRJ AKJ MRJ

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Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi lashed out at Afghanistan's National Security Advisor for allegedly calling the former's country a 'brothel house'. Shah Mehmood Qureshi's remarks come a month after Afghanistan's NSA Hamdullah Mohib allegedly made the remark during a public speech in Nangarhar province nearly a month ago. Asking NSA Hamdullah Mohib to listen carefully, the Pakistan Foreign Minister threatened him that no Pakistani would shake hands if the former did not desist himself from making such remarks & levelling accusations.

Pakistan FM lashes out at Afghanistan NSA for calling former a 'brothel house'

As per ANI, Pakistan has conveyed to Afghanistan that it would no longer conduct official business with NSA Hamdullah Mohib due to his outburst against Islamabad. A statement issued by the Pakistan Foreign Ministry called the NSA's allegations baseless and added that such remarks undermine trust and mutual understanding between Islamabad and Kabul. Qureshi said that Pakistani officials from the prime minister to the army chief to the foreign minister had visited Kabul for peace yet the NSA had still likened Pakistan to a "brothel house".

"You should be ashamed and you should be guilty at your words and my blood is boiling ever since your speech in Nangarhar," he added. "Correct your behaviour and reflect on it. I say this to the international community that if this behaviour continues, then this person, who calls himself the national security adviser of Afghanistan, will actually be playing the role of a spoiler [for peace]."

President Biden in April announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year, thus bringing to end the country's longest war, spanning across two decades. The US and the Taliban signed a landmark deal in Doha on February 29, 2020, to bring lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan and allow US troops to return home from America's longest war. Under the US-Taliban pact, the US has agreed to withdraw all its soldiers from Afghanistan in 14 months.

There are currently 2,500 American troops left in Afghanistan, the lowest level of American forces in the war-torn country since 2001. Since the US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America has spent more than USD 1 trillion in fighting and rebuilding in Afghanistan. About 2,400 US soldiers have been killed, along with tens of thousands of Afghan troops, Taliban insurgents, and Afghan civilians.
Promoting organic agriculture: Repercussions of the fertiliser ban View(s):

The Governments decision to ban chemical fertiliser and pesticides immediately to promote a green agriculture in the island has serious repercussions on the economy and livelihoods of people. The Government should consider the economic consequences of banning chemical fertilisers immediately and adopt a phased introduction of organic agriculture on scientific principles.

Economic consequences

An immediate ban of chemical fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides would have dire economic consequences on agricultural production, livelihoods of farmers and external finances of the country.

A ban on chemical fertiliser would reduce production of both food crops and export crops, impoverish farmers, decrease food availability, increase food prices and reduce accessibility of low incomes to adequate food, threaten food security, increase import expenditure, reduce export earnings and worsen the countrys weak external finances.

The Government should consider all the economic consequences of such a sudden ban and adopt a phased introduction of organic agriculture on scientific principles and realistic possibilities.

Vibrant discussion

There has been a vibrant discussion on the agronomic and economic consequences of the fertiliser ban in the media, among the scientific community and agricultural economists. Yet, as is often the case, these do not appear to have had any influence on policy makers.

Agricultural economists

A few weeks ago, the Sri Lanka Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA) consisting of a large number of agricultural economists in Sri Lanka and its members abroad had a vibrant discussion on the impact of banning chemical fertiliser.

On the basis of this extensive discussion, a well-considered memorandum titled: The Green Socio-Economic Model and the Agriculture Sector of Sri Lanka: Insights from the Sri Lanka Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA) was sent to His Excellency the President with copies to all important policy makers. Last weeks Sunday Times and other newspapers had succinct summaries of this memorandum titled The pros and cons of organic agriculture.

The SAEAs position

The memorandum said the membership of the SAEA endorses the Governments decision to adopt a green socio-economic model for development as we firmly believe that such a strategy would be critical to conserving the environment and improving human health.

The Association agrees that green approaches in crop cultivation contribute significantly towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is of the view that most of the current farming systems in Sri Lanka are unsustainable. Hence, the conversion of them into organic farming systems, in the long run, would help promote health of the people and nurture integrity of the nations environment.

Other countries

The letter points out that many countries currently take systematic and pragmatic approaches to achieve this long-term objective by first setting targets, standards, and subsequently, investing and promoting farmers to adopt

best practices.

Serious concerns

In spite of support for a green agriculture, SAEA, brings out serious concerns on the appropriateness of the newly introduced regulation to restrict forthwith the importation of chemical fertilisers and pesticides by the Gazette Extraordinary No 2226/48 of May 6, 2021, to achieve the above-mentioned broader development goal.

Economic losses

The SAEA predicts massive economic losses due to potential yield losses in the absence of proper substitutes for chemical fertilisers and pesticides with the implementation of the import ban on fertilisers and pesticides.

The immediate adverse impacts on food security, farm incomes, foreign exchange earnings and rural poverty can be detrimental to achieving the cherished long-term goals. The SAEAs primary concerns and the less costly policy alternatives proposed by its members in place of the newly introduced import ban are that the policy instrument identified by the government to promote organic farming is less appropriate due to potential economic losses and its incompatibility with other policy goals of the Government.

Costs and benefits: Paddy

It points out that When converting from conventional agriculture into organic farming, the government should weigh the technological, environmental, and economic costs and benefits. The preliminary findings of the studies conducted by the SAEA on potential economic losses of the import ban reveal that the average yields from paddy can drop by 25 percent if chemical fertilisers are fully replaced by organic fertilisers and this loss in productivity could reduce the profitability of paddy farming by 33 percent and rice consumption by 27 percent, if paddy is cultivated only with organic fertilisers with a complete ban on rice imports.

In contrast, applying organic fertiliser with the recommended dosages of chemical fertilisers would improve the profitability of farming by 16 percent.

Tea

The SAEA points out that the absence of chemical fertiliser would drastically reduce the productivity of Vegetative Propagated Tea (VPT) by 35 percent and the export volume from 279 to 181 million kg that would in turn result in an income loss of Rs 84 billion.

Estates are likely to incur significant losses compared to those of tea smallholders and could be further aggravated due to increased cost of labour to apply bulky organic fertilisers.

Coconut

The SAEA points out that coconut yields would be reduced by 30 percent if chemical fertilisers and pesticides are not applied. This situation will adversely impact fresh coconut availability, production of coconut oil, desiccated coconut and other coconut products.

Foreign exchange loss

The loss in foreign exchange earnings, it states can be as high as Rs 18 billion, based on the assumption that only 26 percent of the total coconut extent is fertilised. When the additional cost for the importation of edible oils is considered, the loss of foreign exchange earnings will be even higher.

Other consequences

The SAEA memorandum discusses several other adverse economic consequences of the fertiliser ban on GDP, trade balance and other development objectives of the government. It goes on to suggest an alternate strategy for agricultural development.

Alternate strategy

The SAEA suggests the Government uses more cost-effective instruments to achieve the stated health and environmental outcomes in place of the newly introduced import regulation. They note that globally, the approach to environmental protection has been evolving from a regulation-driven approach to a more proactive approach involving voluntary and market-led initiatives.

Policy package

Accordingly, they propose the following three-point policy package to incentivize organic cultivation using safe and environmentally friendly organic fertilisers and pesticides:

1. Open up pathways towards encouraging organic fertiliser production, storage, distribution, etc. and promote Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models to achieve those.

2. Develop national standards for organic fertilisers and pesticides to ensure non-importation of substandard products to the country and domestic production meeting specified quality standards.

3. Improve awareness of various organic farming technologies among farmers through a strengthened extension system. These are discussed in much detail in the memorandum to the President.

Recommendation

The recommendation of the Sri Lanka Agricultural Economics/Association (SAEA) is for the Government to lift the ban on chemical fertiliser and pesticides and to gradually reduce the subsidy on chemical fertilisers.

In conclusion

It would be prudent to consider all the above economic consequences and adopt a phased introduction of organic agriculture on scientific principles and realistic possibilities. The economic consequences of banning chemical fertilisers immediately are horrendous. We should adopt a phased introduction of organic agriculture on scientific principles.
Pakistan will, next year, convene a meeting of foreign ministers of all Muslim nations to rally their support on the issue of Kashmir, the countrys Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on June 6. Addressing party workers at his hometown Multan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) politician, asserted that the meet could be held as early as March of next year in Islamabad and could witness the participation of major leaders from the Islamic world.

"If God grants me time, then in March 2022 I will invite the foreign ministers of the Islamic world to Islamabad and try to rally them on the Kashmir issue," he said.

Since 1947, the conflict over Kashmir has escalated in three major armed confrontations and numerous other skirmishes between India and Pakistan. The war of nerves has escalated manifold over recent months with Pakistan trying to garner international support for its claim. India, whose Kashmir is an integral part, has asserted that it desires normal friendly relations with Pakistan free of violence and terror.

'Brothel House' row

Meanwhile, further addressing PTI members, Qureshi launched scathing attacks on Afghanistans National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib who recently labelled Pakistan as a "brothel house". In a blatant warning to the Afghan official, Qureshi said that no Pakistani will shake your hand or talk with you if you do not desist this kind of language or the accusations you are making against Pakistan. It is imperative to note that the 'brothel' house row comes at a crucial time when foreign troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan leaving it vulnerable to cross border attacks.

Earlier this week, a United Nations report stated that prominent Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri and other important leaders of the militant group reside in Afghanistan and Pakistan border region. The report further said that Al Qaeda leader Aiman Muhammed Rabi al-Zawahiri, is believed to be located somewhere in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It also said that significant numbers of Al-Qaeda fighters along with other foreign extremist elements that align with the Taliban are housed in various parts of Afghanistan. Afghanistan and Pakistan share a land border of roughly 2,670 kilometres.

Image: SMQureshiPTI/Twitter
Colombo, Jun 6 (PTI) Marine experts in Sri Lanka have recovered the data recorder of the Singapore-flagged fire-stricken cargo ship sinking slowly off the country's capital, officials said, as investigators probe the cause behind the accident that has sparked fears of a possible environmental disaster.

No signs of oil or chemical spills have detected so far, Sri Lanka Ports Authority said in a statement on Saturday.

Sri Lankan Navy, Indian Coast Guard, salvos and local authorities capable of responding to any signs of oil pollution or debris are presently on the scene and are keenly monitoring the situation around the clock, the statement said.

Sri Lankan Navy, Indian Coast Guard, salvos and local authorities are presently monitoring the situation around the clock, the statement said.

Experts from the Merchant Shipping Secretariat with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Navy on Saturday recovered the Voyage Data Recorder or VDR, commonly known as the Ship's Black Box, of MV X-Press Pearl.

The cargo vessel, carrying a consignment of chemicals and raw materials for cosmetics from Hazira in Gujarat caught fire on May 20 in Sri Lankan waters outside the port of Colombo.

All 25 crew members of the ship -- of Indian, Chinese, Filipino and Russian nationality -- were rescued on May 21.

The recovered VDR is now been handed over to the local law enforcement agencies to assist ongoing investigations.

"This will be important to find out the conversations vital for the ongoing investigation," police spokesman Ajith Rohana said.

VDR is an instrument installed on a ship to continuously record vital information related to the operation of a vessel. VDR data on a ship can be used as vital information during an accident investigation.

A team of 14 experts from the Government Analysts Department has been appointed to look into the impact of the fire aboard the ship on the marine environment. They will collect seawater samples to assess the impact.

Meanwhile, the aft or stern portion of the distressed ship is remaining on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters, and the forward section continues to settle down slowly, the statement said.

An initial inspection has been carried out by divers to assess the condition of the hull.

Sri Lankas Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has so far recorded statements from about 20 crew members and officials on the incident.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on Thursday started its investigation into the massive fire on the chemical-laden cargo vessel. PTI Corr NSA NSA

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Lambasting the Nigerian Administration for banning micro-blogging website Twitter, the US and European Union (EU), on June 6, said that measure inhibits access to information at a time when it required the most. In a joint statement, the diplomatic missions of the EU, US, UK, Canada and Ireland together called for the right to free expression and access to information, both online and offline. Reiterating support for the fundamental right, the western states asserted that information and expression were pillars of democracy.

Banning systems of expression is not the answer," the statement read adding that it was precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic." "The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication," it further stated.

More than 39 million Nigerians have a Twitter account, according to NOI polls, a public opinion and research organization based in Nigeria. The social media platform has played a significant role in many of the countrys socio-political moments, including using hashtags #BringBackOurGirls to highlight the abduction of schoolgirls by BokoHaram and #EndSARS, during anti-police brutality last year. Despite its role, the platform was banned earlier this week.

Nigeria's Twitter Ban

Amidst the growing discontent against Twitter, Nigeria became the first country to suspend the US-based micro-blogging website in the African continent. Accusing Twitter of double standards, the Nigerian government ceased operations of the social media platform after it froze President Muhammadu Buhari's account. Notably, Twitter had months ago banned former US President Donald Trump for allegedly inciting violence during the unfortunate breach of Capitol Hill.

Making the announcement on Friday, Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed condemned the 'persistent use' of Twitter for activities allegedly capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence. The stern action comes days after Twitter removed a post by Nigeria's President that threatened punishment for separatists in the country's southeast region that officials have blamed for frequent attacks on federal property. "Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the field for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," the Nigerian President had tweeted which was later taken down.

IMAGE: AP/@VONDERLEYEN/Twiiter
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Sunday said that a system of proof of coronavirus vaccination will be developed by the government in order to facilitate international travel but there are no plans to use it domestically.

The announcement came following former prime minister Tony Blair's calls for a new pass to allow more freedom for vaccinated individuals.

Hancock said his job was to make sure that if other countries, including the European Union, bring in and demand a vaccination certificate, UK citizens "will be able to travel when it's safe to do so."

As for using the certificates inside the UK, the Health Secretary said that the matter was a responsability of his Cabinet colleague Michael Gove.

Earlier on Sunday Hancock said that the government would analyse the scientific data until the last moment before making a decision on whether to further ease coronavirus restrictions from 21 June.

He also defended the government's decisions on travel restrictions to India and Pakistan.

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Fishing boats anchored along the Infanta fish port in Pangasinan, north of Manila, prepare for an expedition to the West Philippine Sea, May 27, 2021.

Restrictions in Philippine territorial waters and the open seas, along with threats from large-scale fishing operations, are the biggest issues facing subsistence fishermen in this archipelagic country of 7,100 islands, according to an organization representing them.

In recent years, governments of coastal municipalities have begun restricting their municipal fishing grounds, or waters up to 15 km (9 miles) from the shore, allowing only resident fishermen who register with local authorities, said Fernando Hicap, chairman of Pamalakaya, a Philippine fishermens organization.

Imagine, youre a Filipino fisherman, youre in the Philippines, and youre on municipal fishing grounds, but youre sued for illegal entry. How hurtful is that? Isnt that wrong? Hicap told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

What misery. Add to that this [COVID-19] pandemic  no ones buying what little catch they bring home because of the lockdowns, said Hicap, adding that fishermen have little choice but to consume their own catch, or barter them for other small goods.

Municipalities are allowing outsiders to pay an annual fee, usually not lower than 1,000 pesos (U.S. $20)  a fee that subsistence fishermen, who use small-scale, low-technology practices, cannot afford to pay  according to Hicaps group. Besides, its not feasible to register and pay fees at every coastal municipality to be able to fish in waters that have traditionally been communal to Filipinos.

Restrictions were not an issue in past decades when there were more fish in the shallows, said Benjamin Sumaganday, a fisherman in northern Masinloc town.

There used to be huge catches in the past. But the population grew over the years, and we cant afford to just stay in municipal waters, the father of four told BenarNews.

Meanwhile on June 5, the world will mark the fourth International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU).

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, a United Nations agency, IUU fishing includes many types of illicit activities, for example, fishing without a license or authorization, not reporting or misreporting catches, fishing in prohibited areas and catching or selling prohibited species, or fishing in areas not covered by a regulatory framework.

The Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has vowed to protect locals against such activities.

Calling on Filipinos to focus their fishing efforts in the West Philippine Sea  a region of the South China Sea that the Philippines claims as its territory  the government agency promised to boost patrols against illegal fishing put local fishers at a disadvantage.

[W]e remain committed in our mandate to address IUU fishing in Philippine waters, the bureau said in a news release earlier this year.

A man tows his catch of a Spanish mackerel as he swims to shore in Masinloc, Philippines, May 28, 2021. Credit: BenarNews Municipal action questioned

Even as municipal governments cite conservation as the reason for restricting fishing access to their waters, Hicap said those in power could be benefiting  otherwise, they would not let in commercial trawlers.

Small-time fishermen are not the reason there is depletion in municipal waters. The cause of that depletion is the commercial vessels who freely exploit those waters, Hicap said.

Anna Oposa, head of the advocacy group Save Philippine Seas, said enforcement must be stricter and commercial fishing must be prohibited.

Our fisherfolk are already some of the poorest, most marginalized groups in the country working hard to feed the country and the rest of the world. There can be no positive outcome for the Filipino people if we allow commercial fishing activities where they shouldnt be allowed, Oposa said.

Sumaganday, 52, said many fishermen in his community have joined fishing fleets to be able to fish farther out at sea even as territorial tensions pit Filipinos against foreign fishing fleets, specifically from China.

Most of the time it is not hostile, but there are times that we are being shooed away from territories that are traditionally ours, the fisherman from Masinloc said.

Chinese encroachment

In March, government security officials reported the presence of about 200 Chinese trawlers at Whitsun Reef in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and elsewhere in the contested South China Sea. The officials said the trawlers were crewed by maritime militias, but Beijing has denied the accusation and insisted the waters were within Chinese territory.

Manila has been filing daily diplomatic protests with Beijing since April, demanding it remove the ships. In addition, the Philippine navy, coast guard, and fisheries bureau have deployed more ships to Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands to try to drive out or at least challenge the Chinese trawlers.

Since Beijing took control of Mischief Reef in the Philippine EEZ in 1995, the presence of Chinese ships has increased steadily in the South China Sea. In 2012, China and the Philippines were involved in a months-long standoff at Scarborough Shoal.

Four years later, in 2016, an international arbitral court ruled in favor of Manilas territorial claims in the maritime region, but that has not slowed Beijings expansionist activities in the sea.

Hicaps group, Pamalakaya, recently petitioned the U.N. to nullify Beijings new coast guard law, investigate the environmental damage Chinese ships have caused in the South China Sea, and demilitarize the strategic and resource-rich waterway.

The law, which took effect in February, allows its ships to use weapons against any vessels found in waters that Beijing claims as its territory.

Philippine authorities who lack maritime assets have been hard pressed to catch poachers, including foreign ones from China and Vietnam.

Theres been significant damage to marine life in municipal waters. The numbers vary in different studies, but its been estimated that 60 percent to 75 percent of the Philippines fishing grounds are overfished, Oposa told BenarNews. Theres also a significant decline in coral reef health and cover, which is alarming because coral reefs are habitats of fishes.

An organization of fishermen who used to fish freely at the Scarborough Shoal said their catch  and income  had declined by as much as 80 percent.

We used to be able to go there, but not anymore, Sumaganday said.

Now are we are forced to fish elsewhere, he said, adding that the shoal, in bygone days, was the source for a bountiful catch.

Filipino fishermen board their boat anchored along the Infanta fish port in Pangasinan, north of Manila, May 27, 2021. Credit: BenarNews Fishing industry numbers

Subsistence fishermen make up the largest sector of the Philippines fishing industry, according to the most recent data from BFAR.

Of the 1.9 million fishermen registered with BFAR, more than 927,000 do small-scale capture fishing, while more than 239,000 do gleaning or fishing with basic gear in shallow water. Paddle boats accounted for about 68 percent of registered vessels.

Meanwhile, much of government support for the industry goes into aquaculture  raising fish in ponds, nets or cages in natural or artificial bodies of water  which employs about 209,000, according to official statistics.

Most fishermen live hand-to-mouth and have few options to professionalize their livelihood including acquiring larger, more dependable boats and equipment. As Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen sport metal or wood-and-metal trawlers, many Filipinos use traditional-type wooden outriggers.

Hicap worries that as the Philippine Congress moves to amend the constitution to allow full foreign ownership of businesses in the country, Filipino fishermen, especially the poor, will sink even farther down the governments list of priorities.

The government should ensure municipal fishing grounds remain communal. They should be limited to subsistence fishers, with no commercial vessels, he said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
For first time, chairman of regional blocs Foreign Ministers Meeting also calls for release of all political prisoners.

Top ASEAN officials met Burmese junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar late last week where they presented names of candidates the bloc could appoint as a special envoy to the country and called for the release of all political prisoners, the regional group said in a statement.

This was the first time that the Chairman of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, Erywan Pehin, called to release political detainees, as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations had, as a bloc, not made that demand so far about the people thrown in jail by the Myanmar junta after the Feb. 1 military coup.

[I]ssues that were discussed include the appointment and the role of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair, said the statement issued late on Saturday about the Friday-Saturday meeting among Min Aung Hlaing, other members of his State Administration Council, Chairman of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, Erywan Pehin and Secretary-General of ASEAN, H. Lim Jock Hoi.

In this regard, the Chairman of the AMM submitted to Myanmar the nominations proposed by ASEAN Member States for the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair to Myanmar. He also called for the release of all political prisoners, including women and children and foreigners.

Erywan is also Bruneis foreign minister and Brunei is ASEAN chair this year.

The statement did not mention what the Myanmar juntas response was to a possible envoy or the release of prisoners.

The statement however said that ASEANs chairman welcomed Myanmars commitment to resume ASEAN collective humanitarian efforts, although it gave no timeline for when his may happen. The bloc also said it welcomed Myanmars commitment in maintaining open and effective communication channels.

'Stability' required for envoy

Still, the Myanmar junta has said it would not agree to a visit by an ASEAN envoy until it could establish stability in the country. It also said, more than once, it would not implement a five-point consensus the bloc reached on April 24, until there was stability in the country.

This, despite Min Aung Hlaing being party to the consensus and being present at the ASEAN leaders meeting in Jakarta where the agreement was hammered out. Myanmar is one of 10 ASEAN member states.

The consensus had also called for an immediate end to violence, which the Myanmar junta has not abided by.

For its part, ASEAN has yet to name an envoy five weeks since the blocs leaders meeting. Critics had blamed ASEANs inability to name an envoy on divisions within the regional bloc.

And international rights groups and political analysts had roundly criticized ASEAN for trying to water down a U.N. resolution that included a clause calling for a halt to military arms sales to Myanmar, a development first reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, on May 27.

Separately, Myanmars shadow government said on Friday that has no expectation that ASEAN can help Myanmar, because the bloc has only engaged with the junta and has neglected the parallel civilian government, regional media outlet The Irrawaddy reported.

Frankly speaking, we no longer have any faith in ASEANs efforts, and we have no expectation, said the National Unity Governments Deputy Foreign Minister U Moe Zaw Oo.

ASEAN, he said, does not have a solid plan for their credibility.

The April 24 meeting of ASEAN leaders had not invited anyone from the NUG, for which it was criticized by several rights groups.

'We have no expectation'

Separately, Myanmars shadow government said on Friday that it has no expectation that ASEAN can help Myanmar, because the bloc has only engaged with the junta and has neglected the parallel civilian government, regional media outlet The Irrawaddy reported.

Frankly speaking, we no longer have any faith in ASEANs efforts, and we have no expectation, said the National Unity Governments Deputy Foreign Minister U Moe Zaw Oo.

ASEAN, he said, does not have a solid plan for their credibility.

The April 24 meeting of ASEAN leaders had not invited anyone from the NUG, for which it was criticized by several rights groups.

The objective of the ASEAN officials meeting in Myanmar with its junta chief, though, was to discuss the implementation of the five-point consensus, the blocs statement said.

The objective of the working visit was to discuss how ASEAN could assist Myanmar in reaching a peaceful solution in the interests of its people through the effective and timely implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, particularly the appointment and role of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar, the statement said.

The meeting was held also to discuss how ASEAN could assist in facilitating constructive dialogue among all parties in Myanmar and provide ASEANs humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers from ASEAN countries and China are set to meet in person on Monday and Tuesday for the first time in more than a year, amid the political crisis in Myanmar.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, some observers had said, would assist ASEAN foreign ministers in agreeing on an envoy to Myanmar at this meeting to be held in Chongqing, China.

Beijing wields great influence in many Southeast Asian countries, owing to their proximity and large Chinese investments in the regions nations. Similarly, China has many significant investments in Myanmar, as well.

On Saturday, the Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar met with Myanmars junta chief who reportedly said he was open to working with ASEAN, according to an embassy statement, which referred to the junta chief as "the leader of Myanmar."

The Myanmar side is willing to work together with ASEAN to safeguard the domestic stability of Myanmar and implement the relevant consensus, the statement by the Chinese embassy in Myanmar said.

China sincerely hopes for the  restoration of peace and stability in Myanmar, and supports the implementation of consensus by ASEAN and Myanmar. China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

Chinese state television had reported that President Xi Jinping was among world leaders who congratulated Aung San Suu Kyi after her absolute majority victory in the November 2020 elections. But the influential party-run tabloid the Global Times described the Feb. 1 coup that deposed her and her government as a cabinet reshuffle.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
European Parliament President David Sassoli has called for allowing Western Balkan states into the European Union, saying expanding the EU would be positive for peace and prosperity.



"Enlargement can bring immense benefits both to the region and to Europe as a whole, helping to secure a stable, prosperous and peaceful continent," Sassoli said, Germanys Funke Mediengruppe reported on June 6.



But how quickly they can join depends on the Western Balkan countries' fulfillment of the accession criteria.

"Reforms still need to be completed in every single one of these countries," Sassoli said, adding that the European Union must also keep its promises and recognize progress.



The EU is already conducting accession talks with Montenegro and Serbia, while Albania and North Macedonia are official candidates. North Macedonia last month received the backing of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia to start talks with the EU.

Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo have so far been considered potential candidates for negotiations.



The EU enlargement process has faced major challenges, including some rooted in ethnic divisions in Western Balkan countries. Unanimity is required from all EU member for the adoption of the negotiating framework.



Bulgaria last year vetoed the start of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia over a language and history dispute.



Bulgaria, which wants Skopje to acknowledge that both its identity and language have Bulgarian roots, last month said it did not plan to lift its veto on accession talks.



Skopje has long insisted Macedonian is a distinct South Slavic language that forms part of the country's culture and national identity, while Sofia says Macedonian is a regional dialect of Bulgarian.



Many in the West have urged the EU to speed up accession talks, seeing membership in the bloc as a way to counter Russian and Chinese efforts to gain influence in the region.

Based on reporting by dpa
Russian intelligence activity in Germany has significantly increased and now reached Cold War levels, Berlins top domestic intelligence chief warned.

In an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper published on June 6, Thomas Haldenwang, who leads the Agency for the Protection of the Constitution, said Russia has a "very complex intelligence interest in Germany in most policy areas.

He said Russia has a whole number of agents seeking to make contact with decision makers.

Germany is the largest nation in the European Union by population and economic output and has significant influence over the blocs policy toward Russia.

The nation will hold federal elections in September that will usher in a new chancellor for the first time in 16 years. One topic of debate is the future of the Kremlin's $11 billion natural gas pipeline to Germany, which has faced considerable foreign opposition.

In the same interview, Bruno Kahl, president of Germany's foreign intelligence agency, warned that adversaries are using all possible methods...to stir up dissonance between states in the West."

Kahl said adversaries are taking a rougher and more ruthless approach to their work.



Germany blames Russian state agents for the murder of an ethnic Georgian man from Chechnya in Berlin in 2019.

The murder is just one of several political killings or attempted killings in Western Europe pinned on Russian agents over the past 15 years.

Based on reporting by Welt am Sonntag and dpa
Thousands of Hungarians rallied on June 5 against the government's plan to build a campus for a Chinese university in the capital, Budapest. It was the first major rally after lockdown measures in Hungary. The demonstration was addressed by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony, who has recently renamed streets around the planned Fudan University facilities. Among the new names are Dalai Lama Road and Uyghur Martyrs Road.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Belarus is becoming more and more dependent on Russia following the nation's isolation by the West in the wake of its brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Stoltenberg made the comments in an interview with Welt am Sonntag that was published on June 6 a week before the annual NATO summit in the United Kingdom.

Russia and Belarus will be a key topic at the meeting, which will follow a three-day meeting of the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations to be held June 11-13.

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.

Western nations imposed more sanctions on Belarus after Minsk diverted a plane traveling from Greece to Lithuania under the false pretext of a bomb threat in order to arrest a journalist critical of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Stoltenberg told the paper that NATO is following what is happening in Belarus very closely and expressed concern over deeper ties between Minsk and Moscow.

Lukashenka visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi days after the plane incident and received the backing of the Kremlin leader in his confrontation with the West.

He said Russia agreed to give Belarus a $500 million loan.

Stoltenberg said the alliance is ready to protect and defend any ally against any kind of threat coming from Minsk and Moscow."

He also said NATOs partnership agreement with Belarus had been significantly scaled back since Lukashenka unleashed his police force on protesters following the August 9 presidential election they claim was rigged in the strongmans favor.

Separately, Stoltenberg said NATO is sticking with its two-pronged approach toward the Kremlin of deterrence and dialogue on issues of mutual concern such as arms control.

"If we don't talk to each other, we can neither settle our disputes nor improve mutual understanding."

With reporting by Welt am Sonntag and dpa
Sri Lankas version of Dantes inferno and the ruination of this land View(s):

As the stricken X-Press Pearl lays waste to Sri Lankas marine environment including one hundred and twenty five kilometres of prized coastline from Chilaw and Negombo to Bentota and Galle in a veritable modern replay of Dantes Inferno, is there enough money to calculate as fair compensation?

Will no one punish these wastrels?

The country will feel the impact of its worst marine disaster for more than a century, experts warn as horribly disfigured dead turtles and fish with plastic pellets embedded in their mouths wash up on our once pristine beaches. Regardless, reprehensible Ministers, including former leftists reduced to sad caricatures of their fire-breathing selves, cackle about compensation as if this is an acceptable quid pro quo. Will no one punish these infernal wastrels in political garb who destroy Sri Lanka, day by day, hour by unholy hour? And what is to say that we will get this compensation in any event, given the grossly incompetent handling of monumental disasters by officials, never mind greedy and greasy politicians?

Several questions arise for critical inquiry. First, what are the Governments procedures of checking the cargo of ships entering Sri Lankas territorial waters? Are we to assume (ludicrously) that the Harbour Master or associated persons in authority merely accept the word of those on board without independent verification? As recently as April this year, a (Chinese) ship carrying nuclear material was permitted to berth at the Hambantota Port and only thereafter had been instructed to leave by authorities who said that they were clueless about the entry as no prior clearance had been obtained.

This is much like the Ministry of Health officials saying that they were clueless about vaccine recipients in Kandy being asked to sign a consent document containing a stamped signification of consent to the administration of only one dose of the Sputnik vaccine. It is one thing to explain to people gathered for vaccinations that there is a shortage with the result that one dose may be guaranteed and quite another matter to get written consent to that effect. In law, this implies coerced consent from anxious if not terrified citizens. It clearly violates the constitutional right to equality given that this selective treatment was not meted out elsewhere in the country.

Public cry for accountability roaring from the land

And if that mysterious if not patently illegal requirement on consent documents handed out in Kundasale vaccination centres did not emanate from officialdom, who was responsible? It is the same principle that applies in regard to the surreptitious entry of a ship having nuclear material on board in Hambantota. How in the name of all that is marvelous, are ships allowed to enter Sri Lankan waters, let alone berth at a Port, without prior clearance? Should we say as the olden local (racist) idiom goes when something unbelievable is claimed, tell that to the queue-wearing Chinese? Now the Chinese people no longer sport queues (a historic plaiting of hair by men) but we have become Chinas vassal state.

But to return to the X-Press Pearl calamity, the public cry for accountability that roars across the length and breadth of this land is not a political question notwithstanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksas request not to make this a political issue. Put simply, it is not that difficult to imagine a similar calamity taking place during the chaos of the later days of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe coalition (2015-2019). Neither are all failures traceable to the Office of the President as this wondrously ultra-sensitive incumbent may be reminded. So, we return to the question as to whether the responsibilities of relevant authorities were discharged with due diligence?

This is crucially important to prevent another and perhaps deadlier occurrence with the next probability quite likely being a ship with neuclear material on board exploding in one or the either of our Ports. Sri Lankas officials have claimed that a leaking container of chemical material was no reason to have got unduly alarmed on entry of the X-Press Pearl to the Port (Harbour Master sets the record straight, Statement of the Harbour Master, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, 04/06/2021). But instead of setting the record straight, this Statement raises more questions than it answers.

Troubling inconsistencies in issue

It is claimed that the Port had the means to deal with the situation. But the contrary was patently the case as is now evidenced for the world to see. Indeed, this is somewhat like a former Defence Secretary jabbering that the jihadist engineered Easter Sunday attacks in 2019 was something we knew would happen but not to this extent. There is, in fact, a deplorably casual tone to this response of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority in tandem with the way that the extraordinary emergency was responded to from the outset. The ship had notified the authorities of a container with a chemical leak that they needed permission to repair, on 20th May.

At that very point, should not a worse-case scenario have been anticipated, a thorough inspection done and the ship taken out of Colombos outer harbour? Instead, this was attempted to be done, reportedly on the Presidents directive, only several days later when the fire-engulfed vessel predictably sank. Was this because the focus was more on potential compensation than the colossal damage to marine life? And did this have to wait till the President gave the directive? What exactly are officials for, from the (ex-General) head of the Ports Authority to stuttering officials of Sri Lankas key marine agencies, NARA and MEPA who are clearly if not miserably out of their depth?

Their role is not to quack obedience to politicians or be servile to military authority. In fact, it so transpired that both India and Qatar had declined to attend to the leaking container, stating that they did not have the needed expertise to do so. Consequently greater diligence should have been demonstrated by the Ports Authority rather than this mix of complacency and greatly misplaced arrogance. Moreover, when a fire had begun smouldering, long before it got to the inferno which eventually scuttled the ship, were the proper fire fighting measures resorted to? Environmentalists have spoken against water-dosing a ship on fire with (unknown) combustible chemicals, arguing that certain inflammatory chemicals may react with water.

The nine concentric circles of Dantes Inferno

There is another factor that emerges from a cursory examination of relevant laws. Shipping companies and crew routinely and sometimes purposely fail to declare hazardous material on board in order to avoid higher cargo rates. A loose regulatory framework permits this, even globally and more so in Sri Lanka, despite boasts of being a major transshipment hub, (Statement of the Harbour Master, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, 04/06/2021). In turn, this inhibits the efficacy of firefighting measures. Even now, it is not yet certain as to what exact hazardous material was on board on the X-Press Pearl apart from what was officially declared.

Above all, the larger problem is this Governments unwieldy handling of each and every crisis, from vaccinations to a ship with hazardous materials on fire. The answer is not to entrust everything to the military. Appointments of military men from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to the Ministry of Health has resulted in confusion worse compounded, for which these unfortunate worthies cannot entirely be blamed. Competent experts must be appointed to those positions and given the effective line of authority. The latest Presidential directive is for the army corps of engineers to study means of local production of organic fertilizer while farmers from every nook and cranny of Sri Lanka wail, pointing to their forlorn farmlands.

In what tormented circle of hell in Dantes Inferno located within the Earth is Sri Lanka struggling? When  or perhaps more pertinently where  will this stop?
U.S. President Joe Biden says there will be no doubt about the resolve of the United States to defend democratic values when he holds his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Biden attempted to set the stage for the June 16 meeting by writing an opinion piece in which he noted the meeting with Putin will take place after days of discussions with U.S. partners and allies who see the world through the same lens as the United States.

Biden laid out his agenda and goals for his upcoming trip to Europe, his first foreign travel since becoming president, in the article, which was published June 5 in The Washington Post and released by the White House.

The trip will be packed with meetings between Biden and the leaders of many of the United States closest democratic partners, including the Group of Seven (G7) nations, NATO allies, and leaders of the European Union, before it concludes with his meeting with Putin.

Biden repeated many common themes in the op-ed, reiterating that in taking on the challenges of the pandemic, climate change, and "the harmful activities" of China and Russia, "the United States must lead the world from a position of strength."

Biden is scheduled to leave for Europe on June 9 and first attend the G7 summit in Britain. He said the trip comes in a moment of global uncertainty as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic but will mostly be about realizing Americas renewed commitment to our allies and partners, and demonstrating the capacity of democracies to both meet the challenges and deter the threats of this new age.

He said when he meets Putin in Geneva after the many meetings with allies, it will be clear to the Russian president that the United States and its friends are standing united to address Russias challenges to European security, starting with its aggression in Ukraine.

He reiterated that Washington wants a stable and predictable relationship with Moscow that allows the two countries to work together on common issues like strategic stability and arms control.

Bidens op-ed came a day after Putin set a confrontational tone for the summit, accusing Washington of trying to contain Russia and influence its domestic politics.

Speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg on June 4, Putin said that arms control, global conflicts, the coronavirus pandemic, and climate change are among the issues he and Biden would discuss.

We need to find ways of looking for a settlement in our relations, which are at an extremely low level now, Putin said.

We dont have any issues with the U.S., he continued. But it has an issue with us. It wants to contain our development and publicly talks about it. Economic restrictions and attempts to influence our countrys domestic politics, relying on forces they consider their allies inside Russia, stem from that.

Speaking later in a videoconference with journalists, Putin said the United States and Russia have some corresponding interests, despite certain disagreements that are not the result of Russian actions. He also said that he doesnt expect any breakthrough results from the summit.

With reporting by AP
A United Nations court at The Hague is scheduled to deliver its final verdict on June 8 on an appeal by former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic against his genocide conviction.

The ruling will close the case against the man dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia," who has challenged his 2017 conviction and life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1992-95 war.

These included the massacre in and around the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in mid-1995 when some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered by Bosnian Serb forces.

Mladic, 78, is expected to be in the court, where he has previously delivered angry outbursts against the West and accused the judges of lying.

Relatives of some of the men and boys killed at Srebrenica in the worst act of bloodshed on European soil since World War II will be outside the court where they have long campaigned for justice.

Mladic has maintained his innocence. The appeal case has been repeatedly delayed by his ill health and, more recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court also found Mladic's political chief, Radovan Karadzic, guilty of similar charges, including genocide, in 2016, and sentenced him to 40 years in prison. In 2019, Karadzics prison term was changed to a life sentence.

Karadzic and Mladic were among the last suspects put on trial by the UN tribunal in The Hague for the civil war.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP
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Conyers OKs controversial apartment rezoning

CONYERS  The City Council gave its final approval to a controversial apartment rezoning Wednesday night, setting the stage for the development of a 265-unit gated complex at Ga. Highway 20 and Millers Chapel Road.

The second reading of the rezoning ordinance was approved 4-1, with council member Connie Alsobrook opposed. The first reading of the ordinance was approved at the councils May 19 meeting by a vote of 3-2, with Alsobrook and council member Valyncia Smith opposed. On Wednesday night, Smith made the motion to approve.

Mayor Vince Evans told those present that the rezoning issue was not an easy decision for the council.

This has probably been the toughest question in my 22 years, and I think we can clearly see both sides, he said. Its not a tie; weve got to pick one way or the other, so its a tough choice. I think weve all tried to think it through.

The rezonings and accompanying changes to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan encompass three separate tracts totaling 25.25 acres. The property will be developed by Lennar Atlanta of Roswell. The one- and two-bedroom apartments, which will be called Emblem Conyers, will be marketed to young professionals, older adults and retirees with rents ranging from $1,350 to $1,600 per month.

The Conyers-Rockdale Planning Commission had recommended denial of the rezoning requests at its May 13 meeting without comment. At a public hearing held before by the City Council on May 19, a number of residents of the area spoke out against the project, including residents of single-family home neighborhoods in the vicinity of the property  Marthas Vineyard, Nob Hill/Downing Park, Irwin Place, Henson Village and Weatherstone. They presented a petition with 400 signatures of those against the complex.

Many of those in opposition were at Wednesday nights meeting, apparently anticipating an opportunity to again express their opposition. However, since a public hearing was held at the May 19, no public comment was allowed prior to Wednesday nights vote.

Opponents did speak at the end of the meeting during the public comment period, reiterating their concerns about increased traffic, stress on aging infrastructure, potential overcrowding of schools, and public safety demands.
Rocky Mount, NC (27804)

Today

Mostly sunny. High 86F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low near 65F. 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
Use electoral reforms at local government level to promote national unity View(s):

Sri Lanka was one of the earliest countries to be granted universal franchise. Since 1931 all citizens above the age of 21, (and since 1959 all those above the age of 18)have got accustomed to electing their representatives to the different arms of government at periodic elections.

With the voters willingness to defeat incumbent governments and install alternate governments whenever they felt it necessary to do so, the island earned the reputation of being a vibrant democracy. Right up to the adoption of the second Republican Constitution in 1978, the election campaigns were characterised largely by policy based debates with a minimal amount of personalised criticism of candidates.

One of the most dominant issues at elections prior to the 1978 Constitution was the form the economy should take. The capitalist economic model was the preferred option of the United National Party while the traditional left parties like the Lanka Sama Samaja Party and Communist Party advocated the socialist model in which the State would control the commanding heights of the economy. Since the mid-fifties the Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by S.W.R.D Bandaranaike introduced the concept of the middle path into the debate.

It was only after the introduction of the Presidential system of Government and the Proportionate Representation (PR) system of election by the 1978 Constitution, that election campaigns became personalised and acrimonious signalling a paradigm shift in the quality of political debate.

The Presidential system over-emphasised the importance of the individual over policy and therefore invited exaggerated focus on the individual as opposed to policy issues in election campaigns. The PR system blurred the policy differences of political parties and rather highlighted the merits or demerits of individual candidates descending often into character assassination that made good candidates shy away from the hustings.

For a candidate to be elected under the PR system the more he highlighted the negatives of the competing candidate the better, with the divisive characteristics of caste, creed, race and religion coming in handy for the purpose. In fact apart from spawning corruption, lack of accountability and other shortcomings one of the most obnoxious features of the PR system is the tendency to create and proliferate differences based on caste, creed, race and religion within political parties thus making policy and individual integrity less important.

Among the myriad challenges the country currently faces, one of the biggest is the forging of national unity. Any future electoral reform should ensure that apart from enhancing the quality of the legislature as well as achieving other objectives, it should promote and enable national unity.

One of the best ways of promoting national unity is to make people and the diverse sections of society interdependent and thereby create an environment that enables them to work together for common objectives. Electoral reform at the lowest tier of government namely at local government level can immeasurably benefit and promote close ties at the grassroots level. If one examinesgovernance at the local government level it will be observed that it is more to do with delivery of services rather than formulation of policy except at a minimal level. Thus the demands on a local councillor are different to that of a legislator at the Parliamentary level.

Prior to the introduction of the PR system to local government elections, it was sufficient for a potential candidate to be known among the residents of a few streets to have a chance of being elected. Outstanding local level leaders irrespective of religion and ethnicity feltencouraged to enter the electoral fray because with the ward system encompassing the residents of a few streets there would be no strains on their purse even if they wanted to contest the election.

Besides, and even more importantly, the voter would rally round capable persons of integrity rather than those of their own ethnicity and religion. Such a system would greatly facilitate people working together for common goals and thereby strengthen unity at the grass root level and would disempower those who wished to use communal divisions to achieve political ends.

The replacing of the PR system with the previous ward system will also prevent the emergence of political war lords who throw their weight around with their sense of self importance as a result of heading a local authority.

It is the PR system that has produced characters like the Mayor of Moratuwa who interfered with the vaccination process, the Mayor of Kurunegala who is accused of demolishing King Buwanekabahus ceremonial hall and more recently for arranging a birthday party for himself at the Kurunegala Police headquarters in contravention of quarantine guidelines.

A few years back the country witnessed the phenomenon of a local body head being accused of raping a Russian tourist and another head of a local body chasing away some Opposition politicians who had come to inspect the Hambantota Harbour using a toy gun.

The PR system at the local government level has seen the increase of violence at the lowest tier of governance and the disappearance of the respected city fathers who silently and unostentatiously worked for their constituents during the time of the ward system of the past.

Of course whatever system of electoral reform is introduced, the success or failure of such system will largely depend on how wisely the voter exercises his or her franchise.

(javidyusuf@gmail.com)
Waiting for that second opinion View(s):

My dear Sudarshini,

It is not often that I write to two doctors in two weeks, but I had to write to you this week, after writing to Doctor Padeniya last week. That is because these are difficult times when medical issues have brought the country a standstill, and you are one of the many medical experts in the government.

In fact, the government should have been equipped to deal with the coronavirus because it has five medical men and women in its ranks: you, a community physician, Professor Tissa who specialises in Virology, and the much younger Seetha, Jayasumana and Ramesh. But look where we are today!

Professor Tissa has been ignored despite being a reputed virologist, probably because, being a man of principle and someone who puts Science before politics, he would have spoken the truth. We have also hardly heard young Ramesh speaking about the pandemic, despite being Cabinet spokesman.

The less said about Seetha and Jayasumana, the better. Seetha is best known for her histrionic oratory. She echoes Her Masters Voice despite being a doctor. Then, it was Jayasumana who sacked experts who refused to approve the Chinese vaccine without the needed data.

We are left with you as the only doctor who puts her profession before her politics. You are the only doctor in the government who speaks out. We do wonder how long you would be allowed to freely express your views in this manner, and whether you will be asked by you-know-who to be silent.

That you speak freely now is hardly surprising because politics was not your first choice as a career. You are where you are today only because the late Jeyaraj  Mahinda maamas buddy who helped him in Law College  had his political career cruelly cut short by a bomb 13 years ago.

You have been honest enough to tell us publicly that the statistics put out by the government may not be accurate, explaining that for every positive test that is recorded, there could be three times that many cases in the community. So much for the New Year cluster as some would want us to believe!

You were also frank enough to tell us, even before the so-called travel restrictions were enforced, that people should stay at home as much as possible and travel only for essential reasons  when others were pretending that life should be normal, and the economy should be kept open at any cost.

A few weeks ago, again before the travel restrictions were announced, you were bold enough to call for a lockdown, warning that a health disaster was imminent. Of course, on that occasion, you were careful enough to say you were speaking as a Community Physician and not as a politician!

Then there was that issue about asking for donations from well-wishers to help those suffering from the virus because, being the Minister-in-charge of Covid Control you realised that the facilities available were not sufficient to treat the thousands who were becoming seriously ill every day.

That earned a retort from someone from your own team. The learned Johnston, bar-owner-suddenly-turned-psychiatrist, claimed that you were suffering from stress and making statements just because a microphone was put in front of you. I think we all know who is really correct about this!

It was around this time that the military doctor in charge of the Health Ministry issued a directive asking all doctors to keep silent, allowing only authorised people to make statements about the pandemic. So, instead of placing the country in a lockdown, they wanted doctors opinions shut down.

There was some speculation that you were considering resigning from your portfolio. If that were true, it is understandable. Though you are officially the Minister-in-Charge of Covid Control, you really have no say in any decisions that are being made about the Covid pandemic. They all come from the very top!

Nevertheless, we do hope that you will continue to do battle from within on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives are at stake because of the arbitrary decisions of a few. Unfortunately, these misguided individuals are those who wield real power and who make those crucial decisions.

It is vital that those like you stay and let your voice of reason be heard, though it will be uncomfortable for the powers that be who are pleased by the deafening silence of the Viyathmaga and the GMOA. After all, there is nothing worse, at times of evil, than the silence of the good men and women!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: Years ago, when Gota maama was asked to direct the battle to save Paradise from the Tigers who killed thousands including your beloved Jeyaraj, it was SF he picked to lead that war. It is a pity that he doesnt want the war against a virus that is already killing thousands led by another SF!
Courting disaster, with no proper plan to handle it View(s):

In its desperate quest to chase after every possible dollar on offer, are the authorities inviting disaster after disaster into the country is the question on many a lip. A few months ago, in the midst of a pandemic it was inviting Ukrainian tourists. More recently, Indian workers transiting. Now, a stricken ship.

An environmental and economic catastrophe, the worst of its kind as they say, has occurred by the fire and the consequent sinking of the X-Press Pearl outside the Colombo harbour. The vessels owners issued a statement to say that the ship applied to the western Indian port of Hazira and the Qatari port of Hamand to offload a leaking container of nitric acid, but the requests were denied. The response given was there were no special facilities or expertise immediately available to deal with the leaking acid. The company complained that those ports took the attitude; not in our backyard. And the ship continued its journey merrily towards Colombo.

The multimillion dollar questions are 1) did the ships captain deliberately withhold information of the leak from Sri Lankan authorities (before the fire occurred when the ship was already in Sri Lankan waters) and 2) if so, did the Sri Lanka Ports Authority take matters concerning dangerous cargo on board too lightly. Post-mortems are in progress but one thing is crystal clear, the Sri Lankan authorities failed to prevent the disaster of this magnitude at its very door-step.

The livelihoods of thousands of fishermen have been ruined in the meantime. So have been the pristine beaches on the western coastline  grievously damaged together with the marine and coral life in the waters. Millions of plastic pellets have littered the beaches. Water resources scientists speak of the potential of acid rain when nitric acid is mixed with seawater.

Post-mortems, for which the Sri Lankan authorities seem to have an appetite after ignoring looming disasters, show multiple agencies working without one command structure. In this instance, there is now even the question of whether dousing the fire on board by pouring water on nitric acid only aggravated the situation due to the chemical reaction from the mix.

For a country that has one of the best transshipment container ports in the world, and looks forward to its harbours as the future engine of growth, the corresponding investment in planning and equipment and with no proper drill to handle accidents at sea is a terribly poor show. Questions have also been raised whether Sri Lanka has signed international conventions to pursue insurance claims against errant shippers, and if not, why not.

The great escape from the super-tanker MV Diamonds near sinking off the southeast coast of Sri Lanka with gallons and gallons of diesel and crude oil only last September has taught no lessons to the authorities to rectify the shortcomings. The simple answer appears to be to call the Indian Coast Guard for assistance and seek compensation. Even the case of compensation in the MV Diamond case is reeking with sordid questions.

Coincidentally, next Tuesday (June marks World Oceans Day which tellingly, this year has as its theme; The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods.

Despite all the brouhaha about Sri Lankas geopolitical significance being located in a crucial world shipping lane, and what a great maritime hub it is going to be with a new port in Hambantota and now the Port City in Colombo, much of the talk reminds one of the local idiom, talk is by palanquin, but the walk is by foot.

Poor battle plans to fight proxy wars abroad

If arresting the free falling COVID situation on land and the blazing ship at sea are not a handful to handle, fire-fighting proxy wars against it abroad seems a humongous task for the Government. Appointing ill-qualified personnel for the latter assignment is not helping in this onerous assignment, either.

There is a snowballing effect from resolution after motion after court order in Western legislatures and courts against the incumbent Government. Just last month the provincial assembly of Ontario in Canada approved a motion brought by a pro-LTTE member to declare a week in May to commemorate what it called Genocide in Sri Lanka. It has gone unchallenged. Last week, the US Congress forwarded a resolution to the House Foreign Relations Committee to vet a draft resolution that follows up from the UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka with the addition of the reference to a Tamil Homeland.

In the UK, where the LTTE remains a banned organisation, sympathisers of the terrorist group have kept up the tempo with demonstrations in London while the local Police adopt a Nelsonian-eye.

This week, a UK appeal tribunal upturned orders by granting two LTTE sympathisers asylum on the basis of not just the human rights record in Sri Lanka as the tribunal sees it, but the political trajectory of the incumbent Government in Colombo.

Mercifully for Sri Lanka, Dr. Colvin R. De Silva ensured the Republican Constitution of 1972 (now May 22 as Republic Day is not even celebrated in Sri Lanka) broke the judicial umbilical cord with the Privy Council in Britain and court orders in the UK are limited to its own jurisdiction. However, the upshot of the UK judgment (please see page 10 for details) is that any asylum seeker in the UK has only to show his LTTE membership card, or their trademark cyanide capsule, or even an AK-47 issued to him or her to win asylum in the UK.

Any law student will be able to pick any number of holes in the UK appeal tribunals order. It refers to Sri Lankas violent history of the past four decades forgetting the violent history in the UK via the IRA. There is a reference to entrenchment of the presence of military personnel in the power structure of the Government, but what is probably meant is former military personnel. There are references to colonisation of Buddhists in Sri Lanka and the introduction of new words to the English language such as Sinhalisation.

Nit-picking the wording of these resolutions and orders is like barking at the moon. The snowballing of all these multi-pronged exercises is going to soon turn into an avalanche unless the Government can rectify its ineptitude in meeting these challenges.
WASHINGTON  Uber Eats, Postmates and DoorDash said they will no longer waive delivery fees for customers who order from Black-owned restaurants in Arizona, to settle charges by the state that the deals violated the Arizona Civil Rights Act.
Love them or loathe them, Amazon's growth is intrinsically tied to Seattle.

Founded in 1994, the company humbly began from a garage in Bellevue as an online marketplace for books, capitalizing on the new age of the internet. And by 2001, the company had moved beyond just selling books to sell items like electronics and cookware, steadily growing into the e-commerce entity it is today. Amazon's CEO and founder Jeff Bezos was already a billionaire and becoming a household name.

At the time, online shopping was gaining traction for its ease and convenience with total e-commerce sales estimated to be $32.6 billion in the U.S., up 19% from the previous year.

It can be hard to put into perspective just how much Amazon has and hasn't changed, but there are a few metrics we can use. Keep reading for a look back on Amazon in 2001 compared to what it is today.

Barry Sweet/Associated Press

Yearly sales in 2001:

According to their annual report, sales grew to $3.12 billion in 2001, up 13% from $2.76 billion in 2000. International sales took off in 2001, with 25% of all sales coming from outside the U.S. The largest international markets were in the U.K. and Germany.

The company served over 25 million customer accounts at the time, up from 20 million the previous year.

Jane Barlow - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Yearly sales now:

While the 2001 numbers seem like a lot, they are pennies compared to what Amazon earned in a single quarter of this year alone. For the quarter ending March 31, net sales were $108.5 billion according to Forbes, the company's best first quarter and up 44% year over year.

Getty Images

Profits in 2001:

With the dot-com bubble burst in the early part of the new century, the year 2001 actually saw Amazon go negative in profits. According to the New York Times, the company had a negative operating cash flow of $120 million. At the year's end, the company had $997 million in cash, down from $1.1 billion a year earlier.

Andia/Universal Images Group via

Profits now:

With online shopping skyrocketing amid the pandemic, Amazon had a record year in 2020 with revenue up 38% to $386 billion according to Forbes.

Matthew Rutledge, Flickr

Seattle offices in 2001:

South Lake Union was the tech-centric neighborhood back them. The online retailer moved into the Pacific Medical Center building on Beacon Hill in 1999 and occupied 13 floors for $1.5 million a year. Although it was damaged by the Nisqually Earthquake in 2001, the e-commerce company continued to occupy the building during its rehabilitation.

The company left the building in 2010 and began to move to its new headquarters in South Lake Union.

GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

Seattle offices now:

The steel and glass spheres on Lenora Street are as much of a tourist site today as they are Amazon's Seattle headquarters. Sometimes called "Bezos' Balls" by disgruntled locals, the Spheres officially opened in 2018 and feature over 40,000 plants from around the world.

The company currently operates out of 40 buildings in South Lake Union in a sprawling urban campus and is also expanding its footprint on the Eastside, with construction on its new Bellevue 600 office building beginning in spring.

Barry Sweet/Associated Press

Workforce in 2001:

Amazon employed a total of 7,800 employees in 2001 after laying off 15% of its staffers. The shrinking was due to warehouse and customer service center closures after the dot-com bubble burst.

In a message to shareholders in 2001, Bezos wrote "Its not easy to work here. When I interview people I tell them, 'You can work long, hard, or smart, but at Amazon.com you cant choose two out of three.'"

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag

Workforce now:

According to the last annual report, the company directly employed 1.3 million people around the world in 2020. Over 75,000 people are employed by Amazon in the Seattle area, according to Geekwire.

Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images

Jeff Bezos in 2001:

Known as the geeky founder and CEO of Amazon.com, Inc., Bezos was becoming a household name and face of e-commerce after being named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" in 1999.

"There were two great themes of the year, online shopping and dot-com mania, and the minute we thought of Bezos it was obvious that he embodied both," the magazine wrote.

GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

Jeff Bezos now:

While he has been the face of the brand for nearly three decades, Bezos won't be CEO of the company he founded for much longer. He announced plans to step down in July and will pass the baton to Andy Jassy, who currently runs Amazon Web Services.

Web Design Museum

Web design in 2001:

You can almost hear the screechy dial-up internet tone looking at this image. Advertising books and electronics, the website design was certainly much simpler. While the design may be an eyesore now, it was similar to many other catalogue websites back in the day.

Amazon

Web design now:

The streamlined website is now advertising Prime Day Sales, a promotion that didn't exist until 2005.
Alex Brandon/AP

SARATOGA, N.Y. (AP)  U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose loyalty to former president Donald Trump won her a leadership post in the House Republican caucus, announced on Twitter that she is expecting her first child.

The fourth-term Congress member from upstate New York tweeted Saturday, We are absolutely overjoyed to announce that our small family of 2 will soon be 3! Were excited to share that we are expecting a baby this fall & we cannot wait to meet our precious bundle of joy."
Kenneth Gill, age 65, husband of 47 years of Marsha Gill of Lily, Kentucky went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at his residence. He was the father of Kenneth E. Gill, Jr., of Hamilton, Ohio and Jessica Bowman and husband Terry of London, Kentucky; the brother of Vic Gill 
London, KY (40741)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
CTU to file action against Ed. Ministry View(s):

Last week the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) said it is making preparations to file legal action against the Education Ministry for its decision to increase the intake of grade one students for each classroom.

The Education Times learned that the Education Ministry has decided to increase student numbers in each classroom to 40 students, in 2022.

A Ministry official said the five extra slots will be for children of tri-force and Police personnel.

CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said this will be in violation of Supreme Court order no. SCFR232/2011 in 2011 to limit student numbers in each classroom to 35.

The directive was granted following a court case filed against popular national schools that had overcrowded classrooms with 40 to 50 students.

The Education Ministry had agreed to comply with the court order by gradually decreasing the numbers in classrooms within a five year period from 2016 to 2020.

Accordingly the student numbers in classrooms was 35 last year (2020), a fact taken pride of by the Education Ministry.

However once again the Education Ministry has announced an increase in student numbers, which the unions argue will be detrimental to disseminate education effectively in classrooms.

Overcrowded classrooms can be overwhelming to teachers and discriminative to weak children who will miss out on personalised attention, Mr Stalin said.

He said this decision was also disrespectful of the courts decision.

We request the Government to immediately remove this clause from the admission criteria and limit the intake to 35 students. If not we will have to go back to the Supreme Court, Stalin said.

Meanwhile a Senior Education Ministry official said they will take into consideration the issues the applicants for grade one admissions will be facing in view of the travel restrictions. They said the deadline would be revised after these issues are considered.

The applications for grade one admissions have to be sent on or before June 30. - CC
Dandelion Chocolate on Sunday rebutted claims by union organizers that recent layoffs at the San Francisco gourmet chocolate company were meant to frighten and intimidate the staff during a union organizing drive.

In a statement Saturday, the organizers said they would file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board over the dismissal last week of nine employees who the union says supported efforts to unionize the companys workers.

All nine of us who were let go were members of the organizing committee, said Christine Keating, who conducted chocolate education classes at the Valencia Street plant. The companys choice of who to let go was definitely influenced by who expressed union support. It sends a pretty clear message.

But Dandelion CEO Todd Masonis said Sunday that the reductions were made for purely economic reasons.

In total, 15 positions were eliminated, including managers and non-managers, voluntary and involuntary, both union supporters and not, Masonis said in an email to The Chronicle. Another 19 team members are taking reduced hours or pay. These actions affect almost half of the company, most of whom are not eligible to participate in the union.

Masonis added that with votes already cast on the unionization effort, the job reductions would not affect the outcome. Many vocal union supporters are still members of the team, and the departments that were cut were based on their profitability alone, he said. Within departments that had reductions, the cuts were based on seniority within their team.

The company said about 40% of its 80 employees were either laid off or had their hours and pay cut.

This is unfortunate, Masonis said. We are very sad to see them go.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

The company said the cuts were necessary because demand for its $10 to $18 artisan chocolate bars was down during the pandemic and the start of a normally-slow summer season.

Union organizer Agustin Ramirez of the ILWU said the layoffs were a targeted effort to curtail the union.

Masonis said, We notified the ILWU in advance about these layoffs twice, once over a month ago and again 10 days ago. We invited them to meet one-on-one to discuss and avoid any confusion, to which Ive yet to receive a response.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
At the start of the year, infectious disease experts across California were, in their own words, stumbling around in a blind frenzy.

A new variant of the coronavirus was raging across the United Kingdom, causing unprecedented spikes in cases and deaths. California was similarly overwhelmed by a surge in winter cases  but here, very little high-tech testing was being done to identify the source of those infections. When California scientists finally discovered a locally bred variant, it was almost by accident. The mutant virus had long since gained a foothold and spread widely.

That experience raised alarms, statewide and nationally, and spurred fresh efforts and funding for genomic sequencing, the main tool scientists use to hunt for variants.

As a result, sequencing has exploded since January in California. It jumped sixfold in California in April alone, when nearly 20,000 genomic sequences from the state were deposited in a global database  more than from all but four countries. Across the U.S., sequencing increased more than fourfold in May from January.

California is now sequencing up to 10% of all coronavirus cases, a huge improvement from less than 0.5% at the start of the year. That means the state is now, finally, doing enough sequencing that infectious disease experts say they have a good grasp of the types of variants spreading here, and they are confident that scientists will be able to spot any new mutations quickly.

Weve got enough visibility to feel comfortable that we know which variants are emerging and how quickly theyre moving and whether theyre getting a foothold, said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer.

Sequencing began picking up nationwide in February, with $200 million from the Biden administration directed toward the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In April, the administration promised an additional $1.7 billion in coronavirus stimulus money for sequencing by the CDC and at the state level. That funding is meant to expand geographic coverage with sequencing and improve tracking and study of emerging variants.

Theres certainly room for improvement in California, many infectious disease experts say. The state may have a great overview of the pandemics genetic stamp, but most counties still dont have access to enough sequencing to understand whats happening in neighborhoods or to quickly identify and control local outbreaks.

Some scientists worry that the state is missing data within certain vulnerable communities, such as farmworkers or people without reliable access to health care. They also complain of a lack of cooperation between the public health gatekeepers of demographic data and the academic researchers who could use that information to paint a more nuanced portrait of where and how the virus is spreading.

The state has really increased the amount of COVID sequencing that is happening, but theyre doing it on this really broad scale, where theyre collecting big numbers so they can make big, broad statements about things. It has increased, but I think that its not the way that we need it to go forward, said Stacia Wyman, senior genomics scientist at the Innovative Genomics Institute at UC Berkeley. We need to really, really stay on our toes about this.

Genomic sequencing provides the genetic blueprint of a virus  essentially, the instructions for its reproduction. Sequencing can reveal mutations to that genetic code. Those mutations, if they become permanent, can lead to new variants.

State and federal public health officials have identified about 10 variants in the U.S. that are cause for concern, because they may be more infectious, cause more serious illness or show signs of vaccine resistance. So far none of those variants is causing big problems in California and the vaccines are effective against all of them, but new variants are constantly emerging in other parts of the world.

In some ways, sequencing becomes even more important as California approaches the end of its pandemic, infectious disease experts said. It will be critical to study coronavirus illnesses in vaccinated people  known as breakthrough cases  to determine whether new variants are becoming resistant.

Sequencing also will help county health officials quickly identify local clusters of cases and stamp them out before they can trigger more widespread community transmission. For example, if two employees at the same grocery store test positive, health officials can use sequencing to determine if they are infected with the same variant  a sign that an outbreak is brewing and aggressive workplace safety measures need to be put in place.

Expanded sequencing capacity in combination with other public health surveillance will be an important part of the pandemic end game, said Dr. Benjamin Pinsky, head of the Stanford Clinical Virology Laboratory.

Although the state still needs to ramp up local sequencing efforts, many experts said, California has made significant progress.

Once relegated to academic and high-end commercial laboratories, genomic sequencing is becoming more mainstream  a process sped up by the pandemic. Over the past six months alone, more than 14 California counties have started doing their own sequencing.

The equipment, roughly the size of a kitchen oven, now sits in labs as remote as Tulare and Humboldt counties. Five Bay Area counties have purchased sequencing equipment since the end of last year, and all of them have access to regional laboratories that can do sequencing for them. Genomic sequencing equipment varies dramatically in cost, but counties report spending about $150,000 on all the entry-level supplies.

Genomic sequencing is a great tool in terms of understanding what were seeing in our community. And having your own capacity in your own lab gives you faster turnaround time and better surveillance, said Dr. Sefanit Mekuria, deputy health officer for Contra Costa County.

Contra Costas lab started its own sequencing in April and now does about 30 sequences a week. Mekuria said having in-house sequencing is most useful for providing results in days instead of weeks, as was the case when the county sent samples to other labs.

Building up a sequencing lab was no small task. Contra Costa had to buy equipment, figure out how to store large amounts of data associated with sequencing and train staff to analyze that data and apply it to case investigations. Before the pandemic, people who did sequencing typically had advanced degrees in bio-informatics  not a topic most county public health workers are deeply familiar with.

Theres a lot more that goes into it than just buying the sequencer, said Patrick Ayscue, an epidemiologist and senior fellow with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a nonprofit in San Franciscos Mission Bay.

The Biohub provided sequencing for counties starting last summer, when public health officials had limited access to the technology. By the fall it was responsible for roughly half of all sequencing in California, and as of the end of May it had completed more than 12,000 sequences, Ayscue said.

But the Biohub has largely stopped doing that work for the state and counties as public health labs have stepped up.

Were not disappearing. If stuff pops up and surge capacity is needed, well be around to help support if things fall through the floor, Ayscue said. But I dont think anyone viewed it as desirable for this important public health function to be reliant on a nonprofit in the long term. And the state has gotten access to extensive sequencing capacity just within the last few months.

Since fall, scientists from the Biohub have helped Santa Clara County and about a dozen others in the state set up in-house sequencing operations, assisting them in choosing equipment and figuring out how to store data to analyzing complex genomic reports.

County health officials have used sequencing to get finely detailed information about how the virus is spreading in their communities. But sequencing will be useful after the pandemic, too, for everything from identifying drug-resistant sexually transmitted diseases to controlling valley fever, public health officials said.

Sequencing has been a bucket list item to add to our repertoire for years. But its always about money, funding. Even lab space for us is a big deal, said Jeremy Corrigan, manager of the Humboldt County public health laboratory. We have been taking every opportunity we can to build our infrastructure and equipment and supplies using COVID funding opportunities. We want to be better prepared for the next pandemic.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday
As the Bay Area anticipates the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, elected officials and people who led the fight against another global health crisis gathered in the National AIDS Memorial Grove to mark the 40th anniversary of the first reported cases of AIDS.

The coincidence, and the contrast, was not lost on many of the speakers and guests at a private ceremony Saturday morning at the grove in Golden Gate Park.

Its odd to be coming out of a pandemic and reflecting on another, said Joshua Gamson, a member of the National AIDS Memorial Grove board. This is my first time in the grove since the pandemic, and I feel like Im coming out of a cocoon and into the memories of the AIDS pandemic.

There are lots of flashbacks because of this pandemic, and the difference in response, said Lou Hexter, an urban planning consultant from Oakland, who spent the 1980s working with the AIDS Project East Bay.

The federal response to both pandemics was criticized as slow, with Ronald Reagan in the White House in 1981 and Donald Trump in 2020, but the national death totals are not far apart  despite acquired immune deficiency syndrome being around for decades longer. The number of people whove died of AIDS in the U.S. as of 2018 is about 700,000, while the death total for COVID-19 is almost 600,000.

On June 5, 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first cases of a mysterious illness among gay men that would later become known as AIDS. It hit the Bay Area  and particularly San Francisco  hard, and the city mostly had to figure out on its own how to combat a disease that spread rapidly and disproportionately through the gay, transgender, Black and Latino communities, as well as through drug users and sex workers.

All of us considered disposable throwaway people by our federal government and by this society, said state Sen. Scott Wiener, who said he came of age as a gay man as a 17-year-old in 1987 and described it as a terrifying time.

Mayor London Breed said the federal government abandoned San Francisco at the start of the AIDS crisis.

San Francisco was left on our own, Breed said, but we did what San Franciscans do best  we came together. ... The system of care developed to help those struggling with HIV/AIDS was developed right here in San Francisco. The renowned research that continues to this very day was established right here in our great city.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who hosted the first fundraiser for the now-famous AIDS Memorial Quilt and pushed to get it displayed on the National Mall, said San Franciscos compassionate, persistent and science-based approach to the crisis has helped the city, and the nation, in the battle against the coronavirus.

Our mayor, she has just been a model for the rest of the country in how she has dealt with COVID, and I think that her strength stems from the tradition and standards that we have here about caring for people, people caring for people. Its not about someone talking down to us but people springing up.

The impact of COVID has been felt unevenly across the country, with case and death rates, as well as regulations on masking, social distancing and gathering, varying by state.

Pelosi said AIDS activism has also served as a model for other campaigns, including the fights against breast cancer, for marriage equality and against the militarys former dont ask, dont tell policy, which prevented gay people from openly serving.

It all sprang from the AIDS activism and community coming from San Francisco, she said.

While much progress has been made in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and drugs have been developed to slow its spread, people are still dying, speakers said. Pelosi credited President Biden with committing $670 million in the coming years budget to combating AIDS.

Then the speeches and ceremony ended and a line of people formed to start the hours-long ritual of reading the names of the people who have died from AIDS. The names echoed through the memorials redwood grove and meadow, lined with panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
The federal judge who struck down Californias 32-year-old assault weapon ban has a history of being overturned on gun

issues. With the Bay Area still reeling from another mass shooting, critics are hoping for a quick reversal  but with a Supreme Court increasingly open to reconsidering major gun laws, theres no guarantee of that lasting.

Top-ranking state officials are pledging to quickly appeal the Friday night ruling by U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez that the law limiting semiautomatic weapons violates the Second Amendment.

In a 94-page decision, Benitez praised AR-15-style rifles, one of the weapons included in the ban, as good for both home and battle.

The judge, who was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2003, has history of siding with gun rights advocates in cases about background checks, high-capacity ammunition and other Second Amendment issues that were later overturned or challenged.

Its a horrible decision, said Kris Brown, president of gun control advocacy group Brady, but its also par for the course with the San Diego judge, she added.

At stake is the fate of a class of weapons at the center of several of the nations deadliest mass shootings, plus the question of how a shifting legal landscape could impact other gun control cases playing out across the country.

Jessica Hill/Associated Press 2013

Earlier this year, a federal appeals court moved toward reversing Benitez on a National Rifle Association case involving Californias 2016 voter-approved ban on large-capacity magazines.

With the new case directly challenging the assault weapon ban  and by extension, similar bans in six other states and the District of Columbia  state officials have 30 days to appeal before Benitezs ruling goes into effect. Brown said she is optimistic that the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, will overrule the decision and restore the restrictions.

The states gun rights advocates say theyre ready for the legal battle to continue. Officials at Sacramento gun rights lobbying group the Firearms Policy Coalition said theyre prepared to go to the Supreme Court, if necessary, in a bid to redefine what counts as an assault weapon and loosen gun restrictions.

The term assault weapon has always been an arbitrary label used by anti-gun governments to ban constitutionally protected firearms, George Lee, attorney for the Firearms Policy Coalition, said in a statement. This win is a watershed moment for civil rights, and will restore liberty to countless Californians that have been subjected to gross tyranny.

As it stands, Californias assault weapon ban applies to semiautomatic guns, such as the AR-15-style rifle, with detachable magazines. Guns in this category can be reloaded faster or more easily used with modifications like forward grips, folding stocks, flash suppressors and shrouds to protect a shooter from burns. The ban, officially known as the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989, was enacted after a Stockton schoolyard shooting with a semiautomatic rifle that killed five children and wounded 29 others.

In the court ruling Friday, Benitez noted that the Supreme Court has already held that citizens are not free to carry any weapon whatsoever. But AR-15-style rifles, he argued, are protected by the Second Amendment and have been unfairly maligned as murderous weapons.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the Second Amendment protected possession of handguns at home for self-defense but said it did not apply to dangerous and unusual weapons, a category it has not yet defined. The court agreed in April to decide whether California and other states can require permits to carry firearms outside the home.

The AR-15-style rifle, first developed for military use in the 1950s by gun manufacturer ArmaLite, has become a symbol of gun violence controversy after variations of the model were used in some of the deadliest rampages in U.S. history. That includes a 2017 Las Vegas concert shooting that killed 58 people and the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre of 27 children and school personnel.

It pulverizes people, Brown said of the high-velocity weapon that doctors say can leave softball-size exit wounds. No one needs an AR-15 to protect themselves.

Northern Californias most recent mass shootings have involved different semiautomatic weapons, some allowed under current gun laws and some not.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

In San Jose last month, a gunman who killed nine co-workers and himself at a San Jose Valley Transportation Authority rail yard used three legally owned semiautomatic handguns, despite a track record of threats and violent behavior, according to law enforcement reports. Two years ago, the 19-year-old perpetrator of a mass shooting at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival employed an illegal variation of an AK-47 rifle to kill three people and injure more than a dozen others.

After last months shooting, state politicians proposed other new checks on gun purchases. Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, wrote in a letter to Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen that officials should expand red flag laws that allow for temporary restraining orders or the seizure of weapons from individuals identified as potentially dangerous to the public.

No family should experience the trauma and pain that families of those who lost loved ones are currently bearing, Cortese wrote. More needs to be done so that we dont lose more lives.

At the federal level, assault weapons were previously banned by a 1994 law sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., after a gunman killed eight people at a San Francisco law office the previous year. That ban expired in 2004, and Feinstein has since introduced measures to revive it that have failed to garner sufficient political support.

For Brown, its matter of when  not if  the Supreme Court reshaped by former President Donald Trump will strike down a major gun law, whether its Californias assault weapon ban or another. For those concerned about that, she said theres really only one path forward.

What does it mean? Brown said. Vote.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Bob Egelko contributed to this report.

Lauren Hepler is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hepler@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LAHepler
Over the past seven years, the Mission District has become San Franciscos busiest neighborhood for affordable housing development, with 1,100 units in the pipeline and a steady drumbeat of groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings blessed by ceremonial Aztec dancers and lauded by politicians.

At the same time, the nonprofit Mission Economic Development Agency has worked with the citys Small Sites Program to buy more than 25 rent-controlled buildings  totaling 240 units  that were at risk of being snapped up by investors, emptied of their largely working-class Latino residents and turned into expansive tenancies in common.

For District Eight Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the Castro, Noe Valley, Diamond Heights and Glen Park neighborhoods in the citys central sector, its been bittersweet to watch. He loves that so many low- and middle-income Mission families will be able to stay in their homes. Still, he cant help but reflect on the fact that his district, which since 2009 has had nearly as many evictions as the Mission, has almost no affordable units coming down the pike. Nor does it have a nonprofit dedicated to buying and preserving rent-controlled buildings.

We have sort of been skipped over, Mandelman said. There has been a big push on the east side of town in SoMa, the Mission and the Bayview. And now there is a lot of focus on the west side of the city, where there is a compelling equity argument. Im just saying, Lets not forget about the center of the city.

Since 2009 there have been 614 no-fault evictions in District Eight, second to District Nine, which had 653. Most of these fall into two categories: owner move-in evictions, where the landlord wants to clear out the tenant for a family member; and Ellis Act evictions, where the owner wants to get out of the rental business altogether, either by leaving the building vacant or selling the units off as condos.

From 1997 through 2019, 5,414 eviction notices were filed against District Eight renters, based on all notices filed with the San Francisco Rent Board. While many notices of eviction dont end up with the tenant being forced out, District Eight residents have been facing significant threat of displacement for some time, Mandelman said.

The neighborhoods Mandelman represents have a host of challenges when it comes to preserving housing affordable to working- and middle-class families, according to a report on District Eight housing opportunities the Mayors Office of Housing and Community Development recently completed.

The district falls into what the housing advocates call the missing middle. Many residents earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable units  in which a family of four would have to earn less than $80,000 a year to qualify. Yet many rent-control tenants earn far too little to afford a market rate unit of $4,500 for a two-bedroom.

Real estate is costlier than the Mission. The Mission Economic Development Agency has looked at buying rent-controlled buildings in Noe Valley and the Castro for its Small Sites program, but the price per unit has been too high. It is also a slice of the city that lacks large development sites  unlike areas such as Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, the Bayview and Mission, which all have warehouses and underutilized industrial parcels that allow for projects of 100 units, which is the minimum that most affordable builders funded by tax credits will take on.

As stable neighborhoods made up largely of small apartment buildings and single-family Victorians, District Eight has not had the sort of large redevelopment wars that have mobilized groups in SoMa, Chinatown or the Mission. Those fights, which have defined city politics for decades, helped spark the formation of affordable housing groups such as Chinatown Community Development Center, Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp., Todco in the South of Market and Mission Economic Development Agency and Mission Housing.

The thing that has generated the affordable housing in District Nine was community activism  a consistent campaign that was sometimes at the ballot box and sometimes at City Hall, and sometimes in the streets, Mandelman said. That community pushed back hard on gentrification and demanded and got outsized shares of new affordable housing production. We are beginning to see the fruits of that. We dont have that infrastructure in District Eight.

Meanwhile, District Eight tenants continue to be forced out of their longtime homes, and there is often little that can be done to help them, Mandelman said.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

For well over a century the five-unit, two-building apartment complex at 672-676A Castro St. provided reasonably priced housing for local workers.

In 1980 Jeanine Reisbig and her wife, Gale Golden, rented a middle-floor unit there for $375 a month. For decades the couple worked hard  Reisbig had a moving company and Golden painted houses. They moved into the newspaper delivery business  delivering the Bay Guardian and Bay Area Reporter  and Golden worked as a driver for Super Shuttle and other companies. They loved being in the Castro. Outside their home, there was so much fabulous energy, Reisbig said. It was Pride 365 days a year.

Everything was fine until 2016, when an investment group bought the buildings for $2.55 million. That landlord initiated an eviction process but ended up selling to a San Jose company for $3.75 million. The new owners bought out three of the five tenants and sold those units off as tenancy in common homes: one for $950,000, one for $1.05 million and one for $1.29 million. Before the TICs were sold off, Mission Economic Development Agency looked into buying the building, but the price was too high.

Now the couple, along with their upstairs tenant, are fighting eviction. Reisbig is 69, and Golden is 73. Golden has serious health issues  a heart condition and lasting effects of having been rear-ended by a drunken driver. Her doctors are at UCSF, and she doesnt know where else she could go to be close to adequate medical care. Reisbig is her home health care aide.

You spend your whole working life in a city. Why should you be pushed out and forced to make a whole new life somewhere else? Golden said. We just want to live out the rest of our days here.

As longtime residents vanish, Mandelman worries that the Castro will also lose the idiosyncratic LGBTQ culture that has made the neighborhood famous worldwide.

When well-known drag artist Donna Sachet was forced out of her Castro apartment of 23 years, she took a bottle of red model paint and wrote on the sidewalk: Imperial Palace - 1993-2016.

For more than two decades Sachet, who had been the longtime empress of the charitable Imperial Court System, had created a social and philanthropic hub in her three-bedroom apartment, hosting everyone from Gavin Newsom to Kamala Harris to former state Sen. Mark Leno, who named her the official first lady of the Castro district.

In 2016, Sachets landlord informed her that his grandson would be moving in. She ended up at the Rise, a new building at Valencia and Market, where she lives in a one-bedroom.

I feel displaced, she said. Certainly I have a lot of friends who have had to leave, who just say, Im going back to the Midwest or Texas or maybe Palm Springs. But Im committed to the city. There is something in the water and air here. Im going to figure out a way to stay.

Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle

Mandelman said he will continue to look for sites on which to build all kinds of housing in his district. He recently pushed the city to acquire the sheet metal union hall at 1939 Market St., which will eventually be developed with about 100 low-income senior units. Construction on that will probably start in 2023. In Diamond Heights, the city invested $1.2 million toward an eight-unit project at 36 Amber Drive, which is being built by Habitat for Humanity.

The city report identified 64 sites with likely housing development potential across the district, with capacity for approximately 3,196 new units of housing based on current zoning. Most are too small to work for the typical tax credit affordable projects. Mandelman said he would look at every lot to see where more housing could be built, including the Safeway on upper Market Street and the parking lot by the Glen Park BART Station.

I am not interested in District Eight becoming Pacific Heights south, he said.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
Will President Biden trim his infrastructure proposal enough to bring Republicans aboard, or will he and his fellow Democrats go it alone? Will playing Santa Claus with the surplus allow Gov. Gavin Newsom to put down the recall for good, or will drought and other disasters beat him to the polls? Will we have to wear masks to the office or not?

More to the point, given that these might be the last days of American democracy, who cares?

This is hyperbole, of course. Roads, bridges and transit matter; so do Californias governorship and workplace safety. But most of the issues that occupy our politics and lives are minor compared with our right to have a say in these and other matters. And that right is in serious jeopardy.

Republican legislators introduced hundreds of bills to restrict voting in nearly every state after Biden was elected, and now some of them are law. As of a week ago, 14 states had enacted 22 laws to make voting harder, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, mainly by making mail-in ballots more difficult to obtain and return. Eighteen legislatures are considering an additional 61 bills to suppress absentee voting, increase voter identification requirements, raise barriers to registration and purge voters from the rolls.

Not coincidentally, the state that Democrats won by the narrowest margins in 2020 responded with the most restrictive law. Georgias omnibus voter suppression act makes voting by mail harder and, more perniciously, extends the Republican-controlled Legislatures power over local election boards and the secretary of state, the top elections official. The current secretary of state, Republican Brad Raffensperger, famously stood in the way of some of Donald Trumps most desperate and potentially criminal efforts to overturn the election.

Texas, widely considered the next politically competitive Southern state, was poised to pass a similarly ambitious attack on democracy last weekend until Democratic lawmakers blocked it, probably temporarily, by walking out of an expiring legislative session. Like the Georgia law, it would have not only thrown up more obstacles to voting, particularly for minority voters, but also facilitated partisan interference with election results. The Brennan Center noted that more than a third of the anti-democracy measures under consideration were in Texas and two states that narrowly favored Biden, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Such legislation will give Republican legislatures more ways to frustrate voters and undo votes. That could alter the results of the next presidential election at the state level and elect more members of Congress who will go along with the next attempt to subvert its certification. In that context, Trumps reported confidence in being reinstated to the presidency looks less delusional than merely premature.

Its a now-or-never moment for American democracy, said Texas state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, one of the legislators who participated in the walkout. He urged Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to cowboy up and help pass federal legislation to protect voting rights and access, which could go to the Senate floor this month. West Virginia isnt exactly cowboy country, but Martinez Fischers words should resonate farther west as well: in Arizona, where another conservative Democratic senator, Kyrsten Sinema, is helping Republicans block the measures; and California, where Dianne Feinstein has wavered on the matter but expressed openness to protecting elections regardless of GOP cooperation.

Bidens assignment of Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the administrations voting rights fight sent the right signal about the stakes not just for his agenda but also for the country. Infrastructure is negotiable; democracy isnt.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
In the face of a wave of racist, anti-voter legislation introduced by state governments across the country, hundreds of leading American companies, including Salesforce, recently signed a letter stating they were committed to defend(ing) the right to vote and to oppos(ing) any discriminatory legislation or measures that restrict or prevent any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot.

This outpouring of principled corporate leadership is both wanted and needed. But theres a problem:

Dozens of these companies, Salesforce among them, remain affiliated with one of the most prominent and influential organizations working against a healthy democracy: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The U.S. chamber calls itself the worlds largest business federation. And thanks to the financial support it receives from major corporations like Salesforce, it has spent a staggering $1.6 billion lobbying the federal government since 1998, giving over $116 million to political candidates  mostly Republicans. Millions of these dollars have poured into the pockets of the lawmakers and groups leading the fight to advance voter suppression and gerrymandering efforts.

As far back as 2010, the U.S. chamber hatched and funded a conservative-led redistricting project known as Redmap, which was condemned by a leading civil rights activist as having cracked, stacked, packed and bleached Black voters to reduce their political representation. Most recently, the chamber has engaged in a lobbying blitz against HR1, the For the People Act, a historic House-passed bill that would preserve an individuals right to vote.

The group also contributed more than $7.4 million to the Republican State Leadership Committee, which, just this year, launched a so-called voter integrity commission that has been widely panned as a coordinated voter suppression effort and has called for a variety of measures that would disproportionately harm voters of color.

The chambers unwillingness to withhold support from those who would threaten our democracy is helping to fan the flames of a legislative insurrection. Undaunted by the Capitol riots, state legislatures across the country are moving ahead with bills that enact a wide set of obstacles to the right to vote for predominantly Black and brown voters.

Just since March, Georgia and Florida passed bills that ban giving food to voters waiting in line at polling places and restrict voting methods. Arizona and Texas are expected to vote on their own bills designed to disenfranchise voters of color  all efforts that could go unchecked if HR1 and other federal voting rights reforms are unsuccessful.

In 2020, Salesforce claimed it was addressing the importance of how access to the ballot continues to impact the Black community by supporting a range of election policy reforms such as automatic voter registration. The companys message could not have been clearer, declaring support for major legislation to limit states from enacting discriminatory voting laws.

But that message simply does not align with the companys decision to maintain its chamber membership.

The chamber can dress up its financial support for anti-democratic politicians and its opposition to HR1 in whatever fashion it wants, but its long record betrays its true motives.

Democracy and the rights of millions of Black and brown Americans are on the line. While companies like Salesforce should be applauded for their public commitment to preserving and defending the right to vote, they also must be held accountable for living up to that promise.

That demands making a choice: either continue embracing and financing an organization that has a documented history of attacking voting rights across the country, or honor the public commitment to support the right to vote by severing all ties with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Kyle Herrig is the president of Accountable.US, a nonpartisan, progressive organization that uses investigative research to expose corruption and hold government officials and corporate special interests accountable.
A photo taken from surveillance footage shows a San Francisco woman on the day she disappeared.

Jean Chang Kan Fung was taking a walk on May 28 at about 3 p.m., a San Francisco spokesman told SFGATE, but did not return to her home in the Richmond District when expected.

Fung  who has gray hair, weighs about 90 pounds and is 5 feet tall  was last seen wearing a red or pink puffer jacket, a purple sweater, brown pants, black Ugg boots and a red beanie with the letters "LC" embroidered. The photo above shows her in this outfit.

She is considered at risk, reported San Francisco police, due to possible medical conditions and her age.

Courtesy of San Leandro Police

Police said that she frequents Clement Street in the Richmond, the Golden Gate Bridge and nearby Crissy Field, the Graton Casino in Rohnert Park and the River Rock Casino in Geyserville. Officers, cadets and volunteers have been handing out flyers in the city, seeking anyone who may have seen or interacted with Fung in the last nine days.

Anyone who spots Fung is urged to contact San Francisco polices tip line at (415) 575-4444 or TIP411.
Happy 90th Birthday Modern Marketing! Growing Importance of Happiness View(s):

Addressing the Asian Marketing Federation on his 90th Birthday, the Father of Modern Marketing  Professor Philip Kotler mentioned the fact that hes not happy with what the United States of America has achieved over the last century. As per his explanation, USA stands tall among all the other nations by occupying the No. 01 position in GDP (Gross Domestic Production) or GNP (Gross National Production). However, Kotler highlights the fact that GDP shouldnt be the only measure or the ultimate measure of development as income disparity can hinder the majority getting access to the wealth created by a nation. He further stressed on the fact that USA has more than 2000 billionaires still there are people who live below the poverty line which takes away happiness of the people of the USA. As per Kotler, USA youth are in debt by the time they complete their higher education and as a result they end up working hard paying debts incurred in obtaining educational qualifications. Moreover, they are compelled to work harder as they need to pay for their housing too as they leave their parents home at the age of 20. Cutting a long story short, he is disappointed of the social standards of the USA in comparison to countries such as Canada and Nordic countries such as Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark which provide quality free education and quality health services to all their citizens irrespective of their income levels. Kotler further states that an average family in the USA spends about US$ 170, 000 by the time a kid reaches the age of 17 from the day they are born.

As opposed to this, he appreciates countries such as Bhutan which has been pioneering the task of measuring GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) and GDW (Gross Domestic Well-Being). However, in the overall ranking for 2020 in GDH

Sri Lanka stands at 130th place while Bangladesh occupies 107th place. USA is at 19th and Finland occupies NO 01. India and China are occupying 134th and 94th places respectively. However, the country which pioneered the happiness index (Bhutan) was not to be found on the list. The classification is arrived at after considering several factors such as: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Sri Lanka is also one of the Asian countries which provides free education of high quality up to graduation from university and also health services free of charge again of high quality. Talking further, Philip Kotler mentioned the fact that, there is something that has taken the happiness away from us and its high time that we find what true happiness is instead of being materialistic which was growing in certain communities in the world who used to seek pleasure in ownership of assets. He further stresses on the fact that GDP is miserably failing as the ultimate measure of growth as GDP can include; weapons, poisons, drugs, alcohol or tobacco which are truly harmful to the survival of mankind on planet earth. Its interesting to see how Kotler has changed his point of view as he reaches the 90th milepost of his life as he was committed to promote consumerism throughout his life with his world famous book Principals of Marketing which he co-authored with Armstrong in educating the world on the basic concepts of marketing. In recent history, Kotler has made shifts in his paradigm of thinking through Marketing 4.0 which talks of the importance of being empathetic with consumers through digital media.

What has taken Happiness away?

Under the assumption of economic rationale man; consumers/ people are assumed to take decisions based on the objective of maximising their utility or satisfaction. However, this is not applicable universally as shown in contemporary research. At times people take emotional decisions which are based on anger, frustration, pleasure, ambiguity, etc. Marketing is explained as a mechanism which provides satisfaction as opposed to happiness. Therefore, at the inception of marketing itself, there has been something wrong in the way its been formulated. Marketing can be better used to create happiness than satisfaction as research has found the fact that; there is a clear difference between happiness and satisfaction and satisfaction doesnt assure happiness. Even when consumers/ people can consume better than others, they still cannot be happy as they end up comparing with consumption of other people in the same class/ society. Another school of thought highlights the fact that, happiness is embedded in the notion of ownership of assets which again leads consumers to acquire resources as possession of assets is another way of forming identities in individuals. The liberalisation of consumption has created many issues in the world as consumption doesnt necessarily lead to happiness. On the other hand, when people get use to certain consumption patterns, deprivation from the same can create frustration and anger and it in return can take happiness away. Therefore, its evident that consumption-based happiness is keeping mankind away from achieving sustainability. (This will further be discussed in my next article). Therefore, there is no doubt that marketing as a discipline or philosophy is loosely comprehended or formed and there is room to improve in creating a better world. Let us wish Professor Kotler many more happy returns as he celebrates his 90th birthday!
A Bay Area family that experienced an unimaginable tragedy is opening up about their son's death in the hopes of raising awareness for school safety.

It was just five days before Christmas 2019 when Alex Quanbeck, 7, was playing during recess at Mark Day School, a private school in San Rafael. As he was tossing a football around with friends, he saw a rolling gate was open. When he went to close it, the 400-pound chain-link gate fell and crushed him. He died at a nearby hospital.

"I remember the coroner coming to our house and crying with us because his stocking was hanging up," Alex's mother, Dayna Quanbeck, told KTVU.

Google Street View

Now 18 months later, both the school and the Quanbeck family are speaking publicly about the tragedy.

On June 2, Mark Day School sent a letter to families taking responsibility for Alex's death.

"It is important to know that our school accepts full responsibility for the events that took Alexs life, and we want to reiterate that Alex was in no way responsible for what happened. He was an innocent victim," the letter reads.

The school says the rolling gate fell a month before during a P.E. class. Students informed the faculty, who put it back up and "notified our former facilities director, who did not take necessary action." The school admitted that it didn't notify the fence contractor or any other technician who could have fixed the gate, although it alleges the gate was "negligently designed, constructed, installed and serviced by the fence contractor."

Since Alex's death, his parents Dayna and Eric have started the Hummingbird Alliance, a non-profit that launches this fall. The group aims to raise awareness for safety issues on school campuses. "The concern for school safety is not new," the alliance site reads. "However, we lack consistent standards, training and resources across public and private schools, school districts and state levels."

The Quanbecks hope to raise donations as well to help fund school safety programs.

"Thats our purpose in life now," Eric Quanbeck told the San Francisco Chronicle. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.)

Alex is survived by his parents and three siblings: twins Ethan and Elliott, 10, and Abigail, 2.

"He was the heartbeat of his family and the instigator of all mischief," reads a statement on the Hummingbird Alliance site. "He loved with his whole heart, and lived life with curiosity, humor and style."
SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter doesn't want its executives to come back to the office, at least not full time.

Neither does Slack, which makes workplace-collaboration tools. Both companies are letting employees work partially or fully remotely after the pandemic and want to make sure everyone adheres to the new policies to create equality.

Amazon, on the other hand, believes the best way to keep its foothold as a leading tech giant is by bringing everyone back to an "office-centric culture," as soon as it's safely possible. In between are companies such as Google and Apple, which are allowing two work-from-home days every week.

Big tech companies were some of the earliest to shut down and lead the way for remote work at the start of the pandemic. Now many are evaluating the future, some choosing at least limited returns to expensive tech campuses, in which the largest companies have invested billions.

As they announce their plans, it's becoming clear: Many of the same companies behind the technology that has made remote work possible for the past 15 months are not willing to buy into a fully remote workplace for themselves.

That has created tension among some white-collar tech workers, as the companies try to balance retaining control with the demands of employees who have grown used to managing their own locations and schedules. They've commiserated on internal forums and pushed back on early offerings from employers.

Now, many tech companies are inviting (or requiring) their employees to come back to the office a few days a week, most commonly three. Some including Google and Apple are adding on stretches of remote-work time, so people can take two or more weeks of working vacation from wherever they choose. A few like Facebook are letting some people apply to be fully remote, with plans of hiring more people to do so in the future.

As a whole, however, the companies' plans acknowledge that 2020 changed how people work, and there's no going back, at least not entirely.

"What bosses need to understand is that this experience we've all lived through has had as big an impact on how we think about life as any other world event in history," said Jared Spataro, Microsoft's executive overseeing modern work technology. "If you then go try to run a company like it's 2019, workers might say, 'I've changed, but you haven't? Then I think I have to go make a change.'"

Microsoft announced most of its workers will be able to work remotely up to 50 percent of the time after offices are fully open, if their jobs allow and the workers choose to. The company, like many others including Slack and Twitter, conducted a survey of its employees to see what they wanted their work life to look like after the pandemic. Across the companies, many people want to come back to offices at least part time, and a smaller slice wants to go back full time.

Companies have slowly been releasing and adjusting their back-to-work plans.

Facebook has not committed to any new work-from-home policies yet. After some offices start opening to a portion of workers July 2, people who are back will be able to work from home one day a week, which was Facebook's policy before the pandemic.

"As we get closer to re-opening our offices at scale, we're considering our approach to in-office time, and expect this will likely evolve," said Facebook spokesperson Katelyn Brehony in a statement.

Some employees at Facebook are unhappy with the system for choosing who can work fully remotely. The company is letting only workers at certain levels of seniority apply, though it varies between departments. According to Facebook, of the people who have applied to go fully remote so far, nearly 90 percent have been approved.

Google's plans include most workers showing up in the office three days a week, though 20 percent of staff may end up working from home permanently, and another 20 percent might switch offices. Inside the company, it's still unclear what exactly expectations will be and how they will differ between work locations and teams, one engineering employee said on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations.

"The return-to-office plans announced so far for desk workers like me have so far been quite vague, so folks are generally waiting to see what we learn as more details are announced," said Andrew Gainer-Dewar, a software engineer in Google's Cambridge, Mass., office and member of the Alphabet Workers Union, in an email. "However, workers in Google's child-care centers in the Bay Area have been called back to work without any provision for transportation, which was previously provided by Google's network of shuttles."

Google is helping those affected workers find short-term transportation, including carpools, spokesperson Katie Hutchison said. In a May memo, Google said leaders would be sharing remote-work details with specific teams by mid-June.

The exact terms of work could vary widely across the large companies, depending on specific teams and managers. While Amazon plans to return to "office-centric" life, the e-commerce giant also noted that employees had some flexibility to manage their work life before the pandemic, and that will continue. The company says it isn't concerned about the potential impact on recruiting talent.

"We know people come, and stay, at Amazon because of the high levels of ownership they have over their work and the innovation happening around every corner," Amazon spokesperson Jose Negrete said in a statement.

Apple announced its remote-work policy on Wednesday. In a memo sent out to employees, Apple said that workers would be back in the office in September and that they had to come to the office three days a week. Working from home will be available only Wednesdays and Fridays.

Still, companies may be forced to compete with one another to win the best talent and may offer more remote options as they recruit.

"This is what is required in order to stay at the top of our game," said Slack chief people officer Nadia Rawlinson. She pointed out that tech recruiting has long been competitive and that flexibility in work life is now a must. Allowing remote work is especially important for companies hoping to have more racial diversity and inclusion on their teams, Rawlinson said.

Slack will allow most of its employees to apply to stay remote, with adjusted salaries based on location. Even chief executive Stewart Butterfield has moved away from the San Francisco Bay area to Colorado and plans to work from there.

In May 2020, at the height of San Francisco's covid shutdown, Slack employee Kendall Fallon packed up and moved to Dallas. The analyst relations senior manager had already planned to relocate before the pandemic to be closer to family and to accommodate her husband's new job, and then the whole company went remote, too.

Now her three-person team is spread across different time zones, staying in touch over phone calls and - of course - Slack, where Fallon mixes work conversations with photos of her new puppy, Frank. She was originally hesitant about being fully remote, but having everyone else at home has helped make it seem less isolating.

"When we do shift to this flexible working environment, there's just going to be this empathy of knowing what it's like to work remote full time," she said.

One major factor in the tech giants' decisions is the billions they have spent on their campuses.

Before March 2020, many of the big technology companies in Silicon Valley were pouring money into elaborate new headquarters - from fancy downtown office towers to sprawling all-inclusive suburban campuses with parks and public spaces. The campuses are designed in part as a recruiting tool, with companies such as Google and Facebook offering perks such as free meals and napping pods.

Apple spent $5 billion on its four-year-old spaceship campus in Cupertino, Calif. Google is working on a planned 595,000-square-foot building in Mountain View and 80-acre campus in San Jose. Facebook expanded its campus recently with new Frank Gehry buildings in Menlo Park.

Amazon never fully closed its 11 million-square-foot urban Seattle campus dotted with office towers, where some workers have kept going in during the pandemic. The company is building a second headquarters in Northern Virginia, where it says it will invest $2.5 billion. It plans to bring back the rest of its office workers as early as this summer and into the fall.

"Our plan is to return to an office-centric culture as our baseline," Amazon said in a blog post in late March. "We believe it enables us to invent, collaborate, and learn together most effectively."

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.

Uber's new campus in the Mission Bay area of San Francisco was completed during the pandemic. The office, which was built to hold 5,000 workers, sat empty for months but was one of the first to welcome back a small number of employees at the end of March, though employees can work remotely until Sept. 13. Uber said it was returning to its same, pre-pandemic remote-work policies: Any employees had to come into the office they were hired to work in at least three days a week

The location of tech giants in hubs along the West Coast has been a big part of their success, experts said.

"There's a reason all these companies are situated here, and the biggest reason of all is talent and knowledge-sharing," said Patrick Kallerman, vice president of research at the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, a public-policy advocacy group. He predicts fully remote workforces will be the exception, not the rule.

Already, some early volunteers who are going back are discovering a shortage of the usual perks and, in the case of Google's child-care workers, necessities.

In Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., office, hot catering has been momentarily replaced by more sanitary boxed lunches. And regular shuttles between the dozens of buildings on its sprawling campus have been halted. Microsoft said the services will return as more employees come back to the office.

For the companies launching a hybrid work model, there are likely to be growing pains. Work experts point to problems with potential inequality when some workers get face time and others are remote. Others might change their minds about going back when they see co-workers doing it.

"I wonder how much FOMO we will see as people watch some of their colleagues or competitors go back to the office," said Jed Kolko, chief economist at jobs listing site Indeed. "They might feel behind or left out if they work remotely."

At Slack, if one person has to dial in to a meeting, everyone else does, too - even if that means people in the office will take the call from their desks.

At Microsoft, in-office workers can still go into conference rooms but are asked to face their chairs toward huge screens and dial in on their own devices on mute. That way, remote workers can still see their colleagues' (virtual) faces up close and feel connected.

Microsoft's Spataro said one thing the company's early return to headquarters has taught them is just how isolating it can be for the few remote people on a conference call, staring at a group sitting near one another in real life. It's a big shift from the past year, when nearly everyone was remote, to now have a split.

"We totally underestimated how bad it would feel to be the one looking in," he said.

Google, which defined the Silicon Valley office of the mid-2000s and 2010s with its colorful slides between floors, outdoor volleyball courts and round-the-clock free food, has had a team working on ways to redesign how its workspaces look throughout the pandemic, the company said. Ideas include "balloon walls" that can inflate to provide extra privacy and separation, or circular conference rooms with a camera in the middle and large TV screens around the sides so people calling in aren't limited by not being able to see their in-person colleagues, and vice versa.

Twitter, which announced a permanent remote-work policy already underway during the pandemic, has transformed its San Francisco headquarters, chief human resources officer Jennifer Christie said in an interview. When it partially reopens July 12, there will be no more assigned desks and team locations, instead designating certain areas as "quiet" and others as "social."

It will continue to host its all-company meetings, which once were in the San Francisco headquarters' auditorium, via video conference, she said. And it's requiring employees who are a certain level, even executives, to work partially from home so employees who don't come into an office aren't left behind.

"We're making sure there's no advantage for coming into the office, that it's not a center of gravity," Christie said.

Still, people are excited for the office to reopen, she said. They miss their colleagues and they miss socializing, the company hears from regular employee surveys.

"We think we're going to have a mad rush of people wanting to come in, and it's probably going to stay that way for a while," Christie said. But she expects it will quickly settle down as people figure out how often they want to work from home or be up close and personal with other people.

- - -

The Washington Post's Gerrit De Vynck and Elizabeth Dwoskin contributed to this report.
Denise Huskins, the Bay Area woman who was maligned by Vallejo police and made national headlines as the so-called "Gone Girl," still believes some of her kidnappers got away.

In March 2015, Huskins was staying at boyfriend Aaron Quinn's Mare Island home when the pair were awakened in the middle of the night by a man telling them, "Wake up, this is a robbery. Were not here to hurt you."

What ensued was an ordeal so horrific and strange, it sounds straight out of a novel.

The pair were zip-tied and fitted with swim goggles covered with duct tape. Headphones were put over their ears, playing a pre-recorded message that mentioned Quinn by name, warned them they would be drugged and told them not to contact police. Quinn was sedated while Huskins was taken from the home. When Quinn awoke, he called his brother, an FBI agent, who told him to immediately call police.

Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press

Quinn found a less-than-sympathetic audience in Vallejo detectives, who immediately suspected he had killed Huskins and was trying to cover up the crime. When Huskins emerged two days later near her mother's Huntington Beach home, Vallejo police accused Huskins of staging the kidnapping, going so far as to hold a press conference to denounce her.

Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins have plundered valuable resources away from our community and taken the focus away from the true victims of our community while instilling fear among our community members. So, if anything, it is Mr. Quinn and Ms. Huskins that owe this community an apology, Vallejo police spokesperson Lt. Kenny Park said.

But neither Quinn nor Huskins had lied. It all happened, and it wasn't until their attacker committed another similar crime in Dublin, Calif., that detectives there started putting the pieces together. At that crime scene, police found a cell phone belonging to Matthew Muller, a former U.S. Marine and Harvard Law School student. Investigators began to suspect he was linked to other crimes, particularly after finding a blonde hair stuck to a pair of goggles discovered among his belongings.

A search of the South Lake Tahoe cabin where Muller was living also uncovered a laptop belonging to Quinn. He pleaded guilty to a federal kidnapping charge and was sentenced to 40 years in prison; he still faces charges of kidnapping, forcible rape, burglary and false imprisonment in Solano County.

Mike Jory/Associated Press

In a new interview with 20/20, Huskins and Quinn both affirmed they believe Muller didn't act alone  and that some of his co-conspirators got away.

"There were things that happened that we saw, that we heard. It just would have been impossible to have been done by one guy," Huskins said. "There are other people out there."

Huskins told 20/20 that before her eyes were covered, she saw two sets of legs. Quinn recalled Muller referring to another person or persons in the room.

I asked for a blanket, and he goes, Oh, Im sorry. I didnt realize how cold it is because were all wearing wetsuits,'" Quinn said.

Huskins said that while being held captive, Muller told he he was part of a "criminal organization" with three other members. No one else has ever been suspected or apprehended in the case.

"Thats something that weve had to live with and somehow make peace with," she said.

The couple say despite their terrifying ordeal, they've managed to find a happy ending. They married in 2018, and now have a daughter, Olivia, together.
Forty-three years ago, Gilbert Baker sat down with dozens of friends and volunteers at the now-shuttered San Francisco Gay Community Center on Grove Street, where they began to painstakingly stitch and hand-dye a multicolored banner that would eventually become a universal symbol.

The 30-by-60 foot flag was hoisted up high on June 25, 1978 in celebration of the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade held in United Nations Plaza. Baker, who moved to the city in 1972, was already known for his creative edge after becoming involved within the Gay Liberation movement, sewing costumes for drag performers and crafting bold signs for street demonstrations. What he didnt realize was that the flag would become his most recognized work yet.

During Pride, the city is festooned with rainbow imagery made in its likeness. But for the first time in decades, a piece of the original flag  the only surviving fragment of two flags raised that year  is on display in San Francisco again after it was thought to have been lost.

The GLBT Historical Society received the archival donation from the Gilbert Baker Foundation in April. Its now one of the first things youll notice when you walk into the museum as part of the ongoing exhibition Performance, Protest and Politics: The Art of Gilbert Baker, and the story of how it got there is pretty incredible.

Following the 1978 parade, Baker placed the flag in storage at the community center, where it subsequently became damaged by mildew due to the leaky roof. The artist cut out the damaged portion of the piece and secretly kept it for years, according to a press release from the GLBT Historical Society. When he died in 2017, the flag was boxed up and given to his sister Adronna Cook, its significance unknown to her.

Two years later, Charles Beal, president of the Gilbert Baker Foundation, reached out to Cook, asking if his organization could borrow a flag from Bakers possessions to be carried in New York Citys 2019 Pride Parade. She agreed to mail the flag, though its backstory was still untold.

photograph by Matthew Leifheit, courtesy of the Gilbert Baker Foundation.

Then, Beal himself received a phone call.

It was James Ferrigan, a vexillologist and curator at the Flag Center in Reno, Nev., who previously worked with Baker at the Paramount Flag Company in San Francisco. He wanted to know if Beal was aware of the 1978 flags whereabouts. As they continued to talk, Beal slowly connected the dots.

He started to describe this thing to me and the hairs on the back of my neck go up and I'm like, 'He's talking about this thing in my closet,'" Beal told ABC7.

The relic had been collecting dust there for months.

Upon analyzing its grommets and stitching in Feb. 2020, Ferrigan verified its identity as one of the original 1978 rainbow flags, and its now hanging up inside the GLBT Historical Society, where it was unveiled on Friday afternoon.

Following Pride Month, it will join the museums permanent collection.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)  A driver heading the wrong way on Interstate 75 in Kentucky struck a vehicle carrying five people, killing all six, authorities said.

A southbound car being driven in the northbound lanes struck the familys car Saturday in Lexington. Four of the victims were children, Lexington police said in a statement.

A statement by the Fayette County coroner identified the victims in the northbound car as Catherine Greene, 30; Santanna Greene, 11; Karmen Greene, 9; Brayden Boxwell, 5; and Jack Greene, 2. They were from Owentown.

The driver of the car driving the wrong way was identified as Jamaica Natasha Caudill, 38, of Madison County.

Police said they had received a call about the wrong-way driver before the crash, which occurred before officers could locate the vehicle. Caudill and Karmen Greene died at the scene while the others were pronounced dead at a hospital, the statement said.

The crash remains under investigation.

It was the second multiple-fatality crash involving a wrong-day driver on I-75 in Lexington since 2019.

In January 2019, six people died when a suspected drunken driver heading the wrong way struck a vehicle carrying five vacationing family members from Michigan. A coroner later said the wrong-way driver had a blood-alcohol content more than three times the legal limit.

I-75 is a bustling north-south corridor crossing the nations midsection from South Florida to the U.S. border with Canada.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Carla Brown often prays as she administers the COVID vaccine, asking God to help her find more people who want the shot so she doesnt waste her precious supply.

I say, Father, give me another arm, the hospice nurse said. And I have not wasted one dose.

Brown, who travels through Scotlandville and surrounding areas in her red Toyota Scion to get the life-saving vaccine to the people who need it most, works full-time at Canon Hospice, a palliative care agency in the city, while continuing to inoculate people in her free time.

Her story began a year ago, at the age of 62, when she unknowingly brought the coronavirus home to her family.

Brown, who worked as a nurse at a psychiatric hospital at the time, watched in horror as her husband, father and brother fell ill with the virus in the early months of the pandemic. All three required hospitalization.

Her father and brother made it home.

Her husband of 21 years  who years earlier survived a gunshot wound to the head and two cancer diagnoses  did not.

David Brown died in July 2020 after an extensive hospital stay. His wife was unable to see him in his final moments because of COVID restrictions.

A lot of us front-liners brought it home, she recounted. After my husband died, and me knowing I was the cause of his death, I felt I had to do something and not let his death be in vain.

A PERSONAL MISSION

What began as a personal mission to educate people about the dangers of the virus has transformed into an all-out effort to vaccinate as many people as she can  all to honor her husbands memory.

The summer after his death, armed with her grief and a new passion to protect others in her community, Brown began to knock on doors, starting with her next-door neighbors. Then, to families a few streets over from her house. She told them about her experience with the virus and how to protect themselves as cases began to soar.

It was full blown after May, she said. It was wildfire.

As a Black woman in the medical field, Brown saw how the coronavirus disproportionately affected her community. She knew that many of her neighbors considered the virus a hoax, or didnt trust the medical establishment, and so stayed home with locked doors after they became infected.

There was a lot of fear, she said. Thats why education to me was so important.

In the meantime, determined to help other families find closure when facing the death of a loved one, Brown quit her job at the psychiatric hospital and joined the team at Canon Hospice.

When the vaccine became available, Brown learned from the elderly people she was caring for that they had problems registering for the injection, lacked basic information from inadequate internet access, required transportation or were simply afraid of getting the vaccine.

She also saw that the vaccination numbers in rural and impoverished areas were low.

I said, My god, I have to do something, she recalled. Just because its a poor community doesnt mean these people dont want to live. Give them a fighting chance.

Brown again returned to her door-to-door beat, helping elderly people register for the vaccine and then driving them to their appointments  though she longed to be able to administer the vaccine herself.

SHOT CALLER

Browns efforts soon garnered national media attention, alerting local leaders to her work.

East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome invited Brown to join her Vaccine Equity Taskforce. And when Brown applied to become a vaccine vendor to administer the shots herself, Broome contacted the Louisiana Department of Health to expedite her application.

Together with Bordelons Super-Save Pharmacy on Plank Road that has served the north Baton Rouge community for decades, Brown helped vaccinate almost 1,000 people since March. She organized mass vaccination events, particularly serving Scotlandville and surrounding areas.

While other members of the Covid Crusader team she formed help at the pharmacy or with vaccination events, Brown and another employee at Canon Hospice, Missy Hasting, continue to drive around finding those who cant otherwise make it to these events, such as the elderly, people without transportation and the bed-bound.

Both women have stories about the virus in their own lives and how they fared with the vaccine. Those personal accounts have proved critical in convincing skeptics to get the jab.

In the Black community theres kind of a fear of medicine and science, so we felt like it was very important for people to see us as medical professionals who look like them, Hasting explained. We can both give personal testimony about what we went through in dealing with the vaccine  its nothing compared to the actual virus.

While they have made considerable progress, Brown said two events have forced her to redouble her efforts: the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause, which frightened more people about getting the shot, and the state lifting its mask mandate, which Brown said has led some people to act as though the pandemic is over and they are invincible.

You have too many big holidays coming up and we do not need a superspreader again, Brown said. We should not let down our guard. We still should keep those safety features in place. Its not out of that superspreader zone just yet.
PHOENIX (AP)  Authorities ordered additional evacuations and closed several stretches of highways in south-central Arizona on Sunday where hundreds of firefighters battled two wildfires that were growing in gusty winds and temperatures approaching 100 (38 C) east of Phoenix.

Evacuations were ordered Sunday for residents in Top-of-The-World area along U.S. Highway 60 about 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of Phoenix and 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Superior where the Telegraph Fire was burning out of control.

The Pinal County sheriffs office also began to evacuate the Oak Flats campground. Residents of Superior, a town of 3,100, were told to be ready to flee on short notice.

No deaths or injuries have been reported.

US 60 was closed from Superior to Miami, along with State Route 177 from Superior to Winkelman and State Route 77 from Winkelman to Globe.

About 150 firefighters were battling that blaze, which has burned 53 square miles (137 square km) of mostly shrub and grass since it broke out Friday and continues to threaten as many as 150 residents, Tonto National Forest spokesman John Scaggs said Sunday.

Firefighters lit back fires in excess fuels south of the fire to help keep the flames from encroaching on Superior but the fire had no containment on Sunday.

The largest type of federal incident management team assumed control of the operation and more crews were on their way.

The Red Cross has set up an evacuation shelter Sunday at a local school in Miami and at Skyline High School in Mesa. Large animals also were being sheltered at the Birch Stockyard in Globe and the Apache Junction Rodeo grounds.

Meanwhile, airtankers and helicopters were assisting more than 500 firefighters who continued to work the Mescal Fire about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Globe. It nearly tripled in size in high winds, low humidity and hot temperatures on Saturday to an estimated 40 square miles (103 square km) on Sunday.

Estimated containment shrank from 5% Saturday to only 2% by Sunday, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Gila District Office.

New evacuations were ordered in Coyote Flats. Existing evacuation orders remained in place for several areas on the outskirts of Peridot and the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

Fire officials expected subsiding winds would allow them to make more progress into the night Sunday on the blaze, which broke out on June 1.

Temperatures and humidities to remain hot and dry, with winds slowing decreasing to about 15-20 mph (24-32 kph). the latest update said.

The causes of both fires remain under investigation.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP)  Missouri authorities say they've identified a person of interest in a hit-and-run crash last month that killed a 21-year-old student teacher.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike McClure said he could not give any details about the suspect. The person has not been arrested yet and charges have not yet been filed, according to the Springfield News-Leader.

Mercedes Luna died on the morning of May 7 in a car crash that investigators say involved a FedEx truck and a wrong-way driver who fled the scene. Luna was a student teacher with the Logan-Rogersville school district.

The crash happened just before 8 a.m. on Missouri Route 125 near Rogersville.

McClure said the investigation is wrapping up and authorities hope to release more information in the next few weeks.
The domestic box office is getting back to normal, with moderate wins and sizable second weekend drops. After its triumphant first weekend, A Quiet Place Part II fell 59% at the North American box office leaving room for the third movie in the Conjuring franchise to take first place. Warner Bros. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It earned an estimated $24 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, making it the biggest R-rated opening of the pandemic. Paramounts A Quiet Place sequel meanwhile earned $19.5 million in ticket sales, bringing its domestic total to $88.6 million.

You normally dont see two horror movies at the top of the chart. But it was a solid weekend for both movies, said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. The movie theaters are coming back and Memorial Day was no flash in the pan ... It feels like summer again."

The Conjuring 3 has Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga returning as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Although theres a whole extended universe set around these films that have thus far grossed over $1.8 billion, this is the first Conjuring since 2016, and the first to be helmed by someone other than James Wan (Michael Graves directed). With an additional $26.8 million from international territories, globally, the R-rated pic has grossed over $57.1 million.

Its a terrific result, said Jeff Goldstein, the head of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. Were continuing to see a ramp up of return to life outside of our homes. It was never going to be a light switch.

In a pre-pandemic world, The Conjuring 3 might have been considered a bit disappointingthe previous installments both opened around $40 million. But, as Goldstein noted, the third films in a horror franchise often take a hit. It has another caveat too: The film is also currently streaming free for subscribers on HBO Max. Warner Media did not say how many people watched it on streaming over the weekend or how many new customers signed up for the service.

It has become more normal than not for films to embrace a hybrid day-and-date release strategy, with the major studios using their biggest titles to drive potential subscribers to their streaming services. A Quiet Place Part II had the rare distinction of being exclusively in theaters, but even so it will be a shorter stint than usual before it hits Paramount+.

The Walt Disney Co.s Cruella, which opened in theaters last weekend, was also made available to rent on Disney+ for $29.99. The Emma Stone and Emma Thompson pic added $11.2 million from 3,922 theaters this weekend to take third place. Disney also did not say how much it earned from streaming rentals, but the company did note the drop from last weekend was only 48%. Globally, Cruella has earned $87.1 million thus far.

The animated family film Spirit Untamed also opened wide theatrically this weekend in 3,211 theaters to an estimated $6.2 million. The DreamWorks Animation film features the voices of Isabela Merced, Eiza Gonzalez, Julianne Moore, Marsai Martin and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Most family films have gone straight to streaming over the past year and many big studios are opting to continue with the strategy for the near future. Disney and Pixars Luca is skipping theaters and going straight to Disney+, where it will be free for subscribers on June 16. DreamWorks Animations Boss Baby sequel is also debuting on Peacock Kids and in theaters on July 2.

The North American theatrical landscape is still a bit hobbled by the pandemic. Most Canadian theaters remain closed and around 27% of U.S. locations are still shuttered too. Many chains have also said vaccinated customers can now go mask free in theaters.

Hollywood titles have also started performing better than they have been internationally during the pandemic over the past few weekends. In particular, Universals latest in the Fast & Furious franchise, F9, continued to pick up speed prior to its U.S. debut on June 25. This weekend F9, which has already grossed $256 million from eight territories, became one of only 19 U.S. movies to have earned more than $200 million in China.

And although release strategies continue to differ company by company in unprecedented ways, Dergarabedian said the numbers are promising for the theatrical business even with the at-home viewing options.

Over the past two weeks, the industry has been able to test out theatrical only ("A Quiet Place Part II"), a day and date with a (pay) subscription model ("Cruella") and a day and date thats part of a subscription ("The Conjuring 3"). The numbers have been solid," Dergarabedian said. "As long as we keep getting solid movies released, were going to see the box office ramp up week after week."

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, $24 million.

2. A Quiet Place Part II, $19.5 million.

3. Cruella," $11.2 million.

4. Spirit Untamed, $6.2 million.

5. Raya and the Last Dragon, $1.3 million.

6. Wrath of Man, $1.3 million.

7. Spiral, $890,000.

8. Godzilla vs. Kong, $463,000.

9. Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train, $450,000.

10. Dream Horse, $230,053.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ldbahr
Heres a brief of what Google Announced at I/O 2021 By Mahesh De Andrado View(s): View(s):

Just because theres a full blown pandemic, that doesnt mean that life comes to a complete standstill. Companies and people will still go about their day to day activities as much as possible. Google too adopted a similar approach. With their flagship Google I/O not being held last year due to Covid-19, we went on an entire year without hearing about the new stuff Google was working on. But fret not, for Google I/O 2021 took place from the 18-20th of May and along with it, Google finally gave us a peek into what they were working on.

Android 12  Its Big and Bold

In most cases, the primary reason for anyone to watch Google I/O is to see the latest version of Android and the new features it brings. Android 12 boasts a new Material You design language. This basically means you have new ways of customizing your phone to make it more you. Theres a new dynamic theming option that updates your phones color scheme based on the wallpaper youve set. Android widgets get a major facelift with the update as well.

Theres also improvements to device security with Privacy Dashboard, Private Compute Core and clipboard access alerts. You can even use your Android phone to unlock your car (but youll need to have a select Pixel or Samsung Galaxy device for this). Developers can also make use of the Performance Class API that can identify how powerful a device is, and scale the features and performance of their apps accordingly.

While previous Android betas were available only on Pixel devices, Android 12 beta releases are available from 12 OEMs such as Asus, Oneplus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, Tecno, TCL, Vivo, Xiaomi and ZTE.

Better ways to work together

Google I/O also gave viewers a brief look into Smart Canvas. With the pandemic, more and more people are opting to work from home. This has its fair share of obstacles to overcome. Smart Canvas makes it easier to work between various Google apps such as Docs and Sheets. You can even bring a Google Meets call to your Google Doc and keep on working. Google hasnt told us when Smart Canvas will be available but we can keep our fingers crossed.

Wear OS meets Tizen

If you are familiar with wearables, youll know that Wear OS and Tizen were somewhat different to each other. While Wear OS ran on most Android wearables, Tizen was the brainchild of Samsung. Now, Google is teaming up with Tizen to create one giant super platform simply called Wear. From Samsungs side, this means the company now has access to the multitude of Googles APIs which they can add to their devices. This is a good way for you to entice more developers to join Samsungs wearable division.

Google is also attempting to make Wear more customizable. Think of the different skins that Android has for devices such as Xiaomi, Samsung and Oneplus, for example. By using the same approach for wearables, Google can give more variety for users.

Smile! Youre on (Google) Camera!

Weve seen how powerful Googles camera software is. In fact, its so good that there are modified versions of it for almost every phone OEM that doesnt have Google Camera preinstalled. Google is now working to enhance their camera software even more. For example, developers are working on making their cameras more accurate for people with darker skin tones. Google is also revamping its selfie algorithm, allowing for better mapping for curly and wavy hair types, which means your curly haired selfies will look even better.

With Cinematic moments Google will take sets of images you have captured (say a burst shot where you wanted the best one) and create an animation from it. The feature exists to a certain extent in Google Photos, but this is expected to be a hefy improvement.

Closing the distance between your loved ones

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the amount of travelling we can do has been greatly cut back. As a result, we might not get to see our loved ones as much as we would like. But Google has a solution for this. Project Starline or simply Starline is a new spin on video conferencing. Think of it as Google experimenting with 3D holograms of your loved ones. Basically with Starline, you can create a 3D model of your family member and talk to them as if they were right next to you. Starline uses custom-designed booths that have a number of depth sensors and cameras that are used to create a 3D model of a human.

The technology isnt quite perfect. There have been instances of random artifacts appearing and a slight movement to the left or right while in the booth can change the image you see, according to Wired, who got a first look at how Starline works. Could this be the future of video conferencing? It quite could be. But then again, how expensive would it be and how long would it take to be commercially viable? These remain to be seen.

But wait, theres more

Google also demonstrated LaMDA, a conversational language model built on the companys neural network architecture codenamed Transformer. How LaMDA sets itself apart from the rest is that it is trained on dialogue rather than answering queries. This means that it can engage in free-flowing conversation on basically any topic.

Google Maps is set to get more eco-friendly routes, and safer routing. The former will help reduce environmental footprint by giving the user routes that would use less fuel. With safer routing, Maps will use AI to suggest the safest route to a destination taking into account traffic, weather and road conditions.

With security being of utmost importance, Google Chrome will now alert you when it detects any of your passwords have been compromised and can even help you in resetting them.

Google appears to have been waiting an additional year to unveil all these new features to their ecosystem and it is definitely something worth waiting for.

Android 12  Its Big and Bold In most cases, the primary reason for anyone to watch Google I/O is to see the latest version of Android and the new features it brings. Android 12 boasts a new Material You design language. This basically means you have new ways of customizing your phone to make it more you. Theres a new dynamic theming option that updates your phones color scheme based on the wallpaper youve set. Android widgets get a major facelift with the update as well.Theres also improvements to device security with Privacy Dashboard, Private Compute Core and clipboard access alerts. You can even use your Android phone to unlock your car (but youll need to have a select Pixel or Samsung Galaxy device for this). Developers can also make use of the Performance Class API that can identify how powerful a device is, and scale the features and performance of their apps accordingly.While previous Android betas were available only on Pixel devices, Android 12 beta releases are available from 12 OEMs such as Asus, Oneplus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, Tecno, TCL, Vivo, Xiaomi and ZTE. Wear OS meets Tizen If you are familiar with wearables, youll know that Wear OS and Tizen were somewhat different to each other. While Wear OS ran on most Android wearables, Tizen was the brainchild of Samsung. Now, Google is teaming up with Tizen to create one giant super platform simply called Wear. From Samsungs side, this means the company now has access to the multitude of Googles APIs which they can add to their devices. This is a good way for you to entice more developers to join Samsungs wearable division.Google is also attempting to make Wear more customizable. Think of the different skins that Android has for devices such as Xiaomi, Samsung and Oneplus, for example. By using the same approach for wearables, Google can give more variety for users.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Experts recovered the data recorder of a fire-ravaged ship carrying chemicals that is slowly sinking off Sri Lankas capital, as salvage crews stood by to head off a possible environmental disaster, officials said Sunday.

The Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl started sinking Wednesday, a day after authorities extinguished a fire that raged on the vessel for 12 days. Efforts to tow the ship into deeper waters away from the port in Colombo had failed after the ships stern became submerged and rested on the seabed.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority said experts together with the navy on Saturday recovered the ships voyage data recorder, or VDR, commonly known as the black box.

The authority said on its website that the VDR, which contains vital information related to the operation of the vessel, would be handed over to local law enforcement agencies investigating the fire.

Both the authority and the ships operator said the vessel's aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters (70 feet), and the forward section continues to settle down slowly.

Operator X-Press Feeders said salvors remain on the scene to deal with any possible spills. It has apologized for the disaster.

The port authority and the operator said there were no signs of oil or chemical spills. They said that Sri Lanka's navy, Indian coast guard, salvage crews and local authorities were capable of responding to any signs of oil pollution or debris, and were monitoring the situation around the clock.

The fire has destroyed most of the ships cargo, which included 25 tons of nitric acid and other chemicals. But there are fears that remaining chemicals as well as hundreds of tons of oil from the fuel tanks could leak into the sea.

Such a disaster could devastate marine life and further pollute the island nations famed beaches. The disaster has already caused debris  including several tons of plastic pellets used to make plastic bags  to wash ashore.

The government has banned fishing along about 80 kilometers (50 miles) of coastline.

Officials say there had been about 300 tons of oil on board and that experts believe it could have burned off in the fire.

A ship manifest seen by The Associated Press described the X-Press Pearl as carrying just under 1,500 containers, with 81 of those containers described as dangerous goods.

Environmentalists have warned that there's the potential for a terrible environmental disaster as hazardous goods, plastics, chemicals and oil could be released into the water and destroy marine ecological systems.

The fire erupted on May 20 when the ship was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 kilometers) northwest of Colombo and waiting to enter the port. The navy believes the blaze was caused by the vessels chemical cargo, which it was carrying from the port of Hazira in India.

Sri Lankan police are investigating and a court in Colombo has banned the captain, the engineer and the assistant engineer from leaving the country. The government has said it will take legal action against the owners of the ship to claim compensation.
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)  Police in Delaware are investigating after finding a 42-year-old man dead in Wilmington early Sunday.

The News Journal reports that the man was pronounced dead at the scene and investigators are working to determine the nature of his injuries. Police received the report about the man shortly before 2:30 a.m.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  Little blue pills are becoming more prevalent across New Mexico, but, while seemingly harmless, they pack a deadly punch.

These blue pills interlope as prescription pills, but theyre anything but doctor-approved.

Fentanyl is finding its way into other products, as well. Heroin, cocaine and even marijuana are being laced with the deadly opioid, the Albuquerque Journal reports.

It takes only 2.2 milligrams to overdose on the drug, said Carlos Briano, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesperson. The dangerous part is that people might not even realize theyre ingesting it.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is prescribed to treat extreme pain, usually in cancer patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and, in most recent cases, its being made illegally, often mixed with cocaine or heroin without the consumers knowledge.

The CDCs provisional data through May 2020 suggests that overdoses due to synthetic opioids, which include fentanyl, actually increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DEA tracks seizures by fiscal year and, in half of fiscal year 2021, DEA has already surpassed fentanyl seizures for the entire fiscal years of 2020 and 2019 in New Mexico, Briano said. He said the fentanyl is produced easily by Mexican cartels and clandestine labs in Mexico.

For very little investment  such as $5,000  the cartels can make thousands of pills that will yield upward of $1.5 million in profit. Briano said the majority of fentanyl they see is in pill form, with the average dose being 1.8 mg. About one in four of the counterfeit pills seized contains a lethal dose.

Ive heard Kyle Williamson, special agent in charge, say to some people that you have better odds playing Russian roulette because thats a one in six chance of dying, Briano said. But, with these counterfeit fentanyl pills, you have a one in four chance of dying.

In the past few months, the 1st Judicial District Attorneys Office said it has seen a surge in drug trafficking cases involving fentanyl.

In the most recent cases, the DAs office prosecuted a Rio Arriba man in possession of 1,300 fentanyl pills; a person found with 900 fentanyl pills in their car in Santa Fe; and a person with over 500 fentanyl pills in a local hotel.

Assistant District Attorney Russell Warren said the office has noticed a dramatic increase in fentanyl since the winter of 2020. For about the past six months, people being caught with large amounts of fentanyl, and the number of people being caught with fentanyl, has increased rapidly and scarily, he said.

The scary part is one pill can cause an overdose, and then we caught someone with 1,300 pills, thats potentially 1,300 deaths, he said.

A lot of the fentanyl the office is seeing is from cartels making fake OxyContin pills, which sell at a higher price. Warren also said hes seeing fewer heroin offenses because heroin users are likely turning to the fentanyl pills because they were sold fake heroin and are now addicted to fentanyl.

Theyre being sold heroin laced with fentanyl because drug traffickers want to get people addicted to these drugs because they can produce them cheaper, and theyre much more potent and more dangerous, he said.

This also leads to more overdoses because people dont know theyre consuming fentanyl, he said.

To help combat this rising, and lethal, issue, Warren said the DAs office is filing more motions to keep drug traffickers caught with fentanyl in jail during their court proceedings. To the judges credit, Warren said, theyve been approving these motions.

Lt. Scott McFaul, a regional drug enforcement task force commander for the New Mexico State Police, said hes seen a dramatic increase in fentanyl.

McFauls region encompasses Taos, Santa Fe and Rio Arriba counties. He said hes seen the most fentanyl increases in Santa Fe County. To his knowledge, the fentanyl seems to be traveling up Interstate 25 from Albuquerque.

He said theyre mainly seeing the fentanyl in pill form, but do also see it in its powder form  which can easily be mixed with heroin. Since January, McFaul said fentanyl has pretty much ended up everywhere.

Were seeing this with heroin because its cheaper and more potent than normal heroin, he said. They utilize that because its more bang for their buck, I guess is the worst way to put it.

He said now that the U.S.Mexico border is reopening after the pandemic, theyre seeing an uptick in every drug, but primarily fentanyl in pill form.

McFaul said the State Police works closely with federal partners to get the bigger cases prosecuted in federal court because punishments are generally harsher.

Jeremy Apodaca, public information officer for the Espanola Police Department, said fentanyl is showing up in regular interactions with people whom officers come into contact with. That includes traffic stops.

Espanola police are seeing these illegally manufactured pills almost on a daily basis. Apodaca said the department has seen a large uptick in the past eight to 10 months.

Its going to create more demand and people wont even realize (theyre using fentanyl) because they feel theyre getting a better high  from one person or one dealer versus another, he said.

Fentanyl is also dangerous because it can be absorbed through the skin; even handling the pills can pose a risk.

An unsuspecting person might pick up the blue pills in an attempt to dispose of them and absorb a fatal dose of fentanyl through their skin, he said. If someone sees anything like this, Apodaca encourages them to call police and not to touch it.

We have gloves, well go out there and collect it, he said. Well handle it properly, or dispose of it properly, whichever it needs. And were always available for stuff like that rather than anybody getting hurt.
DENVER (AP)  A fire raged for several hours at an oil drilling operation about 40 miles east of Denver, burning several trucks before being brought under control.

The cause of the fire at the Crestone Peak Resources drilling pad near the town of Bennett was not yet determined.
Webster, Fla. (AP)  The white hieroglyphs running down the mustangs big, brown neck, and the necks of all the horses like him, tell some of the story  if you can decipher the code.

The big U with the peculiar crossbars is easy. Thats for the U.S. government. The tiny equal sign with a flattened V beneath it translates to 0-7, the year of the 14-year-old horses birth.

The next two symbols are where it gets good. The flattened V and backward L denote 7-6, revealing that this horse was rounded up somewhere in Oregon.

Maybe it was Beatys Butte, or Murderers Creek or Riddle Mountain, or a dozen other herd management areas in the state, all the type of rugged, Western lands where we picture mustangs roaming free with windswept manes.

What you likely dont picture when you think of wild horses are the mossy oak trees of flat, green Webster, Florida, where the Wild Horse Rescue Center is spread over 30-plus shady acres.

That is where Pinto the Oregon mustang arrived recently, skinny and frightened, after he was rescued from a kill auction in Louisiana.

Wild Horse Rescue Center founder and president Diane Delano has for several decades devoted her life to working with mustangs, the free-roaming horses managed and protected by the Bureau of Land Management as living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.

She started out by adopting untamed mustangs directly from the government, but eventually turned her focus to rescuing mustangs that were mistreated or headed for slaughter. She likes to say that the horses come to her center for healing, more than any training.

Every horse gets a new name, Delano said, because that old name is your past. Thats how Amigo became Pinto.

Last week, Delano, whose sedate, gray eyes are offset by the turquoise earrings that match the turquoise chain her glasses hang from, entered a corral where Pinto stood in the corner. She put her hand on the nervous horses neck, and when she backed away, Pinto followed.

I did energy work on him yesterday, and I think he remembers, she said. We do cranial sacral massage therapy, acupuncture, energy work, Reiki. My horses get all of those holistic things.

Horses that come in wild also get many months of traditional training. Some will learn to tolerate a saddle and become great for riding. Thor, who was rescued from the same auction as Pinto (and got the name because of his blond mane), might soon become a deputy if an upcoming visit from a South Florida sheriffs office goes well.

Others, like Pinto, will eventually be gentle enough to make nice pets, but maybe not for riding.

There are more than 50 horses at the center in various phases of readiness to be adopted. Over the years, Delano said, she has trained and found homes for more than 1,000 of them. Horses that cant be trained or adopted stay indefinitely.

But there are always more mustangs to take in, even though the money to do it is a little tougher to come by since the pandemic struck.

Mustangs are the descendants of various breeds of horses that ran away or were abandoned over hundreds of years, starting with the horses introduced to the Americas by Spanish conquistadors in the 1400s.

After they came under federal protection in the 1970s, a once-dwindling wild horse population quickly multiplied. So quickly that the herds, which grow by about 20 percent a year if left unchecked, left the Bureau of Land Management scrambling.

Today, there are estimated to be about 70,000 wild mustangs in the West, spread across Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. Thats far more than the 27,000 horses the bureau believes the environment can sustain.

To manage the population, the bureau rounds up thousands of wild mustangs each year using helicopters, then makes those horses available for adoption.

But the value of a wild mustang as a symbol of freedom and beauty in the popular imagination  so iconic that an all-time iconic American automobile took its name  is at odds with the tangible value of an untamed, wild horse without a pedigree.

Mustangs are basically mutts, Delano said.

Training them into the kind of horses people want to own takes a lot of time and effort. First the mustangs were cheap to adopt, then the bureau began paying people $1,000 to adopt them.

A New York Times story published earlier this month described how horses adopted through that bureau program wound up later dumped at auctions frequented by slaughterhouse buyers.

Every rounded-up mustang is freeze-branded on its neck with a series of symbols, marking it as a mustang, which should protect it.

But it doesnt, Delano said.

Another rescue organization paid more than $800 to buy Pinto from the auction before sending him to Florida.

Delano has thoughts on how the government could do a better job of managing the horse population, but mostly remains focused on saving as many mustangs as possible in a flawed system.

We focus on the future for these horses, she said. And do it with a healing touch.

The center was tranquil. Formerly wild mustangs Max, a gray 8-year-old from Muddy Gap, Wyoming, and Cortez, an 8-year-old dark bay rounded up in Nevada, nuzzled each other lovingly in one corral. Both are ready for adoption.

Hope, Faith and Promise, three once-emaciated mustangs whose rescue was chronicled in the Tampa Bay Times 13 years ago, munched on hay, looking healthy.

The pandemic derailed the Wild Horse Rescue Centers international program. Normally, Delano hosts about a dozen paying guests from Europe at any given time, mostly younger people who want to travel and work with the horses for a few weeks to a few months.

Delano made up the lost revenue with loans, more than $100,000 of them, and has made up for the lack of people to help around the center with enthusiastic retiree volunteers from the Villages.

Debra Wyland brushed Ford, a 10-year resident at the center, in a barn. Ed Martin filled water troughs. Jorge Pousa rode Pegasus around a ring. All three showed up after seeing a brief article about the center in the Villages Daily Sun, and have kept coming back, for months.

Wyland had never been around horses in her life, except for the little horse statues shed been briefly obsessed over as a child.

When I was in kindergarten, I had a pair of red cowboy boots I wanted to wear every day, Wyland said. Now, at 56, shes finally learning to ride.

Pousa, 60, had spent a little time around horses as a teenager at a stable near his native Miami. Then came a long career in the Navy, where he worked in logistics.

Now Im retired and I can get my horse fix, Pousa said. I muck the stalls, and then I can play. Its like therapy. The horses can read you as good as you can read them.

Martin, 77, came from Boston. He was another city person whod never been around horses. He was just bored at home.

Theres always plenty to do here, said Delano. A horse snorted.
BALTIMORE (AP)  When Shawn Armbrust began investigating wrongful convictions in Maryland, she kept hearing the same questions whenever she asked for a case file.

Who are you? Where is Michele?

Michele, of course, was the attorney Michele Nethercott, the singular force behind the Innocence Project at the University of Baltimore School of Law. She worked tirelessly on a shoestring budget with a staff that peaked around three to identify and set free innocent men behind bars.

The 61-year-old retires at the end of June after directing the exoneration program since its inception almost two decades ago. Along the way, she mastered DNA evidence and exonerated 12 men. With a reputation as a pit bull in the courtroom, her name became synonymous with the effort in Baltimore to correct costly mistakes of the justice system.

Im hard pressed to think of anyone who has been as successful as she has doing this work with so few resources, said Armbrust, who directs the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project at The George Washington University in Washington. There are a lot of people who would have said, This is too hard. I dont want to do this anymore.

Indeed, recent years unearthed a slew of wrongful convictions against Black men in Maryland. Some 30% of the states population is Black, but 70% of its prisoners are Black  the highest rate of Black inmates in America, according to the nonprofit Justice Policy Institute in Washington.

Day after day, letters pour into Nethercotts office from prison; shes seen a dozen in one day. The men are urgent and pleading, their words filling the margins. More requests come by voicemail from desperate wives, mothers and sisters. Nethercott received 600 requests for help last year, she said.

The intake is a real challenge, she said. Youre trying to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. As you can imagine, a fair amount of the requests are not meritorious. Its the core of the whole thing. Were trying to identify people who have valid claims of factual innocence.

Born in Canada, Nethercott attended Northeastern Universitys School of Law in Boston and started work in the late 1980s with the public defenders office in Baltimore County. Circumstance led her to become the first director of Marylands innocence program (separate exoneration programs operate in other states).

That circumstance was the case of Bernard Webster.

The East Baltimore man had been convicted of raping a teacher in her Towson apartment. He spent nearly two decades in prison before his claims of innocence landed on Nethercotts desk. She discovered three surviving slides of evidence long forgotten at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson.

The slides were nearly 20 years old, collected before widespread use of DNA evidence. When Nethercott tested the DNA, she found it matched someone else. The discovery caused a sensation. News crews clamored around Webster when he walked free.

Faced with the power of this new evidence, then-Public Defender Stephen Harris formed the Innocence Project and charged Nethercott with uncovering more wrongful convictions. In 2005, she won freedom for Ronald Addison, who was serving 30 years in prison for murder. Nethercott unearthed previously undisclosed statements from three witnesses who contradicted the prosecutions account of the crime.

Three years later, armed again with DNA evidence, she cleared James Owens, who had spent 20 years in prison for murder.

In May 2010, she won freedom for Tyrone Jones. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to life in prison. His case hinged on evidence that his hands tested positive for gunshot residue  microscopic particles of lead, barium and other metals discharged during gunfire. Tests of Jones hands, however, detected just one viable particle.

Gunshot residue was increasingly recognized as a problem. The tiny particles are notorious hitchhikers, found in the back seat of police cars and evidence rooms. Tests in 2003 of a clean room in the city police lab found traces of gunshot residue on the handcuffs, gun belt and holster of the officer assigned there.

You just cant make this leap that one microscopic particle that you detect on somebodys hand got there from firing a weapon, Nethercott said.

She won freedom for Jones and went on to give talks about the problems with gunshot residue evidence. In 2006, the FBI announced it was no longer analyzing gunshot residue in its investigations. Officials at the time explained their change simply as a shift in priorities. Nethercott calls that baloney; the evidence had been discredited.

To be effective at this work, you have to have a wide-ranging understanding of scientific evidence, everything from shaken baby syndrome to cognitive psychology to understanding how things go wrong with eyewitness identifications, she said.

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.

Its one of the most difficult and often painful parts of this work, she said. Cases you work on for years and years, you begin to develop a pretty strong conviction that the person didnt commit and crime and theres nothing you can do.

In 2008, the innocence project moved to the University of Baltimore School of Law. Now, the law school and public defenders office jointly run the program. Nethercott teaches, too, and her students help investigate cases. They were shocked at the sloppy investigations and prosecutors missteps. The students energized her. A way to battle my cynicism, Nethercott said.

She became an inspiration to her students, too, said Ronald Weich, dean of the law school.

These exonerations can take years of hard work; she never gives up. If she senses injustice, she stays with the fight until justice is done, he said.

In 2012, she won exoneration for Demetrius Smith, who was serving a life sentence for murder; evidence surfaced proving another man the killer. She cleared the name of Larry Hugee, who was serving 25 years for armed robbery. The years brought more victories: John Mooney, Malcolm Bryant, Clarence Shipley, Eric Simmons, Alfred Chestnut.

Each exoneration took her an average of six years, Nethercott said. Many brought a hard fight just to get before a judge.

At times, she had to litigate just to review the old evidence. She pulled 10-hour days a month straight during trial. She returned to old crime scenes on her nights and weekends to double-check eyewitness accounts, sometimes bringing her spouse along for safety. They raised four kids amid it all, but the work wore on Nethercott.

Theres the time of doing the work and the emotions piece of it, said Rhonda Lipkin, her spouse. It really matters. Someones life is literally in your control in terms of someone getting out of jail or not. Theres a feeling of, If I dont do that one more thing, it might have been the difference.

Maryland Public Defender Paul DeWolfe said Nethercotts record shows the flaws of Marylands justice system and the importance of post-conviction review.

Of late, Nethercott has squared off against a hard-charging law firm out of Chicago. Baltimore officials hired the out-of-town attorneys to defend against wrongful conviction lawsuits filed by exonerated men. The Chicago attorneys found evidence Tony DeWitt won his freedom with a forged document. That wasnt Nethercotts case, but the attorneys are scrutinizing the other exonerations.

A joint committee of staff from the University of Baltimore and Public Defenders Office hired the Greenbelt attorney Erica Suter to succeed Nethercott.

Michele is known for being sort of relentless or tenacious when it comes to her clients. Thats her reputation, and thats the key to success in wrongful conviction work, Suter said.

Nethercott plans to retire at the end of June. She may work occasionally as a consultant on cases, but there will be more time for walks in the woods, swims and goofing with her grandkids.

Shes maintained a wry humor through all the heartbreaking cases. When asked about her decades in the trenches of exoneration work, Nethercott offers in summation a moment of absurdity. You have to laugh in such work, or else youll cry.

She recalls returning to the crime scene with the exonerated Demetrius Smith to meet news reporters, when a woman came up to her.

The woman had implicated Smith in the crime years ago, saying then that she knew him well as a neighborhood troublemaker.

Now, she chatted away with Nethercott. When Smith walked by, Nethercott said the woman asked her, Whos that?
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP)  Funeral arrangements have been made for a Massachusetts police officer who drowned trying to save a teenager, who also died.

Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel Manny Familia will be laid to rest Thursday at St. Johns Cemetery in Worcester, following a Mass at St. Johns Church. The wake will be at the church on Wednesday.
DETROIT (AP)  More than $2 million is being awarded to a dozen organizations in Michigan that work to address inequities in the states criminal justice system.

The grants are through the Michigan Justice Fund which aims is to help stem the flow of people going through the criminal justice system, support the investment of public dollars to community-driven alternatives to incarceration, and ensure that those returning home receive support.
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP)  Adrian is trying to settle in to his third new city since 2016, when his wife was raped and mother was killed in Haiti. He will go anywhere but home.

Why do they send us back to Haiti? he said outside a cheap Mexican hotel blocks from the border with El Paso, Texas, where he was living with his wife and about 20 other Haitians last month. "We don't have anything there. There's no security. ... I need a solution to not be sent back to my country.

Haitians rejoiced when U.S. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced last month an 18-month extension of protections for Haitians living in the United States, citing "serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The reprieve benefits an estimated 100,000 people who came after a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti and are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which gives a temporary haven to people fleeing countries struggling with civil strife or natural disasters.

Mayorkas noted that it doesn't apply to Haitians outside the U.S. and said those who enter the country may be flown home. To qualify, Haitians must have been in the United States on May 21.

The Biden administration has dismayed some pro-immigration allies by sharply increasing repatriation flights to Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The government chartered 14 flights in February and 10 in March, more than any other destination, before tapering off to six flights in April, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights.

Removals have continued despite Haiti's political and humanitarian crises cited by U.S. officials in their decision to extend Temporary Protected Status. Kidnappings have become commonplace. UNICEF expects child malnutrition to double this year as an indirect consequence of the pandemic in a country where 1.1 million are already going hungry.

Adrian, who spoke on condition that his last name not be published to protect his wife's identity, is among legions of Haitians who fled the Caribbean nation sometime after the 2010 earthquake. Many initially escaped to South America. He went to Chile, while others went to Brazil.

As construction jobs for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro ended and Brazil descended into political turmoil, many Haitians crossed 10 countries by plane, boat, bus and foot to get to San Diego, where U.S. authorities let them in on humanitarian grounds. But then-President Barack Obama shifted course and began deporting Haitian arrivals in 2016. Many then started calling Mexico home.

Haitian restaurants opened in Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, serving mangoes and mashed plantains. Factories that export to the U.S. recruited Haitians, who also wait tables and worship at congregations that have added services in Creole.

In recent months, some Haitians have moved from Tijuana to Ciudad Juarez, another large border city with jobs at export-driven factories. They're driven by job prospects, hopes of less racial discrimination and a temptation to cross what they perceive to be less-guarded stretches of border.

The shift was evident Feb. 3 when U.S. authorities expelled dozens of Haitians to Ciudad Juarez, an apparent violation of pandemic-related powers that deny a right to seek asylum. Under the public health rules, only people from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador can quickly be sent back to Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has acknowledged the Haitian expulsions but not explained why they were done.

They are in transit, said Nicole Phillips, legal director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, an advocacy group. It's very much a transitory population. They may start out in Tijuana and shift eastward. Other times they start east and shift to Tijuana.

Adrian, 34, said he saw racial discrimination in Chile and Tijuana, where he worked in data entry for a company that assembled neck braces and other medical devices. He said he saw Mexicans getting paid more than twice as much for the same work.

He lost his job when his temporary work visa expired and heard that Ciudad Juarez had work. A straight shot by bus, he decided to take another chance on a new life.

During his first week in Ciudad Juarez last month, Adrian asked downtown merchants to let him sell items on the streets, which are still half-empty amid COVID-19. No one let him. Factories are known to hire foreigners, but he no longer had a work permit.

Adrian wants to settle in Ciudad Juarez and save money, saying he may try to get to the U.S. one day. For now, he fears being sent back Haiti too much to risk applying for asylum or enter the country illegally.

A scar on the back of his head is from being pistol-whipped by an attacker in 2016, he says, and one on his left hand is from being tied up. He said his mother was targeted at her home and killed because she refused to participate in rallies for the Tet Kale party, whose presidential candidate, Jovenel Moise, won the 2016 election.

Adrian believes the men who killed her and assaulted his wife worked for party bosses. He recognized one and went to the police, but nothing came of it.

Haiti has long been wracked by poverty and violence. In April, then-Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe resigned amid a spike in killings.

Other Haitians staying at the hotel with Adrian also had left Tijuana. Some said they would stay and try to find work; others said they wanted to go to the United States.

Some people who have been sent back to Haiti simply save for another attempt to cross into the U.S.

Ive been back in Haiti over nine months now. Im struggling to stay alive, said a mechanic in Port-au-Prince who was caught by border agents in South Texas. Soon as I crossed into the U.S., police picked us up, and the guide was nowhere to be found.

The 27-year-old man spoke on the condition of anonymity because he plans on crossing the border again. He said his training as a mechanic hasn't gotten him work in Haiti, though he plied his trade from Chile to Guatemala on his journey to the U.S.

Jean-Piere, another Haitian migrant who was trained as a mechanical engineer and spoke on condition that his last name not be published for safety reasons, spent two years in Tijuana. After moving to Ciudad Juarez and failing to find a job, he said he wants to go to the United States. He carries a folder with documents for an eventual asylum case.

He said his father died due to political problems stemming from his work for Haitis governing party.

I cant go back to my country," Jean-Piere said.

___

Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince contributed to this report.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  Police in North Carolina say an infant was accidentally shot during a domestic dispute in Charlotte.

Multiple news outlets reported that the 1-year-old was shot in the hand Saturday during an altercation between two family members. The reports did not say how the family members were related to the child.
'Lab leak' allegation nonsense, hinders global anti-COVID-19 cooperation: experts

CGTN) 13:49, June 06, 2021

Unfounded allegations by some U.S. politicians that the COVID-19 virus escaped from a Chinese lab are making it harder for nations to collaborate on ending the pandemic and fueling online bullying, according to a recent news article in the British scientific journal Nature.

"Even without strong supporting evidence," calls to investigate Chinese laboratories have reached a fever pitch in the United States, said the article, adding that for many researchers, the tone of the growing demands is unsettling, which could thwart efforts to study the virus's origins.

While some U.S. politicians groundlessly allege that the coronavirus causing the pandemic was leaked from a Chinese lab, scientists argue that the hypothesis requires a thorough, independent inquiry, the Nature article said.

Citing some scientists, the article added, "The rhetoric around an alleged lab leak has grown so toxic that it's fueling 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."

The escalating demands and allegations are contributing to a geopolitical rift at a moment when solidarity is needed, said David Fidler, a global-health researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank.

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 the conspiracy theory that the virus was leaked from a lab is fundamentally rooted in politics, according to an article carried by the Financial Times on Monday.

The Los Angeles Times also pointed out on Wednesday that the "lab leak" allegation is a political conspiracy backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Current and former officials said an important factor in the Biden administration's acceptance of the lab leak theories, which Democrats used to refute, was that 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 blame would help him in the election.

The "Wuhan lab leak" allegation is nonsense, which should be thrown out straight away, said British virologist Ian Jones on the origin tracing of COVID-19.

The Washington Post has incurred criticism after making a change to a story last year debunking the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 could have originated from a lab, a media report has said.

The Post article was first published in February 2020 after U.S. Senator Tom Cotton had an interview with Fox News. Originally the headline read, "Tom Cotton keeps repeating a coronavirus conspiracy theory that was already debunked," but it then was changed to walk back on dismissing the theory, Russia's RT website reported on Tuesday.

Critics have accused The Post and other U.S. mainstream media outlets of dealing with the theory for political purposes, while the origin of the virus is still being investigated, the report added.

Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health Francis Collins appeared to have dismissed the Wuhan lab leak theory of COVID-19 as a "conspiracy" in an email last year, according to recent media reports.

Citing a newly-released email in April 2020 from Collins to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. magazine Newsweek reported Wednesday that the subject line of Collins' email to Fauci was titled "conspiracy gains momentum."

(With input from Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
Again and again the hapless fishermen suffer View(s):

From the local fishmonger to the men who go out into the ocean to fill their nets with a catch, the X-Press Pearl ship disaster has placed the already suffering fish industry in a world of hurt.

First the Peliyagoda fish market COVID cluster and now the ship disaster has resulted in people being reluctant to consume fish. The fishing community has been suffering for months. Now we are unable to go fishing. From the millions of rupees that will be obtained from the owners of the X-Press Pearl fishermen  especially along the Wattala-Negombo coastal area who are directly affected by the ship disaster  should get relief payments of about Rs. 25,000, said Dinesh Fernando, Secretary to the All-Ceylon Fisher Folk Trade Union.

Fishermen along the Negombo coast lament the government failed to address the plight of fishermen who have been suffering since the second wave of the pandemic.

Since the Peliyagoda fish market COVID cluster emerged, we have had no relief from the state despite bringing income to the country through fish exports to Europe, Mr. Fernando said. Apart from COVID, the fishing community has been battered by the weather, with several storms and tropical cyclones leaving many fishermen with zero income.

He urged the state to immediately address the threat to marine life caused by the fire on the X-Press Pearl.

He said some fish exposed to harmful chemicals move away from the area but others cannot do so. A school of tuna will swim to deeper seas to avoid being exposed to oils or chemicals but fish like mullet that live among reefs are exposed to the toxins, he said.

Small-scale fishermen who catch mullet, crabs and prawns are essential to the export trade to European fish markets, he pointed out. Some had seen their fishing equipment damaged by debris from the ship. They need health and infrastructure facilities. While authorities are assessing the damage to the environment it is necessary to see the plight of fishermen, Mr. Fernando said. He said small-scale fishermen number about 25,000 of the 1.2 million people engaged in fishing.
JERUSALEM (AP)  An 84-year-old man who once headed Israels space agency on Sunday died of injuries sustained during riots that erupted across the country last month, hospital officials said.

Avi Har-Even was hospitalized after suffering burns and smoke inhalation when an Arab mob torched the hotel he was staying at last month in the northern Israeli town of Acre. The Rambam Health Care Campus, the Haifa hospital that had been treating him, confirmed his death late Sunday.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Some wildlife species that were previously absent or rare in Kansas are appearing more often now, including a mountain lion that was caught on video last month roaming through an alley in Wichita.

The mountain lion sighting continues a trend in recent decades that has brought an increased presence of wildlife, including elk, black bears, river otters and armadillos, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Gov. John Bel Edwards has created a new award to commemorate Louisiana's only Black governor and to acknowledge the contributions of African American leaders in the state.

The Democratic governor and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus held the first P.B.S. Pinchback breakfast Thursday and gave the P.B.S. Legacy Award to retired Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, the first Black person and second woman to hold that position.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Louisiana senators advanced several transportation financing proposals in a rare Sunday debate session, as lawmakers negotiated behind the scenes on ways to steer more tax money to roads and bridges before the legislative session wraps up this week.

Senate leaders are proposing to make a temporary 0.45% state sales tax passed in 2018 permanent and send the dollars to infrastructure, rather than letting the tax expire as planned in mid-2025. But that idea appeared to be in trouble, facing significant opposition in the House.

With that proposal struggling to gain traction, senators have started looking for other approaches that could bolster state spending on projects in a $15 billion list of backlogged state-identified transportation needs. The Senate Finance Committee on Sunday approved two House-backed road financing bills that senators previously had shelved. Those measures were sent to the Senate floor, where they could become part of any eventual deal between the House and Senate.

It gives us some choices of what we're going to do, said Finance Chairman Bodi White, a Republican from Central.

Those bills  sponsored by Republican Reps. Jack McFarland and Mark Wright  would phase in a requirement that vehicle sales taxes pay for infrastructure projects; limit the use of the Transportation Trust Fund to pay for operational expenses in the state's transportation department; and enact other provisions aimed at lessening administrative costs in the agency.

All the ideas would make more money available for road and bridge projects, though that could leave financing gaps to cover health, education and other programs across state government by shifting existing tax dollars to transportation work with no means of replacing them.

Republican Senate President Page Cortez, White and other senators have made coming up with more money for infrastructure a top priority in the final days of a session that must end Thursday. But their favored approach, centered on the state's sales tax, has failed to gain support so far in the House.

That proposal, added by Senate leaders into an unrelated House bill, would strip the expiration date for the temporary 0.45% state sales and send the nearly $400 million received annually to road and bridge work beginning in 2025.

But the Louisiana Conservative Caucus  41 GOP lawmakers in the House  oppose the idea, calling it irresponsible to keep the temporary sales tax on the books when the state is receiving billions of federal dollars with more infrastructure money possibly on the way. Louisiana currently has the second-highest combined average state and local sales tax rate in the nation at 9.52%, according to the Tax Foundation.

Lawmakers in the Conservative Caucus represent more than one-third of the 105-member House, enough to stall the bill that requires a two-thirds vote to pass. In addition, some Democrats have raised objections to making the tax permanent.

Already lawmakers have allocated $560 million in federal coronavirus aid to pay for infrastructure, including several phases of widening of Interstates 10, 12 and 20, port projects and work on I-49 South. They've also added millions of dollars in legislative earmarks to budget bills that would provide financing for specific transportation projects favored by individual lawmakers.

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Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Maine's U.S. senators are joining a push to set standards on certain kinds of substances in bottled water.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins and independent Sen. Angus King have joined colleagues to call for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to set the standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The senators described the substances as persistent chemicals that accumulate in peoples bodies over time.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP)  A western Indiana man will plead guilty in a 2020 attack in which he entered a home swinging a nail-studded wooden club, leaving two women with facial wounds and injuring three other people.

Chelton R. James, 23, had faced a trial set for Monday but he entered a plea agreement Thursday on one count of aggravated battery that calls for a 20-year sentence, with nine years to be served in prison and three years on home detention. He also faces eight years on probation.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)  Dave Hoover, 43, checked into the emergency room at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center in January after his face started turning blue when he would take a few steps around his house.

He didnt know then that hed remain hospitalized for more than three months as his lungs steadily got worse, that hed be ventilated and given a throat catheter, or that hed be the first COVID-19 patient in Kentucky to receive a double lung transplant.

I dont think I knew exactly how critical I was until after the transplant, Hoover said. After I started feeling better, my wife started sharing some things with me and I was speechless. Im just very grateful.

Hoover, of Stanford, is a hobby farmer and a factory worker. Hes a husband and the father of two kids and a former bodybuilder. Hes the kind of healthy, younger person who isnt statistically likely to develop severe complications from COVID-19.

When he caught the coronavirus in January, he thought it was allergies or a minor illness. Even after he checked into the hospital, he had seemed mostly fine  he and his wife Emily were talking about doing pulmonary rehabilitation to try and support him at home  but by February 25th, he was transferred to the University of Kentucky Medical Center and they were talking about putting him on a ventilator.

It just spiraled to where he was requiring a lot more support than he was getting at that time, said Emily, who is a nurse.

Over the next three months at UK, Hoovers lungs continued to get worse. He developed a complication from being on the respirator that allowed air to seep into his chest, so they had to catheterize his throat in order to inject oxygen directly into his veins.

He was put on the lung transplant list, where he waited for a month. In the meantime, he had to try to sit up and walk while he was on a type of heart-lung machine called an ECMO.

Walking on ECMO, I will have to say, is probably the hardest thing Ive ever done in my life, Hoover said. Just because it actually felt like I was drowning just trying to walk.

He made it about 10 feet the first time he walked while on the machine and got up to about 75 feet before his transplant. He said walking before his surgery helped him recover faster after his surgery.

Dr. Maher Baz, the medical director of UKs lung transplant division, said that 15 percent of patients dont make it through the waiting period for a lung transplant, because too few people are organ donors.

They were very brave for this, very motivated and thats what kept him on his feet, Baz said. Thats what really got him through the waiting time, his motivation and courage.

Hoover was discharged from the hospital on April 23 and returned home to his 4-year-old son and 19-year-old daughter.

Emily Hoover urged people to become organ donors. There are currently at least two COVID-19 patients waiting for lung transplants in Kentucky.

Baz and Dr. Ashley Montgomery-Yates, the director of UKs ICU recovery unit, stressed the importance of being vaccinated since more than 95 percent of the patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 right now are not vaccinated.

Dave Hoover said he was originally skeptical of having to wear masks and whether or not he needed the vaccine. Now he says hes become an advocate and will get the vaccine as soon as hes able (the medications he has to take for his body to accept the new organ makes him immune-compromised).

Im just so thankful to be here and have a second chance at life, Hoover said.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Restaurants suffered more than most businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dining rooms were closed or severely limited when the virus began spreading in March 2020. Restaurants that remained open relied on to-go orders. Many states, however, offered some relief by allowing to-go sales of beer, wine and cocktails.

It was absolutely a lifesaver for us, said Garrett Carr, the bar manager at the upscale bistro Cafe Roze in Nashville, Tennessee.

As states lift restrictions and return to normal, lawmakers across the country have decided that to-go drinks should remain on the menu. Even some traditionally conservative states in the South will now let people take their booze back home.

It definitely helped remove some of the stigma around drinking, said Carr about the temporary relaxation of alcohol rules during the pandemic.

Today, according to the National Restaurant Association, 39 states, including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia permit to-go cocktails. Some states made the change temporary, like Tennessee where the new law that allows carryout and delivery of alcohol expires in 2023.

While some Southern cities have long allowed open containers in designated zones and Louisiana has famously allowed drive through frozen drink stands, prior to the pandemic to-go cocktails were not legal statewide anywhere in the country, according to the National Restaurant Association.

In states that permitted to-go drinks during the pandemic, 89% of restaurants that served alcohol took advantage of the temporary change, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Even in Alabama, where pandemic to-go alcohol sales ended in January 2021 and restrictions made cocktails complicated, restaurants and bars kept more staff employed during the pandemic because of carryout booze. The state required that liquor be sold in a factory sealed container. Instead of cocktails, customers could only buy a cocktail kit, with a mini-bottle of alcohol accompanied by the other ingredients and instructions for finishing the drink at home.

We sold easily 50,000, maybe 100,000, to-go cocktails, said Laura Newman, owner of the Queens Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

Restaurant and bar owners point to the successful adoption of to-go drinks during the pandemic as the reason why lawmakers were so quick to make the change long term.

They realize they can trust people more. The laws dont have to be as strict, said Will Coffee, who opened Nashvilles Tacos with a Twist in the middle of the pandemic.

Even before the pandemic, momentum was building to legalize to-drinks, said Mike Whatley, vice president for state affairs and grassroots advocacy at the National Restaurant Association.

More than a dozen states, including Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana and North Carolina, allowed delivery of beer and wine but not cocktails from restaurants before the pandemic. In Georgia, the state legislature proposed allowing delivery of beer and wine in February 2019 before that session was suspended due to COVID-19. Cocktail, beer, wine and other beverages are now legal for to-go delivery in the state.

Broad changes to alcohol rules rarely happen this fast.

The regulations that have changed on this topic would have taken 10 years, because alcohol is so regulated, Whatley said.

In Tennessee, many believe the temporary change will eventually be made permanent.

We feel like the longer it stays in law, the more permanent it will become. You change everyones habits, said Bruce Fields, who owns the Nectar Urban Cantina in Nashville.

Selling booze off-site could boost a restaurants overall sales by 5 to 10%, according to estimates from the National Restaurant Association.

Not everyone, however, plans to take advantage of this liberation of libations.

The high-end restaurant Kimball House, located in Decatur, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, specializes in oysters and cocktails. Before the pandemic, they rarely sold take-out food. Although to-go orders for food, cocktails and even bags of unshucked oysters got Kimball House through the pandemic, they believe their customers want a return to the way things were.

I dont think to-go will be a huge part of our business, said Miles Macquarrie, the restaurants co-owner and beverage director.

At The Atomic Lounge in Birmingham, co-owner Feizal Valli also has no interest in continuing to sell drinks to go. His bar is known as much for its funky atmosphere as it is for its cocktails, like the signature Legendary Sex Panther.

Im not in the liquor business. Im in the experience business, Valli said.

Even though Valli will not take advantage of Alabamas new law, he still believes that it benefits him.

When progressive things like that are happening in notoriously non-progressive states like Alabama, there is a ripple effect, he said.
CHICAGO (AP)  An attorney is calling on Catholic bishops across Illinois to end the dangerous deceit and release a full list of religious order priests who face credible sexual abuse accusations.

Attorney Jeff Anderson last week made public the identities of 175 priests accused of sex abuse, including 117 who previously worked in the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Those names came from lawsuits as well as lists compiled by the religious orders themselves, among other sources, he said.

Anderson said the archdiocese has released the names of only two of those problem priests.

Catholic bishops in Illinois have been hiding the names, the identities of religious order priests who have been publicly accused of child sexual abuse, he said Thursday during an a online news conference.

It raises the question: How many more kids are going to get hurt because of the non-disclosure?

The Chicago archdiocese declined to comment on Andersons demand.

Cardinal Blase Cupich has demanded for more than two years that Catholic religious orders which operate in his territory fully disclose to him any information about their members who now face or have faced accusations of child sexual abuse.

The Archdiocese of Chicago, which grants the orders permission to operate within its jurisdiction, has refused to say what it knows about predatory religious order clergy.

Some religious orders publicly list credibly accused clerics, while others dont.

Religious orders have their own leaders and operate relatively freely within the dioceses, though they need permission from the local bishop, such as Cupich, if they engage in public ministry in a parish, at a school or hospital or in some other charitable endeavor.
All CPC unions oppose plan to allow private sector to import, refine and distribute fuel By Niranjala Ariyawansha View(s): View(s):

All Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) trade unions, including pro-government unions, have called on Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila to withdraw plans to permit the private sector to import, refine and distribute fuel.

Eight trade union leaders signed a letter which was handed over to the minister on Friday. The unions included the pro-government Progressive Workers Union of Commerce and Industry, the United National Party (UNP)-affiliated Jathika Sewaka Sangamaya (JSS), the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-affiliated Petroleum Common Workers Union and the Executive Officers Union.

Last week the Sunday Times reported that the Government had decided to amend the CPC Act to empower the Minister to issue licences to any suitable party for the import, refining, marketing, supplying, producing, mixing and distributing of petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, furnace oil and alternative fuels. Minister Gammanpila , however, claimed at a news conference that the government had no plans to privatise the CPC but was ready to call for international tenders for building a new refinery which could handle100,000 barrels a day.

Nevertheless, since it is only the CPC which has the authority for refining in terms of the CPC Act No. 28 of 1961, the Minister had said during the discussion with the unions, that to build a new refinery, the CPC Act needed to be amended.

When the trade union leaders objected, the minister had told them to discuss further the Governments proposal and send their proposals to him within the next two weeks.
PETERSBURG, Va. (AP)  One man was killed and another critically injured in a shooting at a Petersburg park Sunday, police said.

Multiple news outlets reported that officers responded to a report of a shooting at Patton Park along the Appomattox River just after 3 p.m. When police arrived, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds.
NEW YORK (AP)  A 10-year-old boy was killed and his 29-year-old uncle was wounded in a shooting in Queens, police said.

The victims were shot as they entered a home in the Far Rockaway section at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, a police spokesperson said. Ten-year-old Justin Wallace was shot in the torso, while his uncle was shot in the shoulder.
HAMPTON, N.H. (AP)  Police in a popular seaside town in New Hampshire are cracking down on rowdy crowds as the region deals with a heat wave.

Police arrested nine people Friday night and seven people Saturday night as crowds swell on Hampton Beach, WMUR-TV reports.
OGDEN, Utah (AP)  Since Utah lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year allowing immigrants to become police for the first time, the Ogden Police Department has received a number of applicants.

Chief Eric Young sees the change as a means to help with recruitment of new officers, a big issue in many departments, including the Ogden Police Department. Were all in on using it to our benefit, he told the Standard-Examiner.

Amid calls by some for police forces more representative of the racial and ethnic makeup of their communities, Seth Cawley, who heads the Weber State University Police Department, also sees the change, outlined in Senate Bill 102, as a good thing. There were times in the past, he said, when immigrant applicants to the Weber State police force had to be turned back because they didnt meet the prior requirement that officers in Utah be U.S. citizens.

I think its a great idea. It provides us a diverse pool of people to select from, Cawley said. At a place like Weber State, which aims to promote and embrace diversity, having a force reflective of the university community is important and reaching out to immigrants can help in that regard.

Lawmakers passed SB 102 earlier this year, motivated in part by guidelines at the federal level that let legal immigrants serve in the U.S. military. Immigrants can serve in the Army and other military branches, so why cant they be police officers? said Utah Rep. Paul Ray, the Clearfield Republican who sponsored the legislation in the House.

Broadening the pool helps with recruitment and being able to recruit among immigrants can help diversify a police force, Ray said. Numerous departments in Utah, including Ogdens, favored the change. The measure passed 65-4 in the Utah House and 27-0 in the Utah Senate. People were really supportive, Ray said.

In testimony before voting on the matter, Lt. Brian Baggs of the Weber County Sheriffs Office noted the case of a friend, a Pacific islander, who wanted to become a police officer, but couldnt because he wasnt a U.S. citizen, at least when applying previously. I think this is a great bill, Baggs said.

Utah Sen. Karen Mayne, a West Valley City Democrat and the Senate sponsor, noted during testimony on the measure earlier this year that the change would apply to people who may be seeking citizenship, but just havent completed the process. They just cant put everything together to become a citizen. It takes a long time, she said.

Notably, immigrants with status to be in the country under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, dont appear to fit the parameters of SB 102. The Utah change says immigrants covered must be lawful residents in the United States and have legal authorization to work here. They face background checks, like all officer candidates, and also have to have been in the country legally for at least five years.

The federal DACA program, though, is geared chiefly to undocumented immigrants brought into the country illegally as children by their parents. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says DACA recipients are not considered to be unlawfully present. Deferred action, says the USCIS website, does not confer lawful status upon an individual, nor does it excuse any previous or subsequent periods of unlawful presence.

In Ogden, officials have been pushing to diversify the police force and bolster its numbers. The police department is considered fully staffed with 145 sworn officers, but the actual count typically hovers 10 to 15 below that, according to Young.

So far, no Black officers serve in the department notwithstanding the diversification efforts, and while SB 102 could theoretically aid in recruiting Latino officers, Young said several Spanish speakers already serve on the force. Latinos make up about a third of Ogdens population, with immigrants, legal and otherwise, counting among the segment. SB 102 is not going to be a panacea, Young said, resolving the departments staffing woes.

But it can help. The Ogden Police Department already had immigrant recruits in mind when SB 102 passed and, after it was approved, department reps reached out to them, leading to the pending applicants. The department is absolutely interested in getting qualified immigrants on the force, Young said.
ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP)  Within the grounds of the Old Rapides Cemetery are buried a multitude of figures who shaped the foundation of Rapides Parish and the state of Louisiana.

This is the most historic piece of land in all of Central Louisiana, said local historian Mike Wynne, of the one and a half acres near the Red River.

Enemund Meullion, the last Spanish commandante of El Rapido District, or as it is known in French, Poste du Rapides, is buried there along with his wife and bodyguard. Senators, U.S. Congressmen and governors are also interred there along with many ordinary citizens.

Many names on the tombstones are familiar with streets named after Foisy, Hill, Marye, Overton, Thornton and Turner. Or towns named after Capt. C.E. Ball or Judge Henry Boyce.

The cemetery dates back over 200 years to when the Spanish ruled the area. It has been on the National Register since 1979.

According to Under the Shade of Trees: History and Stories of the Old Rapides Cemetery by Father Chad Partain, Bobby Downs Hynson and Andrea Wilson Warren, the cemetery was known as the Old Catholic Cemetery prior to being called the Rapides Cemetery.

Records of the Catholic Church in Rapides Parish were destroyed in a fire in 1895. The history of the cemetery has been pieced together through headstones that still exist.

There are about 2,300 known graves at the cemetery but that may only be a small number of people who were buried there. It is also possible that person after person is buried on top of each other.

The early tombs or graves had wooden or metal crosses that have long rotted away, said Wynne. The earliest monument belongs to 15-year-old Pierre Baillo who died in 1809.

By 1809, this was already a large cemetery, said Wynne.

This is where Wynne and two other historians, Mike Tudor and Paul Price, all with the Historic Rapides Cemetery Preservation Society, met to discuss the cemetery and plans to create a cemetery district that would include all four cemeteries located in downtown Pineville. The Rapides Cemetery, the Methodist Cemetery, the Jewish Cemetery and the Mount Olivet Cemetery would be promoted as a historical tourism destination.

We can actually document what went on here because its very closely intertwined with the history of the settlement, said Price. This was the burial place for all the citizens.

After the Civil War, Alexandria had been burned, the community was impoverished and the cemetery was in a sad state, said Price. Local citizens formed the Rapides Cemetery Association, getting a charter in 1872, and they managed the cemetery until 2000. That is when the City of Pineville took over the cemetery. The Historic Rapides Cemetery Preservation Society, led by Partain and Hynson, has been around since 2012.

The Rapides Cemetery is located near the Gillis-Long Bridge, better known as the Jackson Street Bridge. This site is where the house of the first Spanish Commandante Etienne Marafet Layssard once stood.

Among the people buried in Rapides Cemetery are Alexander Fulton, the founder of Alexandria; Pierre Baillio who built Kent Plantation House; James Madison Wells, governor of Louisiana during Reconstruction; Cornelia LeGras, a free woman of color who owned land in her name; and Nick Velotta, an Italian immigrant who owned a grocery store.

This is one of a few cemeteries where people regardless of religion, race, nationality or socio-economic status are buried together, said Wynne.

This was a public cemetery and public means public, said Price. Anybody could be buried there.

Thats what makes it very rare, said Wynne. Every type of person is represented in this cemetery and everybody in Central Louisiana was buried here.

Aside from cemeteries in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, this is what makes the Rapides Cemetery stand out, said Tudor.

The French and the Spanish did not have the same discrimination with regard to Blacks that the Anglo-Saxon slave masters did, said Tudor. They freed more and they allowed them to be buried with them. That was unique to French and Spanish. The Anglo-Saxon and the British were more racist and would not allow it.

What also makes the cemetery unique are the artistic details on fences surrounding the plots or adorning the tombs.

Look at the leaf and flower motif, said Price pointing to a marble box grave of a five-year-old boy, William Prescott. Its exquisite. And its the purest white marble youll ever find anywhere and certainly in our cemetery.

It is because of these unique aspects that the Historic Rapides Cemetery Preservation Society, under the leadership of Tudor, is working to create a cemetery district complete with tours.

The Historic Rapides Cemetery Preservation Society will be meeting with the Pineville Downtown Development District on June 14 to see if the area can be made into a cemetery district.

Its critical for them to fund these things were asking, said Tudor. They need funds for roads, markers and removal of tree stumps left by Hurricane Laura.

The Pineville Downtown Development District is a relatively new creation, which is to promote downtown, so were hoping that they would help us focus on this, said Tudor. He said the city is already committed to redoing the cemeterys roads. The society is also going to get a marker as well. They would also like to have funds for things like cleaning the cemetery and banners promoting the district.

The preservation of the history of this cemetery is vitally important for Central Louisiana - actually all of Louisiana, said Wynne. But its also about tourism - bringing tourist dollars into Central Louisiana.

The society is looking for volunteers to be tour guides and volunteers to help with the upkeep of the cemetery.

Were trying to assemble a citizens group to help maintain the cemetery to its best so that tours from around the nation can come here, said Wynne.

Were going to try to have a whole volunteer group of docents who will lead these tours, particularly for the eighth-graders, said Tudor. You can teach Louisiana history right here.

The society has also put together a pamphlet about the history of the Rapides Cemetery which also includes the history of 26 people buried there.

We could have done 100-150 but we chose 26 very important yet varied individuals representative of the community, said Wynne.

The pamphlet will be the catalyst for publicizing the cemetery tours to visitors who can self-guide or take a guided tour with a volunteer. It highlights aspects of the cemetery for tourists or even eighth-grade Louisiana history students. The pamphlet would be available at the Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

A yearly fall tour of the cemetery was hosted by the society, the last being in 2019 due to the pandemic in 2020. The tour featured actors who would portray those buried in the cemetery and tell their story.

Its been a hidden gem, said Tudor. To me, its as important and historic and interesting as either the American Cemetery or St. Louis No. 1 and Im not exaggerating.

The American Cemetery, located in Natchitoches, is believed to be the oldest cemetery in the Louisiana Purchase territory. St. Louis No. 1 cemetery is located in New Orleans where Voodoo queen Maria Laveau is entombed.

This is really a diamond thats always been here but were really going to make it shine, said Tudor of the Rapides Cemetery.
PENDLETON, Ore. (AP)  An eastern Oregon law enforcement deputy was killed while off-duty in a rafting accident near Minam State Park in Wallowa County, authorities said Sunday.

Senior Deputy Jason Post, 34, died Saturday after he and three other adults were thrown from their raft, Lt. Sterrin Ward said. Post was unable to reach the shore and his body was found shortly afterward.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  San Francisco played a critical role in fighting AIDS in America and around the world, leaders and activists said Saturday at a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the first reported cases of the illness.

Mayor London Breed and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at the private ceremony in the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles were the first major U.S. cities hit by AIDS.

When the first AIDS cases were reported in 1981, San Francisco was left on our own, Breed said, but we did what San Franciscans do best  we came together. ... The system of care developed to help those struggling with HIV/AIDS was developed right here in San Francisco. The renowned research that continues to this very day was established right here in our great city.

Pelosi, who hosted the first fundraiser for the now-famous AIDS Quilt, said the citys compassionate, persistent and science-based approach to the crisis has helped San Francisco and the nation.

Pelosi said AIDS activism has also served as a model for other campaigns, including the fights against breast cancer, for marriage equality and against the militarys former dont ask, dont tell policy that prevented gay people from openly serving, the Chronicle reported.

Joshua Gamson, a member of the National AIDS Memorial Grove board, noted the coincidence of attending an AIDS memorial while the nation is getting through the coronavirus pandemic.

Its odd to be coming out of a pandemic and reflecting on another, Gamson said. This is my first time in the grove since the pandemic, and I feel like Im coming out of a cocoon and into the memories of the AIDS pandemic.

The ceremony finished with a line of people formed to start the hours-long ritual of reading the names of the people who have died from AIDS.
ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP)  A historically black college in South Carolina is cutting tuition in half for its students this fall.

Clinton College, located in Rock Hill, is also offering every student a new computer tablet, WBTV-TV reported.

The college says COVID-19 is the reason for the tuition change. The college wants to make sure families can pay for their students to get a college education.

Associate Vice President of Student Enrollment Jocelyn Biggs said that while the pandemic is not nearly as widespread as it was last year, those same hardships  loss of jobs and income  continue for some people. Still, Biggs said she doesnt think that should stop anyone from getting an education.

This is our way of saying you can still go to college at a reduced tuition amount and were here to help, Biggs said.

Tuition for full-time students living on campus is $10,165 per semester and $5,240 for those living off-campus.

Biggs said she hopes the reduced rate will also attract students who havent made up their mind about where they want to go this fall.

Clinton College was one of many schools established by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church during Reconstruction to help eradicate illiteracy among freedmen, according to its website. It has operated for 120 years.
MIAMI (AP)  A serial mail thief in Florida has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars for stealing items from porches and mailboxes.

Federal prosecutors said in a news release that 26-year-old Yunior Blanco-Pedroso that the sentence followed his March guilty plea to mail theft and stolen mail possession.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A South Carolina man authorities linked to the extremist group the Proud Boys faces a prison sentence after pleading guilty to threatening a former federal prosecutor.

James Giannakos, 47, of Gilbert is scheduled for sentencing by a U.S. District Court judge June 29. Court records show Giannakos was arrested in February after recorded threats made to a former federal prosecutor in Florida were traced to a phone he owned.

Giannakos pleaded guilty in April, The State reported. According to court records, he was angry at the prosecutor for comments confirming news reports that Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio had been an FBI informant in drug cases.

Giannakos is a self-employed home repairman and security system installer, according to documents filed in the legal case. When the FBI raided his home in February, agents found guns and Proud Boys literature, as well as a Capitol Police riot shield suspected to have been taken during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

Giannakos has not been charged in the insurrection. But court records say federal authorities are investigating whether he committed crimes while taking part in the Capitol siege.

Giannaokos attorney, Allen Burnside, declined to comment on the case, the newspaper said.

The Proud Boys is a far-right, male chauvinist extremist group that seized on the policies of former President Donald Trump's administration and was a major agitator during earlier protests and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.

Federal prosecutors say it was in late January, after the Capitol riot, that Giannakos left threatening voice mail messages for the former prosecutor at the law firm where she now works as a private attorney.

One message prominently mentions the Proud Boys leader, saying: If anything happens to Mr. Enrique Tarrio, the same thing will happen to you and your family... If anything happens to him, I promise you and your associates will pay for it.

A judge ordered Giannakos to remain jailed pending sentencing after concluding he remains a potential threat to the former prosecutor. Court records say federal guidelines call for a prison sentence of 24 to 30 months.
Litro Gas Company and SLIC: Loss making company, a question of syntax RIGHT OF REPLY View(s): View(s):

The Sri Lanka Insurance Company (SLIC) has drawn attention to the Sunday Times front page story last week referring to Government plans to merge state owned Litro Gas with LAUGFS GAS in a PPP (Public-Private Partnership).

A spokesperson for the Company states that the reference in the news item to SLIC which is running at a loss is incorrect. The spokesperson adds that the Company (SLIC) has made a pre-tax profit of Rs. 8.2 billion in 2019 and Rs. 7.9 billion (unpublished) in 2020, has always made profits and transferred billions of profits to the Treasury year on year.

* NEWS EDITORS NOTE: There seems to be a question of syntax here. The newspaper quoted from the Cabinet Paper which states, inter-alia, as follows;  Although Litro Gas Company which is a subsidiary company of Sri Lanka Insurance Company, currently running at a loss is a debt free company. It would appear that the reference was to Litro Gas Company that is running at a loss and not SLIC, even though Litro Gas is a subsidiary of SLIC.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  A state board unanimously recommended Friday that the Kansas Supreme Court disbar a prosecutor who's accused of misleading juries in two separate cases, actions that caused them to be overturned by higher courts.

The Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys argued that Jacqie Spradling embraced a win at all costs attitude in two cases: the 2012 double homicide case and a 2016 rape and sodomy case, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
DUBLIN, Calif.  A Northern California county has changed its methodology to record coronavirus deaths, causing its fatality figures to decrease by 25%.

The official COVID-19 death count in Alameda County, in the San Francisco Bay Area, fell from 1,634 to 1,223 after officials changed the criteria for fatalities to match state and national definitions.

Previously, the county had included any person who died while infected with the virus. The Alameda County Public Health Department says its methodology change does not disproportionally impact reported deaths for any specific race, ethnic group or ZIP code. Statewide, more than 62,000 people have died from the coronavirus.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Another COVID side effect: Many kids head to summer school

 States rebound from bleak forecasts to pass record budgets

 AP PHOTOS: Return of live music to London inspires artists

 U.K. urges commitment to vaccinate the world by end of 2022

 Normandy commemorates D-Day with small crowds, but big heart

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Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  Sri Lanka has received one million doses of Chinas Sinopharm vaccines amid the island nations recent surge in infections and COVID-19 vaccine shortage.

Sundays is the largest consignment of vaccines to be received by Sri Lanka on a single occasion.

State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation Channa Jayasumana said the latest consignment was purchased by the State Pharmaceutical Corporation and that will be mainly used to provide second doses.

Sri Lanka began administering first doses on May 8. Authorities plan to start giving the second dose June 8.

Sri Lankas vaccine shortage comes after the producer in neighboring India failed to provide the promised Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine stocks. Last month, Sri Lanka decided to buy 14 million doses of Sinopharm in a bid to resolve the vaccine crisis. Sri Lanka had previously received a total of 1.1 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, donated by China in two batches in March and May.

The current vaccination program is focused on Sri Lankas Western province, which includes the capital of Colombo and its suburbs from where the majority of the countrys coronavirus cases have been detected.

Sri Lanka has seen a sharp increase of positive cases and deaths since April because of celebrations during the traditional new year festival.

Sri Lankas total number of positive cases have reached 202,357 with 1,696 fatalities.

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LONDON  Britains health secretary says the delta variant, which is fast becoming the dominant coronavirus variant in the U.K., is 40% more transmissible compared to the countrys existing strains.

Matt Hancock acknowledged Sunday that the rise in delta variant cases may delay the governments plan to lift most remaining lockdown restrictions on June 21. He also said he wouldnt rule out continuing measures such as face masks in public settings and working from home where possible.

Optimism that Britain can vaccinate its way out of the pandemic took a dent in recent weeks with growing concern that infections are again rising, fueled by the delta variant. More than 12,400 cases of the delta variant have been confirmed so far in the U.K.

On Friday the country recorded 6,238 new coronavirus cases, the highest number since late March. The figure came down to 5,765 on Saturday.

Authorities said Sunday they will start offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people under 30 from this week in hopes that the vaccine program can help combat the renewed surge in infections.

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PARIS  French health authorities are racing to contain scattered cases of the more contagious delta virus variant, as the country prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors and celebrates plunging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that France has multiple clusters of the variant, first identified in India, notably in the southwest Landes region. Speaking on BFM television, Veran said the variant hadnt spread widely into the community and that health investigators are working to trace cases and stop their spread.

The delta variant is now dominant in Britain, and its spread has prompted France and some other countries to impose new restrictions on visitors from Britain.

Overall, Veran insisted, the epidemic situation continues to strongly improve around the country.

The French public health agencys latest weekly epidemiological report shows a steady and sustained drop in virus infections, hospitalization rates and deaths even after France started reopening schools, stores, and restaurants last month. More than half the adult population has had at least one vaccine dose, and nearly a quarter are fully vaccinated.

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HONOLULU  A review of Hawaii Gov. David Iges emails shows the state epidemiologist spent key weeks in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic resisting suggestions and requests that she boost contact tracing to control the spread of COVID-19.

They also showed Dr. Sarah Park repeatedly telling her superiors that the states failure to adequately fund the division she headed was preventing her from quickly expanding their work to respond to the crisis.

The Associated Press obtained the emails last month in response to a May 2020 request submitted under Hawaiis open records law.

Contact tracing was especially difficult for many states. The effort aims to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say its key to containing the virus.

The governors records show that University of Hawaii President David Lassner emailed administration officials on April 16, 2020, to say university researchers had written a report about the need to boost contact tracing and other steps to control COVID-19.

Park didnt outright reject more contact tracing but replied: I am increasingly disturbed that people seem to think contact tracing is somehow easily accomplished as a simple task when it is a part of the practice of applied epidemiology.

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Tom Fink, a former speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives who later became mayor of Anchorage, has died. He was 92.

Fink died of complications from old age," his son, Josh Fink, said on Saturday. He had been taken to a hospital last week.

Fink served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975, and became speaker in 1973. He was also the Republican nominee for Alaska governor in 1982 but lost before serving as mayor of Anchorage from 1987 to 1994, succeeding Tony Knowles.

He was a fiscal conservative, Knowles told the Anchorage Daily News. When people talk about the Republican Party, the Grand Old Party, thats who you think of ... you think of people like Tom Fink.

He added: It was never personal  which was really unusual  at a time when we have the hate agenda that is so prevalent in politics today.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, announced on Saturday that all U.S. and Alaska flags will fly at half-staff in honor of Fink on a date to be determined by his family.

Tom was a talented public servant and driven leader who worked diligently for his constituents both as a representative and as Anchorages mayor. There is no question that Tom lived a full life and left a lasting impact on those he knew and faithfully served, Dunleavy said.

Fink had 11 children, 17 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Were going to miss him a lot, Josh Fink said.
MOBILE, Ala. (AP)  Alabamas Gulf Coast beaches are seeing a surge of tourists that for some businesses could prove to be their busiest June ever.

And with the extra hotel and condo bookings, tourism officials are seeing more traffic, longer waits for tables at restaurants, even sometimes bigger lines at grocery stores as businesses grapple with a worker shortage as the economy emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

In an effort to ask visitors to pack some extra patience along with their swimsuits and sunscreens, Alabama tourism officials launched a summer marketing campaign around the slogan Worth the Wait.

With staffing shortages happening nationwide, especially in the tourism industry, we want to help guests understand what to expect or anticipate in our destination, Kay Maghan, a spokeswoman for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, told al.com.

During the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach reported vacation rental occupancy near 85%  eclipsing previous high marks in 2019 and last year, when a flood of visitors arrived soon after Alabama beaches reopened during the pandemic.

Tourism officials also noted Interstate 10 and other major routes to the beaches saw heavier traffic than normal during the holiday weekend that marks an unofficial kickoff of the summer season.

"The entire state tourism industry experienced a great launch during the holiday weekend, said Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department.

The company Brett Robinson Rentals manages 1,700 rental units on Alabama beaches, and it reported bookings were near 100% for the Memorial Day weekend. Spokesman Robert Kennedy Jr. said the company is anticipating what is maybe our best June ever.

There is still occupancy available, Kennedy said. But it will have a tendency to be midweek. The weekends are pretty much booked through the Fourth of July weekend, but we have availability.

Meanwhile, many businesses are scrambling to hire enough workers for the busy season amid a national labor shortage, particularly in service industry jobs with lower wages.

At the Flora-Bama, a popular beachfront roadhouse at the Florida-Alabama line, the owners are still struggling to hire people despite offering a $500 bonus.

Jenifer Parnell, a Flora-Bama spokeswoman, said sales and traffic were up during the Memorial Day holiday while staffing remained extremely difficult.

Some people trickle in to apply," Parnell said, noting the bonuses have helped, "but we definitely need more.
BOSTON (AP)  The U.S.S. Constitution and its crew are paying tribute to health care workers and first responders for their service during the coronavirus pandemic.

Old Ironsides as the warship is known, is scheduled to take about 200 health care workers and first responders on a three-hour tour in Boston Harbor this coming Friday, the Navy said in a statement.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  A 19-year-old man wanted in Vermont for the attempted murder of two women has been apprehended by police in Nevada, according to authorities.

The Northfield Police Department said Saturday that Aleksander Cherkasov was located in Mesquite, Nevada with his mother, Jennifer Canfield, who had been helping him since he went on the run March 20.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP)  A Virginia man has been charged with second-degree murder after he and another man were shot in a shopping center in Norfolk.

Police said in a news release that 42-year-old Fareed Nelson-Luckett has been charged in the shooting.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP)  A Washington state utility said it has no plans to shut off power to prevent wildfires this summer after a blaze that destroyed more than 100 homes last year was sparked when a tree fell onto one of the utility's power lines.

Some electric companies including Pacific Gas & Electric in California have temporarily cut power to parts of their service areas during wind storms in recent years in a bid to prevent fires.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A crowded field of Democratic candidates that includes political newcomers, current office holders, a doctor and the son of a billionaire made their pitches Sunday for why they're the best pick to take out Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022.

Each of the five announced candidates, and a sixth who is poised to enter the race, addressed the virtual Wisconsin Democratic Convention. For several of the lesser-known candidates, it marked their first chance to make their case before an audience of party activists who are the most likely people to be voting in the August 2022 primary.

Three of the candidates are current office holders: state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski,Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, a former state representative, and current state Sen. Chris Larson, of Milwaukee.

Two others are political newcomers: Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, whose father is a billionaire hedge fund manager and the team's co-owner, and Dr. Gillian Battino, a Wausau radiologist.

A sixth speaker and the third who has never run for office before, Steven Olikara, formed an exploratory committee last week and appeared all but certain to run. He would be the first person of Indian descent to be elected to the Senate from Wisconsin.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is also considering a run for the Senate. He didn't speak Sunday, but in recorded comments broadcast to convention attendees on Saturday, Barnes detailed his efforts to combat climate change and achieve racial equity. Barnes is the only statewide elected official who is Black, and he would be the first African American U.S. senator from Wisconsin should he run and win.

Johnson said last week that he hasn't decided whether to seek a third term and that he feels no pressure to decide anytime soon.

Nelson, speaking from his garage in front of a stack of wood that he said he chopped himself, pitched himself as the underdog who doesn't have personal wealth to tap for the race. He has modeled his candidacy off of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, who made similar arguments in his first successful run in 1992.

We have nominated an underdog before and we can do it again," Nelson said.

Lasry said he would follow similar strategies used in 2018 by Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers in their successful campaigns, going to parts of the state that Democrats have ignored in the past to build a broad coalition. He also touted his endorsements from, and support for, labor unions.

Godlewski, who raised a Bloody Mary during her Sunday morning address, said Democrats need to go on the offensive. She had some of the sharpest attacks on Johnson, who has emerged as one of former President Donald Trump's biggest supporters.

Wisconsinites deserve far much better than McCarthyism 2.0," she said in reference to Johnson.

Larson called for fighting against creeping, festering fascism while highlighting his own record, which included being among the 14 Democratic state senators who fled the state in 2011 in an ultimately failed attempt to block then-Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10 anti-union law.

Battino focused on her experience as a doctor while advocating for Medicare for All and expanding access to health care.

Olikara, 31, spoke of being the son of immigrants from India and referred to himself as a skinny, first generation brown kid from Brookfield. Olikara referenced both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King while making a call to build a coalition of dignity." Olikara founded the Millennial Action Project, a nonprofit that encourages bipartisan political cooperation among young leaders. He has never run for office before.

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Preya Samsunda dismissed the arguments made by the Democrats.

Wisconsinites heard more of the same failed socialist policies that make it more expensive to live the American dream, she said.
Never be caught again with sea disasters, experts urge By Nadia Fazlulhaq View(s): View(s):

With the prospect of having a vast floating sheet of plastic pellets stretching across the entire Indian Ocean as just one consequence of the environmental damage caused by the fire on the MV X-Press Pearl, experts have called for proactive planning to deal with ship disasters as well as a continuous marine bio-diversity assessing mechanism.

The impact to marine life from the recent ship disaster will last for decades. Preparedness is lacking and planning is only mobilised when there is a problem. We need to have structures set up to respond to marine extreme events, Dr. Charitha Pattiaratchi, Professor of Coastal Oceanography of the Oceans Institute of the University of Western Australia, said.

Prof. Pattiaratchi who has been observing the movement of the surface chlorophyll reflecting the pathway of the nurdles (plastic pellets) released from containers of the burning and sinking X-Press Pearl off the shores of Sri Lanka, told the Sunday Times these would extend across the whole Indian Ocean from Somalia to Indonesia including India and the Maldives.

Plastics pellets are generally not toxic but the ingestion of large quantities can cause death, he said. Pellets can get stuck in fish gills and also suffocate marine animals such as turtles and dolphins. The only way to reduce its impact is to remove as much as possible.

The worst environmental damage from the sinking ship would be the potential oil spill, he emphasised.

According to Professor Ashoka Deepananda, head of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the University of Ruhuna, it will be difficult to assess the damage to the marine environment as Sri Lanka does not have a continuous monitoring mechanism of the marine ecosystem.

We lack the latest data on marine biodiversity prior to the ship disaster to assess the damage caused by the fire. Lack of funding to conduct research, and lack of state intervention to obtain the latest technology or assistance from developed nations will be obstacles for the authorities who are trying to assess the damage now, he said.

The effect of microplastics and chemicals released into the sea would only be fully evident in years to come.

While the oil spill damage can be noticed and assessed, the damage to marine life from chemicals will show only in the coming years. This can have an impact on the life cycle of fish as larvae are sensitive to chemicals. The Negombo lagoon is rich in biodiversity and mangroves, which attracts marine species. While fish can swim to deep seas, larvae and algae will be directly exposed to the chemicals, Prof. Deepananda said.

Dr. Ravindra Fernando, Senior Professor in Forensic Science and Founder Head of the countrys only National Poisons Information Centre, said: The ship was carrying a consignment of hazardous chemicals including 25 tonnes of nitric acid, ethyl alcohol, lead ingots, dust urea, frilled urea, high-density and low-density polyethylene (46 containers), epoxy resins (349 containers), sodium methoxide, caustic soda (42 containers), aluminum processing byproducts and raw materials for cosmetics, as well as 28 containers of raw materials used to make plastic bags. With the sinking of the ship, the release of the chemicals is a serious risk to the ocean and the coastal ecosystem.

Prof. Fernando said the nitric acid would damage the corals and ocean life as it is a highly corrosive chemical.

It is a very dangerous acid. The chemical spill is already causing damage to Sri Lankas coastline, including the popular tourist resorts of Negombo and Kalutara, with beaches thickly coated in microplastics and an oil slick visible in the surrounding ocean, the toxicology expert said.

Prof. Fernando said the plastic pellets used to make plastic bags can be fatal to marine life and cause death to sea-turtles, fish and even birds. Dead fish have washed up on shores already with plastic pellets trapped in their gills.

The Ministry of Urban Development said 584 tonnes of plastic pellet debris from the sinking ship have been collected from the nine-kilometre stretch of coastline between Uswetakaiyawa to Sarakkukanda as a result of beach cleaning conducted by personnel from the Navy, Air Force, Coast Conservation Department and Marine Environment Protection Authority.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP)  When it comes to access to venture capital funding for startups, Wyoming trails behind every other state, even falling behind Puerto Rico, according to Microsoft Wyoming TechSpark Manager Dennis Ellis.

But while Wyoming is typically seen as a flyover state in the startup world, it isnt due to a lack of entrepreneurs with big ideas.

Thats where gener8tor comes in, Ellis said.

Thanks to a Microsoft sponsorship, gener8tors gBETA startup pre-accelerator program kicked off in Wyoming last fall, taking a cohort of five businesses on an intensive, seven-week program that teaches founders how to scale their companies, and connects them with investors and resources to help them reach the next level.

gBETAs second Wyoming cohort embarked on that journey seven weeks ago, and all the mentor meetings and lunches spent learning about pitches and business ventures were exemplified Tuesday evening at the gBETA Cheyenne Pitch Night at Array downtown. The five business founders in the spring cohort, from Laramie, Thermopolis, Casper and Jackson, highlighted what their companies do, what funding or support theyre looking for, and, ultimately, why their idea can be the next big thing.

Though one goal of the program is to catapult these founders to their full potential, the ultimate hope is that this access will help grow the tech economy and workforce in Wyoming, and help create stable, high-paying jobs that serve residents into the future.

The idea is to come in and meet the community where it is, Ellis said, adding that his job is to learn how we can help the community with technology, whether thats broadband deployment or getting computer science into the schools.

The businesses range from tech-based operations to companies pitching their solution to a common problem, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports.

Take Laramies High Plains Biochar, for example. Founder Randy Yeatts realized that while people could reuse grocery bags or buy a hybrid car to lessen their impact on climate change, there werent many options for actually removing carbon from the atmosphere.

A process called biocharring converts biomass like wood chips into biochar, a charcoal-like substance, which turns the carbon in the atmosphere into a more stable form. While the process isnt new, Yeatts said most equipment uses too much energy to be carbon neutral, which is where High Plains Biochar comes in.

This is one of only a few truly carbon-negative biotech technologies available today, he said.

On Tuesday, Yeatts said his company is a few months out from the fundraising phase, but he is looking for a co-founder to really get the company off the ground and provide a method for combating climate change.

The gBETA pre-accelerator was originally started by Wisconsin-based gener8tor to lift up founders with startups that werent quite ready for a full accelerator program, but had potential to succeed, so each founder has a different objective in the program.

For Teal, the other startup based in Laramie, the goal is to find a venture capital firm with industry connections that can assist them in changing the streaming industry. While the market of influencers is fairly new, it is lucrative, with vloggers and streamers investing in the best technology to build their platforms.

Teal offers the ability to take livestreaming to a whole new level, with sleek, stylish glasses that have integrated cameras and displays that make it easy to capture videos. Founder Mark Poderis said the company also hopes to capitalize on the livestreaming technology that would be applicable if other companies come out with similar smart glasses products.

It really just opens up the opportunity of catching all that content and sharing it with the world, Poderis said.

After Tuesday, Poderis and Yeatts joined a network of gBETA graduates where the connections run deep. Baylie Evans, the gBETA Cheyenne director, said the gener8tor network will continue to support these companies as they grow and pave the way for the other Wyoming businesses that will follow in their footsteps.

Im incredibly proud of and inspired by the hard work and dedication that these startup founders have put in over the last seven weeks of the gBETA Cheyenne program, Evans said. With entrepreneurs like these representing Wyomings future, we have a lot to look forward to as a state.
By Woody Weingarten

Bay City News Foundation

Physical and verbal assaults on Asian and Black people here and across the United States have triggered words of anti-racist solidarity in Bay Area theatrical circles.

These impassioned statements are rife, partially sparked by "The Living Document," an open website crammed with anonymous testimonies from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC) -- people who've encountered "aggressions, overt racism, feeling unsafe, uncomfortable and discriminated against" in local theater companies and performance spaces.

The headline of the ever-evolving site (https://www.bipoclivdoc.com), which started last summer and has drawn hundreds and hundreds of entries, is provocative: "Chronicling the extent of White Supremacy in the Theater Industry."

Reactions from theatrical officials and artisans have often been introspective, sometimes knee-jerk, almost always emotion-packed. Occasionally, concrete action has occurred in response to the document.

The Berkeley Rep (https://www.berkeleyrep.org/solidarity/index.asp), for example, after verbalizing outrage at hate crimes in general, has voiced specific support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) colleagues after the Bay Area saw an uptick in anti-Asian violence over the last year. Its website links the problem to "long-standing anti-Asian racism." A year ago, after the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others by police, Berkeley Rep had asserted "that Black Lives Matter."

The site urges visiting stopaapihate.org to report anti-AAPI hate crimes and compassioninoakland.org to support safety in the Oakland Chinatown community.

A statement from Gail Wagner, Berkeley Rep board president; Johanna Pfaelzer, artistic director; and Susie Medak, managing director -- all white women -- confesses that "it has been painful to acknowledge the extent to which we, as individuals, as institutions and as a theater community have been part of [the] racist system."

That admission, they say, has led to internal conversations among Berkeley Repertory Theatre staff, board members and co-workers "about the ways in which we have perpetuated racist behavior" -- and, acknowledging "that the experience that many BIPOC artists and audience members have of Berkeley Rep is not the same as that of white artists and audiences."

As a small healing step, the company has hired "a BIPOC woman to fill a newly created role of human resources and diversity manager," Modesta "Mo" Tamayo.

Meanwhile, the American Conservatory Theater, citing the recent attacks on the AAPI community, has affirmed that A.C.T. "stands against hate or any other form of violence."

On its website (https://www.act-sf.org/about-us/mission-values-and-edi/), however, the San Francisco company acknowledges "our organization's history as a predominantly white institution. We also acknowledge that A.C.T. has caused real harm and trauma, consciously or subconsciously, directly or indirectly, adversely impacting our colleagues, students, audiences, staff and members of our community."

A section about equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) includes a commitment "to becoming an inclusive and anti-racist organization where everyone can thrive."

Furthermore, a joint statement to Local News Matters from Pam MacKinnon, artistic director, and Jennifer Bielstein, executive director -- also white women -- says A.C.T. will "strive to share stories about and told by a diversity of voices in order to open hearts and minds, to build empathy and lead to a stronger community."

While some thespians concede that a few anti-discrimination fixes are occurring in the theater world, many maintain that progress is too slow and suggest remedies will take a long time.

Margo Hall, the Black artistic director of the nomadic Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (https://www.lhtsf.org/), contends that African American frustration around representation in theater has "been bottled up for 400 years [and will] take many, many more to balance out, based on the years of Euro-centric history and colonization."

Theater companies, says Hall, who's acted with most major Bay Area troupes, do not understand "what it takes to produce Black shows or shows about people of color." She points to "plays dealing harshly with slavery or overt racism" that provide "no place for a Black person onstage to go for refuge ... to be protected" when they're immersed in that kind of scenario night after night.

She also points out that lots of troupes "don't have the right colored stockings -- they assume stockings for white people are right for everybody. It may seem like a minor thing, but it's symptomatic of the larger problem."

She says the evergreen "Living Document" "came at a very crucial time in our community, and I applaud those brave enough to talk about it. People felt they had no one to go to, to express their feelings."

Jeffrey Lo, a Filipino American playwright who's also the director of community partnerships for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, says he's someone who's "dealt with prejudice my entire life" and "been told to go back to where I came from."

He observes that it can be too easy for Asian Americans "to feel like perpetual foreigners and not Americans. Portrayals ... have been as villains or aliens, and we need to promote three-dimensional people with full lives. We as artists should be the first step in combating hate crimes and racism because we can create empathy."

He says he's hopeful for "more representation of the Asian population and other communities" on theatrical boards of directors.

Lo's comedic play, "Writing Fragments Home," will livestream Saturday as a fundraiser for Compassion in Oakland (https://my.theatreworks.org/6121/6123), a joint effort of 40 Bay Area theaters and arts organizations. The reading will also be available on-demand Sunday-June 9.

While that's happening, an internal examination will continue to take place at San Francisco's Theatre Rhinoceros, which has launched a study to find any gaps in its determination to provide "an anti-racist, equitable and liberated organizational environment in which artists and staff can work and thrive."

And the troupe, run by John Fisher, a white man who's been streaming one-person shows during the pandemic, now expects "all parties doing business with our organization to contractually commit themselves to these principles."

The website of The Rhino (http://therhino.org/bipoc/), "the longest-running queer theater in the world," explains that the company was established 44 years ago "with the vision that queer people, as a population marginalized or ostracized by society, need space in which their artists can create and produce. Our history reveals an evolution in our consciousness to include BIPOC artists and audiences in our mission. This remains our commitment ... [but] we still have far to go in creating a theater that is truly inclusive of everyone in the LGBTQ+ communities."

The site concedes the company's work is carried out "on land violently appropriated from the Ohlone people of the Bay Area and, when appropriate, will specify the Ramaytush, Chochenyo, Karkin, Yokuts and Muwekma tribes. The theater pledges to intentionally include artistic representation of Indigenous people in its programming."

Fisher also informs Local News Matters that during COVID "all of the main-stage plays and most of the readings have been on BIPOC issues" and have used BIPOC directors, actors and stage managers.

Alicia M. Retes, who is proud of her Mayo and Yaqui heritage but asserts she "can only speak for myself and not all Indigenous people because there are so many tribes," is blunt: "The United States is quite racist. ... The whole country is based on the extermination of Indigenous people."

She pointedly recalls a San Francisco casting director for commercials demanding she change her name "to Bach because Retes was too 'foreign.'" In drama class, she laments, "I always got parts like maids or servants. The better parts always went to lighter-skinned people."

The pandemic, elaborates the actor, storyteller, writer and educator who also has Mexican heritage, "revealed the dark underbelly [of the American culture], racism, exclusion, lack of equal opportunities."

Retes, ex-education director of the pandemic-closed Museum of the American Indian in Novato, recently put on an Indigenous-based performance in El Cerrito as a part of "Neighborhood Stories" (https://neighborhood-stories.com/stories/). She also will be part of an online Silicon Valley Shakespeare show Aug. 13-29 called "Folktales From Around the World" (https://www.svshakespeare.org/).

Sujit Saraf, co-founder and artistic director of Naatak House, "America's biggest Indian theater," in Santa Clara (https://www.naatak.org/), says he hasn't experienced any discrimination firsthand but has definitely "been involved in discussions where people of color have talked about being not given opportunities by the mainstream to give free rein to their expression."

And he, like other brown-skinned people from India, is "greatly disturbed" by burgeoning anti-people-of-color incidents in the United States.

Nikko Kimzin, former director of education and community engagement at Sonoma County's Transcendence Theatre Company (https://transcendence4all.squarespace.com), identifies as a "queer Latinx theater-maker" now working as an arts consultant. Six months ago, he resigned from the company and went public about an "ongoing suppression of equity, diversity and inclusion practices" as well as a "hostile work environment."

His displeasure hasn't eased.

"The focus needs to shift to 'How do we care for those who have endured trauma from those white leaders who have inflicted trauma?," he says. "As long as donors and ticket-holders accept the product without looking at the process, the systems of supremacy will remain."

Brad Surosky, the white executive director of Transcendence, says the organization is working on an equity/inclusivity policy and board diversification. In a Feb. 21 Facebook post on its page, Transcendence owns up to "mistakes and missteps" and says its "goal is to provide a safe and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds."

Like many other Bay Area theater companies, the post insists the organization intends to "do better."

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Sharon, PA (16146)

Today

Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 56F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  An inmate scheduled to die later this month under South Carolina's recently reworked capital punishment law is asking to take part in another inmate's federal request to block his electrocution, with his attorneys arguing that combining their cases would save the courts time and money.

In papers filed in federal court on Friday, attorneys for Freddie Owens sought permission to intervene in a request filed a day earlier by Brad Sigmon. On Thursday, Sigmon's lawyers sought to halt his upcoming execution in the electric chair, arguing the state hasnt exhausted all methods to procure the drugs needed to carry out lethal injection, South Carolina's default method.

Allowing him to intervene in Sigmon's case, Owens' lawyers wrote, serves the interest of judicial economy and avoids redundant or inconsistent judgments due to the similarities of the men's requests.

Both men have exhausted their traditional appeals. Owens' execution is scheduled for June 25. Sigmon is scheduled to die a week earlier, on June 18. A hearing in the federal case is set for Wednesday.

Attorneys for both inmates were expected in state court Monday, for arguments that South Carolina's new law is unconstitutional because the men were sentenced under an older iteration of the statute that made lethal injection the default execution method.

That lawsuit was filed shortly after Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a bill that forces death row inmates for now to choose between the electric chair or a newly formed firing squad, in hopes the state can restart executions after an involuntary 10-year pause that the state attributed to the inability to procure lethal injection drugs. Lethal injection remains the default method, but the new law compels the condemned to choose between electrocution and a firing squad if drugs arent available.

In the papers filed Friday, Owens' attorneys included an affidavit from state Corrections Director Bryan Stirling, who notes that the only method available to the state is electrocution.

South Carolina's last execution took place in 2011, and its lethal injection drugs expired in 2013. The state, one of eight that still electrocute inmates, has yet to assemble a firing squad. There are 37 men on the states death row.

The other three states that allow a firing squad are Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Three inmates, all in Utah, have been killed by firing squad since the U.S. reinstated the death penalty in 1977. Nineteen inmates have died in the electric chair this century, according to the center.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
By Nick Simonson My first experience with wild trout came in Montana just before my senior year of high school. There, alongside a ditch that we were told was a trout stream by the man at the shop in the nearby town, I wandered out toward the bank and looked down to see a dark,...
Rights probe on Lanka: UNHRC suffers setback By Anthony David View(s): View(s):

The United Nations Human Rights Councils move to set up a separate secretariat to enforce matters relating to the resolution it passed on Sri Lanka in March this year has suffered a setback.

Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told the Sunday Times, We have learnt that the UN Headquarters has cut down by more than 50 percent of the amount the Council sought.

He said, he was now awaiting a full report from the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission in New York.

The UN Human Rights Commission Michelle Bachelet had sought to set up a 13-member secretariat with a budget cost of US$ 2,856,300 for the current year to give effect to the implementation of the secretariat as required in the UN resolution.

The secretariat was to be established to collect evidence for use by countries that exercise universal jurisdiction.

The secretariat was to comprise investigators and lawyers, among others.. The Office of the Human Rights High Commissioner ha already advertised, calling for applications for the identified new positions. This included one senior legal advisor with experience in criminal justice and/or criminal investigations and prosecutions to co-ordinate the team.

The advisors responsibilities included the development of a central repository to consolidate, preserve and analyse information and evidence; co-ordinate the processes of reviewing and sharing of information with national authorities for universal jurisdiction and extraterritorial jurisdiction cases and other accountability purposes in line with relevant United Nations guidelines.

The advisors other responsibilities include developing accountability strategy and engage with accountability mechanisms including specialised investigators, prosecutors, judges, and other legal practitioners for information sharing purposes, to promote accountability and advice on the development of accountability strategies; and liaise with other Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), other independent mechanisms and other UN systems to ensure co-ordinated approach.

The new Secretariat was to function under UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet.
"The Iranian delegation announced its readiness to pay compensation to Ukrainian families of those killed in the tragedy $150,000 for each victim, following the resolution of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and asked the Ukrainian delegation to bring this information to the notice of the relatives of the Ukrainians who passed away," said a statement published by the Embassy on Saturday after the third round of talks on the crash.

Kiev, June 6 (IANS) Iran is ready to pay $150,000 in compensation to the families of each victim killed in a Ukrainian passenger airplane downed near Tehran in January 2020, the Iranian Embassy in Kiev said.

During the negotiations, the parties also discussed a wide range of issues related to criminal proceedings and technical issues, including aviation and flight safety, as well as Iran's final report on the tragedy.

The third round of talks between Ukraine and Iran took place in Kiev on June 2-3.

On March 17 of this year, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization published its final report on the crash, identifying a "mistake" by the air defence operator as the cause of the accident.

However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticised the Iranian report, calling it a "cynical attempt" to hide the true reasons for the downing of the plane.

The Kiev-bound Ukrainian Boeing 737 passenger plane with 179 people on board crashed on January 8, 2020, shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital of Tehran, killing all 176 people on board.

The aircraft was shot down by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps with two missiles.

Later, Iran's armed forces confirmed that an "unintentional" launch of a military missile by the country was the cause of the incident.

In July 2020, the transcript of the black boxes from the plane confirmed the fact of an illegal interference with the plane.

--IANS

ksk/
By Badlishah Sham Baharin / Mohammad Abdul Hamid



In Malaysia, the narrative for the long-standing Palestinian issue has been largely formulated and driven by the Muslims in the country, with the support of the government.

Not surprisingly, the non-Muslims in Malaysia feel disconnected with the issue, which is perceived as confined to the Muslims or the Arabs only.

The feelings and perceptions among the majority of non-Muslims in Malaysia would have led to an apathetic attitude towards the issue.

On the contrary, the perception that the issue is limited to the Muslims or the Arabs is far from the truth. While there are religious and historical dimensions, the Palestinian issue is a humanitarian issue and should be recognized and treated as such.

For decades, the Israeli Zionist regime inflicted injustices upon the Palestinians, not only through desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest mosque in Islam, but also through numerous human rights violations.

In the recent escalation in May, more than 200 people perished, including more than 60 Palestinian children.

Disproportionate and excessive use of force by the Israelis is well established, supported by the US military aids of close to US$4 billion annually. Not only that, a Gaza tower that housed several international media establishments was destroyed through a targeted Israeli air raid at the peak of the escalation in May.

In April 2021, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report highlighted severe deprivations of human rights, amounting to the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. This is on top of numerous UN resolutions affirming that the Israeli occupation in Palestine is illegal.

The Israeli expansionist policy is evident through illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank over the years, often through brute force at the expense of the rights of the Palestinian residents.



The policy is condemned by the international community, irrespective of religious belief or ethnicity.

The Palestinian struggle is therefore a fight for human dignity, for human rights and for independence to a homeland of the displaced Palestinians.

Unfortunately, all previous peace accords have not led to any solution, instead only resulted in more suffering for the Palestinians and further expansion of illegal settlements.

Despite decades of human rights violations and violence, solution for peace is very complex given the besiegement of Gaza, denial of basic human rights to existence, food and medicine and persecution in the occupied areas of Palestine.

According to Dr Azzam Tamimi, a prominent British Palestinian academic and political analyst, to move forward, there must be an end to Zionism, occupation, colonialism and oppression in Palestine.

For as long as these conditions remain, huge hurdles remain before a true peaceful solution can be achieved.

Certainly, this complex topic cannot be covered in this short article. Dialogues and engagements should be conducted to foster understanding on the issue among Malaysians, regardless of their religious beliefs or ethicities.

(Badlishah Sham Baharin is Deputy President of IKRAM; Mohammad Abdul Hamid is Public Policy Consultant.)
With a masterful race at WTS Leeds - one step higher than her breakthrough second at Yokohama - Maya Kingma of the Netherlands vaulted into a pre-race favorites role at the Tokyo Olympics.



After Kingma and Great Britains Sophie Coldwell and Jessica Learmonth broke away on the bike leg to a 2-minute lead, top four chasers including Flora Duffy of Bermuda, Spivey, Vittorio Lopes Portugal and Ironman master and WTS rookie Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain needed a miracle to crash the party for a place on the podium. Despite a race-best 33:47 run split by two-time WTS World Champion Flora Duffy, Kingmas 3rd-best 34:59 run brought her to the finish in 1:54:26 with an 11 seconds margin over Learmonth, and 19 seconds over 3rd place Sophie Coldwell  with Duffy taking 4th place, 40 seconds behind Coldwell.



I cant believe it! Kingma told ITU media. I had a very good swim, even though I was on the other side of the pontoon. I tried not to think about what could happen, but it was just all according to my plan, just like Yokohama, said Kingma. We just pushed and pushed. I was so happy to be with Jess and Sophie on the bike. I felt pretty strong and at some point I thought the group behind us could chase us [down], but then we won back time. I am just so surprised. On the run I told myself that I had to try to leave Jess behind in the last kilometer on the downhill I tried and it worked.



Leeds is always good, said Jess Learmonth. They have changed the course this year but it is still solid. A podium here in my hometown!



Im speechless, Coldwell told ITU media. Other years here I felt like I had missed an opportunity, so do it today with my friends and family here was fantastic. I know Ive been delivering components separately but I struggled to put them together in the past. Im just over the moon right now.



In an impressive performance for a WTS Olympic distance rookie, a far cry from her long course specialty, Lucy Charles-Barclay closed with a 6th-best 35:07 run to edge Taylor Spivey by 10 seconds for 5th place.



In a subplot of keen interest to U.S. fans, Taylor Spivey placed 6th and top American at Leeds which makes her the most likely to be named to the final slot for the U.S. womens Olympic team.



With Summer Rappaport earning the first slot to the U.S. womens Olympic team with a top American finish at the Tokyo Olympic test event in 2019, and Taylor Knibb earning an automatic slot with her win at WTS Yokohama three weeks ago, the third and final U.S. womens Olympic slot will be chosen by USA Triathlon officials by June 15.



Coming into Sundays contest, Spiveys 4th place at Yokohama was just one position away from an automatic selection. Leeds was an apparent last chance for 2019 ITU World Champion Katie Zaferes and hopeful Kirsten Kasper to regain pre-pandemic form and earn Olympic consideration. However, Kasper finished 15th and Zaferes finished 18th and all bets would seem to rest on Spivey.

WTS Leeds Women

Leeds, Great Britain

June 6, 2021

S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k



Women



1. Maya Kingma (NED) S 18:23 T1 1:04 B 59:43 T2 00:18 R 34:59 TOT 1:54:26

2. Jessica Learmonth (GBR) S 18:20 T1 1:08 B 59:43 T2 00:21 R 35:08 TOT 1:54:37

3. Sophie Coldwell (GBR) S 18:24 T1 1:06 B 59:40 T2 00:20 R 35:17 TOT 1:54:45

4. Flora Duffy (BER) S 19:01 T1 1:12 B 1:01:06 T2 00:20 R 33:47 TOT 1:55:25

5. Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) S 18:19 T1 1:20 B 1:01:45 T2 00:21 R 35:07 TOT 1:56:49

6. Taylor Spivey (USA) S 18:27 T1 1:03 B 1:01:49 T2 00:14 R 35:30 TOT 1:56:59

7. Beth Potter (GBR) S 18:59 T1 1:09 B 1:02:50 T2 00:19 R 34:04 TOT 1:57:19

8. Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) S 19:05 T1 1:13 B 1:02:41 T2 00:27 R 34:06 TOT 1:57:29

9. Laura Lindemann (GER) S 19:06 T1 1:08 B 1:02:41 T2 00:21 R 34:56 TOT 1:58:09

10. Carolyn Hayes (IRL) S 19:40 T1 1:17 B 1:01:54 T2 00:17 R 35:10 TOT 1:58:15

15. Kirsten Kasper (USA) S 19:03 T1 1:14 B 1:02:36 T2 00:26 R TOT 1:58:47

18. Katie Zaferes (USA) S 19:32 T1 1:10 B 1:02:11 T2 00:22 R 35:48
Severe weather continues to thrash the vulnerable By Chris Kamalendran and Jayanie Madawala View(s): View(s):

At least 10 persons were killed due to landslides and floods as heavy rains left over 250,000 displaced in five Provinces, officials said.

Four persons belonging to the same family  the mother, father and two children  were buried in a landslide close to Devanagala in Aranayake of the Kegalle District last morning. The lone survivor of the house was a pet dog who was seen digging the earth which had covered the house. Later, a backhoe was used to remove the soil in the area and all four bodies were recovered by noon in the location where the dog was trying to dig into the earth, police said.

The familys residence was located in an area which was identified as being vulnerable to landslides. They had been directed to leave the area, however, claiming they had no alternative land, they had remained in the area after providing an affidavit that they were staying their at their own risk. They had been issued the warning in 2018 after several landslides occurred in the area. A relative of the family said that the son had been employed in the Maldives and had built a house in a safer area in the village. They were about to complete the house and move away when tragedy struck them yesterday. The son was also due to get back to the Maldives for employment, but had been delayed due to the hike in Covid-19 cases recently. The victims were identified as K Wijeratne, 57, Lalitha Weerasinghe 56, Shanika Pushpakumara, 29 and Umesha Maduwanthi, 23.

In Algama, Warakapola a 70-year-old person was killed when a boulder fell onto his house on Friday. Earlier on Friday, a 16-year-old girl was killed by a landslide; her mother sustained injuries. Another person was feared dead in the same incident as he had been passing by at the time of the landslide and was reported missing.

Two persons who had gone for a bath in the Maha Oya in the Puttalam District were washed away. Another who had gone for a bath in a stream in Milleniya, Horana was also caught in flood waters.

The adverse weather conditions due to the Southwest Monsoon left several areas under water in the Kalutara, Gampaha, Colombo, Ratnapura and Kegalle Districts. Areas affected the most were in the Western Province where over 150,000 people faced hardship due to rains and flooding. More rains are expected as the Monsoon is still active, the Meteorology Department said.

The Met Department forecast heavy rains in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Northwestern, Central and Northern Provinces and in the Galle and Matara Districts.

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings for Ratnapura, Matara, Kegalle, Kalutara, Galle and Colombo Districts. The NBRO instructed people

in the region to be on alert for the possibility of landslides, slope failures, rock falls, cut failures and ground subsidence and

to evacuate to a safe location if rain continues.

Power and Energy Development Director and Media Spokesperson, Sulakshana Jayawardena said 44,000 consumers had lost electricity supply as a result of the hostile weather conditions. Areas including Matugama, Kalutara, Horana and Dambulla have been affected by the power outage.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) maintenance services were deployed to restore power supply urgently amidst the Covid-19 situation. Most power lines were disconnected due to trees and branches falling on them Mr Jayawardena added. In areas such as Nivithigala, transformers were switched off in the face of flooding.

Director of Irrigation (Hydrology), S P C Sugeeshwara, said that the Kelani, Kalu, Gin and Attanagalu Oya were beginning to spillover as considerable rainfall, exceeding 200mm, had occurred in their catchment areas.

Meanwhile, the water levels of the Kukule Ganga catchment areas have also reached spill levels, and if the weather intensifies, those who reside in Palindanuwara, Millaniya and Bulathsinhala are cautioned of possible flooding.

Disaster Management Centre  Rathnapura, Assistant Director S H M Manjula said due to adverse weather, 2,107 people from 561 families faced difficulties due to flooding and earth slips.

Soil erosion caused by extreme rainfall along the coastline from Chilaw, Thoduwawa to Ambakandawila has seen erosion of around 4 kilometres.

Many roads in Colombo and other parts of the country were inundated. Along the Kalutara, Bulathsinhala-Molkawa main road, the Bulathsinhala-Kalutara road, too, was blocked.

Meanwhile, a group of Navy personnel were deployed to provide relief to the people affected

by floods. Navy relief teams have been deployed in the flood-risk areas of Gampaha, Ragama, Mahabage, Kelaniya, Bulathsinhala and Paragoda in the Gampaha and Kalutara Districts of the Western Province, as well as Thawalama, Hiniduma, Nagoda, Eppala, Mapalagama and Athuraliya in the Galle and Matara Districts of the Southern Province. Navy teams are also engaged in flood relief operations in the Gampaha District as well. The Navy has made additional relief teams available to deploy in an emergency situation.

Additional reporting by Aranayake Pradeep Kumara
A leading film and theatre production hub that made the wigs and costumes for musicals Hamilton and Moulin Rouge and featured in the screen credits of the Marvel, Star Wars and Mad Max movies has won its six-year battle to become a permanent fixture in Sydney.

The NSW governments arts agency, Create NSW, has announced it will take over the lease from Property NSW for the Canal Road Film Centre in a 10-year deal, with the option for a further 10.

Owner of the Sydney Costume Workshop, Leonie Grace and costume associate Jude Loxie with wardrobe items from the musical Hamilton. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The 85 tenants, including costumiers, gaffers, model makers, special effects teams and lighting and set designers, were notified by Friday of their new landlord.

The lease for the former Public Works depot in Leichhardt ran out in 2016, with Inner City Council fearful the 3.5-hectare site would eventually make way for high rise or medium density housing developments.
This year, Four Corners, the longest-running, most lauded and consequential program in Australian television history, turns 60. But will the ABC pluck up enough courage to throw a party?

No doubt the Prime Minister, should he be invited, will send his apologies.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Tensions between the ABC and the government have once again boiled over, despite Scott Morrison coming to high office with the best intentions to steer well clear of the ABC controversies his predecessors delighted in stoking.

And so to the latest: the Four Corners investigation into Morrisons friend and QAnon conspiracy theorist was pulled by ABC managing director David Anderson from Mondays broadcast slot and sent back to the program with a please try harder.
A group of distinguished sailors have made a complaint about a video to Australian Sailing, alleging unconscionable conduct. Credit:Illustration: John Shakespeare On Friday we brought you news of a settled defamation skirmish involving millionaire yachtie Matt Allen. The retired investment banker secured two grovelling apologies from former Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Hugo van Kretschmar and Queensland yachtie Mark Hipgrave after the latter posted a parody video of the famous Adolf Hitler meltdown scene from the film Downfall that mocked Allen, who is a member of the Australian Olympic Committee. The two men apologised to Allen, paid legal costs but not damages over the spat which involved eligibility rules for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. But wait, theres more. Allen and a group of distinguished sailors have made a complaint about the video to Australian Sailing alleging unconscionable conduct under its 48-page member protection policy.

Taking action in his sailing shed fight alongside Allen are: commodore of the CYCA and chairman of IMB Bank Noel Cornish, CYCA board member and Rear Commodore Bradshaw Kellett, and CYCA board member David Griffith. A complaint has been submitted, but now there are questions whether the document was actually signed by each of the four. Hipgrave has said on a blog post the outcome could see him banned from sailing. Australian Sailing wouldnt comment, but no doubt chief executive Ben Houston is busily setting up a tribunal to hear the matter. All this heavy-handedness is in contrast with former Australia Post boss Christine Holgate, who in the bad old days before government and board overreaction turned her into a corporate martyr, was subjected to an anonymously prepared Hitler Downfall video parody. In fact, several Hitler Downfall parody videos, but she took them on the chin. And a word of caution for Australian Sailing. BP fired an employee who shared a Downfall meme on company enterprise bargaining with his workmates. But eventually West Australian refinery worker Scott Tracey persuaded the full bench of the workplace tribunal on appeal that the whole thing was just a joke. Not only did Tracey get his job back, but BP was ordered to pay him $200,000 compensation. TRIED AND TESTED

Maximum respect for Tim Fung. The founder of ASX-listed online odd-jobs outsourcing site Airtasker is practising what he preaches. The tech whiz is Airtasking himself out on his own platform. Sure, the entrepreneurs stake in Airtasker was worth $52 million on listing, but can he assemble IKEA furniture? The one-time Macquarie Banker is spruiking his services on the site as a Start-up Deck Pitch Reviewer offering to review wannabe entrepreneurs Powerpoint pitches and presentations. Starting a start-up and want to improve the quality of your pitch? he writes. Ill review your pitch deck (up to 30 pages) and provide you with at least three bullet points of critical feedback that I hope can improve your chances of success. The entrepreneurs services dont come cheap. Hes listed a starting rate of $500 with a turnaround time for the task of about two weeks. Clearly one not to let his reputation and a wealth valued at more than $30 million precede him, Fung lists some of his credentials. Ive had experience in raising capital and pitching to potential partners across a few different opportunities, he writes. Ive been involved in founding and raising capital for a few different startups including Tank Stream Labs (co-working space), Joe Button (bespoke suiting), Circuit Club (motorsport events)  Ive been an angel investor in a number of companies along the way. He comes well reviewed. Great tips and advice from Tim! wrote one satisfied customer three months ago. On the flipside, Fung himself uses the platform to outsource a motley assortment of jobs: queueing for a new release iPhone 5, handwriting 100 Christmas cards, and yes, he has also needed help on the Ikea assemblage front with an urgent project required on New Years Eve. Tim was very understanding of the parking situation in the CBD on New Years Eve and an absolute pleasure to deal with. Thank you for selecting me, Airtasker Rob B wrote of Fung. Five stars indeed.

HIGH PERFORMANCE HOUSEHOLD Congratulations are in order. Melbourne lawyer Amie Frydenberg was last week made partner of independent workplace relations law firm Lander & Rogers. A Monash University graduate, Frydenberg was named a partner in the firms workplace relations and safety practice, a gig which has seen the well regarded legal eagle represent high profile corporates and individuals in breach of contract and sexual harassment claims, as well as a number of workplace bullying investigations. Readers will recall Frydenbergs star turn on the floor of the House of Representatives at last months budget when the glamorous mother-of-two sternly told young son Blake and daughter Gemma to shhh during their father Treasurer Josh Frydenbergs budget speech. It was apparent the young pair werent as sold on the Treasurers rather extensive spending plan as his Coalition colleagues. The resulting pictures were public relations manna from heaven. So its nice to see the Frydenbergs retaining a modern attitude to working political spouses. SPOTTED Industry Minister Christian Porter on Thursday evening in the pointy end of a Qantas plane jetting out of Canberra bound for Perth at the end of a long sitting week. Meanwhile, BHP chief executive Mike Henry was considerably further down the back for the four and a half hour trip to Perth. Andrew MacKenzies Canadian-born successor learnt theres a particular knack in booking flights at the end of a sitting week to avoid the exodus that he is yet to master.
A top silk has warned that two Sydney councillors under investigation by the corruption watchdog could plunge their council into administration if they continue asking questions relating to the probe.

Arthur Moses, SC, who is representing Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith in his defamation suit against Nine newspapers (the owner of this masthead), has also been engaged to advise Georges River Council on a corruption commission investigation against its elected officials.

Georges River councillors Vince Badalati and Con Hindi say there is a vendetta against them. Credit:SMH

In legal advice made public by the council last month, Mr Moses and barrister Jaye Alderson have recommended the NSW government could give councils the power to force councillors who are the subject of a probe by the Independent Commission Against Corruption to stand aside.

Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock has now sought advice from the Office of Local Government following a request from Georges River mayor Kevin Greene.
Motorway giant Transurban has signalled it is open-minded on reforming Sydneys tolling regime, and floated the idea of more distance-based and capped levies on existing tollways.

The citys maze of toll roads will feature as a key political issue over the coming months in NSW as new Labor Opposition Leader Chris Minns zeroes in on cost of living pressures in Sydney.

Transurban, which operates the Lane Cove Tunnel, says its open to working with the government on tolling reform. Credit:Steven Siewert

Mr Minns made his first pitch on Saturday to win back Labor voters, calling for an end to new tolls on existing roads and no new agreements that increase tolls above inflation.

Transurban NSW group executive Michele Huey said the company was open to working with the state government on significant toll reform in Sydney.
Crime agencies believe Qantas has been infiltrated by bikies and other organised crime groups to facilitate drug importation and other activities that pose a risk to national security.

A classified federal law enforcement intelligence operation code-named Project Brunello has determined that a significant number of Qantas staff  up to 150  are linked to criminality. The operation describes suspected wrongdoing that is serious and represents a very high threat to the Australian border.

Official sources briefed on the findings but unable to speak publicly due to confidentiality requirements said among the most concerning of the suspected trusted insiders within Qantas is a Comanchero motorcycle gang affiliate who is linked to international drug cartel boss Hakan Ayik. This person is working in a mid-level managerial position at Qantas Sydney airport operations and the intelligence suggests he has recruited criminals into the airline to help import narcotics.

The revelations raise serious questions for both the airline and the federal government, and come after historical inquiries have warned of evolving gaps in port and airport security. They also raise questions for federal Labor, which is opposing transport security laws proposed by the Coalition and backed by police that would enable criminal intelligence to be used to stop workers receiving aviation and maritime government security clearances.
The parents of former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith have said they are proud of their son after arriving in Sydney to attend his long-awaited defamation trial against The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, which is scheduled to begin on Monday.

Almost three years after first taking legal action, Mr Roberts-Smith will walk into the Federal Court to defend his reputation against stories he says accused him of murder during his 2009 to 2012 tour of Afghanistan.

The newspapers will defend the claim using a truth defence at the defamation trial in Sydney, which is set to run for up to 10 weeks. Mr Roberts-Smith will be the first witness to give evidence in the trial.

However, the final build-up to the high-stakes trial has included urgent court action by Mr Roberts-Smith against his estranged ex-wife, Emma Roberts, which could delay the proceedings.

Len Roberts-Smith, a former appeal judge in the WA Supreme Court, and his wife Sue released a statement on Sunday saying that allegations their son was a war criminal had been gravely distressing for the whole family.
Small business owners who demand customers wear face masks and sign in with QR codes are being targeted by those with fringe views, who are bombarding them with scathing online reviews.

Anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers on the encrypted messaging app Telegram are regularly updating a blacklist of businesses boycotted for making customers comply with Victorias coronavirus rules.

Grant Eastwood is the owner of Wild Things Food in Fitzroy North. Credit:Simon Schluter

Its appalling to hear that a small number of people pushing fringe views would do this, said Small Business Minister Jaala Pulford.

She said people faced significant penalties if they refused to comply with public health directions.
Mr Hunt said Saturday was a record day for vaccinations across Australia with over 88,000 getting immunised. There have now been more than 5 million vaccines delivered nationally. Acting Premier James Merlino and Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said on Sunday they expected stay-at-home orders to be eased as planned on Thursday, but both acknowledged it was a neck-and-neck situation that could not be easily predicted. Victoria recorded two cases on Saturday  another worker at a Port Melbourne business where the less infectious Kappa variant circulated, and a teacher at the North Melbourne school where the Delta strain spread. A nurse and 79-year-old resident at Arcare nursing home in Maidstone have also tested positive but these cases will appear in Mondays numbers. The nurse had not worked at multiple aged care homes. A COVID-positive resident is removed from Arcares Maidstone home on Sunday. Credit:Nine News

The virus fight is now centred on three key fronts, one related to Melbournes initial outbreak of the Kappa variant, which began in Whittlesea and has now spread to several locations across Melbourne, and two to the more-infectious Delta cluster, involving putting a ring around known cases and searching for undetected spread. New pop-up testing centres and priority vaccinations are being established for anyone linked to a Craigieburn shopping centre and Epping Plaza, where authorities fear stranger-to-stranger transmission of the Kappa variant occurred. Texts are being sent to locals reminding them to get tested and community leaders are being recruited to get the message out. The most recent cases linked to these sites have forced more than 200 staff from a CBD construction site into isolation. In the effort to suppress the newer Delta outbreak, contact tracers are working to put a ring around known cases linked to two North Melbourne primary school families, so they do not spread beyond primary contacts. Professor Cheng said that tracing the spread among known cases was neck-and-neck with the virus. Of the [cases] that were finding  theres a small number of exposure sites, but really most of the people that were seeing are people already in quarantine.

Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton. Credit:Simon Schluter Mass testing will be crucial to identifying potential unknown cases, Professor Cheng said as he urged Victorians to brace for bad weather and continue testing in record numbers. These comments were echoed by Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, who told The Age at the weekend: Weve put everyone in quarantine, were getting results within 24 hours, and were contact tracing immediately, so thats less of an issue. Its just the concern that there might be other cases out there that havent been discovered. Victorias acting Premier James Merlino Credit:Getty The source of Victorias newest outbreak remains unknown. Leading experts believe it is likely to be a hotel leak in either Victoria where the first detected cases lived, NSW where they travelled, or elsewhere. It would be the 22nd known hotel leak in Australia.

Authorities are still working to track the movements of a handful of recent hotel quarantine guests to determine if they aligned with those of any of the known Delta cases, which now number 10. More than 6000 contacts remain in isolation, but about 1900 were expected to be released on Sunday. About 98 per cent of those potentially exposed to the Delta variant at North Melbourne Primary School have tested negative. Loading Acting Premier James Merlino said the virus needed to be driven into the ground to make sure the outbreak did not become uncontrollable. He said he expected to stick to the lockdown timeline but would not push back on Professor Sutton if he advised an extension. We dont have the luxury of picking and choosing the public health advice we receive, Mr Merlino said. I hate going into lockdown like every single Victorian. I want to be out of lockdown as quickly as possible.

The new cases came as Professor Sutton told The Age density restrictions would not necessarily remain in place for long over winter after the lockdown ended. There is not as much benefit as you might imagine. You hold back economic activity and lots of routine freedoms with density [rules], he said. Really what you need is super-sensitive surveillance systems and contact tracing. Its more about having the entire population ready to test when they are symptomatic, having everyone using QR-codes and then responding to a positive sewage testing detection. Mr Merlino said the vaccine rollout was very much a race, while the federal Health Minister said the boost was a recognition of the very strong work being done here in Victoria. Mr Hunt urged all Australians to replicate Victorians keenness for a jab. Loading

Tourism Minister Martin Pakula on Sunday announced another 80,000 travel vouchers worth $200 each would be available to Victorians to use in regional areas once restrictions eased. The package, will also provide regional tourism businesses with grant top-ups of up to $4500, or up to $15,000 for Alpine businesses to help them offer a COVID-safe ski season. Mr Pakula expressed absolute confidence the MCG would host the AFL grand final after WA stadium chiefs said over the weekend that state would attempt to poach the match in the event of continued restrictions on sporting crowds in Victoria. He said the state was engaged in delicate negotiations with organisers for the Phillip Island MotoGP event scheduled for October and the already-delayed Formula One Grand Prix set for November. There is uncertainty about whether either will go ahead due to the probable need for athletes and support staff to isolate for 14 days upon arrival. Meanwhile, Premier Daniel Andrews wife, Cath Andrews, posted a photograph of her cutting the Premiers hair. She wrote: On the tools again. Practice makes perfect. I love this one. Getting better every day. Cath Andrews post on social media. Credit:Twitter
Disability advocates are pleading for specialist schools in Melbourne to be reopened, saying remote learning is having devastating consequences for many students and their carers.

Melanie Kent, who has two daughters with intellectual disabilities, fears multiple bouts of enforced remote learning are making it much tougher for them to develop the skills they require for employment after school.

Melanie Kent with her daughters Bianca and Isabella, both of whom attend specialist schools in Frankston. Credit:Penny Stephens

I keep on telling the school, my aim is that once [daughter Bianca] gets to VCE level I want her to have a few options like TAFE or VCAL and I want her at a level where those options are open to her, Ms Kent said. But every time we have a lockdown and she stops learning, she falls further behind.

Students in specialist schools were put at the front of the queue alongside VCE students when children made a staged return to face-to-face learning last year.
Spore-style PPP ventures kick off next week for prime Colombo locations By Namini Wijedasa UDA denies selling property to China;says any private investor is welcome View(s): View(s):

The first of three new special purpose vehicles (SPVs) under the Treasury-owned Selendiva Investments (Pvt) Ltd is to be registered next week to raise capital for the development and revival of three hotel properties: the long-overdue Grand Hyatt Colombo, Colombo Hilton and the Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH).

The SPVthe name of which is yet to be revealedwill also seek to infuse funds into a subsidiary created last year under Waters Edge called Waters Edge Recreation Ltd which will build and operate mixed development projects on identified Urban Development Authority-owned or acquired lands around Colombo and also the Jaffna International Coordinating Centre.

Once the first cluster raises capital for Selendiva, it will proceed to the next clusters and against start trading shares for fresh funds. The other clusters will include the historic General Post Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cey-Nor and the Gaffoor buildings in the Fort. The same process will be followed.

The complicated arrangement is part of a grand scheme led by the Urban Development and Housing Ministry to follow Singapores Temasek Holdings model. Temasek is owned by the Singapore Government and is an active shareholder and investor, mostly in shares.

It is also the outright owner of many assets. Sri Lankan officials followed a 10-day seminar organised by Temasek while the companys senior representatives also visited Colombo.

SPVs are subsidiaries created by a parent companyin this case, Selendiva Investmentswith their own assets, liabilities and legal status. Formed in July last year, Selendiva is owned 100 percent by the Treasury. Two more SPVs are in the works: one for a real estate cluster and another for the creation of a heritage square. All of them will target under-performing State-owned assets.

The Government is keen to dispel rumours that it is selling off valuable State lands, said Urban Development Ministry Secretary Nimal Perera, who headed the UDA when Mahinda Rajapaksa was President and Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the Urban Development ministry secretary. Today, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is President and Mahinda Rajapaksa is the subject minister.

Selendiva is the Governments investment arm, Mr Perera said. It was formed to take over under-utilised, under-performing Government assets, to restructure them, form them into viable organisations and to list 49 percent of their shares in the stock market while retaining 51 percent with the Government.

The new leisure SPV will be a holding company combining Canwill Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Hotel Developers (Lanka) Plc (HDL) and the Bank of Ceylon-held Hotels Colombo (1963) Ltd. The first owns Hyatt, the second runs Colombo Hilton and the last, GOH. Canwill itself is held by the Governments Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, Litro Gas and the Employees Provident Fund.

Together, Canwill, HDL and Hotels Colombo will hold 90 percent equity in the SPV while 10 percent will be with Selendiva Investments as promoter shares since it will help raise capital for the projects. Selendiva will also have the golden share which gives it veto power.

Forty-nine percent of the SPVs shares will be listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange, said Shamahil Mohideen, Selendiva Investments Chief Executive Officer. The money will be used to complete the Grand Hyatt, refurbish rooms at the long-neglected Colombo Hilton and enable expansion of GOH.

We are consolidating the balance sheets of these three assets under the holding SPV, issuing shares to the existing shareholders of the three separate entities and then listing the SPV because we need a substantial asset to go to the stock market and generate funds, he explained.

When listed, the shares may be purchased by anyonethis is the means of raising capital for the projects. The companies will be run by a management.

There are two ways, Mr Mohideen, a hospitality industry veteran, said. You can get a strategic investor. Or you can raise money in the stock market, again from the private sector. We have given accommodation to both proposals.

Any strategic investor can come and take any of those assets, he continued. Though they are under one holding company, they can also be divested singly on a 49-51 percent equity basis if the investor brings expertise, because that is value addition and technical expertise that can develop and make this asset profitable. That is our main objective.

While these are long-term plans, there are immediate priorities. The first is to complete the Grand Hyatt which has stagnated since 2012 amidst numerous issues. Just 24 percent of work was done at a cost of Rs 22bn. The termination of an Italian contractor led to him winning an arbitration award of 9.2mn Euros.

The Government subsequently negotiated this down to 7.2mn Euros but is yet to pay. Selendiva also brought down the project cost from Rs 60bn to Rs 48.5bn and, consequently, increased the return on investment from a measly 1 percent to 12.5 percent.

We are scheduled to open at floors with 222 rooms including restaurants at the end of December this year, Mr Perera said. Maga is now the main contractor with other subcontractors. The franchise owner, Hyatta, has not withdrawn from the project and is also welcome to buy shares, Mr Mohideen said. It would be a similar arrangement to Colombo Hilton which is run by the global franchise but owned by the Ministry of Finance.

The GOH was recently restored and refurbished at a cost of Rs 269mn. Now we want to create marketability for it and to expand the remaining area, the Selendiva CEO said. Theres another 160-odd thousand square feet of the York Street building which is idling. We want to raise funds from the stock market to improve that area.

Whatever properties Selendiva Investments develops are leased on commercial terms from the UDA. The UDA acquires those lands and gives them to us on a long-term lease, Mr Mohideen said. Its the same as they would do for a private investor except here its a Government organisation paying the same commercial terms.

But sceptics fear that this initiative is part of a scheme to hand over valuable properties to China. Mr Perera said there was no such conspiracy and that it was merely an effort to turn around under-performing, under-used Government assets.

Its important to say we cannot discriminate against investors, Mr Mohideen said. But we will have a transparent process, whoever it is. And there will be accountability for any losses made. It will be our responsibility to transform these institutions.

The accountability comes from the stock market listing which mandates adherence to corporate governance and transparency, among other rules. Financial statements will be available online. Separately, reports must be submitted every six months to Cabinet. Accounts are audited by the National Audit Office. (Where GOH is concerned, even the 2018 accounts have not yet been audited).

None of the buildings will be knocked down. They are all protected edifices and will be restored. And the heritage square was particularly important for Colombo, Mr Mohideen said. The capital needs a tourist market outside of corporate visitors. While it was earlier a hub from which they travelled to resorts, better roads have made this unnecessary.

Now we have more than 4,000 room keys and so many hotels coming in, he pointed out. We have to create viability for all this.

There wasnt much for tourists to see in Colombo. We have to create the vibrancy, the attraction, because it creates jobs and increases foreign exchange income, he said. We have so many properties, colonial buildings, which are completely dilapidated. We must restore them and exhibit them. It will create that climate, ambience and culture to draw in tourists and create a different branding for Colombo city.

Now is the time to prepare, officials say. Then, when the market returns to normal and the global economy recovers, Sri Lanka will be ready.
Uninvited and threatening people joined online Google Classroom sessions with Victorian school students on at least three separate occasions last year, amid privacy concerns from parents and schools.

Victorian Department of Education documents obtained under freedom of information laws revealed the incidents, including one in which a teacher was forced to shut down a lesson after an abusive stranger entered an online classroom and attempted to engage in what was described as concerning sexual behaviour.

The incidents were reported to police, who told The Age their investigations were continuing.

Police can confirm that Brimbank sexual offence and child abuse investigation team detectives received a report that an unknown teenager made inappropriate comments towards a teacher and indecently exposed themselves in an online forum classroom in April last year, a police spokesperson said.

An inappropriate email was also sent to a student distribution list from an external Gmail account.
Victoria has officially recorded two new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours and six new cases in hotel quarantine, taking the number of active infections in the state to 85.

But after the release of the confirmed figures, Arcare in Maidstone  the site of the first aged care cases in the latest outbreak  released a statement saying that a resident and a nurse had both contracted COVID-19 and staff who worked on Saturday had been instructed to isolate.

One is a 79-year-old resident who lives in close proximity to the first two residents diagnosed. The second is an agency Registered Nurse (RN) who last worked at the residence yesterday, Arcare chief executive Colin Singh said.

The resident, who has had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, is asymptomatic but will be transferred to hospital for public health reasons.
The heartbreaking COVID situation that continues to unfold in India has Australians watching in great sadness. Images of funeral pyres burning on the streets of Delhi and dying people desperate for help are awful. Never has there been a more stark comparison been drawn on why Australia is the best place in the world to live, especially during a pandemic.

While Australia has provided aid to India in the form of oxygen tanks, ventilators and masks, we have an opportunity to go one step further and provide a safe place to study for Indian and other nationality students. In doing so, we open a small drawbridge to Fortress Australia.

International student arrivals plummeted by 600,000 last year. Credit:Steven Siewert

Fortress Australia, based on our geographic isolation from the rest of the world and hard international (and at times domestic) border closures, has delivered the amazing outcome of limiting the transmission of COVID. Even in the shadow of the current outbreak in Melbourne, Australians must be thankful that we are not facing a calamity like India or Papua New Guinea.

But challenges remain including the need to reboot our education sector, which is languishing from the withdrawal of international students from the country at the start of the COVID outbreak last year, and the subsequent closure of our borders.
Victorian boarding schools will soon be overseen by the states schools regulator, after the child sex abuse royal commission found a disproportionate number of survivors had been abused in a boarding school.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended state and territory governments place particular emphasis on monitoring boarding schools to ensure they meet Child Safe Standards.

In response, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority will be granted compliance and enforcement powers to ensure school boarding premises satisfy minimum safety standards from July.

Dr Andrew Hirst, principal of Alexandra and Hamilton College in Hamilton, with boarders Grace Austin and Eren Zehir. Credit:Nicole Cleary

The Victorian government is proposing to prescribe minimum standards that closely align with existing standards for schools, describing them as the most practically feasible of three options. The government forecasts this will cost $1.56 million over seven years, mostly borne by the regulator.
Geneva, 5 June 2021 (SPS) -The 285 member organizations of the Geneva Support Group for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in Western Sahara urged the United Nations (UN) Security Council to hold a debate on the situation in occupied Western Sahara.



In a document released Thursday, the organizations proposed to the UN to create the mandate of a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara.



They also called on all High Contracting Parties to human rights conventions "to ensure that the Kingdom of Morocco complies with international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.



The authors of the document denounced the harassment, torture and sexual violence perpetrated by Morocco to silence Sahrawi human rights defenders.



Before the ceasefire breakdown, the Moroccan occupation forces began a campaign against journalists and Sahrawi human rights defenders, including members of the Sahrawi Organization against the Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM), say the signatories of the document.



Moreover, they reported more than 720 incidents over the past six months.



On May 8, Moroccan police officers arbitrarily attacked Sahrawi human rights defender Hassanna Abba, as he was returning home from visiting his brother. They insulted him and hit him on the head, feet and hands before leaving him in the street in a state of shock, said the document.



Such arbitrary violence was also documented against Sahrawi activist Hammad Hammad on May 9, when police attacked him while he was visiting a colleague.



The situation of Sahrawi human rights activist Sultana Khaya and her family, including her mother (84 years old) and children (the youngest is 2 years old), is extremely worrying. Since November 19, 2020, Khaya and some members of her family have been under arbitrary house arrest and are subjected to severe physical and psychological violence. (SPS)



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Madrid, 5 June 2021 (SPS) - President of the Sahrawi Body against Moroccan Occupation (ISACOM), Aminatou Haidar noted an upsurge of violations by the Moroccan occupation against Sahrawi people since the resumption of the armed struggle last November, saying that "Spain must not only assume its responsibility towards the Sahrawi people but also lead the decolonization process in Western Sahara."



In an interview to the Spanish daily "El Publico," Haidar recalled the enduring violations and torture to which they are subjected members of the ISACOM, like Sahrawi activists Sultana Khaya and Mina Aba Ali.



"Many other activists were victims of acts of torture, harassment and violence, including Lahcen Dalil, who has Spanish nationality," she added.



Regarding the crisis between Morocco and Spain, the Sahrawi human rights activist said that "Morocco's practices are not new to Sahrawi people as Rabat has always adopted the blackmail policy against Spanish authorities.



In addition, Haidar welcomed "the bold position" of President Ibrahim Ghali, after his voluntary appearance before the Spanish court, recalling that this position "mirrors the commitment of the Sahrawi activists and people to the values of justice and rights.



She further warned against the dangerous situation in the occupied regions of Western Sahara, especially after the resumption of the armed struggle, stressing the need to protect Sahrawi civilians from Moroccan attacks. (SPS)



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The week before the In the City exhibit opened at the Rowayton Arts Center on May 23, one of the entrants, Mark Schiff, was in lower Manhattan at the Affordable Art Fair, where he was delighted to learn his two paintings on display had sold so quickly his gallerist wanted more.

Both were large canvases done in acrylic from Schiffs lily series. One was titled Provence Lilies and the other Silvermine Lilies. Schiff had toured Provence and studied at the Silvermine Art Center. But as an artist he doesnt aspire to still life precision. His lily paintings border on pure abstraction, bursting with flowered vines.

So now, the excited Schiff rushed back to his paint-splattered studio at the Firing Circuits Artists building in Norwalk to gather more lily canvases for New York. Hed done dozens. Then, the next day, he got a call from Bruce Horan, the chairperson of the In the City exhibit, informing him he had won best in show for his painting titled Shanghai.

It was Schiffs first-ever Rowayton show and Shanghai was from a different series of paintings. It is an abstracted landscape done in watercolor on paper  or so the label says. Hanging just inside the art centers entrance, now with a blue ribbon attached, Schiffs Shanghai is constructed mostly from thick and shiny watercolor pigment.

Up close, you can see tiny, curling waves of paint. The buildings, or the suggestion of buildings, blaze with intense yellows and oranges. In the very center, a teal blue river splits the skyline; forming a focal vortex pulling the viewer inward. Theres also movement below, as if Shanghai rests on an unsteady foundation.

It just blew me away, Schiff said of his back-to-back successes. I came back to get some artwork for New York City and I get this call from Bruce. Remember how I said I believe things happen for you (not to you)? This was one of those moments where all your stars are lined up. I felt very fortunate and very grateful.

Schiff is 75. Part of his gratitude, he said, he owes to instructors over the years and the fellowship of other Firing Circuits artists. Until the Covid pandemic prompted his retirement last year, he had a full-time dental practice in Bridgeport, specializing in family and restorative care.

Unlike many late-life artists, Schiff had no early formal art training. Growing up in Roslyn, on Long Island, he preferred music, playing the clarinet in school bands and orchestras. As a dentist, he kept up with his clarinet and sometimes made sculptures from plaster or metal. In a way, the fine manual skills of dentistry overlapped with those of art.

But he wasnt prompted to pick up a paint brush until 1996, when a bicycle tour of California wine country delivered him to the studio of the watercolorist Barbara Nechis, who was known to welcome visitors.

I knocked on her door. She was there and invited me in, Schiff recalled. I watched her paint. She was painting wet into wet (soaking the paper so the paint spread). I watched her for an hour. She was the first person who gave me the experience of painting. I said I want to do that. And when I came back I signed up for an adult class at a high school and then Silvermine.

Schiffs exhibition resume began around 2010, with a Silvermine student award for watercolor. In 2016, he had a solo show of 47 paintings, a combination of watercolors, acrylics and oils, at the Wilton Library. Few were figurative.

I like vibrant colors. I like action, motion, he said. I want to convey a feeling. I have things that are changing, convoluting within a canvas  Sometimes I look at a painting and say, I cant believe I painted that. Where does that energy come from? Part of art is learned and part of art comes from a higher power.

Describing Shanghai, Schiff mentioned he put a snake in the upper left hand corner because to him a snake represents energy and rejuvenation. Schiff has been to China twice, but never to Shanghai. The Shanghai snake is near featureless. It is a humped streak of shiny blue black that appears to be racing away from the viewer into the city.

Schiff said he got the idea of applying watercolor pigment directly onto paper from friends who cut off the bottom of toothpaste tubes or skin cream to squeeze out all the contents. So he began experimenting with amputated paint tubes, applying the pigment to paper like frosting, then working it with a palette knife or scraper.

He showed an example of the result by pointing to a landscape hanging in his studio of the worlds largest Iguazu waterfalls in South America, which he has visited. It is a horizontal composition, mostly yellow and red, with flashes of white. Im not sure you want to call this a water color. Theres not a lot of water in it, he said.

For his lily series, Schiff also uses improvised tools. He buys ordinary house paint brushes, from one to four inches in width, by the set and cuts off the tips of the bristles. For a palette, he pours paint into waxed paper picnic bowls. His easel tilts so the canvas is flat when hes working on it. I twist, turn and schmear, he said.

Schiff said his fixation on lilies goes back to encountering Claude Monets water lilies in a museum and then visiting his Giverny garden. He said he has come to see a combination of Monets classicism and Jackson Pollacks wildness in his lily paintings. Theres confusion and energy. Its night and day coming together, he said.

Schiff said he always felt creative and didnt have to overcome inhibitions when he first started to paint. I dont mind letting people know who I am, he said. I think things happen in my life for me; in order to progress, in order to be better, in order to create beautiful objects that I love and that I hope other people love.

Schiff painted Shanghai about a year ago, months before the city themed Rowayton show was announced and soon after his second trip to China. He returned in early January 2020, unaware of the virus about to spread all over the world.

The Rowayton show, which includes almost 60 artists, closes June 20. For more information, visit rowaytonarts.org.

Joel Lang is a freelance writer.
STAMFORD  After nearly three years of negotiations, police have reached a tentative agreement with city officials on a new contract  and it has some interesting new features like incentives to get vaccinated or learn a second language.

The contract will be effective for three years, starting retroactively back on July 1, 2019  when the last contract expired  and lasting until June 30, 2022.

Under the agreement, police officers wont receive any guaranteed pay raises for the 2019 year. But officers will see a 2.25 percent raise in 2020, a 2.5 percent hike in 2021 and a 1.25 percent raise for the first half of 2022.

Theres benefits and negatives on both ends, and now its up to our membership to vote on whether to approve it or not, said Kris Engstrand, president of the Stamford Police Association.

The agreement, if approved, would also give a non-pensionable $120 per month COVID-19 stipend to officers who worked during the pandemic, from April 2020 to May 2021. Officers would be eligible to earn up to $1,800, depending on the time they worked.

The tentative contract also features a wide array of new incentives for officers.

One such incentive is a new COVID-19 vaccine stipend, which will offer officers a one-time $65 stipend to fully receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Mayor David Martin, who pushed for the new initiatives inclusion in the contract, noted it is aimed at counteracting a trend showing that police forces have not gotten the vaccinations at the rate they should.

What were doing is offering a small incentive to encourage people who, you know, just dont see it from the safety standpoint or have some hesitancy about the vaccine, Martin said. In doing so, we will actually protect the public, we will save more public health dollars than it will actually cost us and we will protect city employees.

Police Chief Timothy Shaw reported that around 60 percent of the Stamford Police Department employees had received their vaccinations as of last month. Police have since stopped tracking the number, Shaw said.

While Martin hopes the stipend could help incentivize officers to get the vaccination, not all city officials are on board with the plan.

Board of Finance member Mary Lou Rinaldi voiced support for the new police contract late last month, saying its been a long-time coming, but expressed concerns at the idea of having to pay officers to do something she believed they should receive voluntarily.

I cant believe that city employees in a public safety role have to be compensated to get a vaccine, Rinaldi said at a May 25 Board of Finance meeting. It seems to me that they should know enough to, to be getting their vaccine for their own personal safety, for the safety of their families and their children. And the fact that we have to pay people to do it is just a sad commentary. So thats really the one gripe I have with this contract is, it doesnt make any sense to me that we have to pay people to do the right thing.

The Board of Finance ultimately voted unanimously to favorably recommend the contract. The contract is scheduled to go before the Board of Representatives for a vote on Monday.

Engstrand said the police association will then vote on the contract sometime later this month.

Despite the backlash from some like Rinaldi, Martin said he is considering offering a similar vaccination stipend to other city unions as a part of contract negotiations.

Another new incentive featured in this contract that Martin is considering including in negotiations with other citywide unions is a $25 per month stipend for employees who are certified by the city in a second language, with a specific emphasis on Spanish.

Currently, there are only 27 Spanish-speaking Stamford officers out of a force of 273 active officers, according to Shaw.

Martin said the goal of the stipend is to help more Stamford officers to reach a conversation fluency in Spanish, so that they can be better prepared to interact with and help the citys growing Hispanic population.

City employees are routinely dealing with people who speak a foreign language as their foremost or primary language and have difficulty with English, and we should try to bridge that language barrier, Martin said. It will help us resolve emergency situations in a more constructive way, and I believe that is the direction we should be moving.
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP)  With Louisiana's coronavirus pandemic restrictions canceled, a dozen past winners will compete against each other in person this month in the 14th annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off.

As people begin to travel again, we want to promote our Louisiana chefs and locally-owned restaurants," Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said in a news release.

Competing chefs will include 2009 winner Tory McPhail, who left Commanders Palace in New Orleans last year for Bozeman, Montana, the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism said.

The cook-off will take place the evening of June 22 at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette.

Some of the more than 200 restaurants participating in the city-parishs EatLafayette summer promotion will be selling food.

Last year's cook-off, like similar events nationwide, was held online.

After the year we have been through, it is encouraging to be hosting the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off in conjunction with the EatLafayette kickoff in person this year, said Ben Berthelot, Lafayette Travel President and CEO.

Contestants include 10 men, a woman and a married couple. The winner will be dubbed King of Kings, Queen of Kings or King and Queen of Kings.

Each competitor will get a set basket of ingredients and have a pantry from which to choose additions.

Drawings will determine the order in which they cook and a mystery ingredient for each chef. Chefs will learn what their mystery ingredient is when they have 10 minutes cooking time left, and must make it a part of their dish.
When the pandemic struck, years of community-based work to stem violence in major Connecticut cities was decimated, leaders said.

Face-to-face meetings with those involved in this violence were cut back, visits to those impacted dropped, and a coordinated, statewide message to put down the guns in exchange for a helping hand were harder to get out.

And during the pandemic, deadly violence swelled. Data collected by the state police show that homicides across Connecticut jumped nearly 25 percent in 2020.

Cities in Connecticut and across the country are still grappling this year with homicides and gun violence. But a return to normal with dropping infection rates and a widespread vaccine effort appears to offer a chance to pick up where prevention efforts left off last spring.

COVID had a devastating effect on gun violence on the cities, and thats across the country. Police departments, especially progressive police departments, which Connecticut has, know the recipe to bring the gun violence down and its not heavy handed. Its community engagement. Its focused attention on the individuals that are actually driving the violence, said Archie Generoso, the statewide director of the violence reduction program, Project Longevity. They know that recipe and know it works. They were unable to execute that recipe during COVID.

But it remains uncertain whether there will be success in the short-term to stem the trend with violent crimes and homicides as Connecticut enters summer months, which typically see a bigger surge in these incidents.

We are hopeful that we are going to see results quickly. We know that we are also fighting against the summer trend. I expect it to be a challenging one, but we are working on many different fronts to respond to the uptick in violence, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said.

Struggle with violence continues

While the pandemic dominated the publics attention during the spring and summer of 2020, cities in Connecticut and across the nation were struggling with violent killings, especially those involving guns.

By the end of last year, Hartford had 25 homicides, Bridgeport had 24 and New Haven had 20, according to state data.

There has been little sign of slowing in the first five months of 2021, with cities like Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport continuing to see a high number of killings.

So far in 2021, New Haven has seen 14 homicides  nine more than this time last year. There have been six homicides in Bridgeport, the same as this time last year, and Hartford has had 16  three more than at this point in 2020, data shows.

Notably this year, New Haven police have investigated the killing of a Yale student, Bridgeport police have probed a downtown double homicide, and Hartford has grappled with the death of a 3-year-old boy in a drive-by shooting.

While not typically as hard hit by violence and homicides, Stamford has also seen an uptick this year, according to Capt. Richard Conklin, of the police departments Bureau of Criminal Investigations. At this time last year, the department investigated two homicides, and this year there have been four.

The spike in Connecticut violence has mirrored a national trend that runs against years of slowly dropping statistics around violence and homicides.

Before the pandemic hit, Connecticut experienced years of historic lows in homicides and other violent crimes statewide after successes with focused deterrence programs, said Mike Lawlor, a former top criminal justice official for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

We are talking about a really small group of people who are responsible for this and the police know who they are. You can prevent this stuff ahead of time, not all of it, but a lot of it. COVID really impacted all of that, Lawlor said.

Not only were focused, community-based approaches hampered by the pandemic, so were core police functions, as safety concerns about the spread of the virus shifted how officers responded.

Hartford police Chief Jason Thody pointed to how officers weighed motor vehicle stops, which drew concern over virus spread, but were often a key part of the effort to getting guns off the street.

But that has changed, and gun seizures are up, Thody said.

This was a situation that really was kind of unknown for us, how to continue and work through this pandemic. Many agencies, including courts and police departments, had many, many personnel out during this situation, Conklin said of the pandemic.

And now that Connecticut is behind the worst of the pandemic and moving into the summer months, some fear the gun violence will continue.

Its going to happen because its been pent up all that time. Whatever issues they have are now going to come out, said the Rev. Stanley Lord, head of the greater Bridgeport branch of the NAACP.

Getting back to work

Those who are directly involved in stemming violent crimes say theres not one solution to address the issue, but years of work have gone into setting up community-based approaches to root out those responsible.

This came to a grinding halt with efforts built on face-to-face interactions became impossible during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic when people were urged to stay home.

In the face of continued violent crimes and killings, police departments and their partners are working quickly to get the momentum back heading into the summer.

Generoso said his organization, which operates in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford, started holding call-ins, which bring in people involved in group-based violence, often referred to as gang violence, to the table.

The message from Project Longevity comes with two promises: The group will provide help if you put down the guns, or the first group to be associated with a killing will feel the full weight of law enforcement, Generoso said.

Individual, in-person conversations, referred to as custom calls, have picked up as well. In New Haven, officials said theyve done more than 100 this year, and in Hartford, they said they have done about 250.

While Thody said they were able to do custom call-outs during the pandemic, fewer were done and often it was a lone detective making the connection with social service providers kept at home. Now there are several detectives involved and those who can help connect people to needed services.

Now that the vaccines are out there  a lot of people are vaccinated  we can safely get back to full-service police work and that will all be supported by the people who can go back to doing business as usual, Thody said.

Bridgeport officials did not respond to a request for an interview on their efforts. Generoso said his organization held a call-in recently in Bridgeport and has another planned in the coming weeks.

Lord said programs like Project Longevity have had success in his city, but sometimes its difficult to reach those who have created the longstanding atmosphere of violence in the city.

Most of the time we are preaching to the choir unless we get some of the OGs who created the atmosphere years ago, Lord said, referencing some of the older people involved in the violence.

A similar statewide program run through the U.S. attorneys office, Project Safe Neighborhoods, has ramped back up. Unlike Project Longevity, which focuses on group-based violence, Safe Neighborhoods targets individuals who may be involved with a similar two-pronged approach of enforcement and community engagement.

Weve not only restarted Project Longevity and Project Safe Neighborhoods, which took about a year hiatus, weve increased the frequency compared to normal times, weve doubled the events we are having and the number of people who are going through the program, Elicker said of New Havens efforts.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pierpont, who oversees Project Safe Neighborhoods, said they were continuing to reach out to individuals during the pandemic with things like video calls, but the message comes through clearer with face-to-face interactions.

We were still able to get our message out there even during COVID. But, of course, COVID has a disruptive effect. As we are sort of coming out we are trying to get back to place where we are delivering this message in person and face-to-face, so people are hearing it directly from us, Pierpont said.

While Stamford does some community engagement related to gun violence, Conklin said: Its something we are looking to increase and become more active in.

Officials seem optimistic these programs will have the same success that was realized before the pandemic, but it may take some time.

Because we are able to go out there and engage these individuals we focus on... its my feeling by the end of the summer you are going to see the violence start to subside, Generoso said. All these pieces are going to start working again.
Sri Lanka still waiting for compensation over last years oil slick from MT New Diamond View(s):

Sri Lanka is yet to receive compensation amounting to over Rs 3.7 billion owed due to environmental damage caused by an oil slick that occurred due to the fire aboard the container vessel MT New Diamond, which caught fire off the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka in September last year.

A final report on a technical assessment regarding the environmental damage caused by the disaster was handed over to the local insurer of MT New Diamonds shipping company in April. The exhaustive report compiled by a team of experts took four months to complete and the damage was calculated at USD 19 million (Over Rs 3.76 billion), Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) Chairperson Dharshani Lahandapura told the Sunday Times.

The insurer has told MEPA that it needs time to study the report, Ms Lahandapura noted, adding that they were hopeful of a positive response soon.

The Greek owners of the Panama flagged New Diamond was given a bill of Rs 442 million in costs incurred by various Government agencies when fighting the fire aboard the vessel. Legal action was also instituted against the ships captain after investigators found that his actions contributed to the incident.

He was fined Rs 12 million after pleading guilty to the charges. The vessel was allowed to leave Sri Lankan waters only after both the Rs 442 million damage costs and the Rs 12 million fine were deposited, authorities stressed.
The head of an American Legion post in Ohio stepped down Friday amid criticism following the decision of Memorial Day ceremony organizers to turn off a retired U.S. Army officer's microphone while he was speaking about how freed Black slaves honored fallen soldiers just after the Civil War.

American Legion leaders in Ohio also suspended the post's charter and are taking steps to close it.

The moves come in the wake of intense backlash to the decision to censor retired Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter, who said he included the story in his speech because he wanted to share the history of how Memorial Day originated.

But organizers of the ceremony in Hudson, Ohio, said that section of the speech was not relevant to the programs theme of honoring the citys veterans.

Cindy Suchan, chair of the Memorial Day parade committee and president of the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary, said this week that either she or Jim Garrison, adjutant of the American Legion Post 464, turned down the audio, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

Garrison resigned his leadership position a day after the state organization demanded he step down, said Roger Friend, department commander for the Ohio American Legion. Garrison has since been asked to drop his membership altogether, Friend said.

The American Legion Department of Ohio does not hold space for members, veterans, or families of veterans who believe that censoring black history is acceptable behavior, Friend said in a statement.

He said the censoring was premeditated and planned by Garrison and Suchan.

They knew exactly when to turn the volume down and when to turn it back up, Friend said.

In the days before the ceremony, Suchan said she reviewed the speech and asked Kemter to remove certain portions. Kemter said he didnt see the suggested changes in time to rewrite the speech.

Kemter, who spent 30 years in the Army and served in the Persian Gulf War, told The Beacon Journal he was disappointed that the organizers silenced two minutes of his 11-minute speech.

His microphone cut out just as began talking about how former slaves and freed Black men exhumed the remains of more than 200 Union soldiers from a mass grave in Charleston, South Carolina, and gave them a proper burial.

Kemter at first thought there was a problem with audio, tapping on the microphone.

The decision to silence him disrespected Kemter and all veterans, Hudsons mayor and City Council said in a statement Thursday.

Veterans have done everything we have asked of them during their service to this country, and this tarnished what should have been a celebration of their service, the statement said.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Who among us has not marveled at the clear night sky wondering if we truly are alone in the universe?

Over 15 million Americans claim to have seen a UFO. Worldwide there are hundreds of sightings per day, while 90% of people who claim to have witnessed one never report it. Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe admitted: There are a lot more sightings than have been made public.

When UFOs headline the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Washington Post and the New Yorker among others, something is up (pun intended). CBS News 60 Minutes featured several former military officials about UFOs now rebranded as unidentified aerial phenomena  UAP.

In arguably the most outrageous publicly acclaimed statement that made international headlines last December, Haim Eshed, the former head of the Israeli Defense Ministrys space director and retired general claimed, there is an agreement between the U.S. government and aliens. Eshed said extraterrestrials from a galactic federation are working with American astronauts in an underground base in the depths of Mars.

Sen. Marco Rubio, the acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told CBS he was concerned about the national security risk of unidentified aircraft. We have things flying over our military bases and places where were conducting military exercises and we dont know what it is and it isnt ours.

Last month while appearing on The Late Late Show with James Corden former President Barack Obama stated, There is footage and records of objects in the skies that we dont know exactly what they are.

Chris Mellon, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush: These vehicles seem to have unlimited loiter time, which we dont have, and their acceleration is beyond any, far beyond anything that were capable of.

On 60 Minutes, navy pilot Cmdr. Dave Fravor spotted an object during a training exercise over the Pacific Ocean in 2004. He described it as a little white Tic-Tac-looking object that lacked exhaust, had no wings or visible markings and moved erratically. Fravor called it the strangest, most obscure thing Ive ever seen flying. Fellow naval aviator Lt. Ryan Graves, said pilots on training flights have seen unexplained phenomena every day for at least a couple of years.

When the most powerful military has no idea what these objects are, it does not mean they are aliens from another planet, or that they dont have some plausible explanation. However, admitting they cannot identify them is certainly newsworthy.

The UAP mythos has always been entrenched in the eccentric as the Pentagon has long resisted acknowledging the unexplainable. Despite compelling evidence to the contrary, UAPs have finally joined the mainstream. In retrospect, this spectacle has been with us since Biblical times. Ezekiels wheel recorded in the Old Testament reads like an ancient UAP sighting.

Later this month, the federal government will release a detailed analysis of unidentified aerial phenomena data and intelligence from the Office of Naval Intelligence, the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and the FBI.

Luis Elizondo, former UAPTF director informed 60 Minutes: Imagine a technology that can do 600-to-700 G-forces, that can fly at 13,000 miles an hour, that can evade radar and that can fly through air and water and possibly space with no obvious signs of propulsion, no wings, no control surfaces and yet still can defy the natural effects of Earths gravity. Thats precisely what were seeing. Unfortunately, theres a lot more we dont know than we do know.

On another program produced by the New York Post called Basement Office and titled: Ex-Pentagon official Luis Elizondo reveals UFO bombshells on YouTube, Elizondo admits at the 14:40 mark one of his superiors saying, We already know what it is  have you read your Bible lately? You would know these things are demonic and we should not be pursuing them.

What if the UAP phenomenon is as Elizondos superior officer describes them as not being extraterrestrial, but interdimensional fallen and deceptive angels and demons? Pure spirits who can assume corporeal form competing for humankinds soul, while not bound to time, space and the laws of physics. If these banished minions of Lucifer made themselves visible, they would block out the sun. Lucifer can and has appeared as an angel of light to the credulous. No heavenly angels would help us develop technology destructive to humanity.

Understandably, the timing of this impending UAP report is questionable with some claiming it to be nothing but a political diversion. However, like anything government, the reports foundation was laid months ago as part of the Trump administrations $2.3 trillion appropriations bill that required the Director of National Intelligence to deliver an unclassified report to Congress on UAPs.

Nothing government does is extemporaneous and the release of any information, especially something considered unclassified, will be controlled, innocuous and generalized at best.

To believe humanity comprehends time, space, matter, energy and all the laws of the physical universe is not only arrogant, but incredibly ignorant.

Yet, the truth exists.

GREGORY MARESCA writes from Northumberland County.
Ashtabula, OH (44004)

Today

Mostly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

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A few passing clouds. Low 59F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
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Summit flats to be razed to the ground By Damith Wickremasekara View(s): View(s):

Cabinet approval has been sought to pull down the almost half a century old Summit flats in Keppetipola Mawatha, Colombo 7 and make use of the land to put up an apartment complex for 500 staff officers and offer 10 acres of the land for a mixed development project.

The entire land is around 14 acres and two acres are to be used to put up the apartment complex and about one and half acres for common amenities including a playground.

Urban Development Authority (UDA) Director General Prasad Ranaweera told the Sunday Times that for the construction of the apartment complex the Governemnt would allocate Rs 12 billion.

He said the rest of the 10 acres would be offered for a mixed development project under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangment.

He said the existing buildings were nearly 50 years old and needed to be replaced soon.

The construction of the new apartment complex is to be completed within three years.
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A new batch of vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, consisting of 964,080 doses, will be brought on Monday to Romania, the National Committee for the Coordination of Vaccination Activities (CNCAV) informed on Sunday in a release sent to agerpres.

According to the quoted source, the vaccines are to be delivered by air and will be delivered to the airports in Otopeni (serving Bucharest), Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara.

Transport to the storage centers is ensured by the producer, including the road part of the delivery. The vaccines are transported in optimal safety conditions, in special containers, with carbonic ice and hermetically sealed, CNCAV states.The doses brought on Monday to Romania will be distributed to the following storage centers: Bucharest - 367,380 doses; Brasov - 128,700 doses; Cluj - 105,300 doses; Craiova -140,400 doses; Constanta - 81,900 doses; Iasi - 81,900 doses; Timisoara - 58,500 doses.Up to now, Romania received 9,004,769 doses of vaccine produced by Pfizer, and 6,474,870 were already used to immunize the population.In vaccination centers the doses received by Romania in the current batch, as well as in previous batches, are to be used, on the basis of requests sent to the National Center and the regional storage center, through the public health directorates in the counties and the City of Bucharest.In Romania, the allotment of vaccine doses is done according to the delivery calendar put forth by the producer, which provides for weekly deliveries of vaccine batches necessary to immunize the population, CNCAV also shows.
After about four months, the only request has been for $116.68 to Kansas City police in April for lodging costs, OConnell said.

The funds are available and weve approved the one request weve gotten, OConnell said. I cant tell you why there havent been more requests; youd have to ask the law enforcement agencies.

Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, said the law came in response to requests by the police chiefs and mayors of the states larger cities. He said its not uncommon for new laws to need tweaks once they are in place.

I think were too early to know if the fund will be utilized, said Luetkemeyer, who handled the bill in the Senate. Im hopeful long-term it will be used as a tool by law enforcement.

So far five out of the states more than 600 law enforcement agencies have enrolled: Kansas City police, St. Louis police, St. Louis County police, Missouri Highway Patrol and police in Smithville  a town of about 10,000 about 30 minutes north of Kansas City.
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouris lone Democratic statewide officeholder said Friday she wont run for any office in 2022, opening the door for Republicans to sweep the state.

Auditor Nicole Galloway, 38, who was appointed to the post in 2015 and won a full, four-year term in 2018, announced in a statement on Twitter she will not seek another term as auditor or any other office in order to spend more time with her family.

Serving as Missouris Auditor has been the honor of my life, Galloway said. I am ready for the next chapter of service and life with my family.

She and her husband, Jon, have three boys, the youngest of whom was born in 2017.

Galloway made an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2020, losing to Gov. Mike Parson by nearly 17 percentage points in a state that has grown increasingly tough for Democrats.

The GOP currently controls both chambers of the Legislature with supermajorities, the states two U.S. Senate seats, the governors office and all other statewide offices, except for auditor.

As auditor, Galloway manages about 115 employees, who are charged with conducting audits of government entities. In announcing her decision, Galloway called herself a watchdog for Missouri taxpayers.
Prince Harry and Meghan may have stepped away from their royal duties  but family appeared to be top of mind in naming their second child, Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, who was born Friday in California.

The name pays tribute to both Harrys grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname is Lilibet, and his late mother, Princess Diana.

Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family, Harry and Meghan, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wrote in a statement that accompanied the birth announcement Sunday.

The baby is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers weve felt from across the globe, they continued.

The baby girl was born at 11:40 a.m. at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, and weighed in at 7 lbs, 11 oz, a spokesperson for the couple said. The child is eighth in line to the British throne.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the queen; Harry's father, Prince Charles; his brother, Prince William; and other members of the family had been informed and are "delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Mexican officials say they will have to obtain another 2 million doses of the one-shot vaccine  which they might purchase from Johnson & Johnson  to vaccinate 3 million border residents between 18 and 40 years old.

Presumably, those older than 40 will be covered by Mexicos regular nationwide campaign, which does not use Johnson & Johnson, although the shot has been approved for use in Mexico.

On Thursday, an official said some doses might also be used at coastal resorts frequented by Americans, but that possibility was not included in the plan announced Friday.

The announcement came on the same day that Mexico City announced the gradual lifting of a partial coronavirus lockdown that began more than a year ago.



SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he will not lift the coronavirus state of emergency on June 15.

Newsom has said he will lift most of the virus restrictions on that date. But Friday, Newsom said he will not lift the state of emergency that gives him broad authority to issue alter or suspend state laws and regulations.
He said China is trying to block Taiwan's international assistance and prevent it from participating in the World Health Organization. "We are no strangers to that kind of obstructionism, he said.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and most Taiwanese favor maintaining the current state of de facto independence while engaging in robust economic exchanges with the mainland.

China's ruling Communist Party says Taiwan must come under its control, and has in recent months increased pressure on the island, including flying warplanes near Taiwan. The increasing activity and vast improvements in Chinas military capabilities have raised concern in the U.S., which is bound by its own laws to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the islands security as matters of grave concern.

Taiwan, which had weathered the pandemic virtually unscathed until the recent outbreak, is now facing its most serious flare-up with more than 10,000 new cases since late April.

President Tsai Ing-wen, meeting with the senators, expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for including Taiwan in the first group to receive vaccines and said the doses will arrive at a critical time for the island.
Another veteran of the Battle of Normandy, British Capt. David Mylchreest, was also present. He landed with his team in Normandy on June 12, 1944, to replace officers who had died in the first days of the fight.

Shay then took part in a commemoration at the American Cemetery later in the day in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach, in the presence of officials from the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany and other allied countries.

The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

Most public events have been canceled, and the official ceremonies were limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

Denis van den Brink, a WWII expert working for the town of Carentan, site of a strategic battle near Utah Beach, acknowledged the big loss, the big absence is all the veterans who couldnt travel.

That really hurts us very much because they are all around 95, 100 years old, and we hope theyre going to last forever. But, you know... he said.
Too early to see results of restrictions By Kumudini Hettiarachchi and Ruqyyaha Deane Sinopharm, Sputnik V & Pfizer vaccines due but no confirmation on AstraZeneca View(s): View(s):

Vaccines and lockdown dominated the thoughts of the people in the country.

As the lockdown or travel restrictions was extended till June 14 and the vaccination programme continued in many parts of the country, the people who had received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in February, March and early April were fraught with worry over how to get their second dose.

While the State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Channa Jayasumana in a public broadcast this week said that 2 million doses of Sinopharm vaccines were due in the country today (June 6) and Wednesday (June 9).

Another 14 million Sputnik V vaccine doses had been secured, he said (but did not say when they were due), adding that 300,000-400,000 Pfizer doses were scheduled to arrive in July.

There was no indication when the 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca needed urgently for the second dose would be secured.

When asked whether Sri Lanka has seen benefits from the lockdown, a high-level health official told the Sunday Times that they would not be visible yet.

Urging every person to take collective responsibility to control the pandemic, the Health Ministrys Head of the Disaster Preparedness and Response Division, Dr. Hemantha Herath said the results of the travel restrictions have not been seen yet. This is because even after implementing restrictions at maximum level, it will take an incubation period (the number of days between infection and appearance of symptoms) of at least 14 days to see the results.

He, however, pointed out that compared to the initial few days, more and more people and more and more vehicles are being seen outside their homes. It is the duty of the public as well as all stakeholders including the business community to ensure that this movement restriction is adhered to.

Dr. Herath said everyone should act with responsibility and not leave their homes unless absolutely necessary, either for essential work or to seek medical treatment. Nithiyeng ringala giya kiyala, there would be no benefit to the country or to yourself. In the long term, we will all suffer, he said.

Usually, a lockdown needs to be in place for more than one incubation period at least. The longer the better, but we know that restrictions enforced for long periods have other adverse effects. What is required is a balance between benefits and adverse effects. Unexpected repercussions would be certain if planned mitigation activities are not happening, he said.

When imposing travel restrictions, the most important thing is to ensure that good home delivery services for essentials such as food and medicines are in place, stressed this public health expert. Initially, the restriction process was carried out in a relaxed manner with planned relaxation days. Now the delivery system has picked up reasonably well and those relaxation days have been cancelled. This is needed to break the chain of transmission of the virus, with the country being in lockdown for a scientifically-acceptable period.

If we are going beyond this, we need to arrange several other mitigation activities as well, like the distribution of drugs. This is because generally people have medication for two weeks or a month. Even though the government is trying to mitigate this issue in different ways, drug distribution is not happening in a reasonably good way because the Postal Department involvement is not established yet, he said.

Focusing on alternative measures, Dr. Herath said that people needing treatment for tuberculosis (TB) are sent drugs to their doorstep once a month in health vehicles. But there are only a limited number of TB patients and it may not be feasible to deploy such a system for all patients suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Other aspects that need to be looked at closely are the livelihood of daily wage earners and how they are coping.

Need for social distancing

He had a strong message for all: Even after restrictions are eased, continue to adhere to preventive measures at the maximum level. Social distancing is shown to be a good deterrent in the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 spreads only if we get droplets into our body or we touch certain surfaces which have got contaminated by the droplets left behind by a positive person. The carrier or vehicle is the human body. So we need to stop the movement of the virus through human bodies, he added.

Getting down to testing, Dr. Herath said currently it is being maintained at around 20,000 tests comfortably. It can be increased but there are challenges such as machine-breakdowns and staff-exhaustion.

Random testing finds only about 25 in Colombo city daily; vigorous vaccination also on Around 85-110 positive cases are detected per day, the vast majority being first-line contacts, while random testing detects around 20-25 cases, said Colombo Municipal Councils Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni on Friday.He assured that unlike in the second wave, Colombo city is not seeing a rampant wildfire sort of spread yet and attributed it partly to the very vigorous vaccination campaign. Vaccination campaign So far, about 190,000 people in Colombo city, which has about 600,000 people, have been vaccinated with either the AstraZeneca or Sinopharm vaccines. Therefore, 1/3rd of the citys population has got the jab, said Dr. Wijayamuni. He said that around 98,823 people are awaiting the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. When these stocks will arrive, is the million dollar question. The government is trying very hard to get stocks. Vaccines are available in the international black market, but their quality is questionable. This is why the government is seeking an assurance from the manufacturer about the maintenance of the cold-chain and the authenticity of the product. With America hoping to donate vaccines, he was hopeful that Sri Lanka could get some stocks to give the second jab. Dr. Wijayamuni and his team are planning to vaccinate everyone who is over 18 years of age by the end of August, if they get adequate stocks. These could be different types of vaccines. Currently we are vaccinating those over 30 years of age, but we should ideally be vaccinating those over 18 because they are active and could take the disease home. Those 60 and above are at high-risk of dying but they are basically at home, so we have to focus on the economically and physically-active age-groups, he said.
Thats a difficult lunacy standard to exceed, but Flynn managed it. Speaking at a Dallas event with believers of the unhinged QAnon conspiracy theory  on Memorial Day, of all days  Flynn was asked why what happened in [Myanmar] cant happen here.

No reason, Flynn responded, to cheers from the crowd. I mean, it should happen here.

When outrage and talk of a court martial arose, Flynn, true to the Trumpian ethos, pathetically lied, claiming he meant to say, Theres no reason it should happen here. No honest review of the video by any native English speaker could possibly support that claim.

Flynn was calling for a military coup in the United States of the kind that removed Myanmars democratically elected government in February. The Myanmar militarys stated excuse for taking over was in response to allegations that the countrys November election was rife with fraud. The continuing false claims by Trump and his supporters of fraud in Americas presidential election last year is why the Myanmar coup has become something of a rallying point for the QAnon crowd.
Columnist Lynn Schmidt did a good job explaining why partisan primaries allow the most extreme candidates to win elections (Primaries are the primary reason why American elections are screwed up, June 2). The current system also squashes the desires of some voters to participate. Many qualified citizens dont register or turn out on Election Day, saying they dont think their vote matters.

Members of the League of Women Voters support the voting reforms Schmidt suggested: ranked-choice or final-five voting. Either would provide broader voter representation than our current system.

We also supported Proposition D that St. Louis city voters approved in 2020 and successfully used this spring. A nonpartisan primary was followed by a top-two runoff in April. The citys outdated voting machines wouldnt work with the more popular reform of ranked-choice voting but did accommodate the approval-voting system.
The U.S. believes they have spotted a new Chinese ASAT (anti-satellite) system in orbit. This one, Shijian-17, has a grappling arm that enables the ASAT to maneuver into position and grab another satellite for closer examination or to put it in another orbit that will cause it to plunge earthward and burn up in the atmosphere. China also has high-powered, ground-based lasers that can disable a satellite at the lower end of low orbits for satellites that could not be forced low enough to be drawn into the atmosphere.

This is one of many Chinese ASAT weapons being developed tested and ready for a major wartime use of ASAT weapons that could destroy over a hundred satellites and create a much larger threat to any surviving satellites or space vessels passing through orbital space. This is part of a Chinese plan to carry out a Pearl Harbor type surprise attack on American space-based sensors, navigation and communications systems. This would make Chinese surface or air-based attacks more effective.

Russia has also put into orbit highly maneuverable ASATs that can get close enough to another satellite for close examination and possible destruction or disabling using their ground-based NUDOL laser. The Chinese are building on Russian efforts and have the resources to do this on a large scale.

Chinese ASATs like Shijian-17 were not unexpected but China claims Shijian-17 is there for peaceful purposes, to find and destroy orbital debris. China has also developed and put into service powerful arrays of radars and optical systems for spotting and determining the orbit of LEO (low earth orbit) satellites at the same time it was getting easier to develop and build other types of ASAT systems. Some of these systems are not new, just improved. Back in the 1980s the U.S. developed and tested both ASAT missiles (ASM-135) and air-launched satellite launcher rockets (the Pegasus). Back then the U.S. Air Force developed the ASM-135 for knocking down LEO satellites by using a 1.2-ton missile launched from a high-flying jet fighter. This was done in response to news that Russia was developing a similar system. The Russian system relied on killsats (Killer Satellites) and was never that effective. A successful test of ASM-135 was conducted in 1985, but the program was shut down three years later because the Air Force preferred to spend the money elsewhere.

A little later, in the 1990s, a civilian firm (Orbital ATK) developed, tested and built Pegasus air-launched (from a B-52 or modified large airliner) three-stage solid fuel rockets for putting small (up to half a ton) satellites into LEO. The first version of Pegasus weighed 19 tons and the latest one 23 tons. Between 1990 to 2016 Pegasus was used 43 times and failed only 7 percent of the time. Most of the failed launches were early development models. In other words, Pegasus is still in use and the Air Force has admitted that the ASM-135 could resume production and be even more reliable, effective and cheaper because of advances in missile and guidance tech since the 1980s.

Meanwhile there have been losses to space debris, whether it was created intentionally by an ASAT or by accident. In early 2013, Russia reported that one of its satellites was hit and damaged by debris from a Chinese satellite that China had destroyed in a 2007 ASAT test. This was only the second time that an active (still operational) satellite was hit by orbital debris. The last time was in 2009 when an American satellite was hit by a dead Russian satellite. There was a recent incident of the manned ISS International Space Station) suffering damage from a small undetected piece of debris. Even before the ISS incident owners of active satellites have paid more attention to where all the space junk (debris) is up there and it is more common for active satellites to move out of the way of oncoming concentrations of debris. This uses up precious fuel, which is normally used to maintain a low flying satellite in the proper orbit. When the fuel is gone, so is the ability to move and the usefulness of the satellite.

The 2009 loss was an American Iridium satellite, which supplies satellite phone service and was at an altitude of about 770 kilometers over central Russia when it collided with a dead Russian communications satellite; the one-ton Cosmos 2251. This one-ton satellite was equipped with a nuclear power supply when it was launched in 1993. The Russian bird could not be moved, nor could the Iridium which, while active, was not equipped with thrusters for movement. The Iridium bird was one of sixty, so satellite phone services were not interrupted because of the spare capacity in the system. The collision turned the two satellites into 600 bits of debris.

In 2008, the U.S. Navy used one of its Aegis-equipped warships to destroy a malfunctioning U.S. spy satellite with an anti-missile missile. Russia and China have since called for such U.S. activity to be outlawed, even though most of the debris from that satellite soon fell to earth, burning up rather than hitting the ground.

At the same time China was developing even more ambitious ASAT systems. American analysts believe China conducted three tests of ASAT systems by 2013. One test apparently sought to put a KillSat in a high enough (20,000 kilometers) orbit that could threaten the American GPS network. Another ASAT destroyed an old Chinese weather satellite that was about 850 kilometers up. That's at the upper range of where most reconnaissance satellites hang out. In 2016 a second test was conducted but the target satellite was not actually destroyed.

Back in 2008, Russia and China urged the UN to outlaw the development or testing of ASAT systems. The impetus for this was the 2008 destruction of a broken U.S. spy satellite using a ship-based anti-aircraft missile modified to intercept ballistic missiles. What upset China and Russia was that this feat put all their satellites in a low earth orbit (160-2,000 kilometers up) at risk. A Pearl Harbor in space is not as effective if the enemy can quickly retaliate against Chinese satellites.
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Canada Goose Holdings Inc. ("Canada Goose" or the "Company") (NYSE:GOOS, TSX: GOOS) today announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Dani Reiss, established an automatic securities disposition plan (ASDP) in accordance with applicable United States and Canadian securities legislation and the Companys internal policies.

The ASDP permits trades to be made in accordance with pre-arranged instructions given when Mr. Reiss was not in possession of any material undisclosed information. The ASDP will be effective on the second trading day following the date on which the Company has filed its interim financial statements for the quarter ending June 27, 2021. Sales of the subordinate voting shares under the ASDP may only commence two trading days after the release of such interim financial statements.

Up to 326,219 subordinate voting shares, representing approximately 0.30% of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting and multiple voting shares of the Company, may be sold under the ASDP implemented by Mr. Reiss. All such subordinate voting shares would be issued upon the exercise of options to acquire subordinate voting shares held by Mr. Reiss, such options forming part of Mr. Reisss compensation for services as President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada Goose. The ASDP is designed to allow for an orderly disposition of the subordinate voting shares to be issued upon the exercise of the options at prevailing market prices over the course of the 12 month period that sales under the ASDP are expected to take place. The ASDP will not provide for any conversion or sale of multiple voting shares of the Company owned by Mr. Reiss.

Mr. Reiss has provided pre-arranged instructions in writing to the independent agent administering the ASDP, including the number of securities to be sold and setting out minimum trade prices. The ASDP prohibits the agent administering the ASDP from consulting with Mr. Reiss regarding any sales under the ASDP and prohibits Mr. Reiss from disclosing to the agent any information concerning the Company that might influence the execution of the ASDP. The ASDP has been authorized and established in the form approved by the Company, and contains meaningful restrictions on the ability of Mr. Reiss to amend, suspend or terminate the ASDP.

The Ontario Securities Commission issued a decision document dated May 11, 2021 exempting Mr. Reiss from the prospectus requirement under Canadian securities legislation with respect to sales of subordinate voting shares under the ASDP. In accordance with the conditions set forth in such decision document, Mr. Reiss will file on the date hereof a Form 45-102F1 (Notice of Intention to Distribute Securities under Section 2.8 of National Instrument 45-102 Resale of Securities) on SEDAR.

This announcement is made and will be available on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.ca pursuant to the recommended practices set forth in Staff Notice 55-317 Automatic Securities Disposition Plans of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Information regarding the ASDP and transactions thereunder, as the case may be, may be accessed on SEDI at www.sedi.ca.

About Canada Goose Holdings Inc.

Founded in 1957 in a small warehouse in Toronto, Canada, Canada Goose (NYSE:GOOS, TSX: GOOS) is a lifestyle brand and a leading manufacturer of performance luxury apparel. Every collection is informed by the rugged demands of the Arctic, ensuring a legacy of functionality is embedded in every product from parkas and rainwear to apparel and accessories. Canada Goose is inspired by relentless innovation and uncompromised craftsmanship, recognized as a leader for its Made in Canada commitment. In 2020, Canada Goose announced HUMANATURE, its purpose platform that unites its sustainability and values-based initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to keep the planet cold and the people on it warm. Canada Goose also owns Baffin, a Canadian designer and manufacturer of performance outdoor and industrial footwear. Visit www.canadagoose.com for more information.

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Source: Canada Goose Holdings Inc.
Phase II primary endpoint results for investigational iptacopan in IgAN demonstrated effective and clinically meaningful reduction of proteinuria 1  a key risk predictor in kidney disease progression 2





 a key risk predictor in kidney disease progression Iptacopan also showed a trend toward stabilization of kidney function 1 ; Phase III clinical trial APPLAUSE is underway





; Phase III clinical trial APPLAUSE is underway There are no currently approved treatments for IgAN  a rare and often progressive kidney disease that mainly affects young adults and can progress to kidney failure 3-7





Iptacopan is in development for several complement-driven renal diseases (CDRDs), including IgAN and C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), and the blood disorder paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), targeting a key driver of these diseases



Basel, June 06, 2021  Novartis today announced Phase II primary endpoint data showing investigational iptacopan (LNP023)  a first-in-class, oral, targeted factor B inhibitor  reduced protein in the urine (proteinuria), an increasingly recognized surrogate marker correlating with progression to kidney failure2, and showed promise in stabilizing kidney function in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN)1. The data were presented at the 58th ERA-EDTA Congress held virtually from June 58, 2021.

In the Phase II study (NCT03373461), patients (n=112) with IgAN were randomized to placebo or different doses of iptacopan1. The primary endpoint was met with a statistically significant (p=0.038) dose response effect on reduction in proteinuria (as measured by 24-hour urinary protein to creatine ratio [UPCR 24h]) with iptacopan vs. placebo, at 90 days1. At the highest dose of 200mg twice daily a 23% reduction in proteinuria was predicted, compared with placebo, at 90 days1.

IgAN is a devastating disease with no currently approved treatments. These efficacy data, seen after 90 days of treatment, along with the safety profile, offer hope that inhibition of the alternative complement pathway with iptacopan may be an effective way to delay IgAN disease progression, said study lead author Jonathan Barratt, Professor of Renal Medicine, University of Leicester and nephrology consultant, Leicester General Hospital. These data highlight the ability of iptacopan to address one of the key drivers for this disease and its potential to provide a much-needed, targeted treatment for people living with IgAN.

Iptacopan also demonstrated a trend towards stabilizing kidney function, as assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)1: a key measure of kidney clearance function that estimates the rate of blood passing through and being filtered by the kidneys8. Additionally, iptacopan showed a favorable safety and tolerability profile1.

Complement-driven renal diseases, such as IgAN, are devastating and mostly affect young adults, imposing a high disease burden. These new data in IgAN add to the growing body of evidence around the potential of iptacopan to target a key driver in these rare renal diseases, said John Tsai, Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer at Novartis. Conscious of the significant patient need for disease-modifying treatment options, we are rapidly advancing clinical development of iptacopan with the Phase III IgAN trial APPLAUSE already underway.

Iptacopan is the most advanced asset in the companys nephrology pipeline and targets the alternative complement pathway, a key driver of complement-driven renal diseases (CDRDs). New data from an interim analysis of a Phase II study of iptacopan in C3 glomerulopathy (C3G)  another CDRD  will also be presented at the congress on Monday 07 June 2021 at 12:30 p.m. CEST9. Novartis has plans to initiate additional Phase III studies in other renal indications.

Iptacopan is also in development for a life-threatening blood disorder, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Based on disease prevalence and positive data from Phase II studies, iptacopan has received EMA orphan drug designation in IgAN10, orphan drug designations from the FDA and EMA in C3G and PNH11, FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation in PNH12, and EMA PRIME designation for C3G13.

About the studies



NCT03373461 is a Phase II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, parallel-group adaptive design study to investigate the efficacy and safety of iptacopan in primary IgAN1. It is the first study to report the efficacy and safety of selective inhibition of the alternative complement pathway in IgAN1. The primary endpoint, and the primary aim of the interim analysis presented at the 2021 ERA-EDTA Congress, was to evaluate the dose response effect of iptacopan versus placebo on the reduction in urinary protein to creatinine ratio (UPCR 24h) at 90 days of treatment1. Secondary endpoints include safety and tolerability of iptacopan, eGFR, and biomarkers reflecting activity of the alternative complement pathway1.

About iptacopan

Iptacopan is an investigational, first-in-class, orally administered factor B inhibitor of the alternative complement pathway, targeting one of the key drivers of these diseases14-16. It has the potential to become the first targeted therapy to delay progression to dialysis in IgAN. Discovered at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, iptacopan is currently in development for a number of CDRDs where significant unmet needs exist, including IgAN, C3G, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), and membranous nephropathy (MN), as well as the blood disorder PNH.

While Novartis has a 35-year history in kidney transplantation treatments, iptacopan is the first treatment in the nephrology pipeline addressing CDRDs. Our aim is to transform treatment by targeting one of the key drivers of these rare and often progressive diseases15 and, in doing so, potentially extend dialysis-free life for people with CDRDs.

About complement-driven renal diseases (CDRDs)

CDRDs, which include IgAN, are thought to be partly caused by an overactivation of the alternative complement pathway  part of the immune system  creating an inflammatory response, which can lead to kidney damage15,17-20. CDRDs mainly affect young adults, and can often lead to kidney failure which requires dialysis or transplantation and can lead to premature death3-7.

IgAN patients with persistent proteinuria levels of 1 g/day are at higher risk of disease progression, with about 30% progressing to kidney failure within 10 years21-23. Corticosteroids are often used to treat IgAN, as there are no approved treatment options. However, data on their efficacy have been inconsistent and this class of drugs has well-known side effects, which can be severe24-26.

There is a need for effective and well-tolerated, targeted therapies for IgAN that can delay disease progression.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as potential, can, will, plan, may, could, would, expect, anticipate, seek, look forward, believe, committed, investigational, pipeline, launch, or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the 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 labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AGs current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend peoples lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the worlds top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 110,000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com.

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References

Barratt J, Rovin B, Zhang H, et al. Interim analysis of a Phase 2 dose ranging study to investigate the efficacy and safety of iptacopan in primary IgA nephropathy. Presented at the ERA-EDTA congress. Thompson A, Carroll K, Inker LA, et al. Proteinuria Reduction as a Surrogate End Point in Trials of IgA Nephropathy. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019;14(3):469481. McGrogan A, Franssen CFM, de Vries CS. The incidence of primary glomerulonephritis worldwide: a systematic review of the literature. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2011;26(2):414430. Nam KH, Kie JH, Lee MJ, et al. Optimal proteinuria target for renoprotection in patients with IgA nephropathy. PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e101935. Abbasi MA, Chertow GM, Hall YN. End-stage renal disease. BMJ Clin Evid. 2010;2010. Bulut IK, Mir S, Sozeri B, et al. Outcome results in children with IgA nephropathy: a single center experience. Int J Nephrol Renovasc Dis. 2012;5:2328. Selvaskandan H, Cheung CK, Muto M, et al. New strategies and perspectives on managing IgA nephropathy. Clin Exp Nephrol. 2019;23(5):577588. Lopez-Giacoman S, Madero M. Biomarkers in chronic kidney disease, from kidney function to kidney damage. World J Nephrol. 2015;4(1):5773. Wong E, Praga M, Nester C, et al. Iptacopan (LNP023): a novel oral complement alternative pathway factor B inhibitor safely and effectively stabilises eGFR in C3 glomerulopathy. To be presented at the ERA-EDTA congress. Novartis. Novartis announces European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted orphan drug designation for iptacopan (LNP023) in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Available at: https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-announces-european-medicines-agency-ema-has-granted-orphan-drug-designation-iptacopan-lnp023-iga-nephropathy-igan. Accessed April 2021. Novartis. Data on file. Novartis. Novartis investigational oral therapy iptacopan (LNP023) receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for PNH and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for C3G. Available at: https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-investigational-oral-therapy-iptacopan-lnp023-receives-fda-breakthrough-therapy-designation-pnh-and-rare-pediatric-disease-designation-c3g. Accessed April 2021. Novartis. Novartis received European Medicines Agency (EMA) PRIME designation for iptacopan (LNP) in C3 glomerulopathy (C3G). Available at: https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-received-european-medicines-agency-ema-prime-designation-iptacopan-lnp-c3-glomerulopathy-c3g. Accessed April 2021. Merle NS, Church SE, Fremeaux-Bacchi V, Roumenina LT. Complement system part I  molecular mechanisms of activation and regulation. Front Immunol. 2015;6:262. Schubart A, Anderson K, Mainolfi N, et al. Small-molecule factor B inhibitor for the treatment of complement-mediated diseases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019;116(16):79267931. Sarma JV, Ward PA. The complement system. Cell Tissue Res. 2011;343(1):227235. Willows J, Brown M, Sheerin NS. The role of complement in kidney disease. Clin Med. 2020;20(2):156160. ukawska E, Polcyn-Adamczak M, Niemir ZI. The role of the alternative pathway of complement activation in glomerular diseases. Clin Exp Med. 2018;18(3):297318. Koscielska-Kasprzak K, Bartoszek D, Myszka M, Zabinska M, Klinger M. The complement cascade and renal disease. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz). 2014;62(1):4757. De Vriese AS, Sethi S, Van Praet J, Nath KA, Fervenza FC. Kidney disease caused by dysregulation of the complement alternative pathway: An etiologic approach. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2015;26(12):29172929. Reich HN, Troyanov S, Scholey JW, Cattran DC, Toronto Glomerulonephritis Registry. Remission of proteinuria improves prognosis in IgA nephropathy. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007;18(12):31773183. Sevillano AM, Gutierrez E, Yuste C, et al. Remission of hematuria improves renal survival in IgA nephropathy. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017;28(10):30893099. Xie J, Kiryluk K, Wang W, et al. Predicting Progression of IgA Nephropathy: New Clinical Progression Risk Score. PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e38904. Ramamoorthy S, Cidlowski JA. Corticosteroids-Mechanisms of Action in Health and Disease. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2016;42:1531. Coppo R. Corticosteroids in IgA Nephropathy: Lessons from Recent Studies. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017;28:2533. Rodrigues JC, Haas M, Reich HN. IgA Nephropathy. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017;12(4):677686.

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OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Sixty years ago, against the backdrop of the UN's Decade of Development, Cuso International (then known as CUSO  Canadian University Services Overseas) was born. Six decades on, what began as a dream inspired by the turbulent '60s and a group of visionary young minds, has transformed into one of Canada's longest serving international development organizations. On June 6, 2021, Cuso marks sixty years of service.

In those early years, volunteers were overwhelmingly young Canadians, newly minted with university degrees. Over the decades, as Cuso's programming focus evolved, skilled professionals with long-service careers from various sectors stepped up. "Cuso's programming and geographic footprint has changed over the years, but the commitment to a better world for all has never wavered," says Glenn Mifflin, CEO of Cuso International. "Our work continues to seed long-term sustainable solutions to combat poverty and inequality. Together with our local partners, we have impacted millions of lives."

"Global Affairs Canada is proud to support the work of Cuso International," says the Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of International Development. "The thousands of Cuso volunteers who have provided their expertise around the world are helping build capacity for hundreds of local partners and their communities. Thank you to the organization, to everyone who has volunteered with you, and all who have supported your efforts for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world. You have been tremendous ambassadors for Canada."

Regardless of where or when they served, Cuso volunteers have helped raise awareness of the developing world, an experience they were eager to share when they returned home. During these six decades, more than 14,000 volunteers have travelled to more than 100 countries, where they became the face of Canada in the Global South. They applied their skills to train, mentor and work alongside local partners and communities. While Canadian volunteers still travel overseas, Cuso also engages e-volunteers and recruits volunteers abroad. Today, Cuso works with local partners in 10 countries, as well as in Canada's Northwest Territories, to advance gender equality and social inclusion, increase access to education, develop decent economic opportunities and enhance women and girls' sexual and reproductive health.

"Generations of people on four continents have benefited from Cuso programs," says Patricia Perez-Coutts, Board Chair of Cuso International. "We are honoured to celebrate the lives of those who have contributed, the donors who have supported us, those who have benefitted, and those who continue to passionately pursue creating a more inclusive world for all."

On June 10, 2021, a virtual town hall will mark the 60th anniversary, featuring Shirley M. Tilghman (Sierra Leone, 1968-1970), Officer of the Order of Canada, Fellowship of the Royal Society, Professor of Molecular Biology and Public Policy and President Emerita of Princeton University, and Lloyd Axworthy, Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada, Companion of the Order of Canada, Order of Manitoba, and Cuso International Chair from 2014-2018. To learn more, visit: https://cusointernational.org/events/

Cuso International

Cuso International is a Canadian charity committed to ending poverty and inequality. Cuso works with local partners around the world to advance gender equality, enhance women, and girls' empowerment, and improve economic opportunities for youth. Through skills sharing, we are building sustainable futures. Each year we mobilize hundreds of professionals who volunteer their time and provide their knowledge to amplify our impact. Learn more at: cusointernational.org.

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SOURCE Cuso International
DAYTON, Ohio (Tribune News Service)  Dayton exhausted all possibilities to avoid suing Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Department of Defense, city leaders said, including taking out millions of dollars in loans to closely monitor so-called forever chemicals and prevent them from tainting its drinking water supply.

But the base consistently violated several environmental laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, said Mike Powell, the citys Department of Water director.

The Air Force also ignored the citys offers to work together, as well as calls from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to implement short-term solutions until it comes up with a long-term plan to prevent a group of chemicals known as PFAS from getting into some of the citys drinking water wells, city and state officials said.

Wright-Patterson and DOD officials denied the citys allegations, saying theyre following federal guidelines and taking an aggressive approach to ensure contaminants migrating from the base remain below the federal recommended guidelines. By the citys own admission, the base said, Daytons water is safe to drink.

The Dayton Daily News Path Forward project digs into solutions to the biggest issues facing our community, including the safety and sustainability of our drinking water. In an exclusive interview, Powell and one of the citys lawyers provided in-depth explanations about why city leaders say they felt obligated to file the lawsuit last month and efforts theyve made to minimize the amount of PFAS in the drinking water.

Daytons lawsuit seeks damages that range from $10 million to as much as $300 million, based on whether the DOD and Wright-Patt implement various treatment options to stop the alleged ongoing contamination, according to the lawsuit.

What are forever chemicals?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  or PFAS  are used in waxes, some food packaging, water-repellent fabrics, nonstick products, polishes and firefighting foam. Exposure to the chemicals can lead to birth defects, increase cholesterol levels and cause some forms of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Women who are exposed to PFAS, dubbed forever chemicals because they are indestructible, can pass it along to their babies during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. The chemicals can also decrease vaccine response in children, the CDC said.

Forever chemicals have been detected in 24 public drinking water systems in Southwest Ohio, including Areas A and B at Wright-Patt, according to the Ohio EPA, which conducted a statewide study in 2020. All but one public water system in the region  Aullwood Audubon Farm Discovery Center  were below the federal recommended level of 70 parts per trillion. A part per trillion is equal to about a grain of sand in an Olympic-size pool.

The contaminants from Areas A and B on the base affect surface and groundwater, and the soil in the Mad River Wellfield, Powell said. Several hotspots, including a storm water outfall that passes through the base into the river, have PFAS levels of 600 ppt, Powell said.

Why the city says it needed to sue

The city would have preferred not to take legal action, Powell said. But it has grappled with the problem for four years, he said, and the Air Force insists on studying the issue for several more years before deciding if it should take action, he said.

In the meantime, the contaminants will continue to threaten the drinking water supply and the entire Buried Valley Aquifer, which 1.5 million people in the Dayton region depend on, he said.

The city supplies drinking water to more than 400,000 customers in Dayton and Montgomery County. So its imperative that the issue is addressed now, Powell said, and delaying could affect human health and cost millions more in the long run.

We take this very seriously, so seriously to the point that we would go through all the painstaking details to file a lawsuit like this, he said. I dont know how we could emphasize it anymore; (its) the regions drinking water.

What has the city done to address PFAS?

Dayton has shut down several wells to help slow PFAS migration into the wellfield and ensure that it isnt delivering tainted water to its customers, Powell said. The city also developed and implemented a detailed, extensive pumping program with its wells to reduce PFAS levels in raw and treated drinking water.

In addition, theres ongoing modeling, testing and analysis, and those services are paid for through the water departments annual operating budget, which is funded by water customers, Powell said.

As an extra precaution, the city borrowed more than $5 million to expand its monitoring well network in the Mad River Wellfield, he said, adding that the city will repay the loan through water rates. Adding more monitoring wells improves data collection and helps the city make better decisions to generate the highest quality water, Powell said.

Many of the steps the city has taken are not EPA mandates, he said. But it shows our commitment to keeping the water safe from contaminants that continuously flow in from the base, Powell said.

The Ohio EPA said the city has taken all the actions it has recently recommended.

Air Force says its taking an aggressive approach

The Air Force said it has also gone beyond what is required to ensure that water migrating into the citys wellfield from Areas A and B meets federal guidelines. Four years of sampling data and technical assessments show PFAS concentrations at a steady state, and no indication of higher concentrations in groundwater migrating off base, officials said, noting that Dayton and Wright-Patts drinking water is below the U. S. EPA recommended action level of 70 ppt.

In addition, the base is following the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, which is not an EPA requirement for PFAS. CERCLA, also known as Superfund, was created to set aside money for cleaning up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.

Wright-Patt is also taking an aggressive approach to PFAS remedial activities. It has agreements with appropriate regulatory and municipal authorities, and continues to work with the state and Dayton concerning PFAS-related issues, a spokesperson said.

In addition, it should be noted that the Dayton water department has stated on its webpage that EPA stated that the quality of Daytons drinking water is excellent, Wright-Patt said in a statement.

Ohio EPA wants to see more done

The base hasnt gone far enough to address the immediate concerns, Dayton and the Ohio EPA said. The agency has consistently stated in letters and discussed with Wright-Patt that taking additional measures now can ensure Daytons wells are protected while the Air Force completes its investigations and implements longer-term solutions, said Heidi Griesmer, Ohio EPAs deputy communications director.

The CERCLA process does not align with the need to implement remedial measures with a sense of urgency, which is why Ohio EPA continues to ask WPAFB for expedited, proactive measures to mitigate PFAS contamination into the Mad River wellfield, she said. The actions we have described will protect the Mad River wellfield while WPAFB takes the time they need to complete the CERCLA process.

The agency has asked the base to:  Modify its pumping strategy to reduce further migration of PFAS contamination off base and toward Daytons wellfield.  Evaluate options to modify Wright-Patts existing storm water system to ensure PFAS-contaminated storm water is prevented from being discharged near the Mad River wellfield.  Further evaluate the use of technologies that could be used to treat contamination hot spots on the base that are believed to be the source of contamination detected at Wright-Patts boundary.

Those measures were included in notices of violations issued to the base, and were dated Jan. 29, 2018, and Aug. 15, 2019. However, Wright-Patt has not adequately responded to the NOVs, Griesmer said, and has not taken adequate, proactive measures to mitigate forever chemical contamination into the Mad River wellfield.

The Air Force disagrees. It has responded to the Ohio EPA, detailing the steps it was taking to address the chemicals under the CERCLA framework, base officials said.

In addition, the base will conduct a remedial investigation at sites identified in inspections, officials said. It is validating off site water samples from 22 private drinking water wells, and expects to have that information this month.

All of these actions are consistent with the CERCLA process that the Air Force follows across the country, the base said in a statement. Our number one goal is to ensure no one is drinking water above the Lifetime Health Advisory as we move through this thorough process to evaluate future actions.

What else could be done?

The Water User Committee set up by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner has hired a consultant to study the regions drinking water system, including forever chemicals, said Tom Raga, the committees chairman.

We expect the final report to recommend best practices for water quality and other system improvements to meet the communitys long-term needs for infrastructure and safety, Raga said. The report is an important component to maintain confidence for all water users, which aids community and economic development.

The final report is expected to be complete by mid to late September, Raga has said, noting that it will be released to the public.

Perhaps the most effective and economical way of addressing the problem is to treat it at the source, where the contaminants are most concentrated, Powell said. In this case, the contaminants are entering the wellfield from various locations along Areas A and B of the base. Therefore, the Air Force should treat it within those boundaries, he said.

However, the base has refused numerous times, insisting on conducting studies first, Powell said.

Its a little frustrating, he said. We dont need additional studies. There are things that can be done now to help to mitigate (the PFAS) and slow it down, even if you are going to do additional studies.

It is best to remediate the contaminants at the source, said Abinash Agrawal, a groundwater remediation expert and professor of earth and environmental sciences at Wright State University. However, if the chemicals have already left the source and start to spread, it would be better to stop the plume just ahead of the leading edge, he said.

The best treatment option for the source zone is some sort of inground treatment that destroys the contaminant or minimizes further leaching from the source, Agrawal said. A cost-effective way would be to excavate the soil, and inject a carbon-based product such as PlumeStop that will reduce leaching.

The carbon pulls the PFAS from the water and makes it stick to the ground, making the water clean.

Regardless of the treatment method, Powell said the city will remain diligent in ensuring it continues to deliver quality water to customers while also holding the base responsible.

We believe that the ratepayers should not be responsible for treatment; the responsible party should, he said. Thats the whole purpose of the lawsuit, to have the parties that are responsible to bear the costs.

(c)2021 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

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A photo of Spc. Joseph Breining smiling and giving a thumbs-up has spurred the creation of memes. (Jonathan Perdelwitz/U.S. Army)

A photo of Spc. Joseph Breining smiling and giving a thumbs-up during a road march in Kosovo last month garnered the attention of hundreds on Twitter and spurred the creation of memes.

The photo drew comparisons of Breining to the Smilin Bob character from the Enzyte natural male enhancement tablet commercials of the early 2000s or to Kenneth Ellen Parcell, the NBC page in the sitcom 30 Rock.

At least one commenter saw a modern reincarnation of the smiling soldier raising a canteen cup, originally from a 1943 World War II propaganda poster about rationing, but more familiar to social media users as the how about a nice cup of shut the [expletive] up meme.

But Breining, a Maryland Army National Guard member on his first overseas deployment, says he was just having a fun time picking the brains of a Polish soldier who was marching with a ruck beside him.

Im always smiling, Breining said in a phone interview Friday, explaining his philosophy: If you cant smile through it, you might as well not be doing it.

Indeed, the Defense Departments imagery repository DVIDShub.net contains several photos of the smiling soldier with the 29th Military Police Company.

Military photographers kind of hone in on soldiers like him, said Maj. Sam Otto, public affairs officer for Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force.

Hes the only one smiling, Otto said.

And for everyone concerned about Spc. Joseph Breining's ability to march with a ruck, here he is on the 6-mile ruck April 21 during the Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force, Best Warrior Competition at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. (Army National Guard photo: Sgt. Jonathan Perdelwitz) https://t.co/RiZZTOwdEv pic.twitter.com/XnqEQuvzNW  Chad (@chadgarland) May 20, 2021

There are photos of Breining without a grin, too, such as practicing deescalation tactics in a simulator or training on the use of radar guns alongside allied international MPs.

He's among the 28th rotation of American forces supporting the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, Otto said. Their nine-month deployment began in November.

Right before that, Breining was activated to help guard a COVID-19 testing site at FedEx Field, where the Washington Football Team plays.

Ever since COVID started, Ive been pretty much full-time active duty, he said. Im not complaining.

In civilian life, he was attending Towson University near Baltimore  hes three semesters from earning his bachelor's degree in criminal justice  and stocking milk at a grocery store.

Breining marked his five-year anniversary of joining the Army National Guard in late May, he said. He previously did three weeks of annual training in Estonia, but this was his first full deployment.

After the road march last month, one of several national police week events, the Americans and Polish, Swiss, Italians and others enjoyed a cookout together, he said.

The level of cooperation with allies makes the Kosovo rotation special, said Capt. Nate Hoeger, provost marshal for Regional Command-East and a member of the Iowa Army National Guard, who previously deployed to Guantanamo Bay for 10 months from 2018 to 2019.

Being that were National Guard military police officers, we dont really get to do a lot of law enforcement missions, Hoeger said. This has just been a really unique opportunity for us.

Breining doesnt have active Facebook or Twitter accounts and only became aware his photo was being turned into a meme when other soldiers on the KFOR mission showed him the social media posts.

I just laughed through it all, he said. Its funny. I was having a good time.

His grinning even drew the attention of senior noncommissioned officers in the service.

Sgt. Maj. Jason Baker, a public affairs sergeant major for U.S. Army Pacific, praised Breining as one of two viral soldiers, along with Cpl. Emma Malonelord, the star of an Army recruiting video that drew criticism as woke last month.

Super proud to have these two motivated young Americans serving in our ranks, Baker said in a tweet that was liked over 1,200 times. Its the people that make this whole thing worth it.

Sgt. Major of the Army Michael Grinston responded: These are good Soldiers.

And how did Breining react to being interviewed by Stars and Stripes?

Hes just sitting here smiling, Otto said.

garland.chad@stripes.com

Twitter: @chadgarland
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Tribune News Service)  A woman who fell overboard 36 miles off the coast of Sand Key was rescued by the Coast Guard on Friday night.

Sarah Rice, 29, was recovered by an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew dispatched from Air Station Clearwater after fellow passengers reported her going overboard just after 8 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. The helicopter hoisted her onboard. A 45-foot boat crew from the Sector St. Petersburg base also assisted in her rescue.

Rice sustained no injuries in the incident but was transported to Tampa General Hospital for a medical evaluation, guardsmen said.

The agency did not say how Rice fell overboard or the size of the boat she was on.

Though the Coast Guard did not say whether Rice was wearing a life jacket or not, the agency used Fridays rescue as an example as to why everyone on the water should wear a life jacket.

Everyone should utilize a life jacket when in the water due to the flotation and high visibility they provide, said Cmdr. Shawn Lansing, deputy commander of Sector St. Petersburg, in a statement. This is why we urge all boaters to have life jackets with them. These attributes make locating a person in the water easier for search and rescue crews.

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A U.S. Navy littoral combat ship named after Canberra, the capital of Australia. (Facebook/Austal USA)

(Tribune News Service) A U.S. Navy ship named after Canberra, the capital of Australia, was christened in Mobile, Ala., on Saturday by officials from that nation.

Austal USA, which built the ship at its Mobile shipyard, hosted the ceremony, and Alison Petchell, the Australian Governments Minister Counsellor Defence Materiel, christened the ship, the USS Canberra, according to a statement by the company.

Austal, headquartered in Perth in western Australia, opened its Mobile shipyard in 1999. It manufactures the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) for the U.S. Navy.

Today, just 16 years after Austal USA joined the U.S. defense industrial base, the company is hosting its 15th littoral combat ship christening  LCS 30, a ship proudly named after the capital of Australia and yet another symbol of the great ties between our two countries, stated Austal USA Interim President Rusty Murdaugh in his address at the ceremony.

According to Austal USA, the USS Canberra is the second U.S. Navy ship to be named after the Australian capital.

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Zambian university experts hail China's support

Xinhua) 15:27, June 06, 2021

LUSAKA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- China's support to various development efforts in Zambia needs to be commended because the support is making an impact on the southern African nation's developments, experts from Zambia's biggest university have said.

The experts believe that the support from China is well-intentioned and meant to uplift the country's economic prospects.

Bentry Nkhata, Dean of Students in the School of Education at the University of Zambia (UNZA), said the support and impact are evident in the economy.

He said the cooperation with China helps equip teachers with more skills.

He further commended China for providing scholarships to Zambian students to study in Chinese universities, a situation he said has resulted in the accumulation of skills being used for the development of the country.

Michael Mulenga, Dean of Students in the School of Engineering, said the department has seen cooperation with Chinese experts in terms of exchanges.

He said Chinese engineers were attached to the department for a period of five years where they imparted valuable skills to students.

"Not only that, I think we have a number of lecturers trained in China. So we are benefiting a lot in terms of sending people to China. We do have scholarships as well," he said.

According to him, the long-lasting relationship with China needs to be commended because it is helping Zambia through technical and financial support.

Sande Ngalande, Director of the Confucius Institute at UNZA, said China's support should not be undervalued as it is evident in various sectors.

He said the amount of investment by Chinese enterprises has helped in uplifting the standard of the manufacturing base which Zambia has been crying for over the years.

The investment, he said, has not only resulted in job creation but also in addition of value to the country's raw materials because some Chinese firms are using local materials.

China on Friday handed over 50,000 face masks to the University of Zambia to help the institution in the fight against COVID-19.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Bianji)
X-Press Pearl catastrophe: Sleuths look for clues in communications By Ranjith Padmasiri and Sandun Jayawardana View(s): View(s):

Captain, chief engineer and second engineer to be produced in court tomorrow

Ship owner expresses regret and apologies for the harm caused to Lanka and its people

No oil leak up until last afternoon as the vessel with caustic cargo gradually sinks in Lankan waters

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday questioned the local agent representing the operator of MV X-Press Pearl on the circumstances surrounding the fire aboard the vessel and the failure to inform Sri Lankan authorities about an acid leak in one of the containers on board until the vessel lay at anchorage in the outer harbour of Colombo Port.

The questioning came as investigators launched an extensive probe into the communications that the X-Press Pearls Captain conducted with the vessels operator, local agent and other harbours in the region in the days leading up to the fire that gutted the ship.

Investigators are focusing on communications after it emerged that the Singapore flagged vessels crew had known about the nitric acid leaking from one of the containers since at least May 11  more than a week before the fateful fire that left it a burning hulk now partially sunk off the Sri Lankan coast.

A senior official of Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., the ships local agent, declined to comment yesterday on allegations that the vessel had withheld information regarding the leakage of nitric acid from the container.

However, speaking to Singapore-based Channel News Asia, the ship owning company X-Press Feeders Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shmuel Yoskovitz on Thursday expressed his deep regret and apologies to Sri Lanka for the harm the incident has caused, both to peoples livelihoods and the countrys environment.

Mr Yoskovitz, though, maintained that it was still hard to assess whether it was the leaking container that had caused the fire. There were many commodities on board the vessel and there was one container leaking. That could have been the most probable cause but we are still not 100% sure and I would like to emphasise this, he said.

CID detectives have already recorded statements from the ships Captain and Chief Engineer  both Russian nationals  and the Second Engineer, an Indian national, regarding the events leading up to and after the fire. Named as suspects, they were to be produced in the Colombo Chief Magistrates Court tomorrow (7). The court had earlier prohibited them from leaving the country and the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration was ordered to impound their passports.

Deputy Solicitor General Madhawa Tennakoon, who appeared for the Attorney General along with Senior State Counsel Fazly Razeek and State Counsel Lahiru Jayamanne, told Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage this week that action was being pursued against the suspects under the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) Act, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

Taking the submissions into consideration, the Additional Magistrate issued notice on the three suspects to appear in court tomorrow. He also ordered the ships local agent, Sea Consortium Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. to provide all necessary assistance required by the CID to conduct its investigation. An order was also issued to the Sri Lanka Navy to locate the ships Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and hand it over to the CID. The court also ordered the Navy to facilitate the movement of CID officers and the Government Analysts Department to visit the location of the vessel to conduct investigations.

A 14-member investigation team comprising CID officers, officials from the Government Analysts Department and other state agencies were transported to the vessels location on Friday by the navy and the coast guard.

As of yesterday, the ships aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 metres, and the front section continues to settle down slowly. Officials said there had been no oil leak up until last afternoon.

Salvors were able to retrieve the anchor and remain on scene to deal with any possible debris supported by the Sri Lankan Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, who have oil spill response capabilities on standby, X-Press Feeders said in a statement on Friday night.

The X-Press Pearl was carrying 1,486 containers when the fire started on May 20, 81 of which were dangerous goods containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid. According to the vessels operator X-Press Feeders, the general cargo consisted of foodstuffs; vehicles, vehicle parts and auto products; building and manufacturing supplies and raw materials; High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) and Low Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE) nurdles and other general cargo. It was also carrying 297 tons of heavy fuel oil and 51 tons of marine fuel oil, according to the company.

The container where the leakage occurred had been passed safe for transport at Jebel Ali, Dubai when it was loaded en route to Malaysia, the company notes. Once the leak was discovered, the crew followed all of the established procedures under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods code in dealing with the situation, it claims in a statement on its website.

The ship had applied to offload the container leaking nitric acid during discharge and loading operations at both Hamad Port in Qatar and Hazira Port in India, but these requests had been turned down on the grounds that the ports did not have specialist facilities or expertise to deal with the leaking unit.
The USS Indianapolis off of Mare Island on July 10, 1945. (National Archives)

Just 34 days before the end of World War II, a U.S. Navy cruiser was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sunk in the Philippine Sea.

The USS Indianapolis had been the ship of state of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and had just delivered core components of the Hiroshima-bound atomic bomb Little Boy off the coast of Japan four days earlier.

After unloading her top-secret cargo at Tinian and then making a quick stop in Guam to await further orders, the crew of the Indy were soon bound for the Philippine island of Leyte, unaware that their location had just been discovered by an enemy submarine.

A Japanese sonar man had picked up on the sound of rattling dishes in the Indianapolis' kitchen from some 6 miles away. The submarine began stalking her through the water until it was close enough to engage.

The subs commanding officer, Mochitsura Hashimoto, gave the order to fire six torpedoes into her side at 12:04 a.m. on July 30, 1945. Two of the torpedoes hit their mark, and it took the Indy just twelve minutes to capsize and sink, forever entombing some 300 of her 1,195-man crew 18,044 feet beneath the surface of the moonlit water.

For the next five days, the nearly 900 sailors who had survived the sinking found their numbers whittled down as crew member after crew member fell victim to saltwater poisoning, drowning, delirium and shark attacks. Only 316 survived the horrific ordeal.

Survivor Harlan Twible later recounted his time in the water: I saw some great heroism, and I saw some great fright, and I saw some things I wouldnt ever want to talk about.

When the survivors were first spotted on the fourth morning by 24-year-old U.S. search and reconnaissance air pilot Chuck Gwinn while he was looking for enemy vessels in the area, they had drifted apart from each other and were found in several groups across nearly 200 miles of ocean.

Their collective rescue took about 24 hours to complete  leaving some survivors in the water for five harrowing days. One of the discovered clusters of men contained the Indys captain, Charles McVay.

Despite the nightmare hed just experienced and survived at sea, Capt. McVay soon found himself in a different kind of fight  this one with the United States Navy.

The Navy had bungled many things regarding the Indianapolis, and they knew it: They denied McVay the escort hed requested for protection while traveling through enemy waters; they failed to respond to any of the distress signals sent from the Indy that listed its coordinates in the final moments of its sinking (the Navy has since disputed receiving any distress signals, though multiple servicemen claimed to have received them); they failed to recognize or report that the Indy had not arrived at Leyte when it was scheduled to; and they had provided McVay with an incomplete intelligence report in the first place  withholding the vital information they had come by through a top-secret code-breaking program that confirmed enemy submarine activity along the route the Indy would be taking to Leyte.

USS Indianapolis commanding officer Capt. Charles B. McVay III tells war correspondents on Guam about the sinking of his ship. (Official U.S. Navy photograph)

To prevent such blunders from getting out and possibly overshadowing the triumphant news of the likely ending of the war (the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima just two days after the survivors were rescued with This one is for the Boys of the Indianapolis written on its side), the Navy ordered a news blackout about the incident once the survivors were sequestered and convalescing on a nearby island.

In Washington, the Navy already had begun preparing for a court inquiry as requested by Adm. Chester Nimitz. Nimitzs inquiry requested an investigation of the cause of the sinking, the culpability of any servicemen involved and how the survivors had been discovered entirely by accident after the base at Leyte failed to report the ship as missing.

In the end, a few servicemen were reprimanded for their respective roles in not recognizing the Indys absence, but only McVay would be taken to trial and charged for the sinking of the ship once he arrived back on American soil.

The Navy all but spelled out their reasons for doing so in a letter their judge advocate general (JAG) sent officials at the time: Full justification for ordering the trial ... springs from the fact that this case is of vital interest not only to the families of those who lost their lives, but also to the public at large.

In other words, the Navy needed someone to blame for what The New York Times had already called one of the darkest pages of our naval history,  said Doug Stanton, author of In Harms Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors.

Initially, Navy prosecutors tried to charge Capt. McVay with two counts of negligence: failure to abandon ship in a timely manner and hazarding his ship by failing to steer her in diagonal lines, a since-abandoned defensive maneuver known as zigzagging.

But the prosecutors soon realized they could not prove the first charge because the ship sank so quickly. So they put all their effort into making the second charge stick. McVay had admitted that the Indy had not been zigzagging at the time of the attack, citing weather conditions. The Navy insisted on proving that his lack of doing so had been consequential.

Among the list of witnesses the prosecution called to testify against McVay was none other than the submarine commander who had sunk the Indy in the first place: Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto. The decision caused an uproar among members of the press and politicians alike.

American military prosecutors calling Hashimoto to testify against McVay regarding the loss of his ship would have been as outrageous as the New York City district attorney calling a 9/11 hijacker to testify against the NYC fire commissioner regarding the loss of the World Trade Center, said Lynn Vincent, co-author of Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man.

Nonetheless, Hashimoto had been asked to testify at the court martial and he obeyed  just not in the way prosecutors had hoped he would.

During his testimony, he was asked to confirm that the Indy had not been zigzagging at the time he fired upon her  a point he readily conceded. But he went on to seemingly mock the maneuver by explaining that zigzagging would have made no change in the way he fired the torpedoes and that he would have sunk the defenseless ship either way.

Despite the unexpected blow that Hashimotos testimony had been to the prosecution, Capt. McVay was still convicted of hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag.

Survivors of the USS Indianapolis attack in Guam after being rescued in 1945. (U.S. Navy)

The conviction meant that of the almost 400 U.S. captains whose ships had been sunk during the war, McVay was the only one to have been court-martialed, Stanton said. Indeed, he was the only captain in the entire history of the Navy to be court-martialed whose ship was sunk by an act of war.

That distinction stayed with McVay for the rest of his life as he endured anguished letter after anguished letter (Hate mail, Indy survivor Granville Crane Jr. later called it), from the families of the fallen sailors whose deaths had been blamed on him. He read every letter he received and took them all personally, Stanton said.

In the end, McVay took his own life on Nov. 6, 1968  a gift from his father of a toy sailor clutched in his hand when he died.

His death marked a turning point for the remaining Indianapolis survivors as they had never held their captain responsible for the sinking and resented the way hed been made to carry that unnecessary burden. Once the captain was court-martialed, my first thought was how can we get these guys for doing this? Twible later recounted.

Indeed, for more than 50 years, the survivors had tried and failed to get the Navy to reverse the court-martial and to clear their captains name. At last, they decided to try another way: by making his exoneration a matter of law by appealing directly to the United States Congress.

The survivors gathered signatures and lobbied members of Congress in visit after visit to Washington. Finally, New Hampshire Sen. Robert Smith agreed to champion their cause, and he introduced an exoneration resolution that, as he put it at the time, expresses a sense of Congress that Capt. McVays court-martial was morally unsustainable.

Smiths resolution wasnt enough, however, because it was up to Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and former Navy secretary, to decide whether to take the exoneration resolution to the Senate floor for a vote.

For several months, Vincent said Warner had opposed the measure and been utterly immovable until he received a letter from the most unlikely of people: Mochitsura Hashimoto.

Once again, 54 years after hed testified at McVays court-martial, the submarine commander was coming to his old enemys defense. Hashimoto told Warner that he wanted to join the brave men who survived the sinking of the Indianapolis ... in urging that your national legislature clear their captains name. He added: Our peoples have forgiven each other for that terrible war and its consequences. Perhaps it is time your peoples forgave Captain McVay for the humiliation of his unjust conviction.

His heartfelt words were enough to soften Warners resolve. With the addition of Hashimotos voice, Vincent said, it was as though the entire matter had reached a kind of cosmic critical mass, and Warner realized it was time to finally lay it to rest.

With Sen. Warner at last allowing the resolution to be considered, Congress voted to exonerate Capt. Charles McVay on Oct. 12, 2000. Hashimoto died 13 days later.

In a show of support for the survivors, Hashimotos daughter, Sonoe Hashimoto Iida, and his granddaughter, Atsuko Iida, bravely attended the 60-year anniversary of the ships sinking in 2005. Though nervous about how they may be received by the survivors who had been meeting together on the anniversary of the Indys sinking every year since 1960, they felt connected to the men of the Indianapolis through their father and grandfather and wanted to attend.

They soon found their role as spectators change to participants, however, when at the close of that anniversary celebration the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the survivors were asked to stand together and sing God Bless America. Atsuko was invited to take her two sons up to the front of the room to sing along with the other grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She seemed nervous, Vincents co-author, Sara Vladic, said, but she agreed to go with a cautious smile.

Singing as one, the moment was a fitting demonstration of healing between two peoples who had once called each other enemy  brought together by their shared desire to vindicate an innocent man.

The survivors had fought for 50 years to exonerate their captain, Vincent said. In an ironic twist of history, the man who first put them in peril was the same one who came to their aid.
Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, second right front row, gestures with U.S. senators to his right, Democratic Sen. Christopher Coons of Delaware, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, members of the Armed Services Committee on their arrival at the Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan on Sunday, June 6, 2021. (Pool Photo/AP)

TAIPEI, Taiwan  The U.S. will give Taiwan 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, part of President Joe Biden's move to share tens of millions of jabs globally, three American senators said Sunday, after the self-ruled island complained that China is hindering its efforts to secure vaccines as it battles an outbreak.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who is making a one-day stop in Taiwan with fellow Democrat Christopher Coons of Delaware and Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska, said their visit underscores bipartisan U.S. support for the democratic island that Beijing claims as its own renegade territory. Taiwan faces a severe vaccine shortage and has geopolitical significance as a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.

"I'm here to tell you that the United States will not let you stand alone," Duckworth said at the airport after landing on a U.S. military transport plane. "We will be by your side to make sure the people of Taiwan have what they need to get to the other side of the pandemic and beyond."

Taiwan was included on a long list of places announced last week that would receive 25 million doses from the United States in what the Biden administration says is the first tranche of at least 80 million doses to be distributed globally. Most of the first tranche, including Taiwan's, will be sent through COVAX, a U.N.-backed program to distribute vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

The island of 24 million people, which lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) off China's east coast, is desperate for vaccines after a sudden outbreak that started in late April caught authorities by surprise. Japan shipped 1.2 million doses to Taiwan on Friday, opting to skip the COVAX process in the interest of speed. It was unclear when the 750,000 American doses would arrive.

Taiwan has accused China of blocking its efforts to reach a deal with BioNTech to import the vaccine co-developed by the German company and Pfizer. Beijing has said it is willing to supply vaccines to Taiwan, including BioNTech, through Chinese partner Fosun, and that the island's government is to blame for putting politics above the lives of its people. Taiwanese law bans the import of Chinese-made medicines.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, welcoming the senators at the airport, said that Taiwan is fortunate to have like-minded countries showing support, which he said is about sustaining freedom and democracy in the face of autocracy.

"Taiwan is facing unique challenges in combating the virus," he said. "While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicine are delivered free from troubles of Beijing."

He said China is trying to block Taiwan's international assistance and prevent it from participating in the World Health Organization. "We are no strangers to that kind of obstructionism," he said.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and most Taiwanese favor maintaining the current state of de facto independence while engaging in robust economic exchanges with the mainland.

China's ruling Communist Party says Taiwan must come under its control, and has in recent months increased pressure on the island, including flying warplanes near Taiwan. The increasing activity and vast improvements in China's military capabilities have raised concern in the U.S., which is bound by its own laws to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the island's security as matters of "grave concern."

Taiwan, which had weathered the pandemic virtually unscathed until the recent outbreak, is now facing its most serious flare-up with more than 10,000 new cases since late April.

President Tsai Ing-wen, meeting with the senators, expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for including Taiwan in the first group to receive vaccines and said the doses will arrive at a critical time for the island.

"I hope that through cooperation with the United States, Japan and other countries, Taiwan will be able to overcome the immediate challenges and ... and move towards recovery," she said.

Both Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, and Sullivan said the American donation also reflects gratitude for Taiwan's support for the U.S., as Taiwan donated millions of masks and other supplies to the U.S. in the early days of the pandemic.

"This is love from America in return," Sullivan said, wearing a mask that he noted had "Love from Taiwan" written on it.

The three senators arrived from South Korea, where they met senior officials including the foreign and defense ministers on Friday and Saturday to discuss COVID-19 cooperation, the U.S.-South Korea military alliance and North Korea.

Soo reported from Hong Kong.
A dog walks past a mural depicting former Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic decorating a the wall of an apartment building in Belgrade, Serbia, on Nov. 7, 2017. U.N. judges on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, are set to deliver their final ruling on the conviction of former Bosnian Serb army chief Radko Mladic on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bosnias 1992-95 ethnic carnage. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina  Fikret Grabovica wants to see at least some remorse from wartime Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic when U.N. judges deliver their final verdict for genocide and other war crimes committed during Bosnia's 1990s ethnic carnage.

Grabovica's 11-year-old daughter, Irma, was among the 10,000 civilians killed in the relentless shelling and sniping that Serb troops under Mladic inflicted on the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.

But an apology is unlikely from the general known as the "Butcher of Bosnia" for his ruthless campaigns of mass murder and expulsion.

Nearly three decades after Europe's worst conflict since World War II, a U.N. war crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands, is set on Tuesday to close the case against Mladic, the most notorious figure in the 1992-1995 war that killed more than 100,000 people and left millions homeless.

"If only he would admit that he made a mistake, that he was wrong," said Grabovica. "But that won't happen."

The tribunal sentenced Mladic in 2017 to life imprisonment, after convicting him of masterminding crimes throughout the 1992-95 Bosnian War, including genocide in the eastern enclave of Srebrenica in 1995, where his forces murdered more than 8,000 Muslim Bosnian men and boys.

Mladic appealed, but the case has been repeatedly delayed by his ill health and, more recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many hope the final ruling will bring closure for the victims' families and drive home the message that there is no impunity for war crimes.

Sofia Stolk, a researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Institute in The Hague, said the final verdict is important because it closes the tribunal's last key case and because it concerns genocide, the deliberate killing of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of its destruction.

Stolk said the reaction in the Balkans to this and other war crimes trials is predictably mixed.

"It's both received as having an impact on transitional justice and to contribute to justice for the victims of the crimes committed there and  it's also been regarded as a political trial ... mastered by the West," Stolk said.

Diametrically opposing views over Mladic's wartime legacy reflect deep ethnic divisions that still exist in Bosnia so many years after the war ended with a U.S.-brokered peace agreement. For Bosniaks, mostly Muslim, he is a villain and war criminal. Bosnian Serbs, however, still worship their wartime commander as a martyr and hero.

"I cannot accept any verdict," said Serb war veteran Milije Radovic from the eastern Bosnian town of Foca. "For me, he is an icon. And for the Serb people, he is an icon."

"Nobody can convict him of anything, especially not The Hague tribunal," Radovic said. "He is one of us. He is the victim of an international conspiracy by mafioso politicians. He is our man, a man from here, who respected the rules of war."

Posters, monuments and painted images of Mladic can be seen in the Serb-dominated half of Bosnia called Republika Srpska, where many believe Mladic's conviction is the result of fabrication and Western support for rival Bosniaks and Croats.

While charged with war crimes in 1995 by the Yugoslav war crimes court, Mladic went into hiding and evaded justice until 2011, when he was caught and handed over to The Hague from neighboring Serbia by its then-ruling pro-Western government.

Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic enters the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, to hear the verdict in his genocide trial on Nov. 22, 2017. (Peter Dejong, Pool /AP)

Ahead of the final verdict, Mladic's lawyers have sought acquittal on charges that included orchestrating Europe's only post-WWII genocide in Srebrenica, and involvement in numerous other atrocities, including the siege of Sarajevo.

On the other hand, prosecutors weren't content that Mladic was convicted for genocide only in Srebrenica and not also in other areas where Bosnian Serb forces under his command tortured, imprisoned, killed and expelled non-Serbs.

One such location is Prijedor in northwest Bosnia, where residents last week commemorated over 100 children killed by Bosnian Serbs. At the time, Bosniaks and Croats were rounded up and forced to wear white ribbons before being sent to prison camps  scenes that reminded many of Nazi crimes.

Mladic's son, Darko Mladic, insisted in an interview with The Associated Press that his father is innocent and that his rights have been violated during the trial. The only legally appropriate decision would be to annul the initial conviction, he said.

"If the law is to be respected, he should be set free to return home," Darko Mladic said. "I never doubted him because I know him so well, I know his character."

Now 79 and in frail health, Mladic was known as a ruthless and fiery commander during the war, who personally led the Bosnian Serbs as they took control over large swaths of Bosnia to create a separate mini-state. Mladic remained defiant during the trial, lashing out at the tribunal as an anti-Serb instrument.

Standing by a monument for the 1601 children who died in the siege of Sarajevo, Grabovica said he could not understand such brutality.

"That he would act like that, issue orders to kill innocent children who had just come into this world, who just started to dream their dreams," he said. "My little girl was killed like that, who was only 11 and who could not have been guilty of anything,"

In Srebrenica, thousands of white tombstones in Islamic tradition mark the graves of the massacre victims. who were rounded up by Mladic's troops when they seized the enclave that was under U.N. protection at the time. Their remains are still being excavated from dozens of mass graves.

"If he could come here now to see these gravestones, everything would be clear to him," said Djulija Jusic, who lost her two sons and 33 other relatives in the massacre.

"He should spend the rest of his life in prison. I don't wish to do him any harm myself. All I wish is that God may let him see the grave of his son as I am watching the graves of my two sons," she said.

___

Jovana Gec and Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague, Netherlands, and Sabina Niksic in Sarajevo, Bosnia, contributed to this story.
The remains of the destroyed buidling where Kayan Abu Safiya's family lived before the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas, in Beit Lahia, Gaza, on May 27, 2021. (Emad Nassar/for The Washington Post)

For the 2 million residents of Gaza, last months hostilities were just the latest in an endless cycle of war, the fourth to convulse the Palestinian enclave along the Mediterranean in just 13 years.

The latest fighting was impossible to escape as Israel struck more than 1,500 targets in the Gaza Strip. Hamas and other Gaza-based militants fired more than 4,300 rockets, wreaking terror on the other side of the border.

More than two weeks after the cease-fire, life has returned; even beach cafes have reopened. But existence remains shaped by destruction and reconstruction.

Families are being forced once more to rebuild and repair their homes, their businesses and what they can of their lives  their suffering compounded by losses on top of losses, trauma on top of trauma.

Kayan Abu Safiya, right, and his son Yazid, rest outside their destroyed home in Beit Lahia. (Emad Nassar/for The Washington Post)

When hope is finally a casualty

BEIT LAHIA, Gaza  After significant damage to family property in three of Gazas four conflicts since 2008, Kayan Abu Safiya is not sure it is worth rebuilding.

Everything you build here will be destroyed, he said as he surveyed the pile of rubble that had been an apartment building he erected to house his many offspring as they grew up and got married. Working, investing, getting money to help my children, and it all goes in one second.

Their homes were among nearly 2,100 rendered uninhabitable during the conflict, according to Hamas officials, who govern Gaza.

Abu Safiya, father of 17 children, made his money in agriculture and trading heavy machinery in Israel. But then came Hamas 2006 election win and the subsequent blockade by Israel and Egypt, crippling business.

Then came the wars. During the initial days of the 2008 conflict between Israel and Hamas, his family fled their home in Beit Hanoun, near the northern border. It was not until after the fighting ended that they were able to assess the damage. It was a shock, he said. The money, the work, vanished.

Losses amounted to nearly half a million dollars, he said, and he was never compensated. Only a handful of 1,300 citrus trees were left, he said, and dozens of farm animals had died during the Israeli ground invasion.

We planted again, but in 2014 they were bulldozed, he said, referring to clearing operations by Israeli ground forces.

The family farmland remains strewn with equipment destroyed in the wars, his barn pockmarked with bullet holes. His house was partly destroyed by tank shells in 2014, he said. He received $19,000 in compensation from international reconstruction funds, a fraction of what he says it cost to rebuild.

He had already begun moving his business to Jordan, and now his company is based there. He stays in Gaza only a few months a year. The family has given up planting fruit trees, opting instead for seasonal crops: wheat, cucumbers and watermelons.

As war approached last month for a fourth time, Abu Safiya did not want his family to all be in the same place. If we died, all of us, who would remain? he said. They spread out among the familys various properties. Two of his sons remained with him at the family home; a wife and her children left for her parents.

His oldest son, Yazeed, had been at his uncle Riziqs house, a few doors down from the high-rise that his father completed in 2019, when an Israeli intelligence officer called. It was the night before the Eid al-Fitr holiday, and the family had gathered to make traditional maamoul cookies. They said an officer told them they had two minutes to leave the area before it was destroyed.

If its two minutes and one second, you will die, Riziq recalled the officer saying.

They panicked. One of his daughters was rooted to the spot in fear and had to be pushed along. They screamed at a neighbor on a nearby balcony to leave.

Riziq said the officer stayed on the phone line with them until they reached a bank at the corner. The first airstrike knocked them down. It obliterated the familys high-rise and Riziqs three-story home, the place where the family had sought refuge in previous conflicts.

The Israeli armed forces could not provide details about this strike but has said all its targets are military.

Zakaria Hamad lost his son in the strike. (Emad Nassar/for The Washington Post) Zakaria Hamad inspects the inside of his home, which was destroyed by an airstrike in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. (Emad Nassar/for The Washington Post)

An irreplaceable loss

BEIT HANOUN, Gaza  For Zakaria Hamad, 65, the Gaza conflicts have brought escalating tragedies. First his farmland was destroyed, then in 2014 his home. But this time, there was no replacing the loss.

When war came again, his family had not yet finished rebuilding from the previous conflict. Fixtures and fittings on the lower floors were yet to be installed in the new three-story building, painted yellow and red and overlooking their land. Still, Hamad and his wife had moved in upstairs, and that is where the whole family, including his 33-year-old son Raed and five nieces and nephews, had gathered on May 19.

It had been a quiet afternoon, they said, before an explosion rocked the house.

Raed had just stepped into the bedroom when he was killed by what the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, a Gaza-based nongovernmental organization, said was one of 10 tank shells fired by Israeli troops that morning.

The military did not respond to a request for comment.

The room was transformed into charred rubble strewn with burned mattresses, clothes and blankets. The rest of the family, in the living room, were saved by internal walls.

The sound was deafening, Hamad recalled, and he could see nothing through the smoke. My heart was dying, he said when he realized his son had been killed.

Raed, whose family described him as generous and well-liked, was engaged to be married in the summer. The clothing store he ran provided much of the familys income after, they said, their farm was destroyed during the 2008 Israeli ground invasion. They bulldozed the whole area, Hamad said. Citrus, guava, goats, sheep, our beehives all gone.

Even before the latest round of violence, the United Nations estimated that the cumulative cost of Israeli military operations and the economic blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt had amounted to $16.7 billion.

Hamad had once worked in construction in Israel. We used to be like this, he said of Israelis, holding out two fingers side by side. I built them their homes.

He does not see a way out of the cycle of violence without international intervention but does not remain hopeful that will happen.

We are dying here in Gaza, he said. Who cares? Nobody cares.

Ahmed Hassanian, left, and his brother Moataz are filling water bottles. (Emad Nassar/for The Washington Post) Kowkab Hassanian plays with her children in a school where they took shelter after their house was destroyed in Gaza City. (Emad Nassar/for The Washington Post)

A never-ending cycle of flight

GAZA CITY  Born not long before the 2008 conflict in Gaza, 14-year-old Ahmed Hassanian has been forced to flee his home during every round of violence since.

He was still being breastfed when the family fled their home in Shejaiya, east of Gaza City, for a relatives home, his parents recalled. They lived off canned food for much of the 22-day war.

Kowkab Hassanian, 42, worries about the cumulative psychological effect on her children. Ahmed says he still remembers bodies in the street during the 2014 hostilities. He shook uncontrollably during the recent bombardment. Hes always asking if we are going to die, she said.

Another child has bed-wetting issues, and a third has problems with aggression that Hassanian links to the impact of the wars.

Its a bad thing to get used to this, she said. My fear is more on them than myself. I pretend that Im strong, but we are all scared.

In 2008, they had hoped the war would be the last. Their home had escaped relatively unscathed aside from damaged water tanks. Hafez Hassanian had built the house himself, and later, when he turned to selling vegetables, he put the money he earned into improving it for his growing family. Every time I got some income I was spending money on it, he said.

Then came the hostilities in 2012 and again in 2014, when their house was leveled along with much of the Shejaiya neighborhood, the site of particularly brutal battles between Israeli forces and Hamas militants. The family said they were displaced several times as fighting got too close. Every time we moved there was a strike; we got to another place, there was a strike, said Hafez.

After the war, he got a grant of $43,000 to rebuild his home. His family helped with the reconstruction, but the trauma remained.

When hostilities broke out last month, they fled to Gaza City, thinking it would be less affected than areas near the Israeli border, but it came under intensive Israeli airstrikes from the outset.

This time, their home did not survive unscathed. Hafez pulls out his phone to show pictures of a damaged kitchen and bathroom and said he cannot afford to repair them. Our life was difficult even before this happened, he said. I was barely able to live and cover our expenses.

They are displaced again, living in a classroom in a school run by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency that has become a temporary shelter.

Now, no one is talking about long-term peace, he said. We live in fear that well have a new war.

He gestured toward his children. The generation is destroyed, he said.
Israeli forces arrest Al Jazeera journalist Givara Budeiri during a protest in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah on Saturday, June 5, 2021. (Oren Ziv/AP)

JERUSALEM  Israeli police on Sunday detained two members of a prominent family in the contested Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem who led protests against attempts by Jewish settlers to evict dozens of Palestinian families from their homes in the area. The twin brother and sister were released later in the day.

The arrests of Muna and Muhammad al-Kurd, 23, came a day after police detained a well-known Al Jazeera reporter covering a demonstration in the neighborhood. The reporter, Givara Budeiri, was held for four hours before she was released and sent to a hospital to treat a broken hand. It was not clear how her hand was broken, but her boss blamed police mistreatment.

Earlier this year, heavy-handed police actions in Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of east Jerusalem fueled weeks of unrest that helped spark an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Those tensions are simmering again  and could flare anew if Israeli ultranationalists follow through on plans to march Thursday through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. Israeli police were expected to hold consultations on whether the parade, which was originally set to take place when the war erupted on May 10, would be allowed to proceed.

Renewed violence could complicate the task of embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political opponents, who formed a fragile and disparate coalition last week, of passing a parliamentary vote of confidence required to replace him and take office. A close ally of Netanyahu oversees the police.

In Sheikh Jarrah, Jewish settlers have been waging a decades-long campaign to evict the families from densely populated Palestinian neighborhoods just outside the walls of the Old City. The area is one of the most sensitive parts of east Jerusalem, which is home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and which Israel captured in 1967 and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Israel views the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Settler groups and Israeli officials say the Sheikh Jarrah dispute is merely about real estate. But Palestinians say they are victims of a discriminatory system. The settlers are using a 1970 law that allows Jews to reclaim formerly Jewish properties lost during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, a right denied to Palestinians who lost property in the same conflict.

The al-Kurd family in Sheikh Jarrah has been at the forefront of months of protests against the planned evictions.

Early Sunday, police took Muna al-Kurd, 23, from her home.

Her father, Nabil al-Kurd, said police "stormed the house in large numbers and in a barbaric manner."

"I was sleeping, and I found them in my bedroom," he said. Police then searched the house and arrested his daughter. Video posted on social media showed her being taken away in handcuffs.

"The reason for the arrest is that we say that we will not leave our homes, and they do not want anyone to express his opinion, they do not want anyone to tell the truth," he said. "They want to silence us."

Police also searched for her brother, Muhammad, but he was not there. Later, he turned himself in to Jerusalem police.

The siblings' lawyer, Nasser Odeh, told journalists outside the police station that his clients were accused of "disturbing public security and participation in nationalistic riots."

On Sunday evening, Muna al-Kurd was released. But before she was freed, police briefly clashed with a crowd outside the station, throwing stun grenades. Later Sunday, Muna posted on Instagram that her brother had been released as well.

The arrests came a day after Al Jazeera's Budeiri, wearing a protective vest marked "press," was dragged away by police at a protest in Sheikh Jarrah.

According to witnesses, police asked Budeiri for identification. Colleagues said police did not allow her to return to her car to retrieve her government-issued press card. Instead, they said she was surrounded by police, handcuffed and dragged into a vehicle with darkened windows.

In video footage posted online, Budeiri can be seen in handcuffs, while clutching her notebook and shouting, "Don't touch, enough, enough."

Israeli police said entrance to the neighborhood is limited due to the tense situation, and only accredited journalists are allowed in. They said that when Budeiri was unable to provide her press pass, police "removed her." They added that Budeiri was arrested after becoming hostile and pushing an officer.

"The Israel Police will allow the freedom of press coverage, provided that these are done in accordance (with) the law while maintaining public order," according to a statement. The statement did not reference her broken hand.

Budeiri was held for four hours before she was released and sent to the hospital, said Walid Omary, the Jerusalem bureau chief for Al Jazeera. In addition to the broken hand, Omary said Budeiri also suffered bruises on her body. He said her cameraman's video camera was also heavily damaged by police.

As part of her release, Budeiri is banned from returning to the neighborhood for 15 days, Omary said.

"They are attacking the journalists in east Jerusalem because they don't want them to continue covering what's happening inside Sheikh Jarrah," he said.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists working for international news organizations, said the treatment of Budeiri was "the latest in a long line of heavy-handed tactics by Israeli police" against the media in recent weeks. It said journalists have been hit by stun grenades, tear gas, sponge-tipped bullets and putrid-smelling water.

"We call on police to punish the officers who needlessly injured an experienced journalist and broke professional equipment. And once again, we urge police to uphold Israel's pledges to respect freedom of the press and to allow journalists to do their jobs freely and without fear of injury and intimidation," the FPA said.

Last month's war was triggered by weeks of clashes in Jerusalem between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint holy site.

The war erupted on May 10 when Hamas, calling itself the defender of the holy city, launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem. Some 254 people were killed in Gaza and 13 in Israel before a cease-fire took effect on May 21.

Al Jazeera's acting director general, Mostefa Souag, noted that Budeiri's detention came after Israel's May 15 war-time destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local office of Al Jazeera. The tower also housed The Associated Press' office.

Israel has alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating from the building. The AP has said it has no indication of a purported Hamas presence and has called for an independent investigation. Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint holy site.
TEL AVIV  The head of Israels internal security service said Saturday that extremely violent and inciting discourse targeting the lawmakers seeking to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus 12-year reign could take a potentially lethal form  in a grim echo of the warnings ahead of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Shin Bet chief Nadav Argeman said the spike in vitriol targeting Netanyahus opponents online and in public demonstrations may be interpreted by certain groups or individuals as one that allows for violent and illegal activities that may even, God forbid, become lethal.

He called on public officials to rein in the assorted groups who have vowed to do anything possible to prevent the swearing in of a new, power-sharing government that has been spearheaded by centrist politician Yair Lapid.

Netanyahu has said he condemns any incitement and violence, but he said at a meeting with his Likud party on Sunday that incitement against us is also raging. He called on lawmakers to vote against the formation of the fraudulent alternative government.

Mr. Netanyahu, dont leave scorched earth behind you, Naftali Bennett, the right-wing religious nationalist politician who is poised to unseat him, said Sunday. We, the entire nation, want to remember the good that you did in your service for the country.

The new government, in which Bennett is to serve as prime minister for two years before handing the job off to Lapid, is expected to come to a vote in the Knesset this week. Its composed of eight ideologically divergent political parties, including leftists, centrists, former right-wing Netanyahu allies, and, for the first time in Israels history, Arab-Islamists.

With his brother-in-arms Trump out-of-power, consumed by incoherent ranting and mumbling in Mar-a-Lago about how the election was stolen from him by Democrats and the media, Netanyahu has one last page to copy from Trumps playbook: creating his own January 6, Alon Pinkas wrote in the left-leaning daily Haaretz. As a result of incitement and disinformation, judges, prosecutors and now also the leaders of the opposition are receiving extra protection after Netanyahus cultlike supporters threatened their lives.

After the Jan. 6 mob riot at the U.S. Capitol building, which left five dead and more than 140 people injured, Netanyahu said that he would leave office if voted out of power. He called the storming of the Capitol by thousands of pro-Trump supporters disgraceful, and the stark opposite of the values that Americans and Israelis uphold. In the following days, Netanyahu removed a picture of him with Donald Trump from his Twitter banner, though he continued to boast of policy achievements, like the moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, that took place during the Trump presidency.

But since Lapids change coalition on Wednesday announced they were able to achieve a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu has launched a fierce, multi-fronted campaign to keep the new government from assuming power. He has uploaded a slew of social media posts, including old videos of Bennett and his partners pledging to never allow Lapid to become prime minister, and calling on right-wing lawmakers to oppose this dangerous, left-wing government.

In a televised statement last week, Netanyahu accused Bennett and his partners of committing the fraud of the century. After insinuating the new government has made potentially harmful concessions to the Arab-Islamist party Raam, lawyers for Netanyahus Likud party petitioned Lapid to release all the details of the coalition agreements, asking, What do you have to hide?

Netanyahu has not specifically condemned the demonstrators outside the homes and offices of Bennett, Lapid and many others. The protesters have issued thinly veiled death threats and hoisted signs carrying slogans and images that are reminiscent of those seen in the leadup to the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. Rabin was shot dead by an extremist Jewish settler who said his leftist governments peace agreements with the Palestinians amounted to treason.

Netanyahus statements have emboldened other, more overt calls for intimidating his opponents, including from his son, Yair, who has been repeatedly banned by social media sites for violating hate speech rules. On Friday Twitter, Facebook and Instagram temporarily suspended the account of Yair after he called for demonstrations outside of the home of a lawmaker in Bennetts Yamina party, posting his private address.

The Likud said that the social media response was a textbook case of political censorship of the right, and urged the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook to stop this double standard and allow freedom of expression for all.

American evangelical leader and Netanyahu advocate Mike Evans wrote in a letter to Bennett: Youre a pathetic, bitter little man so obsessed on murdering Netanyahu that youre willing to damage the State of Israel for your worthless cause. He said Bennetts government would lose all support from the U.S. evangelical community.

Hezi Kalo, former head of the Shin Bets intelligence branch, said that the current atmosphere reminded him of the days preceding the Rabin assassination.

We dont have to wait for (bloodshed). We must do everything possible to make sure nobody takes the law into their own hands, he said.

On Friday, just before the start of the Jewish Sabbath, Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page that Bennetts decision to join the change government was comparable to a Torah story featuring spies  public representatives of the Israelites who defamed the Land of Israel and weakened the peoples spirit only out of concern for their personal jobs.

In our generation too, in our times, people who were elected by right-wing voters have to stand up and do the right thing: to form a strong and good right-wing government that will protect the Land of Israel, he wrote.

Lapid received the mandate to attempt to form a ruling government after Netanyahu failed to do so, despite his Likud party garnering the largest number of votes overall, following four inconclusive elections held over two years.

The new governments swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place amid the still-unresolved tensions from the recent 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas last month.

A right-wing Jewish parade is expected to pass through Jerusalems Old Citys Damascus Gate on Thursday in a move that many Palestinians see as a provocative assertion of Jewish sovereignty over contested areas of East Jerusalem.

In the nearby area of Sheikh Jarrah, a mostly Palestinian neighborhood where evictions of Palestinian families contributed to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict, an Al Jazeera journalist, wearing a press flak jacket, was arrested while covering clashes on Saturday, according to the network.

Such crises tend to play well for Netanyahus political strategies for survival, as they allow him to position himself as the responsible adult in the room, wrote, Liraz Margalit, a social psychologist at IDC in Herzliya, in the Israeli daily Maariv.

The message is very clear, she wrote. Netanyahu will not lose without a fight.
Medical personnel at Forward Operating Base Edinburgh in Helmand Province, shown here in June 2012, discuss the case of a patient. (Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

(Tribune News Service) When the last U.S. service member leaves Afghanistan, perhaps by early next month, Americas longest war on foreign soil will end  and so too a mission initially dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom.

Just what endures from the 20-year war is an open question, except in one area: Battlefield medicine. There, gains have already taken root.

One-handed tourniquets. Blood transfusions near the front lines. Faster evacuations to trauma centers. All got implemented in Afghanistan, and all saved lives.

This has often been the case during the mayhem of military combat, which forces doctors to improvise, and quickly. The advances they make then spread to civilian health care.

Anesthesia has ties to the Civil War. World War I brought the first widespread use of X-rays. World War II was a proving ground for blood banks and antibiotics. Medical evacuation by helicopter started in the Korean War.

These changes happen because there is a profound need, and because the injuries are of a scale, unfortunately, where you have enough cases to pioneer a technique and enough evidence to show that it works, said Scott McGaugh, a San Diego military historian. Theres hardly a corner of todays health care environment that doesnt trace its roots back to the battlefield,

McGaugh, author of Battlefield Angels, a 2011 book about combat medics, said Afghanistan, where catastrophic injuries were caused by roadside bombs and other improvised explosives, necessitated a significant change.

In the last century, the whole notion was to get the wounded off the battlefield as quickly as possible, he said. This century, theres a heavy emphasis on taking trauma care to the battlefield.

The result is that war has never been more survivable. During the Revolutionary War, about 40% of the seriously wounded eventually died. In World War II, about 30% did.

In Afghanistan, what had been a 20% fatality rate in the early years of the war was reduced to 8.6% by the later stages.

The only winner in war, an old saying goes, is medicine.

A new twist

Tourniquets to stem blood loss are ancient. They date at least to the reign of Alexander the Great and his invasion of Persia in around 334 B.C.

But they havent always been recommended. Dr. Matthew Tadlock, a Navy trauma specialist in San Diego, remembers being taught in medical school more than 20 years ago that tourniquets are bad and shouldnt be used.

Thats because studies showed that the devices could cause nerve damage and might lead to amputations, according to Jeffrey Howard, who has studied their use and is an assistant professor of public health at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

At the Afghanistan wars outset, tourniquets were not widely used. But once we got in there, Howard said, we learned pretty quickly: We need these.

Many of the injuries were from bomb blasts, which sometimes injured or severed more than one limb. People were bleeding to death.

Old-fashioned tourniquets needed two people to apply them tightly enough. The ones designed for Afghanistan could be applied by one person  applied one-handed by injured service members to themselves.

That was a significant improvement, designing a self-applied tourniquet, Howard said. And theyre lightweight, easier to carry.

Those devices only work on the extremities, though, and sometimes the IEDs were so powerful they severed limbs at the hip or the shoulder. A new kind of junctional tourniquet had to be created, too, Howard said.

A study he did with several collaborators showed that the improved effectiveness and availability of tourniquets prevented an estimated 240 deaths in Afghanistan. (About 2,300 U.S. troops were killed in action in the war, with another 20,000 injured.)

Tadlock, the trauma surgeon, called tourniquets  which had played a key role in World War II, when about 50% of those killed in action bled to death  a lesson that we had to relearn. Thats not uncommon in war. Institutional memory fades sometimes after the bullets stop flying.

But the success in Afghanistan and Iraq has already spread to the civilian world, where a non-profit initiative called Stop the Bleed offers training and equipment to help first-responders and the public intervene if they come across someone who is severely wounded.

Administered by the American College of Surgeons, the program has trained 1.5 million people since it started in 2017. The goal: 200 million trained.

Timing is everything

Its called The Golden Hour. Get a severely injured patient into the hands of surgeons within 60 minutes, and the odds of survival go up.

Easier said than done in a place like Afghanistan, where troops often fought in rural areas, down dirt roads. Helicopters usually had to be called in for evacuations.

Early on, the Golden Hour became two hours or more because of the logistics. That was about what the lag time was during the Vietnam War, and a lot better than it was during World War II, when the average time from injury to hospitalization was 12 to 15 hours.

In 2009, Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered troop leaders to improve the response time, and they did so by bringing in more transport helicopters. Less than 20% of the casualties had gotten to the hospital in the Golden Hour during the wars initial years. After his directive, the number went up to 76%.

Howard, the University of Texas epidemiologist, said that intervention likely saved almost 280 lives in Afghanistan.

He and his collaborators also studied the role of blood transfusions on mortality. It used to be that medics would give the wounded saline or other IV fluids to maintain blood pressure while they were transported to a hospital. Once there, they would get blood products as needed.

The nature of the wounds in Afghanistan quickly made it clear that blood was needed at the point of injury. But blood is tricky to work with. especially whole blood, which requires refrigeration. New techniques involving blood component therapy, and equipment for storing and transporting it were put into place.

Howards study showed that quicker blood transfusions probably saved an estimated 431 lives in Afghanistan.

Those results are also spreading into the civilian world, with more emergency crews on ambulances carrying blood products now.

Feeling lucky

The Afghanistan war has gone on so long it has had several signature wounds. Amputations. Traumatic brain injuries. Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Amputations are the most visible. There have been about 1,650 of them from injuries suffered in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001.

Many service members have lost more than one limb; some have lost all four. When one amputee missing her left leg was interviewed by Stars and Stripes four years ago, she said one of the things motivating her recovery was her gratitude.

I had lost only one limb, she said. I felt lucky.

In the same article, a Marine bomb technician who lost his right hand to an IED said the caregivers at the Walter Reed military hospital had jokingly given him a nickname: Paper Cut. He was the least injured person there.

The steady stream of patients at military medical centers has also spurred improvements in prosthetics, which are lighter and more functional now. And, increasingly, more gender-sensitive.

The VA has long treated female dependents for artificial limbs needed because of diabetes and other health conditions but not for battlefield trauma.

That really became a bigger question in Iraq and Afghanistan, where more women were deployed in all kinds of roles, said Lory Manning, a retired Navy captain and director of government operations for the Service Womens Action Network, based in Washington, D.C.

She said more than 100 women are combat amputees, about 3% of those who have lost limbs, and the Veterans Health Administration has become increasingly sensitive to their needs.

The agency has funded eight studies since 2017, looking, for example, at whether a foot-ankle system can be developed that would allow an amputee to wear high heels.

Many women like to wear high heels at least some of the time, Manning said.

Theyre also more likely to go bare-armed and bare-legged in public, she said, and that has implications for how the prostheses look.

Women amputees interviewed for a Government Accounting Office report issued last November told a familiar story: the military is ahead of the wider world when it comes to what is available in prostheses.

If the past is any prologue, that will probably change.

Stop for a moment, said McGaugh, the military historian, and think about how much health care has been pioneered and validated during the different wars. Who knows what lessons learned in the Middle East will become part of standard care for civilians?

(c)2021 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com

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President Joe Biden speaks on his phone after arriving on the Ellipse near the White House, Friday, June 4, 2021, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden turned to his old boss, former President Barack Obama, on Saturday to help him encourage Americans to sign up for "Obamacare" health care coverage during an expanded special enrollment period in the pandemic.

Biden used his weekly address for a brief Zoom chat with Obama to draw attention to the six-month expanded enrollment period that closes Aug. 15. Meanwhile the government released a report that claims that nearly 31 million Americans  a record  now have health coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

"We did this together," said Obama, whose administration established the health insurance marketplace. "We always talked about how, if we could get the principle of universal coverage established, we could then build on it."

The White House effort to spotlight the expanded enrollment and claim strong numbers for the health law comes as the political world and the health care system await a Supreme Court ruling on the law's constitutionality. The Zoom call was recorded on Friday afternoon and released Saturday as Biden's weekly address.

The Health and Human Services Department said in a report that nearly 31 million have obtained coverage in 2021 as a result of the law. That's considerably higher than the more than 20 million estimate that's commonly cited.

The Biden administration has launched a special sign-up period during the pandemic, and Congress passed a big boost in subsidies for private health plans sold under the law. But that alone doesn't explain the increased coverage.

The report says 11.3 million people are covered through the health law's marketplaces, where subsidized private plans are offered. An additional 14.8 million are covered through expanded Medicaid, the report adds. All but a dozen states have accepted the law's Medicaid expansion, which mainly serves low-income working adults. And 1 million are covered by so-called basic health plans, an option created by the law and offered in a limited number of states.

That accounts for enrollment of about 27 million people. But the Biden administration is also claiming credit for four million people who would have been eligible for Medicaid without Obama's law.

Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, said the law broke down barriers to enrollment among those who were already eligible by simplifying applications and increasing awareness. He also pointed to the establishment of community-based navigators tasked with helping newly eligible people find coverage and conducting outreach to those who were already eligible but didn't necessarily know it.

"It didn't require a sweeping law like the ACA to get people who were already eligible for Medicaid enrolled, but the provisions of the ACA did help to get these millions of people covered," Levitt said

The Supreme Court is soon expected to rule on a challenge to the health law from Texas and other GOP-led states. They argue that because Congress has eliminated the law's penalty for being uninsured, a now-toothless ACA requirement that almost all Americans must have health insurance is unconstitutional and therefore the law should fail.

Those defending the law say that even if the Supreme Court strikes down the coverage requirement there's no reason to tamper with the rest of the law.

The White House says 1.2 million people have now signed up for health insurance through the government marketplace during the special enrollment period that began in February. That number includes people who would have qualified for a sign-up opportunity even without Biden's special enrollment period.

A life change such as losing workplace coverage or getting married is considered a "qualifying life event" that allows people to sign up any time during the year. Last year about 390,000 people signed up because of life changes from Feb. 15 to April 30, the government said.

Biden, in the conversation with Obama, spoke about the 2015 death of his son Beau Biden from cancer.

"I literally remember sitting on the bed with him within a week or so him passing away," Biden said, "and thinking, what in God's name would I do if I got a notice from the insurance company saying you've outlived your coverage?"
Rahmat Mokhtar, 34, hopes to soon become a U.S. citizen. Mokhtar worked as translator for the U.S. Army and Marines. In 2016 his visa to travel to the U.S. was approved, and he soon arrived in El Cajon, Calif. (Nelvin C. Cepeda, The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)

SAN DIEGO (Tribune News Service)  Zohal Abdurahman has been waiting for three years to bring her brother-in-law to safety in the United States.

And now that the U.S. military is leaving Afghanistan, the wait has reached new levels of urgency.

Her brother-in-law, who is not being named due to threats on his life, fought alongside U.S. troops over the past decade and specialized in disarming explosives. He is still in Afghanistan waiting on a special immigrant visa  often referred to as an SIV  that would allow him, his wife and their children to come live in San Diego and protect them from potential retaliation for the work that he did.

Abdurahmans brother-in-law is one among thousands still in Afghanistan who helped the U.S. military and are now watching the days count down to President Joe Bidens deadline for troops to leave with increased worry that they will be left behind by the United States  and then tortured and killed by the Taliban.

Its one thing dying on duty, thats like an honor. If hes caught, they will literally mutilate his body, torture him as much as they possibly can, Abdurahman said. Thats what scares him and scares the rest of the family.

More than 300 people who worked as interpreters for the U.S. military, or family members of those interpreters, have been killed in Afghanistan since 2014, according to advocacy group No One Left Behind.

And though Bidens initial deadline gives the military until September to exit Afghanistan, reports have since indicated troops could be gone as soon as next month.

Bipartisan groups in both the Senate and House have sent letters to the White House advocating for people like Abdurahmans brother-in-law. But with backlogs in processing these visas and rules restricting who can get them and the quantity given, many who helped the United States are likely to remain there unless something changes.

Three-year wait

The program is supposed to take no more than nine months, but the average wait time for SIVs at the beginning of 2021 was nearly three years, according to State Department documents.

The Biden administration has expressed support for interpreters and other Afghans who worked with the U.S., but it has not made clear what plans it has, if any, to protect them.

When asked about the issue, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that any changes to the program would have to be worked out between the State Department and Congress.

The president has been clear. We have a moral obligation to these people, Kirby told reporters. He wants to take a fresh look at the SIV program to see how and to what degree it could be expanded and/or accelerated.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the department has increased staffing levels in both Washington and Kabul to work on SIV processing.

When it comes to SIVs, weve said this before, but we understand and we recognize that we have a special commitment and a special responsibility to the many Afghans who, over the years, have at great risk to themselves and even to their families  have assisted the United States in our efforts in Afghanistan, Price said. We are always seeking ways to improve the SIV process while ensuring the integrity of the program and safeguarding our national security and affording opportunities to these Afghans.

Abdurahmans brother-in-law got laid off last month as part of the withdrawal. Without his U.S. colleagues, he already feels less safe, Abdurahman said.

He is already close to the end of the process. He and his family had their medical screenings in May, one of the final steps in the 14-part process outlined in State Department records. Hes just waiting to have the visa in his hands so he can leave.

Were just literally praying day and night that he gets his visa, Abdurahman said. We told him, Youre not bringing anything. If youre going to pack anything, pack now because as soon as you get your visa, youre coming here.

Even the distribution of visas once theyre approved is backlogged because the U.S. embassy there has been closed for much of the pandemic, according to James Miervaldis, chairman of the board for No One Left Behind.

And while Abdurahmans family is close to the end of the process, many others have much less hope of getting out of the country in time.

Ali Rasouly, 39, and Rahmat Mokhtar, 34, both know that anxiety well.

They worked as interpreters with the Marines, and both managed to get through the SIV process and resettle in El Cajon.

Since fiscal year 2016, more than 2,400 people from Afghanistan  a combination of SIVs and refugees  have resettled in San Diego County, according to Abdi Abdillahi, county refugee coordinator.

Deadly secret

Rasouly waited about five years for his visa, he said. During that time, he was constantly moving, keeping his family in hiding to avoid being killed during the wait.

When he worked with the military, he kept his face covered so that he wouldnt be recognized. But sometimes neighbors or other observers would still figure out his secret, even in the time that he stopped working for the military to be an accountant. Each time, he quickly and quietly moved, sometimes to an entirely different province.

And though Rasouly and Mokhtar are now safe, their worries are not over.

They have parents, siblings and other family left behind, and on top of their concerns about the Taliban connecting their families to their work with the U.S., they have another reason to be afraid for their loved ones. Rasouly and Mokhtar are part of the Hazara ethnic group that has been and continues to be targeted for persecution.

That persecution has been going on for centuries, Mokhtar said, referring to it as a genocide. Frequent news of suicide bombings targeting Hazara make him feel physically sick with worry.

Its super complicated and stressful, Mokhtar said. I cannot live it every day, and I cannot forget it. Its like a nightmare. Its like a coffin on my shoulder and following me, and Im carrying it everywhere.

Neither Mokhtar nor Rasouly have become U.S. citizens yet  a process that has its own backlog and requires a five-year wait after getting a green card  so they are not able to sponsor visas for their family members back in Afghanistan. Even when they do become U.S. citizens, that process would take many years because of country caps and additional backlogs in the family-sponsored visa queue.

Rasouly and Mokhtar hope that in addition to helping interpreters and others who worked in service to the U.S. leave Afghanistan, the United States will find a way to prioritize helping Hazara people leave.

On Saturday, about 100 people of Hazara descent who have settled in the San Diego area demonstrated outside the County Administration Center to call for the formal recognition of Hazara genocide.

In the past 24 hours there have been four attacks in our very small area in Afghanistan, said participant Ali Changiz Yasa, an English language teacher who worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan as an interpreter and cultural adviser before fleeing to San Diego.

The withdrawal of U.S. forces will leave us once again under suppression and extreme oppression, he added.

The State Department told the San Diego Union-Tribune on background that there will be humanitarian and development assistance programs meant to support the rights of Hazaras, among other groups, after the troops are gone.

Veterans urge action

Some of the most vocal advocates for bringing people like Rasouly and Mokhtar and their families to the United States are the U.S. military veterans who worked with them.

What we really ought to be doing is an immediate evacuation of these folks, said Shawn Vandiver, a Navy veteran and co-founder of the Truman National Security Project chapter in San Diego. We should be totally eliminating the cap on SIVs and immediately processing them. These folks served alongside us. They were armed. They killed their fellow countrymen while wearing uniforms with U.S. service members. Theyve already been vetted. Give them another quick background check, and get them over here.

Referencing what happened when the United States pulled out of Vietnam  a move that began San Diegos long history of receiving refugees  he suggested that the U.S. military transport Afghans to a safe place to finish any processing.

Our system is so broken that people are dying all the time over there, Vandiver said.

When asked recently about the possibility of evacuations, Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said that there are contingency plans for evacuations in different parts of the world, including Afghanistan.

We have put some planning resources to this, no question, Kirby said. But there has been no tasking to carry such an evacuation out on any scale right now. And if that tasking comes, we will be ready to execute.

Amber Robinson, 43, of Chula Vista, served in the U.S. Army for 10 years and feels conflicted about the withdrawal, knowing that it will likely mean more harm to Afghan civilians, particularly women and girls, while also recognizing the human cost of continued war.

So many of my fellow veterans, were torn. Were just absolutely torn. I know thats how I feel, Robinson said. Weve just gone over and over and over again, and were used up. Were just exhausted. So when is enough enough?

But on the issue of SIVs, her feelings are much more straightforward.

They all have come over here just for safety. Its just so dangerous for them to stay, Robinson said. I shudder to think whats going to happen to everybody.

Staff photographer Nelvin C. Cepeda contributed to this report.

(c)2021 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com

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The JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colo., was the victim of a recent cyberattack. (Matthew Stockman, Getty Images/TNS)

WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  More transparency is needed into what kind of cash payments are made after ransomware attacks, a top Democrat said, following a recent spate of cyberattacks aimed at U.S. companies.

Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke days after a top U.S. meat producer needed to shut down facilities that account for almost a quarter of American beef supplies after a cyber incident.

Not only are the companies often not reporting that they are attacked, but theyre not reporting the ransomware payments, Warner said on NBCs Meet the Press.

Its worth having a debate over whether to make paying ransoms illegal for U.S. companies, said Warner, whos also co-chair and founder of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, on NBCs Meet the Press, backed a possible ban on ransomware payments.

We need to send this strong message that paying a ransomware only exacerbates and accelerates this problem. You are encouraging the bad actors when that happens, she said.

The cyberattack on JBS USA followed the incident in May where Colonial Pipeline Co. was forced to shut the largest East Coast gasoline pipeline network for days after a cyberattack.

Both incidents have been tied to Russian-based hackers, and the issue will be on the agenda when President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16.

Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats and is also on the intelligence panel, said private companies should be subject to mandatory reporting of a breach but also receive liability protection, creating an entirely new relationship between the federal government and private sector.

There has to be trust. And there has to be real-time reporting, King said on CNNs State of the Union. I mean, the Colonial Pipeline, my understanding is, it wasnt reported to the government for four or five days. I think theyd already paid the ransom.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stopped short of proposing that the U.S. government require businesses to secure their technology in specific ways.

Instead, the Biden administration would urge companies to adopt higher standards and remain vigilant on cybersecurity, Raimondo said on ABCs This Week.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has compared ransomware attacks  when the victim is targeted by a type of malware and a ransom is demanded  to the challenges posted by the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. The FBI is investigating about 100 types of ransomware, he said last week.

Granholm said U.S. adversaries may have the capability of shutting down the nations power grid.

Yes, they do. I mean, I think that there are very malign actors who are trying. Even as we speak, there are thousands of attacks on all aspects of the energy sector and the private sector generally, Granholm said on CNN.

Yueqi Yang and Tony Czuczka contributed to this report.

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All in the saliva: Lankan prof leads pioneering research on oral cancer By Kumudini Hettiarachchi View(s): View(s):

Heavily into biomedical research, a family tragedy propelled her in the direction of the early detection of oral cancer through non-invasive sampling.

Poring over microscopes in her laboratory in Brisbane, Australia, or collecting samples of saliva from people fearful whether they are victims of oral cancer, her efforts have paid off, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States of America (USA) giving the nod to her biomarker.

The face behind this achievement is Associate Professor Chamindie Punyadeera, very much of Sri Lankan origin. She is the Head of the Saliva and Liquid Biopsy Translational Laboratory of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane.

Describing herself as a research intensive academic, Prof. Punyadeera (50) is an innovator, translational biomedical researcher and strong advocate for women in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine). She has a team of 14 researchers including 10 PhD students of whom two are Sri Lankan.

Her simple explanation about her work is that she uses non-invasive methods of sampling (such as human saliva) for the early diagnosis of cancer and heart diseases. (See box)

The tragedy that made Prof. Punyadeera launch a research programme on head and neck cancer (oral cancer/mouth cancer and throat cancers are the two main sub-types) was very personal and close to home.

My brother-in-law was diagnosed with a nasty form of head and neck cancer in 2005 and, sadly, within six months he succumbed to the disease. This is because when he was diagnosed it was late-stage cancer and the cancer had spread to other vital organs. So, there is an unmet clinical need to detect head and neck cancer early, she says.

Working during these trying times of the pandemic when her laboratory was closed for two to three months and her clinical trials were put on hold for more than six months, she says that the people in Brisbane were very fortunate as the COVID-19 case numbers were minimal, compared to the rest of the world.

Yes, balancing family life with a busy work life is a challenge, she concedes and has been my struggle but her husband, Athanasios Mylonas, an Electrician/Electrical Engineer, is very supportive, while her Amma and Thaththa live just a kilometre from her home. They help me a lot. There is some sadness as her brother, Lasath, is working at the Standard Bank in South Africa and they have not been able to have a family reunion due to COVID-19.

Her one and only son, Vasileios Nirvan Mylonas, is in the International Baccalaureate programme at the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technologyit is too early to say whether he would follow in my footsteps.

Prof. Punyadeera had left Sri Lanka as a little girl of 11 in 1982, when her Thaththa and Amma headed for Botswana to work. She had returned home in 1984 for her secondary education (Grades 8-12) at Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, once again leaving her motherland in 1990 for her undergraduate studies at the University of Botswana followed by an MPhil and PhD at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Her primary schooling had been at Girls High School, Mount Lavinia, where they also lived in Colombo. Her Ammas ancestral home was in Tangalle and her Thaththas in Unawatuna, Galle.

There is a note of nostalgia as Prof.Punyadeera says that among her hobbies of reading, jogging and swimming is also watching Sri Lankan teledramas.

Of course, I miss Sri Lanka, she says, sounding slightly indignant that such a query can even be made.

Though I hold a Dutch passport, my DNA is Sri Lankan. Both my parents are proud Sri Lankans and I was brought up in a culture to value our identity and to know our roots. This becomes very important when you live for so long outside Sri Lanka, says Prof. Punyadeera.

With regard to her work, her sights are set..We are applying liquid biopsy (the use of body fluids in place of traditional tumour tissues) to predict outcomes in head and neck cancer patients, liver cancer, brain tumours and lung cancers.

This is while Prof. Punyadeera has recently received research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia to develop a biosensor to predict outcomes in patients with heart failure, using saliva sampling as a non-invasive method.

The impact of such research will have far-reaching benefits, for globally more than 38 million people suffer from heart failure, with about 50% of them dying within five years.

Biomarkers as diagnostic test A brand-new research programme to investigate biomarkers in human saliva to determine whether there are any of interest that can be used as a diagnostic test! This is what Associate Professor Chamindie Punyadeera has pioneered in Australia. A biomarker has been defined as any substance, structure or process that can be measured in the body or its products and influence or predict the incidence of outcome or disease, by the International Programme on Chemical Safety, led by the World Health Organization (WHO). When asked how it will impact on people, Prof. Punyadeera says that saliva samples from people who are at higher risk of developing oral cancer can be sent to a company called Viome in the US for analysis. At higher risk for oral cancer, strongly relevant to Sri Lanka too, are those who engage in betel-nut chewing, excessive smoking and drinking. People with bad oral hygiene or those who have multiple sexual partners, engage in oral sex or are immune-compromised such as HIV/AIDS patients are more vulnerable to throat cancer. Explaining the processes, Prof.Punyadeera says that they used human microbiome (bacteria in the mouth) as a source of biomarkers to discern whether they can detect mouth and throat cancers early. We have published research papers on this topic and I have one PhD student, Dr. Yenkai Lim, graduating with an outstanding thesis from QUT. I have been researching with a company based in USA to utilise their high-throughput metatranscriptomics platform combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance our research, says Prof. Punyadeera. Prof. Punyadeera was an inventor on the patent and the intellectual property has been assigned to the company. The company has got FDA approval under the Breakthrough Device Designation recently. Getting down to technicalities, she says that using their platform, her team has developed a biomarker panel with bacterial transcriptomics (gene expression changes) to detect mouth and throat cancer early. Her teams breakthrough research has been published as The salivary metatranscriptome as an accurate diagnostic indicator of oral cancer with the authors: Guruduth Banavar, Oyetunji Ogundijo, Ryan Toma, Sathyapriya Rajagopal, Yenkai Lim, Kai Dun Tang, Francine Camacho, Pedro Torres, Stephanie Gline, Matthew Parks, Liz Kenny, Nevenka Dimitrova, Ally Perlina, Hal Tily, Salomon Amar, Momchilo Vuyisich, Chamindie Punyadeera, 2021, Research Square. Some of the other important studies generated from Prof.Punyadeeras lab are: Oral microbiome: a new biomarker reservoir for oral and oropharyngeal cancers; The saliva microbiome profiles are minimally affected by collection method or DNA extraction protocols; The performance of an oral microbiome biomarker panel in predicting oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers; and Chemoradiation therapy changes oral microbiome and metabolomic profiles in patients with oral cavity cancer and oropharyngeal cancer.
The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee stands on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., on July 10, 2020. The Supreme Court of Virginia is set to hear arguments Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in legal challenges to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's plan to take down the 131-year-old statue. (Steve Helber/AP)

RICHMOND, Va.  Last June, when Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced a plan to take down a 131-year-old statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, the move was met with widespread praise and relief from racial justice activists who had long seen it as a symbol of white supremacy.

A year later, the enormous bronze equestrian statue still towers over a traffic circle on historic Monument Avenue in downtown Richmond, kept in place by two lawsuits filed by people who believe it should stay right where it is.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Virginia will hear arguments in the legal challenges.

Among the central issues to be decided by the court: Is the Commonwealth of Virginia bound by a decision made by state officials more than 130 years ago? Or can the state undo that decision because the public's attitude toward Confederate symbols has changed drastically since then?

Attorneys for the plaintiffs will argue that the governor does not have the authority to remove the statue, while Attorney General Mark Herring's office will ask the court to uphold a lower court's rulings in favor of the governor.

Northam's decision to take down the statue was announced just 10 days after George Floyd's death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, during a time when there were nightly protests over police brutality and racism in cities around the country, including Richmond.

Separate lawsuits were filed by a group of residents who own property near the statue and a descendant of signatories to an 1890 deed that transferred the statue, pedestal and land they sit on to the state.

In the latter lawsuit, William Gregory argues that the state agreed to "faithfully guard" and "affectionately protect" the statue. In the other lawsuit, five property owners, including lead plaintiff Helen Marie Taylor, say that an 1889 joint resolution of the Virginia General Assembly accepting the statue and agreeing to maintain it as a monument to Lee is binding on the governor. They say Northam's order to remove the statue exceeded the governor's authority under the Virginia Constitution.

During a trial in October, the state argued that it cannot be forced to maintain a statue that no longer reflects its values.

Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant agreed, finding that enforcing the 19th-century deed would violate "current public policy."

The judge also cited two budget bills approved by the General Assembly last year that repealed the 1889 act authorizing the then-governor to accept the gift of the monument and directed the Department of General Services to remove the 13-ton sculpture.

The plaintiffs argue that the budget bills were unconstitutional.

"What the Residents are asserting is that the state cannot arbitrarily take away their property rights, or remove a historic landmark, in violation of the Constitution of Virginia. If the Governor finds this assertion staggering, it can only be because he has an unlimited vision of governmental power. The state must comply with its contractual obligations, just like private citizens," attorney Patrick McSweeney argues in a legal brief filed with the Supreme Court.

The city of Richmond, which was the capital of the Confederacy for most of the Civil War, has removed more than a dozen other pieces of Confederate statuary on city land since Floyd's death, which prompted the removal of Confederate monuments in cities around the country.

Herring argues that leaving the massive monument to Lee in place will continue to cause pain to many people who see it as a symbol of Black oppression.

"This monument to Virginia's racist history has held a place of honor in Richmond for too long. The Lee statue does not represent the ideals Virginians live by today and the inclusive community that we strive to be and it is time to bring it down," Herring said in a statement.

Gregory's attorney, Joseph Blackburn, argues that removal of the statue would cause irreparable harm to Gregory.

"For 130 years, his family has taken pride in the Lee Monument and his family role in the placement of the Monument on land originally belonging to his family and given to the Commonwealth in consideration for the Commonwealth's guarantee that it would perpetually care for and protect the Monument," Blackburn wrote in a legal brief.

The statue  one of the most recognized Confederate memorials in the country  became the epicenter of the protest movement in Virginia after Floyd's death and is now covered with graffiti.

It is unclear how long the Supreme Court will take to issue its decision. The court generally averages about six to nine weeks to issue rulings after oral arguments, but there are wide variations among cases.
New technology being developed by a research team at the University of Canterbury could lead to deeper understanding of New Zealands threatened and endangered insects, paving the way to more effective conservation management.

Innovation has long been a key part of New Zealands internationally well-regarded bird conservation programmes, such as radio tracking tools for bird management.

At a stretch, this technology can also be used to study large invertebrates such as giant weta and giant land snails (Powelliphanta), but is simply too big and heavy for most insects.

Now a University of Canterbury (UC) research team is pooling its expertise across the College of Engineering to hone new tag-and-track technology that could transform our understanding of the insect world. Co-leading the project are School of Forestry senior lecturer and forest entomologist Dr Steve Pawson and signal processing expert Dr Graeme Woodward of the Wireless Research Centre.

We have fabricated about 20 test harmonic radar tags to date, allowing us to experiment with various parameters and build an understanding of tag design, says Dr Woodward, adding that these tiny tags can be as small as two or three millimetres wide.

A prototype harmonic radar tag that allows scientists to locate insects in a complex environment using radar technologies.

Being developed alongside these tags is associated unmanned aerial vehicle or drone technology.

The idea is that we could activate a swarm of UAVs that would be able to track and follow the insect in real time, explains Dr Pawson.

Unlike previous harmonic radar tracking facilities, the transmitters being fine-tuned for this project are designed with mobility in mind and to operate with a much lower power requirement.

This allows information to be gathered in complex landscapes and at greater distances at a much lower cost.

Researchers hope to commence field testing in 2023, starting with ground-based insects before tackling the complexities of tracking insects in flight.

This exciting research has potential applications in other fields too, from biosecurity to medical imaging.
Thirty nine of the Bay of Plenty's most promising female rugby talent have been named in the Volcanix wider training squad this week.

The list, featuring twenty forwards and nineteen backs representing six Bay of Plenty rugby clubs, will train over a month-long period before an official Farah Palmer squad is named just before pre-season.

When asked about the relatively large size of the initial squad, Volcanix Head Coach Rodney Gibbs exclaims that a larger group is necessary to bring everyone up to speed.

"The reason we have a squad of this size is so we can train and simulate play in a way that mirrors a real game as closely as possible," says Gibbs.

"That way, we can measure the girls against each other first and foremost, and then start looking at combinations and preparing them for what will work best moving forward."

Gibbs says the following weeks will be a good test for the girls as many have never played at a level like the Farah Palmer Cup.

"A big part of this one-month training block with this initial wider squad is to let the club girls mix it with the more experienced and Black Ferns girls.

"The physicality and skills are a big jump from the club level.

"The girls that learn quickly and can roll with the punches will give themselves the best chance of making it to the next step."

The wider squad features many familiar and expected names, including Black Ferns representatives like Les Elder, Kendra Reynolds, Pia Tapsell, Luka Connor and Kelsie Wills.

There are also a few new additions, including two exciting Australian prospects.

"Sheniqua Taula and Ashleigh Timoko are two talented footballers from across the Tasman who will be looking to make the side," says Gibbs.

"We also have three girls from Waikite who have made the squad, along with Helena Coughlan out of Opotiki, which is exciting for them.

"It will be exciting to see how these girls progress."

The Volcanix officially begin their Farah Palmer Cup campaign with an opening bout v Auckland on July 16. Click here to see the full Volcanix 2021 Farah Palmer Cup fixtures.

Volanix 2021 Wider Training Squad:

Forwards

Angel Mulu (Mount Maunganui)

Jay Jay Taylor (Mount Maunganui)

Karli Faneva (Mount Maunganui)

Kelsie Wills (Mount Maunganui)

Natalie Delamere (Mount Maunganui)

Ro Silo Togotogorua (Mount Maunganui)

Tynealle Fitzgerald (Mount Maunganui)

Helena Coughlan (Opotiki)

Brooklyn Teki-Joyce (Rangataua)

Kura Waller (Rangataua)

Les Elder (Rangataua)

Luka Connor (Rangataua)

Pia Tapsell (Rangataua)

Sereana Naqarase (Rangataua)

Baye Jacob (Rangiuru)

Jessie Wharekura (Rangiuru)

Kendra Reynolds (Rangiuru)

Santo Taumata (Rangiuru)

Te Urupounamu McGarvey (Rangiuru)

Vanea Robati (Waikite)



Backs

Grace Parata-Stewart (Mount Maunganui)

Kalyn Takitimu-Cook (Mount Maunganui)

Lisa Egberts (Mount Maunganui)

Payton Takimoana (Mount Maunganui)

Sheniqua Taula (Mount Maunganui)

Kanyon Paul (Otorohonga)

Ashleigh Timoko (Rangataua)

Autumn-Rain Stephens (Rangataua)

Azalleyah Maaka (Rangataua)

Kiki Tahere (Rangataua)

Olivia Richardson (Rangataua)

Renee Wickliffe (Rangataua)

Mererangi Paul (Rangiuru)

Layla Te Riini (Rangiuru)

Louisa Tubailagi (Rangiuru)

Sapphire Tapsell (Rangiuru)

Nadia Flavell (Rotoiti)

Kataraina Rauwhero-Stainton (Waikite)

Raukawa Tuahuru (Waikite)


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Lawton, OK (73501)

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Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Hot and humid. High 94F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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COVID-19 vaccines and the US national interest By Joseph S. Nye, Jr., exclusively for the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka View(s): View(s):

CAMBRIDGE  A century ago, an influenza pandemic killed more people than died in World War I. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has killed more Americans than died in all US wars since 1945. A big difference, however, is that science did not have a vaccine for the influenza virus back then, but now several companies and countries have created vaccines for COVID-19.

A number of wealthy democracies, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have vaccinated over half their adult populations and seen a dramatic reduction in the number of new cases and deaths. Other places, such as India, Brazil, and parts of Africa, have low vaccination rates and high rates of new cases and deaths. The Economist estimates that the pandemics true global death toll may be something like ten million people, or more than three times the official number reported by national authorities.

Given these grim statistics, should leaders of wealthy countries export vaccines and help vaccinate foreigners before they finish the job at home? When former President Donald Trump proclaimed America First, he was being consistent with democratic theory, according to which leaders are entrusted with defending and advancing the interests of the people who elected them. But as I argue in my book Do Morals Matter? The key question is how leaders define the national interest. There is a major moral difference between a myopic transactional definition, like that of Trump, and a broader, far-sighted definition.

Consider President Harry Trumans espousal of the Marshall Plan after World War II. Rather than narrowly insisting that Americas European allies repay their war loans, as the US had demanded after World War I, Truman dedicated more than two percent of Americas GDP to aiding Europes economic recovery. The process allowed Europeans to share in planning the continents reconstruction and produced a result that was good for them, but that also served Americas national interest in preventing Communist control of Western Europe.

There are four major reasons why a Marshall Plan-like effort to vaccinate people in poor countries is in the US national interest. First, it is in Americans medical interest. Viruses do not care about the nationality of the humans they kill. They simply seek a host to allow them to reproduce, and large populations of unvaccinated humans allow them to mutate and evolve new variants which can evade the protections that our vaccines produce. Given modern travel, it is only a matter of time before variants cross national borders. If a new variant arose that was capable of by-passing our best vaccines, we would have to develop a booster targeted at the new variant and vaccinate again, which could lead to more fatalities and more strain on the US medical system, as well as lockdowns and economic damage.

Our values provide the second reason that a vaccine Marshall Plan is in Americas national interest. Some foreign policy experts contrast values with interests, but that is a false dichotomy. Our values are among our most important interests, because they tell us who we are as a people. Like most people, Americans care more about their co-nationals than foreigners, but that does not mean they are indifferent to the suffering of others. Few would ignore a cry for help from a drowning person because she calls out in a foreign language. And while leaders are constrained by public opinion in a democracy, they often have considerable leeway to shape policy  and considerable resources to influence public sentiment.

A third national interest, related to the second, is soft power  the ability to influence others through attraction rather than coercion or payment. American values can be a source of soft power when others see our policies as benign and legitimate.

Most foreign policies combine hard and soft power. The Marshall Plan, for example, relied on hard economic resources and payments, but it also created a reputation for benignity and far-sightedness that attracted Europeans. As the Norwegian political scientist Geir Lundestad has argued, the American role in postwar Europe may have resembled an empire, but it was an empire by invitation. A policy of helping poor countries by providing vaccines, as well as aiding the development of their own health-care systems capacities, would increase US soft power.

Finally, there is geopolitical competition. China quickly recognised that its soft power suffered from the origin story of COVID-19 in Wuhan. Not only was there lack of clarity about how the virus originated, but in the early stages of the crisis, Chinese censorship and denial made the crisis worse than necessary before its authoritarian lockdown proved successful. Since then, China has assiduously pursued COVID-19 diplomacy in many parts of the world.

By donating medical equipment and vaccines to other countries, China has been working to change the international narrative from one of fault to one of attraction. The Biden administration has been playing catch-up, announcing that it will release 60 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, as well as 20 million additional dozes of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. In addition, the administration has pledged US$ four billion in funding for the World Health Organisations COVAX facility to help poor countries purchase vaccines and supports a temporary waiver of intellectual property to help poor countries develop capacity.

In short, for four good reasons consistent with Americas history, values, and self-interest, the US should lead a group of rich countries in a plan to vaccinate the rest of the world now, even before the job is finished at home.

Joseph S. Nye, Jr. is a professor at Harvard University and author of Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2021.

www.project-syndicate.org
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Anonymous, an international hacking organization, released a video made explicitly for Tesla's Elon Musk.

Over the last few weeks, Musk has constantly been tweeting or --trolling about bitcoin's value.

The infamous hacking group plans to target the billionaire because his rowdy tweets negatively affect the price of cryptocurrencies.

Musk is a famous personality known for previously promoting cryptocurrencies. However, he recently turned critical of the entire Bitcoin franchise ever since he suspended Tesla's plan on taking cryptocurrencies as payment for their cars. The suspensions stem from a concern about Bitcoin machines' energy use.

'Anonymous' on Exposing Elon Musk

The video is a clear testament to how the hacking group, Anonymous, feels about Elon Musk's recent social media activities.

According to Daily Mail, the group stated that Musk, Tesla's CEO, has too much power on his hands over the cryptocurrency markets. His attitude towards the market seems to tire the group, as he continues to be so cavalier.

In Musk's tweets, users found a cryptic message that seems to be an official, yet unclear profession of his breakup with the Bitcoin franchise. His tweet had the Bitcoin logo right next to a broken-heart emoji, and several attached memes on Bitcoin's plunging value.

Musk's tweet gravely affected Bitcoin - it experienced a 7 percent dive during trading on June 4, 2021.

As a result, the Anonymous group became even more frustrated with Musk.

In the video, the group's representative stated that millions of retail investors were counting on their cryptocurrency gains to improve their lives, which Elon Musk would never understand because he was born rich.

Read Also: Elon Musk Changes Twitter DP to 'Triggered' Crypto Woman; Is He Targeting Fans of Leading Cryptocurrency?

The group, later on, said that Musk's family owned a South African apartheid emerald mine, which explains why Musk does not know what struggle is like for the ordinary working people across the globe.

Although the group acknowledged the fact that Bitcoin investors took a risk by investing in the volatility of crypto, Musk's tweets clearly showed his disregard for the average investors of Bitcoin.

Indeed, hardworking people's dreams were crushed entirely and liquidated over Musk's public tantrums. But the Tesla CEO seems unfazed as he continues to mock investors with memes about Bitcoin's decline in value.

Elon Musk - Superiority/Savior Complex?

Daily Mail stated that the hacking group claimed that Musk's personality is just a facade, and that he is presenting himself as someone different from who he truly is.

According to the hacktivists, Musk seems to present himself as a person who has an immense passion for the environment, with Tesla curving the digital currency. The group mentioned that it appears Musk's desire to save the world is deeply rooted in a "superiority and savior complex," more so than it is a concern for the world.

They claim he continues to hurt the working-class people with his tweets about the crypto markets.

There were even issues about his employees having to face intolerable working conditions under his supervision for multiple years.

The group also alleged that Musk has an overseas lithium mine with young children as his employees -- both affecting the children's disposition in life, and the local environment.

According to Anonymous, Elon Musk is not everything he says he is -- and they have already issued a veiled warning.

The group ended the video and stated that Musk has already met his match, and he should expect them.

Related Article: Elon Musk Clarifies Speculation Saying Tesla Sold ZERO of Their Major Cryptocurrency Holding

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Fran Sanders

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
It turns out that the cyberattack that shut down Colonial Pipeline for a couple of days is rooted in a single compromised password of the company's virtual private network account.

It enabled the ransomware group to infiltrate the system of the largest fuel pipeline in the United States on April 29, Bloomberg reported.

Charles Carmakal, Senior Vice President of Mandiant, a FireEye subsidiary, said that the hackers took advantage of the network that gives the employees remote access to the computer network of the company.

Carmakal added that the VPN account the hackers used as a backdoor is already deactivated or unused, but it still had access to the network of Colonial Pipeline.

Password From the Dark Web

It may have been that the password that the criminal minds used were from a former employee that got hacked.

However, Carmakal noted it is still unclear how the hackers got their access to the login credentials -- and that could remain unsolved.

Engadget noted the absence of any phishing techniques. So, it might be that the ransomware gang simply reused the password, which was available on the dark web, along with other stolen login credentials.

Nevertheless, it is still a mistery how it got to the deep web.

Ransom Note

Meanwhile, Joseph Blount, Colonial Pipeline CEO, said that the attack started from a single note.

More precisely, an employee first stumbled upon a message asking for cryptocurrency ransom from one of the computer screens on May 7, a few minutes before 5 a.m.

It seems like it came from a scene straight from a blockbuster action-packed movie.

Moreover, Blount said that just an hour later, or at 6:10 a.m. to be exact, the whole pipeline has shut down its operations.

Read Also: Ransomware are 'Double Encrypting' Your Data Despite Payment-Here's How to Turn on Windows 10's Built-in Malware Blocker

Colonial Pipeline Shutdown

In a few more hours, the company warned Americans of a looming gas shortage. President Joe Biden even had to declare a state of emergency to continue the transport of fuel through the land.

At least 11 states have been affected by the fuel shortage brought upon by the shutdown and, made worse, by the panic buying of car owners. It has not only strained land vehicles, jets and airlines also had to face the wrath of the attack.

Later on, Colonial Pipeline had to pay bitcoin worth a whopping $4.4 million to restore its services. However, the company was dismayed that the decryption tool provided by the ransomware gang took too long to restore the system.

Hence, Colonial had to figure it own their own, despite paying a hefty ransom.

Related Article: Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: Gas Shortage is Coming Says CEO, Darkside Steals 100GB Worth of Data

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Apple WWDC, which is coming in a few more hours, is likely to unveil that the watchOS 8 will be carrying a "Mind" app to bring mental health features, a leak suggested.

WWDC will start unveiling what is coming to the iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS 12 from June 7 until June 11. However, even before the actual event, details are slipping out from the hands of the Cupertino giant -- albeit accidentally.

Mind App on watchOS 8

More precisely, a sneaky leaker and developer, Khaos Tian, was able to spot some app ID bundle identifiers that suggest what is likely coming to the newest Watch OS.

Tian, who goes by the Twitter username @KhaosT, tweeted about the wearable features expected to launch on Apple's WWDC.

Tian also caught Apple posting the "com.Apple.Mind" code, which suggests an app that still does not exist. It could likely be a Mind appthat the company is getting ready to announce on the WWDC.

In addition, Mac Rumors further noticed that the code used for Mind did not have a "Nano," or the code that the company uses for Apple Watch. It could mean that the unreleased app will not only be exclusive to the WatchOS.

In turn, iPhone users may also access it, despite primarily being seen by the leaker from the Watch OS App Store.

Apple Insider suggested -- perhaps from the name itself -- that the leaked app could bring support for mental health features.

Read Also: Apple iOS 14.6, iPadOS Brings Support for Apple Music's Lossless Audio, Apple Card Family, AirTags, and MORE

Tips and Contacts

Among the unreleased app, the leak also saw codes that suggest that Tips and Contacts could be directly available for Apple Watch users in the next WatchOS version.

The App Store leak revealed both "NanoTips" and "NanoContacts" codes.

As such, it could raise the possibility that the Cupertino giant is gearing up to launch features that used to be inaccessible directly from the Apple Watch.

If the features turn out to be true, it could add to the health features of the Apple Watch. On April 14, the company collaborated with researchers to use the smartwatch for COVID-19 and Flu detection.

Meanwhile, a survey also hinted that blood glucose monitoring is likely coming to Apple's wearable.

Related Article: Apple Allegedly Working on a New Wireless Charger: Is It Efficient Than AirPower?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Qadri Ismail we recruited to the Sunday Times is no more By Vijitha Yapa, Founder Editor, the Sunday Times View(s): View(s):

Three graduates from Peradeniya University applied for the posts of journalists at the Sunday Times in 1987. We wanted fresh blood and these three outclassed the others who responded to our advertisement. All three, Qadri Ismail, Romesh Fernando and J.F. Tissanayagam were recruited.

Qadri was an English Honours graduate and began to show his skills in word craft and presentation of facts early. But soon he was embroiled in controversy on English with his mentor, Professor Ashley Halpe of the Department of English, through the pages of Mervyn de Silvas The Lanka Guardian. Mervyn asked Ashley to bring the argument to a halt and Ashley sent a two-liner to conclude the confrontation. He said all this time we were taught English in the schools through W.H. Samaranayakes English with a smile but now there is a modern version, English with an Ismail.

The decision to give Lasantha Wickramatunga and Qadri space to write two weekly columns saw the birth of a controversial adventure. While Lasantha wrote the inside stories on politics and gave intricate details including the menus partaken at meals by politicians, Qadri was adept at writing on any subject under the sun. But unlike Lasantha, Qadris comments on politics meant he was immersed in controversy.

If there is one journalist who was responsible for the rise of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader M.H.M. Ashraff in the political scenario, it was Qadri. Ashraffs decision to grow a beard like the Prophet led to heated arguments with some Muslims who asked whether the Quran had mentioned that the prophet had a beard.

With the controversy raging, some extremist Muslim elements decided to set fire to copies of the Sunday Times outside Zahira College and we felt the time had come to close the debate. Qadri, who retired to the lounge of the now defunct Park View Chinese hotel on Friday night after writing his weekly column with a Heineken beer, was annoyed but felt it was time to stop the debate.

As a journalist he maintained his links with those in Government and opposition and also with the LTTE. He revealed how an LTTE cadre in south India operated a radio which kept the LTTE leaders informed of what was happening during the Anuradhapura massacre of civilians. The startling information revealed was that during the operation, RAW agents were with him at the time of the massacre  and knew the events unfolding on that day.

The Sunday Times sent two people from Colombo to cover events in Jaffna before the IPKF landed their troops. My regular walks with my immediate neighbour on Stanmore Crescent, National Security Minister Lalith Athulathmudali, paid dividends as he told me 24 hours before the IPKF landed that the Indians were sending troops. It was a closely guarded secret and we responded within an hour and dispatched two journalists to Jaffna. Thus we had firsthand reports from our staffers Tyronne Devotta and photographer Pushpakumara Matugama. While other papers were quoting defence officials we had the scoop and our circulation soared.

When Prabhakaran had a news conference after the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed we sent Qadri to cover the event. The event was dominated by foreign journalists who had come to cover the event but Qadri was able to get a question in near the tail-end of the news conference. He asked Prabhakaran now that it looked as if the Tamils had made peace with the Sinhalese, whether he had any message for the Sinhala people. All the questions put to Prabhakaran in English had to be translated to Tamil but an annoyed Prabhakaran chose not to wait for the translation and looked at Qadri and replied in English: No.

Meanwhile, down south the conflict with the JVP was raging. In Colombo there was a dramatic event when Lalith Athulathmudali called a sudden news conference with one K.C. Senanayake who said he was from the JVP. Lalith then announced that the JVP will begin negotiations with the Government. No one knew anything about KC and the JVPer was not communicative either. Qadri spoke to him after the news conference and discovered where he lived and arranged to meet him that evening for a drink. They had not one drink but many. Next morning Qadri walked into my office and said the whole story was a hoax. We carried the story in the Sunday Times exposing who KC (who we called King Con) was and we were the only newspaper to reveal the truth about the fraudster. What amazed us how Lalith fell victim to this con artist who had nothing to do with the JVP.

Within a few weeks, the IPKF decided to take action against the LTTE for serious violations and we were keen for a firsthand report from Jaffna. Qadri agreed to go but after the first report there was silence. We were worried. Where was he? Was he taken into custody by the Army or the IPKF or the LTTE? We inquired from our Army and defence sources as well as contacts in the LTTE but no one had any news. Qadris father, lawyer Shakir Ismail, was very angry with us and stormed into the office asking for news of his son.

At last we had news that he was in a hospital in Jaffna. He had been travelling in an LTTE tractor when an IPKF helicopter spotted them and opened fire. Qadri had a bullet wound in his neck and was hospitalised. An operation to remove the bullet in his neck would have been fatal as it was a few centimetres from a nerve. We were told that a wrong move could paralyse him and with the help of the Sri Lanka Army he was flown down to Colombo but he had to live with the bullet for the rest of his life.

He went to Washington, USA, to be with his cousin and decided to stay on there. At the time of his death Qadri was Associate Professor of English at the University of Minnesota. He had told some friends he would visit them last Monday but never showed up. He did not respond to their phone calls. They found him dead when they visited his apartment that evening.

Goodbye Qadri. You lived a full and adventurous life and we will miss you. To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.
(Photo : GettlyImages/ Pool) South Korea space program

South Korea announced it would accelerate its space development program by boosting cooperation with the United States, in a move that may help the Biden administration's Asia strategy to counter China's growing influence around the world.

South Korea's Space Development Program

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a speech on June 6 that they will expand their space cooperation with the international community, including the United States. He added that Seoul would speed up its space launch development program, according to Bloomberg.

President Moon Jae-in's speech came two weeks after U.S. President Joe Biden met Moon at the White House as part of Washington's plan to build a united front with allies against security threats posed by the likes of North Korea and China.

South Korea and the U.S. agreed to terminate bilateral missile guidelines that have long restricted Seoul's missile development to under the range of 800km.

Also Read: U.S. Can Shoot Down China's Uncontrolled Long March 5 Rocket, But Refuses to Do It-Even If the Crash Could Happen Soon

The end of the guideline puts major Chinese cities under South Korea's missile range, and it increases Seoul's ability to strike North Korea, according to The Straits Times.

President Moon said that the termination of the missile guideline means that they have secured their missile sovereignty and marks the start of their journey to space.

Based on the South Korea-US alliance, they will respond more proactively to the changing security environment.

After the US-South Korea summit in Washington, South Korea joined NASA's moon-exploration coalition, becoming the 10th signatory nation to the Artemis Accord, which was a pact that governs behavior norms of those taking part in the lunar exploration program.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea plans to spend 615 billion won or $732 million in 2021 on space development aimed at boosting its capacity to produce rockets, satellites, and other key equipment.

In his speech, President Moon also suggested that South Korea could play a massive role in the international state.

Moon said that South Korea's alliance with the U.S. is to protect democratic values and human rights, adding that Seoul wants to develop it into a more comprehensive alliance.

South Korea's Space Mission

The chief of South Korea's space agency has promised to spin off near-term applications to the private sector and refocus the agency on long-term investments that won't pay off until 2050, according to Space News.

The spin-off applications were part of a broad reform plan unveiled by Lee Sang-Ryool, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute president or KARI president, during his May 6 online news conference, the first event of this kind since he took office March 23 for a three-year term.

The chief added that nothing had been decided yet as to what the agency will choose to explore as a long-term project and what to yield to the private sector.

No matter what happens, it seems that Lee's leadership will fuel South Korea's ongoing journey toward the domestic satellite industry being driven by the private sector.

The journey got off to a good start with the CAS500-1 remote sensing satellite launch in March. KARI jointly developed the 500-kilogram satellite with a group of selected industry partners starting in 2015, sharing its core technologies and information with the latter from the start, the first case of its kind.

Related Article: StratSpace, Phantom Space Collab: Expect Cheaper Out-of-This-World Travel, Faster Rocket Manufacturing

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Huawei, the big-name Chinese tech company that seems to be a thorn in the U.S. government's side, is on the headlines again, but not in the way people might think.

A South China Morning Post report reveals that a lot of other developed countries don't really consider Huawei as concerning. The Overseas Development Institute, a group based in London, notably stated that a certain policy involving Chinese investment in tech infrastructure isn't yielding anything positive as of the moment, despite fears that the company's infrastructure could pose a massive spying risk.

As a result, Huawei may have to focus on being self-sufficient in researching and producing their tech, including the manufacture of semiconductor chips. This could be something that would work in Huawei's favor these days, given that the company is currently building 5G infrastructure in France.

It's worth noting that the Chinese government has been quite the thorn in the side of the U.S. government, though the latter hasn't really been successful in terms of having the company banned in a lot of Western countries, including the U.K., as stated in a report by WIRED last year.

For now, Huawei is investing a massive amount of money in establishing some beachhead in the European market, where they hope to supply around $1.2 billion worth of 5G equipment when their French manufacturing facility opens up in 2023.

Read also: Huawei HarmonyOS Phone List | Life Without Google

Huawei and its Major Forays into Western Tech Space

According to an interview with the BBC, Huawei Chief Executive Richard Yu stated that the U.S. might be scared because the company is too competitive. And perhaps he wasn't kidding because the brand has been steadily making major moves in the Western tech space.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Huawei's new mobile operating system, HarmonyOS, is going to replace Android in a lot of upcoming smartphones. But a lot of experts are saying that the O.S. isn't really that much different compared to Android, which could mean that users might not have a hard time adjusting.

It seems like not a lot of things are stopping the Chinese tech giant from making even greater waves in Western (and maybe even global) space, which has fueled speculation over the years. But France allowing the company to build a multi-billion-dollar manufacturing plant right in its wheelhouse seems like more than enough proof that the West is more than willing to open its doors.

U.S. To Blame for the Massive Chip Shortage?

According to Huawei, yes. The global chip shortage that has gripped tech industries all over the world is due to American sanctions against the company. As a result, a lot of tech companies (even Chinese ones) are stockpiling inventory, with most of them having over six months' worth already.

Then again, this is still something that remains to be seen for the foreseeable future. For now, it seems like U.S. fears against Huawei aren't being realized.

Related: HarmonyOS Will Be on Huawei Watch 3, Leak Reveals - What Phones Will Get the Newest Update?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by RJ Pierce

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google, Apple, and Microsoft decided to work together to bring a smoother and better internet browsing experience. These giant tech firms confirmed that they will recruit other companies to join their innovation.

As of the moment, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge are the leading browsers that people use to search on the internet. Each of them has some advantages over the other. And now, all these internet tools and Mozilla Firefox confirmed that they will improve their extensions to enhance the overall user experience.

If you have no idea what is an extension on a search tool, this technology is an add-on in the top browsers. This means that it can be downloaded depending on your choice. To give you more idea, here are the details of the newly formed WebExtensions Community Group.

Google, Apple, and Microsoft Collab

According to Gadgets Now's the latest report, Google, Microsoft, and Apple created the so-called WebExtensions Community Group. This collaboration is specifically developed to help various engineers by offering them a new platform.

Also Read: TikTok Algorithm Coincidentally Detects a User's ADHD before Anyone Else Could

This innovation will help these developers create a unified and secure extension.

Google and its new partners confirmed that their WECG is excited to explore how browser vendors and other interested companies can work together to create a common browser extension platform.

Although this is the case, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla didn't confirm if they will delete their independent extensions in the future. As of the moment, the best thing you can do as a consumer is to wait for the giant tech firms' final decision.

Google's Own Innovation

Although the three giant tech firms joined forces, Google is still making some efforts to benefit its consumers. The search engine giant said that its popular Chrome browser will soon notify the user if an extension can be trusted or not.

The Verge explained that this new feature is designed to make spot dubious downloads and extensions easier to access. On the other hand, Google also explained that this new safety feature is also built upon Chrome's Enhanced Safe Browsing feature.

For more news updates about Google, Apple, and Microsoft collaboration, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Fossil Wear OS Excludes Current Line-Up With Upcoming Upgrade After Samsung and Google Acquired Tizen

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC), two of the world's largest and most influential chipmakers, are deep in their efforts of trying to alleviate the global chip shortage. And they're doing most of that, weirdly, in the middle of the desert.

According to a report by ArsTechnica, Intel and TSMC are currently building new manufacturing plants in Arizona. The former is planning to spend a massive $20 billion to build two more chip foundries there, according to CNBC. This may sound awesome until you realize that Arizona is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth.

TSMC is not far behind too. With their local fabs in Taiwan being held back by record-breaking drought, they're looking elsewhere to build their factories. Arizona seems like a place where they want to do business, as they plan to spend a cool $3.5 billion to build their own facility in the state, according to AllAboutCircuits. They plan to have the facility operational and productive by 2024.

But why are two of the largest semiconductor makers in the world setting up shop in one of the driest places on the planet? The answer might be a little surprising.

Read also: Intel Reveals New 11th Gen Processors, Taking Windows Laptops to the Next Level

Intel and TSMC's Weird But Logical Reasons

For those who are unaware of the connection between water and tech, here's something you should know: chip manufacturing is extremely dependent on a steady water supply. This then makes Arizona the most counterintuitive place out there in terms of setting up chip factories, right?

The state itself only gets about 13.6 inches of rainfall every year, less than half the U.S. average. This is supposed to be bad for chip foundries on paper. But researchers say this about these factories: they're like indoor swimming pools. You need a lot of water to fill them up, but you don't need a lot to keep them running.

What this means is that a typical chip foundry like that of Intel or TSMC may actually not need that much water to keep itself operational in the long run. In fact, they may even help conserve water because these companies tend to focus a lot on purification and reclamation. Intel alone is one of the leading companies to fund water restoration projects throughout Arizona, paying for a total of 15 projects in the area.

As for TSMC, a U.S. expansion has actually been in the works for a while. They cited Phoenix, AZ as their top candidate location for a foundry, where they will make a host of 5nm chips for partners such as AMD, Apple, and Qualcomm. Aside from that, they also bared plans to erect a much larger, $25-billion factory in the area to produce 3nm chips.

Not the First Time Doing This

Intel is no stranger to building chip fabs in some of the most water-starved places people can think of. Earlier this year, they were reported to spend $3.5 billion on a New Mexico factory upgrade. New Mexico is basically dryer than Arizona, as it receives an annual average rainfall of 13 inches.

But with the global chip shortage hampering a world getting more dependent on tech, any news on new semiconductor factories being put up is surely a welcome sight.

Related: Will the CPU and GPU Shortage End?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by RJ Pierce

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Pixabay/spencerbdavis1) Covid-19 vaccines

The United States is donating 750,000 vaccine doses for COVID-19 to Taiwan in a program to distribute shots around the world. This move may also help improve the ongoing global chip shortage by avoiding a complete lockdown for the country as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

U.S. to Donate Vaccines

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, Dan Sullivan, and Christopher Coons announced the plan at Songshan Airport in Taipei as part of the official visit. This will be considered as the first batch of vaccine doses donated by the U.S.

According to Reuters, Duckworth said at a news conference that it was crucial to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because they recognize the urgent need and value their partnership.

Also Read: Huawei: U.S. to Blame for Global Chip Shortage That Could Trigger Economic Crisis

Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked the United States for the donation before he declared that while they are doing their best to import vaccines, Taiwan is adamant about solving issues to ensure that these vaccines are delivered free of trouble from China.

While China has offered vaccines that they've developed, Taipei voiced their concerns about their safety. Taiwan has banned vaccines from China as a result of their ongoing feud.

The U.S. donation follows a similar act by Japan, which donated 1.24 million doses on June 5, according to Apple Insider.

As of June 6, only 3% of the 23.5 million people have received the vaccination. The majority of them only got their first shot and are still awaiting the second dose. Taiwan is currently suffering from a rise in COVID-19 cases.

The pandemic's problems in Taiwan are expected to worsen the global chip shortage, with infections shutting down two key Apple supplier King Yuan Electronics factories on June 5.

Currently, Taiwan has been placed on warning level 3 due to the number of daily COVID-19 cases that it has reported. This is a level below another total lockdown. If another lockdown happens, it will force numerous facilities around the country to shutdown and halt production, according to CNBC.

COVID-19's Effect on Production

The COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting the operation of numerous Apple suppliers.

On June 6, Nissan announced that its latest electric SUV, Ariya, will be delayed because of the combination of the coronavirus pandemic and the effects of the global chip shortage, Reuters reported.

Nissan announced in 2020 that it had planned to start sales of the Ariya in Japan from mid-2021. However, the rollout of the limited model in Japan has been pushed to this winter, executive vice president Asako Hoshino stated.

Hoshino said that the sales in the United States and Europe will usually come around two months later. Nissan is expecting the new model to sell around thousands during its first years of sales. It is expected Europe will be the area where the demand will be the highest.

Hoshino added that in Europe, the Ariya will contribute to the overall unit sales when she was asked what the significance of the model is to Nissan.

The Ariya is Nissan's first brand-new electronic vehicle in almost a decade after the Leaf hatchback, which made its mark as the world's first mass-market electric vehicle.

The model will also be sold in China, but no specific timeline has been given yet.

Related Article: Global Chip Shortage to Persist Until 2023--Demands for PC to Slightly 'Soften' in the Next Years

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has withdrawn a subpoena demanding data about readers of online publication USA TODAY as part of a federal criminal investigation.

For those unaware, the FBI subpoena was seeking information from readers who read a USA Today article published on February 2, 2021, about the killing of two FBI agents while the agents were serving a warrant in a child exploitation case in Florida.

The FBIs subpoena sought IP addresses and other potentially identifying information for computers or other electronic devices of readers who accessed the February 2, 2021 article from 00:03-00:38 UTC on 2/3/2021  i.e., between 8.03 PM and 8.38 PM on February 2, 2021. IP addresses can be used to find a computers location and owner.

FBI had issued the subpoena to Gannett, USA Todays parent company, in April and had asked them to keep the request under wraps indefinitely and provide all the requested information by May 29, 2021.

Although Gannetts lawyers had tried to contact the FBI, the agency did not specify or provide an explanation for the subpoena.

The issue became public only after Gannett filed a case in court requesting the judge to cancel the subpoena.

According to Gannett, the subpoena was deemed unconstitutional and invaded the rights of both the news organization and its readers. It also breaches the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the free press from government interference.

The FBI has failed to demonstrate compliance with the United States Attorney Generals regulations for subpoenas to the pressregulations that President Biden himself recently pledged the Administration would follow, the companys lawyers wrote.

Being forced to tell the government who reads what on our websites is a clear violation of the First Amendment. The FBIs subpoena asks for private information about the readers of our journalism. We have asked the court to quash the subpoena to protect the important relationship and trust between USA TODAYs readers and our journalists, USA Today publisher Maribel Perez Wadsworth said in a statement.

The FBI on Saturday withdrew the subpoena after investigators found the suspect through other means, according to a notice the Justice Department sent to USA TODAYs attorneys.

Charles Tobin, who represents Gannett, USA TODAYs parent company said the Justice Departments decision to withdraw the subpoena should remind the Biden administration of the importance of an independent press.

The governments own guidelines require the FBI to pursue alternative sources before subpoenaing a newspaper. This is a reminder of why that restraint makes perfect sense, Tobin said.

Following the withdrawal of the FBI subpoena, Gannett also withdrew its motion asking a federal judge in Washington, D.C., to cancel the subpoena.
Some residents of Tolox have found a new hobby: creating mosaics, piece by piece. Every day volunteers head for Calle Rinconada del Castillo to expand their knowledge of this art with Jose Antonio Gonzalez, a painter, artist and teacher.

Gonzalez's project is to build a mosaic on the steps of this street in the old part of the village. "I had never done anything like this before, but it's great and people are making new friends," said Gonzalez, who designed the mosaic. It is in the form of large red flower, and is called Solea 2021.

About 20 people have joined the project, which began with two weeks cutting the pieces of tile for the mosaic. Then they had to be put in place. People work at different speeds, so it is taking shape in an unusual fashion.

"Everyone has their own technique and it's interesting to see. Some people like to take their time, others see it as something to get finished as quickly as possible," said Gonzalez.

"It is even an opportunity for people to practise their English and Spanish. We are hoping to do something similar elsewhere in the village," said Paqui Garcia, who is the deputy mayor of Tolox.
The blue and yellow flag is one of the most eye-catching banners on the Costa del Sol, displayed by many Swedish citizens - visiting or settled here.

The Swedes are known to be somewhat patriotic and are not afraid to show love for their country, despite leaving their beloved homeland for warmer climes.

For example, Ingvar Kamprad, founder of furniture company Ikea, also left Sweden in 1973, but nevertheless his successful business is clearly devoted to his homeland - from the blue and yellow colours of the store to the products named after Swedish places as well as display of the Swedish flag.

A Swedish flag on teh Costa del Sol to mark 6 June. / A. M. S.

The Swedish flag in Spain 'under the auspices' of Ikea might actually have a 40-year anniversary this year. Though it is claimed that the first Ikea in Spain was opened in Badalona (Barcelona) in 1996, a small Ikea store had already been opened on the island of Gran Canaria, in 1981.

Since 2007, the Swedish flag has been flying on the flagpole at the Ikea store in Bahia Azul retail park, located close to Malaga airport.

While easily identifiable thanks to the furniture giant and its famous meatballs, the origins of the Swedish flag are not that well known.

It is believed that the blue-yellow banner with the Nordic cross goes back to the middle of the 16th century. The blue background symbolises perseverance, justice, and truth, while the gold/yellow cross demonstrates generosity.

Malaga's first Swedish flag was apparently flown by the Consulate of the Kingdom of Sweden in 1737. Since then, the country has always had a diplomatic mission in Malaga province. Last century, an Honorary Consulate of Sweden was established in Fuengirola, but in 2002 it was moved to Malaga.

Nevertheless, Fuengirola remains the most Swedish spot on the Costa del Sol. The Swedish flag can be found here on the emblem of the local Swedish school - one of the biggest abroad and also the oldest, as it was founded in 1969. A year later the Swedish church opened its doors on the Costa del Sol.

A Swedsih vessel in Malaga port. / A. M. S.

Malaga port has welcomed many vessels with the Swedish flag, and in 1999 it even became a base for one of them - the three-mast brigantine schooner with today's name Cervantes Saavedra. This ship was built at the Swedish shipyards in Gothenburg under the name Sydostbrotten in 1934. It started a new life at sea under the name Atlantic Wanderer, still under the Swedish flag, at the beginning of the 80s. Between 1999 and 2008, the ship, then renamed the Amorina, became based in the port of Malaga, although it continued using the Swedish flag. Only after acquiring a Spanish owner in 2007 was the ship transformed into a school ship that required the Spanish flag and was re-baptised with the name of Cervantes Saavedra.

Real estate offices, shops, restaurants and clinics are among the establishments that fly the Swedish flag on the Costa del Sol.

One of the pioneers of Swedish business on the Costa del Sol is Claes 'Kiko' Rene who moved to the Malaga coastline in 1969. Between 1984 and 1992 he worked in ship-building in Torremolinos. In Kiko's current office in Benalmadena you will find the Swedish flag, as well as local magazines in Swedish with the blue-yellow colours - El Sueco and Svenska Magasinet. Opened in Puerto Banus in 1986 by the Swedish owner Jill Lindberg, Los Bandidos quickly became one of the dining hotspots and remains an iconic restaurant with Swedish cuisine and the flag.

The Swedish hair salon in Fuengirola. / A. M. S.

Since 1984, a sign reading Svenska Frisorer (Swedish hairdressers) with a big Swedish flag on it has been visible in the very centre of Fuengirola. Ann-Katrin and Amador are considered to be the first Swedish hairdressers on the Costa del Sol. The salon at Las Rampas was popular with men and women from Nordic countries, as well the United Kingdom.

This year their Swedish flag will disappear; Amador turned 75 and in winter made the decision to close the business.

Over recent years, Nerja has 'hosted' more Swedish flags in its streets because of increased popularity of the resort town among Swedes.
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Aldi could be planning multiple stores in Lafayette, recent job listings show.

The popular national discount grocer had already announced plans to build one Lafayette store but could also open stores on Louisiana Avenue at Interstate 10 and in the shopping center at the corner of Kaliste Saloom Road and Ambassador Caffery Parkway.

Another store could open in New Iberia.

Company job listings in Louisiana indicate the company is seeking store managers for store at 4510 Ambassador Caffery Parkway and the store at 3200 Louisiana Ave.

Aldi will open in the former Winn-Dixie anchor space of the Caffery Center, according to the shopping centers owner, Houston-based Realm Realty. The space has since been divided with a fitness studio occupying half.

The store at Louisiana Avenue could be next to the RaceTrac store across the street from Stirling Lafayette shopping center, records indicate.

That store is near the site of planned Super 1 Food Store, which city officials announced in 2014 as an anchor for a large commercial development. Super 1's parent company, Brookshire's Grocery Co., has not commented on the development.

No job is listed for the store at Curran Lane, which got city approval early last year despite some concerns from nearby residents. Plans there call for Curran Lane to be extended across Ambassador Caffery and the store to be built on a 3-acre section of land across the street from the Walmart Supercenter.

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That deal remains, a source said. The deal to acquire the land is still pending.

Aldi announced earlier this year it planned to open 100 new stores in the United States and began construction of a distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, in February. It is also seeking store managers for five stores planned for the New Orleans area.

Aldi to open distribution center in Alabama to supply Lafayette store, part of Louisiana expansion Aldi, which has announced plans for a store in Lafayette, will open a regional headquarters and distribution center near Mobile, Alabama, to s

It plans to open its first store in Louisiana next year at an undetermined site.

The New Iberia job posting listed the address as 1102 E. Admiral Doyle Drive but does not include which space in the shopping center.

The position of store manager trainee starts at $23 an hour with an opportunity to earn more than $61,000 a year, according to the job listing.

Aldi specializes in only fast-moving grocery items instead of the wide variety carried in traditional supermarkets. A typical Aldi will carry about 1,300 items stocked on four or five aisles with spacious checkouts and without services like a pharmacy or in-store bank.

Customers can bring their own shopping bags or buy reusable ones from the store. They also must pay a quarter for a shopping cart, but the coin is refunded upon the cart's return to the storefront.
Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission
The Louisiana Watercolor Society presented awards to artists in the summer show on June 6 at Oak Knoll Country Club in Hammond.
Donaldsonville is ready to compete this year for a national prize that recognizes small communities doing exceptional work in revitalizing and preserving their historic downtowns.

It usually takes a city more than one year's application for the the Great American Main Street Award to become a winner, said Lee Melancon, Donaldsonville's director of community and economic development.

But with several downtown projects in the works that should be opening or near-opening next year, he said now's the time to throw Donaldsonville's hat in the ring.

"We'll give it a shot," Melancon said.

In May, Donaldsonville received its 2021 accreditation from Main Street America by meeting rigorous standards in its work to bring economic growth and quality-of-life to its downtown  the overarching goal of the national program based in Jacksonville, Florida.

It's an accreditation standing that Donaldsonville has kept continuously for the last 10 years. The city is accredited with the Louisiana Main Street program, as well, Melancon said.

Louisiana Main Street, housed in the state's Office of Cultural Development, works hand-in-hand with Main Street America.

"The accreditations make the city eligible for a number of grant opportunities and tax credit opportunities," he said.

"We are probably most recognized for our level of planning in economic development  recruiting investors and developers who might be from outside our community, but also helping local owners use reinvestment dollars for their businesses," Melancon said.

"We've had a lot of growth," he added.

New projects coming to Donaldsonville's Historic Cultural District include the development of the Lemann Building on Mississippi Street, which dates to the 1870s and was once the city's general store, into a mixed-use residential and commercial space, expected to open next year.

Historic building in downtown Donaldsonville to be repurposed for 'exciting' development A vacant building dating to the 1870s in downtown Donaldsonville that once served as the city's general store is being redeveloped into mixed-

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A new restaurant, La Cocina Mexitalia Cuisine, is coming to Railroad Avenue in what was once the Matassa Variety Store, with the property's restoration to begin this summer.

Melancon said two new retailers, as well as a physical therapy clinic, are also in the permitting or planning stages for Railroad Avenue, the main street of Donaldsonville's historic downtown.

La Cocina Mexitalia Cuisine to open on Railroad Avenue in Donaldsonville The Donaldsonville Downtown Development District announced on its Facebook page that Reagan Katz and Irasema Katz have launched plans to open 

And more is on the way, thanks to local nonprofits. The Donaldsonville Area Foundation is spearheading efforts to open the Historic Donaldsonville General Store and Museum at the John Folse Building, formerly the Mistretta general store, on Railroad Avenue.

The foundation also plans to open the Guinchard Center for the Arts on Lessard Street, in what was once an antiques and furniture shop.

The River Road African American Museum in downtown Donaldsonville is working to restore its historic Rosenwald School that sits near the museum into a place of learning for the community, thanks to a $300,000 grant it received last year from Shell.

+2 This historic school building could play big role in River Road museum's 25th anniversary DONALDSONVILLE  The people who run the River Road African American Museum here have given themselves a homework assignment of sorts as they p

Louisiana Main Street evaluates Donaldsonville's Downtown Development District every year, as part of the national and state Main Street accreditation process.

"Main Street is a preservation-based, economic-development based program that primarily works with small towns, with populations of 50,000 or less," Ray Scriber, director of Louisiana Main Street, said.

The state program currently works with 35 communities  31 of those are small towns and four of those are neighborhood commercial districts in New Orleans, Scriber said.

"One of the things we talk about is preservation of place and a sense of place  to celebrate what you have," he said.

"Donaldsonville has a unique character," Scriber said, "it has beautiful historic buildings and people who are interested in returning those buildings to good use."
Spurred by Donald Trumps fallacious assertions of a stolen election, Republican-dominated statehouses around the country have passed into law an unprecedented number of changes to elections procedures on the grounds of increasing ballot security.

Critics, including President Joe Biden, say the new laws are nothing but a 21st Century rehash of Jim Crow-era voting barriers aimed at keeping minorities and low-income workers from participating.

Though both contenders attracted more votes than any presidential candidate before, Biden beat Trump by more than 7 million votes in November 2020 election that made wide use of mail ballots and drop-off boxes to increase accessibility during the pandemic.

Florida, Iowa, Georgia, and other states have passed laws that require additional identification from voters, shorten timeframes to apply for mail ballots, limit the use of drop boxes that make returning those ballots more difficult, empower partisan poll watchers, ease purges of voter registration rolls, limit the number of polling places, and even forbid giving water to voters standing in line. This year, through mid-May, 14 states have enacted 22 new laws that restrict access to vote, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, a policy research institute that has been tracking the legislation and reports monthly.

+2 Louisiana's early voting period could expand by 4 days under this advancing proposal A proposal to add four days to Louisiana's early voting period for presidential elections edged closer to final passage Wednesday after gainin

But not in Louisiana.

Partly thats because in-person voting goes much quicker and few Louisiana voters have to endure the hours-long waits that were seen in Atlanta and Houston. More Louisiana voters cast mail ballots in November but that was largely because the state was ordered by a federal court to relax some of its requirements during the pandemic.

And partly, of course, is that despite Republicans tight hold on the Legislature, statewide offices and the congressional delegation, Louisiana has a Democratic governor.

I believe that the legislators in Louisiana understand without asking that Im not going to sign a bill that makes it harder to register to vote or vote in Louisiana in light of the fact that our elections have been held in a way that they have not resulted in any real allegation of fraud, Edwards said last week. Were not going to create problems for people unnecessarily, especially something that is so important as participating in our democracy and choosing who our leaders are, the direction of our state. Were just not going to do that in Louisiana while Im the governor.

We already had similar laws (that have been passed elsewhere) and we allow the secretary of state the discretion to put a lot of safeguards in place, said House Republican Majority Leader Blake Miguez, who represents Erath.

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has done an excellent job of bringing everyone to the table, said Peter Robins-Brown, who handles policy for Louisiana Progress, a liberal Baton Rouge-based advocacy group. Ardoin, a Republican who runs elections in Louisiana, has sat down with each of the legislators seeking changes in voting procedures to work out ways to address their concerns.

He has taken a lot of heat and he has been able to navigate a difficult local and national situation in very diplomatic way, Robins-Brown added.

Louisiana lawmakers filed 25 election-related instruments for consideration. Some were abandoned along the way.

Senator drops controversial bid to move Louisiana's congressional elections to closed primaries A state senator has dropped a bid to change Louisianas unique jungle primary system for congressional races in favor of closed party primarie

The four measures already signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards included two  House Bill 319 and House 214  that increase training for elections supervisors. Of the six voting rights bills that have cleared the Legislature and sit on his desk now, one extends the number of early voting days, House Bill 286. The only controversial one, House Bill 20, would prohibit private funders from helping defer the expenses of putting on an election.

Four others are scheduled for a vote by the full Senate or House  including House Bill 329, which would allow 17-year-olds to accompany their parents beyond the curtains to watch their parents vote.

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A much-amended Senate Bill 224, by Republican Sen. Heather Cloud, of Turkey Creek, is scheduled Monday for a final House passage vote. The measure started out seeking more identification and requiring ID verification from voters wanting to use mail ballots. SB224 has been toned down to now only require that absentee ballots list the last four digits of the voters social security number, which already is included on mail ballots as a verification option.

Its because we havent had the allegations of fraud, said John Stefanski, the Crowley Republican who chairs the House & Governmental Affairs Committee that handles election-related legislation.

Louisiana secretary of state talks at Ascension GOP Roundtable Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin was the keynote speaker at the April Ascension GOP Roundtable at the Clarion Inn in Gonzales.

Our narrative is a little different, he said, adding that a lot of constituents are more interested in how the new voting machines are chosen.

Louisianas current fleet of voting machines are a couple decades old. Replacing the older machines with newer ones was something of an odyssey even before the presidential elections. Dominion Voting Systems Corp., an equipment and software company founded in Canada with headquarters in Denver, won the early phase of a bidding process that was successfully challenged as unfair by the losers. Work on a new bidding process is still ongoing.

After the presidential election, a QAnon conspiracy theory, picked up by right-wing media as accurate despite no evidence whatsoever, claimed Dominion was secretly owned by either Venezuelans or Chinese, depending on the thread, and had purposely changed millions of votes to throw the election to Biden.

One measure, Senate Bill 221, addressed the acquisition of voting machines and passed both chambers. The instrument is sitting in conference committee to hash out final wording changes.

SB221 would create a 13-member Voting System Commission that would research voting systems and help guide Ardoin on which type to pursue. It also creates a Voting System Proposal Evaluation Committee to test possible voting systems.

Proposals to change voting machine-buying process, audit Louisiana's elections move forward A Louisiana Senate panel on Tuesday backed a proposal to make a host of changes to how Louisiana buys new voting machines, after a recent effo

The sponsor of that legislation, Sen. Sharon Hewitt, the Slidell Republican who chairs the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a hearing last week that she would like to amend two House-passed measures into SB221 and present an omnibus for legislators to vote on before this years session adjourns at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Ardoin is working with her. She and Ardoin did not respond to messages seeking comment on Friday. One lawmaker, who is close to the process but asked not to be identified, said work on crafting the omnibus is going on through the weekend.

One of the potential measures to be included is House Bill 653, by Central Republican Rep. Barry Ivey. That bill is a more detailed version of how new voting machines should be chosen and used along with when paper ballots could augment the voting procedures. Hewitt also wants to include House Bill 704, by Denham Springs Republican Rep. Valarie Hodges, which provides definitions on the selection of voting machines but also contains how and when to shift to relying on paper ballots as backups plus enhances the powers of partisan poll watchers.

Hodges said she was open to merging HB704 with SB221 but had a few non-negotiable points she wanted included, such as enhanced poll watchers.

I would rather pass the bill out, Hodges told the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee of her HB704 after Hewitt broached the idea of merging the bills. I know thats what the people of Louisiana want.

Hodges bill is set for a Senate vote on Sunday night, if it isnt added to the Hewitt measure.

Blake Paterson of the Capitol news bureau contributed to this report
There are two speeds in Benarraba: in the real world the pace of life is slow, but in the digital version it is fast. People in this small village in the Genal Valley proudly preserve their traditional way of life (which has been renamed as a 'slow' philosophy) but they also navigate the internet at a dizzying speed, thanks to the fibre optic which was fully installed in the municipality over two years ago.

This technology, compared with copper wire and the now ancient ADSL, which is still used in places where fibre cannot reach, offers up to 1 symmetric Gbps, and this has improved the running of businesses, facilitated online classes, practically removed the need to visit the town hall for administrative matters, allowed people to work from home, helped others to move to the village, and even made up for the lack of a bank, because the local branch of Unicaja only opens one day a week.

These are all advantages which put paid to the idea that living in a village means putting up with a bad internet connection. In Benarraba it is fast, with greater bandwidth, better video and audio quality, less interference and better security.

For the people of Benarraba, the cuts in the service, the breakdowns that lasted for days, the long waits in front of the computer or other device to download or upload data or connect to a website, the frozen videocalls and, among other problems, the poor mobile phone coverage, have become a thing of the past, because fibre optic enables the advance of wireless networks (at present Benarraba has 4G and is awaiting 5G).

"This is essential. Having fibre brings us closer to things because we are physically far away from infrastructure and services. Being able to connect to the internet at any time and be guaranteed an effective service is the solution that villages need," says the mayor, Silvestre Barroso, who is convinced that the strategy to combat depopulation lies in improving digitalisation. "Repairing roads, improving spaces, enhancing tourist visits... all that is fine, but it is essential to be able to offer a good internet connection so people can work, attend online classes, make businesses more competitive and also attract new residents and stop those that are already here from leaving," he says.

That is why, when the engineers from Telefonica (the service is offered by different operators, but this was the company chosen in this case) came to Benarraba to start the installation, the town hall assigned two council employees to help them.

"The installation only took two weeks. Local people were already signing up, while it was being installed," says Barroso, who also explains that the Telefonica infrastructure close to the village also helped to facilitate the installation. He is also keen to point out that Benarraba coped better with the pandemic because of its speedy internet.

The town hall, which now functions almost 100 per cent digitally, has also organised classes on the use of the internet, especially for elderly residents of the village, who had the opportunity to learn how to use digital banking.

Antonio Santos

Antonio Santos, working at his home. / V. M.

"Move here without fibre? It would be impossible"

Antonio Santos lives in Benarraba. He works in the billing department of the multinational SYNLAB, which has a presence in 40 countries, employs 22,000 staff and specialises in medical diagnostics, with laboratory services for human and veterinary medicine and environmental analysis. Along with his partner, who is a teacher in a school in another village, and their 22-month-old son, Antonio is a new arrival to the village.

At the height of the pandemic they decided to move to the village, where he has family, and thanks to the fibre internet they have decided to stay. "I work from home three weeks a month and in the fourth I go to the office, in Fuengirola. We have been here about 15 months now. It's a wonderful experience. I can be with my baby and when I have finished work for the day I can enjoy my surroundings," he says. "It would be impossible to move here without fibre. With it, you have the same technology as you would have in Madrid, Fuengirola or Malaga. It works very well, it's brilliant," he adds.

The most unique co-working space in the province? / V. M.

Co-working, in a modernised 18th-century building The road that Benarraba has taken to digitalisation will not end with the installation of fibre optic internet. Probably by this summer it will have a coworking space which will be unique in Malaga province because it will be in an old house dating back to 1700 which belonged to the Ortega Collado family and was donated by their heirs to the local council. Following the modernisation works, in which the Malaga provincial authority invested 250,000 euros, this will be somewhere that business owners and others can use to impart information, host group events or simply surf the internet. The property, which is right in the heart of the village, will have room for 70 people on its three floors. Traditional architectural features of the house have been carefully preserved. Benarraba also has hotel accommodation for visitors, such as the Banu Rabbah hotel and the Benarraba Hostel, among others.

Mercedes Mendez

"It's really fast"

Mercedes Mendez runs the Banu Rabbah hotel, which includes the Kabilas restaurant. It opened in the 1990s and has 12 double rooms, with extra beds available, and other facilities, such as rooms for celebrations and events. "I have always tried to have a good connection, but you really notice the speed now," she says. The hotel relies on the service. "I use it for everything: advertising, reservations, suppliers... I'd be completely lost without it," she explains.

Eder Aguinaco

"I rely on it because I play a lot of videogames"

Eder Aguinaco, who is 29, works in administration at the town hall and is a great fan of videogames, so he enjoys his leisure time even more now that fibre has arrived. "I play a lot and I needed a better connection," says this gamer, who has a law degree. "You really notice the speed. Before we had fibre the connection wasn't that bad, but it was more unreliable. For example, if one person at home was watching a video and the other was gaming, you used to notice the difference, but not any more. I usually use the internet for videocalls with friends and training courses," he says.

Antonia Harillo and Antonia Holgado

"I even use my mobile phone to pray the Rosary nowadays "

Friends Antonia Harillo and Antonia Holgado, aged 79 and 82 respectively, are examples of how the new technologies are suitable for any age. They never imagined that they would have smartphones. "I even use my mobile phone to pray the Rosary," says Antonia Harillo. "My grandchildren come and they are on them all the time. I often use WhatsApp with them and my daughter, who lives away, sends me lots of photos."

Antonia Holgado agrees. "I was a bit confused at first, but I understand it all now. During the lockdown it was a great help. My daughters used to videocall me every evening . That meant a lot to elderly people. I spent 60 days inside my house, without ever going outside," she says.
A House-passed bill that would gradually free up nearly $400 million per year for roads and bridges won approval Sunday in the Senate Finance Committee.

The measure, House Bill 40, next faces action in the full Senate and may undergo major changes before any debate there.

The vote took place during a rare Sunday session of the committee and of the Senate, which met from 4 p.m. until early evening but delayed action on controversial measures. The Senate passed some two dozen noncontroversial bills without objections on Sunday night. Monday is the 57th day of session and after 6 p.m. any bill not yet voted on by the full Senate or full House will need a two-thirds vote to bring up and pass. The Senate has 127 measures that still need a vote.

The 2021 regular legislative session has to end by Thursday at 6 p.m., leaving four full days of work left. A revamp of the state's tax code, decriminalization of marijuana, a structure for sports betting, mandatory kindergarten, money for state construction projects, and the extension of the temporary increase of the state' sales tax to fund roads are still to be decided. Funding for transportation infrastructure remains a major goal for the session that began two months ago.

Rep. Mark Wright, R-Covington, sponsor of the bill, told the committee that the pot of money that finances road and bridge construction  called the Transportation Trust Fund  has paid for Department of Transportation and Development employee salaries, benefits and pensions since 1991.

Wright said the fund collects about $700 million per year from Louisiana's 20-cents-per-gallon gas tax, with about $400 million used for salaries and benefits.

"So, a lot of gas tax revenue goes to the department," Wright said, a reference to costs of employee salaries and benefits.

Gradually requiring those expenses to be funded through the state's general revenue fund would free up money for road and bridges and generate more federal matching money, he said.

Similar proposals in the past have sparked controversy because of concerns on how DOTD employee costs would be paid for without damaging education, health care and other state services.

Eric Kalivoda, deputy secretary for DOTD, said Gov. John Bel Edwards does not want to leave a "structural deficit" when he leaves office in 2024 similar to the major shortfall he inherited in 2016.

"He wants the budget to be sound," Kalivoda said. "We will just leave it at that."

Wright said that, because the changes would take place over seven years, Louisiana's budget could absorb the overhaul. He said the state has generated surpluses of $122 million, $308 million, $534 million and $270 million in the past four years.

"That is significant money," Wright said.

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Committee member Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, said the state has a $14 billion backlog of road and bridge needs.

Salaries at DOTD focus of Senate panel hearing The leaders of the state Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday grilled the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Developm

"This is really something we need to push hard on," Fesi said of the legislation.

Sen. Mark Abraham, R-Lake Charles, also a committee member, said he likes the idea of moving salary and benefits out of the transportation fund but echoed the view that the change could spark holes in Louisiana's $37 billion operating budget.

Wright's bill is separate from another measure  House Bill 514  that would extend the state's 0.45% sales tax beyond its scheduled 2025 expiration date and dedicate that revenue for roads and bridges, also about $400 million per year.

+2 How might Louisiana fix road, bridge problems? This bill is believed to be the solution While major hurdles loom, Senate leaders are behind a late-session push that backers say would go a long way toward solving Louisiana's longst

It is awaiting Senate action  possibly Monday  and would have to return to the House for a vote there if it clears the Senate.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Bodi White, R-Central, made the motion to endorse Wright's bill, which was approved without objection.

However, White said there will be private discussions before any debate in the full Senate, and a possible scaling back on the impact of the bill.

One option would be to only move DOTD retirement costs out of the roads and bridges fund into the state general fund.

That would free up more money for projects but well under the $400 million per year the bill would do in its current form.

Wright's bill passed the House last month 65-31.
Nyamuragira in the DRC is Africa's most active volcano; Mount Nyiragongo is the most dangerous volcano, Rift Valley has the most volcanoes in Africa.

Mount Nyiragongo

Nyamuragira in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa's most active volcano; Mount Nyiragongo is the most dangerous volcano. Volcanic activity in the Great Rift Valley is frequent; Ethiopia has 61 volcanoes which 10 are active. Ethiopia in the East African Rift Valley has one of the worlds highest concentration of volcanoes.

Volcanos reshape Africa, in fact Africa is creating new volcanoes because the continent shifts over time therefore to count the number of volcanoes in Africa would be a guess at best. The associated dangers of active volcanoes in Africa include lava flows, mudflows, pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, ash fall, ballistic rock projectiles, gas emissions, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

Some of the largest volcanoes in Africa and the Rift Valley are Mount Kilimanjaro located in Tanzania, this is a dormant volcano and Mount Kenya has never erupted. However, many younger volcanoes like Ethiopias almost 60 mile long Erta'Ale has an active lava lake.

Dried lava destruction

There are 12 African countries where volcanic activity is common.

Cabo Verde Volcanoes

The volcano Fogo, Portuguese for fire is around 2,829 meters above sea level and last erupted in 1995; this is Cabo Verde's only active volcano.

Cameroon Volcanoes

Mt. Cameroon volcano is about 4,095 meters above sea level last erupting in the year 2000. Mt. Cameroon is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa. Lake Nyos is a dangerous lake in Northwest Cameroon that tragically released a huge cloud of lethal carbon dioxide on August 21, 1986, killing 1,800 sleeping African villagers. Lake Nyos is a lethal carbon dioxide gas rich water-filled crater of a volcano.

Comoros Volcanoes

Mountain type is a shield volcano; Mount Karthala is around 2,361 meters above sea level on Grand Comore Island last erupting in January 2007. An April 17, 2005 eruption forced 30,000 people to be evacuated and produced a large ash cloud.

Democratic Republic of the Congo Volcanoes

Located inside Virunga National Park Mount Nyiragongo is around 3,470 meters above sea level last erupting in 2002. Nevertheless, is experiencing ongoing volcanic activity posing a major threat to tens of thousands of people. Nyiragongo produces abnormally fast-moving lava known to travel up to 62.1 miles or 100 km per hour. Nyiragongo is being studied by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior and labeled as a Decade Volcano due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations. Neighboring volcano, Nyamuragira, which erupted in 2010, is Africa's most active volcano. Visoke is the only other historically active volcano.

Djibouti Volcanoes

Mount Ardoukoba is around 298 meters above sea level last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border is also a historically active volcano.

Equatorial Guinea Volcanoes

One of the highest points in Equatorial Guinea is Mount Santa Isabel, which is around 3,007 meters above sea level last erupting in 1923. Mount Santa Isabel is Equatorial Guinea only historically active volcano. The basaltic shield volcanoes, Santa Isabel and Pico Basile helped to form Bioko Island in the Gulf of Guinea. There are an estimated 55,000 people living on Bioko Island.

Eritrea Volcanoes

Eritrea has seven volcanoes. Mount Dubbi is around 1,625 meters above sea level last erupting in 1861. Dubbi was Eritreas only historically active volcano until after a series of earthquakes, Mount Nabro, 2,218 meters above sea level erupted on June 12, 2011. Nabro Volcano is an active stratovolcano in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea.

Ethiopia Volcanoes

Mount Erta'Ale is around 613 meters above sea level, is almost 60 mile long with an active lava lake producing frequent lava flows. Mount Erta'Ale is Ethiopias most active volcano. Other active volcanoes are Alayta, Dabbahu, Dalaffilla, Dallol, Dama Ali, Fentale, Kone, Manda Hararo, and Manda-Inakir. Ethiopia has 61 volcanos which 10 are active.

Kenya Volcanoes

Kenya has 26 volcanoes but only two have limited volcanic activity; the Barrier is around 1,032 meters above sea level last erupted in 1921. South Island is the only other historically active volcano.

Rwanda Volcanoes

Visoke is around 3,711 meters above sea level located on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Visoke is Rwandas only historically active volcano.

South Africa Volcanoes

South Africa has three volcanoes, off the southern coast of Africa, the volcano Marion Island volcano last erupted in 2004. The first historical eruption was recorded in November 1980.

Tanzania Volcanoes

Tanzania has 24 volcanoes but only three have limited volcanic activity; Ol Doinyo Lengai is around 2,962 meters above sea level and erupted lava in 2017; other historically active volcanoes include Kieyo, which erupted in 1800, and Meru erupted in 1910.

Volcanologist on Mount Nyiragongo

Nyamuragira in the DRC is Africa's most active volcano; Mount Nyiragongo is the most dangerous volcano and the Rift Valley has the most volcanoes throughout Africa.

Ethiopia has the greatest number of known volcanoes in East Africa, here is a list of names of known Ethiopian volcanoes. Because the continent shifts over time the exact number of volcanes is unknown, new volcanoes are forming at a great rate.
When you think about businesses that are most exposed to digital disruption, industries like taxis, retail or, ahem, newspapers are probably what spring to mind.

But recent trends suggest disruption is also emerging in a sector that is unglamorous but hugely financially significant for investors and consumers alike: the $1.9 trillion mortgage market.

Some analysts say home loans, the cornerstone of bank profits, face a growing threat of digital disruption. Credit:AFR

National Australia Bank, ANZ Bank and Westpac have failed to expand their mortgage portfolios in line with the market when their growth over the last six months is annualised, according to Morgan Stanley. Commonwealth Bank has bucked the trend and expanded its already enormous slice of the market, largely because it has the systems to say yes quickly to a deluge of loan applications.

Outside the big four, the standout performer has been Macquarie Group, which is growing at an annualised pace of about 30 per cent. While MacBank is growing from a lower base, it is also reaping the benefits of a technology upgrade that allows speedy approvals.
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg is urging Google and Facebook to swiftly strike deals with smaller news outlets after signing three key agreements with large media companies in the past month.

A long-term commercial deal between Facebook and Google and Guardian Australia is expected to be completed in a matter of days, adding to a raft of agreements struck between large tech companies and major media outlets since February. While companies like Nine Entertainment Co, News Corp Australia and Seven West Media are already implementing plans off the back of the deals, there is increasing concern among smaller companies that they still have not been remunerated fairly.

Senator Andrew Bragg is representing the interests of small outlets in negotiations with Google and Facebook. These outlets include Junkee Media and the Northern Beaches Advocate. Credit:James Brickwood

The big tech companies have made strong public statements on supporting small, diverse publishers, Mr Bragg said. I am determined to see the commitments fulfilled.

Mr Bragg wrote to Facebook Australia managing director Will Easton and Google Australia managing director Melanie Silva two months ago demanding clarity on how the tech giants were ensuring they were looking after small outlets as well as large organisations. Mr Bragg is representing the interests of smaller outlets including the Northern Beaches Advocate and Junkee Media.
In other circumstances I might have run out of puff and started to second-guess myself before getting it to the level where I was happy to have others read it, she said.

At a ceremony at the Edith Cowan University Spiegeltent on Wednesday night, Brooke Dunnell took home the $20,000 cash prize from the Fogarty Foundation and a publishing contract with Fremantle Press for her winning manuscript The Glass House.

A South Perth resident has won the 2021 Fogarty Literary Award for Western Australian writers aged 18 to 35, having turned 35 just one week after entries closed.

Because I began and finished writing the manuscript so close to the deadline, I didnt have the chance to share it with [my] readers  so I couldnt be sure whether everything was working the way I intended.

The Glass House centres on 36-year-old Julia, who takes a break from her faltering marriage in Melbourne to help her ageing father move out of the family home in Perth. While visiting, she bumps into a childhood friend, Davina, who is keen to reignite their friendship and gets overly involved in Julias life without being very open about her own. At the same time, Julia starts having dreams about a shadowy male threat against her stepdaughter, Evie.

Dunnell, who has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Western Australia, said she had the spark of an idea in which one woman offered to be a surrogate for an old friend in a way that seemed promising at the start, but slowly unfolded as a power play.

The final element that brought the whole thing together came from thinking about inappropriate behaviour between adults and teenage girls, she said.

How the girl can mistakenly believe she has some agency in whats going on, only to later realise that  she was being manipulated.
A Liberal MP has accused the Nationals of grubby political tactics after the Coalitions sister party bought the domain name of an independent MP to spread negative information about her.

Mildura MP Ali Cupper was elected as an independent in 2018 after she won the north-west Victorian seat from a Nationals MP. In December she joined influential upper house MP Fiona Pattens Reason Party but ended that alliance last month.

Independent Ali Cupper (right) and Fiona Patten together in November. Credit:Paul Jeffers

When she joined Reason, the Nationals purchased the domain name alicupper.com, which included negative information about Ms Cupper. The websites banner stated Who really is Ali Cupper? and reminded readers the Reason Party was formerly called the Sex Party. The site is no longer active.

In response, a Reason Party staffer purchased several website domain names bearing the names of Nationals MPs, with readers redirected to the Reason Party website. But Ms Cupper claimed she was uncomfortable with the Reason staffer giving the Nationals a taste of their own medicine and said the refusal to relinquish the URLs was a major factor in her decision to break with Reason.
People [of her calibre] want a safe seat tied up. But if were going to serious about good politics, people have got to be prepared to take on the tough jobs, and shes prepared to do that. The next round of federal and state preselections will be controlled by Labors national executive after the Victorian branch was placed into administration following an Age and 60 Minutes investigation that revealed industrial-scale branch stacking. Voting rights have been suspended until 2023, covering the next state and federal elections, and unions and factional powerbrokers usually influential in preselections have been frozen out. The group of members backing Ms Dawson argue their push for her to be preselected is within the rules set down by the party for candidates. As you know, the federal intervention into branch stacking in the Victorian ALP has resulted in members being barred from voting in preselections perhaps until 2024. Meanwhile, preselections for the next federal election are being made by the factions for recommendation to the federal executive. This does not mean that we cannot have a voice, they said.

Loading This is an informal grassroots call and entirely within the state party rules. It is not a vote. Factional powerbrokers usually hand-pick their candidates, and while it is possible for Labor members such as Ms Dawson who are not factionally aligned to get preselected for non-safe seats, the process has been made difficult because the Victorian branch has been placed into administration due to the branch stacking allegations. Ms Dawson said she was honoured to be backed by local branch members, and that all political contests should be argued on the merits of policy and candidates visions for the country. I dont underestimate the challenge of taking on an incumbent with more than a decade in the seat, but if I were to be given the opportunity to run at the next election, I would be in it to win it, she said. During election campaigns, political parties make decisions on where to direct resources and funds based on their likelihood of winning, or focus on seats they are at risk of losing. Over the years, given Greens leader Mr Bandts increasing margin, Labor has not focused heavily on Melbourne.

Ms McCalman acknowledged party headquarters were unlikely to direct funds to the seat, but other Labor sources have told The Age there is a growing belief internally that there has been a shift to major parties as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Greens leader Adam Bandt is sitting on a comfortable 21 per cent margin in Melbourne. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen A source said traditional minor-party campaign pitches such as send a message are less likely to resonate with the public given the global crisis. There could be a push internally to put resources into winning back Melbourne at the next election given Labors recent record in wresting the state seat of Northcote in 2018 (won by the Greens in a byelection) and substantially increasing its margin in the federal seat of Cooper (which it was at risk of losing to the Greens before the last election when it sat on a 1.3 per cent margin). The next federal election could be held as early as July and no later than March next year, while Victorians go to the state polls in November next year.
London: Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex have named their new baby daughter after the Queen and Princess Diana.

Meghan gave birth to the couples second child at Californias Santa Barbara College Hospital on Friday morning local time, according to a statement.

Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home, Harry and Meghans press secretary said.

The couple named the baby Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor in tribute to her great-grandmother, the Queen, and late grandmother, Princess Diana.
A large, new futuristic office building is to be built overlooking the main road into Malaga, in the Huelin district, west of the city centre. The company behind it says its design and features reflect "current demand from national and international companies" for new office space.

City hall has sold the 2,800- metre plot next to the historic Tabacalera building, home of the Russian and the Automobile and Fashion museums, for 8.8 million euros to Seville-based developer Insur.

Insur plans to spend 29 million euros on a new office building for lease with working space for up to 750 people.

The building will be 30 metres high and have seven storeys, with the ground floor double height, plus two underground levels for parking. It has been designed by DPYA architects.

The building will be called Agora and construction should start early next year and take two years. It will have environmental and energy-saving features as well as a public plaza overlooking the main road and seafront. There will be a cafe and restaurant on the ground floor.

Demand for modern office space in Malaga city has increased in recent years.
Towanda, PA (18848)

Today

Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 79F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Towanda, PA (18848)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms becoming likely this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 79F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
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Oneonta, NY (13820)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 78F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
The most recent Texas vaccination report shows one-third of Texans have taken the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19 which has contributed to the lowest number of cases and hospitalizations across the state in over a year.
Tim Lomperis is a Maryville resident, former military intelligence officer, author and political science professor emeritus at Saint Louis University. He worked in the Vietnamese Resettlement Program from 1975-76. Email him at tjlomperis@gmail.com.
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45-Year-Old Irishman Builds Lego Empire Over the Course of 6 Yearsand Its Astounding

Graham Young, a 45-year-old Cobh, Ireland, local, has spent the last six years building a Lego empire of extraordinary scope and scale.

Driven by passion for the colorful, interchangeable, textured blocks, Young has spent over 15,000 euros (approx. US$18,250) on Lego, focusing on fulfilling a dream of making it his career.

Youngs fascination with Lego started in the early 1980s, in his childhood. He fell further in love with the building blocks as he grew older. At the age of 6, he made his first notable Lego milestone.

I remember there was a fire engine set, with small blue lights on top and a siren, Young told the Irish Examiner. I was sitting on the carpet with it, I was about six.

Later on in life, the Irishman threw himself into model making in a big way. He then took a 30-year break before getting back into it with renewed vigor.

Young explored and expanded into different themes with his creations, which include a Batman-themed project and buildings from the local Cork area.

So I was looking into doing model making, not particularly Lego. But I went to Smyths Toys, and out of nostalgia mainly, I took a walk down the Lego aisle, and they had a set that was Japanese Ninjago themed, Young said. So I bought three of the temple sets.

From then on, Youngs interest in Lego pretty much got out of control, exploding into an ever expanding empire.

Over time, his Japanese themed table turned into a city, including other cultures, with architecture inspired by various iconic landmark sites.

Young has brought to completion an array of projects in the six years in the effort to expand the Lego empire.

Among his notable projects, there is of course the Lego Bat Cavewhich stemmed from his own imagination and not the product designers.

The project, which took a year and four months to finish, consists of a grand cavernous interior, a weapons room, gym, trophy room, suits room, and operations area.

Young has built a series of Lego homes inspired by a descending colorful row of homes (startlingly reminiscent of the Painted Ladies in San Francisco) in Cobh, near his home.

In addition to his Lego projects, Young runs a gym in town.

He also has other hobbies, which include music, martial arts, and an interest in motorbikesbut he spends most of his time following his childhood passion.

This is my hobby. I dont drink, I dont smoke. So I dont feel bad spending money on this, said Young, adding that he has spent thousands of euros on collectors sets.

Meanwhile, Youngs wife Lynne has been supportive of his harmless pastime.

This is his passion, this is what he wants to do and where he wants to be, she told the Examiner.

Over the years, Young has been showcasing his work on Instagram and YouTube, and is amassing an increasing number of followers every day.

He dreams of continuing to do what he does best and turning his passion into a full-time career that will generate an income.

Meanwhile, he encourages others to always follow their heart.

When you find something in life that brings a mass amount of joy, you have to pursue it. And thats what I want, Young said.

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 Tesla logo is seen at the groundbreaking ceremony of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, on Jan. 7, 2019. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Are Teslas Sudden China Woes a Harbinger of Things to Come?

News Analysis

To see the impact Chinas fickle market can do to a companys value, look no further than Tesla.

On April 20, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s media and regulators began a series of public rebukes against the California-based electric carmaker. The criticisms were broad, ranging from Teslas car safety, to data gathering practices, as well as customer service.

In early June, technology website The Information reported that Teslas May China orders fell by nearly half compared to April, according to internal data. Orders fell from 18,000 in April to 9,800 in May, a reflection that Chinese consumers were negatively impacted by the uproar.

And all of this has erased $137 billion in market value as Teslas stock price declined 19.5 percent since April 21.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Tesla has encountered issues all year in China. In February and March, the CCP banned Tesla from its military compounds and housing units on concerns that the company could collect information via the cameras attached to Tesla cars to facilitate spying on behalf of the United States.

In early April, Teslas communications and governmental affairs director in China announced that any data collected within China would be stored in China and will not be sent to the United States, in an effort to quell CCP security concerns. This came about after founder and CEO Elon Musk publicly declared that Tesla would not engage in spying.

On April 20, CCP mouthpiece Xinhua published an article from the sidelines of the Shanghai Auto Show slamming the electric vehicle maker on the quality of its vehicles, citing consumer complaints.

On the same day, an official post on WeChat from the account of the powerful Commission for Political and Legal Affairs also drew attention to the Auto Show, when a woman climbed onto the roof of a Tesla vehicle to complain about her cars faulty brakes. The video of the woman went viral on Chinese social media. While its unclear why the CCP organ which oversees the countrys police and court system would weigh in on electric cars, it was nonetheless a powerful rebuke of Tesla.

While Tesla China originally pushed back against this narrative, stating that the woman in question has been protesting against Tesla for some time, later during the same week the company issued a public apology and promised to better listen to customer complaints.

SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during a conversation with legendary game designer Todd Howard (not pictured) at the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 13, 2019. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

A Sudden About Face

The CCPs pushback against Tesla has been sudden and drastic, directly impacting the carmakers sales slump in May.

By all accounts, Tesla had a blowout first quarter of 2021. The company reported a 74 percent increase in sales year over year, and its non-GAAP net income eclipsed $1 billion for the first time in its history. Its gigafactory in Shanghai was humming, which elicited speculation that Musk was ready to build a second assembly plant in the worlds fastest-growing car market. Teslas stock price was sky high, while Musks rock star status was beyond reproach.

Merely three months later? Analysts are now concerned. Credit Suisses Dan Levy wrote on June 2 that in May Teslas had its lowest monthly sales in a year. The trajectory is unclearwhile some expect the concern to be temporary, weve also heard the view that it may take time for Tesla volume to recover, Levy wrote in a note to clients, while also raising the possibility that Tesla can export to Europe the extra cars it makes in China.

Its China issues are on top of existing business challenges facing Tesla: microchip shortages, competition from legacy automakers, falling bitcoin prices, and the specter of higher corporate tax rates.

This sudden turn of events in China is surprising. Tesla was in as an ideal position as any foreign company could hope for. Until suddenly, it wasnt.

The company had gone all-in in China. Besides the companys gigafactory, Tesla China has become a real hub for the company, with its own R&D plant and local technical staff.

Morgan Stanley analysts recently noted that Tesla posted job requisitions in Beijing and Shanghai for engineers with data center expertise, suggesting Teslas seriousness in keeping Chinese data local. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote on May 27 that Tesla could potentially create a Tesla China entity that could largely be operated autonomously and independently from the U.S. parent.

Musk, for his part, had been saying all the right things in praising Beijing and Chinas future as the worlds leading electric vehicle market. In a January article, Bloomberg even declared its fair to wonder if Musk has become [Chinese leader] Xis favorite foreign capitalist.

It remains to be seen how Tesla plans to turn around its public opinion in China. The China market is Teslas second-largest revenue contributor after the United States. If the CCPand Chinese consumerscontinue to shun Tesla, its stock price will decline further.

One thing is certain: Even the best-laid plans in China could go awry.

Fan Yu is an expert in finance and economics and has contributed analyses on Chinas economy since 2015.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Afghan men look at a damage car after a roadside bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

At Least 11 People Killed by a Landmine in Northern Afghanistan

KABULAt least 11 civilians, including children, were killed when their vehicle set off a landmine in northern Afghanistan, local government officials said on Sunday, accusing Taliban insurgents for planting the landmine bombs.

No terrorist group, including the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack that occurred on Saturday, hours before senior Taliban leaders and U.N. officials met in Qatar to discuss the Afghan peace process, and security for diplomats and people working for humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan.

A Taliban spokesperson said in statement on Twitter that Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the deputy head of the Talibans political office reiterated strong commitment to the Afghan peace process in the meeting with U.N. officials.

Afghan security personnel leave the scene of a roadside bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

Afghan firefighters spray water at the scene of a roadside bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 6, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

While the Taliban delegation assured security to all relevant U.N. agencies staff and other diplomats based in Afghanistan, Afghan officials accused the Taliban of incessant violence against government forces and civilians in a bid to seize complete territorial control over several provinces.

Husamudim Shams, the governor of the northern province of Badgis, said 11 passengers, including three children, travelling to the city of Qala-e-Naw were killed in the blast on Saturday.

Roadside bombs, small magnetic bombs attached under vehicles, and other attacks have targeted members of security forces, judges, government officials, civil society activists, and journalists in recent months in Afghanistan.

Nearly 1,800 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in the first three months of 2021 during fighting between government forces and Taliban insurgents despite efforts to find peace, the United Nations said in April this year.

By Afghanistan bureau
A general view of the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, on March 17, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Australias COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Hits 5 Million Doses: Health Minister

More than five million vaccines have now been injected after a record Saturday and three-quarters of million in the past week, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt says.

Hunt said a record 88,000 Australians were vaccinated on Saturday, which meant that in just six days, 772,750 were completed, also a record.

We have seen the vaccine program is accelerating, Hunt told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.

As supply becomes available, the public is stepping up and doing their part of the job.

The minister also announced an additional 100,000 vaccines are being made available for Victoria, which remains in a 14-day lockdown due to end on Thursday.

The state initially reported two new infections on Sunday, along with six cases among overseas travellers currently in hotel quarantine.

But no sooner had Acting Premier James Merlino finished his daily press conference, a further two cases emerged linked to the Arcare Maidstone nursing homea 79-year-old resident and an aged care worker.

Meanwhile, the NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is showing an interest in his state building a quarantine facility after Victoria secured an agreement with the Commonwealth for one last week, while Queensland also wants one.

Perrottet says NSW has done the heavy lifting when it comes to hotel quarantining and setting up a facility may assist over the next 12 months to alleviate pressure on its hotel system.

That is something we should look at, Perrottet told reporters in Sydney.

The federal government has said it will support these types of facilities in other states and we want to work to a proposal that makes sense and keeps our people safe.

But Hunt said Prime Minister Scott Morrison had already been in contact with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

The PM has confirmed with the premier that at this point theyre not seeking any additional quarantine facility in New South Wales, Hunt said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said national government-run, purpose-built quarantine facilities should be built without delay.

That was the best time to do this, the best next time is right now, he told Sky News Sunday Agenda program.

He pointed out that Labors policy also includes building quarantine facilities, as announced in last months budget reply speech.

This needs to fixed now, not wait until after the next federal election which will occur perhaps as late as May of next year, he said. We cant afford to keep having these lockdowns.

His deputy Richard Marles says there is just one purpose-built facility in Australia, Howard Springs in the Northern Territory, which unsurprisingly has no COVID-19 breakouts, while there has been 21 or 22 from hotels over the past year.

Fit-for-purpose facilities should be doing the bulk of the work, he told ABCs Insiders program.

An agreement has been reached for the Commonwealth to meet the capital costs for a 500-bed facility in outer Melbourne, while Victoria would cover operational costs.

Morrison says the proposal is a very good one.

However, while Victorias proposal formed an 80-page document, a proposal from Queensland is believed to have been scant on detail.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told Queenslands state Labor conference on Saturday the plan to construct a 1000-bed centre near Toowoomba is not rocket science.

We are not proposing construction of an international space station, she said.

These are reasonably basic structures but they can provide the safety and the certainty our country needs.

By Colin Brinsden
Blaming Russia for Ransomware Attacks a Hard Sell, Given Empty Russiagate Accusations

Commentary

The Biden administration claims that Russia and Russian-based hackers are responsible for recent ransomware attacks on major American industries. Maybe they are, but theres no good reason to believe it.

After U.S. spy services, private cybersecurity firms, and the press falsely attributed the 2016 hack of Democratic National Committee emails to Russia, the national security establishment has forfeited the confidence of the American public.

Last month, hackers shut down Colonial Pipeline, which affected gasoline supplies in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Colonial reportedly paid the hackers, an affiliate of a Russia-linked cybercrime outfit, a $4.4 million ransom. Last week, the worlds largest meat processing company, JBS, had to shut down all nine of its U.S. plants after it was hacked. The culprit, according to the FBI, was another Russia-linked group.

These hacks follow much larger cyberattacks on SolarWinds that also penetrated the information technology firms clients, such as the Departments of Treasury, Energy, State, Defense, and Homeland Security, as well as private companies, such as Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, and the California Department of State Hospitals. In April, the Biden administration announced that the intelligence community attributed, with high confidence, the hack to Moscows foreign intelligence service.

According to the White House, President Joe Biden intends to raise the issue of cyberattacks with Russian President Vladimir Putin when they meet for their mid-June summit.

Responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

But if Biden actually does take it up with Putin, it will be hard for the Russian leader to keep a straight face. U.S. officials from the Obama administration, in which Biden was the second-most senior official, made a habit of blaming Putin for everything, including a cyberattack on the Democratic National Committee that exposed emails embarrassing for the partys 2016 candidate, Hillary Clinton.

In June 2016, The Washington Post was the first media outlet to report that Russian hackers had penetrated the DNCs computer network. The claims of Russian hacking were made public by CrowdStrike, a private cybersecurity firm that was hired by the Clinton campaigns lawyers, Perkins Coie. When WikiLeaks published DNC emails in July of that year, the Clinton campaign told reporters that the Russians had stolen them in order to help Trump.

Its important to note two key details. First, the claim the Russians had stolen the emails was based only on CrowdStrikes assessment that Russian hackers had penetrated the network. Neither the FBI nor any other U.S. agencies were granted access to the DNCs servers. Second, the same firm that brought on CrowdStrike also hired Fusion GPS to compile the salacious and unverified dossier alleging that Trump had been compromised by senior Russian officials, including Putin himself. In short, the narrative that Russia targeted the Clinton campaign to help Trump was seeded by Clinton campaign contractors.

However, it was senior U.S. officials in the Obama administration who furthered the narrative for the purpose of delegitimizing Trumps presidency. CIA Director John Brennan, for instance, was instructed by President Barack Obama to produce an intelligence community assessment that found Putin aspired to help Trump by discrediting Clinton. The assessment was made in high confidencethe same level with which U.S. spy services assess that Russia is behind the SolarWinds hack.

Even the current president helped reinforce the TrumpRussia narrative. According to government documents, then-Vice President Biden told the FBI that Trumps national security adviser Michael Flynn might have broken the law by speaking on the phone with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

As we now know, thanks to notes Brennan took in a meeting with Obama, the TrumpRussia narrative was a Clinton campaign ruse to smear the Republican candidate. Everything was invented to damage Trump, even the claim that Russia had stolen the DNC emails. As CrowdStrike executive, and former FBI agent, Shawn Henry said under oath during December 2017 congressional testimony, there was no hard evidence the emails were stolen, not by Russia nor by anyone for that matter.

Theres not evidence that they were actually exfiltrated, said Henry. Theres circumstantial evidence but no evidence that they were actually exfiltrated.

CrowdStrike appears to have benefited from its involvement in Russiagate. Last week, it posted a 400 percent earnings growth, outpacing Wall Streets expectations. The recent rash of ransomware attacks has no doubt contributed to the success of cybersecurity firms, and CrowdStrike, given the publicity it won as part of a Democratic Party information warfare campaign, seems to have been well-positioned to profit.

Biden, however, approaches this months meeting with Putin in a precarious position. Allied and adversarial foreign intelligence services know the role that Americas commander-in-chief played in delegitimizing his predecessor. Further, it has become increasingly difficult to trust U.S. spy agencies that suicided themselves on the rocks of Russiagate. If Biden really means to challenge Putin on cyberattacks, it will be the diplomatic equivalent of brandishing a water pistol.

But the biggest loser of course is the American public, betrayed by their elected officials and the agencies tasked to protect the country from foreign subterfuge. The lies they peddled for political gain have made us vulnerable to the designs of hostile actors and incapable of truly discovering their identity. It is as if our leadership had locked us in a dark room alone. It isnt just Trump supporters but all Americans who will be paying the price for Russiagate for many years to come.

Lee Smith is the author of the recently published book The Permanent Coup: How Enemies Foreign and Domestic Targeted the American President.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Chinese parents in California rally against Assembly Bill 101, which would make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement, in Los Angeles on April 26, 2020. (Linda Jiang/The Epoch Times)

California Assembly Passes Ethnic Studies Bill

Proposed legislation that would make ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement has moved one step closer to becoming law in California.

The California Assembly voted 589 in favor of Assembly Bill 101 (AB 101) on May 27, sending it to the state Senate. According to its opponents, the legislation would force students to learn critical race theory, while supporters say the bill would promote a more inclusive curriculum.

Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) told The Epoch Times that despite widespread support for the bill among state lawmakerspredominantly the Democratic majorityhe remains committed to drawing attention to the curriculum and the risks associated with it.

I hope that at the end of the day my argumentsand the arguments of many, many, many thousands of peoplewill prevail, and that well do the right thing and commit ourselves not to this curriculum, but to fundamental education reform in California that will provide students with a real educational opportunity, Kiley said.

The bill would require all high schools to offer ethnic studies courses beginning in the 202526 academic year and would require all students in public schoolsincluding those enrolled in charter schoolsto complete at least one full semester of coursework in ethnic studies to graduate, beginning in the 202930 school year.

AB 101 would further require that instructions and materials for the course be appropriate for use with pupils of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, students with disabilities, and English learners, and not reflect or promote, directly or indirectly, any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of any category protected under existing law, according to the Assembly Education Committee analysis.

While AB 101 is known as the ethnic studies bill, Kiley said components of the curriculum that would be required in California public schools are based on critical race theory.

I dont think anyone would dispute that, he said. The sort of ideological program that this curriculum embodies is quite similar to whats being promoted elsewhere, although this is sort of unique in California, and its being made into a graduation requirement.

Youre not supposed to use the process of compulsory education to inculcate a particular political viewpoint. Youre supposed to empower students with the tools to make up their own minds on important questions that affect the communities, the country, and everything else.

Jose Medina (D-Riverside), the author of AB 101, cited the lynching of Emmett Till in Missouri in 1965 and the death of George Floyd in Minnesota when he introduced the bill on the Assembly floor.

As tens of thousands of young people marched across the United States declaring that black lives matter, calling for justice and police reform, high school students in California  raised their voices, demanding more than just the same Eurocentric curriculum that high schools in California have always taught, Medina said.

High school students today, like young Chicano students in 1968 who walked out of their East L.A. high school, want to see themselves reflected in history, novels, poetry, drama that is taught in high school.

Kiley said when the first draft of the bills curriculum was released, it was universally condemned by the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, whose members wrote a letter saying that it echoes the propaganda of the Nazi regime.

Now, you would think our response would be to immediately scrap the whole thing and bring accountability to whoever was responsible for this; after all, people have lost their jobs, their careers, for things far less serious than trying to teach Nazi propaganda to high school students, said Kiley.

But thats not what happened. Instead, we said, OK, well make a few tweaks, well make a few edits, well tone down the Nazi propaganda, and then well impose this on every high school student in California.

Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills), who chairs the Jewish Caucus, said the 18-member caucus has since supported a revised version of the model curriculum.

I want to note that every member of our caucus supported this bill last year, Gabriel said.

There was a model curriculum, an initial draft which came out, that our caucus objected to. There was some very deeply bigoted material in that information, song lyrics about how Jews control and manipulate the mediathings that our community found absolutely untenable.

But he said the caucus came to the table and engaged with stakeholders. Following a robust process approved by the state board of education, a model curriculum  was virtually unanimously adopted.

Now, there are voices within our community, some that are still concerned about ethnic studies that still have objections to it. But the vast majority of Jewish community organizations that have large membership that speak for our community are proud of whats in the model curriculum, Gabriel said.

But Kiley said Jewish American groups, among others, continue to oppose the fourth draft of the ethnic studies curriculum. He said one such group described the bill as tantamount to putting an even larger target on the back of every Jewish student at a time when anti-Jewish sentiment, hostility, and violence has reached truly alarming levels.

Anti-Semitism is just one manifestation of what is so fundamentally wrong with his proposed curriculum, Kiley said.

And its not just the exclusion of groups, the denigration of groups. Its that it seeks to impose a particular worldview on students, rather than giving the analytical and critical thinking tools to construct their identity for themselves. And I particularly object to the notion that this curriculum is somehow in service of equity.

Kiley, a former teacher, said the quality of education in California is so deplorable that students won a $50 million lawsuit against the state for violating their civil rights based upon them not being taught how to read.

I can speak to this issue firsthand. I taught high school in Los Angeles  and when my 10th graders got to my classroom, the average reading level was fifth grade, he said.

When I came to the Legislature, my biggest priority was to fight for true educational equity. Yet every attempt Ive made to expand educational equity and opportunity has been snuffed out by the most powerful special interests of this capital, whose business model is to keep kids trapped in failing schools.

Medina cited the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and mentioned the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese internment camps during World War II as examples of why California students should learn more about ethnic minority groups.

Its time we listened to the voices of our students and to the professors calling for ethnic studies, Medina said. Remember, it is never too late to do the right thing.

Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) said high school students should be taught more about their own history.

You cannot construct your identity if you dont know your history, she said.

The bill was read for the first time in the California Senate on May 28, before being sent to the Rules Committee for assignment.
Injection materials are pictured in the first drug supervised injection site in Paris on October 11, 2016. (Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images)

California Bill That Would Allow Drug Injection Sites Raises Controversy

SANTA CLARA, Calif.In a virtual international press conference on June 2, drug experts voiced their concerns about what will happen if a California bill to allow drug injection sites is passed.

Sen. Scott Wiener introduced California Senate Bill 57 , also known as the Controlled Substances: Overdose Prevention Program, in December 2020.

If the bill is passed, it will be permissible to set up sites for people to legally use illegal drugs under medical supervision, especially in San Francisco. The bill states that drug overdose has been the leading cause of accidental death in the United States and in California each year since 2011.

SB-57 states that overdose prevention programs, or OPPs , are an evidence-based harm reduction strategy that allows individuals to consume drugs in a hygienic environment under the supervision of staff trained to intervene if the individual overdoses.

However, some drug experts say the program would likely do more harm than good.

SB-57 actually encourages people to use illegal drugs, since its not mandatory for the drug addicts to undergo drug treatment after getting injection[s] at the sites. Which normally ends up being madness for drug addicts and drug dealers, Frank Lee, director of California Coalition Against Drugs, said at the press conference.

Lee said the bill would make it harder to prosecute anyone carrying drugs. People will have plausible deniability by saying they are taking drugs to an injection center.

We cannot stabilize communities on addiction. Its impossible. So the outcome that is being preached is that we are going to stabilize our communities by feeding addicted users what theyre addicted to. We understand that we are doomed for failure, said Tak Allen, president of the International Faith Based Coalition.

In 2020, the San Francisco Department of Public Health released data showing sharp increases in drug overdose deaths during the first half of 2019, mostly from fentanyl.

In 2016, 22 people in San Francisco died of fentanyl overdose, double the number in 2015. Fentanyl overdose deaths rose to 36 in 2017, then to 89 in 2018. In the first six months of 2019, 69 overdose deaths were attributed to fentanyl, the report states.

In April, the city reported a total of 203 accidental overdose deaths between January and March, with 141 involving fentanyl.

The majority were males living in the Tenderloin and SOMA districts of San Francisco and found dead in those same areas. About 30 percent were between the ages of 55 and 65, 26 percent were between 35 and 44, and 19 percent were between 45 and 54.

In actuality, we are not focusing our attention on the root cause of the issue. Drug addiction is a behavioral health issue. And were putting our funding towards the continuity and the perpetuation of addiction versus helping people to recover, to rehab, to provide resources to them, to get their lives back on track, and to stabilize, Allen said.

Opponents of the bill warn that laws favoring drug users could pave the way for legalizing all drugs eventually.

The bill states: There are approximately 165 overdose prevention programs operating in 10 countries around the world. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have confirmed that OPPs are effective in reducing overdose deaths and HIV transmission, and in increasing access to counseling, treatment, and other risk reduction services. Research has also demonstrated that OPPs decrease use of emergency medical services, reduce public drug use, reduce syringe debris, and do not increase crime or drug use.

At the press conference, drug experts in other countries that have existing injection sites shared their experiences and the consequences they observed.

When you go to the first objective, to reduce discarded needles, you can find within [the] report, they admit within the report local people saw no difference in the number of discarded needles after the injecting room opened. In fact, there are actually more, said Gary Christian, research director at Drug Free Australia.

They pointed out that overdose-related deaths have doubled and in some cases tripled since 2011.

Not one human being that we know of, that has a human name, has ever been sent from onsite to a real recovery program. Not one. Thats a fact. Ever, said David Berner, honorary member of the Drug Prevention Network of Canada.

They said that many of the laws are created to favor drug users and dont consider how the rest of society, or their loved ones, would be impacted.

If approved, SB-57 is to be effective until January 2027.
California County COVID-19 Death Toll Lowered by 400 After Counting Method Change

The number of COVID-19 deaths in Alameda County, California, fell by about 25 percent after health officials changed their methodology for total mortality count, removing deaths that werent a direct result of the disease or in whom death caused by COVID-19 could not be ruled out.

The countys COVID-19 dashboard, following an update on June 4 to reflect the total number of COVID-19 deaths using the states death-reporting definition, shows that 1,223 deaths were caused by the CCP virus, 411 fewer than it previously reported.

Alameda County previously included any person who died while infected with the virus in the total COVID-19 deaths for the County, the countys public health department said in a statement (pdf). For example, someone who tested positive for the virus before dying in a car accident would still have been counted toward the COVID-19 death toll.

Aligning with the States definition will require Alameda County to report as COVID-19 deaths only those people who died as a direct result of COVID-19, with COVID-19 as a contributing cause of death, or in whom death caused by COVID-19 could not be ruled out, the health officials said, noting that their system of reporting COVID-19 deaths on the dashboard and to the state was implemented early in the pandemic, before the state established guidelines for how deaths should be classified.

Alameda County health officer Dr. Nicholas Moss told The Mercury News that his department was aware of the inconsistency between the county and states numbers, but it had to put off the change because of a major surge in infections during the winter.

We just werent able to move as quickly on this as we wouldve liked, but we felt it was important and sometimes better late than never, he said.

Moss said some people may use the revision to argue that the pandemic isnt as severe as its made out to be, an idea he strongly disputes.

There are going to be people who make hay out of it and use it to question things about the pandemic, but its irrefutable, the severity of the pandemic, he told The Mercury News. I think anyone who would use this to make the argument that this is somehow overblown is really turning a blind eye to some of the simple truths of the pandemic.

As of June 6, California has had 3,689,994 confirmed cases of COVID-19, resulting in 62,470 deaths, according to the states health department. In the United States, more than 33 million cases have been confirmed, and there have been more than 600,000 reported deaths.
People gather for a candlelight vigil outside the Chinese Consulate in Sydney, Australia, to commemorate the victims of Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, 2021. (Xia Chujun/The Epoch Times

Candlelight Vigil in Sydney Marks the 32nd Anniversary of the CCPs Tiananmen Square Massacre

On the 32nd anniversary of the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre, the AustralianHong Kong Industries Alliance and several other pro-democracy organizations jointly gathered for a candlelight vigil outside the Chinese consulate in Sydney as a way to commemorate those who died at the hands of the Chinese communist regime in 1989 and show their support for those who have been fighting in Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement.

Hundreds of people held a candlelight vigil to remember the Tiananmen Square massacre outside the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, on the evening of June 4, 2021. (Xia Chujun/The Epoch Times)

Hundreds of people held a candlelight vigil to remember the Tiananmen Square massacre outside the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, on the evening of June 4, 2021. The picture shows a pattern of June 4 by candlelight at the rally. (Xia Chujun/The Epoch Times)

Citing emergency laws due to the pandemic, Hong Kongs pro-Beijing government banned the annual June 4 candlelight rally in the former British colonys Victoria Park this year.

The annual Candlelight vigil in Victoria Park is a pride of Hong Kongers, and a testament to Beijings propaganda of one country, two systems,' political scientist Dr. Lam Tsung, the organizer of the rally, told The Epoch Times on June 4.

Lam said the crackdown on Hongkongers freedoms and way of life by the CCP and the Hong Kong government was getting worse. We are launching this campaign in Australia to speak up for people in Hong Kong, he said, given that Hong Kongers were unable to hold their own candlelight vigil.

Hundreds of people who attended the Sydney rally held candlelight and sang pro-democracy songs, calling for ending the CCPs tyrannical rule and redressing the 1989 Massacre.

Hundreds of people held a candlelight vigil to remember the crime against the Chinese people during the Tiananmen square massacre outside the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, Australia, on the evening of June 4, 2021. (Xia Chujun/The Epoch Times)

Dont Have Any Illusions About the CCP: Former Hong Kong legislator

Ted Hui, a former Hong Kong legislator who is currently in exile in Australia, sent a video to the rally.

Hui said that for the past 31 years, Hong Kong had been the site of the worlds largest June 4 commemorations and was once the only place in China where mourning was legal. Today, the freedoms that Hong Kong once had are completely gone.

Now in Hong Kong, textbooks no longer talk about correct history, he said. Teachers dare not teach anything about the massacre. The CCP has been changing this history, and we must fight back as best we can.

In Huis eyes, the CCP is using violence, force, and fear to rule China and Hong Kong. It wins over allies with economic interests and creates enemies by manipulating peoples patriotism for China, he said. From the Tiananmen Square massacre to the genocide of ethnic minorities, from the brutal suppression of Hong Kong freedoms to the military threats to Taiwan, We see that the CCP has not changed, he said.

The CCP has not become more civilized because of economic progress. Instead, it has become more authoritarian and hideous.

Hui said that Hongkongers, Chinese people, and all the people oppressed by the regime around the world should remember the lesson of history left by the massacre: We can no longer have any illusions about the CCP or compromise with it.

He urged people to unite in the long, generational struggle and to be confident that democracy will prevail.

CCP Must Be Held Accountable for Human Rights Violations: China Expert

China expert Professor Feng Chongyi, from the University of Technology, Sydney, demanded the Chinese regime be held accountable for its human rights abuses at the Sydney rally on June 4, 2021. (Xia Chujun/The Epoch Times)

Today we are here to commemorate the martyrs who lost their lives 32 years ago, Feng Chongyi, a China expert and professor at the University of Technology, Sydney, said at the rally. The Chinese peoples movement for democracy and freedom was brutally suppressed by the Communist regime but the fighters for democracy never gave up hope and their determination to fight for a better China.

We come here every year to show the power of our unity, the power of our collective memory, and the power of pursuing the ideals of freedom, human rights, and democracy.

We will continue to fight until the brutal CCP regime falls, until the entire people, including Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kong, and others, are liberated to enjoy the political civilisation enjoyed by Australians and others around the world.

Feng said a growing number of people around the world and the entire international community were waking up to the brutality of the CCP regime, and that we must hold the CCP accountable for human rights abuses.

Military Crackdown Immoral and Unjust: Local Mayor

Peter Kim, Deputy Mayor of the City of Ryde in Sydney, sent a letter of support to the rally. He said that on June 4, 1989, as a secondary school student in Sydney, he was shocked to see the footage of the CCPs troops moving into Tiananmen Square to crack down on demonstrators.

I always thought that the army is used to protect a country from foreign invasion. But I was shocked to see soldiers shooting at people! he said.

Kim mentioned a similar incident that occurred in South Korea on May 18, 1980, when the South Korean military shot at university students who were demonstrating for democracy.

In South Korea, this incident is seen as humiliating. What is considered a disgrace is that the military was used to suppress individual freedom of speech and to suppress political demands.

Former Taiwanese Journalist Asks God to Bless the Spirits of the Martyrs

Former Taiwanese journalist Su Shih-ying (pictured first from right) offered a prayer for the June 4 victims at a rally in Sydney, Australia, on June 4, 2021. (Xia Chujun/The Epoch Times)

Su Shih-ying, a former Taiwanese journalist, prayed for the souls of the massacre victims at the rally.

We are here today to remember the blood and sacrifice of the students who sought freedom and democracy in front of Tiananmen Square in Beijing 32 years agothe night when a repressive regime opened fire on the people, crushed innocent people, and crushed souls who yearned for freedom, she said.

For more than 30 years, the authoritarian regime has misled our next generation with deception and lies to make them forget this wound of history, ignore this lesson of history, obliterate humanity and kindness, fool ignorant people, and make them continue to be the slaves of the authoritarian totalitarianism.

Today, we humbly pray before the throne of the grace of God that the spirit of victims of the June 4 Massacre may continue, and that justice may not perish.

Victoria Park Candles Burn in Our Hearts Forever: Witness

Dr. Li Gang, a former lecturer at Peking University who witnessed the Tiananmen Square Massacre, recalled his personal experience on June 4 at the rally. (Xia Chujun/The Epoch Times)

At the rally, Dr. Li Gang, a former lecturer in the physics department at Peking University who witnessed the protests, recalled that he had been forced to leave Tiananmen Square by CCP troops after having a submachine gun held to his head. At that time, although he felt unwilling to leave, he couldnt overcome the submachine gun with his bare hands. He said he was very sad and angry inside.

Over the past 30 years, Li said his anger had not faded. Instead, he has seen so many young people arrested and disappeared, so many long-standing pro-democracy figures jailed or forced into exile, as well as the arrogance of the CCP.

Although the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park has been banned, the incident remains in peoples heartsin photos, in videos, in milestones in the struggle against the CCPs tyranny, he said.

Victoria Parks candles may be extinguished for a while but they will never be extinguished in our hearts, he added.
Capitol police officer looks out of a broken window as a crowd attempts to breach the U.S. Capitol, in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Capitol Breach Caused Nearly $1.5 Million in Damage: Prosecutors

Prosecutors expect to charge over 550 people for the Jan. 6 breach

The breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 led to nearly $1.5 million in damage to the building, prosecutors said in one filing, as they said in a separate case they expect to ultimately charge more than 550 people in the incident.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Sedky disclosed the damage estimate in a plea agreement last week in the case of Paul Hodgkins, who has agreed to plead guilty to one count of obstructing an official proceeding.

Your client acknowledges that the riot that occurred on January 6, 2021, caused as of May 17, 2021, approximately $1,495,326.55 damage to the United States Capitol, Sedky wrote.

Hodgkins agreed to pay $2,000 in restitution to the Treasury Department.

The Architect of the Capitol, Sedky, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) didnt respond to requests by The Epoch Times for comment on the damage estimate.

A spokeswoman for the architect told The Washington Post that the architects office gave assessments of the damage to the DOJ, which used the information to calculate how much each defendant should pay.

Another prosecutor, meanwhile, disclosed that government officials expect that more than 550 people will ultimately be charged for participating in the breach.

The investigation and prosecution of these crimes will likely be one of the largest in American history, both in terms of the number of defendants prosecuted and the nature and volume of the evidence. Over 450 individuals have been charged. The investigation continues and the government expects that at least one hundred additional individuals will be charged, Amanda Jawad, an assistant U.S. attorney, wrote in a court filing.

Damage is seen inside the U.S. Capitol building in Washington early on Jan. 7, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

While most of the cases have been brought against individual defendants, the government is also investigating conspiratorial activity that occurred prior to and on January 6, 2021, she added.

Charges against alleged Capitol breach participants include engaging in violent conduct inside the building, destruction of government property, and assaults on federal and local police officers. Prosecutors have moved to drop at least one case because they found the defendant hadnt actually entered the Capitol.

Investigators have executed more than 900 search warrants in almost all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and evidence accumulated in the broad probe includes more than 15,000 of surveillance and body camera footage, approximately 1,600 electronic devices, and over 80,000 reports and 93,000 attachments related to law enforcement interviews of suspects and witnesses and other investigative steps.

Because the data in the investigations is growing so large, and to comply with provisions outlined in previous court cases such as Brady v. Maryland, the government is working with the Federal Public Defender to develop a plan to handle, track, process, review, and produce discovery across the breach cases.

Such productions have begun and will also be supplemented on an on-going basis. In the longer term, the plan will include a system for storing, organizing, searching, producing and/or making available voluminous materials such as those described above in a manner that is workable for both the government and hundreds of defendants, Jawad wrote. This latter portion of the plan will require more time to develop and implement, including further consultation with the Federal Public Defender.
A 3D printed Tik Tok logo is seen in front of U.S. flag in this illustration taken on Oct. 6, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Chinas TikTok Collecting US Biometrics: Ban TikTok Now

Commentary

Chinas social media platform TikTok just changed its privacy policy to allow the collection of American biometric data, such as facial and voice recognition, and potentially fingerprint data as well. The company, which caters to youth ages 13 to 24, can already collect prodigious amounts of information on its hapless users, including name, age, location, social media connections, filenames, and clipboard data.

Owned by Beijings ByteDance, the company should have been banned long ago. But it used U.S. courts to fight for access to American households, and now the Democrats are dragging their feet on passing laws or policies that bar TikTok from the United States. Given the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) lies and territorial aggression, which have caused millions of deaths worldwide and a genocide in China, no tech company from China has any place in America, or anywhere that values the lives and freedoms of its citizens.

TikTok has more than 730 million global users who watch the app for on average almost 1.5 hours a day. The United States has more than 100 million TikTok users, including 42 percent between the ages of 18 and 24; another 17 percent are between the ages of 13 and 17. Most of these kids arent reading the privacy policy, and have no idea that the CCP is out to take over the world.

TechCrunch reported the June 2 change to TikToks privacy policy that says the app may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information from users content. The company specified faceprints and voiceprints but didnt limit it to these biometrics, which allows it to collect any other biometric information as well, including fingerprints and gait recognition.

Im waiting for Huaweis new phone with a pinprick function that collects DNA. In this brave new techno-dystopia, anything is possible. Over the past few decades, our government has allowed Americans to devolve into the Wild West again, with Chinas corporations being the new tornado that rips through entire communities and their personal data.

Theres apparently little rhyme or reason to TikToks new demands for biometric data. According to TechCrunch, TikTok could not confirm what product developments necessitated the addition of biometric data to its list of disclosures about the information it automatically collects from users.

TikToks new privacy policy only requires consent to biometric data harvesting when such consent is required by law.

We may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information as defined under US laws, such as faceprints and voiceprints, from your User Content, it states. Where required by law, we will seek any required permissions from you prior to any such collection.

At the very least, then, the United States needs a federal law requiring as much.

Currently, only a few U.S. states have adopted biometric privacy laws. They include California, Illinois, New York, Texas, and Washington. Users in other states, therefore, are left entirely vulnerable to the TikTok data scrapers.

In Europe, privacy and data protection laws are stronger than in the United States, so the new privacy policy doesnt apply there.

TikTok can now collect information on images and audio in users content, including identifying the objects and scenery that appear, the existence and location within an image of face and body features and attributes, the nature of the audio, and the text of the words spoken in your User Content.

The company could already collect information on user devices such as location, content, messaging, file names, keystroke patterns and rhythms, name, age, photo, social media accounts, phone and social network contacts, payment information, and clipboard contents. Apple previously busted TikTok for collecting clipboard information without user permission.

TikTok admits to keeping U.S. user data in Singapore, from which it can relatively easily be accessed by Chinas hackers and intelligence services. The company already paid $92 million to settle a 2020 class-action lawsuit in Illinois for violating that states Biometric Information Privacy Act. The company allegedly collected and shared personal information and biometrics, including facial information, without user consent.

The Trump administration rightly attempted to ban TikTok, but the company fought us in our own courts. The same wouldnt be possible for an American company in China, showing how U.S. politicians of both partiesin hock to American corporations doing business in Chinahave let China walk all over us.

While TikTok claims to never censor content, or provide user data to Chinas authorities, ByteDance is required by Chinese law to do so when asked. The company cant possibly ensure that Chinese authorities, who almost certainly have Chinese Communist Party cells within the company, wont be able to access the information and provide it to Chinas police or intelligence agencies. Nobody who cares about their life or career in China would in their right mind try to stop Chinese officials from walking in the front door, taking whatever they want, and walking right back out.

Flash the badge, and in China, no questions are asked, followed by a criminal silence called omerta.

Meanwhile, the nice-guy Biden administration remains unclear on its position with respect to TikTok. Thats a dereliction of our governments duty to protect American citizens, and their privacy, from the Chinese regime.

Anders Corr has a bachelors/masters in political science from Yale University (2001) and a doctorate in government from Harvard University (2008). He is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc., publisher of the Journal of Political Risk, and has conducted extensive research in North America, Europe, and Asia. He authored The Concentration of Power (forthcoming in 2021) and No Trespassing, and edited Great Powers, Grand Strategies.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Liquid is extracted from a medical vial with a syringe in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 21, 2013. (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Disclosing COVID Vaccine Status Up to Aged Care Workers

Aged care workers do not need to disclose if theyve received a COVID-19 vaccination despite a new requirement for mandatory reporting by providers of jab numbers they are aware of.

From June 15, it will be mandatory for aged care providers to report vaccination numbers to the federal government on a weekly basis.

Whilst facilities are required to report, it remains voluntary for workers to be vaccinated and to disclose if they have received a COVID-19 vaccination, Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a statement on Friday.

Under Health Department guidelines, it is voluntary for workers to be vaccinated and to disclose if they have received a COVID-19 vaccination.

For all aged care workers in in-home and community aged care, and in residential aged care, it remains voluntary for workers to be vaccinated and to disclose if they have received a COVID-19 vaccination, the guidance states.

Employee vaccination information is subject to provisions under the Privacy Act, Minister for Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck said.

This means that this information can currently only be collected by aged care providers where a staff member agrees to disclose it, he said in a statement on Sunday.

We are confident providers will work collaboratively and sensitively with their workforce to both support workers to understand the importance of getting vaccinated and to understand why it is important to know the level of vaccination coverage across the workforce.

A total of 42,978 workers have been vaccinated through the Commonwealths in-reach clinics in residential aged care, of which 36,651 are fully vaccinated.

Workers are also free to get vaccinated through state and Commonwealth clinics, or by their GP.

The Government does not currently have full visibility of how many workers are being vaccinated through these channels as the Australian Immunisation Register does not capture an individuals occupation or place of employment, Colbeck said.

We are confident that the new reporting process will provide good data on the level of workforce vaccination.

National Cabinet on Friday asked the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to provide advice on the mandating of aged care and disability workforce COVID vaccinations as soon as possible.

Weekly data will be recorded through an online reporting tool that records de-identified data on the total number of aged care workers who have received their first or second dose.

A number of states scrambled to prioritise aged care vaccinations after the Victorian outbreak raised concern about the rollout speed.

Not all of our workers who were supposed to be vaccinated already by the Commonwealth in the 1A group have been done. Were not going to wait any longer, Queensland Health Minister Yvette DAth said on Wednesday.

The Victorian government announced on Tuesday it would prioritise COVID vaccinations for workers in private facilities.

By Nick Gibbs
NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci listens during a Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services Subcommittee hearing looking into the budget estimates for National Institute of Health and state of medical research on Capitol Hill in Washington, on May 26, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool/Getty Images)

Fauci Calls on China to Release Medical Records of Wuhan Lab Workers

Dr. Anthony Fauci has called on China to release the medical records of nine people whose ailments might provide vital clues into whether COVID-19 first emerged as the result of a lab leak, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

I would like to see the medical records of the three people who are reported to have got sick in 2019. Did they really get sick, and if so, what did they get sick with? the report quoted Fauci as saying.

The State Department released a fact sheet on Jan. 15 stating that researchers at a Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan were seriously ill in 2019, a month before the first COVID-19 cases were reported.

Chinese scientists and officials have consistently rejected the lab leak hypothesis, claiming the virus could have circulated in other regions before it hit Wuhan and might have even entered China through imported frozen food shipments or wildlife trading.

Security personnel keep watch outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during the visit by the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

A spokesman for Chinas foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, declined to comment directly on whether China would release the records.

Financial Times reported that Fauci continues to believe the virus was first transmitted to humans through animals, pointing out that even if the lab researchers did have COVID-19, they could have contracted the disease from the wider population.

By Eva Mathews
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an update on the state of the election and ballot count during a news conference at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 6, 2020. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters)

Georgia GOP Approves Resolution to Censure Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

The Georgia Republican Party approved on June 5 a resolution to censure Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, local media reported.

During a convention, the Georgia GOP approved a resolution that states Raffensperger, a Republican, failed to perform his duties in accordance with the laws of the Constitution of the State of Georgia, WSB-TV reported.

The document states the failure stemmed from Raffensperger entering into a settlement agreement with the Democratic Party of Georgia, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Under the terms of the agreement, Raffensperger agreed to promote and enforce regulations regarding prompt notification if a mail-in ballot was rejected and regarding county clerks signature reviews of absentee ballot envelopes and ballots.

Georgia Republicans accused Raffensperger of undermining the security of our elections by allowing mass mailings of absentee applications by his office and third parties which created opportunities for fraud and overwhelmed election offices; rendering accurate signature matching nearly impossible; allowing ballot drop boxes without proper chain of custody; and ignoring sworn affidavits and disregarding evidence of voter fraud.

Its obvious that there was fraud, Michael Ovitz, an attendee at the convention, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A civilized society depends upon truths and facts, not deception and deceit.

The Georgia Republican Party didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

Raffensperger has said theres no evidence of widespread fraud occurring in the 2020 election. The State Election Board, which he chairs, has sent dozens of election fraud cases to prosecutors in the wake of the election, including allegations that voters failed to register and vote or registered to vote while living outside the state.

Raffenspergers office told WSB-TV: The secretary of states office, county election directors, and the tens of thousands of poll workers across the state worked to ensure that democracy was upheld. It is the job of counties to run elections and the secretary of states offices job to report those election resultsit is the job of the political parties to deliver wins for their candidates. Lets not confuse the two.
Armin Laschet, State Premier of North-Rhine Westphalia and a leader of the Christian Democratic Union party CDU reacts during a CDU party convention in NRW's capital Duesseldorf, Germany, on June 5, 2021. (Marcel Kusch/File/Pool via Reuters)

German Conservative State Election Win Boosts Laschets Chancellery Hopes

MAGDEBURG, GermanyChancellor Angela Merkels conservatives looked set for a resounding victory in a state election in eastern Germany on Sunday, in a boost to Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed her in Septembers national election.

An exit poll for public broadcaster MDR had the Christian Democrats (CDU) on 36 percent, up more than six points on five years ago, and far ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), who were on 22.5 percent, slightly down on the previous election.

Laschet, long-serving premier of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, was seen as having made an uncertain start to his election campaign and had been facing calls to chart a more right-wing course to win back voters disenchanted by Merkels 16 years of centrism.

Casting his vote, state premier Reiner Haseloff had presented himself as the candidate of the center around whom those opposed to extremism could rally.

Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Reiner Haseloff of the Christian Democratic party (CDU) and his wife Gabriele cast their votes for the federal state election of Saxony-Anhalt, in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, on June 6, 2021. (Christian Mang/Reuters)

This will give us a boost for Berlin, national conservative caucus leader Ralph Brinkhaus said. It is a victory for Armin Laschet.

The results were disappointing for most other parties, with the Greens, who are running a close second to the conservatives nationally, only in the single digits in the regional election.

Sure, wed like to have done better, said their candidate for chancellor Annalena Baerbock.

Baerbock said the conservatives had benefited from voters rallying to the incumbent out of a desire to thwart the far-right, who had been as little as one point behind the conservatives in some opinion polls.

Haseloff said he had done all he could to persuade voters in the relatively poor region not to turn to the far right.

Ive done everything necessary and possible to persuade people that we need stability and a democratic centre, he told reporters in his home town of Wittenberg, where in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses critical of the pope to a church door, igniting the Protestant Reformation.

Merkel, in power since 2005, is stepping down after the federal election, and senior CDU officials concede that it will be tough to retain their partys appeal to voters after 16 years in charge.

By Reuters TV and Thomas Escritt
German Federal Foreign Office State Secretary Miguel Berger addresses the Manama Dialogue security conference in the Bahraini capital, on Dec. 5, 2020. (Mazen Mahdi/AFP via Getty Images)

German Official Rebukes Hungary for Blocking EU Criticism of China

BERLIN/BRUSSELSHungarys decision to block a European Union statement criticizing Chinas Hong Kong policy was condemned on Friday by a senior Germany official, who said the blocs foreign policy was being undermined.

Hungary again blocked an EU statement on Hong Kong. Three weeks ago it was on the Middle East. Common foreign and security policy cannot work on the basis of a blocking policy, German Foreign Office State Secretary Miguel Berger wrote on Twitter.

We need a serious debate on ways to manage dissent, including qualified majority voting.

Hungary blocked an EU statement in April criticizing Chinas new security law in Hong Kong, undermining the blocs efforts to confront Beijings curbing of freedoms in the former British colony.

The European Commission on Friday declined to comment on the latest veto.

Hungary did, however, allow the bloc to sanction four Chinese officials last March over human rights abuses against the Muslim Uyghurs in northwestern China.

Asked to comment on the Friday veto, the Hungarian governments media office said EU sanctions on China were pointless, presumptuous and harmful.

The EU has so far issued a number of declarations on China and Hong Kong. None has proven to be so successful that now another one should be issued, it added.
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Predator 2.0 Three Hands Full Black  Rebellion

Like the Predator APNEA, the Predator 2.0 Three Hands features three-dimensional luminescent elements, produced using one-of-a-kind machines that have made it possible to create a spectacular three-dimensional design. On the dial, which features the Predator 2.0 Three Hands honeycomb pattern, luminescent material is used all over to ensure optimal readability in all light conditions. Across the rest of the model, its all about painting. The XXL numerals and date display have been cast to form blocks of blue or red Super Luminova, depending on the version chosen. The use of SLN Block technology, developed by the Swiss company Bilight, ensures high luminescence in the dark with an intense red or blue hue. The indices and hands are covered with the same luminescent material, giving a remarkable finish for the Predator 2.0 3H Titanium Red and Predator 2.0 3H Titanium Blue.



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Predator 2.0 Three Hands Gold 5N  Rebellion

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Clearfield, PA (16830)

Today

Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Actress Lisa Banes of "The Strongest Man" poses for a portrait at the Village at the Lift Presented by McDonald's McCafe during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 26, 2015. (Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

Gone Girl Actor in Critical Condition After Hit-and-Run

NEW YORKGone Girl and Cocktail actor Lisa Banes remained hospitalized in critical condition Saturday night after being injured in a hit-and-run accident in New York City, her manager said.

Banes, 65, was struck by either a scooter or a motorcycle in the Upper West Side of Manhattan near Lincoln Center on Friday evening as she was crossing Amsterdam Avenue on the way to visit the Julliard School, her alma mater, manager David Williams said in an email to The Associated Press.

Actress Lisa Banes attends the 18th Annual Hollywood Film Awards at The Palladium in Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2014. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Williams said Banes was being treated at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital for substantial injuries.

Police declined to name the hit-and-run victim, and no arrests have been announced.

Banes has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including supporting roles in Gone Girl starring Ben Affleck in 2014 and Cocktail with Tom Cruise in 1988. On television, shes had roles on Nashville, Madam Secretary, Masters of Sex, and NCIS.
Gunman Opened Fire on Queens Family Barbecue, Killing 10-Year-Old Boy

By Wes Parnell

From New York Daily News

NEW YORKPolice released video Sunday showing a gunman opening fire on a Queens family barbecue, fatally striking a 10-year-old boy.

The shooter pulled up in a dark SUV to the home on Beach 45th Street near Beach Channel Drive in the Edgemere section of the Rockaways just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday, the video shows.

He got out of the vehicle and fired eight rounds into the home, the video shows. One of them struck Justin Wallace, who was looking forward to celebrating his 11th birthday Tuesday.

The spray of bullets also hit Justins 29-year-old cousin, who was hosting the barbecue.

Justin was rushed to St. Johns Episcopal Hospital but he couldnt be saved. His cousin was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he is expected to survive.

This [will] tarnish my life for the rest of my life, said the slain boys father, Albert Wallace, 57, who witnessed the shooting. Can you imagine that, man? Three days before his birthday.

The shooter fled the scene and has not been caught.

2021 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Hundreds of police swarmed the streets of Beijing's financial district on August 6 as Chinese authorities aggressively quashed a planned protest against losses sustained by peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images)

How a Chinese Anti-American P2P Platform Monetizes Fans

Commentary

On May 21, 2021, Shenzhen Public Security Bureau made a case report on three P2P (peer-to-peer) lending platforms, Ideal Treasure, RJS Investment, and Xitou.com, accusing them of fraud. Xitou.com attracted special attention among the three platforms because its owner, Huang Sheng, is known for his pro-Chinese communist party (CCP) and anti-American views. Netizens summarized the strategy he took to raise investments as defaming America to attract fans. It is alleged that he has defrauded more than 5,000 people of more than $93 million.

Defaming America to Earn Fans

Huang registered a number of social media accounts on platforms such as WeChat and Weibo to spread his anti-America views. His WeChat account fenghuangshan had been posting articles daily, sometimes twice a day, until his P2P fraud was exposed by local authorities on May 21.

A characteristic of Huangs anti-American articles was the use of clickbait terms, such as stock market doomsday, bloodshed, and the downfall of the world. Judging from these headlines alone, the United States market has supposedly collapsed 13 times in 17 days. He attracts viewers to make anti-American remarks.

Huangs articles were highly touted by the regimes mouthpiece. In 2020, when the world held the regime accountable for the virus coverup, Huang published an article in March headlined Rightfully, the world owes China a thank you. It was regarded as a precious asset by state-run media outlets, such as Xinhua News Agency, which extensively trumpeted and forwarded the propaganda.

Given that the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, has caused a global catastrophe, those who are rational should probe into the cause of the worldwide spread of the virus which originated from Wuhan.

Two Chinese women walk past a painting of a Red Guard from Chinas Cultural Revolution period at an art exhibit in Shanghai on April 17, 2008. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

Huangs Easy Target: Regime Believers

Objectively speaking, Huangs fraud comes easily. His conduct of illegally taking public deposits targeted a select group, the so-called patriots who feel affection for the regime. Why are they targeted? Because they are easily deceived. Provided that they believe in the lies of the CCP, they can be easily fooled by Huangs fallacies. It is a matter of being rational.

Conversely, those who can see the evil nature of the CCP, in particular, those who denounce the CCP will not fall for the trap.

If people are not rational, they have to suffer the consequences, meaning they are duped. Huang claimed that before founding Xitou.com in 2014, he was the first person to monetize fans. What does that mean?

It means Huang attracted fans with articles such as The world owes China a thank you or The collapse of America and persuaded them to invest on Xitou.com, which is equivalent to turning fans into cash. This is how his monetization of fans works.

Huangs gimmick relied on a loophole that those fans believed the CCP could surpass America. In fact, it is the CCP that impedes the Chinese economy from overtaking that of the United States. The development of the Chinese economy lies in the fruit of Chinese peoples hard work, endeavor, and wisdom. As long as the aforesaid nature of the Chinese remains unchanged, the Chinese economy will continue to advance.

Nevertheless, the CCPs system renders the Chinese hopeless and stops them from striving hard in life. This indeed jeopardizes the Chinese economy the most and is a grief for the Chinese.

Recently, there has been a rising phenomenon of lying flat in China, which indicates that people do not want to work hard. The number of people who adopt the lying down movement has not been vast enough to pose a threat to the Chinese economy for now, but there is a possibility of harmfulness.

Whether the United States collapses or not is an issue for Americans. For the Chinese, only when the CCP collapses will the Chinese usher in brand new opportunities and hopes. With the effort the Chinese put in, the Chinese economy will prosper in due course.

Zhao Pei is a Chinese news commentator from Canada. He also frequently shares his inside stories of China in his program, Micro News.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Protesters hold placards reading in Hungarian 'we will not be a colony' (L), and 'no Fudan' as they gather in downtown Budapest, Hungary, on June 5, 2021. (Laszlo Balogh/AP Photo)

Hungarys Right Wing Government in Bed With China: Protests Against a Fudan Campus in Budapest

Commentary

China wants to start a university in Hungary, with Hungarys own money paying for the privilege. On June 5, approximately 10,000 protested in Budapest against the proposed Fudan university campus. China is allegedly corrupting Hungarian leaders, and Hungarys president has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Hungarian people are right to rise up against any political leaders who are compromised by the Beijing regime. The greatest danger to our democracies today is the risk that for a few bucks, China can buy off presidents, foreign ministers, and treasury officials to do Beijings bidding, rather than the bidding of the voters.

The controversy in Budapest is indicative of a much broader struggle between democracy and dictatorship. In 2019, Fudan University deleted references to freedom of thought in its charter. The expensive project, planned for completion in Budapest by 2024, will be funded by over $1 billion in loans from China. Its price tag is more than the government spends on all other universities together, and will leech government funding from Hungarian higher education and increase Hungarys indebtedness to China.

Hungarys government is led by Viktor Orban and his supposedly right-wing party, Fidesz. But Orban has close ties to Beijing and Moscow, and is pushing a foreign policy of Eastern Opening.

Huawei has 70 percent of the Hungarian telecommunications market, and Hungary is purchasing a $15 billion nuclear plant from Russia. Just this month, Orbans government blocked a European Union statement against Chinas abuse of Hong Kong. His actions are those of a Trojan horse for Beijing and Moscow in both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

A U.S. official told EuroObserver in 2019 that Hungarys corruption problem creates pathways for Russian and Chinese influence. He added, One of the initiatives that well be unveiling is US support for efforts to look more closely at the intersections between corruption and Russian and Chinese influence.

Hungarys foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, claimed in 2019 that Western accusations of Beijing and Moscow corruption in Hungary are hypocritical, given deals with these illiberal regimes in Britain and Germany.

But Hungary has gone much further. According to Reuters, Orban has built cordial ties with China, Russia and other illiberal governments, while locking horns with Western allies by curbing the independence of scientific research, the judiciary and media.

A university student protester against the Fudan campus told AFP last week, Orban and Fidesz portray themselves as anti-communists, but in reality the communists are their friends.

Another told Reuters, I do not agree with our countrys strengthening feudal relationship with China. He believes the funds should go to improve our own universities instead of building a Chinese one.

The liberal mayor of Budapest and economists are against Fudans proposed campus, which is expensive and lacks transparency. Mayor Gergely Karacsony, who would be a better pick for prime minister of Hungary, told Reuters, This Fudan project would put in doubt many of the values that Hungary committed itself to 30 years ago when it became independent of the Soviet Union.

The mayor labeled several streets, which converge on the proposed new campus, with names that commemorate the victims of Chinese communism, including Dalai Lama Street, Free Hong Kong Road, Uyghur Martyrs Road, and one named after a jailed Chinese Catholic bishop.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the renaming should not affect the project, and was contemptible. In that moment he revealed exactly how the CCP views public opinion in a democracy.

Approximately 66 percent of Hungarians oppose the Chinese university and 27 percent support the idea, according to an opinion poll published on June 1.

Documents leaked to local journalists show that the $1.8 billion project, more than Hungary spent on the entire higher education sector in 2019, will be funded by a Chinese loan of approximately $1.5 billion. The Fudan campus includes plans for 500 faculty and 6,000 students, including in the medical and engineering fields, which raises questions about E.U. technology transfer to China.

A demonstrator holds a placard reading Treason during a protest against the planned Chinese Fudan University campus in Budapest, Hungary, June 5, 2021. (Bernadett Szabo/Reuters)

Orban already has a $2.1 billion Chinese loan to reconstruct a Budapest-Belgrade railway. He fast-tracked a Chinese coronavirus vaccine that remains unapproved in the European Union.

Based on my sources, Chinese projects such as these can be accompanied by finders fees of 2-7 percent, paid by consulting contracts in a manner that personally benefits the head of state and his closest associates. If true for these projects, that could amount to as much as $275 million, which would explain why Hungarys political leaders support the project.

In any case, Hungary is becoming a CCP beachhead in the European Union. But the Hungarian people have been there, and done that. Hungarians experienced Soviet communism, including internment and labor camps, and rose up in 1956 to drive out the Russians. When the Soviets realized that the West feared war, they drove right back in and liquidated the anti-communists.

Hungary then suffered under Moscows yoke until the countrys liberation in 1989. Hungarians have not undergone such horrors to easily allow themselves to fall under the yoke of a new communist master, this time in Beijing rather than Moscow. But they, and we, will have to fight harder against Beijings corruption in our capital cities if we want to guarantee our future freedoms.

Anders Corr has a bachelors/masters in political science from Yale University (2001) and a doctorate in government from Harvard University (2008). He is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc., publisher of the Journal of Political Risk, and has conducted extensive research in North America, Europe, and Asia. He authored The Concentration of Power (forthcoming in 2021) and No Trespassing, and edited Great Powers, Grand Strategies.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony to show appreciation to the health sector for their contribution to the fight against COVID-19 in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 6, 2021. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

Israels Netanyahu Alleges Election Fraud, Accuses Rival of Duplicity

JERUSALEMPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday a newly formed Israeli coalition that is poised to unseat him was the result of the greatest election fraud in the history of democracy.

He made his sweeping accusation at a time when Israels domestic security chief has warned publicly about the prospect of political violence. Netanyahu focused his allegations on a broken campaign promise from the man set to replace him as prime minister, nationalist Naftali Bennett.

Bennett had pledged not to partner with left-wing, centrist, and Arab parties, but on Wednesday announced with opposition leader Yair Lapid that they had formed a governing coalition with factions from across the political spectrum.

Under a rotation deal, Bennett will serve first as prime minister, followed by Lapid.

No date has been set for a vote in parliament to approve the new government, which follows an inconclusive March 23 election, but it is widely expected to be sworn in on June 14.

We are witnessing the greatest election fraud in the history of the country, in my opinion in the history of any democracy, Netanyahu said in comments to legislators of his right-wing Likud party.

Thats why people justifiably feel deceived and they are responding, they must not be shut up, he said in the remarks, which were broadcast live and referred indirectly to Bennetts campaign promise not to team up with Lapid and others.

Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving leader, has been in office since 2009, and his tenure has been clouded by an ongoing corruption trial, in which he has denied any wrongdoing.

The prospective new government caps political jockeying since the electionIsraels fourth in two years. People angry at the alliance have held protests outside the homes of opposition politicians, whose security has been beefed up after threats on social media.

Endangering Israel

In a rare public warning, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency said on Saturday that increasingly extreme online discourse could lead to violence.

While condemning violence and incitement, Netanyahu, 71, repeated his designation of the Lapid-Bennett coalition as a dangerous leftist alliance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony to show appreciation to the health sector for their contribution to the fight against COVID-19, in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 6, 2021. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

This government is endangering Israel with such a danger the likes of which we have not seen for many years, he said.

We, my friends and I in Likud, we will vehemently oppose the establishment of this dangerous government of fraud and surrender. And if, God forbid, it is established, we will bring it down very quickly.

Netanyahu said the politically diverse new coalition would not be able to stand up to the United States if Washington returns to a nuclear deal with Iran nor deal forcefully with Gazas Hamas terrorists, who engaged Israel in 11 days of cross-border fighting last month.

He also criticized Facebook and Twitter, saying the two social media platforms, which he uses extensively, had been blocking legitimate right-wing criticism of the Lapid-Bennett coalition.

Netanyahu said Facebook had removed a right-wing post that included the address of a legislator where a protest had been set to take place. He said a left-wing post that listed the same address but called on demonstrators to support the lawmaker had not been taken down.

Its a scientific case, simply scientific, clinical, that proves an attempt to shut up the right-wing, Netanyahu said.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Facebook said, Privacy and the protection of personal information are important to helping people feel safe on our services.

Under our global Community Standards, we do not allow people to post personal or confidential information about others, including peoples addresses and phone numbers, therefore we remove such content once we become aware of it.

By Maayan Lubell

Epoch Times staff contributed to this report
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) removes his mask to speak as bipartisan members of the Senate and House gather to announce a framework for new COVID-19 relief legislation at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 1, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Manchin to Vote Against Democrats Sweeping Election Bill

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he will vote against For the People Act, a sweeping election reform bill pushed by his Democratic colleagues thats also known as S. 1 in the Senate, saying forcing it through via the reconciliation process will further deepen divisions.

I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act, he wrote in home-state newspaper The Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Manchin also reaffirmed that he wont vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.

He criticized Democrats and Republicans for politicizing election reform to seek partisan advantage and urged both sides to work together, while suggesting that the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is a good starting point to gain bipartisan support for election reform.

The act would federalize components of the election system, eliminating nearly all requirements for photo identification, require states to offer 15 days of early voting, allow no-excuse absentee balloting, require states to implement a system of automatic voter registration, and allow same-day registration on any day voting is allowed.

Manchin also expressed concern over the trend of vying for absolute power over cooperation inside the Beltway.

It has been said by much wiser people than me that absolute power corrupts absolutely, he wrote. Well, what Ive seen during my time in Washington is that every party in power will always want to exercise absolute power, absolutely.

After a contentious 2020 election, a number of Republican-led states have enacted or proposed various measures that seek to guarantee election integrity, such as restricting mail-in voting and bolstering ID requirements. Meanwhile, Democrats are aggressively attempting to federally codify some emergency voting rights and oversight procedures that were implemented due to COVID-19 ahead of the presidential election through the For the People Act.

Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) attends a Senate Administration and Rules Committee mark-up business meeting on Capitol Hill in the District of Columbia on May 11, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Democratic colleagues in a memorandum that he will force a Senate vote on the sweeping election reform bill that is essential to defending our democracy, reducing the influence of dark money and powerful special interests, and stopping the wave of Republican voter suppression happening in states across the country.

The bill is expected to get little, if any, support from the Republican side.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has promised to block the bill, which he characterizes as undue government overreach into state election systems. He said no GOP senators support it.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) has described the bill as a massive federal takeover of elections.

Manchins objection will dim Democrats hope of passing it in the Senate, which is split 5050.

Schumers office didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

The House approved its version of the For the People ActH.R. 1in March. All Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), voted against the bill.

Critics have promised to bring a flood of lawsuits if the legislation is approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden.

There are a number of constitutional infirmities and deficiencies that stem from its treatment of presidential and congressional elections identically, even though Congress has vastly reduced powers to regulate presidential elections under the Constitution, Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, told reporters.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.
FORT WORTH, TexasMattie Parker declared victory on Saturday as the next mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, keeping it one of Americas biggest cities with a GOP mayor.

The 37-year-old Parker was in a runoff with Deborah Peoples, a former Democratic county chairwoman who was hoping to be the citys first black mayor.

Parker has now become the youngest mayor of a major city. Peoples conceded defeat as Parker had more than 53 percent of the vote with ballots still being counted.

Deborah Peoples, Democratic candidate for Fort Worth Mayor, attends a gathering in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 5, 2021. (Yffy Yossifor/Star-Telegram via AP)

Todays election was a pivotal moment. The entire country was watching, Parker told supporters gathered at west side bar Lolas, Dallas News reported.

Because of your support here tonight, together we will do extraordinary things for Fort Worth, Texas. Number one is bringing our city together. Hear me and hear me well: Were going to demonstrate that a world-class city is capable of being a premier destination. We are one of the best cities in the nation to live, work, play, and raise a family.

The local news report added that both candidates had focused on major issues facing the citys residents over partisan politics: transportation, attracting big business and jobs, education, and how to promote unity in the community.

Parker will succeed her former boss, outgoing Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, a Republican who is retiring after 10 years and was the longest-serving mayor of the booming city that is closing in on 1 million residents.

Mattie undoubtedly has the heart for service and the head for policy that we need leading Fort Worth during this time of rapid growth and change, the outgoing mayor said in a prepared statement. The new voice and fresh perspective Mattie brings to the table will be invaluable on the Fort Worth City Council.

Parker is an attorney, a former chief of staff to Price, and founder of the education coalition Fort Worth Cradle to Career and the student to workforce training provider Tarrant To & Through (T3) Partnership.

Parker is to be sworn in on June 15.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who had endorsed Parker, said in a prepared statement on Saturday: Congratulations to Mattie Parker on her victory to be the next Fort Worth mayor. Mattie is a true leader who will fight to build a safer and more prosperous future for the people of Fort Worth.

The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
The Morrison government is providing $16.6 million (US$12.85 million) in grants to support the mental health and wellbeing of expectant and new parents through nine new projects.

It is estimated that up to 10 per cent of women experience depression while pregnant, and one-in-seven women in the year after birth.

Men can also experience perinatal mental illness, with approximately one-in-10 expectant and new fathers experiencing depression, anxiety or other forms of emotional distress in the perinatal period.

Among the grants, Karitanea non-profit leader in parenting serviceswill receive $9.44 million (US$7.31 million) over four years for its National Perinatal and Infant Mental HealthConnect and Care Program.

Separately, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says almost nine out of 10 visits to the GP came at no cost to the patient.

GP bulk billing rates reached an all-time high of 88.7 per cent for the period from July 2020 to March 2021, three percentage points higher than the same period last year.

Across all Medicare services, the bulk billing rate reached 80.9 per cent, an increase of 4.4 percentage points since 2012/13.

Telehealth changes to Medicare introduced for the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to high bulk billing, while also reducing the risk of spreading the disease in the community.

Our governments commitment to Medicare and bulk billing remains rock solid, Hunt said in a statement on Sunday.

These figures show that we are supporting the health and wellbeing of Australians more than ever before.

Other Grants Under the Health Initiative

$2.59 million for the University of Newcastle to deliver the SMS4dads digital prevention and early intervention service, for fathers, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fathers, living in rural and remote regions

$1.36 million for Transitioning Well Pty Ltd to develop and deliver digital resources to assist owners/operators of small businesses support the mental health and wellbeing of employees who are new or expectant parents

$750,000 for the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) to review and update Mental Health Care in the Perinatal Period: Australian Clinical Practice Guideline

$750,000 for Possums for Mothers and Babies to deliver training and professional peer support for health professionals and new parents in rural communities

$650,000 for Western Sydney University to develop and deliver a digital national learning resource to improve the mental health literacy of young mothers

$520,000 for Western Sydney University to develop and deliver a perinatal mental health training program for clinicians who provide care for women in pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period

$290,000 for an alliance of perinatal mental health organisations led by the Gidget Foundation Australia to deliver a national awareness campaign held annually in November during Perinatal Mental Health Week

$250,000 for the Murdoch University Ngangk Yira Research Centre for Aboriginal Health and Social Equity to produce health practitioner training materials and develop a mobile phone-based app version of the Baby Coming You Ready assessment and screening program for Aboriginal women.

By Colin Brinsden in Canberra
A member of the National Guard stands guard ahead of midterm elections in Nahuatzen, Mexico, on June 5, 2021. (Alan Ortega/Reuters)

Mexicans Vote in Midterm Elections Seen as Referendum on President

MEXICO CITYMexicans headed to the polls on Sunday to vote for a new lower house of Congress, state governors, and local lawmakers, in a race seen as a referendum on President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors policies and efforts to shake up Mexicos institutions.

All 500 seats in the lower house, 15 state governorships, and thousands of local leadership positions are up for grabs, with some 93.5 million Mexicans eligible to vote.

The elections has been tinged by the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout, as well as record criminal violence, with security consultancy Etellekt saying 91 politicians have been killed in this election cycle.

Since taking office in 2018 after a landslide victory, Lopez Obrador has expanded the role of the state in the energy industry and radically cut back on the cost of government to channel resources to the poor and his priority infrastructure projects.

In the process, he has eroded institutional checks and balances and frequently criticized autonomous bodies, including the Bank of Mexico, prompting critics to sound the alarm about a dangerous centralization of power.

Though voters tend to criticize his governments record on job creation and fighting crime, they are more skeptical of Mexicos former rulers, now in opposition. Lopez Obrador has also benefited from the vaccine rollout.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador attends the 108th anniversary of the epic military feat known as March of Loyalty, after he faced a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection at the Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 9, 2021. (Edgard Garrido/File Photo/Reuters)

Recent polls suggest his National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) may lose some of its current 253 seats in the lower house, but is still likely to retain a majority with the help of the allied Green and Labor parties. The Senate is not up for election.

That support partly reflects discontent with older parties. To stay on top in the long term, MORENA must improve its record on the economy, officials, lawmakers and voters say.

At least one survey pointed to a tight race with the three opposition parties, the center-right National Action Party (PAN), centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), that have forged an electoral alliance nipping at the heels of the MORENA-led coalition.

Though the presidents name is not on the ballot, a big win may embolden Lopez Obrador to pursue more interventionist policies and could open the door to constitutional changes, said Nikhil Sanghani, Latin America economist at Capital Economics.

Sanghani said the president would likely deepen his state-centric policies, especially in the energy sector, in his remaining three years in office.

Lopez Obrador has made reversing his predecessors opening of the energy sector a top priority and has bolstered state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and national power utility the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), often to the detriment of private enterprise.

Members of the National Guard look on as vehicles arrive carrying voting booths and electoral boxes ahead of midterm elections in Nahuatzen, Mexico, on June 5, 2021. (Alan Ortega/Reuters)

Duncan Wood of the Washington-based Wilson Center said that Lopez Obrador, who describes his administration as the Fourth Transformation, wants to leave a lasting imprint on Mexicos political landscape.

To leave a lasting legacy means changing the constitution, because if you change the constitution, its much more difficult for governments who follow you to change it back, said Wood, adding the president would likely want to further centralize power in the hands of the executive and federal government over the states.

Lopez Obrador has signaled that he has already carried out the core of his legislative agenda, however, and says that only a few major issues are pending for the second half of his administration.

By law Lopez Obrador can only serve one term, so keeping or expanding a majority in the lower house is needed to accelerate the structural economic and social transformation the president has been advocating, and pave the way for a friendly political succession in 2024, said Goldman Sachs economist Alberto Ramos.

In the campaign leading up to Sundays election, former President Felipe Calderon, a longstanding adversary of Lopez Obrador, said Mexicans were choosing between democracy and dictatorship.

Police officers and members of the National Guard stand guard as workers of the National Electoral Institute (INE) carry voting materials, to be distributed to polling stations, ahead of midterm elections in Nahuatzen, Mexico, on June 5, 2021. (Alan Ortega/Reuters)

Lopez Obrador has repeatedly rejected suggestions that he could turn Mexico into a dictatorship.

Calderon, who ruled Mexico for the center-right PAN from 2006 to 2012, said the leftist government of Lopez Obrador had little regard for the constitution or the law.

If we dont stop this, were going directly to where Venezuela is, he said in an online discussion in May.

For his part, Lopez Obrador has accused Calderon of robbing him of the presidency in 2006 and often pillories him as part of a corrupt political system.

A loss at the ballot box for MORENA and its allies, though unlikely, could help moderate Lopez Obrador by creating a new check on his power.

But it could also prompt a backlash.

It could also bring out Lopez Obradors combativeness, and lead to legal challenges against results, more anti-business rhetoric, and increased political polarization, said Nicholas Watson, managing director of consultancy Teneo.

By Anthony Esposito
Normandy Commemorates D-day With Small Crowds, but Big Heart

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FranceWhen the sun rises over Omaha Beach, revealing vast stretches of wet sand extending toward distant cliffs, one starts to grasp the immensity of the task faced by Allied soldiers on June 6, 1944, landing on the Nazi-occupied Normandy shore.

Several ceremonies were being held Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day, the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and western Europe from Nazi control, and honor those who fell.

These are the men who enabled liberty to regain a foothold on the European continent, and who in the days and weeks that followed lifted the shackles of tyranny, hedgerow by Normandy hedgerow, mile by bloody mile, Britains ambassador to France, Lord Edward Llewellyn, said at the inauguration of a new British monument to D-Days heroes.

World War II reenactors pay tribute to soldiers at dawn at the shore of Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, on June, 6 2021. (David Vincent/AP Photo)

On D-Day, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. This year on June 6, the beaches stood vast and nearly empty as the sun emerged, exactly 77 years since the dawn invasion.

For the second year in a row, anniversary commemorations are marked by virus travel restrictions that prevented veterans or families of fallen soldiers from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Allied countries from making the trip to France. Only a few officials were allowed exceptions.

At the newly-built British Normandy Memorial near the village of Ver-sur-Mer, bagpipes played memorial tunes and warplanes zipped overhead trailing red-white-and-blue smoke. Socially distanced participants stood in awe at the solemnity and serenity of the site, providing a spectacular and poignant view over Gold Beach and the English Channel.

The new monument pays tribute to those under British command who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy.

A text carved on the wall writes, They died so that Europe might be free.

A veteran is assisted during the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England, on June 6, 2021. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Visitors stood to salute the more than 22,000 men and women, mostly British soldiers, whose names are etched on its stone columns. Giant screens showed D-Day veterans gathered simultaneously at Britains National Memorial Aboretum to watch the Normandy event remotely. Prince Charles, speaking via video link, expressed regret that he couldnt attend in person.

On June 6, 1944, In the heart of the mist that enveloped the Normandy Coast  was a lightning bolt of freedom, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the ceremony. France does not forget. France is forever grateful.

Charles Shay, a Penobscot Native American who landed as a U.S. army medic on June 6, 1944, and now calls Normandy home, was the only surviving D-Day veteran at the Ver-sur-Mer ceremony.

Another veteran of the Battle of Normandy, British Capt. David Mylchreest, was also present. He landed with his team in Normandy on June 12, 1944, to replace officers who had died in the first days of the fight.

Shay then took part in a commemoration at the American Cemetery later in the day in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach, in the presence of officials from the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, and other allied countries.

The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

Veterans sing as they watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England, on June 6, 2021. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Most public events have been canceled, and the official ceremonies were limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

Denis van den Brink, a WWII expert working for the town of Carentan, site of a strategic battle near Utah Beach, acknowledged the big loss, the big absence is all the veterans who couldnt travel.

That really hurts us very much because they are all around 95, 100 years old, and we hope theyre going to last forever. But, you know he said.

At least we remain in a certain spirit of commemoration, which is the most important, he told The Associated Press.

Over the anniversary weekend, many local residents have come out to visit the monuments marking the key moments of the fight and show their gratitude to the soldiers. French World War II history enthusiasts, and a few travelers from neighboring European countries, could also be seen in jeeps and military vehicles on the small roads of Normandy.

Some reenactors came to Omaha Beach in the early hours of the day to pay tribute to those who fell that day, bringing flowers and American flags.

World War II reenactors stand in the sea on Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, on June, 6 2021. (David Vincent/AP Photo)

On D-Day, 4,414 Allied troops lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Normandy has more than 20 military cemeteries holding mostly Americans, Germans, French, British, Canadians, and Polish troops who took part in the historic battle.

Dignitaries stressed the importance of keeping D-Days legacy alive for future generations.

In the face of the threats of today, we should act together and show unity, Parly said, so that the peace and freedom last.

By Sylvie Corbet

Nicolas Garriga contributed to this report from Ver-sur-Mer.
Diyar Al Muharraq, one of the largest real estate companies in Bahrain, has announced signing a MoU with Al Salam Bank to provide exclusive financing offers to buyers interested in purchasing property in any of the masterplans projects, extending to citizens as well as expatriates looking to invest in freehold projects.

The MoU outlines the provision of special financing offers from Al Salam Bank on all projects within the Diyar Al Muharraq masterplan, with special emphasis on the Mozoon residential plots project.

This partnership comes as part of Diyar Al Muharraqs ongoing commitment to provide housing solutions to all customer segments, to support their investment goals, whether residential or commercial.

"Al Salam Bank has always distinguished itself through the diversity and flexibility of its financing solutions, particularly with its property financing facilities, stated its Deputy CEO of Business Anwar Murad after signing the deal with Engineer Ahmed Ali Alammadi, CEO of Diyar Al Muharraq in the presence of Chairman Dr Maher Al Shaer and other senior officials.

"Accordingly, we are pleased to announce our partnership with Diyar Al Muharraq in a mutual effort to support those who are interested in residential and commercial investment, through the provision of competitive profit rates, and flexible financing terms," he added.

Engineer Alammadi said: "We are pleased to enter this agreement with Al Salam Bank, which will ultimately enable potential residential and commercial investors to finance their properties in Diyar Al Muharraq with ease."

One of the largest integrated cities in the kingdom, Diyar Al Muharraq offers a variety of housing solutions and a luxurious modern lifestyle while persevering the core family values in Bahraini society.

It offers a unique, balanced mix of residential, commercial, recreational, and healthcare facilities, creating a fully integrated and futuristic model city, he stated.

"This initiative comes as part of our ongoing commitment to develop the economy of our kingdom, by providing investment solutions that drive growth and development," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
People wait for COVID-19 vaccinations at the opening day of a new vaccination site at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif., on March 31, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Orange Countys COVID-19 Numbers Continue Encouraging Trends

SANTA ANAOrange Countys encouraging COVID-19 trends have continued, with 42 new infections reported and hospitalizations at rates not seen since the beginning of the pandemic.

The new cases boosted the cumulative total to 255,413.

Hospitalizations have dropped from 42 on June 5 to 41 on June 6, and the number of intensive care unit patients decreased from 13 to 10.

Hospitalizations fluctuate up and down, but theres a clear downward trend, Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said June 2. Were trending in the right direction. If there was something like a gold or platinum tier, wed be there by now.

Five fatalities were logged June 6, bringing the overall death toll to 5,083.

The death toll for May stands at 10, 41 for April, 185 in March, 583 in February and 1,548 for January, the deadliest month during the pandemic, and 959 for December, the next deadliest.

Another 11,537 COVID-19 tests were reported, bringing the countys total to 3,953,225.

The countys weekly average of tests per 100,000 is 233.1.

According to weekly state data released every Tuesday, the average for the countys daily case rate per 100,000 residents dropped from 1.3 to 0.9. The overall test positivity rate improved from 0.8 percent to 0.6 percent, and the countys Health Equity Quartile rate, which measures positivity in hot spots in disadvantaged communities, remained at 0.7 percent.

Those numbers guaranteed that the county remained in the least-restrictive yellow tier. The state is getting ready to scrap its tier system for reopening the economy.

Were excited about June 15 and what it means technically, but until [Gov. Gavin Newsom] makes that announcement, we dont know what the caveats will be, Bartlett said.

Meanwhile, the board of the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or Cal-OSHA, voted June 3 to revise state rules as of June 15allowing employees to shed masks in the workplace, but only if everyone in the room is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The board said the move was a stopgap while it considers further easing of rules in the coming weeks and months.

Andrew Noymer, a University of CaliforniaIrvine professor of population health and disease prevention, said he agreed with the policy.

What theyre trying to do is dangle a huge carrot in terms of vaccination, and that carrot is that you can take off your mask at work if everyone in the office is vaccinated, Noymer told City News Service on June 4.

But my point is, its going to make very little difference during the summertime whether people follow these rules or not, Noymer said.

Noymer predicted the summer months would be mild in terms of coronavirus transmission, but that infections would pick up in the fall when temperatures drop, forcing people into more indoor activity and students return to school.

When the state drops its tiered system of restrictions in mid-June, a lot of residents may not notice much difference when it comes to face coverings, Noymer said.

When the governor gets in front of the television cameras and says no more masking June 15, he means private individuals when theyre going about their own business, but in the workplace, theyre still governed by workplace rules, Noymer said.

Retail businesses will likely continue requiring face coverings because it will be difficult to determine if everyone is vaccinated, Noymer said. Private businesses can enforce mask rules if they want to, he added.

No shirt, no shoes, no service, he said. I dont think theres a California statute that says you have to wear a shirt if you go to McDonalds, but its McDonalds policy. I think the businesses will reserve the right to do that as well.

I basically think its a good policy. I think Cal OSHA is trying to keep California workers safe.  Its a little conservative in terms of masking, but its also dangling a huge carrot in terms of vaccination.

Meanwhile, Noymer said the latest statistics in the county are excellent.

Orange County CEO Frank Kim said earlier this week that the numbers are looking pretty good.

County officials have seen an overall decline in demand for vaccinations, but on the other hand, theyre having success reaching many residents with mobile vaccination centers, particularly with the one in Santa Ana serving clients of CalOptima, the countys insurance for low-income residents, Kim said.

They were doing over 1,000 [vaccinations] a day, Kim said of mobile vaccine points of distribution.

Orange County officially entered the least-restrictive yellow tier of the reopening blueprint on May 19, which allowed for greater attendance for many businesses such as movie theaters and gyms, while museums, zoos, and aquariums were allowed to open at full capacity.

For the first time, bars and distilleries were able to open indoors, and theme parks such as Disneyland could expand attendance.
A girl lies on a hospital bed after she was stabbed during a knife attack at a primary school in Guangshan county, central China's Henan Province on Dec. 16, 2012. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Prevalent Child Abuse Across Schools in China Refutes CCP Propaganda

Commentary

In line with the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) preparations to celebrate its 100th anniversary, Chinese schools and kindergartens are carrying out various thank the Party activities, including one themed grateful to the Party for giving me a good environment to grow. However, child abuse and injuries in kindergartens have been widely exposed across China.

Physical Injuries

A three-year-old girl from a kindergarten in Xian, Shaanxi Province, a landlocked province in northwest China, was spotted with 29 needle jabs in her body after being tortured by a teacher.

A four-year-old boy in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, a coastal province in southern China, was repeatedly pricked with needles by three teachers.

A kindergarten teacher in Dalian, Liaoning Province, a coastal province in northeast China, was found to be abusive, and toddlers under the persons care were found with many scars.

A kindergarten teacher in Puning, Guangdong Province, hit a toddler, making his mouth bleed and knocking out his tooth.

A three-year-old boy in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, in northeast China, had injuries on his head and neck because a female teacher pressed a stool on his head.

In Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, an eastern-central coastal province, a kindergarten teacher not only violently slapped the kids but also had the kids slap their own faces.

In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, an eastern coastal province, a number of kindergarten teachers beat up their kids.

According to the kids descriptions and videos, kids were kicked, hit on the head, slapped in the face, and violently dragged.

A boy cries during class because he misses his mother at the West Point Training Center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, on Aug. 2, 2006. (Cancan Chu/Getty Images)

Destroying Self-Esteem

In Yunnan Province, a landlocked province in the southwest, a mother said her three-year-old daughter was forced by her teacher to eat feces from the toilet at a kindergarten in Kunming because she did not study hard in class and behave at mealtime. She claims other children told her they saw the girl being forced to eat the feces twice by the teacher.

In Jiangxi Province, a landlocked province in the east, a male teacher at a branch of RYB Education, a publicly listed company for preschool education, posted a photo on his Weibo social media account of a toddlers hands holding an adults foot and sniffing the foot. The post started with the text, Cultivate m at a young age. Following the picture was two comments, one that said smell it, carefully smell it, the second that stated, parents and teachers have been blocked. The m in the text was interpreted as a reference to sadomasochism, according to other netizens comments.

Nine-year-old Ding Shaonan has supper at Wang Jiayu Orphanage of Sanshilipu Village in Yingshang county of Anhui Province, China, on July 9, 2006. (China Photos/Getty Images)

In Yongshun county, Hunan Province, south-central China, a second-grade teacher asked a dozen or so students who hadnt donated money to line up for a video and sent it to the parent group. Parents were mobilized to raise funds and each student was asked to donate six yuan (just under $1). The teacher announced, It must be done today. The teacher reportedly did it under the instruction of the school, initiated by Yongshun County Education Foundation.

The video announcement of students who failed to donate is nothing new. In 2018, in a primary school in Maoming, Guangdong Province, 10 children were called up by the teacher to take pictures with their hands behind their backs on stage because they had not donated, and the video was sent to the parent group for public criticism.

The video was narrated with the teacher saying their names and that these 10 students have not donated.

The students who had not donated money were penalized by getting a time out and standing in a row. Their faces were scanned across one by one. At the same time, a voice of harsh questioning was heard in the narration. This scene was very familiar, just like televised confessions on state media.

In fact, ever since Chinese state-run CCTV started to broadcast public confessions in 2013, from 2013 until 2016, there was about one prime-time confession every month. CCTV took the lead to demonstrate to locals how to put people on public trials. This time, Hunans public trial of the young students who failed to donate money took place at Yongshun county, a remote and deeply impoverished area in western Hunan. The local children are not well-off. Unfortunately, dignity is not worth even six yuan.

Numerous Abnormal Casualties

On April 13, a four-year-old boy suddenly died in a kindergarten in Taierzhuang, Shandong Province, northeastern China. When the childs family rushed to the kindergarten and asked to check the security camera, the school claimed the camera was broken. As of now, there is no official conclusion on the cause of the childs death.

On April 28, in a kindergarten in the local township of Yulin city, Guangxi Province, southern China, a man with a knife suddenly began indiscriminately attacking teachers and students. Local officials reported two deaths (both children) and 16 injuries (including two teachers). However, according to news from eyewitnesses on the Internet, more than two kids died at that time, and the actual number of deaths was more than nine children.

Public reports from 2010 to 2020 show that in the past 11 years, there were many homicides in schools across the country each year, particularly in elementary schools and kindergartens.

Take these few cases as examples.

In 2020, there were two deaths and four injuries in a homicide case in a kindergarten in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province; a dismissed security guard at a primary school in Wangfu town, Guangxi, injured 39 students and faculty members.

In 2019, a dismissed custodian of a Beijing Normal University affiliated primary school attacked and injured more than 20 children with a hammer.

In 2018, a suspect attacked and injured 14 children in a local kindergarten in Chongqing, Sichuan Province.

Earlier figures are not much better. According to statistics in 2010, there were five murder cases in school, including four elementary schools and one kindergarten nationwide within 35 days. Chinese officials reported a total of at least 13 deaths and nearly 40 injuries. After that, a picture went viral on the Internet showing that kindergartens all over the country hung up banners saying for grievances, make a left turn and the government is there, meaning the regime was responsible for the attacks.

At that time, analysts believed the frequent school attacks in China were not simple crimes but mental health problems manifested from social problems. With Chinas economic growth and the regimes ruling, the disparity between the rich and poor increased, with issues of depression and a loss of morality following. In addition was a flawed legal system, resulting in a lack of fairness and justice. These worsened and further spread mental health problems.

Students pose in front of a blackboard at the Yang Dezhi Red Army elementary school in Wenshui, Xishui country in Guizhou Province, China, on Nov. 7, 2016. (Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images)

One most important but neglected fact is that the one thing distinguishing Chinese school kids from the rest of the world is the red scarf. School kids were required to wear the red scarf, a symbol of being a member of the Young Pioneers, an affiliation of the Chinese Communist Party. Many kids deaths were associated with the red scarf, which became a lethal weapon.

In 2020, a fifth-grade boy in Dazhou, Sichuan Province, was suffocated to death by a red scarf while playing.

In 2017, a 12-year-old boy from Pingxiang, Jiangxi Province died from hanging by a red scarf at home.

In 2014, a seven-year-old boy in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was strangled to death by a red scarf. The school insisted that the child committed suicide.

In 2009, a 12-year-old student in Kunming, Yunnan Province, was found dead, hung by a red scarf on an iron bed frame. An 11-year-old student in Hunan Province was reported to have died from committing suicide by hanging himself with a red scarf in a rental house in Dongguan.

In short, the shocking incidents of child abuse and injury in China have been recurring, and theyre a slap in the face for the CCPs propaganda, grateful to the party for giving a good environment to grow.

Chen Simin is a freelance writer who often analyzes Chinas current affairs. She has contributed to The Epoch Times since 2011.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Javier Villalobos, third from the left, in a local event on May 21, 2021. (Courtesy of the City of McAllen)

Republican Flips Mayors Seat in Texas Border City, Unofficial Election Results Show

Javier Villalobos, a Republican, has won a mayors seat in Texas currently held by a Democrat by a small margin, according to unofficial election results.

Villalobos won the election in McAllen with 4,744 votesjust over 51 percent of the voteleading his Democratic opponent, Veronica Vela Whitacre, by 206 votes, the results (pdf) show.

Whitacre received 4,538 votes.

Both candidates are currently McAllen city commissioners but serve in different districts.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott congratulated Villalobos on the victory.

Javier Villalobos is a proven leader who cares deeply about the people of the Rio Grande Valley, he wrote in a Facebook post.

Whitacres campaign didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

McAllen, located at the southern tip of The Lone Star State in the Rio Grande Valley, is a hub for illegal border crossings. The city is struggling to balance the benefits of border trade with the pressure on the budget caused by the inflow of illegal immigrants.

McAllen Mayor Jim Darling announced on Dec. 14, 2020, that he will not run again for election after 43 years of public service.

Ive served the [City of McAllen] for 43 years and Ive made the difficult decision to step down as Mayor, Darling wrote in a Twitter post. I will not seek re-election after my term expires in May. Ive had 8 great years as Mayor of the best city in the world, in my humble opinion.

A Texas National Guardsman and a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent discuss the lay of the land on the shores of the Rio Grande River in Starr County, Texas, on April 10, 2018. (Army Sgt. Mark Otte/Defense Department)

The candidates viewpoints on immigration didnt appear to play a key role in the mayoral election, as Villalobos and Whitacre hold similar views. Both have said that the handling of illegal immigrants is the duty of the federal government and that the city should be paid for it. Both have urged for the border to remain open for trade.

Villalobos told Texas Public Radio that the border wall is a dead issue, while Whitacre is doubtful about its efficacy.

I dont even think its worth talking [about] anymore, Villalobos said. I know the issues we have are not really the border wall, but reconstructing the levees to protect our residents. Whether somebody was for or against, thats honestly not an issue anymore.

Villalobos ran on a typically Republican pro-business platform, being against higher taxes.

Cut expenses and work efficiently and effectively, but always work carefully to hold the line on taxes, he told Texas Border Business.

He also believes the $15 an hour minimum wage will kill small businesses in McAllen.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference regarding the San Jose rail yard shooting in San Jose, Calif., on May 26, 2021. (Amy Osborne/AFP via Getty Images)

Slammed by COVID-19 Shutdown, San Luis Obispo Boosts Newsom Recall

By Faith E. Pinho

From Los Angeles Times

Though in-person service came and went at the Paso Robles winery Paix Sur Terre during the pandemic, alcohol consumption skyrocketed, making for winemaker Ryan Peases best year ever.

But despite personal gains, Pease couldnt shake the feeling of guilt when talking to neighbors who struggled to run restaurants and small businesses throughout San Luis Obispo County. When the opportunity came to back a recall petition to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom, the lifelong Democrat signed his name.

Our mindset here is, because were so isolated from other metropolitan areas, we take care of each other. We create our own economy, said Pease, 37. Even though Im a Democrat and blue, we dont like to be told what to do here.

In a county where Democrats slightly outnumber Republicansby about 6,000 voters, according to state dataresidents delivered a sizable chunk of signatures to the statewide recall effort to oust the Democratic governor. Out of every 1,000 voters in San Luis Obispo County, 139 signed their names on the recall petitionfor a total of 25,653 valid signatures, according to the secretary of states office. Recall backers gathered, in all, about 1.6 million signatures.

I considered San Luis Obispo to be kind of a liberal stronghold.  But when you look at the population that signed the recall, you have to realize it wasnt all Republicans who came out to sign the recall, said Orrin Heatlie, leader of the statewide recall effort. We have people from all walks of life, the entire political spectrum.  We have lifelong Democrats who voted for Newsom actually go the extra mile to get this.

San Luis Obispo is a political mixed bag, with roughly 70,000 registered Democrats, 64,000 Republicans, and 38,000 unaffiliated voters. In the 2020 election, voters in the county favored Joe Biden by 13 points over President Donald Trump, but previous presidential race margins were decidedly slimmer for Democrats. The county last voted for a Republican president in 2004, when then-President George W. Bush won by 7 points.

President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in file photographs. (Getty Images)

Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-Templeton) called his district purple, noting that Newsom eked out a 3-percentage-point win in the county over his Republican opponent, John Cox, in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

SLO County voters, theyre educated.  Theyre very smart voters; theyre going to figure it out and do the research, he said, pointing to Newsoms handling of the pandemic. I think a lot of people just lost faith that this governor was making decisions actually based on science and with due regard to local circumstances. Once they lost faith in that, its very hard to go back.

The recall effort, led by a trio of political novices, sprung from grassroots origins. In San Luis Obispo County, a network of volunteers spread across more than 3,600 square miles banded together to round up signatures.

When Jennifer Grinager first began volunteering for the recall effort, she heard from many people who wanted to help but didnt know where to go. Local organizers were running weekly sign-up booths, but they lacked an email list or cohesive social media effort, she said.

It was just kind of  fly by the seat of your pants, Grinager said. They were doing everything they could, but the need was so overwhelming, and they didnt really have enough people.

Grinager, a registered Republican, previously showed minimal interest in politics, filling out her ballot with the help of a voter information guide. But she said she grew incensed by the governor when he signed an executive order instituting a moratorium on capital punishment, a move that appeared to contradict the will of California voters. And as a mother of a child with special needs, she was particularly upset by how long children were kept home from school. Toward the end of the year, Grinager made it her singular focus to rally for the recall, she said.

She set to work knocking on doors, running signing events, picking up petitions from local businesses and spending at least an hour a day on the recall effortmore on weekends. The campaign picked up steam, and at one weekend signing event, Grinager said she calculated that the volunteers had collected one signature per minute.

We saw a governor who was behaving unconstitutionally as a dictator, and he needed to be stopped, she said.

Newsoms campaign has called recall proponents right-wing extremists, anti-vaxxers, and Trump supporters. Signature rates show the recalls most ardent supporters are clustered mostly in Californias northeastern corner, a rural, right-leaning region that voted heavily for Trump in the 2020 election cycle.

But a quieter, more moderate group of people makes up a portion of the movements ranks.

A self-described right-leaning centrist, Aaron Bergh watched previous recall attempts targeting Newsom but said he considered them extreme. The owner of Calwise Spirits Co. reluctantly complied with the March 2020 shutdown, thinking it would be temporary. When the pandemic continued, he adapted by setting up outdoor service.

Then, one day in late summer, as smoke from nearby wildfires and oppressive heat cloaked the county, Bergh received an email from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health recommending not to work outside.

I cant be inside eitherthis is lunacy! Bergh said. I cant keep my business fully closed.

Opponents of Gov. Gavin Newsom gather at the Orange County of Registrar of Voters to help deliver recall signatures, in Orange County, Calif., on March 5, 2021. (Drew Van Voorhis/The Epoch Times)

When a volunteer came by with a recall petition, he decided, Nows the time. After signing it, he kept a stack of petitions behind the counter to hand to any customer who complained about being unable to sit inside.

I always think, Whats the solution?' Bergh said. If the customers not happy, whats the solution? Being open. How do we do that? Well, we recall the governor who is making decisions that dont make sense.

Several openings and closures later, Bergh had collected a couple of hundred signatures.

A turning point for many San Luis Obispo County residents came in December 2020, when the state replaced the color-coded tier system for closures with a regional stay-at-home order, which was triggered when an areas ICU bed availability dipped below 15 percent. The previous system allowed for counties to reopen based on their coronavirus case rates.

San Luis Obispo County was placed in the same region as 10 other counties, including more densely populated areas with higher case rates such as Los Angeles and Orange counties. Though Los Angeles hospitals quickly filled intensive care unit beds, there was only one COVID-19 patient in a San Luis Obispo ICU on Dec. 1, 2020.

Why are we getting punished? Bergh said. We live three hours north of Los Angeles; this doesnt seem fair.

The decision frustrated so many business owners, Bergh said, that more than 100 organized in an attempt to reopen Paso Robles.

Central Coast coronavirus numbers eventually rose during the holiday surgeat its peak on Jan. 31, 19 COVID-19 patients were in county ICUsbut not before elected representatives from San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties begged the state for their own, separate region.

There was a very urban county focus on the statewide orders, and there wasnt enough consideration given by the state public health [department] and by Gov. Newsom of what the local conditions were in the more rural, remote counties, said Cunningham, who introduced legislation to limit the governors ability to enact laws during a state of emergency. We just werent facing the same kind of problems.

After months of distancing himself from the recall effort, Cunningham publicly threw his support behind it in December 2020. He has since endorsed Republican Kevin Faulconer, the former San Diego mayor who is running to replace Newsom.

I get it; people are overwhelmed, San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon said. I see this a lot at the local level too. People just want to be mad. Thats just COVID.

Harmon, who has received a torrent of personal attacks and sexist criticism since being elected in 2016, said it was easier to blame the person in charge than to understand complex underlying issues driving policy decisions.

Though Harmon said she sympathized with voter frustrations over Newsoms attendance at a birthday party held at the tony French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley amid COVID-19 restrictions, she listed what she considered Newsoms accomplishments: a budget surplus that could give some Californians tax rebates and Californias position as a state with one of the countrys lowest coronavirus case rates.

You hear his opponents accusing him of being an it boy, and I think a lot of those attacks are disappointing to hear, she said. That kind of almost objectification of the governor is such a shallow accusation to make at him when hes done some really substantive things.

A booth calling for the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom is set up near a protest against human trafficking in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Aug. 22, 2020. (Jamie Joseph/The Epoch Times)

Rita Casaverde, chair of the San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party, pointed to the areas relatively low coronavirus numbers as a direct result of the shutdowns. Elected leaders were making the best decisions they could with the little developing science they had on hand, she said.

Casaverde brushed away the idea that Democrats supported the recall effort, saying they were probably misinformed, and pinned it on Republicans.

Its very typical [that] the Republican Party will not look back and accept that they were wrong. They will not accept that COVID-19 was an actual crisis, Casaverde said. They just continue on with their talking points.

With restrictions lifting, Casaverde said she hopes voters will remember that the election is about not only the pandemic but also the environment, immigration, and housing policies.

Now, the million-dollar question, as Bergh calls it, is whether the shutdown-fueled furor that led some to sign the recall petition dissipates by the time an election rolls around in the fall.

The public in general has a relatively short-term memory, Bergh said. If the restrictions were removed, they might not remember when they go to the polls.

For Pease, the recall effort has already reached its intended goal.

Part of me signing it was just [that] I supported putting pressure on [Newsom] to consider how his policies during the shutdowns were really difficult on small businesses, he said. In the end, I dont necessarily believe it would actually lead to him being removed from office.

(c)2021 the Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Top Pennsylvania Senator Says He Supports Audit of 2020 Election

A top senator in Pennsylvania said on June 5 that he supports an audit of the 2020 presidential election.

I support the call for an election audit, in order to answer any lingering questions that still remain about the fairness of the 2020 elections in Pennsylvania. This is the best path forward to address the legitimate concerns of the large majority of my constituents who voted to reelect President [Donald] Trump, as well as all Pennsylvanians, state Sen. David Argall, a Republican who chairs the Pennsylvania Senates State Government Committee, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

This is just one of many election reform efforts which I hope to see approved here in the next few weeks.

Argall had earlier said he was reviewing the pros and cons of a potential audit.

A spokesman for the senator declined to say whether he had spoken with Republican state Sens. Doug Mastriano or Cris Dush, who recently returned from touring the forensic audit taking place in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Both Mastriano and Dush support an audit in Pennsylvania.

The Arizona audit began after an Arizona Senate panel issued subpoenas for election equipment and ballots.

Because Republicans control the Pennsylvania Legislature, the state Senates State Government Committee has seven Republicans and four Democrats, with Mastriano and Dush both serving as members.

This was the most impressive audit Ive ever seen. This level of voter integrity here, of forensically analyzing ballots, its all science, its not subjective at all. Its going through every ballot and seeing if ballots were thrown on the copy machine, and they could tell that forensically, Mastriano told supporters in a Facebook Live video this week.

The people overwhelmingly want an audit. I think just a county or two would do. My preference would be a Democrat and a Republican county, and let the chips fall where they may.

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/Pool/AP Photo)

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives in November 2020 approved a resolution that called for the bipartisan Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct an audit or contract with an outside firm to carry one out.

The resolution said that there were a litany of inconsistencies in the election stemming from orders and guidance, such as some counties not segregating ballots that were received after Election Day.

After the resolution was approved, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee voted 21 against performing an audit.

State Rep. Jake Wheatley, who joined state Sen. Jim Brewster in voting against conducting an audit, said in a meeting before the vote that an audit would be a waste of time, considering the Pennsylvania State Department planned to do an election review.

Im at a loss as to what the purpose of the resolution is and why its even necessary if the works going to be done, Brewster said.

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Mensch, a Republican, voted in favor of the measure. Pennsylvania Rep. Stephen Barrar, a Republican who later retired, missed the vote. A tie vote on the resolution would have also failed.

Pennsylvania House State Government Chairman Seth Grove, a Republican, mentioned the vote this week, adding: The PA House of Representatives will not be authorizing any further audits on any previous election. We are focused on fixing our broken election law to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.

Mensch in April introduced legislation that would require Pennsylvanias auditor general to perform an audit of ballots cast in the 2020 election. Argall referenced the bill while speaking to The Associated Press.

Theres an enormous amount of election-related bills pending for the month of June, and this is one of them, Argall said.

The Pennsylvania Department of State later carried out what was described as a statewide risk-limiting audit pilot, which featured a review of more than 45,000 randomly selected ballots. Pennsylvanias former Secretary of State, Kathy Boockvar, a Democrat, said in February that the audit showed strong evidence that the ballot count was correct.

An election assessment was recently completed in Fulton County, Pennsylvania. Wake Technology Services Inc., a firm involved in the Maricopa County audit, performed the assessment, which found errors in ballot scanning and four other issues.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf was among the Democrats this week condemning efforts to do another audit.

What theyre calling for isnt an audit. Its a taxpayer-funded disinformation campaign and a disgrace to democracy, Wolf said in a Twitter post. Pennsylvania had a free and secure election. Thats a fact. Pennsylvanians deserve better from their elected officials.
Trump Endorses Rep. Ted Budd as Lara Trump Announces She Will Not Run for Senate

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday pushed Republicans to support candidates who are loyal to him in next years midterm elections as the former president launched a new more active phase of his post presidency at the Greenville convention center in North Carolina.

Trump announced his endorsement of loyalist Rep. Ted Budd in the crowded Republican primary.

TONIGHT Trump endorsed Rep. Ted Budd for US Senate 2022 pic.twitter.com/BRlt9MmSij  Melina Wisecup (@melina_wisecup) June 6, 2021

The endorsement came shortly after Trump daughter-in-law and North Carolina native Lara Trump was invited to the stage briefly to announce that she would not run for the Senate because of family obligations.

I am saying no for now, not no forever, Lara Trump said.

Former President Donald Trump, right, listens as his daughter-in-law Lara Trump speaks at the North Carolina Republican Convention in Greenville, N.C., on June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

Trump also gave mention to former Gov. Pat McCrory in his speech, who he said he would not support. McCrory has been critical of Trumps seeking thorough audits for the 2020 election.

You cant pick people who have already lost two races and do not stand for our values, Trump told a large audience gathered for his speech, which spanned more than an hour and 20 minutes.

Over a thousand Republican officials and supporters gathered for the North Carolina GOP convention, the opening appearance for Trump in what is expected to be a new phase of rallies and public events. Tens of thousands more followed along on internet streams.

Out of office for more than four months and banned by the big social media platforms, the former president hopes to use such events to continue the Make America Great Again movement he started while in office.

His advisers are already eyeing subsequent appearances in Ohio, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia to help bolster midterm candidates and energize voters.

Trump focused his early remarks on President Joe Biden, which he called the most radical left-wing administration in history.

The energetic 74-year-old teased the prospect of another presidential bid of his own in 2024 but vowed first to be an active presence on the campaign trail for his allies in next years fight for control of Congress.

The survival of America depends on our ability to elect Republicans at every level starting with the midterms next year, Trump said.

Trump remains a dominant force with the Republican party and will be throwing his support behind his preferred candidates as the GOP fights for control of Congress in 2022.

Trumps claims about election fraud have triggered a wave of Republican-backed voter integrity bills in state legislatures across the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump Says US, World Should Demand Pandemic Reparations From CCP

Former President Donald Trump said on June 5 that the United States and the world should demand pandemic reparations from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and urged the Biden administration to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 100 percent.

Trump made the remarks at the annual state Republican Party convention in Greenville, North Carolina.

The time has come for America and the world to demand reparations and accountability from the Communist Party of China. We should all declare within one unified voice that China must pay. They must pay, Trump said. The United States should immediately take steps to phase in a firm 100 percent tariff on all goods made in China.

The CCP contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic by failing to notify global health authorities of the outbreak in Wuhan, China. The regime had locked down the megacity internally, but allowed international flights in and out of its airports. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP virus.

Last year, China inflicted an estimated $16 trillion of economic damage onto the United States with a virus, that I call the China Virus because I want to be accurate, that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens, the former president said.

Trump said that the pandemic changed the trade deal he was negotiating with China. At the time, his administration levied significant tariffs on Chinese goods and the CCP responded with tariffs of its own. The Biden administration has kept the tariffs in place, and Trump noted that billions and billions of dollars [are] pouring in as a result.

This is the first time in a long time Ive even mentioned the trade deal, Trump said. Its really been very beneficial. But its so tiny compared to the devastation thats been caused. We should reinvest 100 percent of all of that money that we collect from tariffs to help bring back jobs and factories from China and other places back to America and back to the great state of North Carolina where they belong.

While rolling back many of Trumps policies, the Biden administration has largely kept in place the tariffs and other measures imposed by his predecessor.

The speech in Greenville marked the second major public appearance by Trump since he left the White House in January. The former president has committed to remaining active in politics and has hinted at another presidential run in 2024.
Security personnel keep watch outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during the visit by the World Health Organization (WHO) team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

UK Intelligence Misses on COVID-19 Due to Antipathy for Trump

Commentary

Britains intelligence services have a proud history, but are they losing their touch? Why is it only now that they are reported to be taking seriously claims, first made during the Trump presidency, that the COVID virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan?

The turning point seems to have been the recent publication of a declassified U.S. intelligence report that three Chinese researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology became ill and had to be hospitalized in November 2019, just months before the first reported COVID-19 deaths.

Similar disclosures had been released on Jan. 15 by the outgoing Trump administration, but it didnt seem to galvanize British intelligence in quite the same way. Former head of Britains Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Sir Richard Dearlove, claims this is because Nobody wanted to associate themselves with Trump, and now youve got Biden theyve all literally switched sides . Now, suddenly, the dam has broken.

The original lab-leak claim was made a year earlier by some brave Chinese scientists from the South China University of Technology, as covered in a story I wrote in the Washington Times on March 23, 2020.

Vanity Fair has now revealed more about those scientists findings, which first appeared briefly on Chinese social media in February 2020: We screened the area around the seafood market and identified two laboratories conducting research on bat coronavirus. The article continues: The first was the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which sat just 280 meters from the Huanan market and had been known to collect hundreds of bat samples. The second, the researchers wrote, was the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Sir Richard further added: I sent this material to Porton Down (The UKs top-secret chemical warfare research installation) a year ago and what infuriates me is that people refused to listen to us. If the man who ran MI6 from 1999 to 2004 was ignored and British intelligence only began to investigate seriously once a Democrat administration was in power in the United States, this should raise concerns.

Since WWII Britain has mostly sided with America on foreign policy, showing respect to whichever president was in charge, regardless of their party affiliation. But that changed with Donald Trump.

The level of open hostility towards him in the UK was unprecedented and it wasnt just in the media. Theresa Mays government was initially too afraid of public anger to offer President Donald Trump a state-level welcome to the UK, so when he did first visit in 2018 it was downgraded to a business trip.

British MPs went so far as to ban him from addressing them in Parliament. According to John Bercow, then Speaker of the House: An address to both Houses of Parliament is not an automatic right; it is an earned honour. My view is that he has not earned that honour.

To add further insult to Trump, in 2015 a full state welcome was given to Chairman Xi of China, including a state banquet with the Queen at Buckingham Palace and giving an address to both Houses of Parliament. Presumably Bercow believed Xi had earned the right.

Eventually, Trump was given a state-level welcome on his second visit to the UK, in 2019, though still no offer of an address to Parliament.

Remarkably this diplomatic snub didnt lead to an end of the Special Relationship, a term Winston Churchill first coined in 1946. This was partly because President Trump demonstrated remarkable restraint, even forgiveness, for his mothers country.

But it also has to do with the nature of the relationship, which doesnt just operate at a governmental level, but also among the intelligence services. Those connections remained as strong as ever throughout Trumps tenure, though not in the way he might have wished.

From the get-go Trump faced open hostility from heads of the American intel community which culminated in the unsuccessful, 22-month long special investigation led by former FBI head Robert Mueller into alleged Trump-Russia collusion.

Some of the evidence used in the hearings came from the former MI6 agent Christopher Steele. His dossier has since been largely discredited and Trump tweeted in July 2020 This man should be extradited, tried and thrown in jail.

If there was antipathy towards President Trump within the British intelligence services it could be because he often acted contrary to British foreign policy, which remained more aligned with his Democrat predecessor, Barack Obama.

Trump pulled America out of the Paris Agreement on climate change and then the World Health Organisation due to COVID. He was also against the Iran nuclear deal and he stood up to China while Conservative British governments were doing everything they could to increase trade with them.

David Cameron sought to position Britain as Chinas number one partner in the West. His ambition was to turn Britain green and Chinese investment was needed to fund it.

This included the next generation of high-cost, low-carbon nuclear power stations starting with Hinkley Point C. The deal was eventually ratified in 2016, soon after Theresa May became Prime minister. It included the China General Nuclear Power group and China National Nuclear Corporation as major investors.

Later, Prime Minister Boris Johnson chose to ignore his Five Eyes intelligence partners advice when he looked to the Chinese communications giant Huawei to help install a new 5G network in the UK, although Trump did eventually manage to talk him out of it. Now the former head of Huawei Poland, Weijing Wang, is on trial in Warsaw accused of spying for China.

Johnson is still giving China a pass on COVID. He told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC): Ill be clear with you, so far the stuff Ive seen does not suggest that the number one candidate for this is a lab leak 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.

Based on what intelligence?

Andrew Davies is a UK-based video producer and writer. His award-winning video on underage sex abuse helped Barnardos childrens charity change UK law, while his documentary Batons, Bows and Bruises: A History of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, ran for six years on the Sky Arts Channel.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Members of the Panel of the independent Uyghur Tribunal take their seats for the first session of the hearings at Church House, in London, UK, on June 4, 2021. (Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo)

UK Peoples Tribunal Hears Claims China Abused Uyghurs

LONDONA peoples tribunal set up to assess whether Chinas alleged rights abuses against the Uyghur people constitute genocide opened in London on Friday, with witnesses alleging that inmates at detention camps for Uyghurs were routinely humiliated, tortured, and abused.

Chairman Geoffrey Nice said more than three dozen witnesses would make grave allegations against Chinese authorities during four days of hearings.

The tribunal, made up of lawyers, academics, and businesspeople, does not have UK government backing or any powers to sanction or punish China. But organizers hope the process of publicly laying out evidence will compel international action to tackle alleged abuses against the Uyghurs, a largely Muslim ethnic group.

Sir Geoffrey Nice, who chairs the independent Uyghur Tribunal, at Church House, in London, UK, on June 4, 2021. (Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo)

Nice, a British barrister who led the prosecution of ex-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and has worked with the International Criminal Court, said the forum would create a permanent body of evidence and a record, if found, of crimes perpetrated.

Funded by the World Uyghur Congress and individual donations, the inquiry is modeled on previous peoples tribunals, including one organized in the 1960s by philosophers Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre to investigate U.S. actions in the Vietnam War.

The London tribunal is the latest attempt to hold China accountable for alleged rights abuses against the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim and ethnic Turkic minorities.

An estimated 1 million people or moremost of them Uyghurshave been confined in re-education camps in Chinas western Xinjiang region in recent years, according to researchers. Chinese authorities have been accused of imposing forced labor, systematic forced birth control, and torture, and separating children from incarcerated parents.

In April, Britains Parliamentthough not the British governmentfollowed legislatures in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada in declaring that Beijings policies against the Uyghurs amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity. The U.S. government has done the same.

The first witness to testify on Friday, teacher Qelbinur Sidik, said guards routinely humiliated inmates at a camp for men in Xinjiang where she taught Mandarin-language classes in 2016.

Guards in the camp did not treat the prisoners as human beings. They were treated less than dogs, she said through an interpreter.

The things that I have witnessed and experienced, I cant forget, she said.

Witness Omir Bekali gives evidence to the Panel of the independent Uyghur Tribunal take their seats for the first session of the hearings at Church House, in London, UK, on June 4, 2021. (Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo)

Another witness, Omir Bekali, said he was held in three camps for Uyghur and Kazakh men accused of extremism and terrorism. He said prisoners were held up to 50 per cell, given unknown drugs, and subjected to harsh physical punishment. He said some inmates he knew died under torture.

Tribunal witnesses who spoke to The Associated Press before the hearings include a woman who said she was forced into an abortion at 6 1/2 months pregnant, a former doctor who spoke of draconian birth control policies, and a former detainee who alleged he was tortured day and night by Chinese soldiers while he was imprisoned in the remote border region.

Beijing flatly rejects the allegations. Officials have characterized the camps, which they say are now closed, as vocational training centers to teach Chinese language, job skills, and the law to support economic development and combat extremism. China saw a wave of Xinjiang-related terror attacks through 2016.

Nice said China had been asked to participate but its embassy has neither acknowledged nor replied to letters sent.

The Chinese Embassy in London did not respond to requests for comment, but officials in China have said the tribunal was set up by anti-China forces to spread lies.

Western governments, including Britains, have also declined to get involved, Nice said.

The tribunal plans to hold another four days of hearings in September, and hopes to issue its judgment by the end of the year.

By Jill Lawless
A storefront on Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto displays a "for lease" sign as part of a protest against the Ontario government's pandemic lockdown rules, on Nov. 24, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Jody White)

Uncertainty Over Ontarios Reopening Plan Leaves Small Businesses Extremely Frustrated: Advocacy Group

Small business owners in Ontario are growing increasingly frustrated after a year of mandatory lockdowns and amid the provinces uncertain reopening schedule, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

Premier Doug Fords government said that its three-step reopening plan, step one of which is expected to start the week of June 14, would depend on current trends in key health indicators, adding that the reopening would be confirmed closer to the expected start of step one.

Julie Kwiecinski, the CFIBs director of provincial affairs in Ontario, told The Epoch Times there is no guarantee that even the first step will be carried out as anticipated.

Business owners  live by certainty as part of being able to plan properly, she said. [CFIB] and other organizations out there, and the small business members that make up our membership, we are extremely frustrated.

Ford said on June 2 that Ontario could possibly start the reopening plan earlier than June 14, but that it would depend on what the chief medical officer of health recommends. He said he feels hopeful as we see the [infection] numbers come down, and theyre dropping rapidly.

Were running out of runway here to reopen early. June 14 is only days away, Kwiecinski said. Even if we do open sometime during the week of June 14, where are the guidelines for reopening?

The reopening plan consists of gradually lifting public health measures, but the transition from one step to the next hinges largely on the province-wide adult vaccination rate.

Step one requires 60 percent of adults to be vaccinated with at least one dose. Step two requires 70 percent to be vaccinated with one dose and 20 percent with two shots. Step three requires 7080 percent to be vaccinated with one dose and 25 percent with two doses.

Ford announced on May 28 that Ontario had already administered first doses to 65 percent of adults. Noting that the province has already exceeded the vaccination threshold required to enter step one, Kwiecinski said its nevertheless unclear what other health indicators the government has set to move to each stage.

The CFIB, which has roughly 38,000 members in Ontario, issued an open letter on June 1 urging Ford to immediately begin reopening the economy to save thousands of businesses from being forced to shutter their doors permanently.

We wrote this letter because our members across the province, particularly the ones in the hardest-hit sectors, are desperate to reopen to at least some in-store business, Kwiecinski said.

Some of those hardest-hit businesses include gyms, beauty and personal services, and companies in the tourism and hospitality industry. The wedding industry also falls into that category, and Kwiecinski noted that with Canadian couples forced to delay their weddings, the impact on the industry could have a domino effect, hurting numerous other related sectors.

Based on a very conservative estimation, roughly 75,000 small businesses were put out of work due to pandemic-mandated closures, which translates to approximately 873,000 private sector jobs, she said.

Non-essential retail was never closed in British Columbia, and retail in Manitoba has been allowed to open at 10 percent capacity under the latest restrictions, Kwiecinski pointed out.

In its open letter, the CFIB called for the immediate reopening of all retailers at a minimum 20 percent capacity, the reopening of restaurant patios along with limited indoor services, and by-appointment operation by hair salons, barber shops, gyms, and other recreational facilities.

With the Ontario Small Business Support Grant having ended on April 7, and the federal government planning to gradually phase out two key subsidy programs in July, Kwiecinski said the CFIB is calling for a much-needed third round of government support for small businesses.

When youve been asked to close for so long, and when youve used up all your personal savings, and also when theres no new grants from Ontario and the federal grant money is drying up, how are you expected to survive?
The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) became the first University in the kingdom to achieve eligibility to proceed with an Application for Accreditation with the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

This is one of the highest levels of quality assurance, and once awarded, AUBH would become the first and only higher education institution to be accredited by WSCUC in kingdom.

The University would also be among two other universities (both based in the UAE) to be accredited in the Mena and GCC regions, and the sole ten Universities accredited by WSCUC worldwide. US-based universities accredited by the accreditor include Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

AUBH has applied for Eligibility from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). WSCUC has reviewed the application and determined that the institution is eligible to proceed with an Application for Accreditation.

A determination of Eligibility is not a formal status with the WASC Senior College and University Commission, nor does it ensure eventual accreditation. It is a preliminary finding that the institution is potentially accreditable and can proceed within five years of its Eligibility determination to be reviewed for Candidacy or Initial Accreditation status with the Commission.

US Regional accreditation recognised by the US Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), hold the highest level of quality assurance at the institutional level. The accreditation process usually takes five years and is guided by 16 rigorous Eligibility criteria.

Those include a First Seeking Accreditation Visit (SAV), during which the WSCUC Commission will fly to Bahrain, and visit the American-style University to inspect the state-of-the-art campus, which was built with US Regional Accreditation in mind, by US Architect, Ayers Saint Gross (ASG). ASG have developed projects for numerous universities in the US, including Harvard University, Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, and John Hopkins University.

Dr Jeff Zabudsky, AUBH Provost, who recently appointed Dr Wafa Almansoori, AUBH Director

of Institutional Research and Assessment, as AUBHs Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO), will be working on the accreditation process with Dr Almansoori.

He commented: Positioning Bahrain as a regional hub for quality higher education being a part of our goals, we couldnt be prouder to see that this accreditation process is placing Bahrains Higher Education landscape on the map with US Regional accreditors. We are honoured to have been commended by the panel on our approach to student support and success, and to the Covid-19 pandemic, through our culture of care philosophy, and finally for our well developed learning outcomes, and strategic planning with the student as the center of those efforts.

AUBH currently holds the highest levels of accreditation possible at this stage, by being licensed by the Higher Education Council of the Ministry of Education in Bahrain and being a CIQG Member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in the US.-- TradeArabia News Service
U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) wave next to Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, after their arrival via a U.S. Air Force freighter at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 6, 2021. (Central News Agency/Pool via Reuters)

US to Donate Vaccines to Taiwan Amid China Row

TAIPEI, TaiwanThe United States will give Taiwan 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses, part of President Joe Bidens move to share tens of millions of jabs globally, three American senators said Sunday, after the self-ruled island complained that China is hindering its efforts to secure vaccines as it battles an outbreak.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who made a three-hour stop in Taiwan with fellow Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), said their visit underscores bipartisan U.S. support for the democratic island.

Taiwan, which has a population of 24 million people and sits 100 miles off Chinas east coast, is dealing with a spike in domestic COVID-19 cases. Taiwan faces a vaccine shortage and has geopolitical significance as a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.

Im here to tell you that the United States will not let you stand alone, Duckworth said at the airport after landing on a U.S. military transport plane. We will be by your side to make sure the people of Taiwan have what they need to get to the other side of the pandemic and beyond.

Taiwan was included on a long list of places announced last week that would receive 25 million doses from the United States in what the Biden administration says is the first tranche of at least 80 million doses to be distributed globally. Most of the first tranche, including Taiwans, will be sent through COVAX, a U.N.-backed program to distribute vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

Japan shipped 1.2 million doses to Taiwan on Friday, opting to skip the COVAX process in the interest of speed. It was unclear when the 750,000 American doses would arrive.

Taiwan has accused the Chinese communist regime of blocking its efforts to reach a deal with BioNTech to import the vaccine co-developed by the German company and Pfizer. Beijing has offered Taiwan Chinese-made vaccines but the government in Taipei has repeatedly expressed concern about their safety, and in any case, cannot import them without changing Taiwanese law, which bans their import.

Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, welcoming the senators at the airport, said that Taiwan is fortunate to have like-minded countries showing support, which he said is about sustaining freedom and democracy in the face of autocracy.

Taiwan is facing unique challenges in combating the virus, he said. While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicine are delivered free from troubles of Beijing.

He said the Chinese regime is trying to block Taiwans international assistance and prevent it from participating in the World Health Organization. We are no strangers to that kind of obstructionism, he said.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and most Taiwanese favor maintaining the current state of de facto independence while engaging in robust economic exchanges with the mainland.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) says Taiwan must come under its control, and has in recent months increased pressure on the island, including flying warplanes near Taiwan. The increasing activity and advances in Chinese military capabilities have raised concern in the United States, which is bound by its own laws to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the islands security as matters of grave concern.

Taiwan, which had weathered the pandemic virtually unscathed until the recent outbreak, is now facing its most serious flare-up with more than 10,000 new cases since late April.

President Tsai Ing-wen, meeting with the senators, expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for including Taiwan in the first group to receive vaccines and said the doses will arrive at a critical time for the island.

I hope that through cooperation with the United States, Japan and other countries, Taiwan will be able to overcome the immediate challenges and  and move towards recovery, she said.

Both Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, and Sullivan said the American donation also reflects gratitude for Taiwans support for the United States, as Taiwan donated millions of masks and other supplies to the United States in the early days of the pandemic.

This is love from America in return, Sullivan said, wearing a mask that he noted had Love from Taiwan written on it.

The three senators arrived at 7:30 a.m. from South Korea, where they met senior officials including the foreign and defense ministers on Friday and Saturday to discuss COVID-19 cooperation, the U.S.-South Korea military alliance, and North Korea. They departed Taiwan at 10.30 a.m. the same morning, according to Taiwans foreign ministry.

By Taijing Wu and Zen Soo

Reuters and Epoch Times staff contributed to this report
A Wall Street sign outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan on April 16, 2021. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

US Expansion of Chinese Company Blacklist Aims to Purge the Red Assets: Expert

The United States is gearing up to uproot red assets, an analyst said after Washington moved to ban Americans from investing in dozens of Chinese military firms.

On June 3, President Joe Biden signed an executive order blacklisting 59 Chinese defense and surveillance technology firms. The ban expands on a Trump-era order, which covered a total of 44 companies, to address the threat posed by the military-industrial complex of the Peoples Republic of China. It will take effect on Aug. 2, giving investors one year to divest shares from the targeted companies.

Its a cleanup of the U.S. capital and assetsto purge the red assets, Su Tzu-yun, director of Taiwans Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told The Epoch Times.

Li Hengqing, a Washington-based China analyst, said the decision reflects a more confrontational approach toward China.

The national strategy that the United States has set up is to engage in full-fledged competition, he told The Epoch Times. Its a competition on every front, rather than just a single aspect.

Across Washington, there is rare bipartisan consensus to be tough on China. Both the House and Senate have been advancing comprehensive bills seeking to push back on the regimes economic coercion and human rights abuse.

Kurt Campbell, the U.S. coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, also recently declared that the period that was broadly described as engagement has come to an end, a remark that some experts have interpreted as signaling a shift in global sentiment toward the Chinese Communist Party.

The two countries are now in a confrontational relationship. Why would I invest money in my rival to make it more powerful, so that it can turn around to counter me? Its such a simple principle, Li said.

Those under the latest ban include surveillance firm Hikvision, which the United States had previously flagged for its role in aiding human rights abuses in Xinjiang; telecom equipment maker Huawei; Chinas largest chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation; and all three of the countrys state-owned phone carriers.

Picture of Hikvision cameras in an electronic mall in Beijing on May 24, 2019. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images)

A senior U.S. official told reporters on June 3 that they fully expect to be adding additional companies to the list in the months ahead.

As many as 248 Chinese companies are trading on major U.S. stock exchanges as of May 2021, with a total market value of $2.1 trillion, according to U.S. government data.

If the banned companies can no longer raise their capital on Wall Street, Li said one option for them is to go to Hong Kong, which still has one of the worlds top five stock exchanges. However, that window is shrinkinginvestors have been fleeing the financial hub in light of Beijings tightening control, which is making the city ever more indistinguishable from the mainland.

Unless China becomes fully democratized, excluding entities with Chinese state or military ties from the U.S. market will eventually become inevitable, though it will be somewhat challenging, Li said.

He pointed to the Chinese Communist Partys aggressive national strategy known as civil-military fusion, under which the regime repurposes civilian technology and research to fuel its military rise.

China is fully capable of turning a private enterprise into a military-industrial enterprise overnight, Li said.

To see that, one needs to look no further than the fate of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, he said.

The company ran afoul of the regime after its founder, Jack Ma, publicly criticized Chinese financial regulators. Since then, it has met with one punishment after another. Ma vanished from public view for months, and the company most recently was hit with a record 18.2 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) fine, to which it expressed gratitude and respect.

No matter what powerful backing Ma had, in no more than four months, Alibaba is almost turning into a state-owned firm, Li said. Ma Yun [Mas name in Mandarin] has found himself with his back to the wall.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, in a June 4 press briefing, accused the U.S. government of abusing state security apparatus to wantonly suppress and restrict Chinese companies and vowed to take necessary measures.

Li said the camera appearance was an effort by the regime to keep up appearances.

These are all a show for the Chinese people, he said.

Su said that Wangs reaction was no different than the regime has reacted in the past.

I guess the Chinese foreign ministry probably doesnt have much to say at the moment, which is why it is repeating these dogmas like a record player, he said.

Su also noted that threats of Chinese espionage operations are clear and well-documented in America and other Western countries.

The West had already addressed challenges to its accusations, he said.

Its probably because the Chinese foreign ministry lacks confidence to back its position that it chooses to rely on bombastic verbal protests.

Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Victoria Has 4 New Local COVID-19 Cases

Victoria has recorded four new local COVID-19 cases as authorities scramble to find the source of the states Delta strain cluster, previously known as the Indian strain of the novel coronavirus.

The Department of Health reported the cases along with six overseas acquired infections on Sunday, as Melbourne endures its second weekend of lockdown.

The ten total cases, from almost 30,000 tests, take the number of active infections in the state to 87.

It is not yet clear whether the new infections are linked as Victorian contact tracers continue to try and to track down the source of another two mystery cases.

Two cases were a couple, who have been infectious in the community. They were among five new local cases reported in the state on Saturday.

One of the pair had been a regular visitor to Craigieburn Central shopping centre and came forward for testing as a result of health department efforts to test heavily in the area.

That persons partner is the other unlinked case and is a construction worker, which has prompted the closure of a Melbourne building site, affecting 170 workers who are now all considered primary close contacts.

Seven positive cases entered the Craigieburn shopping centre on different days and contact tracers are working to ascertain the mans exact movements to see if they overlap with any of them, testing commander Jeroen Weimar said.

The other three cases recorded on Saturday were less concerning, authorities said, because they were all primary close contacts of confirmed cases and had been quarantining during their entire infectious period.

Among these three cases are two Delta strain casesa child of a family already infected with the virus, and a family friend. That cluster appears separate to the rest of the Melbourne outbreak, which is made of the Kappa strain, which like the Delta strain has caused havoc in the UK and India.

Experts still dont know how the Delta strain entered the community and have been analysing genomic sequencing from across the country in the hope of finding a match.

Professor Sharon Lewin from Victorias genomic sequencing centre, the Doherty Institute, said there was no evidence pointing to the Victorian family picking up the virus while on holiday in NSW.

Rather, her strong hypothesis is that it entered the community via hotel quarantine.

The other two cases were another resident and worker at a coronavirus-stricken aged care facility, Arcare Maidstone nursing home, in Melbournes northwest. The cases were reported on Sunday afternoon.

The fully vaccinated 79-year-old resident lives close to a 99-year-old woman and 89-year-old man who have previously returned positive tests.

Despite remaining asymptomatic, the resident will be taken to hospital.

The other case is a registered nurse who worked at the aged care facility on Saturday, is also asymptomatic and has received a first COVID-19 shot.

Melbourne is in its second week of strict lockdown and Health Minister Martin Foley has remained non-committal about guaranteeing restrictions will ease come June 10.

There are now 390 sites where exposure to the virus may have occurred and they can be viewed at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites.

The Victorian vaccine rollout is ramping up with the state to receive an extra 100,000 Pfizer doses from mid-June.

Paramedics will be the next frontline group to be prioritised for vaccination from June 9.
Wealthy California City Faces Growing Homelessness Crisis

On June 1, Arcadias city council for the second time delayed its decision on a tiny shelter proposal intended to relocate the citys homeless, as the Los Angeles suburb struggles to deal with a growing homelessness issue.

In 2015, there were 22 homeless individuals recorded living in Arcadia, 13 of whom were sheltered in transitional housing. The number remained relatively unchanged in 2016. But by 2020, the homeless population had reached 117 peoplean increase of over 500 percent. Of that, 106 were counted in Incorporated Arcadia and 11 in Unincorporated Arcadia.

Arcadias city council voted this February to submit a letter of intent examining the use of tiny shelters at the Peck Park access road site in search of solutions for the growing homeless population.

The project is intended to be a pilot program with a minimum of 15 shelters, food, restrooms, showers, case management, security, and other services, which would serve Arcadias homeless population. Initial funding is expected to come from grants, and city officials have communicated that no city funds would be used for the project. Residents were assured, If the grant money ends, we would secure emergency housing for those in the tiny shelters, then close the facility.

At the city council meeting, nearly 200 local residents held a rally in opposition to the proposal. The residents demanded that the city council drop the plan or suspend it indefinitely. They fear these tiny homes will attract unhoused individuals from neighboring regions. The concern is that this would increase the citys homeless population, lead to unsafe neighborhoods, and add to the already existing deterioration in the citys economy. Residents expect this to have a devastating effect on property values over the long term.

Arcadia is a wealthy majority-Asian suburb about 13 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley. According to U.S. Census data, it has more than 58,000 residents, over 60 percent of whom are Asian.

Federal law does not allow prosecuting people for sleeping outside when shelter is unavailable. This puts cities in a position where they have to provide shelter for homeless individuals in order to enforce the practice of keeping homeless folks off the streets and off public property. As a remedy, Arcadia said on its website that the city council is proposing the tiny shelters as part of a more comprehensive approach to reducing the number of homeless people in the City. The community of tiny homes, that resemble small sheds, would serve as temporary housing for the homeless until they have permanent housing.

At the rally, local resident Joyce Lin said, Many homeless individuals are struggling with serious mental illness and long standing drug abuse issues. What they need is proper government assistance, not the band-aid of a temporary shelter. Lin says shes worked in inner city Los Angeles since 2005, where she witnessed the homeless population increase exponentially. She and other residents want to avoid this from repeating in Arcadia.

Local residents fear the rapid increase in homelessness will overtake their community, resulting in similar outcomes in nearby Venice Beach. Venice Beach, an age-old tourist attraction in Los Angeles, is now inundated with over 200 tents and homeless encampments set up along the boardwalk. LAPD statistics report violent robberies have increased 117 percent and gun violence has gone up 162 percent in the area. Los Angeles residents have proposed relocating these individuals from the beachfront into housing that doesnt obscure the scenic coastline.

Local residents have called for a study to determine the cause of the rising homelessness. At the rally, Angie Gren said she is asking the city council to investigate the root cause for the increase in the homeless population.

Were asking our city council to investigate other options before we approve housing for these people, Gren told The Epoch Times. We are asking the city to be transparent with the community with regard to the true motives of this project and with whom they are collaborating  to be transparent with us and to investigate why our homeless numbers have increased so dramatically.

Gren further clarified: I have never said, nor indicated, that we are opposed to helping homeless people. We feel that argument has been deliberately fashioned to pit two sides against each other. What were saying is we need to understand why these people are here, where they came from, and what the projection is for the future.

Prior to Tuesdays council meeting, Mayor Sho Tay said he still hadnt received the report and would not be able to answer the question of what was causing the increased homelessness in Arcadia.

On May 6, over 500 local residents participated in a virtual community forum regarding the homelessness crisis in Arcadia and opposed the implementation of a homeless resource hub. On May 15 and 16, protesters lined the streets of Arcadia, urging council members to eradicate the plan. At the May 18 city council meeting, over 200 residents gathered outside shouting, No homeless resource hubs that endanger the safety of our residents and We need a safe living environment, no more homeless shelters.

More than 60 individuals used the council meetings open forum to address the council members and explain their opposition to the proposal. Additional residents flooded the legislators phone lines, far outnumbering the voices in support of the plan.

April Verlato, a city council member, believes the council needs to make an immediate decision on the homelessness issue. The more the council delays, the more public opposition will continue to grow.

Many believe that this situation is much more complicated and exceeds the legislative powers of the city council. The underlying issues of employment, alcoholism, drug abuse, and crime are beyond the scope of the local city council.

Visiting the site of homeless encampments, resident Michelle Wu said the tents are very near the residential neighborhoods, which has saddened local residents. The neighbors and I sincerely hope that the city council listens to and responds to our voices, dropping the proposal as soon as possible.

In the growing homelessness crisis, the council plans to create an ad hoc committee to discuss the proposal over the next 120 days.

Vivian La Farge and Anna Shea contributed to this report.
Remaining service-oriented and socially conscious is crucial for big corporations and government bodies in a post-pandemic landscape, which is why many so brands, companies and legislators are offering incentives for vaccinated citizens.

Take West Virginia, which is offering vaccinated residents weekend getaways to state parks, hunting licenses and 10 different guns on top of cash giveaways totaling more than $1 million this summer.

Or Ohio, which kicked off the free cash trend back in May when Governor Mike DeWine announced that the state would be doling out $1 million weekly giveaways to vaccinated adults in the state on top of scholarship opportunities for those under 18.

Related: How Food and Beverage Brands Handle Choice, Change and Amazon

And now Kroger (KR) grocery store is the next big name to join the freebie initiative after announcing that itll be doling out $5 million total in payouts alongside free groceries for a year to vaccinated individuals.

Dubbed the Community Immunity giveaway, the chain will also be rewarding 50 vaccinated customers with free groceries for an entire year.

Related: How the Coronavirus Has Changed the Future of Work

For a five-week period, Kroger will be giving away 10 rounds of free groceries.

To vaccinate more Americans and help bring this pandemic to an end, we all have to do our part, said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Ian Sams. Its exciting that Kroger is using innovative tactics to encourage vaccinations among its millions of customers across the country.

The mega chain is using the initiative as a way to further President Biden's goal of having at least 70% of adult Americans vaccinated by the end of July.

Kroger is the largest grocery chain in America and is currently up 1.46% in revenue year over year.

Related: How to Get Your First Big Win in Business

Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
NEW CANAAN  The swift work of officers at an emergency call in February helped prevent what may have been a police shooting, the chief said.

We could have been in the news for an all different reason, had this not been handled the way it was, Police Chief Leon Krolikowski told the nearly 60 people attending an award ceremony to honor the officers involved and many others for their actions in the past 18 months.

Police were dispatched to the Mobil Station on South Avenue on Feb. 12 after a gas station attendant called 911 to report an individual was there saying he had a gun.

Officer David Rivera asked the individual, sitting in a vehicle, if he possessed a gun and the suspect told him he did, according to Krolikowski.

The officer repeatedly asked the individual to place his hands on the steering wheel and unlock the door, Krolikowski said. The individual would not comply. At a time during the incident, he acknowledged that three officers had their guns drawn.

After Lt. Joseph Farenga broke the front passenger side window of the vehicle to gain entry, Rivera was able to take the man out of the car, the chief said.

Officers accompanied the man as he was put in a waiting ambulance for a psychiatric assessment, the chief said

For their actions, a Unit Citation Award was given to Lt. Joseph Farenga and Officer David Rivera, along with officers Rex Sprosta, Clinton Jarvis, Erin McCarthy, Emily Clark and Giancarlo Vincenzi.

This could have ended tragically if it were not for our well-trained officers the chief said. This is also an example of how officers, even in a safe town such as New Canaan, can face potential deadly situations and must make a split-second decisions. Job well done.

Anyone age 18 and over in need of mental health services can call 1-800-HOPE-135. Those under the age of 18 in Connecticut can call 211. Anyone in an emergency should call 911. Someone not in a crisis or emergency situation, but who needs to speak with someone, can reach a peer support counselor at 1-800-258-1528 .

Here are other incidents that garnered recognition:

Hostage situation

Officers were dispatched to Millport Avenue on April 10 after reports that victims were being threatened with a knife.

A victim said his son was upstairs acting violently with other people in the home.

When police arrived, the suspect refused to come out and threatened if anyone attempted to open the door he would shoot everyone. He also threatened that he would come out and stab officers, the chief said.

Officer Dan Gulino took the lead communicating with the suspect, speaking calmly and building rapport with him, Krolikowski said. Gulino was able to convince the man to release the victims.

Then, finally after much discussion, the suspect surrendered peacefully, Krolikoski said. Members of the special response team took custody of the suspect.

The suspect was taken to ambulance for an evaluation and he was arrested on a variety of charges.

This is a great example at how well our officers are trained at handling stressful and dangerous situations, the chief said.

Unit Citation Awards were given to Lt. Carol Ogrinc, Payne, and officers Gulino, Clark, Roberto Lopez, Sebastian Obando, Joseph Schinella, Nicholas Rienzi and Mathew Blank.

Here are other efforts by officers that garnered recognition:

ACME Heist

Police were dispatched to ACME Market after an alarm was activated at the store at 288 Elm St. on Jan.1, 2020. Soon after arriving on the scene, Officer Kelly Coughlin found three males holding paper goods.

Yup, they were stealing toilet paper, the chief said.

More officers came to the scene and pursued the suspects, who scattered across train tracks, over a fence, and into a parking lot, he said.

As a team of police joined the chase, they apprehended the suspects, documented evidence and the group was arrested and prosecuted for their crimes, the chief said.

Unit Citation Awards were given to Payne, Jarvis and officers Thomas Patten, Thomas Callinan, Clinton Jarvis, Kelly Coughlin and Owen Ochs.

Vehicle theft

Police got a report that suspects were trying to enter a vehicle they did not own on Jan 27. Officers followed footprints in the snow to apprehend suspects and to retrieve a stolen vehicle.

At one point, the suspect drove at a high rate of speed nearly striking the police vehicle. The suspect eventually crashed on West Road, the chief said.

Last year, officers were also dispatched to Weed Street near Marshall Ridge Road where suspects were trying to enter vehicles on July 15, 2020.

A chase ensued and an injured suspect was transported to the hospital.

All of those arrests were juveniles. Another example of how officers worked together to deter crime and keep New Canaan safe, the chief said.

Unit Citations were awarded for these incidents as well.

Other awards

Expert marksmanship skill awards were presented to Lt. Marc DeFelice and Sgt. Aaron LaTourette, as part of a tradition sponsored by the Robert Perkins family, who spoke at the ceremony.

Physical Fitness Awards were given to Officer Bryan Connolly and Officer Christopher Dewey.

Years of service plaques were presented to LaTourette and Patten, along with Capt. Andrew Walsh, Sgt. John Milligan, Sgt. Brian Mitchell, Sgt. Michael OSullivan, and Officers Roy Adams.

Recognized for promotions were Farenga and OSullivan, who were welcomed to bring their families up to the podium.

Krolikowski also mentioned Stephen W. Wood Officer of the Year Sprosta, who was also honored in May.
NORWALK  An East Norwalk communications consultant and mother recently announced her bid for a Common Council seat.

Jenn McMurrer, 40, announced her plans to run for one of the District C Common Council seats as a Democrat after launching a campaign Facebook page in mid-May.

McMurrer, an East Norwalk resident, decided to run for the council after feeling that not all Norwalk residents voices were being heard, she said.

I am so excited to announce I am throwing my hat in the ring for District C Common Council Member, she wrote on her campaign Facebook page on May 18. I will work hard for everyone in our community and for the future of Norwalk.

McMurrer, a freelance writer and editor alongside her work as a communications consultant, said her more than 20 years in the communications field prepared her for the role.

This is a big job and I did not come to this decision lightly, she said. I think more people should be part of that conversation and the decisions that are made should better reflect what our community wants.

Originally from Nebraska, McMurrer moved to Norwalk eight years ago. She lives in East Norwalk with her husband, who is an attorney from Wilton, and two children, ages 4 and 8, who attend Norwalk Public Schools.

In running for the Common Council, McMurrers key campaign points are quality of life in Norwalk for everyone, education and extracurricular activities for all children and strategy development in the city, she said.

During her time in Norwalk, McMurrer has served as a parent-teacher association president, been on the School Governance Council at Marvin Elementary School and is a member of the Norwalk Parent Teacher Organization Council and Special Education Parent Advisory Council.

I have volunteered in and around our community, fundraising, giving my time, and collecting items that families need, and although this is all important work and I will continue to do these things, I felt compelled to do more, she said.

McMurrer kicked off her campaigning by distributing stickers to Norwalkers during last weeks Memorial Day parade and celebrations, according to her campaign social media page.

McMurrer said she has no political ambitions and is running solely to help the Norwalk community be the best it can be.

While campaigning has just begun and funds have not yet been raised, McMurrer said she plans to fundraise and hold small events soon.

My goal right now is to meet as many people as I can and hear what their concerns are and how we can address those concerns, she said.

The two District C seats are currently occupied by John Kydes, who recently announced his plans to run for mayor in 2023, and George Theodoridis.

Theodoridis does not plan to run for reelection, Norwalk Democratic Town Committee Chair Eloisa Melendez said. Theodoridis did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Kydes confirmed he does plan to seek another term on the council. Kydes said he recently met McMurrer for the first time when she expressed her intentions to represent District C on the council.

I admire anyone willing to volunteer their time to help others and now it's up to the district to choose who they believe will best represent their community on the council, Kydes said. The district will be nominating two candidates at our next meeting and I hope for their support to continue my work on the Common Council.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
Several residents of 400 Grand Street, which is scheduled to be demolished to make way for the Essex Crossing development, say they continue to get the run-around by the city. Last night, they turned to Community Board 3 for help.

In 2011, CB3 voted in favor of a resolution urging the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to find new apartments for the tenants, the only people still living on the former urban renewal site. But more than two years later, the residents and attorneys from Manhattan Legal Services working on their behalf, have had no luck engaging the housing agency.

Four years ago, we first reported on the situation at 400 Grand, which was at one time on its way to joining the Tenant Interim Lease Program (TIL). The program allows residents to convert city-owned buildings to co-ops and take ownership of their apartments. After initially signing off on the conversion, the city abruptly removed 400 Grand Street from the program when it became apparent that the long-delayed Seward Park redevelopment project was finally coming to fruition.

In the past, HPD officials have said federal law requires the city to offer any displaced residents at least three comparable housing options. Last night, Eunice Suh of the agencys planning unit appeared before CB3s land use committee, but was unable to provide much relevant information to board members or residents. Referencing a recent letter delivered to tenants, she said, I apologize if theres been any confusion in the past about what is happening It (the letter) was not an eviction notice. It was just a (notice) that this (the relocation process) was going to be happening. Suh said the tenants would be offered comparable apartments but she did not indicate where they are located or what the apartments would cost. The tenants, she added, would have to go through an income eligibility process.

Previously some of the tenants have expressed a desire to move into other TIL buildings on the Lower east Side, but the city has claimed there are no openings anywhere in New York City. During last nights conversation, most community board members seemed to agree a better option would be securing apartments for the tenants in the Essex Crossing project (500 affordable units are to be built).

At the meeting, longtime resident Ricardo Rosario recounted his familys 20-year struggle to stay in the neighborhood. About 15 years ago, he said, they were relocated to Grand Street after their previous building at 199 Orchard St. was destabilized and became uninhabitable. Although the residents were promised they would be able to return to their homes, post-renovation rents were more than they could afford. Years later, Rosario said, he fears being displaced once again.

In a resolution approved by the committee last night, the CB3 panel urged HPD to make available a high-level official who can address the situation. They called on the city to make relocation of the six impacted 400 Grand Street residents a priority. In response, Suh said she wanted to help fix the situation and she would make sure her bosses got the message.

We have contacted HPD for a response but have not yet received a reply. Essex Crossing is expected to break ground in about 18 months.

UPDATE 6:15 p.m. An HPD spokesperson responded this evening:
The James Fuentes Gallery has announced a fascinating show taking place next month celebrating a groundbreaking moment in the Lower East Sides history of art and activism. Heres a portion of the press release:

James Fuentes is honored to announce its forthcoming exhibition which will revisit a seminal exhibition called The Real Estate Show, which took place in 1980 at 123 Delancey Street. Organized by Colab, a group comprised of artists and activists to collectively generate exhibition opportunities, funding and resources or artists, The Real Estate Show took place in a city owned building that the organizers and artists utilized without permission from the city. The exhibition aimed to deal with what they saw as a real estate crisis in New York City for the non-wealthy, the group dedicated the exhibition to Elizabeth Mangum, an African American woman killed by police and marshals as she resisted eviction in Flatbush.

The Real Estate Show ultimately led to the birth of the anarchist art center, ABC No Rio, at 156 Rivington St. The new exhibition, titled, The Real Estate Show Was Then: 1980, will include many works from the original installation, films and related events at the James Fuentes Gallery, 55 Delancey St., Cuchiritos Gallery in the Essex Street Market and ABC No Rio. It takes place April 4-27 and is tied to the first annual Lower East Side History Month. The programming at Cuchifritos and ABC No Rio extends into the first week of May.

The project is especially relevant today. The space at 123 Delancey St. is part of the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. One year from now, developers of the new Essex Crossing residential and retail development will break ground on the six acre site. Thirty years ago, the artists were told they could not use the vacant building on Delancey Street because the parcel was poised for development. Decades later, its finally happening.

Were preparing a more detailed online story concerning The Real Estate Show, as well as a report for our April print magazine. Click here to see the full press release, including a listing of artists involved.
Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat Holding Company could soon set up a new facility for the mass production and distribution of the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine for Covid-19 across the Gulf and Mena region.

As part of this, Mumtalakat has signed an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Binnopharm Group,  subsidiary of Sistema, a publicly traded Russian investment company. The trio will explore the establishment of a vaccine production facility in the kingdom.

Mumtalakat had in 2014 signed an agreement with RDIF to strengthen economic and investment cooperation between Bahrain and Russia.

The MoU aims at promoting the exchange of information and expertise in the sectors and areas of common interest for both entities.

It also sets the overall framework for the identification of and cooperation on mutually beneficial investment prospects investment and co-investment opportunities in Russia and Bahrain.

Mumtalakat automatically co-invests with RDIF in all projects with returns on these co-investments exceeding the returns on global indices.

"Our partnership with both RDIF and Binnopharm Group will enable Bahrain to continue to be at the forefront of fighting this pandemic whilst working to further enhance the regions healthcare sector through the establishment of this facility," remarked Khalid Al Rumaihi, CEO of Mumtalakat.

"As the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain we continue to look into partnerships and ventures that will add value to our portfolio as well as bring long-term sustainable solutions to the Kingdom and wider region," he stated at the signing ceremony held in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) held this week in Russia.

Kirill Dimitriev, the chief executive of RDIF, said its collaboration with Mumtalakat goes back a long way and has resulted in a successful co-investment programme as well as a fruitful partnership between our organisations."

"We are delighted to extend our cooperation to establish a production facility in Bahrain to produce Sputnik V - the worlds first registered coronavirus vaccine. Sputnik V has been included in Bahrains national portfolio in February and the vaccine is successfully used to protect the population against Covid," remarked Dimitriev.

"Local production will increase our international production capabilities and help other countries of the region to prevent the spread of Covid-19, he added.

Dmitry Zubov, the chairman of the board of Binnopharm Group, said that last summer, its pharmaceutical plant in Zelenograd was the first in Russia to launch production of the Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik-V.

"Over the last year, we perfected the technology down to the details and now have a good understanding of how to scale up production of the vaccine. We are happy to share our know-how with other countries to assist them in developing their own production of Sputnik-V at scale," he added.

The Sputnik V vaccine is the worlds first registered vaccine against Covid-19 and it was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology and registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia.

The vaccine is produced with RDIFs backing and the active support of its international manufacturing partners in India, China and South Korea among other countries.

In February, Bahrain had authorised the emergency use of Sputnik V vaccine to become the fourth authorised vaccine in the kingdom.-TradeArabia News Service
The Times just posted a lengthy article examining the roles of Sheldon Silver and former Met Council head William Rapfogel in stopping redevelopment of the Seward Park urban renewal site for decades.

An excerpt:

Mr. Silver has long characterized his role in plans for the site, known as the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, or Spura, as limited to insisting that all groups have a voice in the outcome, not promoting a specific plan or developer. The speakers position was always that any development at Spura had to be achieved by consensus among all of the diverse communities that make up the Lower East Side, his spokesman, Michael Whyland, said in a recent written statement. But an extensive review of the archives of four mayors and more than two dozen interviews show Mr. Silver and Mr. Rapfogel diligently working behind the scenes to promote specific plans and favored developers. Mr. Rapfogel made clear that the goal was to maintain the areas Jewish identity, seemingly at the expense of other communities.

You can read the complete story here.
The residents of 400 Grand St., six people, have spent the past four years trying fruitlessly to get the attention of their landlord, the City of New York. Now, just three months from a preliminary move out date, the only residential tenants remaining on the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, remain in limbo. This week, they pleaded their case yet again before Community Board 3s land use committee. City officials were there to listen, but the residents have little faith; many of them feel they might as well be talking to a brick wall.

The five-story tenement is located on site #5 of the Essex Crossing project, which is set to break ground in the spring of 2015. Recently, the residents learned they were being asked to move out at the end of June, so the developers can begin preparing the site for construction. Over the years, CB3 has passed multiple resolutions, urging the city to focus on their situation. While officials with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) acknowledged their federally-protected relocation rights as far back as 2011, meetings with individual tenants only began in the past several weeks. The community board decided to advocate on behalf of the tenants after they claimed the city reneged on an offer to sell them the building several years ago (read the back story here).

During Wednesday nights meeting, HPD Assistant Commissioner Vivian Louie said the Essex Crossing developers might be able to find apartments for the six residents in buildings they own throughout the city. In her words, they are willing to meet with the relocatees on finding alternative housing.

Officials have said its proving difficult to find comparable apartments on the Lower East Side. Some of the options arent even in Manhattan. Last month, community board members concluded the best solution was also incredibly obvious: offer the residents apartments in Essex Crossing (500 units of affordable housing are planned). They argued that the current occupants of 400 Grand St. should be given first priority for those apartments, a right already guaranteed to former site tenants who lost their homes when the urban renewal property was condemned in 1967. But Louie maintained that federal law offers no such right to present-day residents, and they would be required to enter a lottery, just like everyone else in Community District 3.

Speaking for the tenants this week was Rosalind Black, an attorney at Manhattan Legal Services. She said, its really hard for me to understand how HPD could take the position that they are in the same boat as everyone else in Community Board 3. So the tenants are very upset knowing that the housing being built is not anything they will have special preference for. She also pointed out that the Seward Park RFP states, best efforts should be made to fill (residential) units of new developments with eligible, existing tenants of (Parcel 5).

Gabriella Amabile, another HPD official, responded that federal guidelines require the city to provide temporary rent subsidies to make up the difference between what the residents are paying now and what they will be paying in new apartments, and to cover moving expenses. While the agency has no obligation to place the tenants within their own community, she suggested it might be doable to offer them preference in the lottery.Previously, Amabile said, it had not been clear to her this was what the community board was requesting, so its something she would need to take back to the agency. Amabile also noted the situation is complicated because the tenants would need to move this year into temporary apartments, since the first Essex Crossing buildings wont open until 2018.

Michael Zisser, a longtime public member of CB3s land use committee, urged the city to make a deal. It is in everyones interest, he argued to make this problem go away. On Wednesday, the committee decided to send a letter to HPD Commissioner Vicki Been, making sure the agency is aware of the community boards wishes regarding the 400 Grand St. tenants. Linda Jones, committee chairperson, said shes hopeful now that relocation meetings with tenants have begun. But shes vowed to place the issue on the land use agenda every month until theres a resolution.

HPD officials said that while a target move-out date of June 30 has been set, the tenants will not be pushed out until they have found alternative housing.
This Saturday, NYCs Department of Transportation launches its first Shared Streets community initiative in Lower Manhattan. From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., cyclists, pedestrians and motorists will share the streets in the Seaport and Financial district (motorists are encouraged to drive 5 mph) and will have the opportunity to explore Lower Manhattans history, architecture and arts.

Theres an outlined map of activities planned throughout the day and a Creative Insiders Guide to Lower Manhattan from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Among the activities are drill and period performances by The Fife & Drums of the Old Barracks, a NYC History Trivia Quiz Game, a pop-up drawing studio courtesy of Uni DRAW and self-guided activities by the Skyscraper museum, tandem bike riding, sailing and so much more. Special offers from local area museums and businesses are also available.

For more info on Shared Streets and a full list of events that day, click here.
When the first phase of Essex Crossing opens next year, nearly everything about the large development project will, of course, be brand new. One exception is the 77-year-old Essex Street Market, which is moving to an expanded space on the south side of Delancey Street. Whether the beloved public facility feels connected to its Lower East Side roots will help determine whether the larger residential and commercial development is embraced by the local community.

At a recent meeting of Community Board 3, city officials began to lay out a vision for the new market, which is expected to open at 115 Delancey St. in September of 2018. The presentation was led by David Hughes, vice president and executive director of markets for the citys Economic Development Corp. (EDC)

As The Lo-Down first reported in April, the EDC, along with the Essex Street Market Vendor Association and the Lower East Side Partnership struck a deal for operating the new facility after years of negotiations. During the community board meeting, Hughes outlined what he called, a kind of collaborative, hybridized management structure that I think really addresses the needs of this market.

The city will continue to own and run the facility, while both the vendor association and the Partnership will take on expanded responsibilities for marketing, community relations and programming. The EDC is providing the LES Partnership with funding for a full-time manager to oversee market events and outreach in the neighborhood. The EDC is also extending an existing contract for a part-time staffer working directly with the vendors on special programs and social media. Hughes said the city will bring on an outside contractor to handle maintenance at the new market. The final piece of the puzzle is a community advisory committee, which will offer local feedback to the management team.

All 28 vendors will be making the move from the current building at 120 Essex St. They have had their new stalls designed according to their specs, said Hughes. Delancey Street Associates, the Essex Crossing development consortium, is paying to build the new facility and is covering the vendors moving costs.

As previously reported, there will be two stand-alone restaurants in the Essex Street Market. The city is accepting proposals for those spaces. The EDC is also seeking to add 11 new small-format vendors, and an outside consultant, Robert LaValva, has been hired to help with recruitment. LaValva, the founder of the New Amsterdam Market, is a well-known figure in the New York City food world and a passionate advocate for the citys public markets, past and present.

There are things currently missing from Essex Street Markets lineup, said Hughes. Wine, a good sandwich shop, perhaps, flowers, pickles. There are things that we have to actually go after and find and fill those vacancies. Another goal, he explained, is to recruit local small businesses to join the market, as well as small start-ups.

The new market covers 37,000 square feet, as opposed to 10,000 square feet in the current 1940s-era building. Theres a lot more potential and opportunity for programming and events in this new space, said Hughes. On the mezzanine, there will be a demonstration kitchen and flexible public gathering space. The mezzanine will be used for a wide range of programs, including cooking classes, workshops, talks, etc. Many events will be free, while other ticketed programs will help generate revenue for the market. The 6,000 square foot mezzanine will be available for rent by outside groups.

The city has hired WXY Studio, a design and planning firm, to help reposition the new Essex Street Market. As Hughes put it, We have an opportunity now to rebrand, to think about who we are. One developing idea is to use old photos and iconic signage from the historic market to draw a link between the past and present. While Hughes said the market is and always will be geared for the local community, he added, Were leveraging tourism connections. Were thinking above and beyond the local community. We need to bring in other people. We want this market to be a draw. We want it to be like Reading Terminal Market (Philadelphia). You want it to be a destination.

After several Essex Street Market businesses shuttered in 2015, vendors were sharply critical of EDC management, and called on the city to hand over daily operations to an outside not-for-profit organization. That didnt happen, but the EDC did agree to delegate some responsibilities to the Partnership and the Vendor Association. The community board also stepped in, calling on the city to address to vendors concerns about the new facility. At last weeks meeting, Partnership President Tim Laughlin said the city clearly rose to the challenge.

I think what the community board and the vendor association asked for happened, he said. Number one, get someone whos experienced and gets markets in charge of the portfolio (David Hughes, former head of the Union Square Greenmarket was hired). Make sure the vendors are moving over to a new state-of-the-art facility with no problems. Make sure we have a long-term road map (for operating the market). Laughlin argued, EDC has gone above and beyond what the community board requests were and what our requests were, and I think they deserve a lot of credit. Were excited to open a facility that is truly going to be a one-of-a-kind community asset.

In an interview, Vendor Association Chairperson Anne Saxelby also offered encouraging words for the new management arrangement. I definitely feel positive about the new market, said Saxelby. It has taken a long time to get here (after many months of negotiations), she added, but I think were finally in a good spot, and I think the vendors are excited about the move and about the new space.

Back in 2011, many local advocates, including Saxelby, fought a losing battle to save the original Essex Street Market building. That fight, however, was over long ago. Now the vendors and many locals are focused on making sure the new market retains its soul in a shiny new home. One drawback of the current historic building is that people walking by cannot see the businesses located inside. The new building, with its glass facade, will offer vendors good street-side visibility. Saxelby said most vendors, who have struggled in the years since the Essex Crossing project was announced, are looking forward to the boost that a new home will hopefully bring.

The new market will serve as a companion to another Essex Crossing amenity, a large subterranean shopping pavilion known as the Market Line. It will begin in the space below the Essex Street Market and extend over three development parcels to the east. There are some fears that the historic markets unique identity will be subsumed by the Market Line. Both city officials and Essex Crossing developers tell us, however, theyre determined to keep that from happening.

A spokesperson for EDC said the city sees the Market Line as a, great partner in our common purpose of providing quality food to the Lower East Side community. But at the same time, Essex Street Market will continue to be its own, distinct entity given that it is a mission-driven public market with a defined civic purpose. The goal of Essex Street Market will continue to be supporting small businesses and encouraging entrepreneurship, providing access to affordable, fresh food, and preserving the cultural tradition of public markets as strong community hubs with curated events and free programming in a safe and engaging public space. 

Rohan Mehra of the Prusik Group, part of Delancey Street Associates, agreed. Referring to the Essex Street Market and the Market Line, he said, they are distinct entities. Explaining that the nearly 80-year-old Lower East Side market was, our inspiration, Mehra said the new small format retail center is intended to complement the Essex Street Market. The idea, he said, is that between (the two markets), both located in one of the most diverse places in New York City, that shoppers can find anything imaginable, at all price points. Mehra added that the focus of the Market Line, like the Essex Street Market, is on serving the local community. He acknowledged a need to attract shoppers from outside the neighborhood, but explained, our feeling has always been that if the local community shops there, everyone else will go there, too. Tourists are looking for local flavor, history, character. If we are inclusive, the rest will follow.

Construction of the new Essex Street Market is expected to be completed by June of next year. The vendors will make the move across Delancey Street in the fall. The developers and city officials have promised that the move will be seamless. The market will remain open until the debut of the new facility.

Anne Saxelby said she hopes local residents will continue to patronize the market in the months remaining before the move. Im really excited, she told us. Its a great opportunity to grow our businesses. I would just encourage people in the neighborhood to keep supporting the market and well get through this transition together!

CB3:Essex Street Market Presentation by The Lo-Down on Scribd
In November of last year, residents began moving into the first completed building at Essex Crossing, the project now under construction in the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA). Today, city officials and community leaders will gather at the building, 175 Delancey St., for the its official grand opening. As we first reported last month, the building has been named in honor of Lower East Side activist Frances Goldin.

Goldin, 93, is a lifelong affordable housing crusader, a hero to many in the neighborhood. She was co-founder of the Cooper Square Committee and fought Robert Moses urban renewal schemes. For many decades, she also battled for affordable housing on the Seward Park site. When the community finally came together on a compromise plan in 2012 that called for 50% affordable housing on SPURA, Goldin called it, not perfect but better than nothing. In endorsing the deal, she said, Lets see this thing built for ourselves and our children.

175 Delancey includes 99 apartments for low-income seniors, a senior center run by Grand Street Settlement, the GrandLo Cafe also operated by the settlement house and a medical center from NYU Langone.

In the New York Times today, David Santiago, a former Seward Park site tenant, is one of those interviewed. Santiago was just 6 in 1967 when his family was forced from their Delancey Street tenement. He just moved into an apartment in the Essex Crossing building.

Well have more after todays grand opening. In the meantime, check out this video from 2009. Fran Goldin was the first speaker at an annual rally held on the SPURA site to keep pressure on city officials to finally build something. As you can see, she does not mince words.
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Southeast is deeply concerned and worried by the reported renewed hostilities between the people of Ikwo and Izzi in Ebonyi State.

We are concerned because Ebonyi State has suffered most devastatingly unwarranted bloodletting in the last few years. From the Crises in the Ngbo Agila axis, Cross River/Ebonyi boundary, Herdsmen massacres and now Izzi/Ikwo crises, we definitely cannot continue like this.

Already, Nigeria is facing serious existential crises occasioned by the failure of Federal Government to rein in terrorists, bandits and insurgents that have combined to unleash terror on hapless Nigerian citizens, the people of Ebonyi State cannot turn the gun on themselves and expect anyone to take them serious or be clapping for them.

We therefore, urge our people in Izzi and Ikwo clans of Ebonyi State to pursue peace rather than allow themselves to become objects of pity amongst the people of the state. Ebonyi State is a blessing and a land flowing with milk and honey- but these can only be harvested in an atmosphere of peace and harmony.

We call on the leaders of the two brotherly clans to immediately rally together and put a stop to the needless altercation that have led to the unfortunate loss of lives and destruction of hard-earned property in the area.

The PDP calls on the government of Ebonyi State to as a matter of urgency eschew politics and squarely work on engendering peace amongst the Izzi and Ikwo clans as well as among all the citizen and residents of the state.

A progressive Ebonyi State is a peaceful Ebonyi State.

Chief Ali Odefa

National Vice Chairman

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Southeast Zone
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A coconut shell full of water is an ocean to an ant.

It was in November 2015 that I wrote "I fear going to Biafra", that fear is probably real and palpable now, but hey wait, before I am asked if I want short or long sleeves, let us reason together on this matter.

Then the Indigenous People of Biafra had retained lawyer Prof. Dr. Goran Sluiter to file a complaint against Nigerian President Buhari before the International Criminal Court. He was then instructed to file a criminal complaint against Nigerian President Buhari before the International Criminal Court (ICC), on account of crimes against humanity. That was exactly how  Elombah.com , an online news forum put it then, and today not much has changed. It remains a case of lies, propaganda, half truths, misinformation, disinformation and truths.

In the mainstream media then, everyday provided fresh news items, either on Biafra as a subject or affiliates, such as the Indigenous People of Biafra, the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra. Really if it was not Nnamdi Kanu, in the news, it was Chief Ralph Uwazurike. A case of those for, and those against, interestingly also divided amongst the Igbos themselves. However its six years gone and theres ESN, ebubeagu and the dreaded unknown gunmen.

In most states of the southeast, agitations continue, whether forced or willingly, grudgingly one must agree there seems to be a huge increase in followership for the cause. Since the jungle Radio Biafra debuted it is obvious that the Nigerian state has remained at loss on how exactly to deal with the Biafran debacle, rather than engage, it has confronted and the loser is the nation.

I said six years ago that a quick glide into history would show that what many think started out as the occasional security clashes between a group of idle minds may soon if not handled with tact and diplomacy become another BH, and for many a student of political history it is so easy to see the trend in comparison to the Niger Delta militants, but this may turn out worse. And indeed the nation and the SE faces an existential threat.

I had warned that the Biafra struggle needed to handled, and trust me, I added it could not be suppressed in the manner it was being handled, it cannot be waived off by the hands, current strong arm tactics will not work, denying that there is no followership, only reminds one of the first handful members of Yusuf Mohammed. And thinking that the entire drama is symptomatic of an episodic ailment may be wrong, and I was right.

Let me share a piece from the reflective lecture of Maduabuchi Dukor, speaking on Ndigbo: Challenges of youth empowerment.

Philosophically speaking, we recognize that the southeast or Ndigbo is an emerging society, developing society in search of identity in a multi-racial Nigeria state and in the world. This identity question is not only omnibus but also a logical challenge because you are an Igbo or you are not an Igbo. In this way it is difficult for an Igbo to deny that he or she is an Igbo because doing so would amount to a contradiction. Identity does not break any contradiction in the logical sense of the concept.

Again the fact that it is existential and encompasses a whole personality presupposes that it is defined by the history, culture, economics, politics and education of the people which again logically entails that the challenges of youth empowerment among Ndigbo are the challenges of history, culture, economics, politics, leadership and education.

In the above regard, has the Biafra question been answeredwho are the Biafrans, where is Biafrait is a challenge of history, culture, economics, politics, leadership and education.

Maduabuchi Dukor speaking further The youth question since after the defunct Biafran and Nigerian war is an unfortunate historically necessitated experience that has left Ndigbo like a rudderless both in Nigeria, Africa and the world. The traumas, alienation, economic, subjugation, discrimination, political marginalization and the consequent psychological dislocation of Ndigbo by successive Nigerian governments until the dawn of the second republic is worse than colour dissemination in United States now and before.

However I equally ask philosophically muse who is to blame but the Igbo man. The man whose leader has called streetlights an achievement, domino stores and chicken republic as achievements, getting a cinema to town in six years as deserving accolades; one wonders.

So, while Maduabuchis thesis has its strong merit, this Biafra matter remains partly one of land of erosions, land of the likes of Rochas the don of double speak, and land that elects a governor while he is in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, one where everyone is a leader, yet no leadership and direction, envied by many, yet not sure of itself. Biafra itself, her or himself a small shadow of the bigger Nigerian palaver.

Very strange that police posts and electoral offices are burnt and no one has taken responsibility and no verifiable intelligence, soon there will be splinter IPOB groups, the governors continue to stutter in all directions but the right one.

A land where its greatest enemy is itself, a land where its sons and daughters on one hand are marginalized yet, are in every nook, cranny and corner, of Nigeria doing very wella people whose sons are doing well in Lagos, and but wont go and develop alaigbobut will whine marginalization, I fear going there.

The Biafra matter is one where men of goodwill have kept quiet, where the voices of reasons like Cardinal Arinze, Emeka Anyaokwu, or myself have been or continue to be subdued by the noise of anarchy. The Igbo man has refused to write and teach their children their true history, teach their wards the dialect, culture and values, and same it is with the entire Nigerian space.

The Biafra matter will remain as long as Nigeria refuses to allow true federalism to thrive,and for it to work, we need to talk, we need to negotiate, the federating units equally need leadership to get it right, and are sons and daughters of Ndi-Igbo ready to take up the challenge beyond all the current upheavals or do we have to fight another warOnly time will tell
Zain Bahrain, a leading telecommunications operator in the kingdom, announced the establishment of a new function titled Sustainability & Inclusivity, taking a step further to reinforce the culture of inclusion and sustainable business.

Fatema Haider, an industry veteran with over 11 years experience with Zain and an ambassador for D & I since its establishment in 2017, has been named the manager of the Sustainability & Inclusivity function.

With her vast experience in the field of D & I, Haider will focus on assisting the company in building diverse teams, said the statement from Zain.

The expansion of Zain Bahrains Sustainability efforts aligns with the companys commitment to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5  Gender Equality.

The company continues to focus on women empowerment and has launched various initiatives as part of its SDGs to provide quality education to Bahraini women, such as the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Camp for girls aged 8-14 that trained 1,000 school-going girls to code across the Kingdom in an effort to heighten their interest in technology, it added.

With the addition of the new function, Zain Bahrain continues to embrace a culture where men and women are treated equally at the workplace and creates empowering initiatives for all segments in the community to develop and grow.

Fatema Haider was appointed to Zains D & I Advisory Board in 2020 and has since worked directly with the Vice-Chairman, Group CEO, and his Executive Team as a representative of Zain Bahrain.

In her current role, Fatema will oversee corporate sustainability, developing and executing strategies to address Zains sustainability streams, working alongside all departments to ensure that the sustainability and inclusivity strategy is embedded across all levels.

She will also lead the design, development, and management of the sustainable business operation, monitoring progress and partnering with external entities and business unit representatives to invest in serving the local community in implementing change initiatives across the organization.

Zain Bahrain also focused on SDG 11 for Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 12 for Responsible Consumption and Production.

They have rendered support to various differently-abled individuals in the community and are also committed to addressing the various risks and opportunities related to climate change, participating in activities such as e-waste to responsibly recycle electronic waste, it stated.

Welcoming the appointment, CEO Duncan Howard said: "At Zain Bahrain, Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion are key to our strategy. We believe in employee empowerment by creating equal opportunities and treatment, encouraging a sense of belonging in a safe and open environment."

"We are committed to being an inclusive company by providing opportunities for a better future that is accessible to all. As part of our corporate sustainability strategy, we remain committed to providing Meaningful Connectivity by being inclusive and accessible and will further emphasize the importance of establishing purpose-driven activities," he stated.

Zain Bahrain has been a proud recipient of Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifas Women Empowerment Award for its significant efforts and contribution to the Bahraini women work force.

On her elevated role, Haider said: "Sustainability & Inclusivity are key drivers to Zain Bahrains growth, which I believe will support the advancement of our organization and will serve as a brand differentiator to support our internal and external stakeholders."

"I am delighted to be appointed for this role and look forward to purposefully reaching an inclusive and shared interest between the local community and the business growth," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
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Barely 24 hours after the Federal Government recorded relief in its troubleshooting to douse tension in the Niger Delta region over a seven-day ultimatum given by ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, for the inauguration of a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, traditional rulers in Bayelsa State have warned on fresh danger.

The monarchs say youths are again, becoming restive as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, locked horns with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, over the soul of NDDC.

Specifically, they expressed fears on looming crises over reports that the junior petroleum minister is battling to upturn a nominee already forwarded for approval by Akpabio, the supervising minister of the NDDC, for the position of managing director in the yet-to-be constituted board of the Commission.

In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari dated June 4, 2021, the traditional rulers urged him to ensure that any act capable of triggering further agitations in the Niger Delta be avoided as the region and the polity was already over-heated.

On behalf of the traditional rulers and leaders of thought, particularly of Ekeremor L.G.A. extraction in Bayelsa State, we wish to respectively refer you to the issue above and draw your attention to the restiveness of youths resulting from this clear alienation by the APC led Federal Government.

Your Excellency Sir, we were highly elated by the newspaper publications naming one Elder Denyanbofa Dimaro, an illustrious son of Peretorugbene community in the Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State, as the Managing Director (MD) while Dr. Cairo Ojuogbo from Delta State as the chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). What has however heightened tension amongst the youths and citizenry is the growing rumor that the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva is thwarting this laudable effort of the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

In our opinion, the polity and the region are already over heated and anything that will bring about further agitations should be avoided, part of the letter read.



It was signed by seven traditional rulers, and copies sent to the Commissioner of Police and Director, Department of State Services (DSS) in Bayelsa State, as well as the President of the Ijaw National Congress, INC.



Full text of the letter:



4thJune, 2021

His Excellency,

Gen. Muhamadu Buhari

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Presidential Villa State House

Abuja.



Attention: The Honorable Minister

Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs

9thFloor Federal Secretariat Complex

Abuja.



Dear Sir,

LOPSIDED FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS IN BAYELSA STATE: REQUEST BY TRADITIONAL RULERS TO CORRECT THE ANOMALY IN FAVOUR OF EKEREMOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF A SUBSTANTIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (NDDC)

On behalf of the traditional rulers and leaders of thought, particularly of Ekeremor L.G.A. extraction in Bayelsa State, we wish to respectively refer you to the issue above and draw your attention to the restiveness of youths resulting from this clear alienation by the APC led Federal Government.

Your Excellency Sir, we were highly elated by the newspaper publications naming one Elder Denyanbofa Dimaro, an illustrious son of Peretorugbene community in the Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State, as the Managing Director (MD) while Dr. Cairo Ojuogbo from Delta State as the chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). What has however heightened tension amongst the youths and citizenry is the growing rumor that the Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva is thwarting this laudable effort of the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

The followings illustrate the lopsidedness of federal appointments in favour of Bayelsa East Senatorial District:

1. Bayelsa State, like every other State in the Federation, has three senatorial districts, namely Bayelsa West comprising Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Governmen Areas; Bayelsa Central comprising Kolokuma-Opokuma, Yenagoa and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas; and Bayelsa East comprising Ogbia, Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas in accordance with the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

2. Whilst the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District has the benefit of producing the state governor in person of Sen. Douye Diri, every federal appointment/position is given to Bayelsa East Senatorial District.



For the avoidance of doubt, see below details of the current Federal appointments and the appointees from Bayelsa State:

1. Minister of State for Petroleum  Chief Timipre Sylva from Brass LGA, Bayelsa East.

2. President/Chairman, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas  HRM Edmund Daukoru (Former Petroleum Minister and uncle of current Minister of State for Petroleum) from Nembe LGA, Bayelsa East.

3. Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development Management Board (NCDMB)  Engr. Simbi Wabote (Chief Timipre's cousin) from Nembe LGA, Bayelsa East.

4. Representative, Ministry of Petroleum Resources  Barr. Oyanbo Peace Owei also from Brass LGA, Bayelsa East.

5. Federal Commissioner, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)  Alfred Egba from Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa East.

6. Federal Commissioner, Federal Character Commission  Tonye Okio from Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa East.

7. Vice Chancellor, Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko  Prof. Munakurogha Adigio, Nembe LGA, Bayelsa East.

8. Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Otouke, Bayelsa State  Prof. Teddy Charles, Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa East.

9. The suspended 2019 Senate screened NDDC nominee for Executive Director, Finance & Administration  Maxwell Oko from Ogbia LGA (Bayelsa East).

10. Currently, Chief Sylva is mounting pressure to ensure that the position of Managing Director of NDDC is given to somebody from this same senatorial district, Bayelsa East.

The above is just some of the lopsided appointments.

From the aforesaid, it clearly shows that Bayelsa West comprising Ekeremor and Sagbama LGAs are unfairly treated. The Ekeremor LGA is a major oil and gas producing area. Besides, it also provided substantial votes for the APC in the 2015 and 2019 general elections that gave APC victory at the polls.



A list of oil fields domiciled in Ekeremor LGA is provided hereunder to make the point that the people of Ekeremor LGA are direct victims of the negative impacts of oil exploration and exploitation and therefore deserve to be so compensated:



a. Ogbotobo Oil Flow Station  operated by SPDC

b. Benisede Oil Flow Station  operated by SPDC

c. Opukushi Oil Flow Station  operated by SPDC

d. Tunu Oil Flow Station  operated by SPDC

e. Clough Creek Oil Flow Station  operated by NAOC

f. Cambo Oil Field  operated by SPDC

g. Part of Ogboinbiri Oil Flow Station  operated by SPDC/NAOC

h. EA Oil Field  operated by SPDC

i. Bonga Oil Field  SPDC

The host communities to these Oil Flow Stations and Fields include:

1.Peretorugbene

2.Ogbotobo

3.Azagbene

4.Koromotoru

5.Tububou

6.Ngoloba

7.Bilabiri

8.Bisangbene

9.Letugbene

10.Agge

11.Ogbeintu

12.Orobiri

13.Amatu

14.Egbemo- Angalabiri

15.Agbidiama

It is also noteworthy to state that these host communities have well educated and experienced men and women capable of occupying the position of Managing Director of the NDDC and deliver the mandate of the commission.



We are therefore pleading with Mr. President to consider giving the appointment of the substantive Managing Director of the NDDC to someone from within the above mentioned communities in the Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State and particularly as already announced in the media. In our opinion, the polity and the region are already over heated and anything that will bring about further agitations should be avoided.



While thanking you in anticipation of your consideration for this plea, please accept the assurances of our highest regards for your esteemed person and office.



Signed:

HRM King Joel Ekeni Ibane (JP)

Ogiobo

The Grand Pere of Iduwini Kingdom

HRH SIMON ONNIYE

Amananaowei

Tububou Community





HRH TIMI ODIKEME OKERE

Pere Foukeregha 1V

Amananaowei

Peretoru Federated Communities

CHIEF BEDEI OYINMO

Amananaowei

Egbemo-Angalabiri Community





HRH ROMAN DERIABEBE

Amananaowei

Letugbene Community

HRH SAMUEL SAPELE

Amananowei

Ogbotobo Community







HRH AMAME F. ORU

Amananaowei

Azagbene Community

Copy:

1.The President,

Ijaw National Congress (INC)

2.The Commissioner of Police (CP), Bayelsa State Command

3.The Director,

Department of State Services,

Bayelsa State
A plea for your support

Do you have less than 3 Baht a day for The Phuket News? It is tough times for all of us.



By The Phuket News

Sunday 6 June 2021, 04:00PM

Many will know that The Phuket News is a critical means of information here in Phuket.

However, over the last 12 months advertising revenue has dropped traumatically and therefore our ability to provide a free daily news update email has diminished. We rely on our fantastic staff and have no revenue to pay for them to continue to provide the news we need to know in Phuket.

As a result we have introduced a charge to help cover our costs of bringing you timely and important updates. For B1,500 a year, 33% off if signed up by Jun 30, 2021, you will receive an email at 7pm each evening with key Phuket updates.

For those who still want free news you can subscribe to a free weekly email update, sent every Sunday evening.

This has not been an easy decision but we need new sources of revenue to cover our staff costs so we can deliver you the news you need to know.

Sign up today - https://www.thephuketnews.com/subscribe-newsalert-daily.php

Thanking you for your continued support.

Regards.

Jason Beavan
In Memory of Daragh John OHiggins

Long-time Irish expat Daragh John OHiggins has peacefully passed away in Phuket on June 4 after a battle with cancer. Daragh, who was 59, was a familiar face to many not only on Phuket but on Koh Samui and in Bangkok and Pattaya, where he worked and lived for over 12 years.

Sunday 6 June 2021, 07:31AM

Daragh was a larger-than life character with a raspy Irish accent and witty sense of humor. He will be missed.

Daragh was well known for running TechWorx Asia, a leading AV/IT firm in Phuket and beyond where they assisted numerous luxury villa and yacht owners installing leading sound, TV and audio systems over the years. A larger-than life character with a raspy Irish accent and witty sense of humor, Daragh was a man you could depend on, he had a generous heart and helped many who were in need over the years. Daragh is survived by his wife Kay, his mother Sheelagh and father Brian, and his twin sisters Orla and Deirdre, amongst a host of loved ones from Spain, Ireland and Thailand. Prior to Thailand, Daragh lived in Majorca, Spain, for 12 years, where he still has numerous friends. Sleep well big fella and watch over Kay and us while sipping Hendrinks & Tonics, and as the Irish saying goes, Were just like everyone else, just smarter, better looking and more fun. Have fun our dear friend, memories will be cherished. Cremation ceremony will be held at Cherngtalay temple on Monday, June 06, 2021 at 1:30pm.
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Several thousand people rallied in Hungary's capital Saturday against plans by Prime Minister Viktor Orban to host a Chinese university in Budapest.

A strategic agreement that Hungary signed with Shanghai-based Fudan University envisages opening a branch in the citys 9th district. Plans call for the Budapest campus to be completed by 2024. It would enroll international students and represent the schools only foreign outpost, as well as the first Chinese university campus in the 27-nation European Union.

The protesters marched from Heroes Square toward the Hungarian parliament building, defying a pandemic ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. The crowd carried banners reading 'No Fudan," flags and posters.

Budapest authorities have opposed the university branch idea. They argue the $1.9 billion project would place a huge burden on taxpayers and send the wrong political message because of the alleged human rights abuses in China.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony had a huge photo of a protester facing a tank in Beijing's Tiananmen Square projected behind him during Saturday's demonstration. Chinese troops opened fire on protesters in the square on June 4, 1989, killing hundreds and perhaps thousands.

Lets make it clear whom we are not protesting against, Karacsony said. "We have our problem with dictators.... And we are not in the least protesting against Chinese people who live together with us peacefully in this marvelous city.

What we want is the student city," Karacsony added. "What we dont want is the 500 billion forint ( 1.45 billion euro; $ 1.6 billion) Chinese elite university paid from the taxpayers money. It is as simple as that.

Orban, a right-wing populist, has fostered closer ties with Russia and China as he faces European Union criticism for his authoritarian ways and staunch anti-immigration stand.

Hungarian officials have insisted that Fudan, ranked among the top 100 universities in the world, will help raise higher education standards in Hungary. But the university's links to China's Communist Party have sparked outrage among liberal-minded Hungarians.
Leonard Ortiz/AP

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP)  The mother of a Southern California boy killed in a road rage shooting remembered him Saturday as 6-year-old with a vocabulary beyond his years who exuded warmth and tenderness.

He gave us such joy, giving us purpose to our life. I felt so honored to be Aidens mommy, Joanna Cloonan said an open-casket memorial service for Aiden Leos.
AP

BELLE GLADE, Fla. (AP)  An 86-year-old sugar mill worker with 31 years on the job fatally shot his boss after he was refused another year at the mill, authorities said Saturday.

The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office said in a news release that Felix Cabrera was jailed without bail on a first-degree murder charge following the Friday morning shooting at the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative in Belle Glade.
MIAMI (AP)  Officials in Miami and relatives of victims are pleading with the community for information on suspects in a shooting at a banquet hall that killed three people and wounded 20 others. Police have made no arrests.

Ashley Gantt, who is a cousin of one of the three victims  Desmond Owens  and also is representing his family as an attorney, issued a call to action to speak up and say something" on what they know about the Memorial Day weekend shootings.

It was so many people, friends, loved ones," she said. The pain and the suffering is reverberating throughout our community. No one deserves to lose their loved ones like this in such a senseless act.

Police have said they're focusing on a rivalry between local rappers in their investigation. But Miami-Dade Countys top prosecutor, Katherine Rundle, indicated that there's been a hesitancy among members of the community to come forward with tips because of a climate of violent retribution for turncoats and a general mistrust in law enforcement.

Youve got to give us information. I know theres a lot of talk of people who live in fear of retaliation, but we do have victim protection procedures, Rundle said. People want us to get the killers and guns off the street and people want to be safe ... We hear you, but we need you.

Top county officials also have launched what they call Operation Summer Heat to combat gun crime and deter what they anticipate will be a violent season ahead as the region comes out of the pandemic. They described it at a news conference Thursday as a 12-week period of boosted cooperation and information-sharing among law enforcement agencies, scouring of social media and heightened enforcement of local codes to shut establishments deemed hotbeds of crime.

Officials overnight confirmed that a third victim had died from the shootings, identifying her as Shankquia Peterson, 32. Two other victims in the shooting remained in critical condition, police said.

Surveillance videos released by police show a white SUV driving into an alley before three masked gunmen spray bullets indiscriminately into the crowd early Sunday. Another video showed another person shooting from a different angle, news outlets reported. Police say the assailants had specific targets in mind. The crowd had been waiting to get inside for an album release party by Courtney Paul Wilson, 24, better known as rapper ABMG Spitta.

Relatives of Peterson, the last victim to die, told news outlets she had a bullet lodged in her head and had been in a medically induced coma since the shooting.

Our family wants the gun violence to end, for these predators to be caught. This shooting has shaken the family to its core, Peterson's family said in a statement.

Other gun violence over Memorial Day weekend included a car chase and shooting near a Miami casino, a mass shooting in Wynwood that left one dead and six wounded and a shooting outside a South Beach restaurant that left a man paralyzed and a local rapper behind bars.

While the motive for the banquet hall shooting is still unknown, investigators were focusing on social-media feuds involving the local rappers who hosted the banquet hall show. This includes two rival groups whose tensions go back years and have been fueled by threats made online and in rap lyrics, the Miami Herald reported.

A lot of these violent acts youre seeing on their social media. Youre seeing them call each other out, theyre giving verbal cues, Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Freddy Ramirez said during a Thursday news conference. Some of the songs have verbal cues that are triggering rolling violence, real-time violence. Back in the 90s it was drug turf wars. Here its a little bit of that but a lot of it is showing off.

There is a reward of up to $130,000 for information that leads to an arrest of the people responsible.

___

This story corrects spellings of names in second paragraph.

___

Associated Press writer Freida Frisaro contributed to this report.
Former Alabama Gov. John Patterson, who entered politics as a reformer after his fathers assassination but was criticized for failing to protect the Freedom Riders from angry white mobs, has died. He was 99.

He died Friday, his daughter, Barbara Patterson Scholl, confirmed. She said funeral arrangements are pending. "He died very peacefully at home. His family and friends were with him, she said.

Pattersons involvement with state government spanned a half century, beginning with his election as attorney general at 33 after violence in Phenix City, and later as a judge.

A segregationist as governor, he drew criticism when Freedom Riders were attacked while in Alabama and Patterson did nothing to protect them. He later voiced regret for what happened. He ended his political career more serenely on the Court of Criminal Appeals, where he continued to write opinions into his 80s.

Patterson also was involved in the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, helping the CIA get Alabama Air National Guard members to train Cuban exiles. Some Alabama pilots died when the 1961 invasion of Cuba failed.

Patterson was born on his grandparents farm in the tiny Tallapoosa County community of Goldville, but finished high school in Phenix City, where his father, Albert Patterson, was a lawyer. After serving on Gen. Dwight Eisenhowers staff during World War II, Patterson returned home, got his law degree from the University of Alabama and went into practice with his father, Albert Patterson.

Albert Patterson ran for attorney general in 1954 on a platform of cleaning up the vice and illegal gambling that had turned his town into Sin City, U.S.A. He won the Democratic nomination to be the state's top prosecutor, but was gunned down in Phenix City on June 18.

Democratic Party officials pressured his son to run for attorney general in his place. He did and won.

In a 2003 interview, Patterson told The Associated Press he had no interest in politics until his fathers death. If he hadnt been killed, I never would have run for public office. Nobody would have ever heard of me outside legal circles, Patterson said.

As attorney general, Patterson kept his fathers campaign promise to clean up Phenix City. He also fought civil rights groups in court. In one case, he got a restraining order to keep the NAACP from operating in Alabama. The restraining order remained until 1964, when it was lifted by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Patterson ran for governor in 1958, beating Wallace in a Democratic primary that focused largely on Pattersons pro-segregation stand.

Patterson was the only person to beat Wallace in an Alabama election.

Four years later, Wallace successfully claimed the segregationist banner to begin his dynasty.

During Pattersons term, Alabama launched a $100 million school building program, increased old age pensions, returned the State Docks to profitability, and enacted a small loan law to curb loan sharks.

But his term also saw attacks on the Freedom Riders who were seeking to integrate bus waiting rooms and lunch counters. Patterson said later he mistakenly trusted police in Birmingham and Montgomery to protect the Freedom Riders, but they didnt.

I regret it, and it was bad for my administration, Patterson said in 2003.

Patterson said he knew segregation couldnt be maintained under the Constitution, but he wanted to delay its end. He said he felt Alabamians would accept integration without violence if change occurred slowly.

Exactly 50 years after the Freedom Riders were beaten by a white mob in Montgomery, Patterson welcomed 10 of them back to Montgomery on May 20, 2011, for the dedication of a museum honoring them.

It took a lot of nerve and guts to do what they did, Patterson said. In a 2009 interview, Sam Webb, co-editor of the book Alabama Governors, said Patterson was a brave and courageous governor on many fronts, but those accomplishments were overshadowed by race issues.

Unfortunately what will stand out in John Pattersons case is his vociferous opposition to civil rights and racial integration, said Webb, a historian at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

During Pattersons term as governor, the CIA began planning for Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and try to overthrow Fidel Castro. A CIA agent approached Patterson about getting members of the Alabama Air National Guard to help train the exiles. Patterson agreed after the agent assured him that President Eisenhower had approved the plan.

About 300 Alabamians helped train Cuban exiles for the Bay of Pigs invasion, which was not carried out until President John Kennedy replaced Eisenhower in the White House in 1961. On the third day of the invasion, as it was failing, Alabama pilots flew the last bombing mission, and four died.

Kennedy initially denied any U.S. involvement in the invasion, which was a shock to Patterson, who knew differently.

Years later, Patterson disclosed that he had tipped off Kennedy about the invasion plans shortly before the November 1960 presidential election. Patterson, a Kennedy supporter, flew to New York to tell Kennedy out of concern that the Eisenhower administration would carry out the invasion just before the presidential election to boost Vice President Richard Nixons chances of beating Kennedy.

Patterson couldnt seek a second term in 1962 because Alabama law then prohibited consecutive terms. He tried a comeback in 1966, but lost to Wallaces wife, Lurleen. He also ran unsuccessfully for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court in 1972.

Patterson, who had been friends with Wallace before their bitter 1958 race, eventually renewed the friendship and helped Wallace in his later campaigns for president and governor. In 1984, Wallace appointed Patterson to a vacancy on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.

He won election to a full six-year term later that year and was reelected in 1990. In January 1997, he had to retire because the state constitution prohibits judges from running for another term after reaching 70.

Still, Patterson continued to work for the court by helping write opinions because he said he enjoyed being a judge more than any office he held.

Current Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey sent her condolences to the Patterson family Saturday.

I am sending my prayers to the family and loved ones of former Governor John Patterson as they mourn his passing," Ivey said in a statement.

___

Phillip Rawls, who retired from the Associated Press, contributed to this report.
UNWTO is to collaborate with the Greek Ministry of Tourism in establishing a first research station dedicated to measuring the sustainable development of coastal and maritime tourism across the Mediterranean.

The new monitoring centre will be based at the University of the Aegean in Greece. From here, experts will capture and collate measurement data and analysis relating to the environmental, economic, and social impact of tourism.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: Coastal and Maritime tourism is one of the most important economic drivers within the Mediterranean basin. This new research centre can provide key data to guide the restart and future development of the sector, ensuring it fulfils its potential to provide opportunity for coastal communities and to protect and celebrate natural and cultural heritage.

The United Nations specialized agency and the Ministry of Tourism confirmed their collaboration on the initiative during the UNWTO High-Level Conference on Coastal and Maritime Tourism, held in Athens and co-hosted by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Celebrity Cruises.

The Tourism Minister of Greece Harry Theoharis said: I express my immense gratitude for UNWTOs support in this endeavour. The Research Center will soon become a reference point for the study and protection of our coasts and seas.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Global Chairman of CLIA and Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises added: CLIA is pleased to support the UNWTO research and monitoring centre on sustainability and coastal maritime tourism in the Mediterranean. As part of the cruise industrys commitment to responsible travel, we are pursuing carbon neutral cruising in Europe by 2050, and we work closely with cruise destinations and coastal communities to support economic growth in a sustainable manner." - TradeArabia News Service
COLLINSVILLE  Native American cultural heritage as interpreted through arts and crafts was on display Friday through Sunday during Indian Market Days at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site in Collinsville.

More than 30 Native American artists and vendors displayed and sold original creations, ranging from jewelry to clothing, paintings and sculptures. Many different tribal affiliations were represented.

Stephanie Big Eagle from Indianapolis, Indiana is of Yankton Sioux heritage. She said she spent a lot of time perfecting her Native American bead work, painting and traditional tattooing.

Ive gone through many years of rigorous training for the things that I offer, many meetings with elders, Big Eagle said.

Big Eagle has also published a memoir and said she sold every copy she brought to Indian Market Days.

Its about the things I have seen in this world from an indigenous womans perspective, Big Eagle said. How we can get people to come together through our common creative synergy, and learning how to find our connections and come together to help heal our world.

Woody Richards, a South Dakotan of Oglala Sioux descent, had a variety of painted hides and traditional Native American crafts for sale at Indian Market Days.

I had to study the different symbols on hide paintings, what they represent, Richards said. A lot of it is passed down from generation to generation. You have to pay attention. You have to have the interest first, then you have to have the upbringing.

My heritage is everything to me, Richards said. Its how you are brought up and the things you respect in life that make you who you are.

And you are either proud of who you are or youre not, he said. To me theres no half way in that.

Norris Chee was raised the traditional Navajo way in Arizona. His paintings of Native people and wildlife reflect that upbringing.

My culture is very rich and I learned a lot, Chee said. Growing up the old way to me was probably the best way. I was around my elders and learned a lot from them.

Native American flutes crafted from North American river cane surrounded William Harjo, a Texas resident of Muscogee descent who also makes and sells medicine bags.

The bags contain sage, cedar tobacco for protection, sweet grass and a turquoise nugget, Harjo said. You can wear it like a necklace or hang it from your car mirror.

New Mexico resident Jennifer Garcia said she learned jewelry making in a Santa Fe boarding school and now enlists her family to help create what she sells.

My heritage and family had a part in this, Garcia said. We clean the turquoise, string the jewelry, all of the traditional things the Pueblo does.

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is located adjacent to Interstate 55/70 in Collinsville just eight miles east of downtown St. Louis. It is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site due to its significance as a major cultural center in prehistoric North America.

Cahokia had modest beginnings around AD 700 but had a population explosion around AD 1050 when its 10,000 to 20,000 residents made it larger at the time than London. Cahokias residents built massive structures and used technology that was, in some cases, equivalent to that used by Europeans of the day.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  With Kamala Harris visiting Guatemala and Mexico on her first foreign trip as vice president, the Biden administration is expected to announce new measures to fight smuggling and trafficking, and hopes to announce additional anti-corruption efforts as well on Monday, a senior administration official said.

The official, who briefed reporters traveling with Harris on Sunday, spoke on condition of anonymity to preview announcements before they have been made public. No further details were provided.

Harris has been tasked by President Joe Biden with addressing the root causes of the spike in migration to the U.S.-Mexico border, and her aides say corruption will be a central focus of her meetings with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday and Mexicos Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday.

Corruption really does sap the the wealth of any country, and in Central America is at a scale where it is a large percentage of GDP across the region, said special envoy Ricardo Zuniga.

We see corruption as one of the most important root causes to be dealt with, Zuniga added.

The trip got off to a rocky start when Harris' plane returned to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland about 30 minutes after takeoff because of what her spokesperson said was a problem with the landing gear. She departed on another plane and landed late Sunday in in Guatemala City, where she was met by Foreign Minister Pedro Brolo.

Harris is seeking to secure commitments from Guatemala and Mexico for greater cooperation on border security and economic investment, and aides say she will also discuss vaccine sharing during her meetings. But corruption in the region  a far more intractable challenge  will complicate her efforts.

Its already had a significant impact on her work in Central America. Harris has yet to engage substantively with the leaders of Honduras and El Salvador, who are both embroiled in corruption scandals.

Giammattei has faced criticism over corruption within his own government. Zuniga acknowledged that the U.S. government faces a challenge in working with him but argued Harris was in the country in part to have a direct conversation with the president about this and other issues.

The best way to deal with these cases where you have a very complex relationship in a country like Guatemala is to talk clearly and plainly as partners, as countries that have to get along he said.

Harris has laid out an approach centered on creating better opportunities and living conditions in the region through humanitarian and economic aid. She announced plans to send $310 million to provide support for refugees and address food shortages, and recently secured commitments from a dozen companies and organizations to invest in the Northern Triangle countries to promote economic opportunity and job training.

Washington won some goodwill through its vaccine diplomacy this past week. Giammattei and Lopez Obrador both received calls from Harris on Thursday telling them the U.S. would be sending 500,000 doses and 1 million doses, respectively, of COVID-19 vaccine.

While in Guatemala, Harris also plans to meet community leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. In Mexico, she will speak with female entrepreneurs and hold a roundtable with labor workers.

Shes underscored the need to address corruption in public remarks and events. In a May meeting with a number of leading voices on Guatemala's justice system, she noted her work as a prosecutor and said that injustice is a root cause of migration.

Part of giving people hope is having a very specific commitment to rooting out corruption in the region, she said.

Harris has also raised the issue during virtual meetings with the leaders of both countries, and aides say she will do it again during meetings on her trip. During their past conversations, they have discussed areas of mutual interest  improving port security, combatting smuggling networks, going after corrupt actors  and the goal of this trip is to turn that talk into action, aides say.

While the vice president will make announcements concerning new efforts at cooperation and new programs, shes not expected to announce any new aid during her trip.

While in Latin America, Harris will also have to navigate the politics of immigration. Congressional Republicans have criticized both Biden and Harris for deciding not to visit the border, and contend the administration is ignoring what they say is a crisis there. April was the second-busiest month on record for unaccompanied children encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border, following Marchs all-time high. The Border Patrols total encounters in April were up 3% from March, marking the highest level since April 2000.

Conservatives will be watching Harris closely for any missteps, hoping to drag her into further controversy on an issue that they see as a political winner.

In her efforts to win commitments on corruption from the region's leaders, Harris can point to a number of moves by the Biden administration last week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the problem during his own recent trip to Central America. The White House issued a memo elevating foreign corruption to a major national security issue, and directed all federal agencies to prioritize it and modernize their foreign corruption-fighting tools.

Eric Olson, director of policy at the Seattle International Foundation, which works to promote good governance in Central America, said that addressing corruption will take particular diplomatic skill. Harris will need to hold the leaders of Guatemala and Mexico accountable while also deepening trust and cooperation with the two nations.

The challenge that she faces is how to, on the one hand, have a conversation, keep the door open  while not seeming to ignore the obvious elephant in the room, which is this incredible penetration of the state by corrupt actors, he said.

In Mexico, Lopez Obrador continues to face a complicated security situation in many parts of the country. Nearly three-dozen candidates or pre-candidates were killed before this weekends midterm elections as drug cartels sought to protect their interests. The governments inability to provide security in parts of the country is of interest to the U.S. in an immigration context, both for the people who are displaced by violence and the impact it has on a severely weakened economy trying reemerge from the pandemic.

The number of Mexicans encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection rose steadily from December through April. Mexico remains a key U.S. ally in trying to slow immigration, not only of its own citizens, but those crossing its territory. Successive U.S. administrations have effectively tried to push their immigration enforcement goals south to Mexico and Guatemala.

Nongovernmental organizations placed Guatemalas widespread corruption at the top of their list of concerns before Harris visit.

Last month, two lawyers who are outspoken critics of Giammattei's administration were arrested on what they say were trumped-up charges aimed at silencing them.

The selection of judges for Guatemalas Constitutional Court, its highest, was mired in influence peddling and alleged corruption. Giammattei picked his chief of staff to fill one of the five vacancies. When Gloria Porras, a respected force against corruption, was elected to a second term, the congress controlled by Giammatteis party refused to seat her.

Harris visit comes with high expectations, but experts say clear progress on corruption may be elusive.

These are societies built on corruption, said Olson. Youre not gonna have an impact in six months.

___

Sherman reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writer Sonia Perez D. in Guatemala City contributed to this report.
WOOD RIVER  Officials at the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery say they are working to respond to information requests from the state related to the venting of spent sulfuric acid at the Norfolk Southern Rail Yard.

At about 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 2, a pressure relief disk on a railcar ruptured and sulfuric acid began venting to the atmosphere, according to the unified command established by Phillips 66, the railroad, and the Wood River Police and Fire Departments.

Later on June 2, two other railcars also began venting sulfuric acid, with a fourth railcar venting the morning of Thursday, June 3. A shelter-in-place warning was issued for sections of Wood River and Roxana; they were later lifted.

Since Wednesday a water curtain has been applied over the cars to help dissipate the vapor. That effort continued Sunday.

Late Friday, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced it had referred an enforcement action to the Illinois Attorney Generals office against Phillips 66 Co. alleging violations of the state regulations related to the release of sulfuric acid to the atmosphere.

The Wood River Refinery team has been working with the Wood River Fire Department and Norfolk Southern Railroad at the railcar response in the Norfolk Southern Rail Yard, said Melissa Erker, Director, Government and Community Relations at the Wood River Refinery.

The priority of the Wood River Refinery is the safety of the community and responders, as well as to provide technical expertise for the response, she said. The refinery has been contacted by the IEPA and Illinois Attorney Generals office about the incident.

Late Saturday authorities cautioned Wood River residents that another shelter-in-place warning was possible for Sunday morning, but air quality levels were healthy enough to avoid the warning.

Air monitoring is occurring around a large diameter from the mitigation work, police said, to alert emergency responders about spent sulfuric acid vapors.

Police encourage residents to continue monitoring the Wood River Police Department page on Facebook and the unified command page at https://woodriverrailcarventing.com/ for updates.
UAE's national carrier Etihad Airways has announced plans to launch seasonal flights to Greeces most popular islands, Mykonos and Santorini, and the famous southern Spanish city of Malaga in Andalusia.

Mykonos will operate between July 8 and September 11 and Santorini from July 9 to September 12. Both destinations will benefit from a twice weekly direct service on an Airbus A320.

The new service will provide greater choice and convenience for leisure travellers between the UAE and Spain, with Etihad now serving three destinations between the two countries  Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga, said the statement from Etihad.

With a safe travel corridor established between the UAE and Greece, fully vaccinated individuals now have more opportunities to enjoy quarantine free travel, it stated.

Travellers can enjoy Mykonos Mediterranean cuisine or admire Santorinis unique architecture. Just over four hours from Abu Dhabi, Etihads new flights to the Greek islands complement the airlines existing service to Athens, it added.

As Spain prepares to reopen to international vaccinated travellers from June 7, Etihad will launch new flights to Malaga, twice a week, from July 9 to September 15. Flights to Malaga will operate using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering Economy Space and Neighbour-free seating options.

"For Etihad Guest Members wanting to redeem their well-earned miles, Mykonos, Santorini and Malaga are ideal destinations. Members have access to best value seats with their miles, plus countless hotel and car partners to suit their travel needs," said a spokeswoman for the airline.

As border restrictions ease and safe travel corridors are implemented, Etihad continues to broaden its network by adding services and frequencies across key markets, she stated.

"Todays announcement on the Greek Islands and Malaga follows the recent resumption of services to Athens, Casablanca, Nairobi, Phuket, Rabat and Seychelles," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
WOOD RIVER  Authorities anticipate another possible shelter-in-place warning Sunday in Wood River related to railcars venting spent sulfuric acid.

With the weather forecast for Sunday, June 6, we anticipate another potential Code Red shelter-in-place notification and (Illinois) Rt. 3 closure, Wood River Police posted on its Facebook page late Saturday. They added residents should be prepared to shelter-in-place if an order is issued.

Since the hazardous materials incident was first detected Wednesday afternoon, the Wood River Fire Department  aided by multiple fire departments from the Riverbend and Missouri  has been spraying water continuously over the affected railcars to dissipate vapors.

At sunrise, when the atmosphere warms, there has been a tendency during recent mornings for the vapors to lift from the site, according to the Wood River Police Department which has established a unified command with the Wood River Fire Department, the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery and Norfolk Southern Railroad.

Late Saturday night, authorities said mitigation efforts  primarily, a water curtain over the affected rail cars  is continuing at the railroad track in the southwest corner of Wood Rivers city limits.

Wood River Police note that Code Red shelter-in-place warnings were issued recent mornings at about 6-8:45 a.m. for two areas: an area between Illinois 143, South 6th Street/Old Edwardsville Road, and Illinois 111 in Wood River and Roxana, and the Little Italy neighborhood south of Illinois 143. There also were brief closures of Illinois 3.

As of 10 p.m. Saturday there were no shelter-in-place orders issued. Residents were encouraged to continue to monitor the Wood River Police Department page on Facebook and the unified command page at https://woodriverrailcarventing.com/.

Air monitoring is occurring around a large diameter from the mitigation work, police said. The monitoring will alert emergency responders if or when a vapor lift occurs.

At approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 2, a pressure relief disk on one of the railcars ruptured and sulfuric acid began venting to the atmosphere, according to unified command. During the evening of June 2, two other railcars also began venting sulfuric acid, with a fourth railcar venting the morning of Thursday, June 3.

Late Friday, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced it had referred an enforcement action to the Illinois Attorney Generals office against Phillips 66 Co. alleging violations of the state regulations related to the release of sulfuric acid to the atmosphere.

On Saturday, refinery officials said they were working to respond to information requests from the state relaeted to the incident.

The Wood River Refinery team has been working with the Wood River Fire Department and Norfolk Southern Railroad at the railcar response in the Norfolk Southern Rail Yard, said Melissa Erker, Director, Government and Community Relations at the Wood River Refinery.

The priority of the Wood River Refinery is the safety of the community and responders, as well as to provide technical expertise for the response, she said. The refinery has been contacted by the IEPA and Illinois Attorney Generals office about the incident.
Kathy Johnson Bowles brought with her decades of experience in museums and as an artist in her own right when she took charge of the Everhart Museum.

The North Carolina native joined the Scranton museum as executive director on March 15 and said she has had a wonderful introduction to the area so far. She took over from Aurore Giguet, who resigned in June to move to the Pacific Northwest, and Bowles wants Northeast Pennsylvania residents to know how happy she feels to be part of her new community.

Im just fascinated by the history, and I feel a sense of connection, said Bowles, who now lives in downtown Scranton. My family immigrated from Ireland and worked in the mills in Massachusetts, and my great-grandfather was a trolley conductor. So when I read about Scranton and ... how people lived and what they did, I look back on the old photographs of my own family and think about their lives, and it helps me have a connection to place here.

Bowles began working in museums at 18, and her internship at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science sparked something that set off her career.

It was the sense that there was a lot of fun in learning and knowing, and it was always something new to experience, she recalled. And I just went from there.

She loves learning about objects and sharing their stories and their importance with others.

A museum is a kind of place where everyone is welcome, and it doesnt matter where you come from or who you are; its a very welcoming space for a community, and so thats what really hooked me, Bowles said.

Bowles earned a bachelors degree in painting from Boston University and a masters degree in fine arts in painting and photography from Ohio University. She continues to create her own work, focusing on fiber art, and regularly exhibits her pieces. Art attracted her in part because of its storytelling qualities and the symbolism it includes, she said.

That can be life-changing, Bowles said. It can be revelatory, it can be empathetic and compassionate, it can change the way people think and behave.

And having an artistic background can prove to be valuable in a museum leader.

I think I understand ... the process of making and creating in a way thats perhaps different than perhaps a historian, and that gives me perhaps some particular ability to impart how an artist works and how they think and why they might make certain choices, she said.

Bowles spent most of her career working in museums and galleries, including stints as gallery director at St. Marys College in Notre Dame and as museum director for the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts at Longwood University in Virginia, which involved getting national accreditation, overseeing an eclectic collection and working on fundraising. She served as CEO of Gordian Knot Consulting; sat on numerous state, regional and national boards; and was a fellow with the American Council on Education, the Harvard Management Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts.

(Bowles) received more than a dozen international, national and regional awards for excellence in programs and publications, Don Frederickson, chairman of the museums board of trustees, said in a statement. Her experience is extensive, and the board of trustees and I have much confidence in her ability to provide the guidance and leadership needed as we look to the future.

She decided to pursue the Everhart job because she loved not only the history of founder Dr. Isaiah Fawkes Everhart and his vision but also the museums interdisciplinary nature and how the subjects connect.

To combine natural history, science and art at the same time is both exciting and challenging as a concept. ... Theres a lot of richness, she said. Things dont exist in a vacuum, and how does science impact design and art?

I think about even some of our companies in Scranton and NEPA. I think about Gentex, for example. Theyve been around for a long time, but their designs have been really important to saving peoples lives. I think a lot about that, and I think about the rich history. ... I got really excited for the possibility of learning and connecting with such a historically important region and city.

Moving to Scranton also brought Bowles closer to her daughter, Cade, who lives in Philadelphia and seems to have inherited her mothers creative nature.

Shes quite a writer, Bowles said. Shes more talented than I could ever be. Shes fantastic, and were a good team. She often will critique my work, and so we share a lot.

While she doesnt have a favorite piece at the Everhart  Thats like choosing your favorite child, she said with a laugh  she has found much to love, from the natural history collections legendary bird room to pieces by local artists such as John Willard Raught to the folk art collection, a field that particularly interests her.

Bowles, who took over during the pandemic not long after the Everhart reopened to visitors, praised its staff for being incredibly creative in offering online programs during its COVID-19 closure. The pandemic made for a stressful time during which it was tough to imagine how to keep operating, she said, but it also served as a kind of pit stop when staff could think about, well, what do we want to do in the future, and how can we engage more and more people?

Some people might find it as a challenge to be in this spot, but I find it very exciting to imagine the future with this team and this board and this community, Bowles said.

People find healing and hope through museums and art, too, which she believes can help them imagine a different future.

Im really inspired by especially when theres dark times and how objects can remind us of when we were strong before and we made it through, how objects can help us think about solving problems in a different way (and) how it can be a revelation for a small child to think about what they would do with their life and how they might contribute, she said.

Bowles has jumped right into her new job, working with her team to assess the museum to create a data-focused report for the board of directors. They will spend the summer doing strategic planning to lay out a vision for the next five years before meeting with community stakeholders this fall.

When it comes to making her mark on the Everhart, Bowles wants it foremost to become one of the most significant regional museums in the nation. Shed like to renovate its exhibit spaces  but not necessarily change them in terms of whats really important to the community, she added  and also make it accessible to more people.

I think that that is our greatest hope, is that no matter who you are, where you are in your life, that the museum would ultimately be free, Bowles said. And so in terms of fundraising, I really want us to be able to get others to help us and partner (with us) so that we can offer more to the public without any of them worrying about how much it costs. Thats really an important part of service.
Good cooking runs in Amy Porembas family.

The Clarks Summit resident remembers the days spent in the kitchen with family, including her mother, Lucille Naro, and her grandmother, Genevieve Kowalchik. A favorite recipe that stands out in Porembas mind is the familys recipe for pierogis. They would spend the whole day making dough, rolling it up, filling each circle with potato and cheese, and pinching several dozen pierogis.

Those were some of my favorite times, Poremba said recently. I have such fond memories from those days, sharing those moments with my family.

While Poremba was planning her wedding to her husband, Michael, about 16 years ago, she asked her mom and grandma to show her how to make the familys beloved pierogis. Today, she passes on that recipe to her own children, daughter Mallory, 11, and son Declan, 6.

It was important to me to have (the recipe) and to be able to share something so special with them, she said.

Here at Local Flavor, we love nothing more than a storied family recipe, and thats why Porembas earned her a $50 gift card to Riccardos Market, 1219 Wheeler Ave., Dunmore.

Poremba called the pierogi recipe the easiest recipe in the world, but it is time-consuming. While Poremba fills hers with traditional potato and cheese, cooks can use whatever filling theyd like.

Its worth it to make several batches since the pierogis freeze well. Poremba typically makes them around Christmas for holiday meals, but she saves a few dozen to freeze and then enjoy throughout the year.

Theyre a great, quick weeknight dinner, she said. We just take them out and fry them up with some butter and onions and thats it.

In addition to honoring her Slovak heritage from her moms side, her father is Italian, and so she makes things like homemade sauce and has weekly pasta nights. That menu consists of grilled chicken, salads, macaroni and cheese, and, during the summer, anything they can throw on the grill. Poremba also is a skilled baker and makes nut rolls at Easter plus lots of kinds of cookies (some from her mothers recipes), such as Italian ricotta, pepper, chocolate chip, peanut butter and lemon.

Poremba feels grateful to be able to pass down these traditions and recipes to her children. It also warms her heart that her kids have the chance to not only make these memories with her and her mother but also with 96-year-old Kowalchik. Many families dont get the opportunity to have four generations in the kitchen together.

We are so blessed to have this, she said, and Im so happy I get to share this with my kids.
Community

Bank NA

Deborah Saracino has joined the banking team as vice president, business development officer in Wilkes-Barre.

In her new role, Saracino will develop and implement competitive loan and depository products to support customer needs. She will manage and oversee new business client relationships, as well as mortgage and small-business lending activities.

Saracino has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry. She joins from Landmark Community Bank, where she most recently served as a vice president/mortgage department manager.

Saracino attended Luzerne County Community College.

Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn PC

Seven of the firms lawyers have been named to the 2021 Super Lawyers List. No more than 5% of the lawyers in Pennsylvania are selected by Super Lawyers.

Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.

The following attorneys have been named to the 2021 Super Lawyers List: Joseph A. Quinn Jr.: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice Law; Donald C. Ligorio: Workers Compensation Law; Michael A. Lombardo III: General Litigation; Kevin C. Quinn: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice Law; and Lars H. Anderson: Employment and Labor Law.

The following Lawyers have been named to the 2021 Super Lawyers Rising Stars List: Nicole M. Santo: Personal Injury; and Brian P. Stahl: Business/Corporate Law.

The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in their practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, go to SuperLawyers.com. For additional information about HKQ Law, go to www.HKQLaw.com.

NBT Bancorp Inc.

The company announced that J. David Brown has joined the boards of directors for NBT Bancorp Inc. and NBT Bank NA.

Brown is president and CEO of the Capital District YMCA, where he has worked for 28 years to create better opportunities for all through community programs and services. A past member of the NBT Bank Capital Region Advisory Board, Brown also served on the Siena College board of trustees.

Browns experience also includes serving as a member of the Governors Regional Economic Council and the Diversity & Inclusion Council for the YMCA of the USA. His awards and recognitions include the Director of the Year from the Association of YMCA Professionals, NYS Governors African American Community Distinction, 40 Elite Alumni Honoree and 40 Under Forty Honoree by the Albany Business Review.

ODonnell Law Offices

Attorney Catherine R. ODonnell has been selected as one of the top 50 female attorneys in Pennsylvania by Super Lawyers for the second year in a row. In addition, ODonnell was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for the 11th consecutive year. Each year, only 5% of the Pennsylvania Bar receives this distinguished honor.

In addition to being named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2021, ODonnell consistently attains an AV Preeminent rating in Martindale-Hubbells Bar Registry of Preeminent Women Lawyers. She was recognized among the Best Lawyers in America 2021. She is the current president of the Wilkes-Barre Law & Library Association (Luzerne County Bar).

Super Lawyers included attorney Michael A. ODonnell in the Pennsylvania Rising Star Lawyer list for 2021. This is the fifth year Michael ODonnell has been recognized with this prestigious designation.

Attorneys for the Rising Star Lawyer list must be no older than 40 or in practice for 10 years or less.

A frequent contributor to legal education programs, Michael ODonnell has received the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating from 2016 to 2021.

Super Lawyers included attorney Neil T. ODonnell, owner and founder of the law firm, in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Top 10 list for 2021 for the third consecutive year. He also has been recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.

A frequent contributor to legal education programs, Neil ODonnell has held leadership positions in both regional and state trial lawyer associations, including the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Neil ODonnell was a Top 100 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer from 2007 through 2021. He also has been named among the Best Lawyers in America 2021. From 2002 through 2021, he received the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have earned a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The Super Lawyers selection process includes peer nominations by attorneys and peer evaluations by practice area.

Pennsylvania Bar Association

The association has presented awards that recognize outstanding leadership in the legal profession and extraordinary service and long-standing membership in the association.

PBA Special Achievement Awards recognize those lawyers and individuals who have provided time and resources to improve the association and the legal profession. The Presidents Awards recognize extraordinary commitment to the association. PBA Fifty-Year Member Awards recognize lawyers who have been association members for five decades.

The Special Achievement and Presidents awards were presented virtually at an awards ceremony during the PBA Virtual Annual Meeting, May 19-21. Fifty-Year Member Awards were recognized separately.

In Lackawanna County, attorneys recognized are: Richard S. Bishop, Hourigan Kluger & Quinn PC, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award; James J. Powell, Powell Law, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award; and Retired Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Dunmore: PBA Presidents Award  for his dedication and outstanding leadership as chair of the PBA Joint Task Force on the Continuity of the Delivery of Legal Services, which resulted in a report that identifies practices to assure legal services continue so that citizens have access to justice for the duration of the pandemic and future emergencies.

In Luzerne County, attorneys recognized are: Richard G. Dudinyak, Freeland: Fifty-Year Member Award; C. Stephen Gurdin, Wilkes Barre: Fifty-Year Member Award; Jennifer Menichini, Joyce Carmody & Moran PC, Pittston: PBA Special Achievement Award to the PBA Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition Committee  for their extraordinary work successfully converting the annual YLD Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition to a virtual format as a result of the pandemic; Martin J. Meyer, Fellerman & Ciarimboli Law PC, Kingston: Fifty-Year Member Award; and Joseph J. Musto, Duryea: Fifty-Year Member Award.

In Wayne County, Nicholas A. Barna, Honesdale, was recognized with the Fifty-Year Member Award.

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the states largest organized bar association.

SUBMIT PEOPLE ON THE MOVE items to business@timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.
HARRISBURG  In 2019, The Caucus and Spotlight PA began filing requests for every legislative expense lawmakers covered with taxpayer money, salaries and benefits not included.

The purpose? To find out how one of the largest and most expensive full-time legislatures in the country spends tax money on itself.

Here are five takeaways from a year spent pulling back the curtain.

Millions of dollars expensed annually

The General Assembly spent $203 million from 2017 through 2020 just to feed, house, transport, and provide rental offices and other perks for lawmakers and their staffs.

$20 million of that went into lawmakers pockets in the form of reimbursements for meals, mileage subsidies, per diems, and other expenses.

Thats on top of salaries that are already among the highest of any legislature in the nation, dinners on the dime of lobbyists and industry groups, and access to campaign war chests that some have used for everything from a new pair of sneakers to a jaunt through Europe.

Read more: Inside the year-long fight to figure out how the Pa. legislature spends taxpayer money on itself

Documents are hard to come by (and harder to parse)

Citizens who want to see what lawmakers are buying with their money face an array of barriers and even pushback from lawyers hired with, you guessed it, taxpayer money.

When the records finally do arrive, theyre in PDF files that can run more than 1,000 pages, some of which arent text-searchable. Redactions are also routine.

Read more: Taxpayers foot huge bill to run Pa.s full-time legislature, but are blocked from many details

Transparency in name only

More than a decade after some members first started posting their own expenses online, just 18 lawmakers in the 203-member House and 11 in the 50-member Senate post some level of financial information today.

While several leaders said they would consider requiring the legislatures expenses be posted online by individual members, only one  Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R., Centre)  said he will champion the change.

Meanwhile, Cormans own voluntary online expense reports are more than six years out of date.

Corman, in an interview, did not explain why his website had become so outdated but said he is working with Senate officials to make expenses more easily available online.

We are trying to update that so that its much more readily available to be seen, he said. (Update: Since the original story was published, a Corman spokesperson reached out to say the website has been updated to ensure all expenses are current.)

Read more: Some Pa. lawmakers tout expense transparency. Their websites tell a different story.

And the biggest spender is ...

Rep. Chris Sainato (D., Lawrence) collected about $235,000 in per diems and reimbursement for other expenses over the four years examined.

That works out to about $59,000 a year, $5,000 more than the median annual household income in the county he represents.

Sainato did not respond to calls and emails from reporters.

Read more: See the Pa. lawmakers who spent the most on food, lodging, mileage and more

Vague disclosures hide detail

Even unredacted records dont tell the full story, as lawmakers and staff sometimes use vague descriptions to explain their purchases.

For example, a House Democratic Caucus expense to reimburse a staffer had no description in the reports originally provided, and in a separate request had the memo, To enable access to work email while away from office.

The actual receipt of the transaction, acquired through a follow-up request, revealed a Royal Caribbean cruise receipt for a zoom surf + stream voyage package, otherwise known on their website as the fastest internet at sea.

Lawmakers statements of financial interest filed with the State Ethics Commission can be similarly opaque. They need only disclose gifts worth $250 or more, and transportation and hospitality worth $650 or more.

Read more: Lawmakers report receiving fewer gifts during pandemic as push for ban continues

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 foundationsand readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
Republican leaders of the Pennsylvania Legislature are coming under growing pressure to conduct a new review of the 2020 election, as former President Donald Trump and his supporters continue to make false claims that the vote was rife with widespread fraud.

The push is dividing the party between those who want to put the presidential race behind them five months into the Biden administration, and others eager to curry favor with the GOP's undisputed leader. The split also illuminates competing visions for how the party can win in next year's high-stakes elections for governor and U.S. Senate.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg spent months holding hearings about Pennsylvania's election system, with GOP leaders taking pains to emphasize they want to improve state law  not relitigate the presidential race. Republicans' point person on election legislation in the state House released a report last month outlining potential changes for a systematic overhaul of the election code, and GOP lawmakers expect to introduce a bill this month.

But this week, three Republican lawmakers traveled to Phoenix to get a firsthand look at a controversial partisan review of last year's election in Maricopa County, Ariz., which has been underway for months. The lawmakers  including State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a likely candidate for governor  then called for a similar review in Pennsylvania.

On Friday, Trump himself demanded action, calling on state Senate President Jake Corman, R-Centre, to "fulfill his promise to his constituents to conduct a full Forensic Audit."

"The people of Pennsylvania and America deserve to know the truth," Trump said in a statement. "If the Pennsylvania Senate leadership doesn't act, there is no way they will ever get re-elected!"

Before Trump waded into the debate, State Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, chair of the committee that held 10 hearings on Pennsylvania's election system, threw cold water on the idea of an audit.

"The PA House of Representatives will not be authorizing any further audits on any previous election," Grove said Thursday on Twitter. "We are focused on fixing our broken election law to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.",

The bill would include "statistically significant samples chosen from each county." The proposal would need to pass both chambers and be signed by Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat who made clear Friday he would veto it.

"What they're calling for isn't an 'audit.' It's a taxpayer-funded disinformation campaign and a disgrace to democracy," Wolf said on Twitter. "Pennsylvania had a free and secure election. That's a fact. Pennsylvanians deserve better from their elected officials."

President Joe Biden won the state by more than 80,000 votes.

Any such effort would draw comparisons to the widely criticized review underway in Arizona, where the GOP-controlled state Senate authorized subpoenas earlier this year to gain access to all 2.1 million mail ballots in Maricopa County and hundreds of voting machines.

The recount is being run by a Florida-based company called Cyber Ninjas, which has no previous experience auditing elections and whose CEO has amplified false claims of widespread fraud. The Justice Department has raised concerns that election records aren't being properly safeguarded, possibly violating federal law.

Nevertheless, Republicans in other battleground states Biden won are pursuing similar ideas. In Wisconsin, for example, a top Republican in the legislature last month hired retired police officers to investigate the presidential election.

GOP activists have been pushing lawmakers in Pennsylvania and across the country to tighten election laws. Polls this year have consistently showed that a large majority of Republicans nationwide believe Biden's election wasn't legitimate.

Trump wasn't satisfied with lawmakers' approach in Pennsylvania, according to Mastriano, who met with the former president in New York last month.

"Obviously No. 1 on his mind was election reform in Pennsylvania," Mastriano told a radio interviewer at the time. "I have been keeping him up to speed. ... He is not happy with the Pennsylvania General Assembly, at all."

Mastriano arranged for Fulton County, in south-central Pennsylvania, to perform an election audit earlier this year using a West Chester-based contractor now working on the Arizona recount. It was funded by a nonprofit headed by former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell, according to the Arizona Mirror.

But the audit ended up costing the county money anyway, because its vendor won't use the same voting machines going forward. Allowing a third party to access equipment is considered a security risk.

"A county audit like the one authorized by the Arizona State Senate is critically necessary for our Commonwealth," Mastriano said Friday.

Staff writer Jonathan Lai contributed to this article.



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As the staff of Pennsylvanias largest pension fund cope with an FBI investigation, the employees have one thing to comfort them  generous fund-paid coverage if they need a lawyer.

Officials of the $64 billion Public School Employees Retirement System plan have confirmed that at least eight staffers have hired lawyers since the investigation began under a policy that will pay up to $40 million in total legal bills in any one year for agency staff caught up in one investigation.

The PSERS bylaws say the fund will keep paying employees defense lawyers right up to the outcome of any trial, provided they agree to pay back the money if convicted.

In contrast, the Pennsylvania Legislature cuts off payments to lawmakers and aides once anyone is charged with a crime.

For state employees, the Wolf administration decides the cutoff point on a case-by-case basis. It also caps payments at $250,000 for a state worker.

Critics says the pension plans policy is excessive.

The PSERS board is diverting millions in retirement funds, set aside and intended to pay retirement benefits, to their preferred lawyers to represent them in what may be adversarial to the intended PSERS beneficiaries, said Arthur Steinberg, president of AFT Pennsylvania, the union for teachers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and some suburban schools.

This is a classic case of protection for me  the board  but not for thee  the educators who pay into and benefit from the pension.

Craig Holman, a government-ethics expert with Public Citizen, a watchdog group, said government workers need legal protection, but PSERS policy lacked oversight procedures to ensure that the public legal funds are not used to protect negligent or criminal actions by an official.

PSERS spokesperson Evelyn Williams would not identify the eight staffers or the law firms they hired. Nor was information immediately available on the law firms fees. The hirings come on top of the plans authorization of more than $1 million in emergency spending in recent weeks to hire three law firms to represent the agency itself, as well as a new investment consultant, all to cope with the federal investigation.

PSERS is one of the nations biggest pension plans. It sends checks to 265,000 former teachers and other retired staff from public schools.

In the current fiscal year, taxpayers are to provide about $5 billion to the fund, working teachers and other public school employees an additional $1.1 billion, and $3.7 billion more was to be raised via investments. Nonetheless, the plan has a $40 billion hole in what it needs to pay future retirees.

The giant shortfall reflects decisions by Harrisburg politicians to greatly sweeten taxpayer-paid retirement benefits, including their own, without enacting ways to pay for them. However, detractors also criticize the plans lagging investment returns, the accuracy of its financial statements, and the luxury business travel by its investment staff.

As The Inquirer has previously reported, federal prosecutors and the FBI are using a grand jury and subpoenas to investigate the plans $3 million in land purchases near Harrisburg, as well as the boards adoption last year of a figure that falsely exaggerated its investment profits. The board later abandoned that number in favor of a lesser one, forcing newer school employees to pay more for their retirement.

The agency has more than 340 employees, about 50 of whom are highly paid members of the investment unit, whose roles in the purchase of properties and financial decisions appear to be at the center of both areas of inquiry.

That unit is headed by James H. Grossman Jr. who is paid $485,421 yearly, the most in state government and more than double the governors pay. Grossmans two deputies are each paid $399,611. One deputy, Thomas Bauer, was among at least three senior PSERS employees subpoenaed in March as part of the probe, The Inquirer and Spotlight PA have reported.

No one, including those served with subpoenas, has been accused of wrongdoing in the probe. In investigations, authorities often subpoena or interview someone not as a suspect but as a fact witness to explain how things work or simply as a custodian of documents.

To help it cope with the federal probe and to conduct its own internal inquiry, the fund by mid-April had brought in the three law firms  Morgan Lewis, a Philadelphia firm; Womble Bond Dickinson, based in the United States and the United Kingdom; and Pillsbury, a Washington firm.

Womble is to be paid up to $367,500, its contract says. Contracts for Morgan Lewis and Pillsbury have yet to be made public, though they were hired more than seven weeks ago. Documents do show that the lead attorney from Morgan Lewis charged the fund $1,250 an hour for initial work.

PSERS has its own in-house legal staff, including a chief counsel and her team. Moreover, even before the FBI probe, its policies called for it to pay two outside firms to serve as standing counsel, available to represent staff as needed. The agency was not immediately able to identify those firms.

Until the federal probe, the fund had been planning to spend far less on outside legal help. It budgeted just $227,000 for this in the current fiscal year.

As with its policy on defense lawyers, PSERS enjoys an unusual independence within state government. In part, that reflects its unique board  seven members elected by teachers, other school workers, school boards, or pensioners; five elected officials, including two legislators from each party; and three appointed by the governor.

Until 2017, PSERS top lawyers were appointed by the governors general counsel, and its attorneys responded to the governor. This was supposed to ensure the pension system acted for the good of the whole state, not just to serve its board or management.

But that year, as part of a reform law, the PSERS board was newly authorized to hire its own legal team. The board later that year gave its senior executives the power to hire outside lawyers as needed, without advance permission.

Government provides lawyers for many groups, ranging from people under arrest who are too poor to hire an attorney to elected politicians or taxpayer-paid workers facing administrative, civil or criminal investigations or charges.

For example, in Dauphin County, where PSERS is located, the county will pay no more than $7,500 in total to a private defense lawyer in a murder case for an indigent client facing the death penalty. The amount paid is only slightly higher in Philadelphia.

In Harrisburg, Gov. Wolfs policy for the 80,000-person state workforce relies on a 1986 directive that says the administration will decide case-by-case whether to cover legal fees. The administration also says it will approve legal fees and they must be reasonable. Payments per employee are capped at $250,000, although it can go higher with special permission.

As for PSERS sister agency, SERS, the smaller pension plan for state workers, it covers defense fees, with a cap of $25 million per claim or series of related claims.

In recent years, taxpayers have paid heavily to cover the defense bills of elected politicians and aides swept up in Harrisburg corruption probes.

The treasury paid $14 million to defense lawyers in the so-called Computergate and Bonusgate investigations that led to the conviction of two dozen legislators and aides from both parties. Taxpayers paid $1.4 million in legal fees to challenge federal prosecutors pursuing then-State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, a once-powerful Philadelphia Democrat convicted of corruption in 2009.

Under a 1996 state law, government officials were to be required to pay back any money spent defending, but, as The Inquirer has reported, the law has been largely ignored.



2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

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Editor: Regarding state approval of the massive expansion of Keystone Sanitary Landfill, it is patently obvious that this was a purely political decision on the part of Gov. Tom Wolf and his preposterous Department of Environmental Protection  that science doesnt matter and neither do the people who live here.

We all should be grateful to the many citizens who have fought long and hard against this atrocity. Caught in the crossfire between corrupt politics and unfathomable greed, we continued to have faith in a system that had failed us so many times before.

In the end, our beautiful little town never had a chance.

JANET BRIER

DUNMORE

Editor: As a resident of Dunmore I am disgusted that the Department of Environmental Protection approved the application for the expansion of the Keystone Sanitary Landfill.

How many more complaints and concerns have to be expressed for the DEP to make the right decision? Clearly, it doesnt matter. The DEP is supposed to protect the environment and the people.

I have three young boys and I fear for their future now that the landfill can continue to take fracking waste and process it. Lets face it, this waste is not deemed hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency because it would then be more difficult and expensive to dispose of properly, which might have a major economic impact on the oil and gas industry. However, that doesnt mean it isnt hazardous.

The DEP has failed the people who are most affected by this expansion. Practice what your name preaches; protect us.

LAURA FITZPATRICK OMALLEY

DUNMORE

Editor: Several Pennsylvania lawmakers were in Arizona last week getting a tour of how a partisan audit of the 2020 presidential election result is being conducted in Phoenix.

MSNBCs Rachel Maddow reported that when one of the legislators was asked if he wanted Pennsylvania to do a similar biased audit, he said, I do.

These Republican legislators who visited with lawmakers behind the Arizona recount included state Sen. Doug Mastriano and Rep. Rob Kauffman, both of Franklin County, along with state Sen. Cris Dush, of Jefferson County.

Mastriano said no taxpayer money was used on the trip and he called for an election audit in Pennsylvania after returning from Arizona.

I do not want that Cyber Ninja group, the Florida company doing the Arizona count, touching my ballot. There was no fraud. Former President Donald Trump lost the election. Joe Biden is the legitimate president of the United States.

PHILOMENA KOVALESKI

CARBONDALE

Editor: Republicans keep carrying on about a relatively new talking point, cancel culture.

Recently, in a series of remarks on the floor of the House, Republicans read a long list of characters that they allege have fallen victim to the lefts cancel culture, including Muppet Miss Piggy, cartoon character Pepe Le Pew, Goya foods and the My Pillow guy, Mike Lindell.

Ironically, the remarks preceded a vote by GOP lawmakers to cancel Rep. Liz Cheney by removing her from her House leadership role. Republicans took the action because Cheney stood up for the truth and our democracy by refusing to go along with former President Trumps big lie about the election and her insistence on holding Trump responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on our Capitol.

If Republicans want to continue talking about cancel culture, Democrats eagerly should join the conversation. Lets compare the alleged cancelation of Mr. Potato Head, Miss Piggy and Dr. Seuss with Republicans version of cancel culture.

Some of the things Republicans are trying to cancel include freedom of the press, bipartisanship, faith in our judicial system, peaceful political protests they disfavor, the rule of law, voting rights, faith in our electoral system, free and fair elections, our tradition of peaceful transfers of power, our Constitution and our democracy.

So, if right-wingers want to talk about cancel culture, bring it on.

BEN EGLESIA

DICKSON CITY
Turkmenistans farmers have kicked off a grain harvesting campaign. According to the old tradition, the elders gave a symbolic start to harvesting by cutting the first ears of wheat. Then, the combine harvesters got down to work. This year, Turkmenistans grain growers are expected to harvest 1,400 million tons of grain from 690 thousand hectares of land.

In total, over 2 thousand combine harvesters will be involved in the harvest-2021. About 11 thousand trucks allocated by various ministries and sectoral departments will ensure the delivery of wheat to 156 granaries, warehouses and elevators. The local branches of the State Commercial Bank Dayhanbank (Peasant Bank) will ensure timely payment to grain growers for the harvested crop.

The harvest campaign was preceded by business seminars in the regions of the country, discussing a range of issues related to ensuring the smooth conduct of harvesting.

 TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021
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.

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Srinagar, Jun 6 (UNI) A 4-year-old girl, who was critically wounded when she was attacked by a group of dogs in central Kashmir district of Budgam last month, succumbed in a hospital in Srinagar, official sources said on Sunday.

They said the minor, identified as Mariya Aijaz, was attacked and wounded by a group of dogs on May 14 in her native village in Meeripora, Beerwah in Budgam. The minor was rushed to a local hospital from where she was referred to GB Panth children hospital in Srinagar in a critical condition, they said.

However, they said the girl after battling for her life for over a fortnight succumbed on Saturday evening. After completing all the legal and medical formalities, the body of the deceased was handed over to her relatives for last rites, they added.
The campaign in this newspaper against ruthless private equity has focused on the activity of predatory buyout barons, but they are not the only ones to blame.

Other culprits in the pandemic plundering include venal boards of directors and the short-sighted City shareholders who roll over and sell out. The lure of the private equity pound is often overwhelming.

A takeover  by any bidder, not just private equity  triggers incentive payouts at the top. The prospect of up to eight-figure payouts can play havoc with objectivity on whether accepting a deal is right.

Money talks: The prospect of up to eight-figure payouts can play havoc with objectivity on whether accepting a deal is right

Even at a mutual, where the interests of members are meant to be paramount, boards can behave in questionable ways.

Management at mutual insurer LV= has been savaged by an all-party parliamentary group for lack of transparency over why they accepted a 530m bid from US private equity group Bain. Inexplicably, the board spurned an offer from Royal London that would have preserved its mutual status. The directors are not in line for direct pecuniary rewards as the 530m is to be shared among members. But they might well receive higher pay and bonuses if they are kept in post by the new owners  and a big golden goodbye beckons if not.

We are all affected by this deal because losing one of the few remaining large mutual insurers reduces choice and could result in higher premiums for policyholders.

City institutions that love to present themselves as responsible long-term investors have been all-too-ready to grasp at private equity bids.

This is despite the fact values have been depressed in the pandemic and these supposedly good stewards might be sacrificing bigger profits down the line for the sake of a bundle of cash now.

There has been some protest: leading fund manager M&G has criticised the 2.8billion bid for UDG Healthcare by US private equity house Clayton, Dubilier and Rice as too stingy. Nonetheless, there is concern that UK firms are being sold on the cheap.

Mainstream City shareholders are also leaving a door open for private equity by failing to take boards to task for underperformance.

Companies can be turned around without the intervention of private equity or activists, and this can be done on public markets.

It's just that the big investors are often ineffective in their engagement with boards. Pension funds and other institutional shareholders are in a powerful position to change the behaviour of the buyout boys. They are big investors in private equity funds and could stipulate ethical and financial standards to curb the worst practices, such as loading firms with debt and extracting large dividends on borrowed money.

Large investors are increasingly preoccupied with 'ESG' or environmental, social and governance issues such as climate change. This should include piratical private equity that is wreaking harm.

They should cast a beady eye on fees. Private equity has come under attack from a group of retired teachers in Ohio, who claim their pension fund is paying high fees for lacklustre returns. Protests like these may well be a taste of things to come.
By Paulina Duran

SYDNEY, June 7 (Reuters) - National Australia Bank said on Monday it is under investigation for suspected serious and ongoing breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws, sparking concerns about potential fines and higher compliance costs.

The financial crime regulator said there were "areas of serious concern" that required further investigation, but it was not considering a civil penalty order at this stage.

Shares in Australia's third-largest lender fell 2.6% in morning trading while the wider market was little changed.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) said the problems at NAB involved "potential serious and ongoing non-compliance" with customer identification procedures, customer due diligence and other compliance requirements.

"AUSTRAC's concerns emanate from historical and contemporary compliance assessments," the agency said in letter to the lender dated June 4.

"In particular, the seriousness of self-disclosed matters presented to AUSTRAC over a prolonged period combined with the accompanying closure rates is concerning."

The investigation would now be handled by AUSTRAC's enforcement team, the agency said. It had not made a decision about whether further enforcement action would be taken and was not considering civil penalty proceedings at this stage.

This was "reflective of the work undertaken" by NAB to date, but the regulator's position could change, the letter added.

NAB said it would continue to cooperate with the regulator.

"NAB has an important role in monitoring and reporting suspicious activity and keeping Australias financial system, our bank and our customers safe," Chief Executive Officer Ross McEwan said in a statement.

"We are very aware that we need to further improve our performance in relation to these matters. We have been working to improve and clearly have more to do."

AUSTRAC has levied A$2 billion ($1.5 billion) in penalties on NAB's larger peers - Commonwealth Bank and Westpac Banking Corp - for breaches of anti-money laundering rules since 2018.

The escalation of AUSTRAC's investigation could have material consequences for NAB such as higher compliance costs, JPMorgan analysts said in a note.

Credit Suisse analysts told clients in a note that the market was likely to "dismiss" the regulator's statement that it was not considering financial penalties.

"In our view the risk is not so much around the highlighted issues but the potential for a formal investigation to uncover additional issues which we have seen in other cases," they wrote.

($1 = 1.2925 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Paulina Duran in Sydney and Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft and Stephen Coates)
Cresaptown, MD (21502)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 80F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Barre, VT (05641)

Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 79F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
GREEN INITIATIVES AND ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES IN SOUTH EASTERN RAILWAY 13 Jun 2021 | 6:58 PM Kolkata, Jun 13 (UNI) South Eastern Railway has been taking different initiatives to promote Energy Conservation measures and emphasizing use of alternative sources of energy. see more..

Minister appeals to stop encroachment on fishery area 13 Jun 2021 | 5:30 PM Imphal, Jun 13 (UNI) Fishery Minister S. Rajen Singh today said any

form of illegal encroaching activities by individuals in the Waithou

fishery area should be stopped immediately. see more..

For a first time in five years, Monsoon enters Jharkhand on time 13 Jun 2021 | 5:27 PM Ranchi, Jun 13 (UNI) For a first time in five years Monsoon has arrived in the state on time. see more..

Tripura's Forest Exploitation: Conservation and Plantation of trees highly affected in Tripura 13 Jun 2021 | 5:18 PM Udaipur, Jun 13 (UNl) Tripura, a small north-eastern state formed with four wildlife centers and two national parks, reported resource forest 3588.183 sq km which indicates the percentage of forest area to geographical area 59.98 per cent, declining the existing forest area gradually due to illegal exploitation of public goods. see more..
Your pet helped you get through the pandemic. What happens now?
Park Manager Rob Cole and City Manager Chris McCartt unveil the map of the proposed Legacy Trail during Monday's press conference. The trail is being later this summer in honor of the park's 50th anniversary celebration.
ALBANY  City officials and veterans celebrated the fifth annual Henry Johnson Day Saturday, honoring Albanys World War I war hero.

They are now looking for nominations for the annual Henry Johnson Award for Distinguished Community Service.

It is awarded to an Albany resident who has used their time and talent to make Albany better and has displayed community leadership in arts and history, social justice, education, or volunteerism.

To nominate someone, visit www.albanyny.gov/252/Henry-Johnson-Award and fill out the online form by Aug. 6.

In the past, the award was presented on Henry Johnson Day. But this year, to bring his life to a wider audience, the award will be announced at Albanys Riverfront Jazz Festival on Sept. 11.

Johnson was among the very few black soldiers allowed to fight in combat. While he enlisted in the U.S. Army, he served in the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, which fought under French command. In May 1918, he single-handedly fought off a German raid in hand-to-hand combat, saving another soldiers life and holding his position. For his bravery, Johnson was awarded the Croix de Guerre, Frances highest award for valor. He was the first American to receive this honor.

When he returned from the war, he was given a heros welcome. Former President Theodore Roosevelt singled out Johnson as one of the five bravest Americans to serve in World War I.

But after he gave a speech describing racism in the military, he was forbidden to wear his uniform and given no support. He didnt even get his war pension, due to an alleged paperwork error. He was too injured to return to his pre-war work as a porter and died destitute at age 32.

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2015 from President Barack Obama, and the city now celebrates the anniversary of his Army enlistment every year on June 5.

We cannot undo the shameful racism he confronted in the military and when he returned to Jim Crow America, but we can continue to raise his profile as an example of the patriotism and character of so many Black and Brown individuals who have served our country, said Mayor Kathy Sheehan. We also honor him by recommitting ourselves to act in his spirit until the racism so many have had to face is part of our past, and not our present or future.

On Saturday, veterans of the 369th Infantry Regiment, including James Dandles and Ronald Wilson, were also present to honor Johnson.

As a young man, he fought for his country with an uncommon courage. We must remember his name and his deeds -- and the strength he showed by speaking out against racism, said Wilson, president of the Albany District of the 369th Veterans Association. Sgt. Johnson remains an inspiration for all who want to serve our country to keep it safe and build a more just and equitable society at home.
Will Waldron/Albany Times Union

HOOSICK FALLS  The village's police chief is urging people to understand the danger of fireworks after a man hit himself in the face with one Saturday.

Chief Bob Ashe said police responded to a field off Fairbanks Road in the village for someone who was injured from fireworks. The man, age 31, lit a firework that then struck him in the face.
Albany City Court Judge Helena Heath grew up in Queens and graduated from law school in Manhattan, but it was some 150 miles north where she blazed a trail to become the first female Black judge in Albany in 2005.

It is a trail that other female judges of color followed as Heath won race after race, and held her judgeship for more than 16 years in New York's capital city.

And now, Heath will look to continue her story in a much larger capital, Washington D.C, where she will be relocating next month. Heath, who turns 58 this week, is set to retire on June 29. It will be the end of a 33-year legal career in which Heath has worked in all three branches of government in Albany.

Heath told Law Beat that her son has lived in Washington, D.C, for a decade. Heath, a Democrat, said she hopes to land a job in the Biden administration.

"I'm happy to run the gamut of the different opportunities that D.C. holds, that the federal government holds," the judge said. "I have hot irons in the fire."

Heaths pending departure follows the recent retirement of Albany County Judge William Carter, another of the few judges of color in the region. The leading candidate to replace Carter is Albany attorney William Little, who has won unanimous approval by the Albany County Democratic Committees executive board. Little, who would become the second Black judge at the county level in Albany , practices personal injury, commercial litigation and defense work and is widely respected.

Heath, a New York University School of Law graduate who became a lawyer in 1988, said without a history of family in Albany, she became deeply involved in the community. As the years passed and she became a judge on the campaign trail meeting citizens, people would recognize her from the times she had spoken at school graduations or attended games or block parties.

"I appreciate that people, I believe, thought that was important for their city court judge to be someone who was in touch with the needs of the community," Heath said.

Heath, who presided over a variety of cases in city court, from traffic to civil to criminal matters, was a key advocate for the creation of the Childrens Center at Family Court in Albany. It created a place for people to safely leave their children while they tend to critical court matters.

She was first chair of the advisory committee for the center, she said.

People knew me because I was doing work, Heath said.

Asked to describe her legacy and what she will miss about Albany, Heath told Law Beat: The ability to be actively involved in community service, which allows you to then meet all kinds of different groups of people and all the different neighborhoods in the city, which I think was always my strongest suit.

She said her mother, who passed away at 92 last year, was still co-op board president in Queens at age 88. Her father has been deceased 10 years.

"With her passing, probably not to mention the pandemic, it was time period where we all evaluate things " Heath said. In her case, she said she wanted to be closer to her son and pursue a dream of working in the nation's capital.

Heath said she hopes to be involved in the community in Washington, D.C, as she was in Albany.

Heath started her career in Albany as a senior court attorney for the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the state. She later worked as a litigator for the attorney generals office and as an attorney for the state Economic Development Corporation.

For the next nine years, Heath worked as a counsel for the state Assembly majority, while also working as a law guardian at times.

When Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings appointed Heath to the bench in April 2005 to replace City Court Judge E. David Duncan, who had reached the mandatory retirement of 70, it was a part-time judgeship at the time, with a six-year term upon election. Heath was re-elected in 2005 and 2011 and again in 2017, when it was for a 10-year full-time term (she began working full-time in 2014).

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MALTA  A U.S. Marine and Vietnam veteran has been awarded a prestigious designation for his service.

Capt. David Wallingford was presented with the state Senates Liberty Medal on Sunday.

The award was given at a dedication ceremony by State Sen. Jim Tedisco, R-Glenville, and hosted by the Malta Veterans Appreciation Program to name the towns veterans memorial site after the highly-decorated resident.

Tedisco called Wallingford a real American hero, noting he continued to assist veterans after returning to the U.S.

The Vietnam War was not a popular conflict at the time and those that served did not get the parades, thanks and appreciation they deserved, Tedisco said in a released statement. The heartfelt recognition for the service of all those who fought in Vietnam, like David Wallingford, has been long overdue.

Wallingford served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1967 to 1970.

After returning to the U.S., Wallingford earned a bachelors degree from the College of the Holy Cross and went on to serve in various posts for the state Division of Veterans Affairs and regional administrator for the Division of Employment Services for the state Labor Department.

The New York State Liberty Medal is the state Senates highest honor for service and valor.

In addition to helping others through veterans organizations, Wallingford, a father of four, is a member of the Friends of the state Military Museum and the Town of Malta Veterans Committee.
WASHINGTON - House Republicans elevated Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York to a leadership position Friday in what members said was an effort to focus on the next election after earlier ousting Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming for challenging former president Donald Trump's false claims about the election.

The new House GOP leadership team vowed to focus on what they described as multiple crises occurring under President Joe Biden and Democrats' "radical socialist" agenda. But they will be forced as soon as next week to again confront questions about the former president's baseless assertions that the election was stolen with votes on a commission to study the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

Stefanik called Trump the leader of party following the vote to appoint her chair of the House Republican conference, the No. 3 position in leadership, and made clear he will be central to the party's 2022 midterm strategy despite Republicans losing the White House, Senate and House under his watch.

"I believe that voters determine the leader of the Republican Party, and President Trump is the leader that they look to," Stefanik told reporters following the vote. "I support President Trump. Voters support President Trump. He is an important voice in our Republican Party, and I look forward to working with him."

Creating a commission to investigate the deadly attack on the Capitol has proven to be a contentious issue. Democrats argue an independent panel is needed for a full and fair account of what happened, similar to what occurred after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But Republicans have depicted it as a way to attack Trump, who was impeached on charges he incited the riot, and have called on it to be broadened to investigate members of antifa, a loosely knit group of far-left activists, and Black Lives Matter who took part in racial justice protests last summer.

"If this commission is going to come forward to tell us how to protect this facility in the future, you want to make sure that the scope that you can look at all that what came up before and what came up after. So that's very concerning to me," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters Friday. Speaker "Nancy Pelosi has played politics with this for a number of months. You've got to look at what the build up before and what has been going on after this."

Complicating matters for Republicans is that the deal over the commission was agreed to by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and the panel's top Republican, Rep. John Katko of New York in just three days of negotiations, giving it bipartisan bone fides.

Pelosi hailed the agreement and called the Jan. 6 attack "one of the darkest days in our history." She also announced there would be votes soon on increased spending for security at the Capitol, another likely source of partisan divisions.

Democrats are also ramping up the pressure on Republicans who have sought to downplay the severity of the attack on the Capitol and characterized the pro-Trump mob as "tourists." On Friday, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., began circulating a letter among his colleagues to build support for a resolution to censure Republican Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Jody Hice of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona for comments over the past week that "showed more sympathy for the domestic terrorists than the Capitol police officers who died during the attack."

Tensions have been running high all week in the House over Republican comments about the attack but also over the behavior of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

CNN published a video from February 2019 that shows Greene arriving at the office door of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to find it locked. She, and the men with her, then taunt the congresswoman's staff through a mail slot and defile her guest book, all while mocking Ocasio-Cortez.

"You need to stop being a baby and stop locking your door and come out and face the American citizens that you serve," Greene said. "If you want to be a big girl you need to get rid of your diaper and come out and be able to talk to the American citizens instead of just having to use a flap, a little flap, it's kind of like crazy. Sad."

The release of thevideo followed an incident Wednesday afternoon when Greene followed Ocasio-Cortez off the House floor, shouting that the New York congresswoman should debate her on climate change policies and called her a terrorist sympathizer.

"I mean, this is a woman that's deeply unwell. And clearly needs some help," Ocasio-Cortez said Friday after the video was published. "Her kind of fixation has lasted for several years now."

The Friday morning vote to elevate Stefanik capped a tumultuous week for the party, which has established support for Trump's false claims about the 2020 presidential election as a defining issue, and those who challenge his falsehoods have found themselves exiled.

Stefanik moved quickly to lock down support for the No. 3 spot in House GOP leadership when it became clear earlier this month that Cheney would lose the job because she continued to challenge Trump's unfounded assertion that the election was stolen and blame him for inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. She was formally ousted Wednesday.

Democrats greeted the news of Stefanik's elevation with disdain. Pelosi's office called her a "conspiracy theorist" due to her support of Trump's false claims about the election.

"House Republicans are in a tough spot politically and Rep. Stefanik is the Conference Chair they deserve," the Speaker's office said in a statement.

Cheney is keeping her promise to remain an outspoken critic of Trump and party leaders who embrace him. In an interview with ABC News Friday, Cheney said that McCarthy should be subpoenaed to testify before the bipartisan commission if it is established because he was one of the few people who spoke directly to Trump on that day. She also applauded the scope of the commission for only focusing on what happened on Jan. 6, a suggestion she made earlier this month that angered her colleagues who said it was not the position of the party.

Moments after being chosen as the conference chair against conservative Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Stefanik was pressed on whether there is a place in the party for anti-Trump voices like Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). She said they were part of the conference because they were elected by their districts, but emphasized she would be speaking for the members who are aligned with the former president.

"My job representing our Republican members, the vast majority, we look forward to working with President Trump," she said.

Stefanik received 134 votes while Roy received 46, according to GOP aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the closed meeting. Nine members voted present and three wrote in a person who was not running.

Roy played down his chances of defeating her heading into the vote Friday morning, and he congratulated her afterward.

"As I said from the beginning, our goal was to provide an alternative with a proven record of standing up not for politicians - but for freedom, the Constitution, and the conservative principles Americans hold dear," he said in a statement. "I am glad that we did, because it demonstrates a large block of our colleagues across the ideological spectrum agree."

Stefanik faced some opposition to her candidacy from conservatives who argued her record is too moderate. After being elected in 2014, Stefanik established herself as one of the more bipartisan members and opposed Trump's signature 2017 tax cuts as well as some of his environmental policies.

"I think she's liberal," Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., said Thursday.

But by Friday, Buck, who nominated Roy become conference chair, said that members initially skeptical of Stefanik must now "get behind Kevin McCarthy and the team, and we work hard to make sure that we get in the majority in a year and a half."

Trump also celebrated her victory.

"Congratulations to Elise Stefanik for her Big and Overwhelming victory," he said in a statement. "The House GOP is united and the Make America Great Again movement is Strong!"

Stefanik pitched herself as a unifying candidate who will focus on pushing the House Republican message and focus on attacking the Biden administration's policies, while standing by Trump's election claims.

"House Republicans will continue to put forth policies focused on growing our economy and getting people back to work, reopening schools, promoting American energy independence, securing our border, strengthening our national security, and protecting our Constitution," she said in a statement Friday.

Rank-and-file members said they hoped Stefanik's victory means they can now stay focused on picking apart the Biden administration's agenda.

Asked to reflect on the end of a tumultuous week, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who was one of the first to raise concerns about Cheney in leadership, said the intraparty debated marked a "healthy moment" for the conference.

"After we announced that Elise is the new conference chair, we'll be in a better position to focus on the Biden agenda on what agenda Speaker Pelosi is pushing on the floor and we'll win back the majority by a landslide and win back the White House in 2024," he said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Felicia Sonmez and Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report.
The United States will stand with its European allies against Russia, President Joe Biden has promised ahead of the first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin of his administration.

Biden will head to Europe Wednesday and is set to attend both the G-7 and NATO summits as well as holding a high-stakes meeting with the Russian leader in Geneva on June 16. The summit comes amid the biggest crisis in ties between the two countries in years, with tensions high over a litany of issues including hacking allegations, human rights and claims of election meddling.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post published Saturday, the U.S. president promised to shore up Washington's "democratic alliances" in the face of multiple crises and mounting threats from Moscow and Beijing. "We are standing united to address Russia's challenges to European security, starting with its aggression in Ukraine, and there will be no doubt about the resolve of the United States to defend our democratic values, which we cannot separate from our interests," he wrote.

"President Putin knows that I will not hesitate to respond to future harmful activities," he said. "When we meet, I will again underscore the commitment of the United States, Europe and like-minded democracies to stand up for human rights and dignity."
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffes signature exuberance was on full display as he campaigned on Memorial Day weekend in downtown Petersburg, cracking jokes in a beauty salon, leading a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, and breaking into a dance on a sidewalk.

I want everybody to know we are back here in Virginia, and were going to be stronger than weve ever been. We are going to lead the nation out of this COVID crisis, he told a crowd of supporters and spectators that began chanting his name.

In his quest for a second term, McAuliffe heads into Tuesdays five-way Democratic primary with an undeniable lead in public polling, name recognition, endorsements and money. But the question facing voters in the primary election is whether the political veteran with decades of experience is the right man for the moment in a state and nation deeply divided and in the throes of unsettling change.

In Virginia, Democrats assumed full control of state government in 2020, two years after McAuliffe left office, and pushed through sweeping change, from gun control to police reform to marijuana legalization to an increase in the minimum wage, transforming what was once a reliably red state into an outlier in the South.

McAuliffe is an old-school politician who cut his teeth working on President Jimmy Carter's re-election campaign and later led the Democratic National Committee. If he wins the nomination hell face a tough GOP challenger from Northern Virginia who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and vast personal wealth to boost his campaign.

Thats not a matchup in tune with the times or that bodes well for Democrats, say McAuliffes two leading primary opponents  a well-respected veteran state senator and an energetic former state delegate both looking for a shot to become the nations first Black woman governor.

Virginians deserve better than two millionaire out-of-touch politicians at the top of the ticket, Jennifer Carroll Foy, who stepped down last year from her state House seat to focus on her run for governor, said in an interview.

On the campaign trail earlier this week in Hampton Roads, she doubled down on that line of attack.

The wealthy and well-connected have a lot of representation in Richmond. But what about us in our community? said the 39-year-old Carroll Foy, as she appeared with the father of a young Black man killed by police in Virginia Beach in March. We need someone whos gone to church and worshipped where we worship, gone to our schools, breathed our air and drank our water, who understands the struggles that we face because shes lived them.

State Sen. Jennifer McClellan called out McAuliffe in a recent debate, saying the Democrats need a nominee who will excite and expand the base.

McClellan, an attorney who has served in the legislature since 2006, has worked diligently over the years to help craft and deliver much of the reform legislation that now defines Virginia. She said her campaign has spoken to over 100,000 voters, interactions that leave her confident Virginians are ready for change.

This is not a conventional wisdom moment, and we need someone who is not a conventional wisdom candidate, McClellan, 48, said in an interview.

The field of five Democrats also includes Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Del. Lee Carter, a self-described socialist, who embraces a move away from establishment politics and even more sweeping social change such as statewide universal health care and reparations for Black and indigenous Virginians.

McAuliffes opponents like to point out that he lost the Democratic primary during his first run in 2009 and won the general election in 2013 by just two points. They say he puts the party at risk in a rare off-year election that will be closely scrutinized as a bellwether for the national mid-term elections.

Voters like Richard Averitt, an independent-voting never Trumper, say so, too. He is a landowner along the path of the now-scuttled Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which McAuliffe backed during his first term. He has donated to and volunteered for Carroll Foy, saying he was impressed by her track record, grit and early promise not to take money from lobbying powerhouse Dominion Energy.

I truly believe she will vote to represent the people and not the corporations, said Averitt, who predicted McAuliffe would lose the general if tapped as the nominee.

McAuliffe, 64, has promised if elected again to create the nations best economy and education system, and hes attracted a broad swath of endorsements from community leaders and 350 elected officials, including Gov. Ralph Northam and nearly half the legislative Black caucus.

Theres also a sense of immense gratitude for his role in 2019 in helping Democrats retake control of the House majority, which positioned them to enact the transformative policy changes unimaginable during his own term.

There is nobody that worked harder, House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn said.

In an interview outside a Petersburg soul food restaurant, the former governor made the case that beating the GOP's nominee, Glenn Youngkin, who has the ability to self-fund a substantial portion of his campaign, will take someone with fundraising prowess and the ability to build a broad coalition.

Im the one whos proven in the campaign that I can do it, he said.

Thats a message that resonates with voters like George C.W. Lyons, a pastor in Petersburg, who said he was impressed with this years broad field of Democratic candidates. But Lyons said McAuliffe was his pick because of the experience, the track record of somebody whos been in it before.

Lyons said voters will get their say Tuesday on whether McAuliffe is trying to stand in the way of others offering a fresher perspective. But for him personally?

I want him to win by a landslide, he said.
----

The state Legislature heads into this week with a lot left undone, particularly in the areas of government ethics, climate change, criminal justice, gun regulation, voting rights, victims rights, and immigration rights.

High on the must-do list is a pair of bills we have supported before: one to fix some of the most glaring deficiencies in the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, the other to start the process of amending the state constitution to replace JCOPE altogether.

The first bill, which would reform JCOPE for now, is necessary because the constitutional amendment process will take two years, requiring a vote by this Legislature, the next one that will convene in 2023, and finally by voters in November 2023. The temporary fixes, proposed by Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, D-Bronx, and already passed by the Senate, would make the commission more bipartisan, protect it somewhat from partisan manipulation, and lessen the governors control at least when it comes to appointing an executive director.

The constitutional amendment would scrap JCOPE altogether and replace it with a far more independent commission.

These actions are crucial after a decade of JCOPEs well-documented problems and failures to address corruption in government. A watchdog over the executive and legislative branches controlled so tightly by the governor and legislative leaders simply cannot fulfill its mission unhindered by political loyalties.

If the Democrats running New York these days want to demonstrate their commitment to good government, these bills are their chance.

Here are some of the other key priorities the Legislature needs to address before the session ends on June 10th:

The Climate and Community Investment Act: This bill would begin to fulfill the goals of the landmark 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that set New York on course to dramatically cut carbon emissions and shift to a greener energy economy. Fossil fuel interests and their allies in the Legislature have used scare tactics to attack the CCIA as a tax on New Yorkers. Thats not really true.

In reality, the legislation would put a fee on carbon pollution, which, yes, would likely be passed on by polluters to consumers in the form of higher prices for gasoline, natural gas, heating oil and other fossil fuels or the energy they produce. However, the bill also provides substantial rebates to low- and moderate-income consumers to offset the cost increases.

This is more than a money shuffle. In making fossil-fuel energy more expensive to better reflect the damage it is doing, and in providing rebates to consumers, people would be able to use the rebates to purchase greener energy that might be a bit more expensive. The goal is to get more people to use alternative energy, which over time could encourage more development of it, and lower the cost.

Criminal justice: Several key criminal justice bills are on tap this year. They include the Less is More Act, which would eliminate many of the non-criminal, technical violations that send people on parole back to prison, a disproportionate percentage of whom are Black. The Fair and Timely Parole bill would require the states Parole Board to consider a prison inmates rehabilitative progress. And the Elder Parole bill would make inmates eligible for parole if they have reached the age of 55 and have served at least 15 years of their sentence, a recognition that the states prison population includes a number of inmates who may have long ago turned their lives around and who no longer represent a threat to society.

Gun Control: Four measures would build on New Yorks strong, sensible gun laws. One would bar the sale of firearms to people with an outstanding arrest warrant, a provision were surprised isnt already on the books. Another would create a 10-day waiting period to buy a gun, which could potentially give people purchasing a firearm in the heat of the moment time to cool down. Another would make possession or sale of ghost guns  incomplete, unnumbered firearms, sold in kits online, that get around gun regulations  illegal except for licensed gunsmiths. A fourth measure would allow people to sue gun manufacturers in cases where their negligence may have been a factor in an act of gun violence.

Voting rights: Voters sometimes show up at the wrong polling place. Rather than send them to the right poll, a poll worker might allow them to vote on a paper affidavit ballot, which in turn can be challenged and thrown out because the voter was  surprise  in the wrong polling place. This happened to more than 13,800 New Yorkers in 2020. A bill would make those ballots legal as long as the person is in the right county.

Victims rights: The Legislature should pass the Adult Survivors Act, a follow-up to the 2019 Child Victims Act that gave people who were sexually abused as children a window in which to bring a civil suit. This bill would extend the same right to people who were sexually assaulted after the age of 18. The Senate has already passed this bill; the Assembly should, too.

This bill, however, should not be the end of the matter. As we saw with the CVA, lawyers are often reluctant to take on a case in which the defendant lacks substantial financial resources. The state must create a fund for victims who prove their case in court, but cannot collect damages.

Immigrant rights: A bill sponsored by Assemblymembers Jake Ashby, R-Castleton, and Catalina Cruz, D-Queens, would establish the Alex R. Jimenez New York State Military Immigrant Family Legacy Program to help undocumented family members of New York veterans and active military members secure legal status. The bill is named for an Army staff sergeant killed in Iraq in 2007 who had been seeking legal status for his wife. This is an all-too-rare example of bipartisan cooperation on immigration. The Legislature should seize the moment.
ALBANY  Democratic leaders of the Assembly and Senate have prepared legislation to fully fund the ongoing impeachment investigation against Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo  as well as any future trial that may come from its results.

The impeachment probe is being conducted by the Assembly's Judiciary Committee, and it began in March, examining three groups of alleged wrongdoing from the governor: sexual harassment and misconduct, shielding nursing home death totals from disclosure, and any official misconduct connected to a coverup of structural issues with the Gov. Mario Cuomo bridge.

The Judiciary committee hired a high-powered law firm, Davis Polk & Wardwell, which commands large fees for its work. Critics had pointed out that just $250,000 was initially set aside to conduct the investigation, far below the costs typically associated with a large-scale investigation conducted over weeks and months.

The new bill, sponsored in the Senate by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and in the Assembly by Speaker Carl Heastie, provides a blank check for the investigation and any other expenses tied to an impeachment process, including any eventual trial. A legislative source confirmed that the bill is expected to pass early this week.

"This will allow expenses related to investigations conducted by the Legislature to be covered under this existing appropriation. Expenses incurred by the governor and attorney general are already accommodated in the enacted budget," said Mike Whyland, spokesman for Heastie.

The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday afternoon.

"We want to ensure the Legislature has the proper resources to conduct an investigation and trial. This already existing fund is the proper avenue to ensure that fact," said Mike Murphy, communications director for the Senate Democrats.

"This is the payment mechanism routinely followed by the legislature in the state of New York," Judiciary Chair Charles Lavine said last month. "The cap may be amended as needed, and it will need to be amended here."

From the beginning, those leading the investigation said it would have a wide scope  "everything is on the table"  and it has over time added additional areas of inquiry, such as state Health Department testing of Cuomo's friends and relatives, and that it would move at a deliberate pace. This has at times drawn ire from some critics, and the Judiciary Committee has since convened roughly once a month to update the public on progress, highlighting that Davis Polk is interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence. It's unclear when the investigation will be finished.

More likely to come first is the results of state Attorney General Letitia James' probe. Her office issued subpoenas directly to some of the women who have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment or misconduct, multiple news outlets have reported, a sign that the investigation has proceeded into a closing phase.
ALBANY  Fifteen months ago, New York was becoming deluged with coronavirus cases when state health department officials received an urgent late-night call from a top administrator at a Newburgh hospital. He informed them a van had just dropped off more than 15 nursing home residents who had tested positive for COVID-19, and if more followed it could create a critical shortage of beds.

Although none of the nursing home residents clinically required hospitalization, the scene was not unique. Other nursing facility operators were also beginning to move COVID-positive residents to hospitals out of fear they could spread the illness in the assisted-living facilities.

That same month, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had been publicly declaring that New York would not be able to maintain enough hospital beds for coronavirus patients if infection rates continued to climb. Inside the governor's office, that March 2020 phone call from an official at Montefiore St. Luke's hospital in Newburgh prompted the administration to craft a hastily prepared memo that directed nursing homes to allow residents afflicted with COVID-19 to remain in or return to those facilities, even if they were being discharged from hospitals while still testing positive.

Cuomo's office has said the caveat was that nursing homes could only accept those infected residents if they were capable of caring for them and keeping them quarantined from other residents. But the memo didn't explicitly state that  although it noted "standard precautions must be maintained"  and it caused some confusion in the industry. Family members of nursing home residents told the Times Union last year they saw their loved ones  often over Zoom or FaceTime calls  being occasionally tended to by nursing home employees who weren't wearing masks, and on floors where other residents were positive for the disease. (The health department's directive was rescinded less than two months after it was issued.)

As nursing home deaths in New York began to soar in the weeks and months that followed, the administration's data collection and reporting of those deaths became fodder for debate between Cuomo's top aides and health department officials over how many fatalities should be counted. The reporting criteria was also changed repeatedly  at the direction of members of the governor's coronavirus task force, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

Cuomo's daily briefings were being aired on national cable networks at the time as he occasionally sparred with President Donald J. Trump and received accolades from many for New York's response to the virus. But the issue of nursing home deaths sparked consternation privately among some of his top advisers about whether the state should be reporting "presumed" or "probable" nursing home deaths, especially when many other states were not.

The situation was exacerbated by the lack of COVID-19 tests in the early stages of the pandemic, which meant many nursing home officials might list that someone likely died as a result of the disease even if it had not been verified by a test.

A person with direct knowledge of the internal discussions said that Cuomo's public persona  at a time when he was privately writing a book about his handling of the pandemic and still being discussed as a potential presidential candidate  was the Executive Chamber's "primary concern ... always."

Another person familiar with the matter said the administration also complained to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that numerous other states, including Florida, were apparently not reporting presumed COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes; the data discrepancies made it appear New York had a higher number of fatalities in nursing facilities than dozens of other states.

The Cuomo administration, meanwhile, disputes that it ever reported nursing home coronavirus data to federal health officials.

Part of the issue stemmed from the CDC's decision to not impose uniform reporting requirements on states. And New York City, which reports its fatality numbers to the CDC separately from the rest of the state, had also been reporting deaths that were presumed to be a result of COVID-19. Because New York City's data was tallied on the state's dashboard, the availability of those numbers had caused stress within the administration, according to officials who were involved in the discussions.

"There were people in the administration who were, like, 'Why would we report the higher number?'" a person with knowledge of the deliberations said. "There was a lot of tense discussions."

3 1 of 3 Mary Altaffer/AP Show More Show Less 2 of 3 U.S. Department of Justice Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Stonewalled data

Now, roughly six months into a federal criminal investigation of Cuomo's administration that is being steered by the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn, many of the investigative interviews have focused on why the administration  under the direction of top members of the governor's task force  had begun "stockpiling" information on people who were presumed to have died of COVID-19 in nursing homes. At one point last year, the number of unreported deaths in that category rose into the hundreds, a person briefed on the investigation said.

In early May 2020, the hiccups in the state health department's reporting of nursing home deaths were also revealed when more than 1,600 "presumed" deaths were suddenly added to the state's nursing home fatalities dashboard overnight on a Sunday. That increase in deaths attributed to COVID-19 pushed the number of New York nursing home deaths to more than 4,800  a figure that would eventually top 15,000.

The federal investigation is focused in part on current and former health department officials who were involved in the data gathering and reporting of the nursing home fatalities  and what they were directed to do by top Cuomo aides. According to interviews with people familiar with the probe, it also is examining the administration's reporting of COVID-19 deaths to the CDC; alleged efforts to list nursing home fatalities as hospital deaths; and whether data on nursing home fatalities were deliberately withheld or delayed.

But it's unclear whether the withholding of any data or any misrepresentation of fatality statistics was a federal crime.

Administration officials have acknowledged publicly that their data gathering, especially in the early months of the pandemic, was problematic and that there were periodic lags in the administration's reporting of nursing home fatalities. A spokesman for the governor said they also were provided information on COVID-19 deaths at times with no supporting documentation, and in some instances deaths attributed to COVID-19 were being retroactively reported in the weeks before New York's first confirmed case was discovered in early March 2020.

Cuomo under fire: A guide to the investigations the governor faces

Collecting data in the early days of the pandemic was uncharted territory for everyone involved and led to some uneven reporting by the nursing homes," said Elkan Abramowitz, a partner in the law firm hired to represent the administration in the federal probe. "As has been publicly discussed, every effort was made in good faith to verify and release the numbers in a way that was accurate and would not confuse the public.

The federal investigation apparently has its origins in an Aug. 26 letter to Cuomo from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division that sought a trove of records from the administration regarding the relatively small number of public nursing homes in New York, including "all state-issued guidance, directives, advisories, or executive orders regarding admission of persons to public nursing homes ... as well as the dates each such document was in effect."

The Justice Department had sought similar records at that time from Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, noting in a release that those states and New York  all headed by Democratic governors  had "required nursing homes to admit COVID-19 patients to their vulnerable populations, often without adequate testing." But there is no indication that federal criminal investigations are active in those other states.

In October, the same unit of the Justice Department that wrote the August letter regarding public nursing homes sent a second written request to New York  this time to the state health department  requesting records on the state's far more numerous private nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

The Cuomo administration had initially attributed the inquiry to Justice Department officials with political ties to administration of President Donald J. Trump. But the investigation by the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York has continued even after Mark J. Lesko was appointed acting U.S. attorney in Brooklyn in March by the administration of President Joe Biden; Lesko succeeded Seth DuCharme, who had been appointed U.S. attorney in that district last summer by Attorney General William Barr.

That transition has not derailed the federal investigation and, notably, the Eastern District is continuing to devote several FBI agents, assistant U.S. attorneys and investigators with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the probe. Given those resources, people familiar with federal investigations and with knowledge of the case said they do not believe politics are influencing the direction of the case.

Probe continues

By late August, after months of grappling with handling "presumed" and "probable" COVID-19 deaths, state health Commissioner Howard Zucker issued new regulations mandating that "confirmatory COVID-19 and influenza testing" would be required any time a hospital patient or nursing home resident was suspected to have died of either disease. By then, testing capabilities had improved and practitioners and nursing home operators were no longer allowed to list suspected COVID-19 deaths.

"This process will ensure integrity in data reporting as the state continues its COVID-19 pandemic response and as we prepare for another flu season," the announcement stated. Zucker added in a statement that "these regulations will ensure we have the most accurate death data possible."

Five months later, an investigation by the state attorney general's office found  in a report issued Jan. 28  that the state had sharply underreported nursing home fatalities by more than 50 percent. The attorney general's investigation, which examined reporting data from 62 of the state's more than 600 nursing homes, concluded "a significantly higher number of resident COVID-19 deaths can be identified than is reflected in the deaths publicized by (the state health department)."

The Cuomo administration has declined to release its correspondence with the Justice Department. It is, however, known that those exchanges included a Sept. 9 letter that was signed by a state Department of Health attorney in response to the federal agency's Aug. 26 demand letter.

That secrecy has also prompted tumultuous exchanges between Cuomo's office and the Legislature, which had requested similar records since last August.

On Feb. 10, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa and other administration members met in secret with key Democratic lawmakers in the Legislature, and DeRosa acknowledged they had withheld releasing full data on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes because of their concerns about the Justice Department inquiries.

The federal investigation is examining whether anyone was directed to manipulate or change data, including the possibility it was altered to benefit the governor's public profile, or whether the administration may have knowingly provided erroneous data or information to any federal agencies, including the CDC.

At a news conference on Feb. 19, Cuomo said his administration had provided "truthful information" to the Justice Department and that it "is a lie to say any numbers were inaccurate."

During that same news conference, Cuomo also had sought to explain why his administration had withheld information from the Legislature and the public.

"We said we would pause the state Legislature's request because we gave (the Department of Justice) precedence  true," he said. "Well, some were offended that they weren't given precedence. I understand they are offended. ... I've spoken to the legislative leaders and we agree that we're in the midst of dealing with a real pandemic."



blyons@timesunion.com
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Mostly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 83F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Mostly cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 84F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
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Wyoming is typically seen as a flyover state in the world of business startups but that's not due to not enough entrepreneurs with big ideas
Need to improve water tables in the state: Khattar 13 Jun 2021 | 6:47 PM Chandigarh, Jun 13 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal said on Sunday that for the smooth availability of ground water, river water and treated water to the farmers in the state, a centralized water monitoring system should be prepared over the next two years, in which districts, blocks and villages should be included. For this, he has directed the officers to formulate a plan soon. see more..

Poor internet connectivity widens digital divide between urban & rural students during lockdown 13 Jun 2021 | 6:43 PM Shimla, Jun 13 (UNI) Poor access to telecom services, internet connectivity and snail paced data speed during the lockdown rather widened the digital divide between students belonged to urban and rural areas. see more..

Punjab: 112 vacancies to be filled in Directorate of Women and Child development 13 Jun 2021 | 6:39 PM Chandigarh, June 13 (UNI) The Subordinate Services Selection Board, Punjab on Sundy issued an advertisement to fill 112 vacancies of supervisors in the directorate of Women and Child development department of Punjab. see more..

Haryana Guv calls upon youth to donate blood 13 Jun 2021 | 6:38 PM Chandigarh, Jun 13 (UNI) Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya has called upon the youth to donate blood which is the true service to humanity while rising above caste, creed and religion thereby becoming responsible citizens of the nation. see more..
A 19-year-old man wanted in Vermont for the attempted murder of two women has been apprehended by police in Nevada, according to authorities
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Fire ambassadors in Colorado are promoting mitigation around structures as the state continues to grapple with drought conditions
As always, we are happy to accept comments and perspective from our blog community and today an insightful reader note deserves to be at the top of the page because it offers perspective on an aspect of recent protest that was downplayed . . .

Of course TKC did break news on the recent demonstration at KCPD HQ and roundup ensuing coverage . . . But an important detail was omitted or at least heavily downplayed . . .

However, a KICK-ASS TKC READER shares an important highlight . . .

"Wasnt sure if you had heard....since the mayor hasnt commented and all local news has ignored it.

Protesters brought a coffin marked the other white meat and filled with a police uniform to kcpd hq last night. They then put the American flag and the thin blue line flag on it and burned it. Doesnt really seem like they want peace."

Credit to KMBC reporter Jackson Kurtz for capturing an image of the display . . .

Look closely and readers might also notice that the coffin features the tag "Off The Pigs" along with what looks like an image of KCPD headquarters burning.

Of course, as unsettling as the image is . . . Along with the confirmed into that protesters set fire to the American Flag . . . It's an important part of the story that needs to be shared in order to fully understand the local discourse and the current state of police & community relations in Kansas City.

Developing . . .
More "new video" has been released to the media regarding a deadly police shooting that's still under investigation.



And so we ask . . .



DO YOU SEE AN EXECUTION OF THIS SUSPECT UNDER SURVEILLANCE FOR A VIOLENT ASSAULT?!?!



To be clear . . .

TKC doesn't want to dismiss concerns about police brutality. It's an important subject that EVERYONE is taking seriously.

But claims of an "execution" aren't supported by the video that just looks like another angle of a chaotic struggle.

The theory that the suspect couldn't reach for a gun in a dog pile is nonsensical and defies the experience of anyone familiar with firearms.



Still, we want to be fair.

Ministers have garnered headlines across the metro and their claims have resonated with activists despite a dearth of evidence.

Here's the latest with new video that doesn't offer any more proof of scathing indictments . . . In fact, it just looks like a blurry mess.
Lost in politically charged discussions of "accountability" and social justice is the street level impact of a Kansas City policy debate.



To wit . . .



KANSAS CITY INSIDERS: MAYOR Q'S ATTACKS HAVE DEMORALIZED POLICE!!!



This isn't just conjecture or insider chatter, we've seen evidence of police frustration aired in public.

In a recent story regarding staffing and police attrition rates, this quote from a local union honcho seems almost desperate . . .

Its just too much, said Brad Lemon, president of the FOP. I mean it has just got to the point where its just too much.

That doesn't sound like a leader with a great deal of confidence in city hall support.

Accordingly, this word was recently sent our way . . .

"There's only one way to put this: Mayor Lucas is being a bully. He's bad mouthing and condemning police at every turn. A few complimentary social media posts he offers don't really make up for an all out war against police by his administration. Take a look at the responses he gets to those posts, very few people are buying his double talk.

"Instead, we're seeing more officers leave the department and a great deal of frustration behind the scenes.

"In the long term there's a danger that we'll see the result of these attacks against police in longer response times and fewer qualified candidates for new police positions. It's a thankless job and the current mayor has worsened public animosity toward law enforcement."

To be fair, there is urban core hope to "mend" relationships between police and community.



Still . . .

The fight over 12th & Oak funding is just getting started and it's clear there will be more harsh words exchanged betwixt KCPD supporters and "defund the police" advocates.

Developing . . .
More gunfire reported this afternoon . . . Here's the aftermath of the latest local shooting:

One person with life threatening injuries after shooting in east Kansas City by: Juan Cisneros Posted: / Updated: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City police say one person has been shot in the area of 24th Street and Jackson Avenue. When police arrived, they found the person with apparent gunshot wounds and they were transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries.

And just as we posted this gunfire note, another report quickly emerged:
History

Juneteenth is a reason for all to celebrate
Johnstown, PA (15901)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 80F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
No signs of miners trapped inside flooded coal mine in Meghalaya for one week

Shillong, Jun 6 (UNI) It is exactly one week that five miners are trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Meghalaya, but the fate of these migrant miners remains unknown, even as rescuers are continuing dewatering the 500-feet mine.

At least five migrant miners, including four from Assam and one from Tripura, have been trapped inside a 500-foot flooded coal mine since May 30.


Telangana Govt slams Central Govt for failure to procure COVID-19 vaccines

Hyderabad, Jun 6 (UNI) Telangana Minister for Industries and IT, K T Rama Rao (KTR) on Sunday strongly criticised the Union Government for its 'inefficiency' in procuring the COVID-19 vaccine doses for the citizens of the country.

KTR, while replying to queries related to the vaccination drive and related topics during the '#AskKTR session on Twitter', said "we have the ability to vaccinate more than 10 lakh people a day but unfortunately constraints on vaccine supplies are hampering brisk progress"

In his initial tweets while explaining why there is a demand - supply gap despite India being a vaccine hub, the Minister said,
Ross Everett

Ross Everett was born in Denver, Colorado but spent the majority of his formative years in Florida. Once he was an adult, he and his wife decided that they wanted to live in the West and moved to the Grand Teton National Park to work seasonally. Ross and his wife have since spent the past eight years in Wyoming, in which time he has explored the great state, finding a passion for the outdoors before returning to art at the University of Wyoming where he is currently a Post Graduate Assistant in painting.

Artist Statement

With these works I decided to talk about the positive and negative concepts surrounding death. Focusing on memories as the record of ones consciousness, I used images from my past alongside garbage and refuse to discuss the constantly decaying nature of memories. Death is the ending of selfness, which is scary to contemplate, but this does not happen all at once and it is comforting to know that this natural process happens over an entire lifespan. It is in fact a beautiful thing to let things decay so that there can be new growth. Without this there could be no healing and trauma would stay in the human consciousness forever. Such a fate is far worse than simply allowing things to transform into their next state. In this way, the illustrations show a dream of mine that worked as a healing experience to accept duel aspects of my personality.
Hello! My family of 5 (me, dh, 3 kids-16, 10, 10) is excited to be coming to Washington June 30th-July 8th. We enjoy spending time outdoors and kids love learning new things (they usually do the Junior Ranger programs at the National Parks). As far as hiking goes, it depends upon how the kids are doing but 5-6 miles would probably be tops for any given day. We do have lodging and car rental reservations already.

Wednesday, June 30th: arrive at SeaTac at 9 am. We will pick up the car, stop by the store and head to Mount Rainier. Our plan is to hike Grove of Patriarchs and Silver Falls Trails and possibly stop by Reflection Lake, Narada Falls and Christine Falls if we have enough time (if not, we will go on Thursday).

Im aware that the Sunrise area wont be open yet but am wondering if we want to drive around the east side of the park (possibly detour up Chinook pass) to get to Grove of the Patriarchs. Is the scenery on the drive worth the drive? Or is there a different recommended route?

Overnight in Ashford

Thursday, July 1st: Paradise area of MRNP. Plan on hiking Skyline Trail although Im anticipating we wont be able to do the whole loop due to snow. How far should we try to get? Im also planning on hiking to see Myrtle Falls.

Overnight Kirkland

Staying with family in Kirkland July 2nd-July 5th. Main purpose is visiting our family. We do plan on visiting a few places in Seattle like Pike Place Market and taking a harbor cruise.

Tuesday, July 6th: get early ferry from Edmonds to Kingston (plan on 7:10 amhow early do we need to be there?)

ONP: hike up Hurricane Hill (saw the suggestion to take the Elwha side trail for 10 minutes to see wildflowers and crags), possibly hike to Marymere Falls, Rialto Beach (or other?) after check into Quillayute River Resort

Overnight Forks

Wednesday, July 7th: Hoh Rainforest: hike some of Hoh River Trail (possibly as far as Toms Creek). Would we want to do Hall of Mosses as well or will we see similar scenery on the Hoh River Trail?

Beaches: Rialto again? Or we could go to Ruby beach or Second Beach if it has reopened. The better low tides are early in the morning with evening low tides over 3 feet so Im looking for recommendations here. (We do have some good tides during the Oregon portion of our trip the following week.)

Overnight Forks.

Thursday, July 8th: Quinault Rainforest. Plan is to have shorter hikes this day. Im tentatively planning on Maple Glade Loop and Big Cedar Tree on the North Shore and The Rain Forest Nature Trail and Sitka Spruce Trails on the South Shore, although Im open to suggestions.

Cape Disappointment: plan to stop here to at least see the confluence of the Columbia River into the Pacific Ocean. We will visit the Interpretive Center if its opened. Other suggestions on what to do here? Drive down by the north jetty? See the lighthouses? About how long should we plan for?

Overnight Cannon Beach (will post Oregon part in the Oregon forum)
Please read the thread above for the background of the horrible pharmacy scam that happened to us. This post is to summarize and to show the injustice that happened.

This week marked the two year of the scam. It took more than a year to conclude the MasterCard arbitration, and many more months for all my reports to various HK government agencies to conclude. So this kind of case could take up to two years. I did waste almost two years of my time doing reports and interviews, while that shop just took few minutes to swipe my card and get my money. No wonder this pharmacy scam kept going for so many years and decades. You guys can read on and see how serious & how much effort Hong Kong government put to stop this scam.

I have tried many times to post reviews and photos of the shop here in TripAdvisor, but strangely always got rejected. Finally I thought maybe to post them in Instagram, so you all can understand this incident better.

From my understanding, there is an original Dragon City shop, while the rests are just copycats. Why HK government did not crackdown on the copycats?

I posted this incident to a local site in Indonesia, and found out that there were many similar cases. All of them thought they had misunderstood the shop clerks, had misunderstood the pricing. We knew we did not misunderstand him, that was why I called the police. So the way this pharmacy scam worked was by deliberately mis-inform the pricing to the customers.

HK Tourism Board suggested me to report my case to HK Consumer Council. My Hyatt hotel manager also suggested me to report to the Consumer Council. Both were wrong. HK Consumer Council did not have any legal authority on this matter.

HK Consumer Council referred me to HK Customs and Excise. They under Unfair Trade Practices Ordinance 2012 did have the authority to handle this case. The HK Customs & Excise officer told me they wanted to arrest the shop clerk but cannot because he was no longer present in the shop anymore. I gave Customs & Excise officers very clear photos of the clerk (you guys can see how clear the photos were in my Instagram) and his HKID was in my police report. In huge country like Indonesia with so many islands, they can arrest someone with only a blurry CCTV photo and without any ID data.

In the beginning, I thought I could easily cancel the transaction with MasterCard because I did not sign and also did not input PIN to the EDC machine. I was wrong. HK Consumer Council info was wrong too. Even though according to HK Citibank website, contactless credit card in HK required signature for transaction over 1000 HKD. All MasterCard Arbitration Committee cared about was the price listed on the shop invoice (which could easily be swapped or changed by the shop clerk)

Many countries including China, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and more already require PINs for all credit card transactions or transactions over certain amounts. But HK Monetary Authority still does not require PINs? My bank had already presented in detail to Wing Lung bank in the MasterCard chargeback that the case was clearly a pharmacy scam, but that bank still aggressively pursued the payment from us. HK Monetary Authority should audit Wing Lung bank.

There were many strange actions by that police, as detailed in my previous thread. So I complained his actions to his supervisor. Yet instead of instructing his subordinates to stop this kind of pharmacy scam, the supervisor recommended me to only shop in those well-known franchise shops in the future.

I also reported the police to HK Complaints Against Police Office (CAPO). During the report, HK CAPO Sergeant without doing any investigation, quickly said that there was no collusion, just inexperience because that police was only 2 years with the force. Whether that particular police was inexperience or something else, he should be the one paying the bill (NOT me).

In Indonesia, I only did a short email report to Bank Indonesia about some mistakes that my credit card bank made during the chargeback and Bank Indonesia responded swiftly by auditing my credit card bank and giving me some solutions.

In Hong Kong, all those HK government agencies made you do long reports, interviews and clarifications. Yet there was no result or solution from them. They should just go to the shop, grab the CCTV recording and arrest the shop clerk.

It seems there were many parties involved in this pharmacy scam, utilizing loopholes to cheat tourists. There were many things they could do, they could stop the scam. That is why to this date, I am still very very disappointed at them. There was no justice for me. That particular HK police, as a representative of a country, had forever tainted my image of Hong Kong.

In this era, Hong Kong should take the opportunity to crackdown hard on this pharmacy scam, restore my faith and others in Hong Kong. Stop wasting my time and losing my money, shame on that Hong Kong police!

Dragon City Drug Store Medicines



37 Carnarvon Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Edited: 06 June 2021, 12:41
Bishop Curry at HWS Commencement: "The Lord didn't put us here just to consume the oxygen."
Victoria Will/Victoria Will/Invision/AP

NEW YORK (AP)  Gone Girl and Cocktail actor Lisa Banes remained hospitalized in critical condition Saturday night after being injured in a hit-and-run accident in New York City, her manager said.

Banes, 65, was struck by either a scooter or a motorcycle in the Upper West Side of Manhattan near Lincoln Center on Friday evening as she was crossing Amsterdam Avenue on the way to visit the Julliard School, her alma mater, manager David Williams said in an email to The Associated Press.
MOSCOW (AP)  A well-known Russian opposition politician who was held in police custody for two days last week in a criminal investigation said Sunday that he has left the country for Ukraine.

Dmitry Gudkov said in a Facebook post that sources in Kremlin circles had told him that if I do not leave the country, the fake criminal case will continue until my arrest.
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SHREVEPORT, La. - A armed robber and drug dealer, both from Shreveport, have been sentenced to federal prison, acting U.S. Attorney Alex Van Hook said Friday in a news release.

Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. handed down the sentences for Rekory Johnson, 26, and Nolan Washington, 35 for their convictions in separate offenses.

Johnson will spend 9 years and 9 months behind bars for the November 2018 robbery of a Petro gas station on West Bert Kouns in Shreveport. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 31 to the robbery and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

Johnson and another co-defendant went into the store wearing dark clothing, coverings over their faces and carrying semi-automatic handguns. They demanded money from the cashier and told the clerk to open the vault. But she didn't have access to it. Johnson and his accomplice ran out a side door to a getaway vehicle driven by Brandon Brown.

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.

In the separate case, Washington, also known as Slim Thug, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking.

According to information presented at court, between March 2019 and December 2019, Washington and others sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine. They got caught when federal agents intercepted phone calls between Washington and his companions where they discussed their buying and selling plans.

Agents put Washington under surveillance and saw him sell meth to someone. Other phone calls they listened to caught Washington talking about providing drugs to an accomplice, including specifics such as prices and transportation plans.

The DEA, Caddo Parish Sheriffs Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriffs Office, Shreveport Police Department, Bossier City Police Department, Bossier Parish Sheriffs Office, Louisiana State Police and U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation.
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Graves Deputies Search for Pursuit Suspect

By Joe Jackson

MAYFIELD, KY - Graves County authorities are looking for a Mayfield man who led them on a high-speed chase Thursday afternoon. The Graves County Sheriffs Office was dispatched to the parking lot of New Hope Baptist Church on a report of an orange and blue car cutting donuts in the parking lot. Upon arrival, the car was still there and the deputy could see black marks in the parking lot.



The deputy ran the plate on the car and got out to speak to the driver but he put the car in gear and left at a high rate of speed. The deputy initiated his emergency equipment and began to pursue the vehicle.

The pursuit went down New Hope Church Road, across KY 121 near a work zone, where the suspect almost struck two vehicles. The car continued on KY 945 with speeds in excess of the posted speed limit.

The pursuit ended in the 4500 block of KY 440 when the driver left the roadway and drove through a field. The driver left the car and ran on foot. A juvenile passenger in the car was taken into custody and released to his mother.

The operator was identified as 36-year-old Thad Skaggs. Skaggs has numerous warrants out for his arrest and was already considered to be a fugitive. The Sheriffs Office seized the vehicle and will be filing multiple charges against Skaggs for multiple counts of wanton endangerment 1st, fleeing and evading 1st, and numerous traffic offenses.

Anyone with information on Skaggs whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriffs Office at 270-247-4501.
AFTER NINE PEOPLE were shot to death by a public transit worker, who then killed himself in San Jose, the latest mass murder in America, California Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke for many on the eve of this Memorial Day weekend.
We may never know if a Manchester police officers act of kindness to a teen would-be shoplifter will make a difference in the teens life. But it certainly brightened the day of a lot of Manchester residents and others who read our story or saw the TV newscast about Officer George Morales.
BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2021) El Salvador is aiming to introduce legislation that would make bitcoin a legal tender cryptocurrency, President Nayib Bukele said.

"Next week I will send to Congress a bill that will make #bitcoin a legal tender," Bukele said on Saturday, in a video broadcast to the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami.

According to the president, if El Salvador does become the world's first sovereign nation to adopt bitcoin as legal tender, this would help create jobs and provide access to financial investments for many people.
ISLAMABAD, Jun 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2021 ) :The Federation Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Sunday demanded to initiate reforms in the tax system and urged for broadening the tax base for enhancing the country's revenue.

A delegation Chairmen Senators of Senate Standing Committees visited FPCCI Capital Office Islamabad, said a press release issued by FPCCI here.

 A delegation Chairmen Senators of Senate Standing Committees visited FPCCI Capital Office Islamabad to meet the office bearers of FPCCI and the representatives of Chambers of Commerce and trade associations of Sindh, Punjab, KPK provinces, Federal Area and Gilgit Baltistan to hold pre-budget discussion on the budget proposals of FPCCI.

The meeting was attended by a large number of members of FPCCI and reprentatives from trade bodies prominently Khwaja Shahzeb Akram Senior Vice President, Qurban Ali Chairman Capital Office, Mian Anjum Nisar, former President FPCCI, Coordinator Mirza Abdul Rehman and Muhammad Ali Mian while the Senator Talha Mehmood who is also Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs along with other Senator Abdul Qadir Khan, Senator Kamil Ali Agha and Former Federal Minister Shiekh Waqas Akram and other attended meeting and shared their views.

On this occasion, Mian Anjum Nisar, former President FPCCI gave a detailed briefing to the participants regarding the budget proposals sent to the government by FPCCI.

Speaking on the occasion, the FPCCI Office bearers said that the business community is the real taxpayer.

They said that the tax payers are treated with high respects all over the world and they feel proud of being tax payers.

Moreover, every year in new budget, the existing tax payers are charged more taxes by the tax authorities instead of expanding the tax net.

Taxpayers are always targeted by the tax authorities resultantly those people who are out of tax net always reluctant to come into the tax net.

They stressed on making reforms in tax system and FBR particularly with reference to the honor / status and relief to the tax payers, making the business easier and providing best level playing field and free hand to the business community.

They proposed that if the government wants improvement in foreign exchange, employment opportunities and improvement in the economic situation of the country, the business community should be given free hand.

The business community demanded government's Special packages in all sectors as announced for Construction Sector.

They further said that let them play their role in promoting Pakistan's economic development, trade and investment.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Talha Mahmood, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Finance, said that only the business community can fix the country's economic crunch, if they obtain more faculties from authorities.

There is trust deficit between business community and tax authorities.

He said that the rebates and refunds are the right and trust of business community in the hand of government, it should be returned immediately. Business community suggestions should be made an integral part of the budget because they are direct stakeholders.

Chairman Standing Committee on Petroleum Senator Abdul Qadir Khan, Chairman Standing Committee on Functional Committee Kamil Ali Agha said that they will resolve the problems of business community on priority basis.

All the members of the Senate will work together with the FPCCI for the economic development of Pakistan.

They said that the government makes laws while the policies are made by people who are neither stakeholder nor have any business but are salaried people who completely ignore the problems of the business community.

He said respect and status should be given to the taxpayer, so that the other people who are out of tax net can be motivated to join the tax net.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 06th Jun, 2021) Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi (EAD) has recorded a 22 percent increase in the number of Oryx in the protected area, in comparison to previous studies.

EAD conducted an aerial survey for the Arabian Oryx Protected Area, last November, confirming the success of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Arabian Oryx Reintroduction Programme which was launched in 2007 to relocate the Arabian Oryx.

Initially, there was a herd of no more than 160, and today, the herd has successfully reached 946 heads, EAD said.

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, said, "This survey is a major part of our efforts to preserve the Arabian Oryx, under the hugely successful Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Arabian Oryx Reintroduction Programme. Our leadership support to establish protected areas across the emirate has been fundamental to protecting species and biodiversity, which were once on the verge of extinction. Arabian Oryx is an iconic species of the desert landscape and a symbol of our cultural heritage and was almost hunted to extinction in the wild in the early seventies and only survived in captivity."

"Thanks to extensive captive breeding of the species undertaken by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the species was saved. With this insight, he successfully launched a programme to help preserve the Arabian Oryx, increase their numbers, and relocate them for protection. His attention to the topic, continuous support, and farsightedness are the real reasons behind the recovery of the Arabian Oryx into the wild. This project has become an example to be followed across the world and represents a great success for protection and captive-breeding programmes."

She also attributed the next phase of conservation action and success of the programme to the leadership and directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to reintroduce the Arabian Oryx, as part of the Abu Dhabi government's vision to establish the population of the Arabian Oryx within the region.

Ahmed Al Hashemi, Acting Executive Director of the Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector in EAD, commented, "Within the framework of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed's programme to translocate the Arabian Oryx in the United Arab Emirates, there are now around 100 heads in the Houbara Reserve, which is located in the Al Dhafra region and managed by EAD.

"As a result of the efforts of cooperation in the region and coordination with international environmental bodies and organizations, several countries were able to increase the number of Arabian Oryx and reintroduce them in a number of countries in the Arab region.

Through the General Secretariat for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx, hosted by EAD, these regional efforts were crowned with unique success in 2011 when the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) shifted the status of the Arabian Oryx from an Endangered category to the category of Vulnerable," he added.

Khaldoun Al Omari, Section Manager-TPA Management and Infrastructure and Maintenance in EAD, explained, "The method of aerial surveys has been adopted to count the Arabian Oryx within the reserve to ensure the largest possible coverage of the Arabian Oryx Protected Area, within the shortest time possible, and to ensure that the results are accurate.

"Additionally, the reserve was divided into five different parts due to the size of the study area. The study consisted of two phases, a preparatory phase, which included the preparation of the study design and the training of the participating team, and the field phase, which lasted for four days. The field phase involved carrying out 8 flights at the rate of one and a half hours per flight."

Talking about the characteristics of the Arabian Oryx herd, Al-Omari said, "A total of 83 young Arabian Oryx calves have been recorded, which accounts for 8.8 percent of the total size of the herd. Also represented in the herd in the reserve, including females who formed the largest percentage of the herd size, with a total of 76.5 percent."

Based on the survey, the study concluded with a series of recommendations, the most important of which was to update the zoning plan of the protected area in proportion to the distribution of the Arabian Oryx herds.

A recommendation for a ground survey of the reserve, based on the results of the current study that is aimed at confirming the results of the aerial survey was also proposed.

It was also recommended that the study should be carried out once every three years, and the current design of the study to be used to make the necessary statistical comparisons and to assess the status of the herds within the reserve. Also discussed was the urgency of providing periodic veterinary surveillance of the Arabian Oryx herd and intervening in cases of necessity, which are in line with international standard requirements for the reintroduction programmes.
(@FahadShabbir)

MASERU, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 06th Jun, 2021) Mahash Saeed Al Hameli, UAE Ambassador to South Africa, has presented his credentials to King Letsie III of the Kingdom of Lesotho, as Non-Resident Ambassador of the UAE to Lesotho, at the royal palace in the capital, Maseru.

The UAE Ambassador conveyed to King Letsie III the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and their wishes for further development and prosperity for the Kingdom of Lesotho.

King Letsie III, in turn, reciprocated his greetings to the UAE leaders, wishing the UAE government and its people further progress and prosperity.

The Lesotho King welcomed Ambassador Al Hameli, wishing him success in his new role and assuring the Emirati diplomat that he will receive all assistance required to help him fulfil his duties in promoting relations between the two countries.

He also expressed his admiration for the steps taken by the country in consolidating its position as a global centre for trade and tourism, which qualified it to host Expo 2020 Dubai. He also thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for the kind invitation extended to him to participate in Expo, indicating his country's aspiration to actively participate in this global event.

The meeting also touched upon ways to further develop bilateral relations in various fields.

The UAE Ambassador, in turn, expressed his pride at representing the UAE in Lesotho and his keenness to strengthen ties in a way that contributes to reinforcing the bonds of friendship between the two countries.
Washington, June 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2021 ) :Julien Rocher has been able to see his son Zadig, who lives in the United States, only once in 15 months since Washington shut the country's borders over the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It's like he has disappeared," Rocher said.

He is one of thousands separated from spouses, children or grandparents because of the tight lockdown of the country's frontiers, yet to be lifted despite the widespread distribution of vaccines on both sides of the Atlantic.

Many are pressuring the administration of President Joe Biden to permit general travel to and from the United States, with families spilling their anguish and anger over the forced separations onto social media.

They are particularly angry over Washington's lack of reciprocity after the European Union announced on May 20 it would reopen borders to travelers, including Americans, just ahead of the summer season.

Rocher, a producer of commercial videos who lives in France, used to see Zadig, 11, who lives in Los Angeles with his mother, each year.

But the boy's mother doesn't want him to travel to France out of fear he would not be able to return to the United States.

That keeps Zadig separated from his dad as well as a three-year-old half-sister.

"It is hard to maintain family ties over time with such a distance," Rocher told AFP.
Trigg Sheriff's Shooting Investigation Completed

By West Kentucky Star Staff

TRIGG COUNTY - The Trigg County Sheriff's Office has released the findings of its investigation into an officer-involved shooting last month.On May 13, Deputy Gary Hicks went to a home on Gold Dust Trail to serve an arrest warrant. The suspect resisted and reportedly started swinging a piece of 2x4 lumber and trying to hit Hicks.The deputy fired his weapon, and the man was struck several times. He was taken to the Trigg County Hospital then flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.News Edge reports on Friday, Trigg County Sheriff Aaron Acree said his agency's investigation determined that Hicks was acting within his training.Hicks returned to work at the sheriff's office on Tuesday.An investigation by the Kentucky State Police is ongoing.On the Net:
Benghazi, Libya, June 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2021 ) :The Libyan Red Crescent said Sunday that unidentified assailants abducted one of its local officials several days ago in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, while a security source said a search was underway.

Mansour Ati al-Maghrabi, head of the Red Crescent's Ajdabiya branch, was taken Thursday, branch secretary-general Marii al-Dersi said.

"We lost all contact with the director on Thursday when unknown (assailants) forced him from the LRC headquarters in Ajdabiya," Dersi told AFP by telephone.

Authorities have opened an investigation, a security source in Ajdabiya told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"A search is underway to attempt to localise him and know the details" of his abduction, the source said.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed concern for Maghrabi's safety.

Maghrabi "was abducted on 3 June when his car was intercepted by unknown armed men and his whereabouts remain unknown", it said Saturday on Twitter.

"The Mission calls for his unconditional release," it added, urging a "transparent investigation into this enforced disappearance".

Libya is seeking to extricate itself from a decade of chaos and conflict that followed the toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising.

A formal truce signed last October between rival camps in the country's east and west set in motion a UN-led process that led to the creation of an interim government tasked with preparing the country for December polls.

Despite the ceasefire and progress on the political front, the security situation remains precarious, particularly in the country's east.

Ajdabiya is controlled by forces loyal to eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar.
(@FahadShabbir)

Colombo, June 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Jun, 2021 ) :A black box from a container ship sinking off Sri Lanka was recovered but a dive Sunday to check for oil leaks had to be aborted, the navy said.

The Voyage Data Recorder, also known as a maritime "black box", was found intact and is expected to help investigators review procedures and instructions ahead of an accident.

The navy said divers were deployed for a third time Sunday to examine the fuel tanks of MV X-Press Pearl, but they were unable to carry out their mission due to poor visibility and choppy seas.

However, they did not notice any oil slick in the area, a navy officer told AFP. He said another dive would be attempted when the weather improved.

Sri Lankan authorities hope the black box will provide details of the ship's movements and its communications with the harbour in the capital Colombo, where it had been due to dock.

"The navy facilitated technicians to remove the VDR from the bridge which is still above the waterline," navy spokesman Indika de Silva told AFP.

The Singapore-registered vessel has been slowly sinking into the Indian Ocean since Wednesday after a fire that raged for nearly two weeks within sight of the coast.

The ship, carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid and a huge amount of plastic raw materials, was heading to Colombo from Gujarat, India.

Sri Lankan officials have said an acid leak since May 11 may have sparked the blaze. Ports in Qatar and India had refused to offload the leaking nitric acid, they added.

Police on the island nation launched a criminal investigation, interviewing the vessel's skipper and chief engineer -- both Russians -- and its chief officer, an Indian, and seizing their passports.

Authorities are bracing for a possible oil spill after the stern submerged. There has been no sign of any leaks so far, they added.

Tonnes of microplastic granules from the ship swamped an 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch of beach declared off-limits for residents. Fishing in the area was also banned.

Sri Lankan environmentalists on Friday sued the government and the ship's operators for allegedly failing to prevent what they called the "worst marine disaster" in the country's history.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2021) US President Joe Biden said that China should not participate in the development of rules for global commerce and technology.

"While in Brussels, I'll meet with the president of the European Commission and the president of the European Council to discuss how the United States and Europe can work in close coordination on global challenges. We will focus on ensuring that market democracies, not China or anyone else, write the 21st-century rules around trade and technology. And we will continue to pursue the goal of a Europe whole, free and at peace," Biden wrote in an opinion article for Washington Post, published on Saturday.

He stressed that it was up to the world's leading democracies to offer "a high-standard alternative to China for upgrading physical, digital and health infrastructure that is more resilient and supports global development.

"

On Thursday, the White House issued an executive order implying the ban on the acquisition of US investors or investments targeting 59 Chinese military and surveillance companies accused by Washington of performing activities undermining the security of the United States and its allies. The prohibitions will come into force on August 2.

Biden administration's order expands the list issued under his predecessor, Donald Trump, in November 2020, which targeted 44 companies.

The new set of sanctions against the Chinese military and surveillance firms came following the statement of Chinese Vice Premier Liu on the resumption of "normal discussions" with Washington after two video calls with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen within a week.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2021) US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has departed for Qatar and Afghanistan to discuss the ongoing Afghan peace process, the US Department of State announced on Saturday.

"U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and an U.S. inter-agency delegation, including the National Security Council, Department of Defense, and USAID departed on June 4 for travel to Kabul, Doha, and the region," the department said in a statement.

According to the statement, the delegation will meet with the Afghan government, political and civil society figures to learn about their opinions on the peace process.

In Doha, the US envoy will encourage the government and the Taliban to make progress toward a political settlement.

"Ambassador Khalilzad will also meet with leaders from regional countries to discuss the Afghanistan peace process and the potential for increased regional trade, commerce, and development that peace might bring," the statement added.

The peace negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban began in the Qatari capital back in September. In early December, Kabul and the Taliban announced that they had agreed on the framework of the talks, allowing for discussions to now be held on substantive issues. Little progress, however, has been made since then.
Valdosta, GA (31601)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 91F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

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Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Drawing up plans to buttress recovery

For over a year now, the government has been deploying drastic measures to support businesses as the world struggled to get to grips with the coronavirus pandemic. The State Bank of Vietnam has deployed assistance worth VND180 trillion ($7.82 billion) for enterprises and households, in the form of debt payment deferral and preferential loans.

On April 19 this year, the government signed and issued Decree No.52/2021/ND-CP on extension of time limits for payment of VAT, enterprise income tax, personal income tax, and land rental in 2021. The total size of the package was estimated at VND115 trillion ($5 billion). The World Bank said if implemented well, this fresh policy could help businesses and households maintain their economic activities, particularly in tourism, which remains at a near standstill.

However, according to experts, such financial solutions are never sufficient because COVID-19 will continue causing incalculable damage to the economy, forcing the government to devise inclusive measures.

There has not been sufficient fiscal support from the government. The support was mainly in the form of deferral of taxes and land rental, and the size of the support remained modest, Andrew Jeffries, country director for Vietnam of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), told VIR. For some businesses that were heavily affected by COVID-19 with revenue deterioration and no profit, deferral of VAT and corporate income tax have less impacts than the tax cuts.

A helping hand

Consequences caused by COVID-19 have forced the country to pour a great deal of money into both eradicating the pandemic and spurring on economic recovery, especially given the limited state budget.

A number of high-profile international organisations have proposed support for the country to reach this target. Immediately after COVID-19 broke out in early 2020, the World Bank Group shared a series of five policy notes with Vietnamese policymakers, especially the prime minister.

A World Bank source told VIR that best practices were shared with the government to shape its policy response, from health crisis management to stimulating the recovery of the economy and taking advantage of long-term opportunities emerging from COVID-19.

The first note proposed an early assessment of the pandemic on the economy, while the second developed a comprehensive strategy to cope with the crisis over time. The third focused on the fiscal package announced by the government in April 2020, with the ambition to alleviate the financial burden of the crisis on the most vulnerable businesses and people.

The fourth and fifth notes included suggestions on how to jumpstart the economy in the post-pandemic period, and offered concrete ideas on how to take advantage to reshape the economy in the longer term, through the adoption of no-regret policies.

A number of recommendations were taken into consideration by the government including the adoption of safety nets to protect the most affected businesses and people, the speeding up of the digitisation process by firms and government agencies, and the acceleration of the public investment programme that was viewed as the main instrument to jumpstart the economic recovery, leading to a positive GDP growth rate of 2.91 per cent in 2020, according to the World Bank.

On the financing front, in April last year, the World Bank Group announced a set of emergency support operations for developing countries around the world, using a dedicated, fast-track facility for COVID-19 response, and has set aside $160 billion to support related measures to help countries respond to immediate health consequences of the pandemic and bolster economic recovery.

As part of this package, an envelope of $12 billion was earmarked for purchase and distribution of vaccines, in addition to regular financing to activities such as research and production of vaccines. Vietnam was eligible for $50 million from this source, said the World Bank source.

Meanwhile, the ADB has also been offering Vietnam its financial packages. The ADB stands ready to disburse about $400-500 million for loans already signed between it and the country, a source from the ADB in Vietnam told VIR. In the time to come, it is expected that the bank will offer Vietnam another package worth about $500 million. However, the banks board of management has yet to approve this package, and the Vietnamese side has also yet to show its interest in it.

Official negotiation about this package has not been conducted yet, and the bank will continue working with Vietnam about the package.

In March 2020, the ADB announced an initial $6.5 billion package to address the immediate needs of its developing member countries as they respond to the pandemic. It is now proposing to expand its response by making available additional regular ordinary capital resources up to $13 billion to finance countercyclical expenditures and allocate additional grant and technical resources, increasing the total scale of the response package to about $20 billion.

Along with the World Bank and the ADB, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is also providing financial assistance and debt service relief to its member countries facing the economic impact of the pandemic. So far, the IMF has provided financial assistance to 85 countries amounting to approximately $110 billion. For Vietnam, it has continued to provide policy advice and technical assistance.

Adam Sitkoff, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, also told VIR, I think the government has enough money to fight the pandemic. Many private companies will help pay for vaccines if the government can move forward quickly and get proven vaccines to the people.

Balancing the state budget

According to the Ministry of Finance, the economy enjoyed a $3.52 billion surplus in the state budget in the first four months of this year. Last year, the nation suffered from a total state budget deficit of $11.87 billion.

This was due to the ongoing pandemic causing a decline in businesses performance, making it difficult for them to contribute to the state coffers, and because of the governments application of policies on supporting healthcare, production, and social security.

Policies on deferred tax payments and directly supporting businesses and the public have also mounted to tens of billions of US dollars.

Last November, the National Assembly (NA) adopted a resolution on budget estimation for 2021. In which, total state budget revenue and total state budget spending will be over $58.4 billion and $73.34 billion, respectively. Total state budget deficit will be $14.94 billion, accounting for 4 per cent of GDP.

Experts said if Vietnam has more policies to assist enterprises and the public, there will be a big dent in the state budget as the country would need tens of billions of US dollars for its fight against COVID-19 and supporting enterprises.

Thus, if Vietnam borrows more international loans, the countrys efforts to control public debt will be affected.

The government recently sent a report on the national budget to the NA, stating that as of late 2020, the economys public debt was equivalent to 55.3 per cent of GDP, in which foreign debt held 47.3 per cent of GDP.

The governments debt decreased from 52.7 per cent of GDP in 2016 to 49.6 per cent of GDP by late last year, creating a bigger room for fiscal policy.

A lower debt level will require more fiscal consolidation. Looking ahead, Vietnam will need to create more fiscal space for infrastructure development, large demand for healthcare and education, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and demographic challenges, said the ADB source.

In the context of tariff reduction from Vietnams commitments within various free trade agreements and the decrease of revenue from oil which may affect the governments revenue, official development assistance and concessional lending therefore remain critical financing sources for Vietnam to maintain the strong growth momentum, the source continued, which in turn provides more opportunities to reduce public debt and improve the quality of fiscal consolidation which would not have been carried out otherwise.
Yet to recover from the losses caused by African swine fever (ASF) over the last two years, numerous farmers are going bankrupt because the price of animal feed has skyrocketed in recent months.

As a farmer in the northern province of Hung Yens Khoai Chau district, Tran Van Lap used to breed about 400 pigs and dozens of sows. But now there are only 16 pigs in his thousands-of-square-metre farm. After more than 30 years of doing husbandry, he has never been as anxious as present.

After efforts to pay off debts investing into pigs was ruined by ASF in 2019, last year, Lap borrowed VND500 million ($22,000) from the bank to develop a safe and modern farm. However, the sharp increase of animal feed has put new plans on the rocks.

It takes 10-12 bags of animal feed to breed a pig, at a price of VND300,000 ($13). However, it has risen by VND60,000 ($2.60) per bag, while corn prices have also risen by VND4,000 (17.4 US cents) per kg. So I have to spend an additional VND30 million ($1,300) on animal feed in addition to the cost of medicine and breeding pigs, Lap explained. Additionally, the price of a breeding pig is still VND3.1 million ($135) higher than before ASF. The expenses outweigh profit, so the more pigs we breed, the more losses we sustain. I have been trying to sell them to cut my losses and give up husbandry altogether.

Pham Duc Binh, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Animal Feed Association, said that the movement of the market is unpredictable because of the coronavirus pandemic and continuing ASF risk as well as the climbing price of animal feed materials, which make up 80-85 per cent of the total expense of farming.

Binh said that animal feed production is controlled by importers and foreign businesses, while Vietnam only produces rice bran and cassava and has failed to develop areas to grow raw materials to produce feed because of poor productivity. The animal feed supply chain is also not comprehensive enough.

The dependence on imports and the sharp increase in global prices of raw materials due to crop failures, along with China buying record quantities, means input prices have increased sharply. The lack of empty containers, which are stuck in various ports around the world, has also increased the price of imported raw materials, Binh explained.

He also emphasised that all the maize used for production of animal feed is imported. Maize costs are rocketing the most recently due to prolonged dry weather in Brazil.

The price of the product has risen consecutively by 35 per cent over April and May, reaching a peak not seen since 2013. Additionally, the price of soybean has soared by 23 per cent and wheat by 12 per cent compared to earlier in the year.

Sharp increases

Supply has been affected by natural disasters, especially abnormal weather in the United States and South America, while the demand increased sharply, affecting the supply-demand balance of grain and feed ingredients.

Another important reason for the increase in corn prices is the strong demand in Asia, especially China, as the pig industry recovers and the demand for meat increases again as COVID-19 gradually passes, added Binh.

While the costs are increasing day by day, the selling price of live hogs has been declining to rock bottom over the last year at about VND68,000 ($2.95) per kg, down VND10-20,000 (43-87 cent) per kg over the first quarter of the year and earlier.

Explaining the drop in pork selling prices, Nguyen Van Trong, deputy general director of the Department of Livestock Husbandry at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in the first quarter, Vietnam imported around 34,600 tonnes of pork, a rise of 101 per cent on-year. Moreover, as farmers cannot suffer a sharp increase of animal feed consecutively over several months, they sell pigs as quickly as possible to cut losses.

Talking to VIR, a representative of Indonesian husbandry firm Japfa Comfeed Vietnam expressed the groups worries over farmer partners cutting down pig populations in their farms. It is serious if a large population declines, because it will lead to significant shrinkage in all production lines  from producing animal feed, breeding, and slaughtering, to processing, as well as affecting the jobs and income of hundreds or thousands of employees.

However, Trong of the Department of Livestock Husbandry emphasised, At a selling price under VND70,000 ($3), only big husbandry companies can be profitable because they produce and carry out business across all stages, while farmers have to depend on them totally.

Stellar profits

In fact, some of the biggest husbandry groups have recently revealed bumper profits. The annual report of Thai giant C.P. Vietnam highlighted that profit for the fiscal year 2020 reached $966.7 million, an improvement of 125 per cent on-year. Particularly, the agricultural business of the corporation generated $3.5 billion, up 25 per cent on-year, including $898.5 million of animal feed (up 1 per cent), $2.42 billion of breeding (up 36 per cent), and $155.4 million of food business (up 41 per cent). The profit of the corporation equals the leading manufacturers in Vietnam like Honda Vietnam (over $1 billion in 2019), and Samsung Electronics Vietnam ($1.2 billion in net profit).

Another local giant in husbandry, Dabaco Group, also reported huge profits in 2020 with VND10 trillion ($435 million) in revenues, up 39 per cent, VND1.4 trillion ($61 million) in net profit, almost five-fold that in 2019. Animal feed contributed VND3.1 trillion ($135 million), up 35 per cent, while breeding added VND5.94 trillion ($258.3 million), up 27 per cent.

The after-tax profit of these two areas were reported VND996 billion ($43.3 million) and VND1.045 trillion ($45.4 million), respectively, 4.6-fold and 13.7-fold those in 2019.

Phu Son Livestock JSC, a medium-sized company based in the southern province of Dong Nai, also reported business results much better than the yearly plan. Its revenue in 2020 was VND175 billion ($7.6 million), including VND86 billion ($3.7 million) of pre-tax profit, equivalent to surpassing by 53 per cent of the yearly revenue target, and 187 per cent of the yearly profit target.

One husbandry expert told VIR that the huge increases in animal feed prices should be questioned and that businesses may simply be trying to take advantage of the rise of raw material costs in order to gain more profits.
Chinese state media report that scientists are developing an inhalable, fine-mist COVID-19 vaccine.

The Chinese Food and Drug Administration has approved the vaccine for expanded clinical trials and is applying for emergency use of the vaccine.

Also in China, Sinovac Biotechs COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use for young people between the ages of 3 and 17, the companys chairman, Yin Weidong, said on state television Friday. Chinas current vaccination program is restricted to those 18 and older.

As Afghanistan attempts to beat back a surge in COVID cases, it has received the news that the 3 million doses of vaccines it was expecting from the World Health Organization in April will not arrive until August, according to the Associated Press.

Afghan health ministry spokesperson Ghulam Dastigir Nazari told AP that he has approached several embassies for help but has not received any vaccines. We are in the middle of a crisis, he said.

On Saturday, Indias health ministry reported 120,529 new COVID-19 cases in the previous 24-hours period, the lowest daily count of new infections in 58 days. More than 3,000 deaths were also recorded.

Britains Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Friday approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds.

The decision follows similar approvals by U.S. and European Union regulators.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock welcomed the news Friday and said he will wait for clinical advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization regarding how the vaccine should be administered. He said Britain should have enough supply of the vaccine to inoculate the nations adolescents.

Meanwhile, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky on Friday urged parents of adolescents in the United States to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible, following the release of a CDC report showing a spike in hospitalizations among 12- to 17-year-olds between January and April.

The study indicated one-third of those hospitalizations were intensive care patients and 5% of those patients had to be put on ventilators. Walensky said the figures saddened her and show that even young patients can get seriously ill from the virus that causes COVID-19.

Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Saturday more than 172 million global COVID infections. The U.S. has the most cases with 33.3 million, followed by India with 28.7 million and Brazil with nearly 17 million.
No Juneteenth Holiday in Kentucky This Year

By Kentucky News Network

Governor Andy Beshear urged the passage of such a bill as racial protests raged in the state last summer.

State Senators Robert Stivers, Damon Thayer, and Morgan Mcgarvey pledged to back such a bill, but none was ever filed.

Thayer says lawmakers weren't focused on ceremonial-type bills this year, but that the legislation could likely move forward next session.

Juneteenth is the day that signifies the end to slavery in the United States.

In 2005, the General Assembly passed an act that named June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day.

FRANKFORT - A Juneteenth state holiday is not being recognized in Kentucky this year because legislators failed to introduce a bill in the 2021 session to back the effort.
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unday marked the 77th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Frances Normandy region. Historians say the months-long battles that followed liberated Europe from Nazi Germany and gave the Allies the upper hand in World War Two. Arash Arabasadi reports
Former first lady Grace Mugabe has filed a notice for judicial review of traditional court proceedings that found her guilty for violating local customs at the Chinhoyi Magistrate Court yesterday.

Chief Zvimba, whose real name is Stanley Wurayayi Mhondoro, ruled last month that Mrs. Mugabe violated local customs by burying her husband, former president Robert Mugabe, in a coutyyard at his rural Zvimba home.

Chief Zvimba ruled that the remains of Zimbabwes first black leader should be exhumed and reburied at the National Heroes Acre in Harare on or before July 1, 2021.

But Mrs. Mugabe, through her lawyer Fungai Chimwamurombe, claimed that the proceedings followed when she was found guilty by Chief Zvimba were biased lacked locus standi, and there was an irregular service of summons, impropriety of relief granted and there was absence of jurisdiction as basis for review.

Mrs. Mugabe claims that Chief Zvimbas judgment has serious legal defects that must be corrected to attain justice.

We have identified critical procedural and substantive law defects that must be corrected by this court to attain real and substantial justice in the judicial process and additionally reign in the Community Court presiding officer from overstretching their lawful parameter as a judicial officer reads part of the notice for judicial review submitted in court.

Mrs. Mugabe said the chief was biased as the summons issued carried a sentence of five cattle and one goat.

The summons issued on the 29th of April 2021 by the Chief already had carried a sentence of five cattle and one goat. This was made before the attendance and later on conviction of Grace Mugabe.

She also cited the irregular service of summons. Further to the plethora of identified legal restrictions that Chief Zvimba faced, the summons were not even served in the required manner by the rules of the court  that a summons must only be served on a defendant or responsible person at their residence or place of work within the physical boundary of the courts jurisdiction. The summons that formulate the basis of this correspondence were served at our clients residential home in Borrowdale in Harare, she argues.

Mrs. Mugabe further claimed that Chief Zvimba failed to observe one of the cardinal principles of natural justice by making an order directing the disposal of property that belong to the estate of the late Robert Mugabe in the absence of the lawful custodian of such property

being the executor of the estate.

Chief Zvimba is also accused of imposing himself with territorial jurisdiction to the affairs of an area that he does not have any authority.

The matter will be heard in Chinhoyi courts at a date to be set.

Mrs. Mugabes children have already filed a court application seeking to overturn Chief Zvimbas ruling.

Chief Zvimba was unreachable for comment as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.
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DUBLIN, Ohio (AP)  Jon Rahm walked off the 18th green at the Memorial after tying the 54-hole record and building a six-shot lead, leaving him on the cusp of joining Tiger Woods as the only repeat winners.

Moments later, he doubled over and said in anguish, Not again!

Rahm was notified he tested positive for the coronavirus, knocking him out of the tournament.

A command performance, that included a hole-in-one Saturday morning to complete his second round, went to waste.

The PGA Tour said the Spaniard had come in close contact with a person who was COVID-19 positive, meaning he could play provided he was tested daily. Every test came back negative except the one after his second round that was completed Saturday morning.

The positive test was confirmed, the results returned as he was on the 18th green. Rahm was been asymptomatic all week.

He was withdrawn from the tournament, leaving Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa tied for the lead at 12-under 204.

Its kind of the worst situation for something like that to happen and he played awesome today and its just, its really a shame, Cantlay said.
People in North Huntsville celebrated Juneteenth, at an event Saturday afternoon meant to celebrate diversity, unity, and peace.

The event took place at the National Speleological Association and was put on by the North Huntsville Business Association. Their goal is to promote social, civic, and cultural events such as Juneteenth to help inspire economic development in North Huntsville.

Juneteenth is also known as freedom day, marking the emancipation of slaves in the United States. Although the holiday takes place on June 19th, people celebrate throughout the month of June.

The executive director of the North Huntsville Business Association says there is no better way to celebrate Juneteenth then by coming together as a community.

"We are so committed to bringing this community together. Unity, peace, diversity. That's what we're looking for. And this - hey what better way to celebrate Juneteenth that they did back in the day. You bring together people, you bring music, food, fun and togetherness. And that's what we wanted to do today," says Judy Hardin, executive director of the North Huntsville Business Association.

The event was in memory of Chris Kelley, the former owner of the Badd Newz BBQ food truck.

"He was the light and the glue of our family. So just seeing everybody come out here and support him and his food truck, it really means something to the whole family," says Chris's nephew, Labraun Kelley.

Chris passed away last year, but his family continues to operate the Badd Newz BBQ food truck, serving up pulled pork and turkey sandwiches Saturday afternoon in his honor.

The North Huntsville Business Association chose to remember Chris since he was a small minority business owner who was very connected to people in the community.

"My dad had a pretty close relationship with them, so the fact that they were doing this in memory of him it was real nice enough," says Chris's son, Joseph Kelley.

The executive director of the North Huntsville Business Association says celebrating Juneteenth is all about bringing the community together, and Chis's food did just that.

"We want to commemorate Chris Kelley for all the great things he's done, and the people they just loved his food so we won't ever forget about people who are doing that, and we just wanted to do that today and it's appropriate for Juneteenth," says Hardin.

Badd Newz BBQ has been operating as a food truck for eight years, but they're hoping to have a common area that people can eat at by the end of the year.
Radio coverage for mountain rescuers in North Wales boosted through help of fire service

Mountain rescuers in North Wales are set to benefit thanks to a project to provide critical radio communications coverage.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association have been working together at Cerrigydrudion Fire Station to supply coverage in Snowdon and the Llyn Brenig area.

North Wales Mountain Rescue Association is a representative body for the volunteer mountain, lowland, cave and search dog teams in North Wales.

Steve Morris from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: Early this year, the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association approached me to assist with the challenge of providing radio coverage for their volunteers in the area surrounding Llyn Brenig and south-eastern Snowdonia.





They identified Cerrigydrudion Fire Station as an ideal location for a radio repeater.

We already have high speed, secure public sector networks in all of our fire stations to enable split-second fire mobilisations and to allow our fire crew to use the computers.

Connected to that network is a radio repeater pointed at a wind turbine that then floods the surrounding area with signal.

Its very satisfying to squeeze extra value out of it at no extra cost, it just required some mutual creative thinking.

Gerald Davison, volunteer IT and comms lead for the association, who is also an on-call firefighter at Mold Fire Station, said: Its been great to work with Steve Morris and Matt Topp at the fire and rescue service to get this service up and running really quickly.

The alternative would have been an expensive connection for a small repeater site and as a small charity we could not afford the ongoing costs.

Tim Radford, chair of the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association, said: We are very grateful to North Wales Fire and Rescue Service for assisting the volunteer land search and rescue teams in North Wales.

We look forward to working together on other sites where we need network access, so we can better serve those in need in rural and mountain areas.

Steve added: Cerrigydrudion Fire Station now forms part of four linked radio repeaters providing coverage to the Llanberis North Wales Mountain Rescue Association team.

These four sites area part of a pilot that, if successful, will form part of a much larger network across North Wales.

Thanks to our participation in their project, Cerrigydrudion plays an important role in providing essential radio coverage.

Im excited to continue helping with my newly found colleagues at North Wales Mountain Rescue Association with their rollout.
Warning after fire crews attend Gresford property fire as cooking left unattended

The North Wales Fire & Rescue Service have issued a warning this morning after a call out in the early hours of today.

They were called at 12.50am this morning to a property in Gresford.

Two appliances from Wrexham attended the fire and a man was assisted from the property by fire service personnel.

The cause of the fire was cooking left unattended.





Group Manager Jami Jennings said: This incident highlights the consequences of leaving cooking unattended and the value of having a working smoke alarm in your property.

If youd like a free safe and well check for your property, please call us on 0800 169 1234 between 9-5 Monday-Friday or fill in our online form: http://ow.ly/I6zB50F3SM8 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-10 21:06:43|Editor: huaxia

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People are seen in downtown Nicosia, Cyprus on May 10, 2021. The Health Ministry of Cyprus issued a decree Monday, easing most coronavirus-related restrictions and introducing a SafePass for shops, restaurants and crowded events as well as on buses. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua)

NICOSIA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The Health Ministry of Cyprus issued a decree Monday, easing most coronavirus-related restrictions and introducing a SafePass for shops, restaurants and crowded events as well as on buses.

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said there is both optimism and concerns as the eastern Mediterranean island is gradually moving out of the pandemic crisis.

Shopping malls, department stores, retail, restaurants and cafes opened as of 5 a.m. on Monday, while a mandatory SMS message for an outing once a day was scrapped.

Instead, people must use a SafePass, which displays one of three documents: a certificate of vaccination with at least one dose of an European Union (EU) licensed vaccine, proof they had the virus in the past six months, or a negative test result for coronavirus.

A digital form of the SafePass will be ready within ten days, according to Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriakos Kokkinos.

He said it will be used temporarily for six to eight weeks until it is replaced by the introduction of the European Green Pass, which will be used by EU citizens for moving both inside their countries or travelling to any other EU country.

Ioannou said the relaxations introduced at the end of a two-week total lockdown is a big step towards normality after an improvement in the pandemic situation, but the minister also advised caution and prudence.

"There is an improvement in the picture, but we do not have the luxury for setbacks, so the public is asked to strictly comply with the relevant protocols," he said.

Cyprus is currently using vaccines licensed by the EU, including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.

Health Ministry officials said that China's Sinopharm vaccine, which has been approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use, could also be made available soon. Enditem
Mat Stone never imagined his experience working as a landscaper, personal trainer, tour guide and as a competitive cyclist would provide him with valuable skills he now uses working in aged care.

The 46-year-old saw a careers counsellor last year who advised him that his strength was in working with people. Aged care was suggested to him as a possible option.

I thought I might try that aged care gig and started studying and took a liking to the study, he said.

Aged care worker Mat Stone brings his many life experiences that include competitive cycling to his job.

I started working as a landscaper at the age of 19 and was juggling two jobs [landscaper and personal coach] for about 10 years. He also worked in tourism and was a competitive cyclist.
When the Art Gallery of NSW moved the opening of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes from September to June, it was bound to have consequences for the quality of the exhibitions. The 2021 Archibald season kicks off this weekend, less than five months after the closure of last years shows on 10 January.

This cavalier change of timetable caught many artists unawares. Instead of being able to choose between two or three pictures in progress, they were forced into a mad scramble to finish one. The results are easy to see in the rather flat nature of this years Archibald, and even more obvious in the annual Salon des Refuses at the S. H. Ervin Gallery.

Harley Manifolds portrait of another artist, Gareth Colliton, sitting in the bath, might be best described as a conversation piece

The Salon is selected from the vast body of hopefuls rejected by the Trustees of the AGNSW. With only 52 works hung from 938 Archibald entries, and 39 from 660 for the Wynne, one would expect the Salon judges were not short of options.

Nevertheless this years show is a disappointing affair, with a lot of average work and a few obvious duds. The Wynne landscapes are probably stronger than the Archibald portraits, which may be because many artists are full-time landscapists while genuine portraitists are rare. One doesnt have to make an appointment to paint the landscape, or listen to it complain that a likeness is not sufficiently flattering (theres something wrong with that tree).
She was with her sons father for five years but the couple broke up last year during the first COVID-19 lockdown. She has embryos in storage but they are in Europe; in order to use them, she would need consent from her ex-partner plus a travel exemption from the Australian government. Loading I used to imagine as a teenager that I would find my soulmate, have five kids and live happily ever after, and it just hasnt worked out that way, she said. Its not like I was out to catch a man and have a baby - I wanted to have a really amazing relationship and children would be the natural result of that. Now Im doing it in reverse order. When Ms Sweeney first tried to conceive, she thought she would still be fertile because she looked after her health and her mother and grandmother both had a later menopause.

She believes there should be an Australian egg bank and young women should be encouraged to freeze their eggs and also do a donation round at the same time. Loading Associate Professor Mark Bowman, the medical director of fertility clinic Genea, said to donate eggs, a woman must go through one round of IVF, taking medication and having a procedure to extract the eggs. Egg donation in Australia must be altruistic - meaning a woman cant be paid to donate her eggs - and it is usually only something women do for their family and friends. Dr Bowman said the same rules apply to any eggs imported from an overseas supplier such as the World Egg Bank on behalf of an Australian woman. IVF in Australia is subsidised by Medicare with no age limit. However some women head overseas for treatment to access donor eggs in countries where women can sell their eggs or to find a doctor willing to help them conceive with their own eggs when the woman has a low chance of success. There are also experimental treatments not available in Australia.

Most Australian IVF clinics report their results on the Your IVF Success website, launched by the federal government in February. Loading Dr Bowman was sceptical about the prospects of an Australian egg bank. How many responses has she got by putting up posters on telegraph poles? he said. If thousands of women have come forward, youve got yourself an egg bank. If she cant get one, thats telling you something. Sarah Dingle, the author of Brave New Humans, has seen the posters around the inner west and is concerned the advertisement does not mention the rights of the child, including the right to know their biological parents and any siblings.

Why not mention the rights of the child up front? Dingle said. To me thats the biggest thing with donor conception - it is the start of the conversation. Dingle, who was conceived with donor sperm, has previously addressed the United Nations about the rights of donor-conceived and surrogacy-born children. She believes there should be national regulation of the fertility industry. Dingle said she also found it deeply disturbing that the poster was seeking a woman aged 18 to 32 because no 18-year-old should be undergoing hormone treatment for a stranger. She pointed out Ms Sweeney would also need donor sperm. Emma Sweeneys notice. Credit:Janie Barrett Ms Sweeney says women in Generation X were sold the myth of being able to have it all, while some men the same age had been too cavalier about wasting a womans childbearing years.
An Australian citizen is lodging a complaint to the United Nations over the disappearance of his two brothers in Rwanda.

The complaint is being filed by Noel Zihabamwe and has gained the support of human rights barrister Jennifer Robinson, an Australian who is based in London. It also has the backing of the Australian Human Rights Institute at the University of NSW.

Human rights advocate and community leader Noel Zihabamwe. Credit:Louie Douvis

The complaint to the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances over the disappearances of the two men in Rwanda in 2019 alleges their plight represented a violation of basic human rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Ms Robinson said the UN was being asked to intervene with Rwanda to help locate Mr Zihabamwes brothers. Mr Zihabamwe moved to Australia on a humanitarian visa in 2006. He is now an Australian citizen, a human rights advocate, and a member of Sydneys Rwandan community.
Australias most dangerous and wanted crime bosses have organised themselves into a cartel earning an estimated $1.5 billion a year by smuggling drugs past the nations borders with the help of corrupt government officials and border insiders, the nation's peak criminal intelligence agency believes.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission says nine men, drawn mostly from Australian bikie gangs and Middle Eastern crime syndicates, make up what the agency has named the Aussie Cartel. The nine have been confidentially designated by the intelligence agency as Australian priority organisation targets after an assessment that they pose the gravest organised crime risk to the nation.

The cartels members are the baddest of the bad, according to the commissions chief executive, Michael Phelan, in an interview with The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes. He said they had significant influence over OMCGs [outlaw motorcycle gangs] in Australia and presented major threats to the integrity of our justice system and other government institutions.

Mr Phelan said the nine were all Australian, and shared supply routes and any corrupt networks they had. He estimated they were responsible for about one-third of the drug importations into our country.
Across the country states and territories were using about 84 per cent of their dose allocation.The ACT has used all its allocation so far. Victoria and Tasmania were next, at 93 per cent, while Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory were using the least, at 72,70 and 65 per cent respectively.

Western Australia has used 76 per cent, while NSW has used 72 per cent.

Vaccine Operations Centre boss Commodore Eric Young said there was no evidence to suggest that the states are stockpiling anything.

Theres approximately 4400 sites across the country, theres a raft of different reasons why doses may or may not be administered in each of those sites, the Commodore said.

We had seen over the last couple of weeks, utilisation, particularly in Victoria, rise dramatically. Based on that theres no evidence to suggest that theyre holding vaccine in reserve.

Professor Kelly said the federal government has always kept second dose supplies.

The states do not need to keep contingency, he said.
The Morrison government has placed religious freedom back on the political agenda, as Attorney-General Michaelia Cash restarts meetings with key stakeholders and church groups embark on a lobbying blitz to shape and enact the laws before the election.

Freedom for Faith, a lobby group run by law professor Patrick Parkinson, is organising a religious freedom weekend for June 11-13. Priests will use sermons to preach the need to protect religious freedom and parishioners are being urged to lobby their MPs about the urgency of the issue.

Attorney-General Michaelia Cash has restarted talks about the governments proposed Religious Discrimination Bill. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The group has also secured a meeting this week with Senator Cash, who has re-engaged with the issue after the pandemic put it on the backburner last year under predecessor Christian Porter.

As it stands the Religious Discrimination Bill would prohibit discrimination based on faith and provide greater freedom to individuals such as Israel Folau, as well as religious organisations and charities, to act on their beliefs.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-05 20:00:23|Editor: huaxia

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SAO PAULO, June 5 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian expert has lauded the decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) to approve China's CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.

In an interview with Xinhua, Ricardo Palacios, the director of clinical research at the Butantan Institute in Brazil, said, "The WHO's approval of China's CoronaVac is of great significance. It could allow greater access of the vaccines for countries that are part of the COVAX system."

The WHO recently validated Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine, assuring the world that it meets international standards for safety, efficacy, and manufacturing.

Palacios also hailed China's contribution of making its vaccines a global public good. He said, "This shows China's generosity in sharing this limited resource to help other countries control the epidemic, including countries in Latin America, which is one of the most affected regions in the world. This generosity is really impressive."





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
The NSW government wants the Commonwealth to build and run a dedicated quarantine facility in the state to help bring more Australians home.

The push from NSW comes just days after a deal was struck for a new centre in Melbourne, and follows Queenslands demand the federal government play a greater role in the quarantine system.

Health experts have been calling for months for more purpose-built facilities similar to the Howard Springs centre in Darwin.

Gladys Berejiklian and Scott Morrison.

The federal government is under mounting pressure to bring home the more than 30,000 Australians stuck overseas, and explain how and when Australia can begin to open its borders to accept international students and skilled workers.
When then-Prime Minister Paul Keating dedicated his 1993 election victory to the nations true believers, a very young Chris Minns was listening.

To living rooms across Australia, the Labor legend spoke of imagination and faith, good beliefs and opportunity for all.

I was 13 and Keating pulled it off when no one thought he would. The vision, the charisma, was one in a million. Ive been pretty hooked ever since, Mr Minns said.

Keating talked about the art of the possible. I found everything about him inspiring and it made you like politics, not recoil.
The mother of two of the girls told Portuguese news agency Lusa she passed out when she learnt her daughters had been abused. My girls said it happened to everyone. But nobody said anything, she said. A scandal of enormous proportions in a country that is almost universally Catholic, observers believe it could be the tipping point for other victims of abuse to come forward in East Timor. But the road to the five-day hearing in Oecusse, due to start on Monday, has been plagued by concerns of political interference and about mudslinging and counterclaims by the church itself in East Timor. Prosecutors have also twice been replaced. Daschbach at Topu Honis in 2010. Credit:AP On top of that, there have been three delays to the trial  the latest last month when Daschbach, under house arrest in Dili, failed to show up, citing the COVID-19 outbreak  which have exacerbated the psychological trauma of victims, according to the human rights law firm representing them.

Hamilton, who flew to Dili with fellow Australian donor Jan McColl when they were first alerted to allegations of abuse in March 2018, has been seeking justice for the 15 complainants and the many more he believes are out there for more than three years now. It is a journey that has taken him to Rome, the headquarters of the Society of the Divine Word, or SVD, the churchs largest missionary order. It defrocked Daschbach three years ago after the priest confessed to the abuse. Daschbachs handwritten note. Credit: In a note he wrote to the order, contained as part of a letter sent by Hamilton to Archbishop of Brisbane Mark Coleridge on September 15 last year, Daschbach said the victims could be anyone from about 2012 back to 1991, which is a long time. Hundreds of girls lived at the shelter during those years and before its opening Daschbach had been in East Timor since the 1960s.

It is impossible for me to remember even the faces of many of them, let alone the names  who the victims are I havent the faintest idea, the priest wrote in the letter, which was dated March 15, 2018. I will fully comply with any measure [penalties] that will be imposed. Hamilton and McColl said Daschbach owned up to the abuse when they confronted him in Dili that month. He just admitted everything ... [he said] this is who I am, Ive always been this way, Hamilton said. He went into great detail about how he slept with the girls, he masturbated them, he had oral sex with them but there was never sexual penetration. That [last part] proved to be a lie. I was physically ill, I just left, said Hamilton, whose firm Logix Engineering began supporting the shelter financially in 2014.

While Daschbach was swiftly removed by the Society of the Divine Word, who picked him up on a helicopter and then laicised him, his criminal prosecution has been more complicated, with influential forces at play. Among them has been the Catholic Church. The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dilis Justice and Peace Commission filed a report last year that rubbished the claims against Daschbach. It also named the victims and alleged that NGOs and supporters that had helped the girls had been involved in organised crime, human trafficking, and exploitation of children by having them medically examined and said they were guilty of the crime of justice mafia. Lawyers for the victims sued the church for defamation while the priest who signed the report was sacked by Dili Archbishop Virgilio do Carmo da Silva as director of the Justice and Peace Commission. Hamilton, however, says the church and the order have not supported victims, who have been the targets of intimidation, largely online. Children sifting rice at the shelter. Credit:AP

Attempts to speak to Archbishop da Silva in Dili were not successful but Father William Burt of the SVB said the order had been offering financial support to victims but had been thwarted by a lack of co-operation from those now running the shelter. Daschbach was kicked out of our order as soon as the child abuse came to light. He has no support from us at all ... we want the man to be brought to justice, Father Burt said. The SVBs representatives in Dili have also discussed helping the victims with East Timors Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity Signi Verdial, according to a memo sent to the orders global chief in Rome in March. But the memo said that the case had been politicised so much that the children at Topu Honis are not ready to accept anyone there. The role of former president Xanana Gusmao in backing Daschbach has been the subject of great intrigue. The national icon appeared as a witness for the church in the defamation hearing, was pictured feeding birthday cake to the disgraced priest in January and in February took the twice-weekly 13-hour ferry from Dili to Oecusse with Daschbach and his entourage. The discredited Justice and Peace Commission report also said Gusmao had made a courtesy visit to the Topu Honis shelter on August 29 last year that has been questioned by lawyers from JUS Juridico Social, the firm representing the victims.

The Herald and The Age could not contact Gusmao, with his close adviser Tomas Cabral and the media officer for his party, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, not returning calls or messages. Xanana Gusmao, right, gives a fist bump to Daschbach, after a court hearing in Oecusse in February. Credit:AP The court clerk in Oecusse, Julio Nunes, said Daschbach was supposed to travel there from Dili on Saturday, two days before the hearing was due to resume, after failing to appear last month. However, on Friday Nunes said he did think that would be the case now because there is no plane and he was unsure whether Daschbach was coming by ferry or whether he could appear by videoconference. Daschbachs lead counsel, Pedro Aparicio, also did not return a call and text. If and when the trial does go ahead before a three-judge panel, it will be before a closed court and Hamilton is eagerly awaiting the outcome from Australia. Loading
Greenville, North Carolina: Former president Donald Trump has sharply attacked US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, demanded reparations from China and denounced an investigation into his finances in a speech in North Carolina.

Speaking in Greenville, North Carolina, at the states Republican Party convention, Trump joined a chorus of Republican politicians who are criticising Fauci for asking Americans to wear masks to guard against the virus and who at times has been sceptical of a theory that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

Former president Donald Trump criticised infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci at the North Carolina Republican Convention. Credit:AP

Trump called Fauci not a great doctor but a great promoter for his frequent television appearances. But hes been wrong on almost every issue and he was wrong on Wuhan and the lab also, Trump said.

The origin of the virus remains hotly contested and remains under study by US intelligence agencies.
Wilmington, DE (19810)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Rain early. Scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 63F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
The items were discovered when authorities executed a search warrant at a home on Maryland Avenue in New Albany, Indiana.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 00:59:11|Editor: huaxia

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Flood-trapped villagers receive distributed food on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on June 5, 2021. The death toll from Sri Lanka's inclement weather conditions rose to 10 Saturday evening while 219,027 people were affected, the country's Disaster Management Center said. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

COLOMBO, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Sri Lanka's inclement weather conditions rose to 10 Saturday evening while 219,027 people were affected, the country's Disaster Management Center said.

According to the latest official statistics, eight districts had been severely affected by days of heavy rains and strong winds while 15,499 people had been moved to safer locations.

The Navy said earlier on Saturday that navy teams which had been deployed for emergency rescue operations had rescued 29 people trapped by floods in the Puttalam District in northwester Sri Lanka.

According to the Navy media unit, the 29 people including women and children were from 10 families. They were trapped by rising flood waters in their areas and had sent out a distress call.

A landslide warning also had been issued for some districts.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed officials to provide immediate relief for all people affected by adverse weather conditions while the Irrigation Department has issued a flood warning in several districts.

The Meteorology Department in the latest weather report said that heavy falls of 150 mm could be expected over the weekend and the public were urged to be cautious especially from heavy lightning.

The department further said wind speeds were expected to increase up to 50 to 55 km per hour in northern, north central and northwestern provinces. Enditem
Photos of Alesia Walker, left, and Alexis Walker, who were last seen Saturday, June 5, 2021, at Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Ky. (Photos courtesy of Crystal Walker)
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the annual Endeavour Fund Awards in London, Thursday, March 5, 2020. The second baby for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is officially here: Meghan gave birth to a healthy girl on Friday, June 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, file)
Why has the United States, believed to have the worlds greatest cyber capabilities, looked so powerless to protect its citizens from these kind of criminals operating with near impunity out of Russia and allied countries?
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.


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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 03:00:19|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 21, 2020 shows the U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Calling it a "significant, unprecedented" commitment, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the global minimum tax would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporate taxation, and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the United States and around the world.

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations have agreed to support new rules that will achieve a global minimum tax rate of at least 15 percent, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Saturday.

Calling it a "significant, unprecedented" commitment, Yellen said in a statement that the global minimum tax would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporate taxation, and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the United States and around the world.

"The global minimum tax would also help the global economy thrive, by leveling the playing field for businesses and encouraging countries to compete on positive bases," she said.

The British Treasury, meanwhile, said in a statement that the principle of at least 15 percent global minimum corporation tax operated on a country by country basis creates a more level playing field for British firms and cracks down on tax avoidance.

The G7 agreement came about two weeks after the U.S. Treasury Department said it had proposed that the global minimum tax rate should be at least 15 percent, noting that the final rate could go even higher.

The G7 Finance Ministers' meeting took place in London on June 4-5. 
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Rob Mellon is currently the Executive Director of the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County and an U.S. Army Reserve Officer serving as an instructor with the University of Missouri ROTC program. He has served 27 years in the United States Army. He is on the Board of Directors of the Ulysses S. Grant Tail Association.

The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County is preserving the Governor John Wood Mansion, the History Museum on the Square, the 1835 Log Cabin, the Livery, the Lincoln Gallery displays, and a collection of artifacts and documents that tell the story of who we are. This award-winning column is written by members of the Society. For more information visit hsqac.org or email info@hsqac.org.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 03:13:52|Editor: huaxia

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LOS ANGELES, June 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Los Angeles County authorities said investigations were being conducted after videos emerged on social media showing innocent Asian passengers were slapped in their faces on the local metro system.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a statement Friday that it on June 3 took note of the Instagram video recording at least two Asian riders were separately attacked.

The authority said it was working to gather more information about exactly when and where the assault occurred, and who filmed the footage, adding investigators would determine if the victims were singled out because of their race and the possibility that the incidents constitute hate crimes.

"Metro has a zero-tolerance policy for any acts of violence against customers or employees. We strongly and unequivocally condemn any offenses done in the name of race, religion, sex or national origin," the agency's CEO, Stephanie Wiggins, said in the statement.

Blake Chow, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department's Transit Services Bureau, was quoted by the local KTLA 5 news channel as saying that detectives were collecting proofs like what somebody heard on a train or something the suspects said to the victims.

Metro said it was also running a "Stop Asian Hate" campaign that includes advertisements on its buses and trains. Enditem




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Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

Cloudy early, then thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 80F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
NIAMEY, Niger (AP)  Gunmen killed at least 100 people in a northern Burkina Faso village, the government said Saturday, in what was the countrys deadliest attack in years.

NIAMEY, Niger (AP)  Gunmen killed at least 100 people in a northern Burkina Faso village, the government said Saturday, in what was the countrys deadliest attack in years.

The attack took place Friday evening in Solhan village, in the Sahels Yagha province, government spokesman Ousseni Tamboura said in a statement blaming jihadists. The local market and several homes were also burned down in the area toward the border of Niger, he said.

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore called the attack barbaric.

This is the deadliest attack recorded in Burkina Faso since the West African country was overrun by jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State about five years ago, said Heni Nsaibia, senior researcher at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

It is clear that militant groups have shifted up gears to aggravate the situation in Burkina Faso, and moved their efforts to areas outside the immediate reach of the French-led counter-terrorism coalition fighting them in the tri-state border region, he said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Despite the presence of more than 5,000 French troops in the Sahel, jihadist violence is increasing. In one week in April, more than 50 people were killed in Burkina Faso, including two Spanish journalists and an Irish conservationist. More than 1 million people in the country have been internally displaced.

A local who did not want to be named, fearing for his safety, was visiting relatives in a medical clinic in Sebba town, approximately 12 kilometers from where the attacks occurred. He said he saw many wounded people enter the clinic.

I saw 12 people in one room and about 10 in another. There were many relatives caring for the wounded. There were also many people running from Solhan to enter Sebba....People are very afraid and worried, he told the Associated Press by phone.

The government has declared 72 hours of mourning.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was outraged by the killings and offered the world body's full support to authorities in their efforts to overcome the threats to the peace and stability in Burkina Faso according to his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

He strongly condemns the heinous attack and underscores the urgent need for the international community to redouble support to Member States in the fight against violent extremism and its unacceptable human toll, Dujarric said in a statement.

Islamic extremists have been increasingly staging assaults in Burkina Faso, especially in the region that borders Niger and Mali.

Last month, gunmen killed at least 30 people in eastern Burkina Faso near the border with Niger.

Burkina Fasos ill-equipped army has been struggling to contain the spread of jihadists. The government enlisted the help of volunteer fighters last year to help the army, but the volunteers have incurred retaliation by extremists who target them and the communities they help.

Mali also is experiencing a political crisis that has led to the suspension of international support. France has said it is ceasing joint military operations with Malian forces until the West African nations junta complies with international demands to restore civilian rule.
VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his pain over the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 Indigenous students of church-run residential schools and pressed religious and political authorities to shed light on this sad affair. But he didnt offer the apology sought by the Canadian prime minister.

Pope Francis speaks from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at The Vatican to a crowd of faithful and pilgrims gathered for the Sunday Angelus noon prayer, Sunday, June 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his pain over the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 Indigenous students of church-run residential schools and pressed religious and political authorities to shed light on this sad affair. But he didnt offer the apology sought by the Canadian prime minister.

Francis, in remarks to faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, also called on the authorities to foster healing but made no reference to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's insistence, two days earlier, that the Vatican apologize and take responsibility.

From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools, the majority of them run by Roman Catholic missionary congregations, in a campaign to assimilate them into Canadian society.

The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant in the schools, with students beaten for speaking their native languages.

Ground-penetrating radar was used to confirm the remains of the children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, last month. The school was Canada's largest such facility and was operated by the Catholic Church between 1890 and 1969.

Pope Francis speaks from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square at The Vatican to a crowd of faithful and pilgrims gathered for the Sunday Angelus noon prayer, Sunday, June 6, 2021. Pope Francis has expressed sorrow over the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 boarding school students but didn't offer the apology sought by the Canadian prime minister. Francis in public remarks on Sunday called on political and church authorities to work to shed light on this sad affair and to foster healing. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

"I am following with pain the news that arrives from Canada about the upsetting discovery of the remains of 215 children," Francis said in his customary Sunday noon remarks to the public.

I join with the Canadian bishops and the entire Catholic Church in Canada in expressing my closeness to the Canadian people traumatized by the shocking news,'' Francis said.

This sad discovery adds to the awareness of the sorrows and sufferings of the past," he added.

Trudeau on Friday blasted the church for being silent and not stepping up, and called on it to formally apologize and to make amends for its prominent role in his nations former system of church-run Indigenous residential schools.

He noted that when he met with Francis at the Vatican in 2017, he had asked him to move forward on apologizing and on making records available. But, Trudeau said, were still seeing resistance from the church, possibly from the church in Canada.

Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia has said her nation wants a public apology from the Catholic Church. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, which ran nearly half of Canadas residential schools, has yet to release any records about the Kamloops school, she also said.

Francis comments spoke of healing but not of apology.

May the political and religious authorities continue to collaborate with determination to shed light on this sad affair and to commit humbly to a path of reconciliation and healing, Francis said.

These difficult moments represent a strong call to distance ourselves from the colonial model and from todays ideological colonizing and to walk side by side in dialogue, in mutual respect and in recognizing rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada, the pope said.

Let's entrust to the Lord the souls of all those children, deceased in the residential schools of Canada,'' the pontiff added. "Let us pray for the families and for the indigenous Canadian communities overcome by sorrow. Francis then asked the public in the square below his window to join him in silent prayer.

Last week, the Vatican spokesman didn't respond to requests for comment about the demands for a formal apology from the pope.

On Wednesday, Vancouver Archbishop Michael Miller tweeted his "deep apology and profound condolences to the families and communities that have been devastated by this horrific news. The churchman, who leads Catholics in that British Columbia archdiocese, added that the church was "unquestionably wrong in implementing a government colonialist policy which resulted in devastation for children, families and communities.

The United, Presbyterian and Anglican churches have apologized for their roles in the abuse, as has the Canadian government, which has offered compensation.

Among the many recommendations of a government-established Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a papal apology.

In 2009, then Pope Benedict XVI met with former students and survivors and told them of his personal anguish over their suffering. But his words weren't described as an apology.
COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP)  When the sun rises over Omaha Beach, revealing vast stretches of wet sand extending toward distant cliffs, one starts to grasp the immensity of the task faced by Allied soldiers on June 6, 1944, landing on the Nazi-occupied Normandy shore.

A World War II reenactor pays tribute to a soldier on Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Normandy, Sunday, June 6, 2021, the day of 77th anniversary of the assault that helped bring an end to World War II. While France is planning to open up to vaccinated visitors starting next week, that comes too late for the D-Day anniversary. So for the second year in a row, most public commemoration events have been cancelled. (AP Photo/David Vincent)

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP)  When the sun rises over Omaha Beach, revealing vast stretches of wet sand extending toward distant cliffs, one starts to grasp the immensity of the task faced by Allied soldiers on June 6, 1944, landing on the Nazi-occupied Normandy shore.

The 77th anniversary of D-Day was marked Sunday with several events to commemorate the decisive assault that led to the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi control, and honor those who fell.

These are the men who enabled liberty to regain a foothold on the European continent, and who in the days and weeks that followed lifted the shackles of tyranny, hedgerow by Normandy hedgerow, mile by bloody mile," Britain's ambassador to France, Lord Edward Llewellyn, said at the inauguration of a new British monument to D-Day's heroes.

World War II enthusiast stands on the beach at dawn on Omaha Beach, Normandy, Sunday, June 6, 2021, the day of 77th anniversary of the assault that helped bring an end to World War II. While France is planning to open up to vaccinated visitors starting next week, that comes too late for the D-Day anniversary. So for the second year in a row, most public commemoration events have been cancelled. (AP Photo/David Vincent)

On D-Day, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword and Gold, carried by 7,000 boats. This year on June 6, the beaches stood vast and nearly empty as the sun emerged, exactly 77 years since the dawn invasion.

For the second year in a row, anniversary commemorations are marked by virus travel restrictions that prevented veterans or families of fallen soldiers from the U.S., Britain, Canada and other Allied countries from making the trip to France. Only a few officials were allowed exceptions.

At the newly-built British Normandy Memorial near the village of Ver-sur-Mer, bagpipes played memorial tunes and warplanes zipped overhead trailing red-white-and-blue smoke. Socially distanced participants stood in awe at the solemnity and serenity of the site, providing a spectacular and poignant view over Gold Beach and the English Channel.

The new monument pays tribute to those under British command who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy.

Veterans sing as they watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England, Sunday, June 6, 2021. Several ceremonies are scheduled on Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day that led to the liberation of France and Europe from the German occupation. On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on code-named beaches, carried by 7,000 boats. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

A text carved on the wall writes: They died so that Europe might be free.

Visitors stood to salute the more than 22,000 men and women, mostly British soldiers, whose names are etched on its stone columns. Giant screens showed D-Day veterans gathered simultaneously at Britains National Memorial Aboretum to watch the Normandy event remotely. Prince Charles, speaking via video link, expressed regret that he couldn't attend in person.

On June 6, 1944, In the heart of the mist that enveloped the Normandy Coast ... was a lightning bolt of freedom," French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the ceremony. France does not forget. France is forever grateful.

Charles Shay, a Penobscot Native American who landed as an U.S. army medic on June 6, 1944 and now calls Normandy home, was the only surviving D-Day veteran at the Ver-sur-Mer ceremony.

A D-Day veteran arrives to watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England, Sunday June 6, 2021. Several ceremonies are scheduled on Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day that led to the liberation of France and Europe from the German occupation. On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on code-named beaches, carried by 7,000 boats. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Another veteran of the Battle of Normandy, British Capt. David Mylchreest, was also present. He landed with his team in Normandy on June 12, 1944, to replace officers who had died in the first days of the fight.

Shay then took part in a commemoration at the American Cemetery later in the day in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach, in the presence of officials from the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany and other allied countries.

The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

Most public events have been canceled, and the official ceremonies were limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

D-Day veterans arrive to watch the official opening of the British Normandy Memorial in France via a live feed, during a ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England, Sunday June 6, 2021. Several ceremonies are scheduled on Sunday to commemorate the 77th anniversary of D-Day that led to the liberation of France and Europe from the German occupation. On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 Allied troops landed on code-named beaches, carried by 7,000 boats. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Denis van den Brink, a WWII expert working for the town of Carentan, site of a strategic battle near Utah Beach, acknowledged the big loss, the big absence is all the veterans who couldnt travel.

That really hurts us very much because they are all around 95, 100 years old, and we hope theyre going to last forever. But, you know... he said.

At least we remain in a certain spirit of commemoration, which is the most important, he told The Associated Press.

Over the anniversary weekend, many local residents have come out to visit the monuments marking the key moments of the fight and show their gratitude to the soldiers. French World War II history enthusiasts, and a few travelers from neighboring European countries, could also be seen in jeeps and military vehicles on the small roads of Normandy.

Some reenactors came to Omaha Beach in the early hours of the day to pay tribute to those who fell that day, bringing flowers and American flags.

On D-Day, 4,414 Allied troops lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Normandy has more than 20 military cemeteries holding mostly Americans, Germans, French, British, Canadians and Polish troops who took part in the historic battle.

Dignitaries stressed the importance of keeping D-Day's legacy alive for future generations.

In the face of the threats of today, we should act together and show unity," Parly said, "so that the peace and freedom last.

Nicolas Garriga contributed to this report from Ver-sur-Mer.

A previous version of this story corrected the British ambassadors last name to Llewellyn, not Llewelyn.
French health authorities are racing to contain scattered cases of the more contagious delta virus variant, as France prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors and celebrates plunging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates.

People enjoy the outdoors at a cafe terrace in Paris, France, Saturday, June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

French health authorities are racing to contain scattered cases of the more contagious delta virus variant, as France prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors and celebrates plunging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that France has multiple clusters of the variant, first identified in India and believed to be fueling a rise in infections in neighboring Britain, notably in the southwest Landes region. Speaking on BFM television, Veran said the variant hadnt spread widely into the community and that health investigators are working to track cases.

Overall, he insisted, the epidemic situation continues to strongly improve around the country, but said the government isnt preparing to lift mask requirements anytime soon. With growing numbers of people packing into Paris' sidewalk cafes, parks and riverside quays, Veran warned that its too early for people to let down their guard, notably until more are fully vaccinated.

The French public health agencys latest weekly epidemiological report shows a sustained drop in virus infections, hospitalization rates and deaths even after France started reopening schools, stores, and restaurants last month. More than half the adult population has had at least one vaccine dose, and 23% are fully vaccinated.

Emboldened by signs the virus is receding, one of the world's most-visited countries is reopening borders to vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and much of the world starting Wednesday.

People relax by the Bassin de la Villette Canal, in Paris, France, Saturday, June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

The delta variant is now dominant in Britain, and its spread has prompted France and some other countries to impose new restrictions on visitors from the U.K.. Britains public health agency said early evidence suggests there may be an increased risk of hospital admission from the delta variant.

The French health agency reported cases of the delta variant in multiple French regions, most linked to people arriving from India. While case numbers remain low, the agency said, the multiplication of episodes ... augments the risk of local transmission of this variant.

France has registered more virus cases than any country in Europe and among the worlds highest virus-related death tolls, at more than 109,000 lives lost.

People enjoy a ride with a small boat on La Villette Canal, in Paris, France, Saturday, June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Follow APs pandemic coverage at:

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP)  Adrian is trying to settle in to his third new city since 2016, when his wife was raped and mother was killed in Haiti. He will go anywhere but home.

FILE - A Haitian man listening to music leans against a wall with the Mexican national flag and a framed image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, as he waits for a bed at the Padre Chava migrant shelter Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, in Tijuana, Mexico.Though Haitians living in the U.S. rejoiced when a recent extension was granted, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pointedly noted that it doesn't apply to Haitians outside the U.S. and said those who enter the country may be flown home. That means bleak choices for many Haitians who fled Haiti sometime after a 2010 earthquake, initially escaping to South America and later to Mexican cities that border the United States. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP)  Adrian is trying to settle in to his third new city since 2016, when his wife was raped and mother was killed in Haiti. He will go anywhere but home.

Why do they send us back to Haiti? he said outside a cheap Mexican hotel blocks from the border with El Paso, Texas, where he was living with his wife and about 20 other Haitians last month. "We don't have anything there. There's no security. ... I need a solution to not be sent back to my country.

Haitians rejoiced when U.S. Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced last month an 18-month extension of protections for Haitians living in the United States, citing "serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The reprieve benefits an estimated 100,000 people who came after a devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti and are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which gives a temporary haven to people fleeing countries struggling with civil strife or natural disasters.

Mayorkas noted that it doesn't apply to Haitians outside the U.S. and said those who enter the country may be flown home. To qualify, Haitians must have been in the United States on May 21.

The Biden administration has dismayed some pro-immigration allies by sharply increasing repatriation flights to Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The government chartered 14 flights in February and 10 in March, more than any other destination, before tapering off to six flights in April, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement flights.

Removals have continued despite Haiti's political and humanitarian crises cited by U.S. officials in their decision to extend Temporary Protected Status. Kidnappings have become commonplace. UNICEF expects child malnutrition to double this year as an indirect consequence of the pandemic in a country where 1.1 million are already going hungry.

Adrian, who spoke on condition that his last name not be published to protect his wife's identity, is among legions of Haitians who fled the Caribbean nation sometime after the 2010 earthquake. Many initially escaped to South America. He went to Chile, while others went to Brazil.

As construction jobs for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro ended and Brazil descended into political turmoil, many Haitians crossed 10 countries by plane, boat, bus and foot to get to San Diego, where U.S. authorities let them in on humanitarian grounds. But then-President Barack Obama shifted course and began deporting Haitian arrivals in 2016. Many then started calling Mexico home.

Haitian restaurants opened in Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, serving mangoes and mashed plantains. Factories that export to the U.S. recruited Haitians, who also wait tables and worship at congregations that have added services in Creole.

In recent months, some Haitians have moved from Tijuana to Ciudad Juarez, another large border city with jobs at export-driven factories. They're driven by job prospects, hopes of less racial discrimination and a temptation to cross what they perceive to be less-guarded stretches of border.

The shift was evident Feb. 3 when U.S. authorities expelled dozens of Haitians to Ciudad Juarez, an apparent violation of pandemic-related powers that deny a right to seek asylum. Under the public health rules, only people from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador can quickly be sent back to Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has acknowledged the Haitian expulsions but not explained why they were done.

They are in transit, said Nicole Phillips, legal director of Haitian Bridge Alliance, an advocacy group. It's very much a transitory population. They may start out in Tijuana and shift eastward. Other times they start east and shift to Tijuana.

Adrian, 34, said he saw racial discrimination in Chile and Tijuana, where he worked in data entry for a company that assembled neck braces and other medical devices. He said he saw Mexicans getting paid more than twice as much for the same work.

He lost his job when his temporary work visa expired and heard that Ciudad Juarez had work. A straight shot by bus, he decided to take another chance on a new life.

During his first week in Ciudad Juarez last month, Adrian asked downtown merchants to let him sell items on the streets, which are still half-empty amid COVID-19. No one let him. Factories are known to hire foreigners, but he no longer had a work permit.

Adrian wants to settle in Ciudad Juarez and save money, saying he may try to get to the U.S. one day. For now, he fears being sent back Haiti too much to risk applying for asylum or enter the country illegally.

A scar on the back of his head is from being pistol-whipped by an attacker in 2016, he says, and one on his left hand is from being tied up. He said his mother was targeted at her home and killed because she refused to participate in rallies for the Tet Kale party, whose presidential candidate, Jovenel Moise, won the 2016 election.

Adrian believes the men who killed her and assaulted his wife worked for party bosses. He recognized one and went to the police, but nothing came of it.

Haiti has long been wracked by poverty and violence. In April, then-Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe resigned amid a spike in killings.

Other Haitians staying at the hotel with Adrian also had left Tijuana. Some said they would stay and try to find work; others said they wanted to go to the United States.

Some people who have been sent back to Haiti simply save for another attempt to cross into the U.S.

Ive been back in Haiti over nine months now. Im struggling to stay alive, said a mechanic in Port-au-Prince who was caught by border agents in South Texas. Soon as I crossed into the U.S., police picked us up, and the guide was nowhere to be found.

The 27-year-old man spoke on the condition of anonymity because he plans on crossing the border again. He said his training as a mechanic hasn't gotten him work in Haiti, though he plied his trade from Chile to Guatemala on his journey to the U.S.

Jean-Piere, another Haitian migrant who was trained as a mechanical engineer and spoke on condition that his last name not be published for safety reasons, spent two years in Tijuana. After moving to Ciudad Juarez and failing to find a job, he said he wants to go to the United States. He carries a folder with documents for an eventual asylum case.

He said his father died due to political problems stemming from his work for Haitis governing party.

I cant go back to my country," Jean-Piere said.

Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince contributed to this report.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  With Kamala Harris visiting Guatemala and Mexico on her first foreign trip as vice president, the Biden administration is expected to announce new measures to fight smuggling and trafficking, and hopes to announce additional anti-corruption efforts as well on Monday, a senior administration official said.

Vice President Kamala Harris waves goodbye prior boarding Air Force Two at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, June 6, 2021, en route to Guatemala City. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  With Kamala Harris visiting Guatemala and Mexico on her first foreign trip as vice president, the Biden administration is expected to announce new measures to fight smuggling and trafficking, and hopes to announce additional anti-corruption efforts as well on Monday, a senior administration official said.

The official, who briefed reporters traveling with Harris on Sunday, spoke on condition of anonymity to preview announcements before they have been made public. No further details were provided.

Harris has been tasked by President Joe Biden with addressing the root causes of the spike in migration to the U.S.-Mexico border, and her aides say corruption will be a central focus of her meetings with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday and Mexicos Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday.

Corruption really does sap the the wealth of any country, and in Central America is at a scale where it is a large percentage of GDP across the region, said special envoy Ricardo Zuniga.

We see corruption as one of the most important root causes to be dealt with, Zuniga added.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with United States Air Force Lt. Col. Neil Senkowski before boarding Air Force Two as she leaves Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, June 6, 2021, en route to Guatemala City. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The trip got off to a rocky start when Harris' plane returned to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland about 30 minutes after takeoff because of what her spokesperson said was a problem with the landing gear. She departed on another plane and landed late Sunday in in Guatemala City, where she was met by Foreign Minister Pedro Brolo.

Harris is seeking to secure commitments from Guatemala and Mexico for greater cooperation on border security and economic investment, and aides say she will also discuss vaccine sharing during her meetings. But corruption in the region  a far more intractable challenge  will complicate her efforts.

Its already had a significant impact on her work in Central America. Harris has yet to engage substantively with the leaders of Honduras and El Salvador, who are both embroiled in corruption scandals.

Giammattei has faced criticism over corruption within his own government. Zuniga acknowledged that the U.S. government faces a challenge in working with him but argued Harris was in the country in part to have a direct conversation with the president about this and other issues.

The best way to deal with these cases where you have a very complex relationship in a country like Guatemala is to talk clearly and plainly as partners, as countries that have to get along he said.

Harris has laid out an approach centered on creating better opportunities and living conditions in the region through humanitarian and economic aid. She announced plans to send $310 million to provide support for refugees and address food shortages, and recently secured commitments from a dozen companies and organizations to invest in the Northern Triangle countries to promote economic opportunity and job training.

Vice President Kamala Harris, center, makes a double thumbs up sign toward members of the media after exiting Air Force Two after a technical issue required the plane to return to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, June 6, 2021, after it had already started begun flying to Guatemala City. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Washington won some goodwill through its vaccine diplomacy this past week. Giammattei and Lopez Obrador both received calls from Harris on Thursday telling them the U.S. would be sending 500,000 doses and 1 million doses, respectively, of COVID-19 vaccine.

While in Guatemala, Harris also plans to meet community leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. In Mexico, she will speak with female entrepreneurs and hold a roundtable with labor workers.

Shes underscored the need to address corruption in public remarks and events. In a May meeting with a number of leading voices on Guatemala's justice system, she noted her work as a prosecutor and said that injustice is a root cause of migration.

Part of giving people hope is having a very specific commitment to rooting out corruption in the region, she said.

Harris has also raised the issue during virtual meetings with the leaders of both countries, and aides say she will do it again during meetings on her trip. During their past conversations, they have discussed areas of mutual interest  improving port security, combatting smuggling networks, going after corrupt actors  and the goal of this trip is to turn that talk into action, aides say.

While the vice president will make announcements concerning new efforts at cooperation and new programs, shes not expected to announce any new aid during her trip.

Vice President Kamala Harris boards Air Force Two as she leaves Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, June 6, 2021, en route to Guatemala City. Shortly after the plane was returned to the Air Force Base due to a technical issue. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

While in Latin America, Harris will also have to navigate the politics of immigration. Congressional Republicans have criticized both Biden and Harris for deciding not to visit the border, and contend the administration is ignoring what they say is a crisis there. April was the second-busiest month on record for unaccompanied children encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border, following Marchs all-time high. The Border Patrols total encounters in April were up 3% from March, marking the highest level since April 2000.

Conservatives will be watching Harris closely for any missteps, hoping to drag her into further controversy on an issue that they see as a political winner.

In her efforts to win commitments on corruption from the region's leaders, Harris can point to a number of moves by the Biden administration last week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the problem during his own recent trip to Central America. The White House issued a memo elevating foreign corruption to a major national security issue, and directed all federal agencies to prioritize it and modernize their foreign corruption-fighting tools.

Eric Olson, director of policy at the Seattle International Foundation, which works to promote good governance in Central America, said that addressing corruption will take particular diplomatic skill. Harris will need to hold the leaders of Guatemala and Mexico accountable while also deepening trust and cooperation with the two nations.

The challenge that she faces is how to, on the one hand, have a conversation, keep the door open  while not seeming to ignore the obvious elephant in the room, which is this incredible penetration of the state by corrupt actors, he said.

In Mexico, Lopez Obrador continues to face a complicated security situation in many parts of the country. Nearly three-dozen candidates or pre-candidates were killed before this weekends midterm elections as drug cartels sought to protect their interests. The governments inability to provide security in parts of the country is of interest to the U.S. in an immigration context, both for the people who are displaced by violence and the impact it has on a severely weakened economy trying reemerge from the pandemic.

The number of Mexicans encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection rose steadily from December through April. Mexico remains a key U.S. ally in trying to slow immigration, not only of its own citizens, but those crossing its territory. Successive U.S. administrations have effectively tried to push their immigration enforcement goals south to Mexico and Guatemala.

Nongovernmental organizations placed Guatemalas widespread corruption at the top of their list of concerns before Harris visit.

Last month, two lawyers who are outspoken critics of Giammattei's administration were arrested on what they say were trumped-up charges aimed at silencing them.

The selection of judges for Guatemalas Constitutional Court, its highest, was mired in influence peddling and alleged corruption. Giammattei picked his chief of staff to fill one of the five vacancies. When Gloria Porras, a respected force against corruption, was elected to a second term, the congress controlled by Giammatteis party refused to seat her.

Harris visit comes with high expectations, but experts say clear progress on corruption may be elusive.

These are societies built on corruption, said Olson. Youre not gonna have an impact in six months.

Sherman reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writer Sonia Perez D. in Guatemala City contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 06:59:27|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, June 5 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday strongly condemned the heinous attack by unidentified assailants on a village in the province of Yagha in the Sahel Region of Burkina Faso, which resulted in the killing of over 100 civilians, including seven children.

Through a statement attributable to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief expressed his outrage over the killing and underscored the urgent need for the international community to redouble support to member states in the fight against violent extremism and its unacceptable human toll.

The secretary-general expressed his deepest condolences to the victims' families, as well as to the government and people of Burkina Faso.

He wished those injured a speedy recovery and conveyed the full support of the United Nations to the authorities in their efforts to overcome the threats to the peace, stability and unity of the country, the statement said. Enditem
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Millions of Nigerians were unable to access Twitter Saturday after the government enforced an indefinite suspension of the microblogging platforms operations in Nigeria.

FILE - In this April 26, 2017, file photo is a Twitter app icon on a mobile phone in Philadelphia. Millions of Nigerians were unable to access Twitter after the government enforced an indefinite suspension of the microblogging platforms operations in Nigeria. The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria said in a statement Saturday, June 5, 2021, that its members have suspended access to Twitter in compliance with a government directive to do so. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Millions of Nigerians were unable to access Twitter Saturday after the government enforced an indefinite suspension of the microblogging platforms operations in Nigeria.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria said in a statement that its members have suspended access to Twitter in compliance with a government directive to do so.

The Nigeria government said Friday it was indefinitely suspending Twitter in Africas most populous nation, after the company deleted a controversial tweet President Muhammadu Buhari made about a secessionist movement.

Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said Friday that government officials decided to suspend Twitter because the platform was being used for activities that are capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence.

Mohammed criticized Twitter for deleting the post, saying, The mission of Twitter in Nigeria is very suspicious, and that Twitter had in the past ignored inciting tweets against the Nigerian government.

In recent months, pro-Biafra separatists have been accused of attacking police and government buildings. In his tweet, Buhari vowed to treat them in the language they understand.

Twitter had deleted Buharis post on Wednesday, calling it abusive.

More than 1 million people died during the 1967-1970 civil war that erupted when secessionists from the southeast sought to create an independent Biafra for the ethnic Igbo people. Buhari, an ethnic Fulani, was on the opposing side in the war against the Igbos.

The governments decision to suspend Twitter is being widely condemned. Amnesty International said it condemns the Nigerian governments suspension of a social media widely used by Nigerians to exercise their human rights including their rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

We call on the Nigerian authorities to immediately reverse the unlawful suspension and other plans to gag the media, repress the civic space, and undermine Nigerians human rights, Amnesty said in a statement.

The U.S. mission in Nigeria said that Nigerias constitution provides for freedom of expression.

The Governments recent #Twitterban undermines Nigerians ability to exercise this fundamental freedom and sends a poor message to its citizens, investors and businesses. Banning social media and curbing every citizens ability to seek, receive, and impart information undermines fundamental freedoms, it said in a statement.

In its reaction, Twitter said it is deeply concerned by the governments action saying free and open internet is an essential human right in modern society.

There are an estimated 40 million Twitter users in Nigeria. Many them young people who have been finding a way around the ban by turning to virtual private network (VPN) apps to access the social media platform.

But the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has warned that those defying the governments ban on Twitter will be prosecuted.

The government has in the meantime ordered that all over-the-top streaming services and social media operations in the country be licensed, an indication that it wants to restrict the use of media and communications services like WhatsApp, Netflix, and Facebook that use data provided by internet service providers.

Many Nigerians fear President Buhari is planning another aggressive attack on free speech as he did in 1984 when he was head of a military government.

At the time, he promulgated a military decree that gave him power to shut down media houses and to jail journalists for stories the government consider unfavorable.
SOLWAY, Minn. (AP)  Environmental and tribal groups opposed to Enbridge Energys ongoing effort to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline are planning large protests in northern Minnesota as the Canadian-based company gears up for a final construction push.

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2018 file photo, a protester is suspended at the top of a tepee erected outside Wells Fargo in downtown Minneapolis during a protest against Enbridge Energy's planned Line 3 replacement crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota. Environmental and tribal groups opposed to Enbridge Energy's plan to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline are planning large scale protests with potential arrests Monday, June 7, 2021, as the Canadian-based company gears up for a final construction push. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen File)

SOLWAY, Minn. (AP)  Environmental and tribal groups opposed to Enbridge Energys ongoing effort to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline are planning large protests in northern Minnesota as the Canadian-based company gears up for a final construction push.

Organizers say they expect hundreds of people to participate in the Treaty People Gathering on Monday, which they are billing as the largest show of resistance yet to the project. They plan to march to the headwaters of the Mississippi River, one of the water crossings for the pipeline, where they will deliver speeches and participate in organized civil disobedience.

Opponents of the project have say they will do whatever it takes to block completion of the project, including risk being arrested. Among those they say will be on hand Monday will be actors Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener, Rosanna Arquette and Taylor Schilling, as well as environmentalist and author Bill McKibben.

Line 3 carries Canadian crude from Alberta. It clips a corner of North Dakota on its way across northern Minnesota to Enbridges terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The Canadian and Wisconsin replacement segments are already carrying oil. The Minnesota segment is about 60% complete.

Project opponents say the replacement pipeline, which would carry Canadian tar sands oil and regular crude, would worsen climate change and risk spills in sensitive areas where Native Americans harvest wild rice, hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants and claim treaty rights.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told Minnesota Public Radio News that he doesn't plan to deploy the National Guard during the event, saying he doesn't expect protesters to "interfere with lawful construction or lawful practices.
BOSTON (AP)  In a story published June 5, 2021, The Associated Press cited a Medline release to report that following its acquisition by a consortium of private-equity firms, the medical supply and equipment company would continue to be led by the family of Medline CEO Charlie Mills. The story should have made clear that Medline will continue to be run by the extended Mills family.
NEW YORK (AP)  Richard Robinson, who as the longtime head of Scholastic Inc. shaped the reading habits of millions of young readers through such bestsellers as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and through a wide range of educational materials, reading clubs and book fairs, has died. He was 84.

Richard Robinson poses at the 2019 PEN America Literary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, in this Tuesday, May 21, 2019, file photo. Robinson, who as the longtime head of Scholastic Inc. presided over such bestsellers as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series along with a wide range of educational materials, reading clubs and book fairs, has died. He was 84. The children's publishing giant announced that Robinson died Saturday, June 5, 2021, but did not immediately provide a cause. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK (AP)  Richard Robinson, who as the longtime head of Scholastic Inc. shaped the reading habits of millions of young readers through such bestsellers as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and through a wide range of educational materials, reading clubs and book fairs, has died. He was 84.

The children's publishing giant announced that Robinson died Saturday, but did not immediately provide a cause. He had been in excellent health, according to the publisher.

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Dick Robinson," Scholastic's board of directors said in a statement. "Dick was a true visionary in the world of childrens books and an unrelenting advocate for childrens literacy and education with a remarkable passion his entire life.

Under his leadership, Scholastic became the world's largest publisher of children's books and has long said it distributes 1 out of every 3 children's book in the U.S. The publicly traded company's estimated net worth is around $1.2 billion, down from over $1.6 billion in 2016 but well above a low of under $800 million during last years pandemic.

FILE - Scholastic Inc. president Richard Robinson attends the 68th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street in New York, in this Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, file photo. Robinson, who as the longtime head of Scholastic Inc. presided over such bestsellers as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels and Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series along with a wide range of educational materials, reading clubs and book fairs, has died. He was 84. The children's publishing giant announced that Robinson died Saturday, June 5, 2021, but did not immediately provide a cause. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Besides the Potter books, Scholastic also publishes such popular series as Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games, Dav Pilkeys Captain Underpants and Norman Bridwells Clifford the Big Red Dog. Scholastic is otherwise a classroom fixture through its clubs, newsletters and other programs, including a partnership with novelist James Patterson. Participants in Scholastic's annual Art & Writing Awards for students have included Robert Redford, Stephen King and Lena Dunham.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden tweeted Sunday that Robinson was a giant and a legend in childrens literature and cited his lasting legacy as a supporter of libraries and reading.

Robinson's survivors include two sons he had with Helen Benham, from whom he is now divorced.

A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Harvard College, he was the son of Maurice R. Robinson, who founded Scholastic as a classroom magazine in 1920. The younger Robinson worked as a high school English teacher and a bricklayer, among other jobs, before joining Scholastic as an associate magazine editor in 1962.

I was going to be a teacher and a writer  joining Scholastic was never a consideration, and my father knew that," he told chief executive.net in 1997.

He rose to president in 1974, CEO in 1975 and board chair in 1982, the year of his father's death, and vastly transformed the company. Robinsons time at Scholastic was marked by global expansion into the book and education markets, and into television programming through Clifford, The Magic School Bus and other series. He also endured financial ups and downs, even with the historic success of Harry Potter," and occasional battles with censors who objected to books like Potter, Captain Underpants and Alex Ginos George as inappropriate for younger readers. Scholastic books often were in the annual list of challenged books that is compiled by the American Library Association.

We strongly believe our books and magazines need to address tough topics that are relevant, even if we get backlash or boycotted, Robinson told The Associated Press in 2020.

Robinson presided over historic changes in the business and culture, whether the rise of digital media or the increased emphasis on diversity and scrutiny of the past. In 2016, Scholastic pulled A Birthday Cake for George Washington, a picture story about one of Washington's slaves, after widespread allegations that the book presented a benign portrait of enslavement. This spring, Pilkey agreed to withdraw The Adventures of Ook and Gluk because of what he called harmful racial stereotypes.

Speaking to the AP last year, Robinson said that Scholastic aimed to educate readers in an even-handed way.

We are dealing with issues like global warming, racial inequality in a way that doesnt polarize the issue but gives points of views on both sides and is a balanced neutral position but not in a sense of being bland, he said. Here are the arguments on the other. Here is what people are saying. Here are questions you can ask to formulate your own view.

Robinson is a former chair of the industry trade group the Association of American Publishers and a member of the Association of Educational Publishers Hall of Fame. In 2017, Robinson received an honorary National Book Award for his contributions to the literary community. Two years later, he was cited by PEN America for his contributions to free expression.

Working with you and the team at Scholastic on Harry Potter has been one of the most significant and meaningful partnerships in my life, Rowling, the British author for whom Scholastic served as the U.S. publisher of her Potter books, said in a 2019 statement provided for the PEN award. A unique relationship exists between authors and the publishers who have supported them  and you, Dick, have supported me and my work in countless, indescribable ways.
DUBLIN, Calif.  A Northern California county has changed its methodology to record coronavirus deaths, causing its fatality figures to decrease by 25%.

Crowds gather on L Street Beach, Saturday, June 5, 2021, in the South Boston neighborhood of Boston. New England is giving the rest of the country a possible glimpse into the future if more Americans get vaccinated. The six-state region has among the highest vaccination rates in the U.S. and is seeing sustained drops in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

DUBLIN, Calif.  A Northern California county has changed its methodology to record coronavirus deaths, causing its fatality figures to decrease by 25%.

The official COVID-19 death count in Alameda County, in the San Francisco Bay Area, fell from 1,634 to 1,223 after officials changed the criteria for fatalities to match state and national definitions.

Previously, the county had included any person who died while infected with the virus. The Alameda County Public Health Department says its methodology change does not disproportionally impact reported deaths for any specific race, ethnic group or ZIP code. Statewide, more than 62,000 people have died from the coronavirus.

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Another COVID side effect: Many kids head to summer school

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 AP PHOTOS: Return of live music to London inspires artists

 U.K. urges commitment to vaccinate the world by end of 2022

 Normandy commemorates D-Day with small crowds, but big heart

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:

A Sri Lankan trader waits for customers adhering to health guidelines given by the authorities to curb the spread of coronavirus at a wholesale market in Welisara, outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Monday, May 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawarden)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  Sri Lanka has received one million doses of Chinas Sinopharm vaccines amid the island nations recent surge in infections and COVID-19 vaccine shortage.

Sundays is the largest consignment of vaccines to be received by Sri Lanka on a single occasion.

State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation Channa Jayasumana said the latest consignment was purchased by the State Pharmaceutical Corporation and that will be mainly used to provide second doses.

Sri Lanka began administering first doses on May 8. Authorities plan to start giving the second dose June 8.

Sri Lankas vaccine shortage comes after the producer in neighboring India failed to provide the promised Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine stocks. Last month, Sri Lanka decided to buy 14 million doses of Sinopharm in a bid to resolve the vaccine crisis. Sri Lanka had previously received a total of 1.1 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, donated by China in two batches in March and May.

The current vaccination program is focused on Sri Lankas Western province, which includes the capital of Colombo and its suburbs from where the majority of the countrys coronavirus cases have been detected.

Sri Lanka has seen a sharp increase of positive cases and deaths since April because of celebrations during the traditional new year festival.

Sri Lankas total number of positive cases have reached 202,357 with 1,696 fatalities.

LONDON  Britains health secretary says the delta variant, which is fast becoming the dominant coronavirus variant in the U.K., is 40% more transmissible compared to the countrys existing strains.

Matt Hancock acknowledged Sunday that the rise in delta variant cases may delay the governments plan to lift most remaining lockdown restrictions on June 21. He also said he wouldnt rule out continuing measures such as face masks in public settings and working from home where possible.

Optimism that Britain can vaccinate its way out of the pandemic took a dent in recent weeks with growing concern that infections are again rising, fueled by the delta variant. More than 12,400 cases of the delta variant have been confirmed so far in the U.K.

On Friday the country recorded 6,238 new coronavirus cases, the highest number since late March. The figure came down to 5,765 on Saturday.

Authorities said Sunday they will start offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people under 30 from this week in hopes that the vaccine program can help combat the renewed surge in infections.

PARIS  French health authorities are racing to contain scattered cases of the more contagious delta virus variant, as the country prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors and celebrates plunging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that France has multiple clusters of the variant, first identified in India, notably in the southwest Landes region. Speaking on BFM television, Veran said the variant hadnt spread widely into the community and that health investigators are working to trace cases and stop their spread.

The delta variant is now dominant in Britain, and its spread has prompted France and some other countries to impose new restrictions on visitors from Britain.

Overall, Veran insisted, the epidemic situation continues to strongly improve around the country.

The French public health agencys latest weekly epidemiological report shows a steady and sustained drop in virus infections, hospitalization rates and deaths even after France started reopening schools, stores, and restaurants last month. More than half the adult population has had at least one vaccine dose, and nearly a quarter are fully vaccinated.

HONOLULU  A review of Hawaii Gov. David Iges emails shows the state epidemiologist spent key weeks in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic resisting suggestions and requests that she boost contact tracing to control the spread of COVID-19.

They also showed Dr. Sarah Park repeatedly telling her superiors that the states failure to adequately fund the division she headed was preventing her from quickly expanding their work to respond to the crisis.

The Associated Press obtained the emails last month in response to a May 2020 request submitted under Hawaiis open records law.

Contact tracing was especially difficult for many states. The effort aims to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say its key to containing the virus.

The governors records show that University of Hawaii President David Lassner emailed administration officials on April 16, 2020, to say university researchers had written a report about the need to boost contact tracing and other steps to control COVID-19.

Park didnt outright reject more contact tracing but replied: I am increasingly disturbed that people seem to think contact tracing is somehow easily accomplished as a simple task when it is a part of the practice of applied epidemiology.
Every now and then, Brad Litviak gets vivid flashbacks of spending time flying thousands of feet above the ground.

Every now and then, Brad Litviak gets vivid flashbacks of spending time flying thousands of feet above the ground.

Its a place deep in the clouds, he says, where a human really isnt logically supposed to be. And any person you do see beneath looks like a tiny speck in a grand-scale topography that never stops feeling like a fever dream.

Growing up, this was all Litviak wanted to do. He never failed to tire himself out, thinking how cool it would be to one day become a pilot. "Airplanes were this kind of fascinating thing that I couldnt get enough of," he said.

"Even just the idea of this special freedom you have in the air is breathtaking. I dont know how anyone wouldnt be in awe of that."

For years, thats exactly what Litviak did  chasing his ambitions to be able to fly.

SUPPLIED Litviak, a pilot, is now in engineering school after COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the aviation industry.

He moved all the way to South Africa to get his commercial licence in 2012. And before he got his credentials equalized to meet Canadian standards, Litviak had already gotten his private licence in 2005, just after hed finished high school.

It took a lot of money out of his pocket, coupled with hours and hours of laborious training. But soon enough, Litviak began flying planes himself, and even got a stable job as a pilot at Manitoba-based Fast Air. "It was the happiest Id ever been," he said.

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened.

Entire aviation fleets were laid off. Manufacturers lost all major contracts, forcing staffers to be furloughed without any dates of return. Airport workers still dont know when they will get their jobs back. More than 400,000 people in the global sector are suggested to have been affected.

Air Canada, the countrys largest carrier, lost nearly $4 billion over the course of just months, while the International Air Transport Association estimates losses for airlines at $118.5 billion. And according to Statistics Canada, the operating revenue of the countrys largest carriers plunged by 68.4 per cent in 2020.

Yet, 35-year-old Litviak wasnt exactly impacted directly by this devastating erosion of the industry. The Winnipegger, originally from Edmonton, found himself in the "sweet spot" of a Plan B when coronavirus cases started to arrive in Canada.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Brad Litviak works on his 3-D creations in his basement workshop.

Call it good intuition or a perfect feeling in his gut, but Litviak had the idea to start engineering school at the University of Manitoba just a year or so before the early lockdowns of 2020.

"It was a backup plan," he told the Free Press. "Id heard many horror stories over the years that if you lose your medical certification as a pilot  which is really, really common  you dont have many other options to go back to your job. And I didnt want that to be me, in case that or any other crisis happened for aviation."

So, by the time the pandemic first started, Litviak was already well into his university courses. Hed slowed down his piloting career and was on his way to get another degree.

"But at the time," he said, "I wasnt exactly anticipating something this catastrophic would happen around the world.

"Actually, I would get kind of sad from time to time, when I first started engineering. Because here I was, hanging back for a very tentative idea that might not even pan out, while seeing all these people that kept getting accelerated in their careers."

Now, 15 months later, Litviak has already completed most of his studies and he doesnt regret following his early instincts one bit.

SUPPLIED Litviak moved to South Africa in 2012 to get his commercial pilot's licence. He's had his private licence since 2005.

Hes not sure when hell be able to fly again, for now though Litviak has hope that hell still have a career when all this is over  even if that is as an engineer and not a pilot.

And at the moment, hes using those same great instincts to sell 3-D constructions part-time while he finishes up school.

From selling printed cookie cutters to making profit off of bike or car parts, and even modelling toys with moulds, Litviaks found himself a great side hustle as a niche in the city that not many people are fulfilling.

His partner Ally Kashty, an elementary school teacher in Winnipeg, couldnt be prouder. When he first told her he wanted to quit flying, she said it was news to her. But now, not so much.

"Many of his friends are now laid off or quitting flying entirely because once aviation bounces back, the seniority will cause many new pilots to be out of luck for quite some time," Kashty said. "Brad proved us all wrong and this is why its so important to have a Plan B."

temur.durrani@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @temurdur
It's hot enough to buckle concrete and break records.

It's hot enough to buckle concrete and break records.

The city had to shutter a stretch of westbound Chief Peguis Trail, west of Henderson Highway, because of the sweltering temperatures Friday  a forecasted 37 C.

The extreme heat damaged the concrete, a city spokesperson said in an email to the Free Press. The city expects the lane to remain closed until Wednesday.

Emerson's high was among the 14 temperature records broken Friday. The border town's 40.6 C heat surpassed a nearly 100-year-old record, when the mercury rose to 36.7 C on June 4, 1922.

Most of the records surpassed were set in 1988, when a similar early June heat wave hit.

In Gretna, the province's hot spot Friday, the temperature rose to 41.3 C. That broke the old record of 36.0 set in 1988.

The heat system will hover over south-central Manitoba and much of the Prairies overall for the next week, Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Sara Hoffman said, but the federal agency will likely remove the extreme heat warning Sunday as the forecasted highs dip slightly. The heat alert criteria for southern Manitoba requires two consecutive days with a daytime high greater than 32 C, with night temperatures not cooling past 16 C.

"There's a rough one-in-30 year return period with this kind of heat (at this time of year)," Hoffman said.

"What brings these heat events to the prairies are building ridges approaching from the United States. That really draws the heat north. This dome of warm air that's over the Prairies is going to slowly retreat south, but not fully."

Manitoba temperatures will stay well above normal for the next week or so, Hoffman said. In Winnipeg Sunday, the federal agency forecasts a daytime high of 28 C, hovering five-to-seven degrees above normal for early June.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Most public colleges and universities in Manitoba have ruled out requiring students who live on campus to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall, but a mandate for student housing residents is still on the table at two schools.

Most public colleges and universities in Manitoba have ruled out requiring students who live on campus to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall, but a mandate for student housing residents is still on the table at two schools.

Western University made headlines last week, when it publicized that students who live in its residences in London, Ont., during the upcoming school year will be required to have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, assuming Ontarios supply allows it.

While the University of Winnipeg and Red River College are still considering options, the University of Manitoba, Saint Boniface University, Brandon University, and University College of the North do not plan to implement a vaccine mandate for residents of student housing.

"We strongly encourage all U of M community members to be vaccinated as soon as theyre eligible, but do not plan to request or require proof of vaccination," spokesman Chris Rutkowski said in an email. Asked why Manitobas largest post-secondary institution has taken this stance, he said U of M has no further details.

"Theres a pretty good case for requiring (vaccination) if students are going to live in the same household  theyre sharing the same kitchen facilities and bathrooms and living spaces and theyre socializing," said Prof. Arthur Schafer, who researches biomedical ethics at the U of M.

The philosophy professor said there are reasons to mandate vaccines. He cited the threat of new variants, the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing both severe illness and death, and the fact some vulnerable students might not be able to get immunized or produce antibodies.

In southwestern Ontario, students who plan to live on campus at Western will be asked to get vaccinated before their arrival. Those who cannot access the shot beforehand will have the opportunity to get immunized within two weeks following their move-in date.

Should a student be unable to receive a vaccine for medical or other reasons, they can request an accommodation.

"The health of our community is a shared responsibility," said Western president Alan Shepard. "Were asking students to play an important role in keeping themselves, their friends and classmates, and our community safe and healthy."

The local health region has endorsed the requirement.

Registrar Colin Russell said the U of W is watching how Western and other schools in Canada address immunization, as it plans for fall. While the school anticipates its housing will look similar to how it did this year, with 30 per cent capacity and a dedicated quarantine floor, Russell said public health orders will dictate operations.

Single cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in downtown residences this year, but he noted there were no outbreaks at U of W.

The U of M has been posting cases in the university community this year. As of June 1, there have been 87 positive cases on its campuses.

Despite no outbreaks on local campuses in 2020-21, Schafer said there is no guarantee that will be the case during the upcoming school year.

Meantime, the U of M students union is promoting immunization among students on social media and via mass emails.

"Our fall semester will be online indefinitely, but the projection is that after Thanksgiving there will be no mask requirements or social distancing requirements on campus," UMSU president Brendan Scott said in a statement.

"In the weeks leading up to the holiday, UMSU will be informing students that it is crucial to be vaccinated to partake in campus activities."

The department that oversees post-secondary education is working on back-to-school guidelines in partnership with public health.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
Hopkins said Smith was a spiritual man who prayed before every meal. The two biggest things he cared about in this world was making people happy and being there for his kids, she said.

Hopkins said she knew Smith had some court issues, but said police tried to make a case against him that didn't exist. She said Smith had been harassed by police for years and had numerous cars impounded. She said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from his interactions with police.

After Thursday's shooting, some people vandalized buildings and stole from area businesses, police said. Nine people were arrested on possible charges including suspicion of riot, assault, arson and damage to property. Graffiti reading Mpls still hates cops and No trial for them marked the building next to the parking ramp where Smith was shot.

There has been tension between police and residents since the deaths of Floyd, a Black man who died last year after he was pinned to the ground by Minneapolis officers, and Wright, a Black motorist who was fatally shot in April by an officer in the nearby suburb of Brooklyn Center.
For that matter, consider  the median pay for Ms. Barrys employees is just under $600 a week  meaning half her workforce doesnt make as much by going to work for a year as she does each and every day.

I bring up Ms. Barrys good fortune only to illustrate that perhaps we might think again before we brand folks greed, lazy and antisocial because they are less than eager to take jobs that dont pay enough to put shoes on their feet, keep a roof overhead and food on the table, much less cover luxuries like a visit to the clinic, a filling for an aching tooth or a tank of gas for a worn out car. Id be so bold to say that the problem here isnt unemployment paying too much, but jobs paying too little.

Can we afford to pay them more? Well, if Cory Barrys gonna pull down $8 million, it ought not be at the expense of the blue-smocked worker bees that keep her stores humming. Somehow, weve come to accept the notion that its up to poor peoples lives and labor to subsidize businesses that choose not to pay their workers a living wage. Accordingly, the comforts of the affluent are paid for by the sacrifices of the poorest among us  sort of like welfare stood on its head.

So, blessed are the poor  they keep down the price of McNuggets.

Nuff said.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 08:20:52|Editor: huaxia

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Children have a water fight at Lake Ontario in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, on June 5, 2021. Environment Canada issued a heat warning for the Greater Toronto Area on Saturday. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)
Utica, N.Y. - Governor Cuomo announced on Saturday that the state's Vax and Scratch program to get more people vaccinated is being extended to 10 sites next week and the Mohawk Valley Region's site is SUNY Oneonta.

Individuals vaccinated at one of the sites will receive a free $20 New York State Lottery scratch-off ticket

The program provides free lottery scratch-off tickets to individuals 18 and over with a grand prize of $5 million dollars.

So if you get vaccinated at SUNY Oneonta from June 7th through June 11th, you will get a free 20-dollar scratch off ticket.

The ticket, which is sold by retailers across the state for $20, will be provided free to individuals 18+ who take their first dose of Pfizer or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at one of the sites.

The sites are open to both walk-ins and appointments.

To sign up for an appointment head to : https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/
VINCENNES, Ind. (AP)  A cannon removed years ago from a southwest Indiana historical park that honors a Revolutionary War battle is back on display after work to recreate its wooden carriage.

The 660-pound (299-kilogram) cannon was recently returned to the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park after being absent from the Vincennes site for seven years.

The cannon was removed after park rangers deemed it a safety issue when the wooden carriage supporting the steel weapon became rotted, the Vincennes Sun-Commercial reported.

But after park volunteer Bob Sloman had an oak tree fall in his backyard a few years ago, he cut the tree into boards and rebuilt the wooden carriage, which would have allowed the cannon to be pulled by a horse.

Park superintendent Frank Doughman said he's happy the repaired cannon is once again in place outside the parks visitors center, serving as a prop for visitors photos.

I cant tell you how many people have come here and asked what happened to that cannon," he said.

George Rogers Clark was an American military figure best known for his Revolutionary War role in leading the troops who defeated British forces and captured Fort Sackville in 1779 on the American frontier. The fort was located in present-day Vincennes, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Evansville.
Corcovado National Park, or Parque Nacional Corcovado, in its native language, is located on the southwest tip of the Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. This conservation area is known for its high levels of biodiversity, and is one of the most diverse regions and ecosystems in the world. It is the largest park in Costa Rica, and unofficially regarded as its most stunning.

There are many hiking trails within the park which encourage respectful travellers and hikers to explore the natural rainforests, beaches, swamps and lowlands. Costa Rica has an extensive and active eco-tourism sector, and the park is a popular attraction for wildlife lovers and eco-friendly travellers. This park is also one of the most remote within Costa Rica, and requires quite a journey to get to. But the beauty of the area is only enhanced by its remoteness, as travellers can find themselves fully immersed in the lush landscape, and rich wildlife of the park.

Read MoreWhat Is A Rainforest?

Contents:

History

Welcome sign and logo at the entrance to the beautiful Corcovado National Park, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.

The park was established in 1975 and is governed by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). The park itself includes roughly a third of the Osa Peninsula, an area that measures 424 square kilometres or 164 sq mi in size.

The area was previously popular for both gold mining and logging, with logging occurring primarily throughout much of the 1960s. This logging continued into the early 70s, and in 1975 plans had been made for a large-scale international logging company to reside in the area. This led scientists and local researchers to call for action, and the protection of the natural resources and wildlife that lived within the peninsula. Costa Rican president at the time, Daniel Oduber, responded by declaring the area a National Park, and therefore protected from any such logging activities.

Goldmining, which for many years had been a less invasive industry, continued within the park until 1986, when the sheer size and scale of the gold industry - and hunting that coincided with it - became too much of a risk for the wildlife within the conservation areas. The miners were then officially evicted, though it is known that illegal mining still occurs within the park, to a lesser scale.

Landscape And Geography

Beach and forest in Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica.

Corcovado National Park is located in the Osa Peninsula, which is on the western, or Pacific side of Costa Rica. This area includes the largest primary forest along the American Pacific coastline. It is also one of the largest and only lowland tropical forests in the world. A primary forest is simply an old-growth forest, or virgin forest, which mainly consists of extremely old vegetation.

Read MoreOld-Growth Forests

The landscape of the park and conservation areas are extremely diverse, and house thirteen different major ecosystems. Along with the lowland forests and mangrove swamps, the park exhibits everything from lagoons to jolillo palm groves, cloud forests, montane forests, and freshwater herbaceous swamps.

Squirrel monkey in Cordovado National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

Increasing logging threats in the area threatened these towering old trees, and in turn the primary forest status of the Osa Peninsula throughout the 1960s and early 70s until the decision was made to render the area a protected park. Thankfully, large areas of original growth still remain, and the rich diversity of plants is evident within Corcovado.

Because the forest is also on a peninsula, it is one of the rare lowland tropical forests. Along the coastal areas, thick jungle-like rainforests give way to mangrove swamps and beaches, for a diversity of both plants and animals rarely seen anywhere else. Lush streams and rivers also flow down from higher elevations and waterfalls, carving their way out to sea. These estuaries and river mouths are full of marine and freshwater life, but can pose problems for hikers who have to ford them on their routes through the park.

Wildlife

A baird's tapir

The Osa Peninsula is home to a wide variety of plants and animals and has been named one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Along with the more than 500 different species of trees, the various ecosystems in the area form habitats for more than 400 bird species, 140 types of mammals, 116 amphibian and reptile species, and roughly 40 different fish. Many of these animals are threatened or even endangered animals, making the protection of this area all the more important.

One of the endangered mammals which reside in the area is the Bairds tapir. These unique creatures have a sizable population within the protection of Corcovado National Park, and can be spotted by hikers and visitors to the area. These tapirs are the largest native mammal in both Southern and Central America, but have become endangered due to poaching and habitat loss.

Mantled howler monkeys, Corcovado National Park.

Another rare mammal which lives in the park is the Harbor Squirrel Monkey. The Squirrel monkey is the smallest monkey in Costa Rica, whose numbers have become threatened due to deforestation associated with the palm oil industry. The Osa Peninsula in general has the largest population of these monkeys in the country. The three other species of Costa Rican monkeys can also be spotted here, and they are: the white-faced capuchin, the mantled howler, and the Geoffroys spider monkey.

Northern tamandua.

Anteaters and coatis also live in the area, and in fact, coatis are considered somewhat of a nuisance, much as raccoons are in urban areas of North America. It is nearly impossible to spend any time within the park without seeing a coati. Harder to spot are the more reclusive mammals, such as the two-toed and three-toed sloth, collared peccary and northern tamandua.

A jaguarundi.

Another type of animal which may be harder to spot are the indigenous wild cats within the park. These include pumas, jaguars, ocelots, margays and jaguarundis. Jaguars in particular are a highly threatened species, and the park remains one of the few safe havens in which they can reside and be protected, though some illegal hunting still persists. These cats are also primarily nocturnal, meaning they are less likely to be spotted by passing hikers.

Read MoreThe Wild Cat Species Of Central America

Spectacled caiman.

Along with the 40 or so different fish, the rivers and coasts within the park are home to some large marine and freshwater life. The Rio Sirena in particular is home to bull sharks, which swim upstream from the ocean, as well as both American crocodiles and spectacled caiman. Four different types of sea turtles, the Green, Pacific ridley, Hawksbill and Leatherback all nest along the Penisulas shores.

Read MoreThe Seven Species Of Sea Turtles Living In The Oceans Of Our Planet

A hummingbird feeding on nectar in the Corcovado National Park.

Even endangered birds flock to the park. The most notable is the Scarlet Macaw, which can often be seen flying overhead. Corcovado is home to the largest population of these gorgeous birds within Costa Rica. Another rare bird which calls the park home is the Harpy Eagle. This rare bird is one of the largest species of eagle in the world, and the biggest within its territory.

Other notable animals within the park are the vibrant poison dart frogs, fer-de-lance and bushmaster snakes, orb spiders and a wide variety of other insects and arachnids.

Golden-eyed leaf frog.

Full of lush greenery, tower ancient trees and various rare and amazing animals, the Corcovado National Park is a biodiversity dream, and a must see for any eco traveller or nature enthusiast.

Visiting Corcovado

Visitors with guide on a nature trail in the Corcovado National Park. Editorial credit: Margus Vilbas / Shutterstock.com

As a National Park, the area is open to the public, but does charge an entrance fee for non residents. Additionally, hikers must be accompanied by a certified park guide. This stipulation was put in place as ecotourism grew within the country, to ensure travellers and researchers alike were respecting the natural habitats and wildlife. Visitation is allowed on a day basis, as well as with overnight stays. Several lodging options from simple camping to cabins with bunks are available by reservation for those wishing to explore this lush land.

Tourists boarding tour boats at the beautiful volcanic beach of the Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Editorial credit: Margus Vilbas / Shutterstock.com

Hiking trails are extensive, and are generally considered of moderate difficulty. Pathways can, however, become flooded in the wet season meaning areas may be closed off, or require more extreme maneuvering to get around. Even in the drier seasons, river crossings are a necessity, and are another reason guided tours are enforced. To travel through the entire park, it generally takes an experienced hiker two or three days. There is also a day hike option, which is 5 miles (or 8 kilometers) long and generally takes about five or six hours to complete. This trail is known as Sendero El Tigre, and only opened in 2015, as an alternative to full day hiking. It has become one of the most popular experiences for visitors looking for a day adventure.
The exterior of the United States Department of Justice on Feb 16, 2018 in Washington, D.C. The Justice Departments special counsel announced the indictment Friday of a notorious Russian troll farm charging 13 individuals with an audacious scheme to criminally interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. / AFP PHOTO / Alex Edelman (Photo credit should read ALEX EDELMAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc. SUB2000 rifles, center, for sale at Hiram's Guns / Firearms Unknown store in El Cajon, California, U.S., on Monday, April 26, 2021. President Joe Biden's planned executive actions would crack down on "ghost guns," which can be assembled from kits and are not traceable by law enforcement because they lack serial numbers, as well as braces for pistols that make firearms more stable and accurate. Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Nearly 1,300 staff at the University of Liverpool are striking in protest against planned job cuts in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. The three-week strike began on May 24, coinciding with the end of year examination period, and is set to have a considerable impact.

The university originally intended to cut up to 47 staff, but this was revised down to 32 after the University and College Union (UCU) threatened industrial action.

Announcing the reorganisation in February, Louise Kenny, Executive Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the university, said, Project SHAPE, which will bring about a major realignment of the Universitys Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, was implemented in order to help tackle the extreme health inequalities and unmet health needs in the Liverpool City Region, both of which have been brought to the fore throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff protesting at Liverpool University at a rally during the strike (WSWS media)

The Vice-Chancellor claimed the university needs the headroom provided by cutting jobs to have enough money to build a new research centre. But Liverpool University had a turnover of 584.7 million in 2020, as well as an operating surplus of 54.7 million. It has the seventh largest endowment of any university in England, at 168.3 million. Kenny herself receives an estimated 410,000 per year from the university and recently boasted of selling a mansion in Ireland for 3.25 million.

The reality is that the job cuts are central to the marketisation and privatisation of the sector that has proceeded apace under the framework of the 2017 Higher Education and Research Act.

The UCU was reluctant to call the strike, waiting more than a month and a half between the results of the ballot, backed by 84 percent of members, and the start of the action. It was forced to take action under immense pressure from the rank-and-file who want to defend their jobs and conditions.

In the last few weeks, the union has made clear that it is not opposed to redundancies in principle, only with the way the university goes about them. According to a union spokesman, its main objections are that the employer relied on the use of flawed data to assess performance and was widely criticised by experts and that the criteria remain opaque, lack transparency and the university has refused to tell staff what data it is using to choose who to sack. The UCU is a specialist in assisting universities to reduce staff numbers, provided this is done on a voluntary basis.

World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke to a young staff member in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at a rally of striking staff. He explained how the cuts and restructuring at the university would have a detrimental impact, particularly on vital coronavirus research. Some of the staff [who are being made redundant] have been doing research on COVID. We were known as the Institute of Integrative Biology. Part of the mission statement was a recognition that a lot of biology is increasingly an interdisciplinary subject. There is a lot of room for interdisciplinary research on coronavirus, and so one of the sad things about this whole restructure was the breakdown of that Institute, of that kind of idea that we all work on different things, but they have relationships to each other.

One of the first things that struck me and struck a lot of people is the fact that they were doing this during a pandemic when people are so vulnerable.

Asked about the governments response to the pandemic, he said, It seems wild what's happened with the herd immunity. It is all coming out in the [Dominic] Cummings hearing. It is just baffling, this kind of acceptance that people are going to die, and you know the various comments that we have heard about something like bodies piling up, seems completely inhuman to me. I suppose it is what can happen when you have a concentration of power among a few people.

The faculty member expressed his concerns about the privatisation of higher education. There's an infiltration of private capital into public education, he said. There's a building, just down the road, there's an entire floor thats owned by Unilever. It's this sort of stuff that people have warned about for ages; that we spend all this public money on research, and then the profit is reaped by shareholders and people who are already very wealthy. Asked about his opinion of the UCU, he explained, I havent much historical knowledge, but they are not by the workers or for the workers.

Attacks on jobs and conditions are happening at other universities around the UK. University College Birmingham is planning to axe 73 senior lecturer jobs and replace them with 42 new staff hired on cheaper contracts and increased workloads. The cuts would threaten teaching in the schools of business, tourism and creative industries, and health, sport and food. Many of the 73 staff threatened with the sack have been at the university for over 20 years.

The UCU has not called for any kind of industrial action against these attacks, instead complaining that the union has not been consulted and given the opportunity to sell the cuts to its membership before they were announced. UCU regional official Anne OSullivan said, Proposals to cut 73 senior staff and create 42 new roles with non-negotiated changes to the pay and grading structure are a clear breach of the universitys legal obligations We are calling on the university to meet with us to find a solution that protects jobs and student learning before it is forced to defend itself in court.

Luminate Education (previously Leeds City College Group) has announced a restructuring plan that will see 39 jobs cut across multiple sites, including Leeds and Harrogate colleges. The proposals would affect adult and community learning and hair and beauty staff across Leeds, as well as business and learning support staff at Harrogate College. Jobs in adult education will be cut at several sites in Leeds including at Mabgate, Beeston and Rothwell. Any new alternative posts created in the restructure will have reduced pay and changes to terms and conditions. The UCU is using identity politics to divide Luminate Education staff, with its main objection not being the cuts themselves, but rather that 90 percent of the positions affected are filled by women.

The role of the UCU in facilitating job losses is seen clearly at the University of Chester. The union posted a news piece on its website boasting that, The university originally announced 86 redundancies, but negotiations with trade unions have led to a number of posts being saved.

Emboldened, the university plans to cut 27 jobs in the English, humanities, history, archaeology, engineering, geography and media departments by July. There is strong opposition among staff and student, who have carried out joint protests. Over 150 staff attended the biggest ever UCU Chester branch meeting and voted by 96 percent to pursue all means necessary to oppose all compulsory redundancies. The union was sure to leave the door open to voluntary redundancies.

Every struggle university workers mount puts them at loggerheads with the corporatist trade unions. To fight mass redundancies, the ongoing marketisation of higher education and the continuing danger of COVID-19, university and college education workers must form rank-and-file committees, independent of the education unions and in alliance with students. The Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee is leading this fight and urges staff and students to contact us about establishing a fighting and democratic committee on your campus to defeat the attacks on jobs and safety.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 09:14:03|Editor: huaxia

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SANTIAGO, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Chile registered 8,867 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the second highest number of daily cases on record, bringing the national tally to 1,420,266, the Ministry of Health (Minsal) reported.

Meanwhile, another 120 deaths from the disease were reported, bringing the national death toll to 29,816, according to the Minsal.

Chile has been facing a rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, despite the progress of the country's vaccination program.

Hospitals report 96 percent occupancy nationwide, and some health centers have already reported the closure of emergency services and a lack of intensive care beds.

According to the Minsal, a high percentage of hospitalized patients have not been fully vaccinated against the virus.

The Chilean government is looking to immunize about 15 million people, or 80 percent of the population, in order to achieve herd immunity. Enditem
Today in 1944, Allied Forces landed on the beach at Normandy in one of historys most famous military moves.

Many historians would agree that the D-Day invasion was the turning point in WWII.

Interestingly, June 6th wasnt the originally planned D-Day, it was June 5th!

Weather, however, played a great role, since it was bad weather that caused the delay.

The Germans were reportedly complacent because the weather had been so bad, and was not expecting an Allied attack, especially at Normandy.

This is one of historys greatest examples of how the weather has impacted military action.
Sen. Joe Manchin may have finally torpedoed Democrats' hopes of sweeping voting rights legislation when on Sunday he ended any speculation he'd vote to end the Senate filibuster to advance President Joe Biden's agenda.

Manchin has for months opposed efforts to end the filibuster, but that seems to have only intensified liberal impatience to kill it.

With the 60-vote threshold needed in a 50-50 Senate, Republicans blocked a bill to establish a commission to study the January 6 insurrection, remain positioned to stop election legislation, have a negotiating advantage in infrastructure talks and have ensured Biden has no room for error when it comes to his nominations -- including a possible Supreme Court appointment.

RELATED: Trump advances dangerous disinformation campaign as more states move to restrict the vote

"We now are witnessing that the fundamental right to vote has itself become overtly politicized," Manchin wrote in a Charleston Gazette opinion essay. "Today's debate about how to best protect our right to vote and to hold elections, however, is not about finding common ground, but seeking partisan advantage."

In case anyone missed the message, Manchin added: "I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster."

But whether anyone will listen to Manchin's call for bipartisanship on voting is another question entirely. Republicans are not going to see congressional Democrats' inability to act on voting as anything less than a green light to keep moving in statehouses.

To be sure, liberal hopes that Manchin would kill the filibuster -- and convince other skeptics like Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to come along -- for the voting rights bill were a long shot to begin with. Manchin seemed no closer this past week to opposing the filibuster than he had in the months prior -- yet the "what if" questions never stopped.

And they never will.

Manchin remains at the center of Democratic efforts to build a bridge with Republicans on infrastructure legislation, where if a bipartisan deal can't be reached, talk immediately goes back to going around the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation with likely only Democratic support.

Maine Independent Sen. Angus King on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday pointed to ongoing bipartisan efforts on efforts to advance science and technology grants as "a good example of how we can work together."

Yet the ultimate barometer of the state of Congress, King said, is infrastructure.

"I think the infrastructure bill is a good test because, listen, there's not a lot of policy there. This is just numbers," King told CNN's Jake Tapper. "It's helping the country and we ought to be able to find a resolution on that. If we can't, that spells trouble."

How far can infrastructure talks go?

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm touted the White House's efforts on bipartisan negotiations that have involved GOP senators like West Virginia's Shelly Moore Capito and Utah's Mitt Romney. But as the White House said all along, they don't want things to go on forever -- while not setting a firm deadline.

"It is frustrating that there's not more coming together on this. But as the President's red line, as you have heard, that inaction is red line. So there will be action. We're just hopeful that we can see it in a bipartisan way. That would be good for the country," Granholm said on "State of the Union" in a separate interview on Sunday.

"Ultimately, we have to get to 10 Republican votes to be able to pass this in regular order," Granholm added. "That's the hope."

But as with everything in the Senate, it returns to Manchin. Granholm visited West Virginia last week and said the Democratic senator appreciates the need for a bill.

"I know that he sees the faces of people who need these investments too. And he is -- he is, in the end, he represents a state that needs to be able to move forward economically and these investments will help his state," Granholm said. "You would have to ask him about where his bottom line is and how long we have to try to be able to get Republican support."

Manchin, for his part, emphasized Sunday that he backs the President and wants to stay the course.

"I believe Joe Biden is the right person, the right place, the right time for our country," Manchin said on "Fox News Sunday." "Now we have to unite together and that means a little bit of difficulties and challenges, but we will get through it. We are the most deliberate body in the world and that was by design."

The talks, he said, have already borne fruit.

"My goodness, the President has gone from 2.25 trillion down to $1 trillion," he said "The Republicans have come up quite a bit from where they started."

Voting rights and the Big Lie

Manchin didn't only target congressional Democrats this weekend. He also went after Republicans in statehouses seemingly following former President Donald Trump's complaints about the 2020 election to enact voting restrictions.

"Whether it is state laws that seek to needlessly restrict voting or politicians who ignore the need to secure our elections, partisan policymaking won't instill confidence in our democracy -- it will destroy it," Manchin wrote in his Charleston Gazette essay.

The senator reiterated his support of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a far less sweeping bill than the majority of Democrats are supporting. It would bring back major pieces of the 1965 Voting Rights Act including a provision that requires states to consult with the federal government before making major changes to their voting rules.

Manchin's overall veto, however, simply keeps the status quo of the voting wars in place.

Trump, who started the "Big Lie" that millions of votes were somehow illegally cast for Biden, has no intention of stopping his crusade.

Fourteen states have enacted at least 22 new laws restricting voting this year, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.

The 2020 election, Trump told North Carolina Republicans Saturday night, will "go down as the crime of the century." He praised Arizona Republicans who pushed for a dubious audit of ballots from Maricopa County, the state's largest, and backed GOP-led efforts to do the same elsewhere.

RELATED: Kemp booed and Raffensperger censured at Georgia GOP convention

And liberal and voting rights groups plan to ratchet up pressure on Democrats in the Senate to do whatever it takes to pass the federal voting legislation, CNN's Fredreka Schouten reported Sunday.

"We are all going to be intensifying our campaigns to make the case to the Senate that For the People Act needs to pass one way or another," said Adam Bozzi, vice president of communications for End Citizens United/Let America Vote. The group plans to contact 2 million voters ahead of this month's Senate vote as part of a $30 million campaign.
Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

Mostly cloudy early with scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 88F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Charleston, WV (25311)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 87F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Clarksburg, WV (26301)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then mostly cloudy during the afternoon with heavy thunderstorms becoming likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 84F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 10:12:28|Editor: huaxia

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New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor (R), who is also the 2021 Chair of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, speaks during a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand, June 5, 2021. APEC trade ministers have committed to speeding up the cross-border flow of vaccines and related goods to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The pledge came following the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by Damien O'Connor on Saturday. (Xinhua)

WELLINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- APEC trade ministers have committed to speeding up the cross-border flow of vaccines and related goods to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pledge came following the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor on Saturday.

"As we face the biggest health and economic crisis of our lifetimes, I was greatly heartened to see how we united to make progress. We represent half of global GDP and wanted to use trade as a force for good," O'Connor said in a statement.

"We know nobody is safe until everybody is safe from COVID-19, and we know that our region prospers economically by keeping our markets open to one another rather than closing ourselves off."

He said the APEC trade ministers agreed to speed up the flow of vaccines and vaccine-related goods by eliminating trade restrictions that increase the cost of vaccines and the goods that support them.

They also agreed to a set guidelines for the customs authorities to ensure quick vaccines flow, and to remove barriers to freight and logistics services to support trade in vaccines and vaccine-related goods.

"It is encouraging to see APEC trade ministers working together to respond in practical, concrete terms to the COVID pandemic and rebuild our economies," he said.

New Zealand Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth Phil Twyford said the APEC had returned to its traditional role of championing multilateralism by rejuvenating the World Trade Organization (WTO) and injecting momentum into a series of trade negotiations with the aim of concluding these by the end of this year.

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said at the joint virtual press conference that China has continued to further open up to the outside world amid the pandemic.

He said efforts have been made by China on broadening market access, optimizing the business environment, enhancing the level of customs clearance facilitation, and shortening the time of customs clearance.

China is willing to work with all APEC members and send positive signals to the international community that the Asia-Pacific region is working together to fight the COVID-19, keep the regional industrial chain supply stable, and promote the regional economic recovery.

China will also speed up the fostering of a new development paradigm, promote the opening up to a higher level, and create more opportunities for global and regional development, Wang said.

New Zealand is hosting APEC 2021 with more than 300 meetings scheduled across the country.

APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific region. APEC's 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration. Enditem
Hong Kong: 7 COVID-19 cases found

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating seven additional COVID-19 cases, of which six are imported and one is epidemiologically linked with a local case.

The epidemiologically linked case involves a 53-year-old woman. She is the mother of the case announced on June 5 and is a housewife.

The patient was sent to a quarantine centre on June 4 and has been asymptomatic.

The test result by the Department of Healths Public Health Laboratory Services Branch revealed that the patient carried the N501Y mutant strain but did not carry the L452R or E484K mutant gene.

The centre's investigation revealed that the patient has not received COVID-19 vaccination. The Government yesterday required those who had been present at places the patient visited to get tested.

Additionally, the centre is investigating a preliminary positive case involving a 20-year-old woman who is the patient's daughter and sister of the case reported on June 5.

She also resides at Shing Yu House, Tin Shing Court in Tin Shui Wai.

The patient was sent to a quarantine centre on June 4. She developed symptoms including cough, runny nose and diarrhoea on June 4 and was admitted to hospital on June 5.

She has also not received COVID-19 vaccination.

The patient is a student who attended online classes at home. She visited some venues in Tsuen Wan, Tsim Sha Tsui and Sham Shui Po on May 23 and 29.

As the patient has not used the LeaveHomeSafe mobile app, the centre will broadcast messages to visitors of the venues she visited.

The places she stayed in during the incubation period will be included in the compulsory testing notice.

The centre also reminded people in relation to Shing Yu House, Tin Shing Court to undergo mandatory testing in accordance with the compulsory testing notice.

A total of 21 cases were reported in Hong Kong in the past 14 days, including one local case with an unknown source.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 10:28:05|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported seven new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, all in Guangdong Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Sunday.

The same day also saw 23 new imported cases on the mainland. Of them, seven were reported in Shanghai, six in Sichuan, two each in Guangdong and Yunnan, and one each in Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Shaanxi.

Two new suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai. No new deaths related to the disease were reported.

A total of 6,137 imported cases had been reported on the mainland by the end of Saturday. Among them, 5,840 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 297 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 91,248 by Saturday, including 392 patients still receiving treatment, 10 of whom were in severe condition.

A total of 86,220 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died as a result of the virus.

There were four suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Saturday.

A total of 18 asymptomatic cases were newly reported, and 15 of them arrived from outside the mainland. There were a total of 374 asymptomatic cases, of whom 341 were imported, under medical observation by Saturday.

By the end of Saturday, 11,851 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 10,956 cases, including 224 deaths, had been reported in Taiwan.

A total of 11,584 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 50 had been discharged in the Macao SAR, and 1,133 had been discharged in Taiwan. Enditem
The FBI issued a subpoena demanding U.S. newspaper giant Gannett provide agents with information to track down readers of a USA Today story about a suspect in a child pornography case who fatally shot two FBI agents in February.
A video explaining the Natrium technology said that the proposed nuclear reactor will create heat, which will be used to increase the temperature of molten salt. The salt will be deposited in a storage tank, and operators can use the heat to generate electricity immediately or reserve that energy for later.
A manhunt is underway after a Dunkin Donuts manager was shot to death during a pre-dawn robbery early Saturday morning in Philadelphia.

The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. in the West Kensington neighborhood in northern Philadelphia when police say a store manager was opening up the Dunkin Donuts establishment and the alleged suspect approached the victim from behind at gunpoint and forced her into the building, according to ABC News Philadelphia station WPVI.

MORE: Woman's body found in duffel bag hidden inside a storage unit for several months

Once they were both in the store, the suspect then allegedly demanded that the 41-year-old female manager give him the money that was in the office, said WPVI.

The woman subsequently handed over the cash to the assailant but after he took the money, the suspect opened fire on her and shot her in the head. The woman died at the scene of the crime.

MORE: 10-month-old baby killed in attack by family's 2 Rottweilers: Police

PHOTO: A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect police say shot and killed a Dunkin Donuts manager during a pre-dawn robbery early Saturday morning on June 5, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia Police Department)

MORE: Family members discover human remains while clearing out dead father's house

We are aware of the tragic incident that occurred at the Dunkin' restaurant on Lehigh Street in Philadelphia, Dunkin Donuts said in a statement obtained by WPVI. All of us at Dunkin' are saddened to learn of the death of a restaurant manager, and our thoughts go out to her family and friends. The franchise owner is cooperating fully with the local authorities in their investigation. As this is an active police investigation, we defer any further comment to the Philadelphia Police Department."

The suspect fled crime scene and remains at large. Police are now looking for a Black man -- believed to be in his late 30s to early 40s -- with a mustache and goatee who has a medium-to-stocky build. The suspect was wearing a blue zip-up hooded sweatshirt during the shooting as well as gray cargo sweatpants and light gray New Balance sneakers. The man was also wearing a analog watch on his right wrist and had blue gloves and a facemask with him.

Story continues

MORE: Woman kills man and his dog in hit-and-run while fleeing from another hit-and-run only moments before: Police

She was a special person," Gilberto Melendez, a man who used to work with the victim, told WPVI. "It's crazy that somebody can just come and take somebody's life like it's nothing."

Co-workers of the victim along with her surviving friends and family gathered for a memorial on Saturday afternoon outside the store. The victim's friends told WPVI that the 41-year-old woman was a mother of two, grandmother and tireless worker.

MORE: Human remains found stuffed in partially buried freezer in remote Alaska woods

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person involved and anybody with any information regarding this case is urged to contact police.

Manhunt on for suspect who shot Dunkin' Donuts manager in head during pre-dawn robbery originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Meghan and Harry welcome their second child, Lilibet Diana

There's another royal in town! And she's an American citizen. Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry welcomed their second child Friday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, according to a Sunday press release. "It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world," read a statement provided to USA TODAY. The new royal addition is named after Queen Elizabeth II, whose nickname among family is "Lilibet." And her middle name, Diana, "was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales," the release noted. "Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home."

Democrat Joe Manchin will oppose For the People Act

Sen. Joe Manchin, a pivotal Democrat in a split Senate, announced he will vote against Democrats' flagship voting reform package, the For the People Act, in a major blow to the party's ambitions on voting rights. Manchin's decision to oppose the legislation, which would allow the federal government greater ability to implement a standard election framework across the country and allow the federal government to enforce civil rights law, was rooted in his desire for bipartisanship and opposition to what he sees as a near-sighted partisan effort by Democrats. With the announcement, Manchin likely ended the legislation's chances of passage. Manchin argued the Senate should instead pass a reinforced version of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would reinstate the 1965 Voting Rights Act with some additional provisions.

Previously: Joe Manchin suddenly seems to influence everything Washington does. The West Virginia senator says he wants to make Congress work again.

Real quick

Trump returns to stage at GOP convention in North Carolina

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Donald Trump returned to the public stage Saturday night, sweeping aside his own political problems to attack Democrats and GOP critics. In an 85-minute speech to the North Carolina Republican Party state convention, Trump made a surprise endorsement U.S. Rep. Ted Budd in a North Carolina race for a U.S. Senate seat. The ex-president has pledged to help Republicans win back Congress in the 2020 elections and suggested he might run again for president himself in 2024. Expect to see more of Trump in the coming weeks, too. He has told television interviewers that he is planning to resume mass political rallies soon in big political states like Florida and Ohio. Trump is also expected to address another meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference to be held in July in Dallas.

Federal judge overturns California's assault weapons ban

A federal judge Friday overturned California's three-decade-old ban on assault weapons, ruling that it violates the constitutional right to bear arms. "Under no level of heightened scrutiny can the law survive," said U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez of San Diego. In his ruling, Benitez spoke favorably of modern weapons and said they were overwhelmingly used for legal reasons. He also compared an AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife. That comparison "completely undermines the credibility of this decision and is a slap in the face to the families whove lost loved ones to this weapon," Gov. Gavin Newsom said. "Were not backing down from this fight, and well continue pushing for common sense gun laws that will save lives."

G7 agree to back 15% global minimum corporate tax rate, more taxes for tech giants

The Group of Seven wealthy democracies agreed Saturday to support a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15% in order to deter multinational companies from avoiding taxes by stashing profits in low-rate countries. G-7 finance ministers meeting in London also endorsed proposals to make the worlds biggest companies - including U.S.-based tech giants - pay taxes in countries where they have lots of sales but no physical headquarters. Britains Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, the meetings host, said the deal would reform the global tax system to make it fit for the global digital age and crucially to make sure that its fair, so that the right companies pay the right tax in the right places. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the agreement provides tremendous momentum towards reaching a global deal that would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporate taxation.

P.S. Like this roundup of stories? Sign up for "The Short List" newsletter here.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributing: Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meghan and Harry welcome Lilibet; Trump back on stage: Weekend's news
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden return to the White House on Friday, June 4, 2021. (Erin Scott/The New York Times)

Democrats defeated President Donald Trump and captured the Senate last year with a racially diverse coalition that delivered victories by tiny margins in key states like Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin.

In the next election, they cannot count on repeating that feat, a new report warns.

A review of the 2020 election, conducted by several prominent Democratic advocacy groups, has concluded that the party is at risk of losing ground with Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters unless it does a better job presenting an economic agenda and countering Republican efforts to spread misinformation and tie all Democratic candidates to the far-left.

Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times

The 73-page report, obtained by The New York Times, was assembled at the behest of three major Democratic interest groups: Third Way, a centrist think tank, and the Collective PAC and the Latino Victory Fund, which promote Black and Hispanic candidates. It appears to be the most thorough act of self-criticism carried out by Democrats or Republicans after the last campaign.

The document is all the more striking because it is addressed to a victorious party: Despite their successes, Democrats had hoped to achieve more robust control of both chambers of Congress, rather than the precarious margins they now hold.

In part, the study found, Democrats fell short of their aspirations because many House and Senate candidates failed to match Joe Bidens support with voters of color who loathed Trump but distrusted the Democratic Party as a whole. Those constituencies included Hispanic voters in Florida and Texas, Vietnamese American and Filipino American voters in California, and Black voters in North Carolina.

Overall, the report warns, Democrats in 2020 lacked a core argument about the economy and recovering from the coronavirus pandemic  one that might have helped candidates repel Republican claims that they wanted to keep the economy shut down or worse. The party leaned too heavily on anti-Trump rhetoric, the report concludes.

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Win or lose, self-described progressive or moderate, Democrats consistently raised a lack of strong Democratic Party brand as a significant concern in 2020, the report states. In the absence of strong party branding, the opposition latched on to GOP talking points, suggesting our candidates would burn down your house and take away the police.

Former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Democrat who lost reelection in South Florida in November, said in an interview that she had spoken with the authors of the report and raised concerns about Democratic outreach to Hispanic voters and the partys failure to rebut misinformation in Spanish-language media.

Unfortunately, the Democratic Party has in some ways lost touch with our electorate, Mucarsel-Powell said. There is this assumption that of course people of color or the working class are going to vote for Democrats. We can never assume anything.

The report, chiefly written by a pair of veteran Democratic operatives, Marlon Marshall and Lynda Tran, is among the most significant salvos yet in the Democratic Partys internal debate about how it should approach the 2022 elections. It may stir skepticism from some quarters because of the involvement of Third Way, which much of the left regards with hostility.

A fourth group that initially backed the study, the campaign finance reform group End Citizens United, backed away this spring. Tiffany Muller, the head of the group, said it had to abandon its involvement to focus instead on passing the For the People Act, a sweeping good-government bill that is stuck in the Senate.

Marshall and Tran as well as the groups sponsoring the review have begun to share its conclusions with Democratic lawmakers and party officials in recent days, including Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee.

The study spanned nearly six months of research and data analysis that scrutinized about three dozen races for the House and the Senate and involved interviews with 143 people, including lawmakers, candidates and pollsters, people involved in assembling the report said. Among the campaigns reviewed were the Senate elections in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina as well as House races in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas and in rural New Mexico and Maine.

The study follows an internal review conducted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that was unveiled last month. Both projects found that Democratic candidates had been hobbled by flawed polling and pandemic-imposed limitations on campaigning.

In the DCCC report, the committee attributed setbacks at the congressional level to a surge in turnout by Trump supporters and an inadequate Democratic response to attacks calling them police-hating socialists.

Some lawmakers on the left have complained that criticism of left-wing messaging amounts to scapegoating activists for the partys failures.

Yet the review by Third Way, the Collective PAC and the Latino Victory Fund goes further in diagnosing the partys messaging as deficient in ways that may have cost Democrats more than a dozen seats in the House. Its report offers a blunt assessment that in 2020, Republicans succeeded in misleading voters about the Democratic Partys agenda and that Democrats had erred by speaking to voters of color as if they are a monolithic, left-leaning group.

Rep. Tony Cardenas of California, who last year helmed the Congressional Hispanic Caucus political action committee, embraced that critique of Democratic messaging and said the party should discard the assumption that voters of color are inherently more progressive.

Thats been a ridiculous idea, and thats never been true, Cardenas said, lamenting that Republicans had succeeded in trying to confuse Latino voters with the socialism message, things of that nature, defund the police.

Quentin James, president of the Collective PAC, said it was clear that some of the rhetoric we see from coastal Democrats had been problematic. James pointed to the activist demand to defund the police as especially harmful, even with supporters of policing overhauls.

We did a poll that showed Black voters, by and large, vastly support reforming the police and reallocating their budgets, James said. That terminology  defund  was not popular in the Black community.

Kara Eastman, a progressive Democrat who lost her bid for a House seat based in Omaha, Nebraska, said Republicans had succeeded in delivering a barrage of messages that tarred her and her party as being outside the mainstream. Eastman said she had told the authors of the 2020 review that she believed those labels were particularly damaging to women.

Matt Bennett, a Third Way strategist, said the party needed to be far better prepared to mount a defense in the midterm campaign.

We have got to take very seriously these attacks on Democrats as radicals and stipulate that they land, Bennett said. A lot of this just didnt land on Joe Biden.

Democrats maintained a large advantage with voters of color in the 2020 elections, but the report identified telling areas of weakness. Biden and other Democrats lost ground with Latino voters relative to the partys performance in 2016, especially among working-class and non-college voters in these communities, the report found.

The report found that a surge in Asian American turnout appeared to have secured Bidens victory in Georgia but that Democratic House candidates ran behind Biden with Asian American voters in contested California and Texas races. In some important states, Democrats did not mobilize Black voters at the same rate that Republicans did conservative white voters.

A substantial boost in turnout netted Democrats more raw votes from Black voters than in 2016, but the explosive growth among white voters in most races outpaced these gains, the report warns.

There has been no comparable self-review on the Republican side after the partys setbacks last year, mainly because GOP leaders have no appetite for a debate about Trumps impact.

The Republican Party faces serious political obstacles arising from Trumps unpopularity, the growing liberalism of young voters and the countrys growing diversity. Many of the partys policies are unpopular, including cutting social welfare and retirement security programs and keeping taxes low for the wealthy and big corporations.

Yet the structure of the American electoral system has tilted national campaigns toward Republicans because of congressional gerrymandering and the disproportionate representation of rural white voters in the Senate and Electoral College.

Democratic hopes for the midterm elections have so far hinged on the prospect of a strong recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and on voters regarding Republicans as a party unsuited to governing.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a moderate who was briefed on the findings of the report, called it proof that the party needed a strong central message about the economy in 2022.

We need to continue to show the American people what weve done, and then talk incessantly across the country, in every town, about how Democrats are governing, Sherrill said.

Largely unaddressed in the report is the immense deficit Democrats face among lower-income white voters. In its conclusion, however, Marshall and Tran wrote that Democrats need to deliver a message that includes working-class whites and matches Republicans clear collective gospel about low taxes and military strength.

Our gospel should be about championing all working people  including but not limited to white working people  and lifting up our values of opportunity, equity, inclusion, they wrote.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

 2021 The New York Times Company
It's a bumpy ride across the cool waters of Gansbaai, South Africa, for renowned shark expert Sara Andreotti. The area was once the shark capital of the world, but now the apex predator, which has survived over 400 million years, is in deep trouble.

Four years ago, you would see five to 20 great white sharks a day during peak season. Now you'd be lucky to see that many in an entire year. Their numbers are in steep decline, and sightings of the deadly predator off the country's western cape have been dropping rapidly for the past five years.

There's silence and stillness in the oceans, and Andreotti said the lack of sharks is actually an alarm.

"It's sad also, the disappearance of such a large predator," Andreotti told CBS News' Debora Patta.

While out on the sea recently with a group of researchers who were urgently trying to figure out why the ocean is so quiet, Andreotti spotted a great white shark. It was the first one she had seen in two years. Andreotti and the researchers got a sample from the shark.

"The sample will give us an indication if there are new sharks coming into the bay or a new shark in the bay," she said.

So where have all the other sharks gone?

Scientists like Andreotti and her colleagues believe long-line fishing is one of the main culprits. It legally targets smaller shark species exported to Australia for fish and chips. The problem, explains marine biologist Mary Rowlinson, is this is also the shark's food.

"And so we are depleting their food resources. And if you deplete the food resources, it creates greater competition between individuals, which makes it more difficult for each individual white shark to survive," Rowlinson said.

Then there is the problem of fishermen inadvertently catching sharks.

"You put down a big net, and you're trying to catch hake, but instead, you catch the sharks and calamari and ray. So it's kind of collateral damage," Andreotti said.

Story continues

Some researchers blame the disappearance of the great whites on another predator: killer orcas whales. They say they've chased the shark population away.

But Andreotti doesn't buy it. Orcas and great white sharks have lived within close proximity in the area before with no problems.

"My bigger fear is that while we are arguing whether they moved or whether they're being killed off, we lose the few that are still left," she said.

Over 100 miles away in False Bay, another hotspot, the shark population has also declined dramatically. Seferino Gelderbloem has been a shark spotter for twelve years. His job has been to keep watch for great whites, sounding a warning when they swim dangerously close to surfers. But that siren has been silent for a long time now.

"It does concern me because, I mean, they are on top of the food chain, so they keep the seals intact. So they feed on the sick and injured, so they just keep it balanced," Gelderbloem said.

Without the sharks circling the bay, there has been a proliferation of seals. More seals mean more fish are being eaten, affecting the delicate ecosystem of the ocean  an ocean we depend on for oxygen.

"If you don't have those top predators there, keeping everything in balance and in check, unfortunately, our oceans will eventually die. So protecting the oceans is protecting ourselves," Rowlinson said.

Great whites are often incorrectly portrayed as the blood-thirsty killers preying on humans. But it turns out humans may be their biggest threat.

Delta flight lands safely after onboard incident

Biden rejects Republicans' $50 billion infrastructure offer

Yellen speaks to reporters after G-7 nations back minimum corporate tax of at least 15%
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 10:56:57|Editor: huaxia

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National Chairman of Ghana's ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Accra, Ghana, April 13, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Zheng)

by Xinhua writer Xu Zheng

ACCRA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China's success in alleviating poverty demonstrates the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), National Chairman of Ghana's ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Describing China's victory in eradicating absolute poverty as a miracle the world's most populous country has achieved, the chairman said: "It is an example of good leadership, and we should learn from that."

Blay, who has paid several visits to China, said he has been extremely impressed by the country's efforts to address inequalities in development between its east and west, and a boom in its western regions' key sectors such as infrastructure and agriculture has ensured its poverty reduction goal could be achieved.

"The CPC has done well in leading this big country into prosperity," he said.

He noted that it is an accepted reality that many African countries are still underdeveloped despite their hard efforts, which highlights the importance of China-Africa cooperation on poverty alleviation.

"Under the leadership of the CPC, China is doing it (alleviating poverty) at a faster rate, and for that reason, we must partner with China and ensure that Africa is the new frontier now," he said.

Blay hailed China as a country that "shares what it has achieved," saying "China knows how to share, how to help each other, how to develop together, and we need that kind of (cooperation)."

Specifically, he said further cooperation on human resources development between the two countries would be conducive to Ghana's acceleration of its pace of poverty alleviation.

The chairman expressed his satisfaction with the increasing number of Ghanaian students studying in China, adding that he expected the Ghanaian youths would break down the language barriers and learn more from China to help develop their own country.

Noting this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, he said he would like to wish China more successes and prosperity under the leadership of the CPC, and looks forward to more partnership between the two parties. Enditem
President Trump implied that he would run for president again  or reclaim the White House through some other unspecified means  in a statement released after Facebook announced that he will be banned from the platform for at least another two years.

Next time Im in the White House there will be no more dinners, at his request, with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. It will be all business! Trump said in a statement.

Trumps comments come after multiple outlets, including National Review, reported that the former president believes  and has told advisors and conservative journalists  that he will somehow be reinstated to the presidency sometime in August.

Facebook announced on Friday that it would suspend Trumps account for at least two years, following an initial suspension in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot.

At the end of this period, if we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded, the company said in a statement.

During the riot, supporters of the former president breached the Capitol and forced lawmakers to evacuate to secure locations, delaying the certification of the Electoral College results. Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday that he and Trump may never see eye to eye regarding the riots.

As I said that night, January 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States of America, Pence told attendees at a local Republican meeting in New Hampshire. You know, President Trump and I have spoken many times since he left office, and I dont know if well ever see eye to eye on that day. But I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people of the last four years.

More from National Review
Clarence Williams III, who portrayed Linc Hayes for five seasons on The Mod Squad and Princes father in Purple Rain, has died.

He was 81.

The cause was colon cancer, his manager confirmed. He died on Friday.

His breakout role was playing Lincoln Hayes as part of the counterculture hit The Mod Squad, which ran from 1968 to 1973 and co-starred Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole as Julie Barnes and Pete Cochran, respectively. The three played former miscreants hired as cops charged with using their street smarts to infiltrate high schools, acting classes, prisons, hippie newspapers, gangs, movie sets and other situations to root out criminals, as The Hollywood Reporter noted.

The show tapped into the zeitgeist of the late 60s, portraying a positive image for the counterculture of the moment by tackling such issues as the Vietnam war and racism, as Deadline described it. Linc, Julie and Pete blended into the scene, using stealth to track and capture their targets.

He first started acting as a teen when he was given a few lines in a play, Dark of the Moon, which starred Cicely Tyson. After a few other roles, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Nominated for a Tony Award for Slow Dance on the Killing Ground in 1965, he also starred in several other plays, and numerous movies including The Generals Daughter, Sugar Hill, Half Baked, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, The Brave, Happy Here and Now, The Legend of 1900 and Life.

He is survived by a sister, Sondra Pugh; daughter Jamey Phillips, niece Suyin Shaw, grandnephews Elliot Shaw and Ese Shaw and grandniece Azaria Verdin, Variety reported.
Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu will appear opposite Hamilton's Phillipa Soo in a new romance movie.

Variety reports that Luke Bracey  from Netflix hit Holidate  is also onboard this adaptation, which will bring to screen Taylor Jenkins Reid's 2016 bestseller One True Loves: A Novel.

Photo credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez - Getty Images

Related: Loki's Kate Herron and Michael Waldron on getting "weird" with Marvel

The action revolves around a woman who is forced to choose between the husband she's long believed to be dead and the fiance responsible for bringing her back to life.

She's the Man director Andy Fickman is scheduled to roll cameras later this year in Massachusetts.

Earlier this week, actor Liu expressed his delight over joining the project, tweeting: "ASIAN. ROMANTIC. LEADS! There's nothing quite like the feeling of turning a character Asian.

"It's more than a face; it's about painting all of this new form with exciting colours, from all his experiences to his insecurities. I can't wait to show you."

Photo credit: Steven Ferdman - Getty Images

Related: Hamilton ending explained: Lin-Manuel Miranda talks about Eliza's ambiguous gasp

Meanwhile, Liu recently directed criticism towards his sitcom Kim's Convenience, which he considered lacking in diversity behind the scenes.

"Aside from [creator Ins Choi], there were no other Korean voices in the [writers] room," he wrote.

"I voiced my interest in shadowing a director or writers' room... my prior experience had taught me that if I just put myself out there enough, people would be naturally inclined to help. And boy was I wrong here."



This month, Digital Spy Magazine counts down the 50 greatest LGBTQ+ TV characters since the Stonewall riots. Read every issue now with a 1-month free trial, only on Apple News+.

Interested in Digital Spy's weekly newsletter? Sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox  and don't forget to join our Watch This Facebook Group for daily TV recommendations and discussions with other readers.

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Happy anniversary, Jonathan Van Ness and Mark Peacock!

On Saturday, the 34-year-old Queer Eye star and their husband celebrated their 1-year wedding anniversary with a slideshow of photos of the happy couple.

Featuring a picture of the pair on their wedding day, the carousel of shots also included images of them attending events with one another and traveling the world side by side. Two solo shots of Peacock were also included in the series.

"Happy One Year Wedding Anniversary @marklondon ," Van Ness wrote alongside their post. "I love our adventures and I can't wait to make more ."

RELATED: Jonathan Van Ness Shares New Photos of Husband Mark Peacock and Details How They First Met

On his respective Instagram account, Peacock also shared a series of photos to commemorate the occasion, writing, "Happy 1st Anniversary babe ," beside his post.

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In the comments section of Van Ness' post, an array of the television personality's famous friends shared congratulatory remarks with the star.

"Happy Anniversary my darling Angels ILYSM ," said Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan as Heidi Klum shared a simple remark, writing, "BEAUTIFUL ."

Jonathan Van Ness/Instagram

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Some of Van Ness' Queer Eye costars also sent some love the couple's way on their milestone occasion.

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"Aaw, Happy Anniversary, to you both. I hope you have such a wonderful day ," Tan France wrote, while Bobby Berk added, "Happy anniversary you two! Love you!!!"

Van Ness first revealed that they and Peacock tied the knot while reflecting on 2020 in a lengthy Instagram post on New Year's Eve. There, Van Ness confirmed they had married their "best friend."

"Thank you universe for allowing me to be here & thanks to everyone who has supported me. 2020 was a year unlike any other," Van Ness began the caption of their post. "I got to campaign & get more involved politically. I finished my tour in Australia & NZ for what I didn't know would be my last standup show for who knows how long."

Story continues

RELATED VIDEO: Jonathan Van Ness: I Am the Fearless Non-Binary Queer Person I Am Because of Margaret Cho

Then, the star shared their exciting personal news, writing, "I got married to my best friend & have a loving partner to continue building my life with."

Days later, Van Ness then offered fans more details about how they and Peacock met and ended up getting married. The hairstylist said that the pair went on a "date in London, which turned into more dates whilst I was on a comedy tour."

Explaining that they were planning to take family and friends on a trip to Amsterdam at the end of their tour, Van Ness wrote, "I wanted @marklondon to come with but, was it a bit intense to ask Mark to come after a couple weeks worth's of dates to come meet my mom & and friends on a mini break? Maybe so, but something about Mark felt different and I'm quite sure he felt the same."
By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday called for leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations to make a commitment to vaccinate the entire world against COVID-19 by the end of 2022 when they meet in Britain next week.

Johnson will host the first in-person summit in almost two years of G7 leaders - which follows a meeting of the group's finance ministers which wrapped up earlier in the day - and said he would seek a pledge to hit the global vaccination goal.

"Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history," Johnson said in a statement. "Im calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end this terrible pandemic and pledge we will never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again."

The leaders of Germany, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, the European Union and Canada will join Johnson for the three-day summit in Cornwall, southwest England, which begins on Friday. It will be the first overseas trip for U.S. President Joe Biden since he took office in January.

While the richest nations have been vaccinating large numbers of their populations, many poorer countries have not had the same access to vaccines. And health experts have warned that unless more COVID shots were donated, the virus will continue to spread and mutate.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in London for the finance ministers meeting, said it was urgent for the richest nations to promote vaccinations in poorer countries that could not afford to buy them.

She also repeated the U.S. position that patent rights should be removed for the vaccines, and said they were doing everything they could to address supply chain problems that were preventing a build-up of shots in other parts of the world.

Britain has ordered more than 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for its population of 67 million and says it will donate any shots it does not need.

(Editing by David Holmes)
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 11:00:22|Editor: huaxia

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File photo taken on Oct. 16, 2020 shows the view of the Passu Glacier in Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

Pakistan has been recurrently affected by natural catastrophes caused by climate change, including glacier melt and poor crop harvest, among others.

"The real tragedy with us is that we did not contribute much to the climate change, yet we will be the first one to get devoured by nature if it turns violent," an activist warned.

"We are trying our best to restore nature, we are investing in it, and are educating people to put our trust back in nature," said a government minister, as the country vows to go all out to secure a greener future for generations to come.

by Misbah Saba Malik

ISLAMABAD, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Haidar Ali, a political activist from Hunza district of Pakistan's northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, has many sleepless nights in summer due to fear of the bursting of a lake formed some 10 km away from his home because of a surging glacier named Shishper.

"The glacier surged due to climate change, like many other glaciers in the Karakoram mountain range. The lake formed by the glacier surge poses a high risk to residential settlements like my home in summer," Ali told Xinhua.

"Since its formation in 2018, it has burst twice in summer and we are scared that the same may happen again to wash us away in its gushing water."

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the 12-km-long Shishper glacier, covering an area of almost 24.9 square km, surged with very high velocity of up to 43.3 meters a day in 2018, and intercepted glacier-melt water from its neighboring glacier Muchuhur, resulting in the formation of the glacier dammed lake in November 2018, with the risk of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

Photo taken on June 5, 2021 shows a view of a residential area surrounded by trees in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

"The real tragedy with us is that we did not contribute much to the climate change, yet we will be the first one to get devoured by nature if it turns violent. Pakistanis should realize that climate change is a serious issue and if they do not pay attention to it right now, everyone will be vulnerable and helpless in the face of natural calamities," Ali said.

Pakistan has been recurrently affected by catastrophes and is ranked among the most affected countries to climate change in both the long-term index and in the index for the respective year, according to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021.

Apart from glacier melt, Pakistan's agricultural sector is also being badly affected by climate change, especially in the areas where agriculture is dependent on rains including the Chakwal district of the country's eastern Punjab province.

"Wheat and peanut are the major crops in Chakwal. We don't have any canal irrigation system in the district and 90 percent of farmers depend on rains for their crops. Over the past three years, wheat production in the area has been badly affected because of hostile weather conditions," Hamid Iqbal, a farmer in Chakwal, told Xinhua.

He said that over the past few years there is very little rainfall during the sowing season due to which the crops could not get enough water to grow. Whereas, during the harvest season around April-May, heavy rainfall and hailstorm lashed the crops, making farmers lose a major share of their yield.

Similarly, the country's cash crop cotton faces the same fate in Punjab and Sindh provinces due to abrupt changes in weather, discouraging farmers to sow it and putting pressure on textile, the major export-oriented industry of the country.

A farmer harvests wheat on the outskirts of northwest Pakistan's Peshawar on May 7, 2021. (Photo by Saeed Ahmad/Xinhua)

Pakistan's Minister for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said that climate change has posed multiple socio-economic challenges due to environmental impact.

"Our monsoon patterns are shifting the timing and the frequency of rainfall. The geographical distribution of rainfall has shifted. It is shifting so fast that our agriculture cannot adapt to it," he told Xinhua.

"In our South we have cyclonic activity happening dangerously close to our big cities. We have this new phenomenon of cloudbursts over our main cities. In addition to all of this, we also have very strong heat waves which are coming in Pakistan."

Being the global host of this year's World Environment Day with a theme of "Ecosystem Restoration", Pakistan is trying hard to educate its people to embrace nature and make it their friend by investing in it, the minister said.

The Pakistani government is taking stringent measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and Prime Minister Imran Khan is himself heading the campaign to "save the country for future generations by addressing the climate change issue."

In order to address deforestation, Pakistan launched the Billion Tree Tsunami project in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2014 and in 2018 its sphere was extended to the whole country with the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami program.

Talking about the initiative, the minister on climate change said that a billion out of the 10 billion trees have already been planted while the remaining trees are expected to be planted till 2023.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (C) returns after planting a tree during an event in connection with the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami program in the country's northwest city of Haripur on May 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

"We also announced the Protected Areas Initiative in Pakistan to protect our forests. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we established new national parks. So they are preserving the unique wilderness of Pakistan and also helping us fight climate change," Aslam said.

In order to protect residential settlements from being hit by glacier lake bursts, the government has launched a project to install early warning systems of GLOF to educate people about the glacial melting-induced floods and preparation to ensure safe evacuation and less damage.

"There is a lot to be done to stop the melting and surge of glaciers, but as an urgent measure, we have launched the initiative to have a beforehand knowledge of the calamity to save the residential communities from being a victim of disaster," he added.

The country has also launched the Recharge Pakistan program to increase water storage and recharge through wetlands, floodplains and hill-torrents management to build resilience of vulnerable communities through climate-adapted, community-based natural resource management.

Talking about the program, Aslam said, "We are trying to turn the crisis into an opportunity through this program. About 30 million acre feet of water is wasted from Pakistan annually, so under this program we want to divert that flood water towards our degraded wetland systems so that the wetlands can get restored, and also our groundwater aquifer can get recharged."

In order to control carbon emissions, the government has decided to convert 30 percent of its traffic to electricity from fuel till 2030, and in this connection, electric motorbikes and passenger three-wheelers have already been launched, while four-wheeler vehicles are scheduled to be launched by the end of this year, Aslam said.

Photo taken on June 5, 2021 shows a man carries a plant at the Margalla Hills National Park in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)



"We are trying our best to restore nature, we are investing in it, and are educating people to put our trust back in nature," the minister added.

He said the country's initiative to repair nature has also created a large number of green jobs, including 100,000 employments created during the COVID-19 lockdowns, adding that the job creation improved the livelihood of the locals, showing that "if you invest in nature, nature always pays you back. It's not a one-way investment."

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges which Pakistan is facing as it is not only affecting the lifestyle and safety of people but also has a lot of economic and social repercussions.

The Pakistani government is taking measures to protect their part of the planet from getting more affected by climatic change. Though the country's share in the world's carbon emission is less than 1 percent, experts believe that inadequate measures to protect the environment showed some very serious consequences over the past few years, but the situation is likely to get back to normal when the government's efforts start bearing fruit. 
Climate Change Likely Shifted The Axis Of The Earth, According To A New Study
I suppose its natural to blame someone else for our own mistakes and shortcomings, or when 
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 13:29:53|Editor: huaxia

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CANBERRA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Leader of Australia's opposition Labor Party Anthony Albanese on Sunday said the country can not wait until 2022 to open dedicated quarantine facilities for international arrivals.

Albanese criticized the federal government for waiting to build quarantine facilities, saying construction should have begun in 2020.

"That was the best time to do this, the next best time is right now," he told Sky News Australia.

The government last week announced 200 million Australian dollars (154.8 million U.S. dollars) in funding to build a 500-bed facility in Victoria state to help repatriate more Australians stranded overseas amid the pandemic.

However, construction on the site will not start until September and it will not be operational until 2022.

The New South Wales state government on Sunday confirmed it is also seeking funding for a dedicated facility.

"This needs to fixed now, not wait until after the next federal election which will occur perhaps as late as May of next year," Albanese said. "We can't afford to keep having these lockdowns."

Arrivals to Australia have been forced into quarantine for 14 days in hotels, but the system has repeatedly been breached.

According to Albanese, there have been many COVID-19 outbreaks in Australia linked to hotel quarantine breaches, including the current outbreak in Victoria that has thrust the greater Melbourne area into its fourth lockdown.

"We know that the facilities at the moment, in hotel quarantine, the outbreak in Victoria has come from Adelaide and we know that 21 separate outbreaks have occurred," Albanese said.

He said that the problems have been exacerbated by Australia's troubled vaccine rollout.

As of Sunday, more than 5 million doses have been administered in Australia. Enditem
New Delhi: The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is likely to soon release the exam notification for recruitment of Constable (General Duty or GD) in CAPFs, NIA, SSF, and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles.

It is expected that the notification for SSC GD examination 2021 will be released before June 15, as per media reports. However, there has been no official statement from SSC on this yet.

Interested candidates are advised to keep a tab on SSCs official website  ssc.nic.in for updates.

Earlier, SSC GD constable notification was scheduled to release in the first week of May, but was postponed due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The commission had declared that the notification will be out after assessing the situation caused by the deadly pandemic.

The recruitment will fill nearly 40 thousand posts of GD constable.

Eligibility criteria:

Indian citizens who have passed Class 10 from a recognised board can apply for the SSC GD exam. They should have scored at least 50 percent in Class 10. The age limit to apply for this national-level examination recruiting candidates for an entry-level job is 18 to 23 years.

Selection process:

Candidates will be selected on the basis of written exams, a physical test and verification of documents.

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New Delhi: After generating flak from the nursing union, Delhi government hospital has now revoked its controversial circular where it had directed its nursing staff not to converse in Malayalam.

"A formal order withdrawing the circular will be issued soon. The matter is being investigated and action will follow," Medical Director Dr Anil Agarwal told PTI.

Delhi Health department issued a memo to Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (GIPMER) in connection with its recent order which directed nursing staff to communicate only in Hindi and English, following complaint against usage of Malayalam language, ANI reported.

Sharing a media report on the issue, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Sunday, "Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination!"

On Saturday, the Nursing Superintendent of the hospital had asked its nursing staff to use only Hindi and English for communication or face 'strict action'. Further, they asked the nurses to refrain from using Malayalam saying 'maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language' which it said causes a lot of 'inconvenience'.

Expressing displeasure at the circular, G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani told PTI that the complaint was registered by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding use of Malayalam language at the hospital, while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi: The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government on Friday (June 4, 2021) announced new lockdown-like restrictions in the state, which will remain in place from June 6 till June 16.

Earlier, the lockdown-like restrictions in the state were supposed to be lifted on June 5, but in the view of the COVID-19 situation the state government decided to extend it for 10 more days.

The authorities revealed that the curfew timings in the state have been reduced from 1 pm to 5 am daily.

The state governments order read, In partial modification of the order issued vide Order No.ASDMA.28/2021/86 dated 25th May, 2021 and in the exercise of the powers, conferred under Section 22(2) (h) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the undersigned, in his capacity as Chairperson, State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority, Assam, hereby issues the following directives which will be uniformly applicable across the State (both urban and rural areas) with effect from 5 AM of June 6, 2021 and will remain in force till 5 AM of June 16, 2021.

Heres list of whats allowed, whats not:

- All government and private offices will remain closed till June 15.

- All shops and commercial establishments to shut at 12 noon every day.

- Total ban on the movement of individuals from 1 pm to 5 am at all days.

- Restaurants and other eateries can take dine-in guests up to 12 noon, individuals can take away their food till 1 pm and after that only home delivery of food will be allowed.

- Restaurants operating within a hotel or resort can allow outside guests up to 12 noon. However. in-house guests of hotel/resort ordered to give only room service after 12 noon.

- All inter-district transport services and movement of people to and from other districts will remain suspended.

- Cold storages and warehouses may continue after 12 noon. However, sale counters, showrooms etc attached to these warehouses or cold storages have been asked to shut after noon.

- The government/ semi-government officers in the rank of deputy secretary and above and senior executives in non-government sector along with their key support staff allowed to attend office only for emergency and essential works.

Meanwhile, Assam on Saturday reported over 3,781 new COVID-19 cases and 44 deaths, taking the total caselaoad to 4,32,714 and death toll stood at 3,621, as per health departments bulletin.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre pointing out that as the country faced a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines the government was "fighting for blue ticks" on Twitter.

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, the Congress leader said that if one wanted a COVID-19 vaccine, they had to be 'atmanirbhar' (self reliant).

The remark comes a day after Twitter kicked up a storm by removing verification badges called 'blue ticks' from several Twitter handles including that of Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and other leaders.

The Centre on Saturday gave a final notice to Twitter for compliance with new IT rules. In the official letter shared by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity), the Centre noted that Twitter has not informed about the details of the Chief Compliance Officer as required under the Rules.

The Centre also gave a warning to Twitter, saying that non-compliance will lead to unintended consequences including Twitter losing exemption from liability under section 79 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000.

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New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday (June 6, 2021) said that some of its troops were assaulted by cattle smugglers along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's Dakshin Dinajpur district on Saturday night.

The BSF stated that its troops detected movement of 8-10 cattle smugglers along with cattle coming from the Indian side along the bank of Chhoti Jamuna river with an intent to cross the cattle towards the Bangladesh side.

Subsequently, the BSF troops challenged the smugglers to stop, but the transborder cattle smugglers aggressively encircled and assaulted them with sticks during which one of the BSF troops sustained an injury on his head.

The injured BSF personnel was taken to a Govt Hospital Hili for medical treatment and his condition is said to be presently stable.
New Delhi: Soon after cancellation of CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (June 1), the Central Board of Secondary Education on Friday (June 4) formed a 12-member committee to decide well-defined objective criteria for the evaluation of students.

Further, the committee which included Joint Secretary Education, Vipin Kumar, Commissioners of the Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas, and representatives from the CBSE has been asked to submit its report in 10 days.

"In view of the uncertain conditions due to COVID and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that Class XII Board Examination of CBSE 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," CBSE said.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court directed the CBSE and CICSE to place on record objective criteria for assessment of marks in two weeks.

The government on Tuesday at a high-level meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi decided to cancel the CBSE Class 12 board exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The authorities asserted that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and that the anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end.

Additionally, CBSE Secretary Anurag Tripathy on Thursday (June 3) said that the CBSE Class 12 Board Exam 2021 would be declared before August.

Higher education institutions and foreign varsities conduct admissions around August. We are trying to bring out the Class 12 CBSE board exam results before that, Tripathy said.

CBSE is working on finalising the marking criteria for Class 12. We will take suggestions from schools and students. Making the evaluation criteria will take some time, he added.

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New Delhi: A central team headed by a joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will visit West Bengal to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas, days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee abstained from a cyclone review meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi triggering a controversy.

The very severe cyclone Yaas made landfall in Odisha on May 26 and affected a large part of the state as well as West Bengal.

A central team led by a joint secretary of the MHA will visit West Bengal for three days to assess the damage caused by the cyclone, a Home Ministry official said.

The West Bengal chief minister had said, as per preliminary assessment, the cyclone had led to damage of an estimated Rs 20,000 crore to property and agriculture.

She had also said that 18 lakh people were affected by the cyclone and around 2.21 lakh hectares of crops and 71,560 hectares of horticulture area suffered damage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the cyclone-affected area of West Bengal on May 28 and later called a review meeting at the Kalaikunda air force station.

However, the chief minister and the then chief secretary, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, a senior IAS officer, did not attend it, even though they met the prime minister for a few minutes.

Following this, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the cadre controlling ministry for the IAS officers, summoned Bandyopadhyay for serving in the central government.

However, he did not come to the capital and chose to retire on May 31, instead of accepting a three-month extension sanctioned to him by the state and central government.

Subsequently, he was appointed as the chief advisor to the state government by Banerjee.

On May 31 itself, the MHA slapped a show-cause notice on Bandyopadhyay under a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act that entails imprisonment for up to two years for abstaining from the meeting presided by the prime minister at Kalaikunda.

Chief Minister Banerjee had alleged that the officer was targeted by the central government due to a "political vendetta".

The ruling Trinamool Congress claimed that the Centre was wreaking vengeance on the West Bengal government and that the notice sent to Bandyopadhyay was an "illegal" move.
New Delhi: A Delhi government hospital has drawn ire after it asked its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work and converse only in Hindi and English.

As per ANI, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) issued a circular directing its nursing staff to use only Hindi and English for communication or face 'strict action'. Further, they asked them to refrain from using Malayalam saying 'maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language' which it said causes a lot of 'inconvenience'.

The circular read, "A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience".

Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Delhi directs all its nursing personnel to use only Hindi&English for communication, warns of serious action if not done. It had received complaint against the use of Malayalam language in the institute pic.twitter.com/jQqCpqjOrn  ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2021

"So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. Otherwise serious action will be taken, it added.

Expressing displeasure at the circular, G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani told PTI that the complaint was registered by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding use of Malayalam language at the hospital, while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".

Ramchandani, also the secretary general of Delhi Nurses Federation, asserted, "As a language's name, Malayalam, has been inserted in the circular, many will take offence". He claimed the contentious circular was "consequent of the complaint filed by the patient" and "internally, there is no issue among the nurses and the administration".

Other nursing unions have also raised objections to the circular, the report added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 14:49:37|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) and Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian president's special envoy and Indonesia's coordinator for cooperation with China, co-chair the inaugural meeting of the China-Indonesia high-level dialogue cooperation mechanism in Guiyang, the capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

GUIYANG, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural meeting of the China-Indonesia high-level dialogue cooperation mechanism was held on Saturday in Guiyang, the capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The meeting was co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian president's special envoy and Indonesia's coordinator for cooperation with China.

Noting Indonesia is an emerging economy and a major developing country, Wang said that China always views China-Indonesia relations from a strategic perspective and develops China-Indonesia cooperation from a global perspective.

This meeting marks the establishment of the comprehensive high-level cooperation mechanism between the two countries, Wang said, adding that it is an important measure taken by the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state.

On the occasion of the first meeting, Wang said that both sides should set the long-term goal of jointly building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, focus on political security, trade and investment, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, maritime cooperation and anti-epidemic and public health cooperation, so as to kick off a good start of the mechanism and open up a new situation of all-round development of China-Indonesia relations.

For his part, Luhut said that the establishment of the mechanism will provide new support for more effective cooperation between the two countries.

Indonesia is willing to work with China to accelerate the joint construction of the Belt and Road, deepen the construction of the regional comprehensive economic corridor, and forge the completion of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway on schedule, Luhut added.

The two sides signed two memorandums of understanding on establishing a high-level dialogue cooperation mechanism and strengthening maritime cooperation between the two countries after the meeting. Enditem
New Delhi: Few hours after the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Saturday (June 5, 2021) announced the unlock guidelines and revealed that the markets in the national capital will be allowed to function on odd-even formula, the domestic traders body, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) wrote to the Chief Minister opposing the formula.

The domestic traders body CAIT in its letter welcomed the Delhi governments decision to unlock the city but opposed the idea of odd-even formula stating that it has never suited for the business character of Delhi.

The odd-even formula is never suited for the business character of Delhi because being the largest distribution center of the country, Delhi has a totally different business format where one trader is dependent upon the other for procurement of goods and in many cases, both these format of trade will adopt the different day for opening the shops due to the odd-even formula, said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general, CAIT.

Earlier, CAIT in its letter addressed to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and CM Kejriwal has suggested that the government can put in place staggered timings for the wholesale and retail markets.

The CAIT in its letter also added that this odd-even formula will create confusion among the consumers as they wont be sure whether the shop from which they intend to purchase would be open or not. The domestic traders body further requested the Delhi government to reconsider its decision.

It will be a satisfaction that shops are open but in reality how much business activities will take place will be (any)ones guess, the CAIT said in a statement.

The domestic traders body also added that the government should have consulted the trade associations in the city before taking such decisions. It is highly regretted that the champion of peoples advice, Kejriwal, has not held consultation any prominent association which shows his scant respect for Delhi trade, they added.

Meanwhile, Delhi on Saturday reported over 400 new COVID-19 cases and 60 deaths. As per the health departments bulletin, the overall caseload of the Capital now stands at 1,428,863, while the death toll has reached 24,557.

                                    ,              pic.twitter.com/1TD6qUe4F0  CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) June 5, 2021

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New Delhi: The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday (June 5, 2021) extended the COVID-induced curfew in the state till 6 am on June 14.

The decision to extend the corona curfew was taken by the state government in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Check complete guidelines here:

- All shops and other establishments can stay open from Monday to Friday for five hours from 9 am to 2 pm. Shops selling essential items and pharmacies will remain open as usual during the weekends as well.

- Government offices would also function with 30 percent attendance, except stand-alone offices with a strength of up to four employees will remain open with full strength.

- Educational institutions in the state will remain closed.

- Public transport will also remain suspended till further orders.

The state cabinet in the meeting also decided that the authorities would explore options for procurement of more COVID-19 vaccines directly from the makers.

Additionally, the state cabinet also decided to cancel Class 12th Himachal Board of School Education examinations. CM Jai Ram Thakur said the HP Board of School Education would devise a formula for calculating the marks for students of class 12th keeping in view the formula being devised by the CBSE.

The authorities also decided that in case the candidates are not satisfied with their class 12th results they would be allowed to appear in a special examination which will be conducted once the situation becomes conducive.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh on Saturday reported 787 new COVID-19 cases and 27 deaths, taking the states caseload to 1,93,924. According to the state health department notification, the state has 9,787 active COVID-19 cases. The recovery count rose to 1,80,870 with 2,030 patients recuperating from the disease in the past 24 hours.

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New Delhi: The Delhi government on Sunday (June 6) directed private hospitals and nursing homes to administer Covaxin only to those eligible for the second dose in respect of the 18-44 age group in the month of June or until further orders.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority has asked senior officials of health and revenue departments and district magistrates to ensure compliance to the order "in letter and spirit".

"DDMA hereby directs that all private hospitals and nursing homes functioning as COVID Vaccination Centres for Covaxin shall ensure that Covaxin shall be used for vaccination to only those people (of age group 18-44 years) who are eligible for receiving the second dose of vaccination during June 2021 or till further orders," the order reads.

In case anyone is found violating the directions, the person will be proceeded against as per the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Act and other applicable laws, according to the order.

The Delhi Health Department had issued an order on Thursday directing all government Covid vaccination centres to administer Covaxin "only to those eligible for receiving the second dose in respect of the age group of 18-44 years during June or till further orders".

The city government has temporarily shut inoculation centres for the 18-44 age group due to the non-availability of the vaccine. However, some private hospitals have been providing jabs to this category.

(inputs from agency)

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New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday (June 6) asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why the doorstep ration delivery scheme by his government was stalled by the Centre and appealed to him to allow its implementation in the national interest.

He said the scheme should be implemented across the country in view of COVID-19 otherwise ration shops will act as "super-spreaders".

"If pizza, burgers, smartphones and clothes can be delivered at home, then why can't ration be delivered at their doorstep," Kejriwal asked. He alleged that the Centre was fighting with everyone, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra, Delhi and Jharkhand governments, farmers and the people of Lakshadweep.

"People are distressed that the central government is fighting everyone. If we fight like this, how will we tackle COVID-19," the chief minister said at an online briefing. "The Delhi government legally did not require the Centre's approval for the implementation of the scheme, but it sought permission five times to avoid any dispute," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi government on Saturday had claimed the doorstep delivery of ration scheme was rejected by the Lt governor saying the Centre's approval was not sought and that litigation was pending in the high court regarding it. The central government has said that the Delhi government's claim was "baseless" that its doorstep delivery scheme was rejected.

Kejriwal said he was "deeply anguished" over the Centre's rejection of the doorstep delivery of ration scheme and wanted to directly ask the Prime Minister why was it stalled.

He said the scheme would have finished the powerful ration mafia in Delhi whom he had fought while working in Delhi's slums 17 years ago and faced attacks several times.

"If you stand with the ration mafia, who will stand with the poor people," the chief minister said, adding that the scheme was intended to benefit 72 lakh people in the national capital. This ration mafia has strong connections which is evident now as they got the doorstep delivery scheme rejected, he said and added that the Delhi government had made all preparations and was going to launch it in a few days.

  ,         -       | Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/gq4dBgQAvO  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 6, 2021

He said one reason given by the Centre for rejecting the scheme was that a case has been filed by some ration shop owners in the high court. But the court did not stay the scheme and even the central government did not raise any objection there, the chief minister said.

"Even the name of the scheme was changed after the objection of the central government and yet they are saying no approval was sought. How else do you get approval?" he questioned. The chief minister claimed that it was being said by some central government officers that the Delhi government can not take credit for the scheme by using the ration provided by the Centre.

"I am not doing this for credit. Please allow implementation of doorstep delivery of ration scheme and I will myself tell everyone that it was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Kejriwal said. He said the ration does not belong to the BJP or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but to the people of the country. "It is the responsibility of both of us that it reaches the people without theft," he stated.

The Union Food and Public Distribution ministry on Saturday said it has not asked the Delhi government not to distribute the ration the way they want. "They can do so under any other scheme. The Government of India will provide additional ration for the same as per notified rates. Where is the issue?" it had said.

The Delhi government wants to "tinker with" that nationally administered programme at the cost of Delhi consumers by charging the cost of milling etc from them. The Government of India had only informed them about the rule position, it had claimed further.

(inputs from agency)

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New Delhi: The southwest monsoon is likely to advance into Odisha, Jharkhand, parts of West Bengal and Bihar, the India Meteorological Department said on Saturday (June 5, 2021), hinting at its good progress in the next 10 days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the southwest monsoon has further advanced into more parts of central Arabian Sea, entire coastal Karnataka, Goa, some parts of Maharashtra, most parts north interior Karnataka, some parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, more parts of Tamil Nadu and central Bay of Bengal, and some parts of northeast Bay of Bengal.

However, a lull is expected in the rainfall activity on June 7-8, Rajendra Jenamani of the National Weather Forecasting Centre of the IMD, said.

But a low-pressure area is expected to form in the Bay of Bengal by June 11. This will help in the progress of the monsoon and it is likely to advance into Odisha, Jharkhand, parts of West Bengal and Bihar, he said.

The monsoon set over Kerala on June 3, two days after its normal onset date. The IMD has also made a forecast of a normal rainfall in June. It said no heatwave conditions are likely in the country over the next five days.

The IMD said maximum temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius were recorded at many places over west Rajasthan and at isolated places over Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat and Odisha.

The highest maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius was recorded at Banda in east Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

No heatwave conditions are likely in the country over the next five days, the IMD said.

Meanwhile, several parts of the country, including north India, are witnessing rainfall activity.

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New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday (June 5, 2021) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel all national-level entrance examinations including NEET UG 2021.

"Dear Prime Minister Vanakkam, I wish to draw your attention to an urgent issue concerning the future of Class XII students in the state," Stalin wrote in a letter to PM Modi.

He stated that in line with the CBSE's decision to cancel the Class 12th board exams, the Tamil Nadu government has also taken the same call due to the current COVID-19 situation.

"Given these circumstances, I am of the strong view that conducting national level entrance examinations for any professional course would be immensely detrimental to the health and well-being of students," Stalin wrote.

The Tamil Nadu CM added, "I, therefore, urge you to cancel the conduct of all national level entrance examinations like NEET, as the same reasons adduced for cancelling the class XII Board Examinations are equally applicable to entrance examinations as well.

He stated that Tamil Nadu should be allowed to fill all professional seats including MBBS on the basis of Class 12 marks alone.

In the letter, Stalin also informed that a committee is constituted to decide on the evaluation and compilation of the marks of the Class 12th students.

This is to be noted that the National Testing Agency (NTA) is slated to conduct NEET (UG)  2021 in 11 languages, including Hindi and English through Pen & Paper mode on August 1.

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Basti: Health department workers were caught on camera allegedly packing up RT-PCR test kits without taking the requisite samples from COVID-19 patients in Basti in Uttar Pradesh.

Videos of the incident found circulating online claim that an elderly man had visited a health centre located in Maharipur village of Basti district to get a COVID-19 test done.

However, the video claims that health workers at the centre made him fill up a form but packed the RT-PCR test stick without collecting his sample. The administration has ordered an inquiry into the alleged negligence by the health workers.

"People in the video have been identified. Action will be taken against them," Basti District Magistrate Saumya Agarwal told ANI on Saturday.

Enquiry is underway and further details awaited.

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New Delhi: Amid a decline in COVID-19 cases, the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday (June 6, 2021) lifted COVID-imposed curfew from all districts, barring Meerut, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur.

The announcement was made by ACS Information Navneet Sehgal. He revealed that the COVID-imposed curfew is being lifted from all districts, including Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad.

Uttar Pradesh lifts COVID-imposed curfew from all districts barring Meerut, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur as active cases in these three districts are above 600, said ACS Information Navneet Sehgal.

However, the night curfew and weekend curfew will continue to remain, the state government said.

Earlier, the state authorities had issued a directive that stated that COVID-imposed curfew will be lifted in districts with less than 600 active cases.

From 1,025 active cases on June 1, it came down to 631 on Saturday. This has brightened the prospect lifting of the curfew in the district. However, a decision in this regard will be taken by the district magistrate (DM) once the active cases are below 600. Given the trend, it is likely next week, Gupta was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Saturday had said that a two-day weekly corona curfew should be implemented in all 75 districts of the state. He further directed the police and local administrations be more vigilant after 6 pm.

"The cooperation of every citizen is important to win the fight against the pandemic. Also, the police needs to ramp up their efforts and make people aware about the situation," he added.

Till Saturday, the active cases in Ghaziabad stood at 631, while in Noida it stood at 610.

Additionally, the state has vaccinated 2.23 crore, making it the only state in the country to have vaccinated over 5 crore of its population. More than 31 lakh youth have been vaccinated in the state till now.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 1100 new COVID-19 cases. The total active cases of the state stands 17000 and 3.10 lakh has been tested in last 24 hours.

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New Delhi: Haryana and Sikkim decided to extend their COVID curbs on Sunday (June 6) while several other states have already decided to continue the lockdown with relaxations in certain restrictions.

This move by the state governments comes after they started recording a considerable decline in the number of active COVID-19 cases.

"The state government is taking a calculated risk and hence people have to take care of themselves. Nothing is going to be eased immediately, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said ahead of the start of the five-tier' unlock process based on weekly positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds in districts.

Mumbai, however, will see a slow unlock as it comes under the third tier of the states ease on restrictions.

The national capital was the first to begin the unlock process from May 31 and will see further easing of restrictions from Monday, with the government allowing resumption of metro services at 50 percent capacity and reopening of markets and malls on an odd-even basis.

Officials said teams of police and district administration have been deployed across the city to enforce COVID-appropriate behaviour.

In June, several states and Union Territories have begun easing the lockdown restrictions which they first started imposing in mid-April as the second COVID wave hit the country, but the Centre has cautioned that the unlock process has to be slow and that COVID-appropriate behaviour needs to be strictly followed.

The Uttar Pradesh government also extended the relaxations in the coronavirus curfew to four more districts on Sunday. With this, curbs have been eased in 71 districts where shops and markets outside containment zones will be allowed to open for five days a week.

The Haryana government said it was extending the lockdown, clamped in the state on May 3, till June 14 as a preventive and precautionary measure though the COVID positivity rate and the number of new COVID positive cases have declined.

The Sikkim government, while announcing the state-wide lockdown for one more week till June 14, also allowed relaxation for shops selling groceries and hardware.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had announced the extension of the lockdown by a week till June 14 with some easing of restrictions from Monday, except in 11 districts where the number of new cases reported was still high.

Earlier, neighbouring Karnataka had extended the lockdown till June 14.

Himachal Pradesh and Goa had also extended the 'Corona curfew' till June 14 with some easing of curbs.

Ladakh on Sunday announced a gradual unlocking after a month-long 'corona curfew' in the Union Territory.

India reported 1,14,460 new coronavirus infections, the lowest in 60 days, while the daily positivity rate further dropped to 5.62 percent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

With the fresh cases, the total tally of coronavirus cases in the country climbed to 2,88,09,339.

Here is a look at coronavirus-induced restrictions/lockdown imposed by states and union territories:

Delhi will continue with lockdown with the second phase of easing of restrictions from June 7.

Haryana has extended lockdown till June 14 with some easing of restrictions.

Punjab has extended the coronavirus restrictions till June 10.

Uttar Pradesh has eased restrictions in 71 districts. Night curfew and weekend lockdown to remain in the state.

Bihar has extended the lockdown till June 8.

Jharkhand has extended lockdown till June 10.

Odisha has extended lockdown till June 17.

West Bengal government extended ongoing COVID-19 restrictions till June 15.

Rajasthan has extended lockdown till June 8 but has eased some restrictions.

Madhya Pradesh has extended corona curfew with eased restrictions till June 15. The state has announced separate unlock guidelines for districts.

Gujarat has extended night curfew in 36 cities of the state for a week from June 4, with further relaxation in timings.

Chhattisgarh government has on May 31 extended lockdown till further orders.

Kerala has extended the lockdown till June 9 with some concessions.

Tamil Nadu has extended the lockdown till June 14.

Puducherry has imposed a lockdown till June 7.

Lakshadweep administration has extended the lockdown till June 10.

Karnataka has announced an extension of lockdown till June 14.

Telangana has extended the lockdown till June 9.

Andhra Pradesh has extended curfew till June 10.

The Goa government has extended the curfew till June 14.

Maharashtra has extended the lockdown-like restrictions till June 15, though they will be eased from June 7.

Assam has extended the restrictions till June 15 though on June 4 it increased the curfew relaxation by one hour.

Nagaland has extended the lockdown till June 11.

Mizoram has extended the lockdown, which was imposed in Aizawl and other district headquarters, till June 6.

Arunachal Pradesh has imposed complete lockdown in Anjaw, Dibang Valley, Lower Subansiri, Lohit and Tawang districts and the Capital Complex Region till June 7.

Manipur government has imposed curfew in seven districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Ukhrul, Thoubal, Kakching and Churachandpur till June 11.

Meghalaya extended the lockdown in the worst-affected East Khasi Hills district till June 7.

Tripura government has extended corona curfew in Agartala Municipal Corporation areas and urban areas in the state till June 10.

Sikkim has extended the lockdown till June 14.

Jammu and Kashmir administration has eased restrictions but night curfew and weekend lockdown will remain.

Uttarakhand has extended COVID curfew till June 8.

Himachal Pradesh government has extended the coronavirus curfew till June 14 with some relaxation.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Cabinet will meet on June 8 to take a call on the extension of lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, among other issues, an official release said on Sunday.

"The State cabinet will meet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao on June 8 at 2 PM. The State Cabinet is likely to discuss the situation in the state amidst the Corona, medical and health, agriculture operations, the economic situation in the state due to lockdown, etc," it said.

The present lockdown is scheduled to end on June 9.

As on June 5, Telangana has over 29 thousand active COVID-19 cases. The state is under lockdown since May 12.

The Cabinet may also review works going on various irrigation projects, measures to be taken, availability of water for irrigation during the monsoon and other irrigation related issues.

The Cabinet may also discuss the financial assistance being given under Rythu Bandhu, measures taken to control the sale of spurious seeds, availability of fertilisers and pesticides and other agriculture related issues, according to the release.

With the COVID-19 on the downtrend following the measures taken by the government, the Cabinet may discuss the action to be taken department-wise.

The Cabinet may dwell on the preventive measures to be taken by the medical and health department and its readiness to face the third wave of COVID-19, if any.

The Cabinet will also focus on the impact of lockdown on the State's economy and may take decisions accordingly, the release said.

Meanwhile, KCR has decided that the Diagnostic Centres to be launched from June 7 in 19 district headquarters will now be launched on June 9, according to the release.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 15:29:46|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations and the sixth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Chongqing, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Sunday.

The meetings will be co-chaired by Wang Yi and diplomats from relevant ASEAN countries from June 7 to 8, according to spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

Wang Wenbin said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN, which sees special significance for the bilateral relations to build on the past achievements and pursue new progress.

As the most successful and dynamic example of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, China-ASEAN cooperation has grown in leaps and bounds over the past three decades, Wang Wenbin said, adding that the face-to-face meeting under the ongoing grim COVID-19 situation reflects how countries attach great importance to and hold high expectations of China-ASEAN relations under the new circumstances.

Wang Wenbin said that the Chinese side expects to work with ASEAN to take stock of and summarize the outcomes and experience of China-ASEAN cooperation in the past 30 years, focus on combating COVID-19 and promoting economic recovery, better dovetail strategic plans and foster new highlights in practical cooperation to upgrade the relationship and make new contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region.

He introduced that on the sidelines of the special meeting, Wang Yi will also hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of ASEAN states and the ASEAN Secretary-General.

Wang Wenbin said as a new-type sub-regional cooperation mechanism featuring extensive consultation between China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, the LMC has developed rapidly and achieved remarkable results, promoted the economic and social development of the six riparian countries vigorously and brought tangible benefits to the people.

Since last year, amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, the six countries have vigorously carried out cooperation to fight the epidemic, resume work and production and strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges and maintained the momentum of LMC growing from strength to strength, he said.

"To convene the sixth Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the launch of LMC bears important significance to breaking new ground on the basis of past achievement," Wang Wenbin said, adding that China hopes to take stock of progress made in the past five years together with the five Mekong countries, summarize the experience and further deepen cooperation in various fields.

"We will work together to develop the Mekong-Lancang Economic Development Belt, reinvigorate regional economic recovery and prosperity in the post-pandemic era, and contribute to ASEAN Community building and regional economic integration," Wang Wenbin said. Enditem
Kolkata: The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee introduced the one post, one person system in the party following a working committee and organisational meeting held on Saturday (June 5).

Party chief Banerjee introduced the system to prevent party leaders from holding more than one posts in the state government and in the organisation at the same time.

Confirming the development, party senior leader Partha Chatterjee said, We have introduced the one post, one person system in the party. We are going to make further changes in the organisation soon.

This decision comes in the wake of ensuring smooth functioning of the party at the organisational level and the state government. While the state ministers will not be allowed to hold the position of district presidents, the latter will also not hold any position in the government.

The party had called for a meeting of 21-member working committee, first such after winning the assembly elections in the state. Banerjee met the ministers, senior leaders and MLAs, district presidents virtually. Election strategist Prashant Kishor also attended the meeting.

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New Delhi: Slamming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the 'rampant post-poll violence' in the state, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday (June 6) directed the Chief Secretary to brief him about the law and order situation on Monday.

Sharing a letter on the micro-blogging site Twitter, Dhankhar wrote, Extremely alarming law & order scenario Mamata Banerjee. Security environment is seriously compromised. In such a grim situation called upon Chief Secretary to brief me on the law and order situation on Monday 7th June and indicate all steps taken to contain post poll violence.

Extremely alarming law & order scenario @MamataOfficial. Security environment is seriously compromised. In such a grim situation called upon Chief Secretary to brief me on the law and order situation on Monday 7th June and indicate all steps taken to contain post poll violence. pic.twitter.com/REf0JDTpcQ  Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) June 6, 2021

In a series of tweets, the Governor said, There is rampant post poll retributive violence @MamataOfficial. Disturbing that this ostracisation has graduated to social boycott & denial of benefits they are otherwise entitled. They are made to suffer extortion fee for living in their own house or run their own business.

Most unfortunate that state functionaries @MamataOfficial are not even recognising this malaise much less take steps to contain it. Police @WBPolice @KolkataPolice unfortunately engaged as extension of ruling dispensation to let loose vindictiveness on political opponents.  Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) June 6, 2021

Accusing the West Bengal police and Kolkata Police of engaging as an extension of the ruling dispensation, he added, Most unfortunate that state functionaries @MamataOfficial are not even recognising this malaise much less take steps to contain it. Police @WBPolice @KolkataPolice unfortunately engaged as extension of ruling dispensation to let loose vindictiveness on political opponents.

In his scathing letter, Dhankhar alleged that democratic values are openly shredded and trampled by ruling party harmads.

West Bengal witnessed violence in some areas after the Assembly election results on May 2 which catapulted Banerjee to power for the third consecutive term. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that nine of its party workers have been killed in the post-poll violence, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has denied these allegations.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and his brother Soumendu Adhikari have been booked for allegedly stealing relief material from the Purba Midnapore's Kanthi Municipality office in West Bengal.

Earlier, Dhankhar had visited the violence affected areas in the state which drew sharp criticism from TMC.

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Mumbai: As Maharashtra prepares to unlock, Mumbai too gears up for a Level-3 unlocking from June 7. As per new orders, city's restaurants, shops selling non- essential items and public places will reopen and so will the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus services with certain limitations.

As per the latest order by BEST, the bus services laid out a few rules. "Bus services for general public will resume in Mumbai tomorrow. Number of passengers will not be more than the number of seats on any bus. Wearing of face mask will be mandatory," ANI reported.

Bus services for general public will resume in Mumbai tomorrow. Number of passengers will not be more than the number of seats on any bus. Wearing of face mask will be mandatory: Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)  ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2021

On Friday, the Maharashtra government had night announced that it will lift COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in the state from Monday onwards. The Chief Ministers office (CMO) shared a five-level plan created by the state government which will be implemented from Monday (June 7, 2021).

Menwhile, the BMC order stated that shops selling essential products in Mumbai can remain open till 4 pm on all days beginning June 7 while non-essential shops can operate till 4 pm on weekdays. Malls, theatres, and multiplexes will continue to remain shut.

As per the state government's notification, municipal corporations and districts in Maharashtra with a positivity rate between 5 per cent and 10 per cent and occupancy of oxygen beds over 40 per cent are categorised under level 3.

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New Delhi: The Noida Police on Saturday (June 5, 2021) arrested five people including two women of a honey trap gang and recovered Rs 25,000.

They were arrested from Som Bazar Sadarpur by the personnel of Noida Sector 39 police station.

The arrested have been identified as Sonti alias Puranlal, Lucky alias Arsh, Sana alias Kajal, Deepa Chauhan and Kuldeep Kumar.

https://t.co/PzRc2cAYiv  POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GAUTAM BUDDH NAGAR (@noidapolice) June 5, 2021

From their possession, police also recovered a Honda City car, eight mobile phones, one watch, one purse, one driving license and four ATM cards.

As per the police, the arrested women used to get into a conversation with people coming to malls, bars and pubs and honey-trapped them, following which they used to extort money from them. They used to call those people at a certain location and offer them alcohol and then recorded their videos and click their pictures in objectional state and blackmail them.
New Delhi: Bollywood veteran actress Saira Banu took to Twitter and rubbished death rumours doing the rounds regarding the death of the legendary actor Dilip Kumar.

Shunning all the rumours, Saira said Dilip Saabs condition is stable. She also thanked everyone for their wishes.

She took to Dilip Kumars official Twitter handle and wrote, Dont believe in WhatsApp forwards.

Saab is stable.

Thank you for your heart-felt duas and prayers. As per doctors, he should be home in 2-3 days. InshAllah.

Dont believe in WhatsApp forwards.

Saab is stable.

Thank you for your heart-felt duas and prayers. As per doctors, he should be home in 2-3 days. InshAllah.  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) June 6, 2021

Veteran superstar Dilip Kumar has been admitted to Mumbais PD Hinduja Hospital for breathlessness on Sunday morning.

The 98-year-old legendary actors wife and actress Saira Banu told ANI that the actor has been facing breathing issues for the past few days.

To check up on him, politician Sharad Pawar also paid a visit to him at the hospital in the afternoon.
Nagpur: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt recently met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at his residence in Nagpur and it was said to be a courtesy call. On Sunday, Gadkari even shared a glimpse of his meeting with Dutt on his verified Instagram account.

In the pictures, Dutt can be seen greeting Gadkari and his wife Kanchar Gadkari from a distance. The three of them did not forget to wear masks. "Abhineta Sanjay Dutt ji ne Nagpur me srishtachar bhet ki (Sanjay Dutt pays a courtesy visit in Nagpur)," Gadkari captioned the post.

Speaking of Sanjay Dutt, he is gearing up for the release of `K.G.F Chapter 2`, wherein he will be seen essaying a negative role. The film is a follow-up of the Kannada blockbuster `KGF: Chapter 1`, which starred Kannada star Yash with Tamannaah Bhatia and Ananth Nag.

He will also be seen in 'Prithviraj' and 'Bhuj: The Pride of India'. Last year, Sanjay Dutt was diagnosed with cancer. In October 2020, he informed fans that he has beaten the disease.

"The last few weeks were very difficult time for my family and me. But like they say, God gives the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. And today, on the occasion of my kids` birthday, I am happy to come out victorious from this battle and be able to give them the best gift I can--the health and well-being of our family," he had written.
New Delhi: Actress Rhea Chakrabortys chargesheet has been accessed by Zee News and her complete confession to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has some startling revelations. In the NCB chargesheet, Rhea has confessed that Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singhs daughter, actress Sara Ali Khan offered her marijuana and vodka.

The confession statement has been recorded in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput drugs case.

Rhea revealed her chat with Sara to NCB that took place on June 4, 2017. In the chat, Sara is alluding to give Rhea rolled marijuana joints and vodka. The actress also confessed that Sara used to have hand rolled doobies with her, which she would share with Rhea.

Last year Sara Ali Khan was summoned by the NCB in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput drugs case, in which she confessed to dating the actor briefly and also accompanying him to a trip to Thailand.



Rhea Chakraborty chargesheet copy

Rhea Chakraborty, who was dating and was in a live-in relationship with Sushant Singh Rajput, has been in limelight since the untimely demise of the actor last year. An FIR against the actress was filed by Sushants family, which have accused her of abetment to suicide and siphoning off of late actors money. Rhea has categorically denied both the charges.

Rhea was in jail last year for 28 days in connection with the drug nexus probed by NCB while investigating Sushant Singh Rajputs death.

Last year on June 14, 2020, actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Bandra residence. It is speculated to be a suicide case. However, after the actors family and fans raised concerns, the case has been under investigation by multiple government agencies.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is looking at his death along with Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) probing the drugs angle and Enforcement Directorate (ED) looking into the money laundering matter.
New Delhi: Ever since Bollywood actress Yami Gautam surprised her fans with the news of her wedding to Aditya Dhar, she has been sharing intimate pictures of her pre-wedding ceremony. The beautiful star got married to 'URI' director Aditya Dhar in an small ceremony with only family and close friends in attendance.

On Sunday (June 6), she took to Instagram to share unseen pictures from her Haldi ceremony where she's seen wearing a yellow suit with a red dupatta. The actress looks like stunning with her sea-shell jewellery and an unmissable smile.

Check out the beautiful stills:

On the day of her wedding, Yami Gautam looked ethereal in her pop maroon wedding attire and the groom looked dashing in whites and gold combination.

The actress broke the news on Instagram on Friday (June 4) and expressed her happiness writing, "In your light, I learn to love - Rumi, With the blessings of our family, we have tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony today. Being very private people, we celebrated this joyous occasion with our immediate family. As we embark on the journey of love and friendship, we seek all your blessings and good wishes. Love, Yami and Aditya".

On the work front, Yami recently began shooting for the social comedy film 'Dasvi' produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films. She will also be seen in Behzad Khambata's thriller 'A Thursday' playing the role of a school teacher who takes 16 children as hostages.
New Delhi: Over 11 crore farmers in India are said to have benefitted from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme which was launched in 2018 to provide financial aid to farmers in the country.

With an aim to provide additional cushion to farmers, the government had rolled out PM Kisan Man Dhan Yojana for the farmers. Under the PM Kisan Man Dhan Yojana, farmers get Rs 36,000 a year in 12 monthly instalments of Rs 3,000 per month once they retire.

Who is eligible for PM Kisan Man Dhan Yojana?

The most important condition of this scheme is that farmers registered under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme can benefit from the Kisan Man Dhan Yojana.

The purpose of this scheme is to provide a financial cushion in the form of a pension every month to all the farmers of the country. All farmers above 60 years of age registered under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme can take advantage of this scheme.

How to enrol in the PM Kisan Man Dhan Yojana?

The most important condition for registering under this scheme is that the farmer should have less than two hectares of cultivable land. The farmers who have more land than two hectares cant avail the benefits of PM Kisan Man Dhan Yojana. There is no need for the farmer to undergo additional documentation to apply under the PM Kisan Man Dhan Yojana.

A farmer needs to start investing in the scheme for at least 20 years before reaping the benefits. A farmer can start investing in the scheme as early as he is 18 years old for securing retirement.

For example, if you are 18 years old, you will have to contribute Rs 55 every month and if you are 30 years old, you will have to contribute Rs 110 per month. Farmers above 40 years of age will have to donate a share of Rs 200 every month to the scheme.
The United States, Britain and other large, rich nations reached a landmark deal on Saturday to squeeze more money out of multinational companies such as Amazon and Google and reduce their incentive to shift profits to low-tax offshore havens.

Hundreds of billions of dollars could flow into the coffers of governments left cash-strapped by the COVID-19 pandemic after the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies agreed to back a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15%.

Facebook said it expected it would have to pay more tax, in more countries, as a result of the deal, which comes after eight years of talks that gained fresh impetus in recent months after proposals from U.S. President Joe Biden`s new administration.

"G7 finance ministers have reached a historic agreement to reform the global tax system to make it fit for the global digital age," British finance minister Rishi Sunak said after chairing a two-day meeting in London.

The meeting, hosted at an ornate 19th-century mansion near Buckingham Palace in central London, was the first time finance ministers have met face-to-face since the start of the pandemic.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the "significant, unprecedented commitment" would end what she called a race to the bottom on global taxation.

German finance minister Olaf Scholz said the deal was "bad news for tax havens around the world".

Yellen also saw the G7 meeting as marking a return to multilateralism under Biden and a contrast to the approach of U.S. President Donald Trump, who alienated many U.S. allies.

"What I`ve seen during my time at this G7 is deep collaboration and a desire to coordinate and address a much broader range of global problems," she said.

Ministers also agreed to move towards making companies declare their environmental impact in a more standard way so investors can decided more easily whether to fund them, a key goal for Britain.

TAXING TIMES

Current global tax rules date back to the 1920s and struggle with multinational tech giants that sell services remotely and attribute much of their profits to intellectual property held in low-tax jurisdictions.

Nick Clegg, Facebook`s vice-president for global affairs and a former British deputy prime minister, said: "We want the international tax reform process to succeed and recognise this could mean Facebook paying more tax, and in different places."

But Italy, which will seek wider international backing for the plans at a meeting of the G20 in Venice next month, said the proposals were not just aimed at U.S. firms.

Yellen said European countries would scrap existing digital services taxes which the United States says discriminate against U.S. businesses as the new global rules go into effect.

"There is broad agreement that these two things go hand in hand," she said.

Key details remain to be negotiated over the coming months. Saturday`s agreement says only "the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises" would be affected.

European countries had been concerned that this could exclude Amazon - which has lower profit margins than most tech companies - but Yellen said she expected it would be included.

How tax revenues will be split is not finalised either, and any deal will also need to pass the U.S. Congress.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he would push for a higher minimum tax, calling 15% "a starting point".

Some campaign groups also condemned what they saw as a lack of ambition. "They are setting the bar so low that companies can just step over it," Oxfam`s head of inequality policy, Max Lawson, said.

But Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe, whose country is potentially affected because of its 12.5% tax rate, said any global deal also needed to take account of smaller nations.

The G7 includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 15:38:06|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan confirmed 1,629 new positive COVID-19 cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 3.11 percent, the lowest figure during the last three months, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Sunday.

According to the NCOC, the country's number of overall cases rose to 932,140, which include 863,111 recoveries since February of last year when it reported the first case of its kind.

There are 47,764 active cases who are under treatment across the country, including 3,303 of them who are in critical condition.

According to the NCOC, the pandemic killed 76 people during the last 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 21,265.

Pakistan's eastern Punjab province is leading in both the number of infections and deaths where 342,192 people were infected and 10,290 lost their lives while battling the pandemic followed by southern Sindh province with 323,072 infected people and 5,116 deaths.

Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan on Saturday told media that the country had administered over 8.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses across the country with over 2.2 million people fully vaccinated. Enditem
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Sunday (June 6) that the state government will form an expert committee to recommend whether state board exams for secondary and higher secondary classes should be conducted.

The state government also invited the opinion of students and parents on the matter regarding the examinations.

In a series of tweets, CM Banerjee said, Our children's future is my greatest priority. To this regard, we have formed an expert committee to decide over holding the Class 10th & 12th board exams in 2021.

Our children's future is my greatest priority. To this regard, we have formed an expert committee to decide over holding the Class 10th & 12th board exams in 2021. We are also inviting views & opinion from parents, general public, sector experts, civil society & students. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/eVpEIbJkBK  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 6, 2021

"I request each one of you to send us your feedback on the issue by e-mailing us on following addresses by June 7th, 2021, 2 PM. pbssm.spo@gmail.com, commissionerschooleducation@gmail.com, wbssed@gmail.com. Your suggestions will be valuable to us, she further said.

Meanwhile, a central team headed by a joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will visit West Bengal to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas, officials said on Sunday.

The very severe Cyclone Yaas made a landfall in Odisha on May 26 and affected a large part of Odisha and West Bengal.

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OUAGADOUGOU: The death toll from the worst militant attack in Burkina Faso in recent years has risen to 132, the government said on Saturday, after armed assailants laid siege overnight to a village in the jihadist-plagued northeast.

The attackers struck during the night on Friday, killing residents of the village of Solhan in Yagha province, bordering Niger. They also burned homes and the market, the government said in a statement.

It declared a 72-hour period of national mourning, describing the attackers as terrorists, although no group has claimed responsibility. Another 40 residents were wounded, government spokesperson Ousseni Tamboura later told reporters.

The United Nations said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was outraged by the attack, whose victims included seven children.

Despite the presence of thousands of U.N. peacekeepers, attacks by jihadists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in West Africa`s Sahel region have risen sharply since the start of the year, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, with civilians bearing the brunt.

The violence in Burkina Faso has displaced more than 1.14 million people in just over two years, while the poor, arid country is hosting some 20,000 refugees from neighbouring Mali.

The latest attack pushes the number killed by armed Islamists in the Sahel region to over 500 since January, according to Human Rights Watch`s West Africa director, Corinne Dufka.

"The dynamic is the jihadists come in, they overpower the civil defence post and engage in collective punishment against the rest of the village - it`s a pattern we`ve seen everywhere this year," Dufka said.

In March, attackers killed 137 people in coordinated raids on villages in southwestern Niger.
Jerusalem: The head of Israel's domestic security service issued a rare warning on Saturday (June 5) of possible violence during one of the most politically charged periods in decades, with the country on the verge of unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, its longest-serving leader.

Netanyahu is facing the prospect of an end to his 12-year run as premier after Israel`s centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid announced on Wednesday (June 2) that he had succeeded in forming a governing coalition following a March 23 election.

The new government, yet to be sworn in, is an unlikely patchwork of left-wing, liberal, rightist, nationalist and religious parties, as well as - for the first time in Israel`s history - an Arab Islamist party.

Netanyahu in online posts has warned the partnership was "a dangerous leftist government."

Some right-wing groups are angry at Naftali Bennett, head of a small ultra-nationalist party who is slated to replace Netanyahu in a power-sharing pact with Lapid, garnering many postings attacking him on social media.

Before the election, Bennett had promised he would not join the centrist Lapid or any Arab party in a coalition.

"We have recently identified a rise in increasingly extreme violent and inciteful discourse particularly on social networks," Nadav Argaman, head of the Shin Bet security force, said in a statement without mentioning any names.

"This discourse may be interpreted among certain groups or individuals, as one that permits violent and illegal activity that may even cause physical harm," he said.

Since Bennett announced he was joining forces with Lapid, security services have ramped up his protection with right-wing demonstrations held near the homes of his party members, hoping to keep them from joining the government.

Argaman called on political and religious leaders to show responsibility and tone down potential incitements.

His warning was reminiscent to some in Israel of the days leading up to the 1995 assassination of then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was shot by a Jewish ultra-nationalist for pursuing a land-for-peace deal with the Palestinians.

Israel`s left has for years pointed the finger at Netanyahu, then head of the opposition, for playing a part in incitement that preceded the assassination.

Netanyahu has vehemently rejected the accusation and has repeatedly condemned Rabin`s killing.

Lapid and Bennett have said they hope their "unity government" will heal deep political divides among Israelis and end hate.

A poll by Israel`s N12 Television`s Meet the Press on Saturday (June 5) showed that 46% of Israelis support the Bennett-Lapid government, 38% would prefer another election - the fifth in about two years - and 15% did not state a preference.

Tensions could flare further this week, when a Jewish right-wing march is expected to pass through Jerusalem`s Old City`s Damascus gate.

Eleven days of intense fighting broke out last month between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, sparked by Israeli-Palestinian confrontations in Jerusalem, in and around the Old City.

A similar march, its route diverted at the last minute, was held the day the fighting broke out.

In the nearby flashpoint East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where the potential eviction of Palestinians by Jewish settlers played a major role in the buildup to the latest Israel-Hamas conflict, scuffles broke out on Saturday (June 5).

Media network Al Jazeera said one of its reporters, Givara Budeiri, had been assaulted and arrested by Israeli police while covering a protest there.

A police spokesperson said that Budeiri had assaulted officers and had refused to identify herself. Footage posted online showed Budeiri, wearing a press vest, being pulled and pushed while led away by three or four officers. Al Jazeera also said the reporter`s camera was smashed.

Al Jazeera said the journalist was released a few hours later and was banned from entering Sheikh Jarrah for 15 days.

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Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday (June 7) a newly formed Israeli coalition that is poised to unseat him was the result of "the greatest election fraud" in the history of democracy.

He made his sweeping accusation at a time when Israel`s domestic security chief has warned publicly about the prospect of political violence. Netanyahu focused his allegations on a broken campaign promise from the man set to replace him as prime minister, nationalist Naftali Bennett.

Bennett had pledged not to partner with left-wing, centrist and Arab parties, but on Wednesday announced with opposition leader Yair Lapid that they had formed a governing coalition with factions from across the political spectrum.

Under a rotation deal, Bennett will serve first as prime minister, followed by Lapid.

No date has been set for a vote in parliament to approve the new government, which follows an inconclusive March 23 election, but it is widely expected to be sworn in on June 14.

"We are witnessing the greatest election fraud in the history of the country, in my opinion in the history of any democracy," Netanyahu said in comments to legislators of his right-wing Likud party.

"That`s why people justifiably feel deceived and they are responding, they must not be shut up," he said in the remarks, which were broadcast live and referred indirectly to Bennett`s campaign promise not to team up with Lapid and others.

Netanyahu, Israel`s longest-serving leader, has been in office since 2009, and his tenure has been clouded by an ongoing corruption trial, in which he has denied any wrongdoing.

The prospective new government caps political jockeying since the election - Israel`s fourth in two years. People angry at the alliance have held protests outside the homes of opposition politicians, whose security has been beefed up after threats on social media.

`ENDANGERING ISRAEL`

In a rare public warning, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency said on Saturday that increasingly extreme online discourse could lead to violence.

While condemning violence and incitement, Netanyahu, 71, repeated his designation of the Lapid-Bennett coalition as a dangerous leftist alliance.

"This government is endangering Israel with such a danger the likes of which we have not seen for many years," he said.

"We, my friends and I in Likud, we will vehemently oppose the establishment of this dangerous government of fraud and surrender. And if, God forbid, it is established, we will bring it down very quickly."

Netanyahu said the politically diverse new coalition would not be able to stand up to the United States if Washington returns to a nuclear deal with Iran nor deal forcefully with Gaza`s Hamas militants, who engaged Israel in 11 days of cross-border fighting last month.

He also criticised Facebook and Twitter, saying the two social media platforms, which he uses extensively, had been blocking legitimate right-wing criticism of the Lapid-Bennett coalition.

Netanyahu said Facebook had removed a right-wing post that included the address of a legislator where a protest had been set to take place. He said a left-wing post that listed the same address but called on demonstrators to support the lawmaker had not been taken down.

"It`s a scientific case, simply scientific, clinical, that proves an attempt to shut up the right-wing," Netanyahu said.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Facebook said: "Privacy and the protection of personal information are important to helping people feel safe on our services.

"Under our global Community Standards, we do not allow people to post personal or confidential information about others, including peoples addresses and phone numbers, therefore we remove such content once we become aware of it."
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 16:29:02|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) between China's Hong Kong and Mexico will enter into force on June 16, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government announced on Sunday.

The HKSAR government said this will enhance the confidence of investors, expand investment flows between Hong Kong and Mexico, and further strengthen bilateral economic and trade ties.

Edward Yau, secretary for commerce and economic development of the HKSAR government, said that the 14th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong to foster cooperation and exchanges with countries and regions around the world.

"The HKSAR government has been making full use of Hong Kong's advantages under the HKSAR Basic Law and 'one country, two systems,' and has signed bilateral agreements, including IPPAs, with foreign economies to explore more opportunities for developing bilateral and multilateral cooperation benefits for Hong Kong," he said.

Yau said that the IPPA with Mexico is the fourth such agreement that the HKSAR government has signed this term. The other three were signed respectively with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), all of which have entered into force.

Taking into account the IPPA with Mexico, the total number of IPPAs in force between Hong Kong and foreign economies will increase to 22, covering 31 foreign economies, he added.

Under the IPPA with Mexico, the two sides undertake to provide investors of the other side with fair, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment of investments, compensation in the event of expropriation of investments, and the right to free transfers abroad of investments and returns. The IPPA also provides for settlement of investment disputes under internationally accepted rules, including arbitration. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 17:24:20|Editor: huaxia

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Ethiopian Health Minister Lia Tadesse (1st L, front), Liu Yuxi (3rd L, front), head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union and other guests attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the China-aided Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dec. 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

"The project is the outcome of generous support from China to support Africa as a true and trusted partner of African countries and the African Union," said the coordinator of the Africa CDC headquarters project at the African Union.



ADDIS ABABA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Construction work on the China-aided future headquarters of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is running "very smoothly with full force," a long-serving African Union (AU) expert has said.

Fantahun Hailemichael, coordinator of the Africa CDC headquarters project at the AU, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the construction of the landmark project is presently progressing smoothly and as planned.

Construction work started in December last year in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, as part of the ever-growing China-Africa cooperation in the public health sector.

"Currently, the project is running very smoothly with full force. The foundation has been almost finished, and the project is now coming up. Most of the technical ground work has already been finished," he said.

Liu Yuxi (R), head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union and Amira Elfadil, Commissioner for social affairs of the African Union Commission, attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the China-aided Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dec. 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

The project, covering an area of 90,000 square meters and with a total construction area of nearly 40,000 square meters, is expected to be completed within 25 months. It will be equipped with modern office buildings, high-end laboratories, and accessories.

"The project is the outcome of generous support from China to support Africa as a true and trusted partner of African countries and the African Union," said the expert.

He noted that the project envisaged improving the public health service in Africa, particularly in terms of boosting Africa's capabilities in controlling and managing infectious diseases.

A woman selects face masks in an open-air market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Jan. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

He said that African countries in particular and the continent in general do not have adequate capacity, which has been evident in the advent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that wreaked havoc on a global level.

"That's why the government of China came in as a good friend to support Africa to tackle 'corona-type' diseases, in which African countries do have serious challenges to protect their own citizens and to make necessary investigations, find necessary medications and vaccinations and provide the necessary medical care," he said.

China's support is "credible, achievable and very concrete," he said.

Recalling China's trustworthy partnership with Africa that saw the successful completion of the AU headquarters back in 2012, the veteran AU expert said the future Africa CDC headquarters project will be another manifestation of the ever-growing China-Africa ties. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 18:09:35|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Saturday expressed concern over abduction of the head of the Libyan Red Crescent Society in Ajdabia city, some 900 km east of the capital Tripoli.

UNSMIL "is concerned for the safety and security of Mr Mansour Atti al-Maghrbi, Head of the Libyan Red Crescent Society in Ajdabia and a civil society activist," the mission said in a statement.

UNSMIL explained that al-Maghribi was abducted on Thursday when his car was intercepted by unknown armed men and his whereabouts remain unknown.

"The Mission calls for his unconditional release and urges all relevant military and security authorities to ensure a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into this enforced disappearance," the statement said.

UNSMIL stressed that all arrests and detentions should be based on due process guarantees and the rule of law. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 18:15:12|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and several others were injured on Sunday in clashes among Palestinian factions in the Rashidieh camp in southern Lebanon, Elnashra news website reported.

Violent clashes started in the early morning hours after members of Fatah movement raided the house of a Palestinian national wanted over drug trafficking, the report said.

It added that a number of people were besieged in their houses in the vicinity of the ongoing clashes inside the camp.

Some 450,000 Palestinian refugees are registered with the UN refugee relief agency in Lebanon, with many living in the country's 12 refugee camps. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 18:31:33|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT -- Two people were killed and several others were injured on Sunday in clashes among Palestinian factions in the Rashidieh camp in southern Lebanon, Elnashra news website reported.

Violent clashes started in the early morning hours after members of Fatah movement raided the house of a Palestinian national wanted over drug trafficking, the report said. (Lebanon-Refugee-Clash)

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COLOMBO -- Fourteen people have been killed due to heavy rains in Sri Lanka while over 245,000 people have been affected, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) said in its latest update here Sunday.

Out of the 14 killed, five deaths have been reported from Kegalle, located 88 kilometers away from capital Colombo, while three deaths have been reported from the Ratnapura District. (Sri Lanka-Heavy Rains)

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BAGHDAD -- Two drones were shot down on Sunday over a military airbase housing U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq's western province of Anbar, the Iraqi military said.

The attack took place at 12:30 a.m. local time (2130 GMT Saturday), and the air defense system at Ayn al-Asad Air Base intercepted and shot down the drones, the media office of the Iraqi Operations Command said in a brief statement. Iraq-Drone

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LAGOS -- At least 88 people were killed and scores of others wounded following attacks by bandits in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kebbi, local police confirmed on Saturday.

The bandits unleashed terror on eight different communities in the Danko-Wasagu local government area of the state on Thursday, Nafi'u Abubakar, the state police spokesperson told reporters in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. (Nigeria-Gunmen-Attack) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 18:36:39|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported seven cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the tally in Hong Kong to 11,858.

Of the newly reported cases, six were imported and one was a local infection involving a 53-year-old woman, the mother of the case reported on Saturday that contracted the mutant strain of N501Y.

Laboratory test results showed that the woman carried the N501Y mutant strain but not the L452R or E484K mutant gene. She has not received COVID-19 vaccination, the CHP said.

Hong Kong launched a COVID-19 vaccination drive on Feb. 26 and more than 2.59 million doses have been administered so far. Some 1.5 million people or about 22.9 percent of the eligible population have taken at least one shot of the vaccine, including more than 1.09 million people fully vaccinated.

Matthew Cheung, chief secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said the HKSAR government launched the "Early Vaccination for All" campaign to encourage the public to get vaccinated so that an immune barrier could be built as soon as possible.

Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR government Sophia Chan said that when the vaccination rate is not high enough, complete relaxation of social distancing measures will easily lead to a resurgence of the epidemic.

Since the variant strains are also more contagious, this may lead to more serious situations, she added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 18:50:58|Editor: huaxia

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NANCHANG/SHENYANG, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Mei Mei gets up at 10 a.m. every day. Normally she has breakfast at her ceramics studio before kicking off the rest of her daily routine: making ceramics or meeting friends, watching movies and reading books.



Mei Mei was born in the 1990s and lives in Jingdezhen, an ancient porcelain capital in east China's Jiangxi Province. She is immune to various pressures facing most of her peers and, as she said, enjoys a "casual and free" lifestyle.

On Chinese social media, Mei Mei can be categorized as someone who chooses to "tang ping" -- the latest social buzzword, directly translated into "lying flat." The expression reflects a new attitude toward work and life among some young people in a world of rapid change and expanding possibilities.

"LYING FLAT"

Due to different backgrounds and circumstances, almost everyone has their own understanding of the term.

Netizens began to pay attention to the expression after a post was made on the online forum Baidu Tieba. The post's author, who lives alone without a stable source of income, described how he obtained happiness by picking up temporary jobs and leading a low-consumption life. He justified his attitude toward life by calling it "lying flat."

Many regard the post as an attitude to resist the overly intense competition in modern-day workplaces. In their opinion, success should not be measured by fame and wealth, but by inner peace and joy.

"I've never considered a 'nine-to-five' job. I'd love to maintain a slow tempo in work and life, and keep focusing on making ceramics," said Mei Mei. That was why she returned to her cozy hometown after studying in Britain, instead of trying to gain a foothold in a metropolis.

Mei Mei works at her studio in Jingdezhen, an ancient porcelain capital in east China's Jiangxi Province, May 14, 2021. (Xinhua)

However, a small group of people has gone further in interpreting the new life philosophy. In a widely circulated post on Sina Weibo, the Twitter-like platform, a young woman complained that her boyfriend had joined a "lying-flat" chat group encouraging its members not to have a relationship, get married, or shoulder other responsibilities in order to save money for their own enjoyment.



The idea had a strong impact on the boyfriend, who has now become her ex-boyfriend, according to the post.

Such a mindset deemed sluggish by many people has drawn criticism. "We don't want to see young people lose their morale. They should strive for a better future," said Zhang Sining, a researcher with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

At a recent entrepreneurs' summit, Yu Minhong, founder and CEO of the New Oriental Education & Technology Group, said that the hardworking spirit should still be advocated among youth.

He called on entrepreneurs to inspire young people to have a fighting spirit and encourage them to stay away from hedonism.

"If everyone is 'lying flat,' who would work for the future of our country?" he questioned.

SOCIETAL SHIFT

Worldwide, "lying flat" is not a new phenomenon. "It first appeared in Europe, the United States, and later in Japan, roughly in sync with the coming of a particular stage of economic development," said Ma Liang, a professor with the School of Public Administration at the Renmin University of China.

"For example, there are people who prefer not to work and live on welfare, and embrace a 'minimalist' lifestyle in many countries," he added.

Some pointed out that "lying flat" can only be realized by those who don't need to worry about food and clothing, which demonstrates the fact that many Chinese families have reached material abundance.

"With the support of their families, some young Chinese today have less pressure to survive, which makes it possible for them to choose a different way of life from their parents," said Zhang.

Ma proposed a more balanced and developmental view of the "lying flat" thinking, saying it "reflects the freedom of Generation Z to choose their lifestyle, and the progress of our society in accepting diverse values."

On many occasions, "lying flat" seems like a compromise but it actually shows that a person is clear about reality and open-minded about various possible circumstances in life, added Ma.

Qu Tianru, a freelancer in northeast China's Liaoning Province, labels herself as a member of the "lying-flat" community, "but it doesn't mean that my life is worthless, or that I want to lie in bed and accomplish nothing," she said.

In this undated photo provided by herself, Qu Tianru records a guitar instruction video at home in Anshan, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua)

Since graduating from college in 2019, she has been earning approximately 1,000 yuan (about 156 U.S. dollars) per week by accepting odd jobs such as translation and guitar instruction. The money is sufficient to cover her basic living expenses so that she can spare more time for her other interests.

"My goal is to be happy and free. I don't want to exhaust myself, nor do I want to be a drag on anyone else," she explained.

"Some young people say they are 'lying flat' but are actually seeking an independent lifestyle that is more suitable for themselves," said Ma.

HARD WORK VALUED

No matter how many people echo the new trend by verbal support or by action, the majority of young Chinese continue to uphold the value of hard work and tend to fulfill their dreams by overcoming challenges.

Zhang Fu'ang, 36, founder and CEO of a technology company in Jiangxi Province, works nearly all year round. He is racing toward his ambition of making his company one of the top ones in its field in the country.

"Why do some people have the capital of 'lying flat?' Because their parents had worked very hard when they were young and won a better life for their children and family," Zhang said.

"I still believe that most young people will fight for their cause once they find their true passion," he added.

This was echoed by Zhao Yukun, an expert in psychology with Tsinghua University. "The attitude of 'lying flat' is mainly caused by a lack of motivation," he said. "A young person should try to find a motivation through various opportunities."

Jiang Mingjin, who has a doctorate in pharmacy from Nanchang, Jiangxi, volunteered in October 2018 to help with poverty-alleviation work in a village some 180 km away.

In over two years, all 23 households in the village were lifted out of poverty. From knowing nothing about farming to developing industrial production, Jiang and two colleagues endured many hardships, but they regard the experience as a treasure.

"I respect the 'lying flat' lifestyle, but I personally choose to strive for new dimensions of life through continuous learning and experiencing tough situations," said the 33-year-old doctor.

Jiang Mingjin poses for a photo in a village where he volunteered to help with poverty-alleviation work, some 180 km away from Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, April 17, 2020. (Xinhua)

In a recent commentary published online, the Farmers' Daily said that young people should not give up and "lie flat" easily when encountering setbacks, as personal growth is never achieved overnight.

"There are still many opportunities and much potential in today's society. Think more. After all, happiness comes from hard work," it said.

As netizens and experts have pointed out, many people are just using the popular label as self-mockery or sometimes to vent their frustrations.

Shu Man, an expert in psychological education at East China Jiaotong University, believes that "lying flat" is a psychological adjustment mechanism to cope with busy life and anxiety.

"More typically, 'lying flat' refers to working humbly while remaining low-key," said Zhang with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. "They may not necessarily be the best in their field, but they are also creating value and contributing to the society." 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 20:07:18|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya "is concerned for the safety and security of Mr Mansour Atti al-Maghrbi, Head of the Libyan Red Crescent Society in Ajdabia and a civil society activist."

The mission on Saturday expressed concern over abduction of the head of the Libyan Red Crescent Society in Ajdabia city, some 900 km east of the capital Tripoli.

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CANBERRA -- "That was the best time to do this, the next best time is right now."

Leader of Australia's opposition Labor Party Anthony Albanese on Sunday said the country can not wait until 2022 to open dedicated quarantine facilities for international arrivals.

Albanese criticized the federal government for waiting to build quarantine facilities, saying construction should have begun in 2020.

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ISLAMABAD -- The world will have to pay a heavy price if the environment is not well protected and the issue of climate change and global warming is not addressed properly, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Saturday.

At the Pakistan-hosted World Environment Day event in collaboration with the UN Environment Program, Khan said nature has given his country and the world another chance to mend its ways and take steps to protect the environment to overcome the losses humans incurred to the planet.

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YANGON -- Myanmar is willing to work together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to safeguard the domestic stability of Myanmar and implement the relevant consensus, the leader of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said.

Min Aung Hlaing made the remarks on Saturday during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai in Nay Pyi Taw. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 23:07:32|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Egypt condemned "in the strongest terms" the recent deadly missile attack launched by the Houthi rebels against Yemen's oil-rich province of Marib, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

"Egypt also affirmed its support for the Yemeni government, reiterating its call for ceasing these reprehensible attacks, while seeking to uphold the interests of Yemen and its people," it added.

A Yemeni official told Xinhua on Saturday that the Houthi-fired missile landed on a fuel station in Marib, causing huge explosions and leaving at least 17 people dead.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 23:10:06|Editor: huaxia

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MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- At least two people were killed and 18 others wounded as a car bomb explosion hit a district police station in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh on Sunday, according to provincial sources.

The incident occurred around noon in the Balkh district police station located in the northwest of the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif, a source told Xinhua anonymously. (Afghanistan-Car Bombing)

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MOGADISHU -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said on Saturday night that it is gathering evidence on the reported airstrikes carried out by Kenyan peacekeepers serving with the AMISOM in the southern part of Somalia.

The AU mission said in a statement issued in Mogadishu that the probe followed Friday's statement made by Somali federal government which accused Kenyan soldiers who are part of AMISOM of allegedly carrying out indiscriminate airstrikes on Thursday targeting civilians in El Adde and Hisa-u-gur in Gedo region, Jubaland State. (Kenya-Somalia)

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ISLAMABAD -- A passenger van plunged into a ravine in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Sunday, claiming eight lives while injuring at least three others, a government official said.

The incident happened when the van tumbled off the road near the Phulda area of Mansehra district in KP province, Deputy Commissioner of Mansehra Qasim Ali Khan told Xinhua. (Pakistan-Road Accident)

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KUWAIT CITY -- Kuwait launched on Sunday free PCR tests for unvaccinated students of Grade 12 to ensure their safety during the upcoming school exams next week.

The Kuwait's Ministry of Education said in a press statement that this measure comes in cooperation with the Ministry of Health (MoH) on Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time in a number of schools in each educational area in the country. (Kuwait-Students-PCR Test) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 00:40:49|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The final round of the Zimbabwean edition of the 20th Chinese Bridge contest was held at the University of Zimbabwe in the capital Harare on Saturday.

The Chinese Bridge is an annual worldwide Chinese speaking and performance competition for international students that aims to strengthen the world's understanding of the Chinese language and culture.

This year's contest was held under the theme "One world, one family".

Through speeches and cultural performances, six contestants from different departments of the university shared their Chinese learning stories and showcased their mastery of the Chinese language.

The contestants also had to answer five cultural and current affairs knowledge quiz about China, before a second round to highlight their talents through various cultural performances.

Rebokile Setoboli, a final year Economics student, won the highest scores after impressing the judges with her mastery of the Chinese language and her appreciation of the Chinese culture.

Speaking to the media after the contest, Setoboli said she expects to represent Zimbabwe at the final Chinese bridge completion for international students in China later this year.

"I am supposed to take part in the international competition, and I am going to do my best to represent this country well and learn more," she said.

"Mostly, I just want to learn more about Chinese, increase my Chinese level and keep on getting better because it's still not that good but it's improving," she said.

As an economics major, Setoboli decided to minor in Chinese due to China's increased economic engagement with Zimbabwe.

"But when you look at how China is like a world superpower in terms of economics, and also the good relationship between Zimbabwe and China in terms of economics, again, I think being an economist who can speak Chinese is very necessary in Zimbabwe and in the world," said Setoboli.

The Chinese Bridge competition, which is open to college students under the age of 30, is organized by Beijing-based Confucius Institute Headquarters.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe opened its doors in 2007. Since then, the institution has been the anchor for the exchange of language and culture between Zimbabwe and China. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 01:33:18|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Barham Salih said Sunday that Iraq is working with the international community to stabilize the region by confronting terrorism and violence as common global challenges.

Salih made the remarks during his meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, who is visiting Baghdad for talks to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss the international effort to combat terrorism, said a statement issued by the presidency's media office.

"Iraq is working with its brothers and friends in the international community to ease tensions and defuse crises to enhance regional and international security," the statement said.

Kofod also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to discuss the bilateral cooperation in combating the extremist Islamic State, building security institutions, investing in various economic fields, and containing the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement by al-Kadhimi's media office.

"Iraq is looking forward to the Danish and European role in appointing observers to monitor the upcoming electoral process," said al-Kadhimi.

Kofod, whose country is in command of the NATO mission in Iraq, affirmed his government's commitment to supporting Iraq in the fight against terrorism, the statement said.

The NATO mission in Iraq was established in 2018 as an advisory, training and non-combat mission that assists Iraq in building effective security institutions and armed forces to enable the Iraqi forces to fight terrorism. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 02:15:07|Editor: huaxia

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ANKARA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was killed in a Turkish intelligence operation in northern Iraq, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"Selman Bozkir, codenamed Doctor Huseyin, the senior official of the PKK terrorist organization and general manager of Makhmur, was neutralized by the heroes of our National Intelligence Organization (MIT) yesterday (on Saturday)," Erdogan tweeted.

Turkish authorities usually use the word "neutralize" to imply that the "terrorists" in question have surrendered or were killed or captured.

Makhmur is a UN-led Kurdish refugee camp 180 km south of the Turkish border. Ankara has long been accusing the camp of harboring PKK members.

Erdogan said Turkey will not allow the "treacherous and separatist organization" to use Makhmur camp as an "incubator for terrorism."

"We will continue to exterminate terrorism at its source," he added.

Last week, the Turkish president said that Turkey will "clean up" the refugee camp.

"If the United Nations does not clean it up, we will do it as a UN member," he said on June 2.

Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardments against the PKK positions in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the group. Enditem
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Mostly sunny. High 84F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 03:31:20|Editor: huaxia

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Students prepare to leave school in Kampala, Uganda, June 7, 2021. Uganda on Sunday closed schools and institutions of high learning after the country started recording a high number of COVID-19 cases. President Yoweri Museveni in a televised address directed for the immediate closure of schools for 42 days, effective on June 7 at 8 A.M. local time. (Photo by Nicholas Kajoba/Xinhua)

KAMPALA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Sunday closed schools and institutions of high learning after the country started recording a high number of COVID-19 cases.

President Yoweri Museveni in a televised address directed for the immediate closure of schools for 42 days, effective on June 7 at 8 A.M. local time.

"All schools should close by tomorrow (Monday). All teachers to get fully vaccinated or they shall not be allowed to teach," said Museveni.

He said the country has experienced an increased number of clusters of infections in schools since March, with a total of 948 reported cases in 43 schools from 22 districts.

"We believe this number is much higher, only that most schools are not reporting," said Museveni.

"The high number of infections in schools is largely attributed to poor compliance to SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), inadequate sanitation facilities and overcrowding in some schools," he said.

Uganda last year had closed schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic but later reopened them in a phased manner.

As of Sunday, Uganda had registered 52,935 COVID-19 cases, with 47,760 recoveries and 383 deaths since the first case was reported in March, 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 03:40:29|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday announced the closure of places of worship following the upsurge of COVID-19 cases as the east African country faces the second wave of the pandemic.

Museveni in a televised address said all churches and mosques in the country will be closed for 42 days.

"Communal prayers will be suspended for 42 days," said Museveni.

He said public gatherings have been banned for 42 days, except the Cabinet, Parliamentary meetings.

"Marriage ceremonies, parties and all other social gatherings are only allowed with a maximum of 20 people under strict observance of standard operating procedures," said Museveni.

"House parties are strictly banned and this must be enforced without fail," he said.

Uganda last year eased the lockdown restrictions allowing places of worship to reopen amid a decline in cases.

Ministry of health recently announced that the country was facing the second wave of the pandemic.

As of Sunday, Uganda had registered 52,935 COVID-19 cases, with 47,760 recoveries and 383 deaths since the first case was reported in March, 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-05 02:12:11|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Friday pledged her country's strengthened cooperation with China, saying Tanzania regards China as an important partner.

Hassan made the remarks when meeting with the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke in the capital Dodoma.

Congratulating the Communist Party of China on the 100th anniversary of its founding, Hassan said the Tanzanian side will also enhance exchanges and cooperation with China in the fight against COVID-19 and jointly cope with the challenges brought about by the epidemic.

For her part, Wang said China is ready to work with the Tanzanian government to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation in various fields and push ahead the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Tanzania to a new level. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 09:30:22|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 88 people were killed and scores of others wounded following attacks by bandits in Nigeria's northwestern state of Kebbi, local police confirmed on Saturday.

The bandits unleashed terror on eight different communities in the Danko-Wasagu local government area of the state on Thursday, Nafi'u Abubakar, the state police spokesperson told reporters in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

"Initially, the bodies recovered were 66 but as I am talking to you now, about 88 bodies have been recovered," Abubakar said.

Security operatives were deployed to the communities to forestall further attacks, he said.

In late April, nine policemen and two members of a civilian defense group in Kebbi were killed while repelling an attack by gunmen. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 22:10:07|Editor: huaxia

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (R) speaks during the inauguration of Tana Beles No.1 sugar factory project in Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, on June 6, 2021. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday inaugurated the Chinese built sugar factory constructed in the east African country's northern Amhara regional state. (Xinhua)

ADDIS ABABA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday inaugurated a Chinese built sugar factory constructed in the east African country's northern Amhara regional state.

Speaking at the inauguration of Tana Beles No.1 sugar factory project, Ahmed praised the China CAMC Engineering Corporation Limited (CAMCE) for finishing the project in less than two years.

"When the sugar project was first started, it was supposed to be finalized within an 18-month period, but had been delayed by eight years by the original contractor, the local firm Metal Engineering Corporation (MeTeC)," Ahmed said.

The Tana Beles No.1 sugar factory project was started in 2012, with a planned completion date of around 18 months, but by end of 2017, only about 60 percent of the project was completed.

CAMCE, a corporation which belongs to China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH), took over from the sugar project and started construction in September 2019.

Agegnehu Teshager, President of Amhara regional state, similarly praised CAMCE for the speedy completion of the sugar project despite COVID-19 related challenges.

"I would like to thank CAMCE for finishing the sugar plant project in collaboration with the Ethiopia Sugar Corporation and the Amhara regional administration in less than two years period, despite COVID-19 related challenges," Teshager said.

Ethiopia has registered 272,805 COVID-19 cases and 4,201 COVID-19 related deaths so far.

"This project will have multifaceted side benefits including the sugar byproduct molasses being able to be used to produce ethanol, alcohols, sanitizer, cattle feed and pulp factory," he further said.

Speaking to Xinhua, Sun Jianshan, project manager of Tane Beles No.1 Sugar plant project, said the project has the processing capacity of 13,000 tons of sugarcane and 1,500 tons of refined sugar per day respectively.

Sun also said the sugar plant is equipped with a 45 MW generator set, which can generate 30 MW to the external power grid.

Ethiopia expects the completed project to produce 200,000 tons of refined sugar annually, while creating job opportunities for nearly 10,000 Ethiopians.

Despite COVID-19 related logistical challenges, CAMCE and its subcontractors were able to process the first sugar canes on May 28.

CAMCE has also contracted the construction of Welkait Sugar factory with a production factory of 24,000 tons of sugar cane per day located in Ethiopia's Tigray regional state.

The Chinese firm has also previously constructed the 400 KV Sululta Substation and the 400 KV Yirgalem Substation, contributing to Ethiopia's electrification ambitions.

Ethiopia plans to increase its current 4,280 MW electricity generation capacity to 17,300 MW by 2025, with power generation projects in hydro, wind, geothermal, solar and biomass sectors.

The Ethiopian government is also working to increase electrification coverage across the country from around 60 percent currently to 100 percent by 2025. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 23:32:17|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Water hyacinth, an invasive plant species, is choking Lake Victoria and threatening the lake's ecosystem and investments, including operations of ports, an official said on Sunday.

The Lake Victoria Basin Water Board communications officer, Perpetua Masaga, said the spreading of the water hyacinth in the lake shared by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, also blocks smooth flowing of water into the lake from tributaries.

Masaga made the remarks during an exercise to remove the water hyacinth by environmental stakeholders along the lake's beaches in Tanzania's Mwanza region located on the southern shores of the lake.

"The water hyacinth in Lake Victoria is also posing a threat to fisheries and marine transport," said the official.

She said in 2017, the water hyacinth covered about 520 hectares of the lake but most of the invasive plant species was eliminated.

"Now we have observed that the water hyacinth is spreading faster again," said Masaga, calling on stakeholders to join forces in eliminating the invasive plant species.

Water hyacinth is an aquatic floating plant native to South America that has become a global freshwater scourge after being inadvertently transported worldwide.

It is believed to have first reached Lake Victoria in the 1990s, floating down the lake's western tributary, the Kagera River. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 00:35:55|Editor: huaxia

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CAPE TOWN, June 6 (Xinhua) -- University of Cape Town (UCT), a top and the oldest university in South Africa, values Confucius Institute and its role in two-way understanding of cultures between countries, its Deputy Vice-Chancellor Sue Harrison said Sunday.

The professor made the remarks at the final of the 20th Chinese Bridge Competition in South Africa, a Chinese proficiency competition for foreign college students, which was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Town.

The competition, with the theme of "One World, One Family", was held online on Saturday and Sunday due to the COVID-19 pandemic,

Developing a two-way understanding of cultures between countries is central to the components for the success of increasingly global society of South Africa and UCT works tirelessly to ensure that more and more of its students and others in greater Cape Town benefit from this two-way exchanges and learning, said Harrison, noting that UCT values the Confucius Institute and its role in working towards this goal.

The Confucius Institute also serves as a gateway for education exchanges and collaborations between UCT and Chinese universities and it has been a "valuable partner" in UCT's internationalization, said Harrison.

"Language is key to understanding another culture. Considering China's rising importance in the international stage, I encourage South African students to explore Chinese culture and to learn Mandarin," she said.

Despite competing in an online platform, finalists managed to brilliantly deliver speeches in Chinese to elaborate their understanding of the theme and present attractive cultural performances such as Chinese calligraphy, painting, dancing and singing. A contestant inventively cooked a Chinese cuisine during the livestreaming in a way of TV cooking show.

Eventually Katleho Kenneth Ntahale from the University of Cape Town and Simnikiwe Sangoni from the University of Johannesburg won the first prizes and will represent South Africa to race against global champions.

More and more South African people have started learning Chinese in recent years, because learning Chinese is not only an efficient way for them to know China better and also provide them opportunities for individual development by participating in China-South Africa cooperation in all sectors, said Chen Xiaodong, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa.

The envoy committed to, together with the embassy, continuing supporting the development of Chinese language education and its platform in South Africa and providing more convenience to Chinese language teachers and learners. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 11:14:08|Editor: huaxia

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WELLINGTON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand reported one new case of COVID-19 on Sunday, said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

The new case was a recent returnee in managed isolation facilities since the ministry's last update on Friday, while there was no new case of COVID-19 in the community, said the ministry.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border was one, and the total number of active cases on Sunday was 17.

There was one previously confirmed case of COVID-19 now reclassified as under investigation which meant the total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand remained at 2,326, said the ministry.

The total number of tests processed by New Zealand laboratories to date reached 2,167,929.

The public was urged to keep a record of where they have been, especially while people were out and about during the Queen's Birthday long weekend. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 13:06:25|Editor: huaxia

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YANGON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar side is willing to work together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to safeguard the domestic stability of Myanmar and implement the relevant consensus, the leader of Myanmar Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has said.

Min Aung Hlaing made the remarks on Saturday during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai in Nay Pyi Taw.

According to a release of the Chinese embassy in Myanmar, at the meeting Min Aung Hlaing introduced the domestic situation in Myanmar and said the Myanmar side is committed to promoting national stability, economic growth and improvement of people's livelihoods, and safeguarding democracy and the rule of law.

He said Myanmar sees China as an important neighbor and is willing to maintain communications with China.

Ambassador Chen stressed that the Chinese side has always cherished and attached great importance to its traditional friendship with Myanmar, adding that China sincerely hopes for the earlier restoration of peace and stability in Myanmar and supports the implementation of consensus by ASEAN and Myanmar.

China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard, said Chen.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues including China-Myanmar relations and the joint prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 13:19:11|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan National Police (ANP) has arrested 27 suspects in the country's national capital Kabul within the past 48 days, the capital police confirmed on Sunday.

The arrestees were involved in murder cases, armed robberies, possession of illegal weapons, sale of narcotics, car theft and other crimes in the city, the police said in a statement.

It said the ANP confiscated seven hand guns, and the operations were part of the preventive measures to ensure a high level of security and safety in Kabul. Enditem
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.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 14:19:21|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic heavily changed the business landscape of many industries, and the fashion industry in Australia is no exception.

However, the transformation of people's life and work style under the pandemic also means opportunities. The just-ended Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) in Sydney not only witnessed a successful return of one of the country's most important fashion events, but also showcased the shift in local brand designing and retail behavior after an involuntary hiatus.

Featuring the work of about 70 designers, the fashion week brought the fashion community back together after it was cancelled last year. During a pivotal moment in history, the resilient market readjusted and repositioned artistic fundamentals of the industry to reinvention.

Ingrid Bonnor, founder of the Australian sleepwear brand Homebodii, told Xinhua that she found more ideas for her design and greater profitability under the enforced lockdown, when people had to work from home for a long time.

Bonnor said the orders doubled last year since people are more concerned about their house dresses, and customers not only buy for themselves but also send them as gifts.

Bonnor also found that people are more likely to have casual and wearable clothes outside their homes. In order to meet their needs to look presentable and feel comfortable, she created more designs of pajamas that could be worn outside for short-time casual work.

"We want our sleepwear not just designed as pajamas, because when you cost per wear, you're getting more value out of the garment, and it is more comfortable and versatile now. You can wear it to bed, to the beach, to lunch."

Last year was also a potential period for Katya Komarova and her leather bags.

"It was a very difficult year, my brand was actually so inexperienced before, but with a lot of development, because I was collaborating with other brands," Komarova told Xinhua.

The label has achieved its growth and driven transformation by cooperating with clothing brands, Morrison and Banded Together, creating more exclusive colors for her iconic leather bag designs. The rich tones of wine, chocolate and olive are in line with Komarova's aesthetic, proving to be ideal for its partners' creative direction and expanded its target demographics.

Komarova said the collaboration and support in the industry expanded her brand in the Australian market during the challenging period. She has debuted a new modernized and fresh version of their logo to reflect the brand's evolution over the past six years.

"It is a win-win solution," she said. "We met each other last year and decided to launch a joint collection. They also used my bags in the runway. It is a very cool challenge for me to see how can I complement what they are already selling with the styling of my bags."

Meanwhile, the lockdown measures accelerated the shift from physical to online retail, and an increasing number of fashion brands or platforms are trying to create online experiences to provide similar levels of customer service as in-store.

"We used the body scanning to enable retailers to produce and send garments to fit that person," said Garo Iskenderian, General Manager from Daniel Avakian. "Customers just need to simply input their basic information and use smartphone to scan their bodies, and that technology can enable us to produce garments, which has already been applied now."

Eric Berchtold, CEO of the Sydney-based brand the Iconic, said the functions of customization and personalization from artificial intelligent have also been used in the platform to help predict the consumers' size and preferences based on their purchase and return history, and the size they are in other brands.

"There is all sorts of other visualize tools that we use that you can actually just use with your own mobile phone. Have a look at what a different sneaker might look like on your phone, because that's actually something that people like to do in store," Berchtold said.

In response to the impression of Australia's fashion this year, most designers used the word "resilient."

Iskenderian said despite all the difficulties of the last nine months, there has been a "very strong and resilient growth" in the industry. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 20:01:00|Editor: huaxia

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KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia reported another 6,241 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Sunday, bringing the national total to 616,815.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that 14 of the new cases are imported and 6,227 are local transmissions.

The official added that the country is seeing an increasing number of sporadic cases besides an increase in fatalities which cannot be traced to existing cases or clusters

"This situation is very worrying, as the majority of new COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 deaths are sporadic cases when reported."

"The ministry urges the public to take this situation seriously," he said, reminding that standard operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines must be followed.

Malaysia is under a nationwide lockdown which bans all economic and social activities except for the essential services, in an effort to contain the rapid increase of cases.

Another 87 deaths have been reported on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 3,378.

Some 5,133 patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total number of cured and discharged to 526,809 or 85.4 percent of all cases.

Of the remaining active cases, 890 are being held in intensive care and 444 of those are in need of assisted breathing. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 20:48:30|Editor: huaxia

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MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Casualties were feared in a car bomb explosion hitting a district police station in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh on Sunday, a provincial source said.

The incident occurred around noon in the Balkh district police station, located in the northwest of the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif, the official told Xinhua anonymously.

The blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and caused panic and damages, the official said.

Local government officials confirmed the incident without providing details, and said related information will be soon shared with the media.

Unofficial sources said at least 15 people were killed and 20 wounded in the explosion after a Taliban suicide bomber detonated a hijacked military vehicle at the front gate of office of the police station.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. However, Afghan officials blamed Taliban militants for the bomb explosions in recent months. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 21:53:25|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Sunday met with the visiting U.S. inter-ministerial delegation led by Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, the president's office said.

The two sides discussed issues including expanding cooperation, and maintaining bilateral political, security, defense and economic relations, the office said in a statement.

Concerning the continuation of 3.3 billion U.S. dollars in annual assistance for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), the U.S. delegation conveyed the White House message of supporting the ANDSF as well as supporting Afghanistan in the economic areas, according to the statement.

Khalilzad on Sunday also met with head of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Abdullah Abdullah, discussing issues related to the Taliban group and Afghanistan's national reconciliation efforts. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 23:07:22|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's drug regulator has authorized the emergency use of another Chinese COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) made the announcement Sunday, saying "CoronaVac", manufactured by Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd, is the fifth COVID-19 vaccine to get emergency use approval in Bangladesh.

The DGDA gave the green light after the leading local pharmaceuticals company Incepta Vaccine Ltd applied for its approval for emergency use in the country.

CoronaVac has already received emergency use authorization in dozens of other countries.

The World Health Organization has also issued Emergency Use Listing status to the CoronaVac vaccine.

Bangladesh's drug regulator had earlier authorized the emergency use of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

Hualong Yan, minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, Saturday said the second batch of Sinopharm vaccines donated by Chinese government is ready for delivery by June 13.

About 1,000 medical students from Bangladesh's four top leading medical colleges have recently taken their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine thanks to Sinopharm vaccines donated by China.

Bangladesh kicked off its COVID-19 vaccination drive on Jan. 28 to rein in the pandemic that has so far spread across the country.

On Sunday, the country's Directorate General of Health Services reported 1,676 new cases of COVID-19 and 38 new deaths, bringing the number of total cases to 810,990 and the total death toll to 12,839. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 23:11:18|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's government officials on Sunday said that bodies of more than 10 turtles, a dolphin, seabirds and fish have washed up on the country's beaches after the burning of the X-Press Pearl container ship.

Department of Wildlife Conservation officials was cited in local media reports as saying an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of death of these marine species.

The dead marine creatures were found on beaches from Puttalam in the northwest to Mirissa in the south. Two turtles with injuries were also found from the Unawatuna beach in the south, according to the media reports.

"Most of the turtles that were found dead on the beaches off Panadura and Wellawatte had their carapaces broken. One dead turtle at the Unawatuna beach was found with injures," an official involved in the investigation told the local Daily Mirror newspaper.

A link between the marine life death and the burning of the X-Press Pearl container ship is expected to be the focus in the investigation.

The vessel flying the flag of Singapore was carrying 1,486 containers with 25 tons of nitric acid and several other chemicals and cosmetics when arriving from India on May 15.

It sent out a distress call while being close to the Colombo port on May 20 and soon caught fire resulting in Sri Lanka Navy dispatching vessels in efforts to fight the fire onboard.

Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority has said the burning of the vessel caused a massive environmental disaster as many beaches were damaged by the debris washing ashore.

The Sri Lankan government has said a large number of marine life have been killed as a result of the pollution caused by the fire, while the fisheries department has imposed a temporary ban on fishing from the southern to the western coast.

A criminal probe is presently underway into the cause of the fire on board the X-Press Pearl ship.

Earlier Sunday, police said investigators have received the ship's voyage data recorder which contains all the communication dialogues between the captain, the ship's parent company and the local shipping agent.

The navy said an oil spill has not been detected from the burnt vessel, which was about 18.52 km away from the Colombo port. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-05 19:25:42|Editor: huaxia

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LISBON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Just one Portuguese fruit, Pera Rocha (the Rocha pear), was included among some 200 products that are covered by the agreement between China and the European Union (EU) on the protection of geographical indications (GI).

The GI label applies to products with specific quality, reputation or other characteristics resulting from their geographical origin. The China-EU GI agreement entered into force on March 1, 2021, and the Portuguese producers of Pera Rocha now hope to be able to access and conquer the Chinese market.

Domingos dos Santos, president of the National Association of Pera Rocha Producers (ANP), told Xinhua that the GI agreement is considered another step towards the granting of "health authorization to be able to export Pera Rocha from Portugal to China."

"It is important to preserve the productive brands and designations of origin and geographical indications, because these labels are granted to high-quality products, produced in a specific way. These are always important, so that we are not trivializing production," he said.

Pera Rocha was recognized in 2003 as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), an EU seal that certifies the quality and tradition of food and agricultural products, guaranteeing their origin and certified production techniques.

Grown on about 10,000 hectares in more than 20 counties in western Portugal, the fruit has physical, chemical and sensory characteristics directly influenced by the climate, relief, air humidity, type of soil and proximity to the sea of the geographical area of origin.

"Pera Rocha is a genuine Portuguese product, it was a natural mutation that occurred by 1830. It spontaneously appeared on the property of a small-scale farmer, and then multiplied and expanded," dos Santos said.

Pera Rocha is an organoleptic fruit. It is highly resistant to storage time and transport -- characteristics greatly valued by resellers.

"Eventually, all producers were able to produce this fruit with quality, in a homogeneous way, with no major changes and losses in production within the region of origin," explained the ANP president.

"It is only produced and manages to maintain its characteristics in this region of western Portugal, due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and this microclimate of protection of our Sintra mountain range, which facilitates production," he added.

The ANP is responsible for managing the pear's PDO and ensuring that production is maintained in the traditional way, respecting the parameters defined by an exclusive controlling body that checks and evaluates compliance with all the applicable rules.

The ANP was present at FHC Food & Hotel China, a trade fair for international exporters held in China, in November 2019, with the aim of winning over Chinese consumers.

"The idea was to promote the pear in this market and make initial commercial contacts to advance work for when the opening of the market is authorized," dos Santos said.

The ANP is developing an external promotion project with an investment of around 430,000 euros (526,000 U.S. dollars). However, dos Santos told Xinhua that the pandemic has delayed many of Pera Rocha's expansion plans, which included a mission to China by the Portuguese agriculture minister.

According to the ANP chief, around 50 percent of production is destined for export, and the main markets are the UK, Brazil, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Germany, France, Ireland and Spain.

"We export approximately 80,000 tonnes of pears, with a total value of around 100 million euros," he said.

According to dos Santos, ANP's first expansion plan ended in 2019, and now it is preparing a new initiative that should start in 2022 with the Chinese market as its primary target. (1 euro = 1.22 U.S. dollars) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 19:33:34|Editor: huaxia

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By Wen Xinnian and Zhao Danliang

LISBON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Luis Raposo, a 74-year-old retired Portuguese jurist, has been fascinated with the characters used in the Chinese language since he started to learn Chinese at the University of Lisbon's Confucius Institute in 2009.

"My name means Huli (fox) in Chinese, and they call me 'fox'. In Portugal, the fox is a symbol of cleverness, and I like this name very much," he told Xinhua.

The written Chinese language is really interesting, he said. The Chinese characters have a logic of their own. Simple strokes are used to form them, and these characters in turn are used to form words and sentences, said Raposo, who joined the one-month summer camp organized by Tianjin Foreign Studies University in 2010 as the oldest student. "This (language) is very interesting, very ancient, (dating back) thousands of years. The unique charm of Chinese characters is fascinating."

He has familiarized himself with more than 2,000 Chinese characters over the years and has compiled a large database of his understanding and explanation of them.

Raposo, who now teaches Chinese at a local community college, said his explanations have aroused the interest of his students and inspired them to learn more about Chinese culture.

He said he was happy to have realized his dream by studying the Chinese language and becoming a Chinese language teacher in the first 10 years after his retirement.

His home resembles a showroom of Chinese culture: the walls are decorated with Chinese paper cuts and traditional face masks, Chinese knots are hanging on the pillars and hundreds of Chinese books are stacked on the shelves.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon awarded him the title of "honorary student" in 2018 in recognition of his passion for the Chinese language and his perseverance in learning Chinese characters.

Professor Teresa Cid, former Portuguese director of the Confucius Institute, praised Raposo as an intelligent student and a respectable teacher, whose devotion has helped several Portuguese people learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture.

Wang Jincheng, Chinese director of the Confucius Institute who has also taught Chinese in Portugal, said he was moved by Raposo's enthusiasm and perseverance.

During his studies at the Confucius Institute, Raposo had often volunteered as a teaching assistant, explaining the meaning of Chinese characters to his fellow students and comparing notes with Chinese teachers after class.

"Huli's love for the Chinese language has become an inspiration for the people around him," Wang said.

Raposo's plan for the next decade is to publish a Portuguese-language dictionary of Chinese characters.

He said he hopes that the traditional Portuguese-Chinese friendship will last for generations to come and that he can continue to promote Chinese studies in Portugal through his knowledge and devotion. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 05:09:50|Editor: huaxia

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A man observes at the site of the collapse of a mine in Rancherias of Muzquiz municipality, in Coahuila state, Mexico, on June 5, 2021. At least one person died after a mine flooded and then collapsed in the Mexican municipality of Muzquiz in the northern state of Coahuila, Mexico's National Civil Protection Coordination said on Saturday. The agency said on Twitter that six workers were still trapped in the mine. (Xinhua/Alejandro Rodriguez)

MEXICO CITY, June 5 (Xinhua) -- At least one person died after a mine flooded and then collapsed in the Mexican municipality of Muzquiz in the northern state of Coahuila, Mexico's National Civil Protection Coordination said on Saturday.

The agency said on Twitter that six workers were still trapped in the mine.

According to preliminary reports, the accident occurred on Friday around 12:50 p.m. local time (17:50 GMT) when the flooding of the mine caused the site to collapse.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has instructed the ministries of security and labor to "act immediately" to rescue the miners.

"We are attentive and in coordination with the municipal and state authorities. We want the rescue to be favorable for the families and for everyone," the president wrote on Twitter.

Civil protection officials as well as members of the military and the National Guard are working to drain the mine with hydraulic pumps and rescue the trapped workers. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-06 05:34:55|Editor: huaxia

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CHICAGO, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and two others injured after a shooting in a parking lot in the northeast of Indianapolis, capital of U.S. Midwest state of Indiana, early Saturday morning.

Police officers responded to a report of shots fired just after 2 a.m., where they found four people shot, local media reported.

One man was pronounced dead at the scene, and another man died shortly after being taken to hospital. Another man and a woman were injured and taken to hospital in stable condition, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Saturday.

The shooting appeared to have occurred in the parking lot after the victims were at a local business, police said.

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting. Enditem
With govt set to impose 25% tax on private schools

NANCY TO BIR: HAVE A HEART; SPARE SCHOOLS FROM BEING TAXED

Senator Nancy Binay today made an appeal to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to withdraw Revenue Regulation (RR) No. 5-2021 which would impose a 150% increase to the income tax of private schools.

"Marami na nga sa ating mga private school ang nagsara na dahil sa pandemya. Kung ipapatupad ang revenue regulation na ito, siguradong mas marami pa sa kanila ang tuluyan nang magsasara," Binay said.

Under the regulation which was issued on April 8, 2021, income tax on so-called proprietary educational institutions that are run by stock corporations would be increased to 25% from the current 10%.

Binay said imposing additional taxes on private schools is contrary to the intent of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act which was passed to help ease the effects of the pandemic on businesses through lower corporate income taxes.

"Tingin namin sa Senado merong lihis sa pagkaka-interpret ng batas. We passed the CREATE Law to help businesses survive the effects of the pandemic through tax incentives. The law plainly states (Section 2, paragraph-d) the need to create a more equitable tax incentive system that will allow for inclusive growth and generation of jobs. Wala sa intensyon ng batas dagdagan pa ng pasanin at pasakit ang mga eskwelahan," Binay said.

The senator said that the regulation is clearly against the spirit of the law, and asked the BIR to immediately rescind its issuance.

"Sa panahon ngayon, let's be more sensitive to the struggles our kababayans are going through. Ito ang panahon ng pagtutulungan, at bilang mga kawani ng gobyerno, dapat nasa tamang pwesto ang mga puso natin para sa kapwa Pilipino," Binay pointed out.

Binay supports Senate Bill 2272 filed by Senator Sonny Angara. It seeks to amend a section of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) that aims to correct an erroneous interpretation on the tax imposed on proprietary educational institutions.

"Tulungan natin silang maka-survive. Wag na nating padapain pa lalo ang mga private school na nagpupumilit na makabangon," she added.

While the bill has yet to be passed, Binay reminded the BIR to be more circumspect in its interpretation of laws and applying additional taxes during a pandemic.

"Hirap na hirap na nga lahat. Marami nang na-lay-off na teachers; marami nang nagsarang schools; malapit nang bumigay ang mga academic institution--taxing private schools with 25% does not make any sense at all. Konting puso naman sana," she added.
| 2021-06-06 06:09:18|Editor: huaxia

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Image posted by NASA shows the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft carrying about 7,300 pounds of crew supplies and equipment for the International Space Station. (Credit: NASA)

The resupply mission delivers new ISS Roll-out Solar Arrays to the space station in the trunk of the Dragon spacecraft.

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday morning for resupply mission.

The spacecraft autonomously docked to the space-facing side of the ISS Harmony module at 5:09 a.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time.

NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur were monitoring docking operations for cargo Dragon.

The resupply mission delivers new ISS Roll-out Solar Arrays to the space station in the trunk of the Dragon spacecraft. The space station's robotic Canadarm2 will extract the arrays and astronauts will install them during spacewalks planned for June 16 and 20, according to NASA.

The cargo Dragon was launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday. After about one month attached to the space station, the spacecraft will return to Earth with cargo and research. 
Xi Jinping Speaks with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader

2021/06/03

On the evening of June 2, 2021, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader.

Xi Jinping pointed out, since the establishment of diplomatic ties, Dominican Republic has firmly upheld the one-China policy and prioritized its relations with China on its diplomacy agenda, which is highly appreciated by China. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the two countries have supported each other and shared weal and woe. China will continue to provide as much support as its capacity allows for Dominican Repblic's fight against the virus. Xi believes, under your leadership, Dominican Republic will defeat the pandemic at an early date. China stands ready to work with Dominican Republic to seek greater development of the bilateral relationship and lift it to a higher level.

Xi Jinping emphasized, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Standing on the people's side represents the fundamental political stance of the CPC, which is highly consistent with the "people-centered" governance philosophy of Dominican Repblic. China is willing to communicate with Dominican Republic on governance philosophy, deepen political trust and promote common development. As this year is the start of the 14th Five-year Plan period, China will open its door wider at a higher level, which will bring more opportunities for bilateral cooperation. China welcomes Dominican Republic to export more distinctive agricultural products to China, and supports Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in Dominica. China will work with Dominican Republic to strengthen coordination on regional and international affairs, and jointly uphold international fairness and justice and the rights and interests of developing countries. China hopes that Dominican Republic will play an active role in promoting cooperation between China and countries of Central America and the Caribbean as well as the overall cooperation between China and the Latin America.

Abinader said, I sincerely congratulate on the upcoming 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. The medical supplies and vaccines provided by China for Dominican Republic have played a key role in its fight against the virus, for which Dominican Republic expresses sincere gratitude. Dominican Republic sticks to the one-China policy, and wishes to expand exchanges and cooperation in fields such as economy and trade with China.
Xi Jinping Speaks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the Phone

2021/06/03

On the evening of June 2, 2021, President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Xi Jinping pointed out, faced with the raging pandemic since last year, China and Azerbaijan have pulled together to overcome difficulties, which fully demonstrates the true friendship. The Communist Party of China (CPC) will celebrate its 100th anniversary and China will embark on a new journey of fully building a modern socialist country. Thus, China-Azerbaijan relations have reached a new historical starting point. Both sides should carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and enhance mutual support. Taking the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic ties as an opportunity, the two countries should seek greater development of the bilateral ties to deliver greater benefits to the two countries and two peoples.

Xi Jinping emphasized, China supports the Azerbaijani people's choice of development path based on its conditions, and treats Azerbaijan as a major partner in Belt and Road cooperation. Both sides should share opportunities and seek development, and ensure sound planning and progress of the Belt and Road cooperation. China is ready to import more high-quality and distinctive products from Azerbaijan, support Chinese enterprises in investing and operating in Azerbaijan, and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure and other fields. Both sides should deepen international cooperation in transport and logistics, advance the construction of Asia-Europe transport corridor, and improve regional connectivity. China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Azerbaijan in medicine, and continue to provide vaccines and other assistance for Azerbaijan to fight against the COVID-19. China has achieved a complete victory in the fight against poverty, and it is willing to increase exchanges and cooperation with Azerbaijan to jointly promote the cause of global poverty reduction.

Aliyev congratulates on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, and thanks China for providing valuable assistance such as medical supplies and vaccines for his country's fight against the COVID-19. The sound bilateral cooperation in fields such as politics, economy, and transport plays an active role for Azerbaijani economic growth. Azerbaijan welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in its country, and hopes to increase communication and cooperation with China in regional affairs. China is Azerbaijan's true partner. Whether in the past, at present or in the future, Azerbaijan firmly supports China's position in issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang, and it will work with China to lift the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level. Azerbaijan supports China in successfully holding the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.
Wang Yi: China to Strengthen Vaccine Cooperation with Developing Countries

2021/06/06

On June 5, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indonesian President's special envoy and the country's Coordinator for Cooperation with China Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan co-chaired the first meeting on the China-Indonesia high-level dialogue and cooperation mechanism in Guiyang City, and jointly declared the launch of the "Spring Sprout" campaign in Indonesia.

Wang Yi emphasized, as large developing countries and responsible members in the global community, China and Indonesia share a similar attitude and standpoint in the vaccine issue. Putting people and life front and center, we actively carry out vaccine cooperation, fostering a new highlight in bilateral relations and setting an example for developing countries.

Wang Yi expressed, the problem of uneven vaccination has become more acute. A handful of developed countries have hoarded vaccines, leaving developing countries struggling with insufficient vaccines. China resolutely resists "vaccine nationalism", and "vaccine divide". Having announced support for waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines, China will promote its vaccine companies in transferring technologies to other developing countries and carrying out joint production, so as to expand vaccine accessibility and affordability. China will encourage more Chinese vaccines to carry out clinical trials in Indonesia, support Indonesia in building the regional vaccine production center, and jointly promote the equitable distribution of vaccines worldwide, especially in the developing countries.

Luhut said, thanks to China's strong assistance, Indonesia has kept the pandemic under control, and provided a strong guarantee for high-level bilateral practical cooperation, fostering a new highlight in solidarity and cooperation between China and Indonesia. Indonesia hopes to establish whole-industrial-chain cooperation with China in vaccine R&D and production, striving to build the regional vaccine production center at an early date. Indonesia stands ready to coordinate China in implementing the "Spring Sprout" campaign, and assist local Chinese nationals in getting vaccinated.
Press Release

June 6, 2021 De Lima seeks probe into surge of online sexual abuse vs children amid pandemic Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged the Congress to investigate the reported surge of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) during the COVID-19 pandemic to hold perpetrators accountable and address the aggravating factors and root causes of child abuse in the Philippines. In filing Senate Resolution (SR) No. 745, De Lima said that the State must recognize that while health protocols are necessary, protective measures that will provide essential services to uphold the rights of the youth must not be sidelined. "These sexual predators have thrived in this pandemic for far too long at the expense of the innocence and purity of our children," she said. "A full investigation must thus be carried out where all those who contribute to the growing trend including online platforms that allow them to proliferate or condone their proliferation by acquiescence, are prosecuted," she added. The Philippines has been tagged as the global epicenter of livestream sexual trafficking of children based on data from the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC). Tech companies reported that more than 1.29 million images and videos of child pornography came from the Philippines in 2020, which was more than triple the number in 2019 or before the pandemic hit. Likewise, in the early weeks of lockdown, from March 1 to May 24, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reported 202,605 cases of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) or a 265% increase compared with the same period the previous year. Just last March, Mama Fatima Singhateh, Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, said the COVID-19 pandemic had caused a socio-economic crisis that had worsened the existing stark inequalities of vulnerable children which resulted in the amplification of their risks to sale, trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse. De Lima underscored the need to enhance the government's research and online monitoring systems and allocate more resources to combat the proliferation of such illegal activities victimizing children. "While individuals who engage and facilitate such illegal acts should rightly be punished, structural issues of poverty, inequality and inadequate government support should also be considered in the bigger picture that needs to be addressed," she said. "Now is the time for us to step up and be the defenders that the children of this nation desperately need. We are bound by our duty to create an environment for them that is safe, where their innocence is protected and their rights are upheld," she added. In 2019, De Lima filed Senate Resolution (SR) No. 201 directing the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality to inquire into the continued proliferation of child cybersex abuses in the country. In 2020, she filed a related Resolution, logged as SR No. 385, urging Congress to investigate the rising cases of cybersex abuses victimizing the youth amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ethiopia Wednesday said it would build military bases in the Red Sea, citing the race for the control of the region as the rational behind the plans.

Dina Al-Mufti, spokesperson for the foreign ministry indicated that various countries are showing an interest in controlling the Red Sea region by establishing more military bases than ever before, a worrying situation for Addis Ababa, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports.

Last year, Egypt inaugurated the Berenice Military Base, the countrys largest military site located southeast of the city of Aswan, on the Red Sea.

Besides, Sudan is scheduled to host Russias first military base in Africa. Moscow and Khartoum are in talks over the establishment of the base which will be hub for nuclear-powered warships, up to 300 military and civilian personnel in Port Sudan and the ability to ferry weapons into Sudan free of inspections.

Ethiopia is currently at odds with Egypt and Sudan over its Nile River dam deemed by Cairo and Khartoum as a threat to their access to water.

Egypt and Sudan concluded earlier this week, a joint military drill dubbed Guardians of the Nile, in connection with Ethiopias $5 billion hydro dam project.
US Congress Delegation in Georgia visits occupation line, meets representatives of local NGOs

By Veronika Malinboym

US Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Rob Portman who arrived in Georgia on June 1, visited the occupation line near Zemo Nikozi village, bordering the Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali, the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia has reported.First in Zemo Nikozi, and later in the village of Ergneti, EUMM Monitors briefed the Senators on the security situation in the area, with a focus on borderisation with as wire fences, observation posts, and surveillance equipment, and the negative impact on freedom of movement and other human rights of conflict-affected communities.During the visit, the Head of Mission thoroughly updated the Congressional Delegation on specific challenges of the communities living along the administrative boundary lines, which have been further aggravated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the EUMMs press release stated.EUMMs official report on the visit also noted that the Senators applauded EUMM for its work as the only international monitoring presence on the ground.Senators Shaheen and Portman also participated in a meeting with local NGOs, including the International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Society for Fair Elections And Democracy (ISFED), International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and Georgias Young Lawyers Association.According to the head of the Young Lawyers Association Nika Simonishvili, one of the most important topics of the discussion was the pressing need for judicial reform in Georgia:Since we have not yet seen enough political will from the government authorities on the subject of a compulsory judicial reform, as opposed to a limited number of procedural changes, we clearly need to discuss this issue with senators, Simonishvili said.The US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan stated earlier that the visit of the US Congress delegation visit to Georgia is a clear sign of the US support towards the people of Georgia and their efforts to build a democracy.A similar incentive has been expressed by the Georgian Ambassador to the US, David Bakradze who said that the timely visit of the US delegation to Georgia shows Americas unwavering support to Georgia:Today, amidst the challenges caused by the complex situation in the region and the need for economic recovery in the aftermath of the global pandemic, their support is especially important to us, Bakradze stated.
12:50 | Lima, Jun. 6.

During a breakfast held at Lomas del 27 de Marzo human settlement, 46-year-old Fujimori said the campaign comes to an end with great lessons, such as having generated spaces for forgiveness and reconciliation.





"Thank you, we cannot talk about proposals but we can talk about hope, faith in the future, working for the development of our children. I ask all Peruvians to go to vote, let's do it without fear, let's go to the polls in search of peace, to defend democracy, and choose the destiny that we want," she expressed.





Likewise, the former Congresswoman explained that although it is not known what the result of the second electoral round will be she reaffirms her commitment to respect the popular will.





"It will be the decision of our country that defines whether I have to serve as president of Peru or serve as an ordinary citizen. To me, it will always be an honor to work towards the development of our country," she said.





Furthermore, Fujimori pointed out that the nation is highly polarized in this presidential runoff election. Therefore, it is necessary to create spaces for unity starting tomorrow.





The candidate arrived in Lima's San Juan de Lurigancho district joined by husband Mark Vito Villanella, daughters, as well as siblings Sachi and Kenji.
13:31 | Tacabamba (Cajamarca region), Jun. 6.





After exercising his right to vote, the 51-year-old teacher reported that despite what he had planned he will not travel to Lima today to receive the first results due to his parents' health issues.





"I have just got in touch with my family and community, and I am concerned about the health of my parents at this time," he pointed out.





In this sense, the candidate affirmed that he will remain in Tacabamba, where "I will receive the flash (first unofficial) results, with peace of mind."





In remarks to the press, the teacher said that "it must be understood that, if we do not unite, we will not be able to move the country forward."





Upon leaving the educational center, accompanied by his wife, Castillo briefly addressed journalists once again, noting that he is living this election day "with hope and tranquility."





Previously, Castillo went to a house in Tacabamba where his family was staying. He then attended a church, where he spent a few minutes praying.













(END) FGM/FHG/MVB

Peru Libre candidate Pedro Castillo cast his vote at Salomon Diaz School in the Cajamarca district of Tacabamba on Sunday, within the framework of the presidential runoff election. Published: 6/6/2021
These observers come from Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, as well as Spain and Switzerland.

These acts are the installation of voting tables; conditioning of voting booths; verification carried out by polling station members on the conformity of ballots, the amphorae and any other electoral material; development of the voting day; scrutiny and counting, among others.

The Ibero-American Association of Jurists and the Mercosur Parliament's Democracy Observatory will deploy five participants each, while the European Union delegation in Peru will send three members.

All international electoral bodies and organizations will make it possible to report to the national and international community on the fairness of the election and the unquestionable results.

El Presidente del #JNE, Jorge Luis Salas Arenas, dio la bienvenida esta manana a las delegaciones de observadores internacionales, que participan en la #SegundaVuelta presidencial, durante la Jornada Informativa para Observadores Internacionales acreditados por el ente electoral. pic.twitter.com/6b4lOMpqij
25,287,954 Peruvian citizens based in national territory and abroad are entitled to cast their votes today, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The candidates for President of the Republic are Keiko Fujimori (Fuerza Popular) and Pedro Castillo (Peru Libre).

Hoy tenemos una cita con el Peru. ??? Y recuerda:

? Ve a votar de acuerdo a tu horario, segun el Voto Escalonado.

? Usa doble mascarilla.

? Lleva tu propio lapicero, de preferencia azul.

? Ten tu DNI a la mano en todo momento.#VotemosPeru pic.twitter.com/2ELCgA00Kb
There will be a process allowing community members and city staff to recommend a property for consideration for the board, he continued, but specific details have not been finalized. The city will release further information on that process as it develops.

The use of this nuisance board is part of new effort by city officials to deal with properties in the city that have prompted numerous neighbor complaints over issues such as suspected drug activity, noise complaints and accumulating junk and trash.

City officials have publicly identified some of those properties at council meetings, including 8 Delevan St. That property was the site of a homicide in November 2019 that led to murder charges, and has been the site of scores of police calls over the past two years. Auburn last year Tent to court to have the property condemned so the city council take it over and get it cleaned up, but the process has been slowed by issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nuisance board is part of an effort to speed up the process for getting results for affected neighbors and neighborhoods. Auburn staff have also engaged in clean up work in different neighborhoods.
He is not a member of the county Democratic committee, but he has supported local campaigns. Outside of politics, he has been a volunteer driver with Community Action Programs Cayuga/Seneca's Medicaid Transportation Program.

If he is elected chair, McKeon said in an interview with The Citizen that a top priority would be electing more Democrats in town and village races. He said he had a conversation with Throop Supervisor Eric Ridley, who told him that more help is needed at the town level.

"That would be my focus," he said.

McKeon also wants to win the race for Cayuga County surrogate judge. Ben Susman, a Democrat, is running against Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann. He doesn't believe Susman is getting enough support in his bid for the judgeship.

"It's tough winning outside in the county," he said. "That's going to be a tough race."

McKeon recalls attending the 1964 Democratic National Convention and the ovation then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy received before a video honoring his late brother, President John F. Kennedy. He was also there for the 1968 convention in Chicago, where delegates voted to support civil rights resolutions and condemn the Vietnam War.
Goa and Kerala governments have entered into agreements with Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), to procure more than 30,000 electric two and three-wheelers for the states. The Goa and Kerala governments have signed the agreements with the CESL on World Environment Day.

(Also Read: After Mumbai more cities inching towards century mark in petrol price)

These electric vehicles are likely to be used by different government agencies. While the electric two-wheelers can be used by government employees, the electric three-wheelers can be used for delivering goods.

CESL has also entered into strategic partnerships with several companies including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), TVS Motor Company, JBM Renewables Pvt Ltd., and Fortum India for developing electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

Under these agreements, CESL is claimed to be investing in establishing the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and will monitor the utilisation of the assets. The agreements between the CESL and Goa and Kerala governments will also focus on the development of Ev charging infrastructure on highways and expressways in these states. As CESL has claimed in a release, the feasibility of parking and charge facility to customers across all EV segments will also be explored as part of the project.

Talking about the agreements, Nilesh Cabral, Minister of Power, Environment, New and Renewable Energy, Government of Goa, said that this agreement would help Goa to make a green state.

Indian electric vehicle space is dominated by electric two and three-wheelers. The low-speed electric two-wheelers have been witnessing a surge in demand. The electric three-wheelers too have seen multifold growth in sales in the last few years.

While the low-speed electric two-wheelers are perfect for regular commuting in and around the city, the electric three-wheelers have been playing a key role in last-mile passenger and goods transportation. Incessantly increasing petrol and diesel prices are fuelling this growth of EV sales in India.
The spread of COVID-19 has slowed somewhat in Coconino County over the past few weeks. As vaccinations rise and case rates continue to decline, the countys response to the pandemic has shifted, loosening restrictions as more businesses and events reopen.

The most recent data from the county shows new cases declining as the vaccination rate continues to progress slowly.

Due to increasing vaccinations, lowering case rates and a mid-May update to the CDC coronavirus guidance, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution ending last years mask mandate as of June 1. The new CDC guidance still recommends masks in some situations, particularly for those who have not yet been vaccinated. With the passage of this resolution, however, mask requirements are now based on restrictions created by individual locations.

While we are looking to rescind the mask ordinance, we do want to recommend that people keep using social distancing and different precautions, District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez said in the May 25 board meeting.

Regarding vaccinations, he said, Were up there in the state, but were still not to that level that we need to get.
Flagstaff City Attorney Sterling Solomon recommended that city council follows Coconino Countys lead -- which relies on businesses to offer COVID-19 vaccine incentives.

During Council's meeting, Coconino County Supervisor Patrice Horstman spoke about the countys Be a Big Shot vaccine program, which qualifies fully vaccinated residents for free rewards in the county.

While the county is not actually providing any incentives itself, the program instead looks to generate partnerships with local businesses. Horstman said many local businesses have been asked to decide how to implement incentives individually and submit proposals through an online form.

Though information on individual incentives has not yet been released to the public, the county website will soon host a list of participating businesses, Horstman said.

One business collective in the city, the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance, has already joined the cause, according to Horstman. The county is now looking for Councils support in generating partnerships with other businesses around the city.

Council was supportive and thanked county staff for their work to set the program in motion.

Councilmember Miranda Sweet encouraged Flagstaff businesses to participate.
At this point, I remain opposed to the budget proposal introduced by House leadership, Cook said in a statement Friday. "I am hopeful that changes can be made to address my concerns including the negative impact to cities and towns, ongoing debt, unfunded pension liabilities, capitol improvement needs and investment in water infrastructure for the future expected Arizona growth."

Cook also said he was concerned that billions of dollars of federal COVID-19 relief money has created a false economy and I believe its prudent to take some time to ensure we dont send the state off of a fiscal cliff.

The tax cuts in the proposal would shave at least $1.9 billion from state revenues when they are fully phased in, which would take three years. The biggest winners will be the wealthy, who will be mainly shielded from a new voter-approved surcharge and get the biggest benefits from a flat-tax proposal that lowers rates to 2.5%. The current top tax rate is 4.5% for high-earning Arizonans, plus the new 3.5% surcharge. Couples earning over $500,000 a year would pay a maximum of 4.5% under the proposal instead of 8% foreseen under Proposition 208.

Cook and Republican Sen. Paul Boyer have been outspoken in their concern that the tax cut will hurt cities, which get a set share of income tax revenue. Boyer said Friday he too was still opposed.
After officers arrived, Gionet agreed to take his friend home. When the friend became belligerent in the car, Gionet called police again and was somewhat uncooperative with the second set of officers who respond, prosecutors said.

"He also appears to threaten his friend," they wrote.

Defense attorney Zachary Thornley said Gionet didn't break any laws or violate any conditions of his release.

I really don't know why we're all here today, he said during a remote hearing Friday.

We're all here because your client recorded all of this and put it up on YouTube, which a smart person might wonder if that's what you should be doing while you're under court supervision, the magistrate countered.

Prosecutors say the video appears to be a money-making vehicle for Gionet, a social media personality who was listed as one of the speakers at the white nationalist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that erupted in violence in 2017.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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A reading of the Mueller report indicates that Barrs statements were a gross mischaracterization of the evidence it presented. There was substantial evidence that Trump had engaged in obstruction of justice and Mueller said that he offered no conclusion only because Justice Department rules prevented indicting a sitting president.

Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson reviewed the OLC memo and concluded that there was no legal basis for withholding it from release. Indeed, she was sharply critical of the Justice Departments arguments for secrecy. She said that the affidavits submitted in favor of withholding the document are so inconsistent with evidence in the record, they are not worthy of credence. She said that her review of the documents led her to conclude that not only was the Attorney General being disingenuous then, but DOJ has been disingenuous to this Court with respect to the existence of a decision-making process that should be shielded by the deliberative process privilege. She said that the agencys redactions and incomplete explanations obfuscate the true purpose of the memorandum.
Hong Kong: Risk area list to be updated

The Government today announced that it will update the list of at-risk areas under the Return2hk Scheme.

Apart from including the medium or high-risk areas as listed by the National Health Commission, reference will also be made to the confirmed and infected cases as notified by the Mainland and Macau health authorities.

A sub-district will be adopted as the smallest unit on the list and no further classification by individual buildings or phases within sub-districts will be made.

In accordance with the requirements under the scheme, Hong Kong residents who have stayed in any area in the Mainland that is included on the list of at-risk areas on the day of arrival at Hong Kong or during the 14 days before that day will not be exempted from compulsory quarantine under the scheme upon their entry into the city.

They will have to undergo a 14-day compulsory quarantine at home.

The Government said it noted that Guangzhou has announced the stringent implementation of their control requirements to ensure people who have stayed in medium or high-risk areas will not be able to leave the areas. Members of the public are also urged not to leave Guangzhou unless necessary.

Meanwhile, those who have to leave Guangzhou will be required from noon on June 7 to hold a proof of negative nucleic acid test result obtained within 48 hours.

Residents intending to return to Hong Kong under the scheme are reminded to check in advance the risk areas as published on the Governments website.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The video, originally posted to TikTok, features a woman claiming that after she received both shots of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, "a couple months ago," she received a personal letter in the mail warning her to get screened for cervical cancer. "They said that there's 1,500 women that have cases of cervical cancer now, so they have invited me in to get the screening done again to make sure that I don't have cervical cancer now due to the COVID vaccine," the woman says while flashing the letter in front of the camera.

An AP analysis of the text in the letter revealed it matched the text of a form letter sent by Cancer Care Ontario, a division of Ontario Health in Canada. The letter goes out to women across the province to remind them to get regular Pap tests. "Several months ago we sent you a letter to invite you to get screened for cervical cancer with a Pap test," the letter reads. "Women should have Pap tests once every three years until age 70. This year, cervical cancer will be found in about 1,500 women in Canada and at least one woman will die every day from this disease. The good news is you can take steps to protect yourself from cervical cancer by having regular Pap tests." The letter does not draw a connection between cervical cancer diagnosis and COVID-19 vaccines.
St. Vincent Healthcare has received the American College of Cardiologys NCDR Chest Pain  MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2021. It places St. Vincent as one of only 212 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.

The award recognizes St. Vincents commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that St. Vincent has reached an aggressive 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.

It reflects the dedication, commitment, and clinical excellence of our cardiologists, nurses, technicians, and the entire St. Vincent Cardiovascular Team," said Theresa Ketterling, director of cardiovascular services. "We are firmly committed to providing the best, state-of-the-art therapies to our patients in Montana, northern Wyoming and the western Dakotas.
The idea is to come in and meet the community where it is, Ellis said, adding that his job is to learn how we can help the community with technology, whether thats broadband deployment or getting computer science into the schools.

The businesses range from tech-based operations to companies pitching their solution to a common problem, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports.

Take Laramies High Plains Biochar, for example. Founder Randy Yeatts realized that while people could reuse grocery bags or buy a hybrid car to lessen their impact on climate change, there werent many options for actually removing carbon from the atmosphere.

A process called biocharring converts biomass like wood chips into biochar, a charcoal-like substance, which turns the carbon in the atmosphere into a more stable form. While the process isnt new, Yeatts said most equipment uses too much energy to be carbon neutral, which is where High Plains Biochar comes in.

This is one of only a few truly carbon-negative biotech technologies available today, he said.

On Tuesday, Yeatts said his company is a few months out from the fundraising phase, but he is looking for a co-founder to really get the company off the ground and provide a method for combating climate change.
When we returned to school to teach during the 2020-2021 school year, we covered our faces with protective masks, and so did our students. We moved our desks farther apart, and we did everything we could to keep our classrooms safe. These measures included hours of cleaning and doing our best to maintain social distancing as our school safety plans recommended. We accepted those changes because we wanted to keep students learning while protecting them and everyone in our community from COVID-19.

We are hopeful that the coming school year will be much less about COVID-19 and much more about learning, growing, and continuing to build relationships in our classrooms. Thats one of the reasons why we made the personal decision to get vaccinated. Its one small gesture that protects our students, coworkers, and families.

While COVID-19 can hurt or kill anyone regardless of their health or age, the virus more frequently takes advantage of the most vulnerable among us. We know young people are less likely to face serious COVID-19 symptoms, but we also know at least one North Dakota teenager died from COVID-19. And one is too many.
Pastors and diocese officials said they anticipated a gradual increase in attendance, but it was too soon to know if numbers went up Saturday.

We know weve got our work cut out for us in terms of convincing people of the value of in-person celebration of Mass, said Monsignor Robert Zapfel, pastor of St. Leo and St. Benedict parishes in Amherst.

Zapfel said Catholic churches are very safe places to gather, and if you can go to the grocery store, if you can go to have your hair done, you can certainly come to Mass.

This weekend on the Catholic liturgical calendar marks the Feast of Corpus Christi, a celebration of the Catholic belief that bread and wine change into the actual body and blood of Christ during Mass through a process called transubstantiation.

The Rev. James Waite said in his homily Saturday that it was a very appropriate occasion for the in-person Mass attendance obligation to return.

Coming to gather to be community and to receive the body and blood of Christ is central to our identity as Christians. Central to what Jesus taught us to do, said Waite, pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Lockport. It is what liturgy is all about.
"Outflanked by superior forces, DeGlopper volunteered to support his comrades by firing from his automatic rifle while they attempted to withdraw through a hedgerow," states his Medal of Honor citation. "He walked from the ditch into the full view of the Germans and sprayed hostile assault fire. He was wounded, but he continued to fire. Kneeling in the roadway he fired burst upon burst until he was killed outright. He was successful in drawing the enemy actions away from his fellow soldiers who were able to move to a more advantageous position."

"He's a special man," said Kathleen Black, member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9249, also named after DeGlopper.

Onlookers Saturday commented on the details of the statue, details that Geissler painstakingly worked on with the DeGlopper family.

"All I cared about was that the family loved it," said Geissler, of Youngstown. "They were very helpful in guiding me with details that I needed. ... It's very humbling. I'm extremely honored. This is very special, just because of who and what he is."

Ray DeGlopper, who housed the statue in his Fix Road garage through the year-long delay, was one of several volunteers who rotated on guard duty at the park in the days before the sculpture was unveiled.
Even a partial relaxation of the current rules would help families divided by the border, said Shannon Harder, whose husband Neal lives in New Brunswick. A Canadian citizen, Neal returned north in February 2020 after he was unable to renew his expiring U.S. visa. He left three children  Teagen, 14, and Brynn and Caden, both 11  behind in Attica.

Harder and the children had planned to visit often. But the Canadian requirement that visitors quarantine for 14 days made that difficult. On her most recent attempt to visit, in January, Harder said she was turned back because the reason for her visit was nonessential.

Theres never any end date, Harder said. We never have any hope for the near future.

Parkhill, meanwhile, has given up on guessing when the border might reopen. For the past 15 months, she has lived alone in the two-bedroom apartment that she and her fiance, Renil Amin, had meant to share. They video chat about once a week. More than that is difficult to schedule: Parkhill works days as the adult education coordinator at Buffalo City Mission, and Amin works evenings for the public transit agency in Burlington.
Getting selected as one of a handful of regions for a tech hub automatically raises your profile, Baynes said. That puts eyes on your city, so people start to look at you a little bit differently.

William Maggio, chairman of the 43North Foundation and managing partner at Lorraine Capital, said it is "only logical" that Buffalo and Rochester look for more ways to collaborate on initiatives like a tech hub.

"I think its extraordinarily powerful for us as a region to think about UB, and (Rochester Institute of Technology) and the University of Rochester coming together, their corporate community, our corporate community, their technical assets, our technical assets," he said. "I think its a very, very powerful story."

Maggio noted how startup ecosystems in other parts of the country  such as Silicon Valley, Atlanta, and Boston  thrive when they are built around universities. Buffalo and Rochester have those resources, too, he said.

"Theyre literally an hour apart from each other," Maggio said.

That Thruway collaboration will be key to Buffalo and Rochester getting selected as a tech hub, Maggio said.
Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced last year that someone had filed an unemployment claim using his name and personal information.

If it can happen to me, the chief law enforcement officer in the county, it can happen to anyone, Flynn said in March 2020.

People committing unemployment insurance fraud often target those who are employed, because they are less likely to have an open unemployment claim, according to the Labor Department website. Those who work in health care, education, government and nonprofits have been particularly impacted, and the information likely came from a previous data breach, according to the Labor Department.

Hughes, an acting foreman who has worked for the Hamburg town Highway Department for nearly 27 years, also said the charge was false.

"I was getting full benefits from the town. Why would I need unemployment?" Hughes said.

Hughes has been a firefighter with the Big Tree Fire Company for 39 years, serving several stints as chief.
NEWSALERT-G7-VACCINES UK PM Boris Johnson: G-7 leaders at summit have pledged over 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses for poorer nations. (AP)UK PM Boris Johnson: G-7 leaders at summit have pledged over 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses for poorer nations. (AP)





PMS
The hearing took place in February 2020, shortly before the pandemic slowed society and government. Miller, who attended, chose not to take the stand, the transcript shows. Chesson was the only witness.

She testified that she was certain William Miller, not his brother, sent the text: Earlier on, when he was running late, he told me the reason why he was running late was because he was at the dentist, she said. He had a tooth pulled.  When he came to the house, he even had gauze still in his mouth.

She said she was sure the brother wasnt in the car. It was cold outside, and no one would have waited in the car for the hour or so that Miller needed to work up his quote, she said. Further, she said, they had all left the house together, Miller to head home and Chesson and her daughter to drive to JCPenney. She saw Millers vehicle parked in her driveway.

No one was in that car, Chesson testified.

As for the racist term, Chesson said she was hurt but more so because my daughter was crying.
Optimism that Britain can vaccinate its way out of the pandemic took a dent in recent weeks with growing concern that infections are again rising, fueled by the delta variant. More than 12,400 cases of the delta variant have been confirmed so far in the U.K.

On Friday the country recorded 6,238 new coronavirus cases, the highest number since late March. The figure came down to 5,765 on Saturday.

Authorities said Sunday they will start offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people under 30 from this week in hopes that the vaccine program can help combat the renewed surge in infections.



PARIS  French health authorities are racing to contain scattered cases of the more contagious delta virus variant, as the country prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors and celebrates plunging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that France has multiple clusters of the variant, first identified in India, notably in the southwest Landes region. Speaking on BFM television, Veran said the variant hadnt spread widely into the community and that health investigators are working to trace cases and stop their spread.
Some states, such as Colorado, are waiting until later to decide how to use the latest COVID-19 relief funds because they have until the end of 2024 to spend it.

Even without the latest federal aid, Colorado's budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 is up more than 12% from the previous one, which had been pared back because of pandemic concerns.

Sen. Bob Rankin, a Republican member of the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee, said he is concerned about how that additional $3.8 billion of federal aid will be spent.

Im afraid that we are spending money and making commitments that we will not be able to sustain once that one-time federal money goes away, Rankin said.

In many states, lawmakers are devoting federal COVID-19 relief money to one-time purposes, such as additional aid to workers, expanded access to high-speed internet or replenishing depleted unemployment trust funds.
Two years ago, the New York State Legislature took an enormous step toward a clean energy economy by passing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), a bold climate bill that seeks to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.

While the CLCPA provides the vision for New Yorks renewable future, aspiration is moot without the capital to drive it forward. The Climate and Community Investment Act (CCIA) puts polluters money where New Yorks mouth is.

By charging corporate polluters for their toxic emissions, the CCIA stands to generate approximately $15 billion in new revenue each year. The funds will then be reinvested back into New York, providing direct relief from three intersecting crises: economic downturn, racial injustice and a rapidly changing climate. If passed, the CCIA will be a critical landmark for environmental and racial equity. Its also, quite simply, smart economics.

The CCIA takes the wise approach of investing at both the large-scale and the local level. One-third of all revenue generated will be funneled into a grant program for community-based organizations to undertake clean energy efforts. Local organizations will be empowered to take on projects that best serve the needs of their neighborhoods, like community-owned solar or parks.
New jobs will be spun from our universities like the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology, Schumer said in Canandaigua. We have such a great bunch of universities, (including) schools like Nazareth and St. John Fisher and SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Brockport. ... That gives us a leg up.

That leg will kick higher if Buffalo Niagara and Rochester/Finger Lakes work in unison. They dont need to march in lockstep, but our chance to benefit from legislation championed by the Senates most powerful member will go to waste if leaders in business, government, academics and nonprofits dont coalesce around a team approach.

The Thruway corridor from Buffalo to Rochester has much to offer technology companies, including an eager workforce, hydropower from Niagara Falls and freshwater from two Great Lakes.

North of Pembroke  between the two metropolitan areas  sits the Science Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park, or STAMP, in Genesee County. Schumer was been lobbying for Samsung to build its $17 billion semiconductor plant there, but even if Samsung goes elsewhere, STAMP shows great potential for new manufacturing and other businesses.
She knocked what she views as the current Swiss Cheese tax system that benefits corporations and the wealthy, and said she wants to get rid of the filibuster and pass landmark legislation protecting voting rights and democracy. She also vowed to support a $15 minimum wage.

Battino highlighted her experience as a physician, which she said positions her to fight for access to health care for all people.

If you have to choose between your health and financial ruin, you are not free, Battino said.

Lasry said he would bring a fresh perspective to politics, and pointed to his work with the Bucks as valuable in helping to solve some of the countrys most pressing problems. He highlighted the fact the Bucks provide a $15 minimum wage, his support for racial equality, and offering up the Bucks Arena for early voting, though city officials later declined the offer in October.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  The Philippines made its first shipment of okra, or lady finger, to South Korea on Sunday.

In a statement, Philippine Airlines said it was tapped to carry 1,800 kilograms of okra as cargo shipment from Manila air hub to Incheon in South Korea.

This came nine months after the country started shipping okra to Japan in September.

RELATED: PH starts exporting okra to Japan

After the resumption of okra exports to Japan last year, we are opening yet another market access for our okra, this time with the huge Korean food market," Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a previous statement.

"The Philippine government has been requesting market access of okra to Korea since 2014 and finally, it was granted," Dar said. "This is a milestone for us considering we are still in the midst of the global pandemic.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  An investigation into the possible involvement of a barangay captain and a homeowners association president was initiated by the Quezon City government after neither allegedly failed to prevent or report a gathering that led to the spread of COVID-19 to dozens of people.

A statement from the local government on Sunday said the investigation was ordered by Mayor Joy Belmonte and will include everyone involved in the event, which was reported to be a wedding and a subsequent drinking session.

A show-cause order has been issued to Matandang Balara Barangay Chairman Allan Franza asking him to explain why he should not be held criminally and administratively liable for the event.

"Meanwhile, a complaint for violation of health protocols and permitting a social gathering beyond what is allowable by the IATF was filed against (HOA president Don) Brabante," said the statement.

According to the report from the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit, a total of 255 residents of Area 7 were swabbed and 72 tested positive for the coronavirus.

"Napapansin natin na dumadami ang ganitong klaseng mga insidente. The spread could've been prevented but we see that some people, including persons in authority, have started to become lax in the enforcement and practice of minimum health protocols," said Belmonte.

[Translation: We've noticed incidents like these are on the rise. The spread could've been prevented but we see that some people, including persons in authority, have started to become lax in the enforcement and practice of minimum health protocols.]

Belmonte added the incident should be a "wake-up call for everyone" given the continued risks due to the pandemic.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  Senators fear that more private schools would be forced to close down as the Bureau of Internal Revenue moves to increase their income tax rate by 150%.

Both Senator Nancy Binay and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto urged the BIR to drop the new tax rule imposed on private schools, stressing this was contrary to the aim of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, which seeks to cushion the impact of the coronavirus.

The lawmakers shared the same sentiment that schools have been greatly hit by COVID-19 as the Philippines continues its battle against the pandemic, forcing students and teachers to embrace distance learning.

"Marami na nga sa ating mga private school ang nagsara na dahil sa pandemya. Kung ipapatupad ang revenue regulation na ito, siguradong mas marami pa sa kanila ang tuluyan nang magsasara," Binay was quoted as saying in a statement Sunday.

[Translation: Many of our private schools have been shut down due to the pandemic. If this revenue regulation will be implemented, surely more of them will close down.]

"CREATE is meant to bail out distressed private schools. The BIR order further drowns them in a sea of red ink," Recto said late last week.

The BIR seeks to impose a 25% corporate income tax on private schools, up from 10%.

The order, Recto said, is "erroneous" and "absurd."

"How can the BIR invoke it to inflict a 150 percent increase on the income tax of private schools, which is directly opposite to what the law clearly intends?" Recto said.

According to Recto, senators "agreed unanimously" to further cut the tax rate to just 1% "to help them evade bankruptcy during the pandemic."

Senator Sonny Angara, meanwhile, filed Senate Bill No. 2272 as he sought to amend a section in National Internal Revenue Code to clarify the BIR regulation for private educational institutions.

Angara said the wording in the Tax Code may have caused confusion and wrong interpretation of the BIR.

"The bill corrects the ambiguity caused by a missing comma. It is an editorial correction to probably satisfy some grammar police. But in applying taxes, let the intent be the primordial consideration. One missing comma should not cause misery to many," Recto said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  An alleged bomb maker for the Abu Sayaff Group was killed in a police operation in Basilan on Saturday.

According to the Philippine National Police, Aroy Ittot a.k.a. Oroy worked with the late Abu Sayyaf Group Sub Leader Furuji Indama, and was a top priority target of the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

Police report said Ittot was served a warrant of arrest for murder on June 5 at around 2:30 a.m. The warrant was issued by Judge Leo Jay Principe of the 9th Judicial Region, Branch 1, Isabela City, Basilan.

According to PNP Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, During the service of Warrant of Arrest, the suspect fired upon the arresting team using his M16 rifle which prompted the operating troops to return fire that eventually led in the neutralization of Oroy."

Police recovered firearms, suspected improvised explosive device components, magazines and cellphones.

The PNP said Ittot was involved in a bombing incident, as well as had links to local Abu Sayyaf Group bombers.

They also said the scene was processed by authorities and Ittot's body was turned over to the barangay chairman and his immediate family for traditional Muslim burial rites.
(CNN) -- It was a beautiful March afternoon, and as June Tatelman walked her dog in her Boston neighborhood, she was flying high.

Tatelman had recently received her second dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine, and the end of the pandemic was finally in sight. Maybe soon she could play with her grandchildren and return to her volunteer work helping children in foster care. Maybe in a few months, when her husband turned 75, they could go out to a restaurant to celebrate.

As she walked, she ran into her family physician -- who killed her buzz very quickly.

To treat inflamed blood vessels in her lungs, Tatelman, 73, takes a drug that suppresses her immune system. Her doctor had been reading recent medical studies suggesting the vaccine might not work well for some people taking medications like hers.

He asked her to get a blood test to see if the vaccine had worked -- if she had antibodies against the virus.

She did the test and had no detectable antibodies against Covid-19.

"It was a total shock," she said.

Tatelman was now full of questions for her doctor. Did her low antibody levels mean the vaccine didn't work? Should she get a third dose of the vaccine? Should she cut back on the drugs that suppress her immune system to give the vaccine a better chance of working? Was there anything else she could try to make a Covid-19 vaccine work for her?

There's very little data to help Tatelman and her physician answer these questions. Millions of other Americans are also taking immunosuppressive drugs that might weaken the effect of the Covid-19 vaccine, and they find themselves in uncharted territory, scared -- with good reason -- that their vaccinations might not have worked.

If their vaccinations did not work, they rely on the rest of the population to get vaccinated.

This should inspire people who have not been vaccinated to roll up their sleeves, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins told CNN Thursday.

"Even if you think you don't need to, think about this as a donation of your own goodwill to those who are more vulnerable," Collins said. "That's the best hope they have."

Vaccines never tested in people with immune deficiencies

While there's no clear number of how many Americans are taking medications that might prove to be a challenge for the Covid-19 vaccine, a new study can help give an estimate. In a paper published last month, Dr. Beth Wallace, a rheumatologist and her team at the University of Michigan, looked at a database of more than 3 million Americans to see how many took immunosuppressants.

Based on that data, Wallace estimates that about 6 million Americans are taking immunosuppressants that could interfere with the vaccine.

She said that's conservative, since her database did not include people who are on Medicare and might be more likely to take such drugs. Her estimate also didn't include people taking oral corticosteroids, which might, at large doses and over long periods of time, be a problem for the vaccine.

When pharmaceutical companies tested the Covid-19 vaccines in clinical trials last year, they specifically excluded people who were taking immunosuppressive drugs.

That left those patients "stuck in a pickle," not knowing if the vaccines would work for them, said Dr. Kathryn Stephenson, an infectious disease specialist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

After the vaccine rolled out to the public, researchers started to check how well it worked -- or didn't work -- on immunocompromised people.

Some of the news has been good.

One small study at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City showed that patients taking certain medications to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease had "robust" antibody responses to the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. The study has been published on a preprint server.

A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine showed organ transplant patients did not fare nearly as well. In the study of more than 650 organ recipients -- who take drugs to suppress their immune system so they won't reject their new organs -- 46% had no antibody response after two doses of Pfizer or Moderna.

In another study, Washington University School of Medicine looked at patients with conditions such as lupus, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease and found that two types of drugs they were taking -- glucocorticoids and B cell depleting agents -- "substantially" impaired the ability of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to provoke an immune response.

"No one really anticipated the vaccine responses would look so bad," said Stephenson, director of the clinical trials unit at the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said of the studies as a group.

She said every day, immune compromised patients flood her office with calls and emails asking what they should do.

"It's become such a frequent question, such a point of anxiety for patients, that last week we had three different meetings and conferences and seminars all taking about this and trying to figure out strategies about what to tell them," Stephenson said.

For now, she and her colleagues tell patients it's not worth checking their antibodies after vaccination, because at this point it's difficult to know exactly what antibody level would confer protection against Covid-19.

The US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also advise against checking antibodies. Various medical societies, such as the American College of Rheumatology, the American Society of Transplantation, and the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, essentially say the antibody tests won't fully answer patients' questions about whether their vaccinations worked.

"For those patients who do not have antibodies or do not produce as robust an antibody response, we don't yet know if you will be protected," according to a statement by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. "There are other types of immunity which may provide protection. Immune cells known as T cells may play a role in the ability of our immune system to protect us against COVID-19."

The CDC goes on to advise against giving extra doses of the vaccine to people who are immunocompromised.

But some patients aren't listening.

Patients getting extra doses on their own

Dr. Robert Montgomery is one of them.

Montgomery is director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, where he himself received a heart transplant in 2018.

After a test showed he'd had "virtually no response" to two doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine, Montgomery said he felt "profound disappointment" and got a dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine.

He said getting a third dose is "uncharted territory," but he did it because he's exposed to patients with Covid-19, and he has seen how immunocompromised transplant patients like himself often get very sick when they contract the virus.

He says it worked: After receiving the third vaccine dose, his antibodies went up.

Things did not turn out so well for Tatelman, the grandmother in Boston.

Like Montgomery, she received a dose of J&J's vaccine to supplement her two Pfizer doses.

A few days ago, she learned that even with that third dose, she still has no detectable antibodies to Covid-19.

"My doctor sent me a note saying, 'I'm sure you're disappointed,' and I said ''disappointed' doesn't even come close to how I feel,' " Tatelman said. "It was incredibly depressing."

Looking to the future

The National Institutes of Health is setting out to determine what approaches might work best if the vaccine is failing people who are immune compromised.

"[We're] going to have to figure out what do we need to do if we want to adequately protect these people," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN.

This summer, researchers hope to start recruiting about 200 vaccinated kidney transplant patients to take part in a study, according to Dr. Daniel Rotrosen, director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation at NIAID.

If tests show the Covid-19 vaccine didn't work well, that study participant will be offered an extra dose of vaccine to see if it helps, Rotrosen added.

Some doctors are skeptical that it will. They place more hope in giving immunosuppressed patients regular doses of an antibody drug currently being used to treat Covid-19.

Regeneron, a biotechnology company that makes a Covid-19 monoclonal antibody drug, is considering research proposals to test out its medication prophylactically on immunosuppressed patients, according to a company spokeswoman.

"We strongly agree that this group of patients could benefit from REGEN-COV," Alexandra Bowie wrote in an email to CNN, referring to the company's drug.

While these studies start to get underway, Tatelman feels as if she'd never been vaccinated, and has to rely on other people whose vaccines did work.

She knows she shouldn't hug her younger grandchildren who are unvaccinated. She hasn't gone back to her volunteer work with foster children. Wednesday was her husband's 75th birthday, and they did not go out to a restaurant to celebrate.

"Even close friends of mine don't understand why I won't go to a restaurant with them. They say, 'of course you can go to a restaurant,' and I say 'absolutely, no I can't," she said. "Where am I safe? Where am I not safe? There are so many things that I just don't know."

Correction: This story has been updated with revised numbers from Dr. Beth Wallace.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Caught in a 'pickle,' millions of Americans might not have had an adequate response to the Covid-19 vaccine".
(CNN) -- Microsoft blocked images and videos around the world of "Tank Man," the unidentified protester during China's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.

The photos were taken down globally from Bing, Microsoft's search engine, Friday  the 32nd anniversary of the event. A Microsoft spokesman said they were taken offline by mistake, attributing the removal to "human error." The images reappeared around the world  outside of China  on Saturday.

Bing, unlike its major competitors including Google, operates within mainland China. That means Microsoft is forced to censor search results for Chinese users, according to Chinese law  particularly images and information about the Tiananmen Square protests and the killings that ensued. China's internet censorship typically ramps up in the weeks leading to the event's anniversary.

Hundreds of people were killed on June 4, 1989, in Tiananmen Square. The massacre made headlines around the world  as did iconic images such as "Tank Man" defying the troops on the square.

Although China's censorship typically pertains only within its borders, Microsoft's accidental global takedown isn't the first time Tiananmen Square information has been blocked outside of mainland China by a foreign company.

The FBI in December accused a former Zoom employee of participating in a scheme to censor meetings on behalf of the Chinese government. Xinjiang "Julien" Jin and co-conspirators allegedly terminated at least four video meetings commemorating the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre last June. Most of the meetings were organized and attended by US participants, some of whom were dissidents who had participated in and survived the 1989 protests, the FBI said.

Tensions between the United States and China have escalated in recent weeks over China's alleged surveillance of American companies that operate within its borders. President Joe Biden last week expanded a Trump-era ban on American investment in dozens of Chinese firms that Washington believes are linked to China's military.

Biden signed an executive order Thursday that prohibits Americans from owning or trading any securities tied to 59 companies, citing the threat of Chinese surveillance technology. The original order, signed by former President Donald Trump in November, applied to 31 Chinese companies that the administration said "enable the development and modernization" of China's military and "directly threaten" US security. Biden's new order goes into effect August 2.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Microsoft removed 'Tank Man' images on Tiananmen Square's anniversary"
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration temporarily suspended the deployment of nurses and other healthcare workers overseas after reaching the 5,000 cap.

In an advisory dated June 1, POEA chief Bernard Olalia said the annual deployment ceiling of 5,000 new hires for medical workers "has been reached as of date."

"The processing and issuance of overseas employment certificates and deployment of new hires for healthcare workers are hereby suspended effective immediately," Olalia said.

"Healthcare workers who were already issued with their corresponding overseas employment certificates, however, are allowed to depart for their overseas employment," the POEA official added.

Late last year, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases said the move was needed given the "national demand" for healthcare workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

There were calls, however, to not limit medical workers' deployment abroad to just 5,000.

READ: Lawmaker urges IATF to remove cap on health workers deployment

Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, for instance, said in January that there was "no point in restraining" them when the Philippines only offers low wages.

Defensor also flagged about possible exploitation from securing overseas employment certificates to point of departure in immigration counters if the IATF would not scrap this order.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6) -- Another one million vaccine doses from the Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech arrived in the Philippines on Sunday morning.

The plane carrying the shipment landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at 7:36 a.m., with National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III welcoming the arrival.

The new batch is in addition to the 6.5 million Coronavac doses which were earlier delivered to the country. It is seen to help fast-track the national immunization drive, as the government targets to start the inoculation of the priority group A4 or frontline personnel in essential workers this month.

Sinovac recently secured emergency use authorization of its vaccine from the World Health Organization, making it the second Chinese manufacturer to be given the green light by WHO after Sinopharm was approved in early May. This development is seen by Malacanang to help increase Filipinos confidence in China-made vaccines.

Government data as of June 2 show over 5.3 million doses have been administered nationwide to around 4.08 million people, including nearly 1.3 million who have already received their second shot.

The country is also set to receive this month 2.2 million more doses from the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 6)  Police seized over 2 million worth of shabu and arrested three suspects in Bukidnon on Saturday during anti-illegal drug operations in the province.

A report from the Philippine National Police said Jabir Dacula Mandok alias Bam, Jucair Mandok alias Joker, and Sittie Mandok were arrested in Poblacion West, Kalilangan, Bukidnon at around 12:55 p.m.

"PNP-PDEA operatives confiscated more or less 300 grams of white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu with an estimated standard drug price of 2,040,000.00," said the report.

Authorities said the suspects and the alleged illegal substance are now both under their custody for proper documentation and disposition.
(CNN) -- The Nigerian government has ordered federal prosecutors to arrest and prosecute users of the Twitter app, after a ban on the social media company took effect on Friday.

Nigeria's Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, issued the directive Saturday in a statement signed on his behalf by his spokesman, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.

"Malami directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) at the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to swing into action and commence in earnest the process of prosecution of violators of the Federal Government De-activation of operations of Twitter in Nigeria," it read.

The Attorney General directed the country's communications regulator, NCC, and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to collaborate with prosecutors "to ensure the speedy prosecution of offenders without any further delay."

Nigeria's Ministry of Information and Culture announced the "indefinite suspension" of Twitter's operations in Nigeria in a statement on Friday, just about two days after the company deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that was widely perceived as offensive.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed had criticized Twitter's action and accused the social media giant of "double standards." Mohammed also questioned Twitter's motives in Nigeria, saying, "the mission of Twitter in Nigeria is very very suspect..." at a news conference on Wednesday after Buhari's tweet was deleted.

Nigeria's ban on Twitter was swiftly implemented as Twitter's site was inaccessible for many Nigerians from the early hours of Saturday.

However, some Nigerians were able to circumvent the ban, through the use of a virtual private network (VPN) which allows users to access public networks with encrypted internet connections.

Gwandu, the Attorney General's spokesman, told CNN on Saturday that anyone still tweeting will be brought before the law.

"Any violator, whether individuals or organizations, will be prosecuted," said Gwandu. "It is the duty of prosecutors to find out modalities of getting out those who violate," he added.

Gwandu remarked that Nigeria's laws does not guarantee absolute freedom while responding to whether it is lawful to prosecute law-abiding citizens who are entitled to freedom of thought, expression, and privacy.

"How do you call them law-abiding when they violate laws... when they want to create havoc, create issues of sedition, felony and are inciting hatred among Nigerians?" he asked.

"Every freedom has certain responsibilities  corresponding responsibility to the freedoms. No freedom is absolute. Those who are apprehended will get to know what sort of prosecution awaits them," Gwandu told CNN.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Nigerians can now be prosecuted for sending tweets following ban on Twitter"
Survivors reported that the lifeboats aboard the Rohna were old, were almost glued to the ships with paint and some of their chains were rusted in place.

As men tried to escape the crippled ship, some of the lifeboats that were able to be freed tumbled over, killing many in the boats and those who may have jumped into the water below them.

A nearby ship, the USS Pioneer picked up many of the survivors, some of whom had been in the cold, November waters for hours.

Surviving the war

When Dobbs got to India, he quickly got to work in the headquarters office for his battalion.

When I was in high school I could type 100 words a minute. I was the best typist in the high school, he said.

He also scored very highly in an aptitude test even though he hadnt studied academic courses in school, so the Army asked him what he would like to do. He said work in personnel. He was assigned to a commanding officer, who was an older attorney in civilian life. Promotions soon followed.

When his boss tour of duty was up, Dobbs took charge of the department, being promoted to staff sergeant. I came in sitting on a box. I went out running personnel, Dobbs said with a smile. His pay was $96 a month.
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Kovach is among the veterans profiled in Ross book. They are men and women who have seen the worst of the worst and, in many cases, came close to suicide before discovering natures restorative power  manifested in the flute-like call of a wood thrush, the rattle of a woodpecker, the glimpse of a sun-mottled deer among the trees.

Ross worked with veterans affairs early on and word spread about the program, so she has no shortage of veterans visiting River House and hitting the woods. The water, too  they do a lot of tubing and paddling. Paralyzed veterans can ride adaptive mountain bikes on the trails.

At the end of these days, they gather back at Ross and Gladfelters house and, like that first night, have dinner and gather around a fire.

At least a few of them would start to cry and say, It was the best day of my life, Ross said. They say, I need to do this with my family and kids.

Most gratifying are the messages from veterans who tell her a day in nature was crucial to saving their lives.

Kovach, who grew up in the shadow of the Limerick nuclear power plants cooling towers and now lives in upstate New York with his wife and two sons, was circumspect about what led him into explosives disposal.
As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in Italy, thousands of people are heading to see the extensive gardens and apartments at the Papal Palace 
Mother Teresa's words above were about way more than abortion -- though abortion was certainly part of it. A recent court ruling seems to make it next to impossible to talk to a young girl or woman walking into an abortion clinic. Why not allow for real choice? There's nothing like informed consent happening in many places today when a scared teenager walks in for an abortion. And what about all the 400,000+ children in foster care? Isn't it possible that all the violence we see today has to do with our callousness and ignorance and indifference on these fronts? Instead of attacking Mother Teresa -- or dismissing her -- we'd be better off if we learned from her.
Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTURE
ROANOKE  A Blacksburg restaurant where police are looking into complaints that customers were drugged announced Friday that it is cooperating with investigators  and hoped they would not find anything.

We have a zero-tolerance policy for any behavior that violates or threatens the safety of our patrons or employees, said the statement from Centro Taco Bar. It is extremely concerning that anyone has felt that their safety or health was compromised in our establishment, and we take these allegations very seriously.

We are hopeful that the investigation proceeds lawfully and results in no evidence to support these claims, the statement continued.

Centro Taco Bar issued its statement Friday evening, a day after the Blacksburg Police Department sent out a news release saying that in recent months it had received multiple complaints and social media reports that patrons at the restaurant were given drinks spiked with something that caused cognitive impairment.
Instead of looking at community violence as an issue of crime, Gilmore said the B.U.C.K. Squad treats the violence as an issue of public health. Framed that way, their efforts require different, more difficult work that takes time.

Most of the people the B.U.C.K. Squad works with are men under the age of 25 who have been identified as high-risk participants, Gilmore said. These young men are often dealing with childhood trauma and they are guided through a healing process that directs them toward health services the squad has partnered with, such as the Region Ten Community Services Board.

This method has seen results, Gilmore said, as shots-fired incidents in the South First Street area have dropped in recent months. The key has been building trust and using relationships within the community to gain respect, he said.

As I always say, you eat an elephant one bite at a time; we cant tell these guys, Look, stop selling drugs, you cant take care of your family, he said. But one thing we can ask them to do is, why theyre out here doing what they do, dont carry guns and shut down the block for two hours of the day, so the kids can play and dont need to worry about nobody coming out here buying drugs.
I think we need to take a hard look at how were going to do it, because youre talking about  transitioning those fifth-graders that are now at Walker [Upper Elementary] back to their elementary schools  thats going to be a heavy transition, he said.

Brown said he would like to see more transparency with the police department, particularly its budget, going forward.

When you ask for transparency, that can sound like someones doing something wrong. Thats not what I mean  We need to be transparent so that we can be upfront with each other, he said.

Brown said that because he has worked with the police department through some of his nonprofit work in the past, he has a different perspective on policing.

I want our police department to be open to the changes that need to be made, but also feel supported in what they do, and kind of be a model going forward for other police departments, he said.

Brown wants more mental health and de-escalation training to be required for officers. He also wants to see the department engage more with the community.

Im not against the police, I just want to be able to say, listen, we got to do it in a different kind of way, he said.
SCOTTSVILLE  One of the last poled ferries in the country soon will be under renewed management, as Buckingham County, Historic Buckingham Inc., the town of Scottsville and the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society work to reconstitute an organization to take control.

The Hatton Ferry on the James River near Scottsville began operation in 1870, and the ferry assets recently were gifted from Hatton Ferry Inc. to Buckingham.

My hope is that we can put together a grassroots community effort to support this, and thats what its going to need, said Tom Chapman, executive director of the ACHS. Its one thing for the historical society to say, this is the only poled ferry in the United States, this is cool  But in terms of whats cool versus [if] we can find funding and support to actually continue operations, thats a whole other thing that requires the community to get involved.

On Saturday, a crane on the Buckingham side of the river lifted the ferry back into the water from the bank it has rested on since it was beached late last year during high water. Uprooted trees became entangled under the barge, breaking the chain holding it to the Albemarle County side of the river, and the ferry floated to the Buckingham side, where it later became stuck.
LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP)  Jerry Falwell Jr. is asking a court in Virginia to dismiss a lawsuit Liberty University filed over his headline-grabbing departure last year as leader of the evangelical school his father founded.

Falwell claims in a court filing that much of Liberty's suit serves only to keep shaming him after a provocative photo of him came to light and revelations surfaced of his wifes extramarital affair, The News & Advance in Lynchburg reported Thursday.

Falwell claims the suit focuses on his wifes personal life while not addressing his actions as the leader of Liberty.

The rehashing of these events and protected defamation of Falwell through litigation serves one mission  ruining Falwells reputation through mischaracterization of events and public shaming through out-of-context pictures filed in a public complaint, according to Tuesdays filing in Lynchburg Circuit Court.
Arthur Lawrence Miller, 80, of Lexington Park, MD passed away peacefully on June 3, 2021 at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD with his adoring family by his side. He was born on February 6, 1941 in Albany, New York to the late Arthur Lawrence Miller and Blanche Irene (Wintemberg) Miller.



A hard-working, driven, and dependable man, Larry excelled throughout his life at every endeavor he took on. He graduated from Oklahoma State with a fire protection engineering degree in 1965 and made his family proud with his intelligence and strong work ethic. He started his career in risk management at Glens Falls Insurance Company in upstate New York. Larry never sat around. Larry began ALM American Construction, Inc. in 1995 after "retiring" from a 30 year career with St. Paul Travelers Insurance Company in New York City and St. Paul, Minnesota. As a real estate developer, Larry built over 150 custom built homes across Southern Maryland giving so many families and businesses their forever homes. He worked until his last day on his biggest project, a 21 lot subdivision, Sunset Ridge in Hollywood, MD. At 80, Larry still came home every night, and said he loved his job and working with his clients.



Larry loved riding his tractor, landscaping, investing in the stock market, watching the New York Giants and his Oklahoma State Cowboys, boating, and Habitat for Humanity. He was a history buff, and became an avid non-fiction reader in his later days.



Larry met the love of his life, Susan, and chased her down until she agreed to be his loving wife. They married on September 9, 1989 and have celebrated their love for over thirty-one (31) years. He was a devoted family man who loved his wife, children, and grandchildren above all. Spending time surrounded by his grandchildren always brought a twinkle to his eye and happiness to his soul. He was looking forward to welcoming baby Blaise to the family. Although, he may not be here physically, he will watch from above, guiding, loving, and brightening the days for all of those he loved. He left this world better than he found it.



In addition to his loving wife, Susan Miller of Lexington Park, MD he is survived by his children, David (Lisa), Morgan (Kevin) and Matthew; seven (7) grandchildren, Lauren, Michael, Aubrey, Sydney, Beck, Brooke and Blaise. He is also survived by his siblings, Patricia Walther (Tom) and Sheila Miller and many nieces, nephews and extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his son, Darren.



The family will receive friends for Larry's Life Celebration on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service officiated by Father David Beaubien at 7:00 p.m. at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622. A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Bryantown Catholic Church, 13715 Notre Dame Place, Bryantown, MD 20617. Interment will follow immediately in the church cemetery. Repass lunch to follow interment, and all are encouraged to attend. Directions to repass to be provided at funeral mass.



The Miller family thanks you all for being a special part of his life. He loved you deeply and cherished his time with you all.



In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations be made at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/pccm, on the pulldown menu select "Other" and write "Dr. Maureen Horton/Cure PF Fund" and when adding address/payment information there is a section for Memorial Gifts where Arthur Larry Miller would be noted. To make a gift via check: write to "JHU" with Arthur Larry Miller and Dr. Maureen Horton/Cure for PF Fund noted. Checks should be sent to: Anne Kennan Taylor, Johns Hopkins at Keswick, Office of Advancement Services, Attn: RevMgmt - Department of Medicine, 3910 Keswick Road, Suite N2100, Baltimore, MD 21211.



Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A.
Avula estimated at least 5 million residents would need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity  the point in which enough people are immune to the virus that risk of transmission is nearly nonexistent.

Virginia isnt there yet. As of Friday, 4.7 million people  or 55% of the total population  had received at least one dose and 3.8 million people, or 45% of the state, were fully vaccinated.

At the end of April, Avula said that hitting the last 10% to 15% likely would take until July or August.

While an analysis from The New York Times predicts Virginia could have 70% of its adult population inoculated with at least one shot within two weeks, some residents remain more at risk of contracting the virus than others even as cases statewide fall to the lowest rates since April 2020.
The conversation started on a long Uber ride. The driver, originally from Colombia, said he knows a lot of Colombians living in the U.S. without papers. He argued that they are good people paying taxes and should be left alone. I responded that I believe they are good people paying taxes but our immigration laws should be respected.

He then said, to my surprise, I kind of like Donald Trump. Why, I asked. He went on heatedly about the riots that followed the killing of George Floyd. He thought Trump was more serious about restoring order.

The public really dislikes civic chaos. Democrats, you need to address this more forthrightly.

It matters not that only 6% of the racial justice rallies from May through October of last year saw violence. Nor is my intention to downplay troubling cases of police brutality. And lets not forget that the most outrageous incident of savage lawlessness, the Jan. 6 rampage on the Capitol, was staged by the Republican right wing.

Its just that the right talks a big game on maintaining law and order while some on the left leave the impression that Democrats dont care so much. The liberal media tend to give these radical voices outsized attention, which the right-wing media happily scoop up.
Another project in 2011 altered a bird flu virus so it could spread between mammals. This was a particularly scary creation, because bird flu can occasionally jump from birds to humans, killing about 60% of those infected. A version of this that could travel from human to human would be devastating. Debate continued for years over whether the benefits of this kind of research could possibly justify the grave risk, though the research was scheduled to resume in 2019.

Theres also U.S. funding for virus surveillance, which carries its own risks. Researchers go out and collect viruses, grow them in their labs, and use them in experiments. Ebright considers this analogous to the space virus collection in The Andromeda Strain, except that now we know that plenty of exotic viruses exist right here on Earth.

More recently, scientists have been creating genetically altered coronaviruses. That research has been done as a collaboration between U.S. labs and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. In one controversial project, researchers took bat coronaviruses and introduced changes to see if they could induce greater pandemic potential. That research was published in 2015 in Nature Medicine.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The Biden administration has quietly tasked six humanitarian groups with recommending which migrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S. instead of being rapidly expelled from the country under federal pandemic-related powers that block people from seeking asylum.

The groups will determine who is most vulnerable in Mexico, and their criteria has not been made public. It comes as large numbers of people are crossing the southern border and as the government faces intensifying pressure to lift the public health powers instituted by former President Donald Trump and kept in place by President Joe Biden during the coronavirus pandemic.

Several members of the consortium spoke to The Associated Press about the criteria and provided details of the system that have not been previously reported. The government is aiming to admit to the country up to 250 asylum-seekers a day who are referred by the groups and is agreeing to that system only until July 31. By then, the consortium hopes the Biden administration will have lifted the public health rules, though the government has not committed to that.

So far, a total of nearly 800 asylum-seekers have been let in since May 3, and members of the consortium say there is already more demand than they can meet.
Our week was highlighted with a fright when another motorist slammed KM as she was driving to the mall. She called me just after it had happened to tell me she had just been in a wreck and that she was OK, but that her Honda hadnt been so lucky.

KM said that she had a green light and was in the intersection when she was hit on the back left side of the car. Strangely enough, the guy that ran into her claimed he also had a green light. What this can only mean is that the citys traffic light system that we put so much faith and trust in is starting to malfunction. That being the case, it only seems fair that the city pay for the damages. Ill keep you posted on how we do with that argument.

I arrived at the scene and a friend of hers was already there, so while I waited the hour and a half for the AAA tow truck to show up, the friend took KM to Doctors Hospital, so she could have her bumps and bruises checked out by experts.
Brian Rosegger, co-founder of Lost Coast Oyster Co. in Tampa Bay, has worried about a toxic algal bloom cropping up and cutting into his business ever since the contaminated Piney Point discharge.

The released wastewater contained elevated levels of nitrogen, which can encourage blooms to grow. The discharge alone would not cause red tide, which is naturally occurring, to show up in Tampa Bay, scientists have said. But nutrients from the polluted water could serve as fuel for the organisms in red tide, according to researchers.

Its unclear to what extent, if any, the Piney Point discharges might be responsible for the toxic blooms.

All of us were expecting algae blooms to occur, said Peter Clark, President of Tampa Bay Watch, told WTSP. You simply cannot  with that number of nutrients  not have the bay respond to those kinds of nutrients that were discharged. So now is the bay is heating up and were starting to see the results of all those nutrients in the form of algae blooms.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.).
An assistant district attorney for Houston and Henry counties is running for circuit judge.

Seth Brooks said he believes his experience in the courtroom has prepared for him for judgeship.

In his six-and-a-half years as a prosecutor, Brooks said he has tried over 60 jury trials, prepared more than 4,500 cases on trial dockets and has been involved in close to 10,000 cases at various points.

I will judicate for all races, socioeconomic backgrounds, for everyone in a fair, honest, and just way, he said during his campaign announcement on Thursday. I will serve with integrity.

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His most notably prosecution was that of Ryan Clark Petersen, who killed three people at a Wicksburg nightclub. He was convicted of three counts of capital murder and Brooks successfully asked for the death penalty for Petersen following the lengthiest criminal trial in Houston County history.

Being a judge requires a person to be a student of the law, something I have always been, Brooks said. I can say that I do not know it all, but I can make you this promise: I will always continue to learn and grow. I also know that I am not afraid to make the tough decision and my history serving the people of Henry and Houston counties shows that.
Former Alabama Gov. John Patterson, who entered politics as a reformer after his fathers assassination but was criticized for failing to protect the Freedom Riders from angry white mobs, has died. He was 99.

He died Friday, his daughter, Barbara Patterson Scholl, confirmed. She said funeral arrangements are pending. He died very peacefully at home. His family and friends were with him, she said.

Pattersons involvement with state government spanned a half century, beginning with his election as attorney general at 33 after violence in Phenix City, and later as a judge.

A segregationist as governor, he drew criticism when Freedom Riders were attacked while in Alabama and Patterson did nothing to protect them. He later voiced regret for what happened. He ended his political career more serenely on the Court of Criminal Appeals, where he continued to write opinions into his 80s.

Patterson also was involved in the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, helping the CIA get Alabama Air National Guard members to train Cuban exiles. Some Alabama pilots died when the 1961 invasion of Cuba failed.
Astronaut Shane Kimbrough sets up a microscope in the U.S. Destiny laboratory module. (May 31, 2021)

SpaceCast Weekly is a NASA Television broadcast from the Johnson Space Center in Houston featuring stories about NASA's work in human spaceflight.

They include the International Space Station and its crews and scientific research activities, and the development of Orion and the Space Launch System, the next generation American spacecraft being built to take humans farther into space than they've ever gone before.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
Jefferson Davis was the last American president of the voluntary union of free, sovereign and independent States guaranteed by the Founding Fathers in bold print three times in the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776; the Articles of Confederation in 1778 (Article II); the Peace Treaty with Britain in 1783 (Article I); and the U.S. Constitution in 1789 (Amendment 10).

Abraham Lincoln became the first American President of a compulsory union of high taxed colonies, as had been under Britain.

Lincoln alone committed treason under Article III, Section III of the U.S. Constitution, when he levied war against the states by invading Florida and South Carolina on April 8, 1861, with 11 warships to collect a 200% tax on imported steel products to subsidize Northern industry.

Inside Alabama's Capitol, President Davis responded on April 29, 1861:

"So utterly have the principles of the Constitution been corrupted that President Lincoln did not hesitate to liken the relations between a State and the United States to those which exist between a county and the State in which it is situated and by which it was created.

"This is the fundamental error that has culminated in President Lincolns Declaration of War against these Confederate States.
In tough times, it is nice to know someone is there to help. The someone's I'm referring to in this case are the senior center directors and staff of the 36 senior centers in southeast Alabama. Over this past year, their help was invaluable to our elderly community day after day, whether in the form of a hot meal, a reassuring telephone call, or even an occasional parking lot bingo. When the pandemic hit and centers had to close, the senior centers transitioned to serving in a socially distanced way, by drive-thru or home-delivery. Staff made sure their elderly participants who were at risk of isolation stayed connected and those who might go hungry, received a meal.

Not all senior centers in the state or nation continued to operate during COVID-19. We are fortunate to be able to say that our area centers did, and they served a record number of meals while doing so. For this, SARCOA would like to recognize and thank this special group of people who sacrificed during this emergency period to serve others.

Soon, all of these senior centers will be resuming normal, pre-pandemic activities. We encourage you to stop by one of them and thank these selfless individuals for their devotion to serving the elderly of our community. While you are there, check out the activities and find out how you can help to make our senior centers stronger. One day, you may be glad you did.
During any severe weather event, such as the February 2021 deep freeze in Texas, the power may go out, so everyone should have flashlights and batteries on hand. Portable generators can be useful during extended outages, but always operate them outdoors to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Apathy and complacency can also be dangerous when it comes to weather-driven disasters. In my view, weather readiness has to become a way of life  something that all Americans see as their responsibility. The best forecasts in the world may be useless if the public doesnt respond or hasnt taken the needed actions to protect themselves when extreme weather threatens.

Most importantly, remember to help your neighbors when needed, especially if they are elderly and cant help themselves. In addition, consider supporting local nonprofits or churches that help residents in your community who have financial or transportation needs to be ready and safe. We are all in this together.

___
Four months of a cryptocurrency rollercoaster ride has left Vietnamese stressed out, with many withdrawing from the market, accepting losses.

"I have sold all Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin at a loss," said investor Hoang Vu after the market plunged May 19.

Vu, however, continued to be active on social media to discuss the potentials of other cryptocurrencies, seeking an opportunity to make up for the loss.

He is one of many investors in Vietnam who have experienced the "Bitcoin rollercoaster ride" of the last four months, with the prices of cryptocurrencies shooting up to new peaks and plunging steeply.

The cryptocurrency market started to show promise in February when Bitcoin rose 72 percent in three weeks to scale a peak at $57,000, attracting new investors hoping to make a quick buck.

Members of Vietnamese cryptocurrency investment groups on social media started sharing screenshots of 1,000-percent profits on different coins, while mining rigs resumed running at full capacity after being unused for months.

A shortage of graphic cards to serve mining began and lasted for months as miners upgraded their systems.

Duc Tien, manager of a computer and electronics store in Hanoi, said many shops at the time grouped graphic cards and computers together to make sure their inventory to prevent cryptocurrency miners from stocking the cards up.

"Usually the miners buy in large quantities, leaving none for individual buyers," he said.

Bitcoin value fell in the last week of February but started climbing back up in March and continued to rise before hitting a new record of $63,300 in mid-April, tripling the previous peak in 2017.

However, several factors including China further cracking down on digital currencies and Binance Holdings, the largest cryptocurrency exchange, being investigated by U.S. authorities for money laundering and tax offenses, caused the worlds most popular cryptocurrency tumbling.

In the last three weeks of May, Bitcoin has lost 40 percent, returning to the same level recorded in February.

On May 30, the Crypto Fear and Greed Index, which measures investors sentiment in coins, hit a record low of 10 points, compared to 95 points in mid-February, showing a major lack of trust in cryptocurrencies.

Viet Hung, a resident of Dong Nai, only started mining in April and was expecting to recoup his investment by the end of the year.

"Now that the market has plunged, I dont know whether to continue mining or sell the equipment and cut my losses," he said.

Other investors have reported losses of half or two-thirds of their investment.

Dinh The Hien, head of the Institute of Information and Business Research (IIB), said that cryptocurrency is basically a platform for gambling even though it is called new technology.

These currencies do not have intrinsic value and are mostly not accepted as a payment, their prices surge only because many investors in China and the U.S. pour money into them, he added.

However, despite the losses, many investors say they still have faith in the coin and will hold them until prices began to surge again.

Nguyen Son, a programmer in Hanoi, said he would hold on to Ethereum until the end of the year with hopes that its price would triple, and continue to keep a trash coin (a cryptocurrency with low chance of rising in the long run), expecting a five-time short-term spike.

Minh Ky, an experienced Bitcoin investor, said: "Recent months have been an emotional rollercoaster for investors. It is now time to decide  are you going to continue or stop playing this game of risk."
Medical staff take samples of passengers for Covid-19 testing at Tan Son Nhat Airport, HCMC, May 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa.

With new infections rising in the southern metropolis, the Transport Ministry has suspended flights connecting HCMC with Quang Ninh and Gia Lai provinces.

The move was based on proposals from the northern province of Quang Ninh and the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai as a measure to reduce risk of the disease spreading until the situation in HCMC was brought under control.

Quang Ninh is home to the UNESCO heritage site Ha Long Bay while Gia Lai is a lesser-known tourist destination famous for tea estates and rubber plantations.

On Thursday, the ministry had suspended flights between Hai Phong City and HCMC for the same reason.

Aviation authorities have already limited domestic flights to and from HCMCs Tan Son Nhat Airport for two weeks starting Tuesday.

HCMC has been grappling with a surge in community transmissions over the past week, mainly linked to a cluster at Christian congregation Revival Ekklesia Mission.

The city of 13 million began two weeks of social distancing last Monday. It has so far recorded 355 infections in the fourth wave that hit Vietnam starting April 27.
Hawaii Governor David Ige is pulling out all the stops to get his state vaccinated setting benchmarks for loosening pandemic restrictions that are in place based on the states vaccination rate.

To encourage the states 1.4 million residents to get their covid-19 shot, the Governor announced an incentive campaign that will offer prizes to residents who are fully vaccinated or at least have gotten their first jab in a push to get the state to 70 percent of the population vaccinated statewide.

Benchmarks to allow Hawaii to reopen

The Hawaii state Department of Health announced on Thursday that 52 percent the state's residents have been fully vaccinated and that 59 percent have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine. Governor Ige said that this puts the state on track to reach 55 percent vaccination rate by 15 June allowing Hawaii to end all restrictions on intercounty travel between the Hawaiian Islands. Travelers to Hawaii who have been fully vaccinated in the state will be able to bypass the mandatory 10-day quarantine without a pre-travel test also starting 15 June.

The governor announced two benchmarks for the state to reach in order for restrictions to be eased further. All travelers from the United States, Alaska and US territories can also forego the testing and quarantine requirement with proof of vaccination through the states Safe Travels program when the state hits 60 percent. Finally, all travel restrictions will be dropped when the state reaches 70 percent of the statewide population fully vaccinated. The Governor said that the state will no longer require the Safe Travels program from that point on either.

The easing of travel restrictions is a direct result of our robust vaccination rate, and a community that sacrificed and did what it had to do over the past year and a half to stop the spread of covid-19, said Ige. We need to push hard now so we can get to the point where Safe Travels is no longer needed to keep the people of Hawaii safe.

Hawaii incentives to get vaccinated in June

Governor Ige said that state would make getting the covid-19 vaccine easier for those that havent been able to yet. The state will be rolling out more sites for residents to get vaccinated as well as ramping up public outreach.

The state is also launching this month the #HIGotVaccinated incentives campaign which will give Hawaiians 18 and up who are already vaccinated and those that do so in June the opportunity to win numerous prizes. Some of the prizes include 1 million HawaiianMiles from Hawaiian Airlines, distributed as 10 prizes of 100,000 each, a trip for two to Las Vegas from Vacations Hawaii and a one-year auto lease on a quality SUV or sedan from Autosource.

Participants must enter at higotvaccinated.com and entries must be received by before midnight 30 June.
Senegal aims to make Covid-19 vaccine shots next year

(Reuters) Senegal could begin producing Covid-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions, a source involved in funding the project told Reuters.

As wealthy countries begin to reopen after securing vaccine supplies early, African nations are still struggling to acquire shots. On a continent of 1.3 billion, only about 7 million have been fully vaccinated. The collaboration highlights the opportunities created by a global push to channel money and technology towards production on a continent that makes only 1% of the vaccines it requires.

Univercells announced the signing of a letter of intent for collaboration with the Institut Pasteur in Senegal's capital Dakar in April. The source shared details of the proposal, which were not made public. Under the agreement, the Institut Pasteur would use vaccine production technology developed by Univercells to supply Covid-19 vaccine shots to countries across West Africa. The institute would initially begin packaging and distributing vaccines produced by Univercells in Belgium early next year, the source involved in securing financing for the collaboration told Reuters.

Univercells would transfer its full production line to Senegal in the second half of 2022, the source said, adding that the company would train local staff so they could eventually run the operation. Univercells chief investment officer Kate Antrobus, when asked about the timeframe for the project, confirmed that it could send vaccine doses to Senegal early next year. She declined to comment on the exact date for a full vaccine production line in Senegal but of the timelines referenced she said: "I do not think they are unreasonable."

Timing depends on Univercells securing regulatory approval for a vaccine production site in Belgium. Antrobus said that was expected 'any day now'. Institut Pasteur director Amadou Sall declined to comment on the timeline or size of the project but said the facility was working with donors to secure financial backing. "There is a lot of political will, I am optimistic. But it is not about momentum, it is about creating a real opportunity," he said.

It is not clear yet which vaccine will be supplied to Senegal, but Antrobus said the site in Belgium would be able to manufacture a class of so-called viral vector Covid-19 vaccine such as those developed by Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Cansino.

"If Covid amazingly subsides over the next year....that same capacity could be used for other viruses," Antrobus said.

Univercells also has its own Covid-19 vaccine candidate, being developed with Germany's Leukocare and Italian firm ReiThera, which has completed Phase II trials.
ACCRA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China's success in alleviating poverty demonstrates the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), National Chairman of Ghana's ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Frederick Worsemao Armah Blay told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Describing China's victory in eradicating absolute poverty as a miracle the world's most populous country has achieved, the chairman said: "It is an example of good leadership, and we should learn from that."

Blay, who has paid several visits to China, said he has been extremely impressed by the country's efforts to address inequalities in development between its east and west, and a boom in its western regions' key sectors such as infrastructure and agriculture has ensured its poverty reduction goal could be achieved.

"The CPC has done well in leading this big country into prosperity," he said.

He noted that it is an accepted reality that many African countries are still underdeveloped despite their hard efforts, which highlights the importance of China-Africa cooperation on poverty alleviation.

"Under the leadership of the CPC, China is doing it (alleviating poverty) at a faster rate, and for that reason, we must partner with China and ensure that Africa is the new frontier now," he said.

Blay hailed China as a country that "shares what it has achieved," saying "China knows how to share, how to help each other, how to develop together, and we need that kind of (cooperation)."

Specifically, he said further cooperation on human resources development between the two countries would be conducive to Ghana's acceleration of its pace of poverty alleviation.

The chairman expressed his satisfaction with the increasing number of Ghanaian students studying in China, adding that he expected the Ghanaian youths would break down the language barriers and learn more from China to help develop their own country.

Noting this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, he said he would like to wish China more successes and prosperity under the leadership of the CPC, and looks forward to more partnership between the two parties.
Egypt's journalists syndicate called on Sunday for a general assembly on 4 March to discuss several issues including press freedoms and the recently proposed media and press law.

"This general assembly comes at a very critical time in Egypt. Aside from the usual matters related to the syndicate, we have the issue of press freedom and the media laws proposed by the government," Khaled El-Balshy, head of the freedoms committee and the journalists syndicate told Ahram Online.

El-Balshy called on fellow syndicate members to attend the assembly at the syndicate headquarters in Cairo.

"The members are required to come to the general assembly and I urge them to attend as it comes at a critical time."

According to the journalists' syndicate, there are currently 32 journalists  not all syndicate members  detained and jailed in Egypt, including 18 in cases related to journalism.

The House of Representatives is expected to discuss the unified draft law for media and journalism, which was initially drafted by the journalists syndicate, the media industry chamber, the high council of journalism, and a number of legal experts, before sending it to the cabinet.

The draft law aims to regulate the licensing and day-to-day operation of press and media in Egypt.

Leading members of the journalists syndicate have expressed concern that the draft bill may be amended by the government in a manner that does not serve journalists' interests.

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A committee representing Egyptian doctors who are currently on strike issued a statement on Wednesday demanding the modification of Article 62 in the draft constitution, which is concerned with health issues in Egypt.

Many Egyptian doctors have been on partial strike since last October to demand that the state budget allocated to health be increased to 15 per cent from the current 5 per cent, as well as demanding an increase in hospital security to prevent physical assaults on doctors. The partial strike does not include university, police and army hospitals, or emergency rooms.

The committee criticised the article for being incompetent and vague.

"The article does not mention if health services will be given to people without any discrimination; nor does it say it will offer medical treatment for all diseases. It only stated that it will be offered for emergencies," read the statement.

The statement further added that no criteria were mentioned regarding the standard and availability of health services.

"This will allow the state to offer the same deteriorating health services that are being provided now," added the statement.

The doctors demanded that new amendments be taken from a draft article that was put together by a doctors syndicate workshop.

Egypts draft constitution has been dogged by controversy, with many in opposition arguing that it is unrepresentative, having been drafted by an Islamist-led Constituent Assembly. The constitution-drafting body saw mass withdrawals of liberals, leftists and church representatives, and subsequently mass demonstrations have been held in protest at the draft document.

President Morsi set the date for the referendum on the constitution for 15 December.

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Bank Nizwa has formed an IT & Cybersecurity Committee, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Omans banking industry as part of the banks vision to become the Digital Bank of Choice for people of Oman.



Sheikh Khalid Abdullah Ali Al Khalili, Chairman, Bank Nizwa, said: Bank Nizwa aspires to be the digital bank of choice for the community and lead the Islamic banking industry in Oman on this journey. In a rapidly evolving digital environment, this commitment is anchored on preserving robust customer relationships by cultivating trust, relevance and convenience through every banking channel.



The board gives special attention when it comes to taking the Islamic banking services to the next level by acquiring the latest FinTech solutions available in the market that suit the customers needs. And while we have always been at the forefront of innovation, the proliferation of digital technologies provides us with opportunities to redefine how our customers see Bank Nizwa and the role we play in their lives.



As part of the banks digital transformation strategy, we have made heavy investments in order to adopt the top and up-to-date digital solutions. Our objective in this regard is to provide our customers with innovative banking services marked by a high level of protection, security and digital intelligence. Through this, we aspire to grant our customers convenient and seamless banking experience. Seeking to accomplish the aims of our digital transformation strategy, we have beefed up our team by acquiring local talents qualified in the digitalization of Islamic Banking sector, he further stated.



Khalid Al Kayed, CEO, Bank Nizwa, said: At Bank Nizwa, we have fast-tracked our digitalization journey with investments in the right technology and people. We are here to support the growing needs of Sharia compliant banking in Oman. While on this path, we recognize the importance of cybersecurity and data protection, which underpins Bank Nizwas commitment to being at the forefront of progressive change that safeguards the interest of its customers. The formation of a committee for this purpose underpins the banks brand promise of being the most trusted Islamic bank in Oman.  TradeArabia News Service
Egypt's Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb voiced concerns over the spread of aggressive and hostile far-right activities against Muslims in many European countries, as he met on Sunday with German Ambassador to Cairo Cyrill Nunn.

El-Tayyeb said the world, more than ever before, is in need of values to respect pluralism and the acceptance of others, the Al-Azhar statement read.

He stressed that the voices of reason and wisdom need to rise while, on the other hand, the voices of destruction and devastation need to disappear.

The world is currently fully aware that some groups exploit religion to achieve tendentious purposes that go in line with their ideologies, El-Tayyeb added.

He affirmed Al-Azhars readiness for cooperation with all states and institutions to contribute to countering these groups and eliminating this perverted and misleading thought, the statement read.

El-Tayyeb mentioned Al-Azhars steps towards countering misleading opinions, including coordinating with major religious institutions in Europe, on top of which is the Vatican.

Al-Azhar also established an observatory to fight extremism and a program to train imams from different countries at Al-Azhar Academy for Training Imams and Preachers in order to teach them how to dismiss the thoughts of extremist groups.

Nunn hailed the significant role of Al-Azhar as a reference for Muslims and non-Muslims around the world and as a hearable and influential voice on an international level.

Muslims in Germany represent six percent of the population and they enjoy full rights in the community, said Nunn.

He added that Germany has positive examples of Muslim figures who have made great and significant changes inside the German community.

El-Tayyeb in recent years has been keen on denouncing violent acts committed under the name of religion worldwide and has been encouraging interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

In February 2019, he and Pope Francis of Vatican signed the Document of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together in Abu Dhabi.

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The Senate  Egypt's consultative upper house of parliament  is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss a new government-drafted law on Sovereign Bonds (Sukuk).

A report prepared by the Senate's economic and financial affairs committee said the 24-article bill, approved by the cabinet last November, aims to contribute to improving the state's financial performance and achieving the short and long-term objectives of covering the budget deficit.

"This comes through cutting the debt servicing bill, creating new tools for covering the budget deficit, diversifying sources of finance, and stimulating demand on government-issued financial securities," said the report, adding that "in this context the new law was drafted to allow the Ministry of Finance to issue sovereign bonds (Sukuk) to raise capital necessary for spending on economic and investment projects targeted by the state budget and development plan."

According to the report, "the sovereign bonds (Sukuk) is a new kind of government financial securities that go in line with Islamic sharia and aims to attract Egyptian and foreign investors who abstain from investing in traditional financial and debt servicing securities currently on the market."

The report argues that sovereign bonds have become a very attractive investment tool on world market in recent years. "Investments in sovereign bonds (Sukuk) generated as much as USD 2.7 trillion in recent years and most of them come from countries like Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Bahrain," said the report, deploring that "sovereign bonds (Sukuk) are almost non-existent on the Egyptian market though there is no reason for not tapping this investment tool as long as the economic environment is friendly and as long as it can serve the state's economic objectives."

The draft law is divided into six chapters. "The first explains definitions and terms used in the draft law, and also deals with the role of the Ministry of Finance in issuing sovereign bonds and the use of its proceeds," said the report, adding that it also states that the prime minister is the one authorized with issuing the law's executive regulations after getting the opinion of the General Authority of Financial Control."

Article 2 of chapter one explains how the proceeds of the sovereign bonds (Sukuk) will be used by the Ministry of Finance. Articles 3, 4 and 5 deal with the different forms of sovereign bonds (Sukuk), how they go in line with Islamic Sharia, and in what way they will be handled on the market of financial securities and that they can be denominated in both local and foreign currency.

Article 6 states that taxes imposed on current financial securities will be also levied on the proceeds and returns of sovereign bonds (Sukuk).

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Egyptian parliament's Economic Affairs Committee approved a new law on Tuesday that will open the door for the Finance Ministry to issue sovereign bonds (Sukuk) on local and foreign markets.

The approval came just one day after the Senate  Egypt's consultative upper house parliament  voted in favor of the 24-article law.

Ahmed Samir, the chairperson of the Economic Affairs Committee, said the new government-drafted law sets the framework for Egypt to tap into the sovereign bonds market for the first time.

"Sukuk have become an internationally-recognized tool for raising capital on world markets and so the time has come for Egypt to join these markets to generate money that can be used for spending on development projects and investment programmes," said Samir.

Samir said that sukuk will be attractive because they are compliant with Islamic Sharia. "Due to this fact, investments in sovereign bonds (sukuk) are now everywhere on Islamic markets like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Turkey and they have generated as much as USD 2.7 trillion in recent years," said Samir.

Ahmed Diab, secretary-general of the Economic Committee, said the capital generated by sukuk could also be used by the Finance Ministry to improve the state's financial performance and achieve the short and long-term objectives of covering the budget deficit.

A government explanatory report on the law said "the sovereign bonds (sukuk) are a new kind of government financial securities that go in line with Islamic Sharia and aims to attract Egyptian and foreign investors, particularly those who refrain from investing in traditional financial and debt servicing securities currently available on the market."

The report laments that "sovereign bonds are almost non-existent on the Egyptian market though there is no reason for not tapping this investment field as long as the economic environment is friendly and they can serve the state's economic objectives."

Article three of the draft law states that "sovereign bonds (sukuk) will be issued in the form of both paper and electronic securities and in accordance with the conditions set by the law's executive regulations. "

The Economic Committee decreed that the bill's executive regulations be issued within three months from the date of application.

Article three also says that "sovereign bonds (sukuk) will be denominated in both Egyptian pounds and foreign currency and on local and foreign markets."

Article five states that "a watchdog committee" comprising financial, economic, legal and Islamic Sharia experts will be in charge of supervising the sovereign sukuk-issuance process. "This committee will also supervise the handling of sukuk on the market, beginning with the issuance process and ending with the restoration of their value," said Article five, adding that "the Committee will be also tasked with preparing an annual report on the sukuk market."

Article 6 states that taxes imposed on current financial securities will be also levied on the proceeds and returns of sukuk.

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Egypt reported 821 new coronavirus cases on Saturday bringing the total infection tally officially to 267,171 since the outbreak began in February 2020.

The health ministry also reported 41 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 15,309.

The statement said that 799 patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 195,871.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Wednesday that 2.5 million people have received the coronavirus vaccine in Egypt as part of the countrys vaccination campaign that started late in January.

The state plans to vaccinate 40 percent of the population at least by the end of the year, Madbouly said.

Health Minister Hala Zayed said in a meeting last week that around 110,000 citizens receive the vaccine per day.

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Sudan's Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Saddiq Al-Mahdi affirmed on Saturday Khartoum's endeavour to peacefully settle the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) disputes through the mediation of the African Union (AU), stressing at the same time that Ethiopia's intransigence may drag the region into "ominous slides".

Al-Mahdi's remarks came during a virtual meeting with her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, who was briefed on developments in the GERD file, and Sudan's stance on the unilateral measures taken by Ethiopia regarding the second-year filling of the near-complete GERD  which Addis Ababa has been building on the Blue Nile since 2011, a statement by Sudan's foreign ministry said.

Egypt's Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Ati also expressed on Saturday Cairo's keenness to resume GERD negotiations, which was deadlocked in April, emphasising the state's constants in preserving its water rights.

With three weeks ahead of the GERDs scheduled second-year filling, Ethiopia's water and irrigation minister was reported by Ethiopia-based channel Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) on Thursday as saying that "GERD's height is currently 565 metres" and construction works were underway to "raise it to 573 metres within the coming 20 days".

According to experts, the GERD's newly-announced targeted height is down by 22 metres from the second phase's formerly intended tallness of GERD  which was 595 metres to be appropriate for coming summer's 13.5 bcm filling  and would rather let Ethiopia fill the reservoir from 2 to 4 bcm only.

Addis Ababas officials had repeatedly announced they would fill GERDs 74 billion cubic metres (bcm) reservoir with 13.5 bcm in July and August to raise the build-up amount of water to 18.4 bcm, up from the 4.9 bcm it secured in 2020, with or without a deal.

In a separate statement on Sunday, according to Sudanese News Agency (SUNA), Al-Mahdi reiterated Sudan's target of reaching a binding legal agreement on filling and operating GERD before commencing the second filling.

From his side, Abdel-Ati affirmed on Saturday that any action taken without reaching a fair and legally binding agreement and without coordination with the downstream countries would be "a unilateral act that is rejected".

While Egypt and Sudan are pushing for signing a comprehensive and legally binding agreement with Ethiopia over GERD, Addis Ababa refuses and rather seeks mere guidelines that can be modified any time at Ethiopias discretion.

As Addis Ababa argues the GERD issue is a matter of Ethiopian national sovereignty, Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry made it clear in May that there is no sovereignty when it comes to an international river.

The top diplomat also stressed that Egypt would not accept harm caused by irresponsible behaviour, and would steadfastly defend its water rights.

Ethiopia previously rejected the downstream countries water rights of colonial agreements when its Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dina Mufti said in April that it is unacceptable for Egypt and Sudan to use historical accords of Nile shares as reference points during GERDs negotiations, which has deadlocked since April.

In response, Sudan threatened that disavowing these agreements means compromising sovereignty over the Benishangul region on which Addis Ababa is building the controversial dam, urging Addis Ababa to commit to the international agreements it signed as an independent state."

The Anglo-Ethiopian treaty was signed in 1902 between the United Kingdom  representing Egypt and Sudan  and Ethiopia  represented by Emperor Menelik II of Abyssinia. While the agreement has prohibited the Ethiopian construction of any waterworks across the Blue Nile that would affect the rivers natural flow, it has granted sovereignty of the then Sudanese Benishangul region to Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian claim that the relevant agreements are an insignificant colonial legacy is an explicit fallacy of historical facts, indicating that Ethiopia was an independent, sovereign state and a member of the international community at the time of the conclusion of those agreements, while Sudan was subject to bilateral colonialism (of the Ottomans and the British), Sudans Foreign Ministry said.

Ethiopia was not party to other Nile water accords such as the 1929 agreement between Egypt and Britain, representing Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and Sudan. The deal allocates 55.5 bcm of water to Egypt and 18.5 bcm to Sudan. Nor did Ethiopia take part in its 1959 supplementary agreement which confirmed Cairo and Khartoums annual quota and allowed the construction of Egypts Aswan High Dam.

Khartoum has previously noted that it would take legal action if Ethiopia moves forward with the second filling of the GERD without first signing a legally binding agreement as such scenario would threaten the lives of millions of Sudanese people living downstream the dam, jeopardise the operational safety of its dams, and consequently risk Sudan's national security.

Egypt, whose 100 million-plus population relies on the world-longest River Nile for more than 95 per cent of its renewable water resources, fears the massive $4.8 billion hydropower project will significantly diminish its water supply, which at 560 m3 per person annually is already well below the international threshold for water scarcity.

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Egypt denied reports of new clusters of bird flu's H10 strain in the country, a cabinet statement said on Sunday after contacting the country's Ministry of Agriculture.

The agriculture ministry told the cabinet that it is conducting intensified surveillance campaigns on bird farms and shops as a preventative measure. The measure includes tracing the migrant birds as well.

Comprehensive examinations have been carried out regularly on birds to make sure that they are free of any disease or epidemic, the ministry added.

Egypt has resumed poultry exports after a 14-year hiatus after the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) approved in June 2020 to enlist Egypt among the countries with avian influenza free establishments system.

Exporting was suspended amid an outbreak of bird flu in Egypt in 2006.

Bird flu is often spread between birds, but very rarely transmits to humans.

On Tuesday, Beijings National Health Commission stated a 41-year-old man in Chinas eastern province of Jiangsu has been confirmed as the first human case of infection with a rare strain of bird flu known as H10N3.

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Egypt condemned in the strongest terms the "treacherous missile attack" of the Houthi militia that targeted the Yemeni city of Marib on Saturday evening, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Sunday.

According to Yemini officials, a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels killed at least 17 people in a government-held city on Saturday, including a 5-year-old girl, after it hit a gas station in the Rawdha neighbourhood in the central city of Marib.

In the statement, Egypt expressed its sincere condolences to the "government and people of brotherly Yemen," and to the families of the victims of this crime, as well as wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.

Egypt also stated its support for the Yemeni government, reiterating its demand to stop these "heinous attacks," while working to give priority to the interests of Yemen and its people.

This shall be done, Egypt said, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with international agreements, in order to spare the innocent Yemeni blood, and to also put an end to the protracted humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

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Egypt has improved the tools needed for countering the crime of money laundering and terrorist financing, Ahmed Khalil, the chairman of the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit (EMLCU), said.

The EMLCU is an independent unit at the Central Bank of Egypt. It was established in 2003 under money laundering law.

Khalil said that the country has efficiently addressed the coronavirus pandemic challenges and continued its work as a president of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF).

"Egypt is keen on cooperating with state members of the MENAFATF to counterting the crimes of money laundering and terrorist financing," Khalil told the 32nd meeting of the MENAFATA, which was held virtually on Sunday.

He added that Egypt is eager to implement the MENAFATF's action plan and address the challenges facing the group in the sense of mutual evaluation and increasing its efficiency.

The MENAFATF emerged from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.

The FATF cooperates with a number of international agencies and includes many states as members in addition to observers.

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Egypts Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki and Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid discussed joint cooperation with Cypriot armed forces as they met on Sunday with with Demokritos Zervakis, the chief of the Cypriot National Guard.

Zaki and Farid received Zervakis, who is currently making a several-day official visit to Egypt, Egyptian military spokesman Tamer El-Refae said in a statement.

During the meeting, Zaki and Zervakis discussed means to enhance cooperation and military ties with the Cypriot armed forces as they met on Sunday.

They also discussed a number of issues of mutual concern in light of ongoing regional and international developments and their reflection on security and stability in the Middle East, El-Refae said.

Zaki voiced his countrys appreciation of the strategic partnership between the armed forces of both countries in various fields, especially defence and security.

Zaki also stressed the importance of coordination of efforts and military cooperation between the Egyptian and Cypriot forces.

Meeting with the Egyptian army chief of staff, Zervakis discussed issues of mutual concern in light of the special relations between the two countries armed forces.

Zervakis hailed the firm friendship and coordination between the two armies, expressing the aspiration of the Cypriot armed forces to support new horizons of military cooperation between Egypt and Cyprus.

A number of military commanders as well as Cypriot Ambassador to Egypt Omiros Mavromatis and Cyprus Defence Attache Costas Fotiou attended the meeting, according to the spokesman.

Egypt and Cyprus over the past few years have conducted numerous joint drills, including the naval and air drill (dubbed Medusa 10) in the Mediterranean along with Greece in December.

Zaki also travelled to Cyprus last month to attend trilateral talks with his Cypriot and Greek counterparts to bolster military cooperation.

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Sudanese northern troops overran the contested border region of Abyei last week, drawing condemnation from world powers, who have warned the action is a threat to peace between north and south.

Tens of thousands of people fled southwards when Khartoums troops and tanks, alongside northern-aligned militia gunmen, poured into the area.

Khartoum ordered the official termination of the UN's north-south peacekeeping mission on July 9, the date the south is to declare full independence following a referendum, said Suna state news agency.

The Satellite Sentinel Project, which obtained and analysed the images, said they show "extensive and wanton destruction and appropriation of property without the justification of military necessity."

The latest set of images show for the first time the extent of the destruction.

A third of homes and "civilian structures" in Abyei town have been razed, while a key bridge connecting Abyei with the south has been blown up, it added. That would "make it even harder for tens of thousands of displaced people to return," said the monitoring group, which was set up by Hollywood star and rights activist George Clooney last year.

"We focused satellites on Abyei because everyone concerned believed that if the Sudan government would try to undermine the north-south peace, it would do so through Abyei," said Clooney in a statement.

"We now have undeniable proof of the Khartoum regime's war crimes in Abyei," he added.

The evidence is being sent to the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court, who have already issued arrest warrants for President Omar al-Bashir on genocide charges in the western Darfur region.

"The government of Sudan has committed grave violations of the Geneva Conventions and other war crimes, some of which may also constitute crimes against humanity," the US-based group said in the statement.

"The totality of evidence from satellites and ground sources points to state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of much of the contested Abyei region."

The northern Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) has defended its role.

"SAF intervention in Abyei was legal and legitimate, and comes within their responsibility to protect the country, its sovereignty and security," said the Sudan Media Center (SMC), a website widely believed to be close to the security forces.

In a statement late Saturday, Suna news agency said Khartoum's government has "officially notified the United Nations of the end of the term of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on July 9."

At least 39,000 people have fled Abyei, where there were still reports of "sporadic gunfire, looting, and burning of tukuls (thatch huts)," said a UN humanitarian assessment report released Sunday.

"Requirements in food, water, health, and shelter are particularly urgent," it said, adding UN efforts were being hampered by "looting of relief supplies by the military" which left one aid worker seriously injured.

Senior commanders of both north and souths armies met in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Saturday "in a bid to find solution to the crisis," SMC said.

Meanwhile Khartoum's chief Abyei negotiator Al-Dirdiri Mohammed Ahmed said he expected efforts to hold a presidential meeting of Sudans two leaders in the next few days "would be successful," the SMC added.

The meeting would be mediated by an African Union panel led by South Africa's former president Thabo Mbeki, he added.

South Sudan's vice president Riek Machar is also in Khartoum to try to "ease tensions" over the area.

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Conares, the second largest steel manufacturer in the UAE, has announced celebrating a 10-10-10 milestone of revenue and steel handled over 10 years.

Furthermore, its rebar mill completes 10 years of operations, which was established in 2011 at the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza).

Announcing the key achievements, Chairman and CEO Bharat Bhatia, said: "Completing ten years is a proud and celebratory moment for us, as well as a rare occasion of notching up AED10 billion in revenue and a handling 10 million metric tonnes of steel in an eventful growth spanned over the last decade."

"Conares, a 24/7 manufacturer, is the only steel producer in UAE diversified across rebars, pipes and color coated coils in the region, having invested in plants and operations with a current market value more than AED1.3 billion" he stated.

Director Vivek Bhatia said: "We want to dedicate this growth story of the decade to our committed workers, and it is their achievement, as they strived to make Conares one of the top three steel manufacturers contributing to the growth of the nation."

"We leveraged innovation and our resources to implement the best practices in manufacturing, which opened our capabilities to meet the demand in the market. For the next 10 years, we have planned a range of measures to improve productivity, optimize our supply chain and automate processes," he stated.

According to him, Conares has taken sustainable measures for its operations and will continue to invest in renewable energy.

Director (Sales & Marketing) Kush Bhatia said: "We are proud that our products are used in a wide number of major projects in the UAE, including Etihad Rail and the prestigious Expo 2020. Our growth and presence in international markets has been remarkable."

"Currently, we are in the process of developing new markets for our products. We are keen on helping the Made in UAE brand reach new heights, and export the products manufactured in the UAE, to be well recognized across the globe," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has failed to implement its "political schemes" in the Gulf, Dubais police chief, Dahi Khalfan, has said.

Moreover, the Islamist group might conduct "fraud operations" to acquire Gulf currencies to solve Egypts economic crisis.

Khalfans comments on Twitter were reported on Friday by the UAEs Al-Bayan newspaper.

"This is an expected scenario amid a financial crisis and fears of bankruptcy," he added.

Regarding the Egyptians arrested in the UAE for allegedly forming a Brotherhood-linked cell, Khalfan described them as ""tax collectors" who professionally steal money for their masters in the movement."

Khalfan has repeatedly launched verbal attacks against Islamist leaders in Egypt and Tunisia who came to power after the Arab Spring and accused Egypt's Brotherhood of planning to topple the Gulf monarchies.

"My sources say the next step is to make Gulf governments (their ruling families) merely figureheads. They will start with Kuwait in 2013 and move on to the other Gulf states in 2016," he told the Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas in March.

Yasser Ali, spokesperson for President Mohamed Morsi, in July said the Muslim Brotherhood was responsible for answering statements by Khalfan, not the presidential office.

On 2 January, Morsi's aide for foreign affairs, Essam Haddad, the presidents secretary, Khaled Kazaz, and General Intelligence chief, Rafaat Shehata, went on a two-day visit to the UAE to deliver a message to the countrys leader, Sheikh Khalifa.

Before the visit, the Gulf state arrested members of an alleged Muslim Brotherhood cell working against the Emirati government. The reported cell included a number of Egyptians who had been working in the country for many years.

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As gunfire crackled outside, Genet Webea huddled with her husband and seven-year-old daughter, praying they would be spared in the latest bout of ethnic strife to rock central Ethiopia.

But that morning in April, around a dozen gunmen broke down the front door and, ignoring Genet's pleas for mercy, fatally shot her husband in the chest and stomach.

He was one of more than 100 civilians to die in a recent flare-up of violence in the town of Ataye that also saw the assailants torch more than 1,500 buildings, leaving once-bustling streets lined with charred and twisted metal.

The destruction continues a pattern of unrest that has blighted the tenure of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, and now threatens to disrupt elections in which he'll seek a new term.

Ethiopia's polls are scheduled for June 21, but officials say insecurity and logistical challenges make voting impossible -- at least for now -- in at least 26 constituencies across the country.

That includes Ataye, where Abiy's vision of unity for Ethiopia's diverse population of 110 million can seem like a distant dream.

Since Abiy became prime minister in 2018, the town has endured at least six rounds of ethnic killings, and ties between members of the country's two largest groups, the Oromos and Amharas, have visibly frayed, said mayor Agagenew Mekete.

Genet, an ethnic Amhara, told AFP that since the April attack she blanches when she hears the language of her husband's ethnic Oromo killers, saying it conjures the painful image of him bleeding out on their kitchen floor.

"I don't want to see or hear them," she told AFP.

'It was a war'

A lowland farming town 270 kilometres (167 miles) northeast of Addis Ababa, Ataye's population of 70,000 is majority Amhara, but it borders Oromo settlements in three directions.

For Agagenew, the mayor, the relentless violence reflects tensions over lush land used to grow wheat, sorghum and maize.

Ethiopia is Africa's second most-populous country, with different ethnic groups living cheek by jowl in some areas, straining ties as they jostle for land and resources.

In recent years tensions have worsened in parts of the country, leading to deadly violence and displacing millions.

Abiy took office vowing to put an end to the government's iron-fisted rule, yet this has created space for violent ethno-nationalists to wreak havoc, Agagenew said.

"There has been a looseness after Abiy came to office, in the name of widening the democracy," he said.

"There is looseness in enforcing the rule of law."

Like Genet, he blames the killings partly on the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a rebel group that lawmakers last month designated a terrorist organisation.

But the OLA denies any presence in the area and says officials falsely invoke the rebels to justify "ethnic cleansing" against ordinary Oromos.

Boru, who gave only his first name for safety reasons, is one of several Oromo residents of Ataye who said the OLA were not involved.

Instead, he said, the carnage was set off when Amhara security forces shot dead an Oromo imam outside a mosque, then prevented mourners from retrieving the body.

"It did not come out of the blue," he said. "It was a war. Each side was attacking the other."

This jibes with accounts from officials in nearby Oromo communities, who note that the violence extended beyond Ataye and claimed many Oromo victims.

Ethiopia's chief ombudsman, Endale Haile, told AFP more than 400 were killed in total and more than 400,000 displaced, declining to provide an ethnic breakdown.

Election apathy

Whoever bears responsibility, there is no disputing the killings have left Ataye resembling a ghost town.

The hospital and police station were both ransacked, and demolished storefronts offer only scattered clues -- burnt shoeboxes, the ripped sign of a beauty salon -- to what they once contained.

Most residents have fled, with crowds gathering only when officials hand out sacks of wheat as food aid.

Ethiopia's electoral board insists voting will take place in Ataye and other violence-wracked constituencies before a new parliamentary session opens in October.

But no preparations are under way and residents have little enthusiasm.

"Why would we vote in elections? We have no interest in elections," said 19-year-old Hawa Seid. "We've lost our homes."

'Politicised' deaths

The Ataye violence spurred days of protests in cities across the Amhara region, where the bloodshed could shape the election.

"For people whose basic existence is questioned and being violated, I think the security of Amharas all over Ethiopia will determine how people vote," said Dessalegn Chanie, senior member of the National Movement for Amhara, an opposition party.

The Amhara Association of America, a Washington-based lobbying firm, says more than 2,000 Amharas have been killed in dozens of massacres going back to last July.

The regional spokesman, Gizachew Muluneh, accused rival parties of "trying to politicise the killings and get something from the deaths of others," adding, "It is not morally good."

Genet, whose husband was shot dead in their kitchen, participated in the protests herself.

"I was happy to be there because I wanted to show how much they are hurting us and to ask the government to stop the Amhara genocide," she said.

But she hasn't given up on the idea that Amharas and Oromos could one day live together in harmony.

She noted that after her husband was killed, Oromo neighbours briefly housed her and her daughter until it was safe to leave.

It was a gesture of kindness that reminded her of a more peaceful era she would like to return to.

"Once," she said, "we all lived together like a family."

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Omani officials, accompanied by senior Huthi figures, arrived Saturday in Sanaa to try to convince the rebels who control the capital to accept a ceasefire, Huthi sources said.

Yemen has been devastated by civil war between the government -- supported by a Saudi-led military coalition -- and Iran-backed Huthi rebels since 2014, pushing the country to the brink of famine.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have intensified in recent weeks.

"An Omani delegation arrived (in Sanaa), accompanied by Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam and other (Huthi) officials," a rebel source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The Saudi-led coalition controls Yemen's airspace and since 2016 had prevented Abdul Salam and other rebel figures from returning to Sanaa.

The delegation's arrival, which would have required approval from Riyadh, demonstrates something of a step forward in negotiations.

The Huthis have repeatedly demanded the re-opening of Sanaa airport before any ceasefire agreement.

The source said the delegation was to meet with Huthi leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi and update him on talks held in Muscat.

The aim of the Omani mediators seems to be "to convince the Huthis to accept a ceasefire and take part in peace negotiations", the source added.

Abdul Salam, in remarks carried by Huthi-run Al-Masirah television, said: "We are working to advance arrangements on the humanitarian question as well as the peace process."

The visit aims to "complement efforts" made in Oman, he added.

The sultanate of Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, is a close US ally but at the same time has good relations with Iran. It has regularly played the role of mediator in regional conflicts.

Muscat has hosted UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths and US envoy Tim Lenderking in recent weeks, while Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with Abdul Salam in Oman in late April.

On Monday Griffiths urged rival Yemeni forces to "bridge the gap" to reach a ceasefire, following talks in Sanaa with Huthi officials.

"There's an extraordinary amount of diplomatic consensus... there is a real diplomatic energy now, which hasn't always been the case," Griffiths said.

The effort to secure peace in Yemen comes after regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran restarted talks in April, holding their first high-level meeting since Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016.

The UN says Yemen is suffering the world's worst humanitarian crisis as its years-long war rumbles on, with tens of thousands killed, millions displaced and two-thirds of its 30-million population dependent on aid.

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Four Jordanian police officers were wounded Saturday night when they clashed with supporters of a lawmaker suspended from parliament for railing against chronic power cuts, the security service said.

"Four policemen were wounded and hospitalised when they intervened... to put an end to riots, the firing of shots into the air and the burning of cars," said Amer al-Satrawi, the public security service's spokesman.

They were wounded by stones, but their lives were not in danger, Satrawi said in a statement, adding that the clashes took place in Naour, a suburb in the capital's south.

Witnesses said the protesters were supporters of lawmaker Oussama al-Ajarma.

Ajarma had demanded a debate on electricity cuts that hit Amman and other districts on May 21.

But his request was turned down by the speaker and the lawmaker was suspended from parliament on May 27, before he resigned in protest on Wednesday.

Jordan has experienced several episodes of unrest in recent months, including scattered protests against a curfew and economic hardship triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Last month's Israel's crackdown on Palestinians in Jerusalem and offensive on Gaza Strip triggered "uncomfortable conversations" between business partners in Israel and the United Arab Emirates just months after the countries normalised ties, the deputy mayor of Jerusalem told AFP.

But the conversations were "open" and "everybody was very moderate and understanding", Fleur Hassan-Nahoum said.

Speaking on the sidelines of a bilateral investment conference in Dubai, Hassan-Nahoum, co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council, also expressed hope that trade between the two countries would exceed the billion-dollar mark in the coming year.

The UAE in 2020 became only the third Arab country to establish full ties with Israel under a Washington-backed deal.

The two sides have since announced a string of deals on investment, business cooperation and visa-free travel.

But last month, Israel had a crackdown on Palestinians and an 11-day military campaign on Gaza.

"It wasn't easy," Hassan-Nahoum said of the atmosphere between Israeli business leaders and their UAE counterparts.

"I am involved in a lot of different forums of Israelis and Emiratis and there were some uncomfortable conversations, but it was important that we had those conversations," she said.

"We had very open conversations on areas of disagreements... people had a lot of questions about the (Israeli) military campaign" which involved air and mortar strikes on Gaza, she added.

"We are definitely at the beginning of this relationship... one of the most important things about having a long-lasting relationship is to build trust," Hassan-Nahoum said.

"After many years of not having this friendship I think it takes time."

The main questions centred on the "proportionality" of Israel's campaign on Gaza, but also "about Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem, about what happened in Al-Aqsa mosque," she said.

Israel's campaign on Gaza began after its security forces used violence against Palestinian worshippers in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

It also followed weeks of an Israeli crackdown on Palestinian protestors in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood against the planned expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in favour of Israeli settlers.

Israeli strikes on Gaza killed 260 Palestinians, including 66 children, and wounded over 1,900 people, the Gaza health ministry says.

Rockets and other fire from Gaza have killed 13 people in Israel, medics and the military say. Some 357 people in Israel were wounded.

An Egyptian-mediated truce ended Israel's campaign on Gaza.

The conflict put a pause on months of warming relations, prompting the UAE to publicly criticise Israel over its actions.

But Hassan-Nahoum vowed to press ahead with ties that have already produced trade worth "about half a billion dollars so far".

"A few months ago it was like 300 million and I think that (there) has been a real push in the last few months," she said, noting that this figure "would have been much higher" in the absence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I think it would have been already in the billion dollars mark -- but we will get there, inshallah, next year," she said.

This week's trade fair sought to pave the way for cooperation deals in the fields of health, renewable energy and technology.

In a further sign that the commercial relationship remains broadly on track, Israel and the UAE this week also agreed a bilateral tax treaty.

But a visit to Dubai by Israeli Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen to attend a travel industry forum in mid-May was cancelled.

The UAE was the third Arab country to normalise ties with Israel, following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have since followed suit.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Israeli police on Sunday detained the prominent activist El-Kurd twins, whose campaign against the threatened expulsion of Palestinian families from homes in the Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah has found a global audience.

On Sunday morning police arrested Mona el-Kurd, 23, at her home in Sheikh Jarrah, where a legal battle between Israeli settlers and several Palestinian families has crystallised anger over Israel's settlement movement.

They also left a summons for her twin brother, Muhammad, their father said.

Israeli police told AFP that Mona was 'suspected of having participated in riots and other recent incidents in Sheikh Jarrah'.

They did not give details on the status of Mohammad, who had handed himself in after the summons, but family lawyer Nasser Odeh indicated that the 23-year-old remained under investigation.

Protesters had gathered outside the east Jerusalem police station, where their father, Nabil el-Kurd, said his daughter's arrest was part of 'an operation to terrorise the parents, because the voice that emerged from the neighbourhood was thanks to its youth'.

Protests in Sheikh Jarrah spread early last month into the city's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, sparking a crackdown by Israeli security forces against Palestinians there that further inflamed tensions.

Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, responded by launching volleys of rockets towards Israel on May 10, triggering an 11-day war between the Jewish state and Palestinian militants.

While Palestinians and their backers see the issue as a microcosm of Israeli efforts to push them out of the highly contested city, Jewish settlers and their supporters have labelled it a property dispute to be decided by Israeli courts.

Last month Israel's Foreign Ministry accused Palestinian 'terror' groups of 'presenting a real-estate dispute between private parties, as a nationalistic cause' to incite violence.

Looming evictions

The el-Kurd twins, from one of the families that faces being ousted from their home, have led an active protest movement on the streets and online.

They have gained hundreds of thousands of followers on platforms including Twitter and Instagram, using the hashtags #SheikhJarrah and #SaveSheikhJarrah to bring their neighbourhood's plight global attention.

Video posted online on Sunday showed Mona being led away in handcuffs.

Speaking to journalists outside the police station, their father said that Palestinian residents would stay in Sheikh Jarrah to 'document the facts and show the terrorism practiced by the Israeli government.'

'Our weapon is the tongue and the camera,' he said. 'Muhammad and Mona made the whole world turn around for our cause.'

Last month, as tensions in Jerusalem mounted during the build-up to the Gaza fighting, the Israeli supreme court postponed a hearing in the Sheikh Jarrah cases until further notice.

Under Israeli law, if Jews can prove that their families lived in east Jerusalem before the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that created the state of Israel, they can request the 'return' of their property, even if Palestinian families have been living there for decades.

Palestinians whose ancestors became refugees in the 1948 war have no means to retrieve their homes or land in modern-day Israel.

Israeli right groups Ir Amim says up to 1,000 Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah and the nearby Silwan district face being displaced.

Journalist arrested

Sheikh Jarrah has also drawn the attention of press freedom watchdogs, as journalists say they have been targeted by police while trying to report on demonstrations there.

On Saturday Israeli forces arrested Al Jazeera reporter Givara Budeiri 'in a brutal manner', the network said in a statement, adding that authorities had destroyed a videographer's camera as he was trying to work.

Budeiri was released from custody several hours after her arrest.

Al Jazeera television's acting director-general, Mostefa Souag, decried 'the systematic targeting of our journalists', dubbing it 'in total violation of all international conventions'.

The Paris-headquartered Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has voiced concern over Israel's 'disproportionate use of force against journalists'.

It criticised 'attacks' on reporters filming in Sheikh Jarrah, the detention of Palestinian reporters, and the Jewish state's demolition of a tower in the besieged Gaza Strip where news outlets operated.

During their military campaign in Gaza, Israel levelled the 13-storey building that housed the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television along with the US news agency The Associated Press after warning the structure's owner to evacuate.

Israel defended the strike, alleging the building also hosted a Palestinian 'terrorist' intelligence office.

Al Jazeera's Jerusalem bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, accused Israel of trying 'to silence media that are witnessing, documenting and reporting the truth'.

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Most people we saw had been seeing the wars since the one of 2008; they have been mostly seeing damage and living under siege for close to 15 years; and they have almost all said they saw hell when they spoke of the recent round of hostilities. This was how Tamara Al-Rifai, United Nations Relief and Works Agencys (UNRWA) spokesperson and acting director of external relations, summed up the state of affairs for the people of Gaza, who she had met for a few days shortly after a ceasefire was announced on 20 May after 11 days of aggressive hostilities that killed close to 250 people, a third of which were women and children, and caused otherwise overwhelming damage to entire Strip.

Al-Rifai had arrived in Gaza with a mission headed by the UNRWAs commissioner-general to examine the situation on the ground, decide an emergency plan, and lend support to Gaza-based UNRWA staff that had to deal with a situation that left close to 70,000 people without shelter except some UNRWA operated schools and tens of thousands more in desperate need of basic daily assistance.

What we saw there was simply devastating damage; people were overwhelmed with devastation; the infrastructure was devastated, and the very basic means of living were devastated, Al-Rifai said in a telephone interview at the very end of her visit.

For Al-Rifai, there is certainly a daunting rebuilding task for the Gaza Strip that has never actually seen the reconstruction of the buildings and services that were hit during the subsequent previous wars of 2008/2009, 2012, and 2014. Every single war had inflicted a huge amount of destruction on services as basic as clean water, power plants, desalination plants and more, she explained.

The situation is certainly very challenging, she argued, especially for her organisation, whose mandate is much wider than providing emergency services. The UNRWA in plain words just provides basic and essential services, including education and health care. Today, she explained, in addition to the fact that many of these schools and health centers, including the one that used to provide COVID-19 tests, have been hit hard, some are already acting as temporary shelter for those who were forced into homelessness of an unknown period of time.

The UNRWAs annual budget is around $800 million. It has to be raised on a regular basis. It is already such a tight budget to attend to the services that this UN agency has to provide for over five million refugees all over Gaza, the West Bank, along with refugee camps in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.

It is a very small amount for services, which we make sure are quality services, for millions of refugees who get a sense of safety and sustainability into their lives that are extremely volatile, Al-Rifai said.

This amount is almost always $200 million short.

Meanwhile, Al-Rifai reminded, the recent crisis happened at a time where many of the refugees who were in Syria had to be displaced again, as they were forced into moving out into camps in either Lebanon or Jordan.

She added that the UNRWA had already appealed for an emergency budget of $38 million to be able to cope with the current situation in Gaza that came against a backdrop of a severe economic situation as a result of an extended siege that had effectively rendered 60 percent of the strips labour force almost jobless.

The trouble is that the span of world attention might actually get to be rather short in a few days or a few weeks after the end of hostilities, Al-Rifai said.

Moreover, she added, the very issue of rebuilding is shrouded with a lot of political complexities that relate to many consequential problems, including the question of how to rebuild and how to do this in a way that avoid possible clashes among the de facto rulers of the Gaza Strip, Israel, and the donors.

Then, she added, there is also the concern about securing enough funds to cover the reconstruction of the damage. This is not something that has happened before, unfortunately.

Al-Rifais most pressing question, however, is that of attending to the heavily challenged psychological wellbeing of people whose lives are constantly subject to such devastating challenges.

There is, she stressed, the huge moral damage that the Palestinians living in Gaza, who had mostly seen four consecutive wars in the span of 15 years. This is not a small [amount of] damage and it is not at all a small task to attend to, Al-Rifai reminded.

We could fund raise for emergency humanitarian assistance, but I am not sure about how to address the profound problems of social and mental health; these are not considered part of the reconstruction despite the fact that it is this part that bears the largest brunt of the damage, Al-Rifai said. She added that the time has come for a more holistic approach.

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Israeli police burst into the home of a prominent family in the contested Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem on Sunday, the family said, arresting a 23-year-old woman who has led protests against attempts by Jewish settlers to evict dozens of Palestinian families from their homes in the area. The young woman was later released, but her twin brother turned himself in and remained in custody.

The arrests came a day after Israeli police detained a well-known Al Jazeera reporter covering a demonstration in the neighborhood. The reporter, Givara Budeiri, was held for four hours before she was released and sent to a hospital to treat a broken hand. It was not clear how her hand was broken, but her boss blamed police mistreatment.

Earlier this year, heavy-handed police actions in Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of east Jerusalem fuelled weeks of unrest that helped spark an 11-day Israeli aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Those tensions are simmering again this week, and could flare anew if Israeli ultranationalists follow through on plans to march Thursday through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. Israeli police were expected to hold consultations on whether the parade, which was originally set to take place when the war erupted on May 10, would be allowed to proceed.

In Sheikh Jarrah, Jewish settlers have been waging a decades-long campaign to evict the families from densely populated Palestinian neighbourhoods just outside the walls of the Old City. The area is one of the most sensitive parts of east Jerusalem, which is home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and which Israel captured in 1967 and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Israel views the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Settler groups and Israeli officials claim the Sheikh Jarrah dispute is merely about real estate. But Palestinians say they are victims of a discriminatory system. The settlers are using a 1970 law that allows Jews to reclaim formerly Jewish properties lost during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, a right denied to Palestinians who lost property in the same conflict.

The al-Kurd family in Sheikh Jarrah has been at the forefront of months of protests against the planned evictions.

Early Sunday, police took Muna al-Kurd, 23, from her home.

Her father, Nabil al-Kurd, said police ``stormed the house in large numbers and in a barbaric manner.''

``I was sleeping, and I found them in my bedroom,'' he said. Police then searched the house and arrested his daughter. Video posted on social media showed her being taken away in handcuffs.

``The reason for the arrest is that we say that we will not leave our homes, and they do not want anyone to express his opinion, they do not want anyone to tell the truth,'' he said. ``They want to silence us.''

Police also searched for her brother, Muhammad al-Kurd, but he was not there. Later, he turned himself in to Jerusalem police.

The siblings' lawyer, Nasser Odeh, told journalists outside the police station that his clients were accused of ``disturbing public security and participation in nationalistic riots.''

Late Sunday, Muna al-Kurd was released. But before she was freed, police briefly clashed with a crowd outside the station, throwing stun grenades. Her brother remained in custody.

The arrests came a day after Al Jazeera's Budeiri, wearing a protective vest marked ``press,'' was dragged away by police at a protest in Sheikh Jarrah.

According to witnesses, police asked Budeiri for identification. Colleagues said police did not allow her to return to her car to retrieve her government-issued press card. Instead, they said she was surrounded by police, handcuffed and dragged into a vehicle with darkened windows.

In video footage posted online, Budeiri can be seen in handcuffs, while clutching her notebook and shouting, ``Don't touch, enough, enough.''

Israeli police said entrance to the neighbourhood is limited due to the tense situation, and only accredited journalists are allowed in. They said that when Budeiri was unable to provide her press pass, police ``removed her.'' They added that Budeiri was arrested after becoming hostile and pushing an officer.

``The Israel Police will allow the freedom of press coverage, provided that these are done in accordance (with) the law while maintaining public order,`` according to a statement. The statement did not reference her broken hand.

Budeiri was held for four hours before she was released and sent to the hospital, said Walid Omary, the Jerusalem bureau chief for Al Jazeera. In addition to the broken hand, Omary said Budeiri also suffered bruises on her body. He said her cameraman's video camera was also heavily damaged by police.

As part of her release, Budeiri is banned from returning to the neighbourhood for 15 days, Omary said.

``They are attacking the journalists in east Jerusalem because they don't want them to continue covering what's happening inside Sheikh Jarrah,`` he said.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists working for international news organizations, said the treatment of Budeiri was ``the latest in a long line of heavy-handed tactics by Israeli police'' against the media in recent weeks. It said journalists have been hit by stun renades, tear gas, sponge-tipped bullets and putrid-smelling water.

``We call on police to punish the officers who needlessly injured an experienced journalist and broke professional equipment. And once again, we urge police to uphold Israel's pledges to respect freedom of the press and to allow journalists to do their jobs freely and without fear of injury and intimidation,`` the FPA said.

Al Jazeera's acting director general, Mostefa Souag, noted that Budeiri's detention came after Israel's May 15 war-time destruction of a Gaza high-rise that housed the local office of Al Jazeera. The tower also housed The Associated Press' office.

Israel has alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating from the building. The AP has said it has no indication of a purported Hamas presence and has called for an independent investigation.

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Germans were heading to the polls in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, with the far-right posing a tough challenge to Angela Merkel's conservatives in the final major test before the first general election in 16 years not to feature the veteran chancellor.

Saxony-Anhalt is one of Germany's smallest states with a population of just 2.2 million, but with Merkel's Christian Democratic Union running neck-and-neck with the far-right AfD there, the stakes could not be higher for the regional vote.

Victory for the AfD would be a devastating blow for the conservatives and seriously weaken the already fragile standing of the CDU's new leader Armin Laschet in the run-up to Germany's national election on September 26.

"If it turns out that the AfD is slightly stronger than the CDU on Sunday, then there could be debates about personnel in the CDU, and thus a weakening of the entire situation of the CDU," political scientist Hajo Funke of Berlin's Free University told AFP.

At a polling station in Magdeburg, voter Thomas Kibele told AFP he hoped "that many people vote, that the turnout is high, and that we show that populist parties basically have no chance".

"I think today the CDU will be ahead, followed unfortunately by the AfD and then let's see," said fellow voter Karl Mueller.

Merkel's party has been a dominant force in the eastern region for decades, topping all but one edition of state elections there since reunification in 1990.

But the far-right AfD established a strong foothold there in the last state election in 2016, having capitalised on anger over Merkel's decision to allow in a wave of migrants from conflict-torn countries such as Syria in 2015.

In that election, the CDU scooped 30 percent, forming a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens. The AfD won 24 percent.

Latest polls published Friday by the Bild daily had the CDU at 27 percent, one point ahead of the AfD.

Anti-establishment

Although support for the AfD at the national level has stagnated at around 10 to 12 percent in recent months, the party continues to be popular in the former East German states.

Its recent move to style itself as the party bashing Merkel's tough shutdown measures during the pandemic has also cemented its reputation as the anti-establishment party, attracting support beyond its core base of anti-immigration voters.

The AfD will not be able to govern even if it wins in Saxony-Anhalt, as all the other parties have ruled out forming an alliance with it.

But losing to the AfD would be, as Spiegel magazine puts it, "a disaster" for Laschet -- nominated as the conservative chancellor candidate in April.

"Laschet urgently needs a success to rally the Union behind him for the national election campaign," said the magazine.

"The last thing he would need is a renewed debate about the AfD within his party, which would become unstoppable in case of an election defeat in Saxony-Anhalt."

Worst ever results

The conservatives have already taken a hammering in the polls as Merkel prepares to bow out, hurt by anger over the government's pandemic management and a corruption scandal involving shady coronavirus mask contracts.

At Germany's last regional elections in March -- in the states of Rhineland Palatinate and Baden-Wuerttemberg -- the CDU suffered its worst ever results in both states.

With Merkel having pulled the CDU closer to the centre, it is essentially caught between two fronts -- with the far-right AfD on one end and the centre-left Greens on the other.

Laschet has promised to maintain CDU as the "force of the political middle ground".

But political analyst Oskar Niedermayer told AFP that the reality is that voters in the east tend to be "more conservative and more nationalist" than in the west.

This means that the CDU needs to "set different thematic priorities in the east and in the west" if it wants to maintain its broad base of support, he said.

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Pope Francis on Sunday expressed sorrow over the discovery in Canada of the remains of 215 Indigenous students of church-run boarding schools but didn't offer the apology sought by the Canadian prime minister.

Francis, in remarks to faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, called on political and church authorities to work to shed light on what he called 'this sad affair' and to foster healing.

Two days earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was deeply disappointed that the Vatican hadn't offered an apology, and called on the church to take responsibility. From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools, the majority of them run by Catholic missionary congregations, in a campaign to assimilate them into Canadian society.

Ground-penetrating radar was used to confirm the remains of the children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, last month. The school was Canada's largest such facility and was operated by the Catholic church between 1890 and 1969.

The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant in the schools, with students beaten for speaking their native languages.

'I follow with sorrow the news that arrives from Canada about the upsetting discovery of the remains of 215 children,' Francis said in his customary Sunday noon remarks to the public.

'I join with the Catholic church in Canada in expressing closeness to the Canadian people traumatized by the shocking news,' Francis said. 'This sad discovery increases the awareness of the sorrows and sufferings of the past'.

'May the political and religious authorities continue to collaborate with determination to shed light on this sad affair and to commit to a path of healing,' Francis added.

Trudeau on Friday blasted the Church for being 'silent' and 'not stepping up,' and called on it to formally apologize and to make amends for its prominent role in his nation's former system of church-run Indigenous boarding schools. He noted that when he met with Francis at the Vatican in 2017 he had asked him to 'move forward on apologizing' and on making records available. But, Trudeau said, 'we're still seeing resistance from the church, possibly from the church in Canada'.

Francis' comments spoke of healing but not of apology. 'These difficult moments represent a strong call to distance ourselves from the colonizing model and from today's ideological colonizing and to walk side by side in dialogue, in respect and in recognizing cultural rights and values,' he said.

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Renault Trucks, a leading provider of a range of commercial vehicles for distribution, heavy construction and the long-haul segment, has announced the delivery of 10 units of K 480 heavy-duty construction models to Fujairah-based company Al Jadawel Land Transport.

The 10 Renault Trucks models are part of a total fleet size of 98, and Al Jadawel Land Transport plans to turn the whole fleet to Renault Trucks by end of next year.

These Renault Trucks K 480 Tractor Head 6x4 models guarantee the highest levels of driver comfort, reliability, and fuel efficiency, it stated.

They are equipped with a range of features that are designed to optimise productivity, minimise downtime, reduce operation costs and maximise profitability.

Designed to operate in extreme conditions, their outstanding technical capabilities meet and exceed customers day-to-day requirements.

The K 480s spacious, well-appointed cab is built around the driver. All controls are at the drivers fingertips, while there is also a 7 HD LCD information display and seats with fitted red seat belts.

The design of the windshield and side mirrors guarantee clear visibility around the cab with minimum blind spots, helping keep both occupants and road users safe.

There are numerous safety features designed to assist the driver in difficult conditions, including EBS (Electronic Braking System), Hill Start Aid (HSA), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Emergency braking assist (AFU).

A Tyre Pressure Monitoring system (TPMS) is also fitted to ensure operators benefit from the maximum lifetime of the tyres.

The K 480 model is equipped with a fuel-efficient DXI 13 Euro 5 engine, developing 480 hp and torque of 2,400 Nm, and an Optidriver gearbox with automated clutch.

They combine to ensure the highest standards of productivity while minimising fuel consumption and reducing operating costs. Cruise control is also fitted as standard on C & K ranges.

Najah Al Tahir, owner of Al Jadawel Land Transport, said: "We are incredibly proud to have struck this deal with Renault Trucks. With operations across the UAE, which is known for its tough terrain and high temperatures, we require trucks able to withstand these harsh conditions."

"One of the UAEs leading construction material transportation companies, Al Jadawel Land Transport will be using the new models, which have been supplied by Renault Trucks partner in the UAE, United Diesel, to transport aggregate from the crushers in the Northern Emirates across the country," he stated.

"The brands range has a reputation for being able to meet and exceed our needs, which is why we aim to switch our whole fleet to consist only of Renault Trucks models by 2022," he added.

Renault Trucks Middle East Commercial Director Guillaume Zimmermann said: "Al Jadawel Land and Transports purchase of K Range models is testament to the trucks robustness and its recognised contribution to the construction and transport business around the region."

"Renault Trucks K Range leads the way in terms of fuel economy and uptime, which are key in this very demanding segment. We are seeing more and more customers working with crushers in the Northern Emirates shifting to K models, which is certainly not a coincidence!," he added.

United Diesel General Manager Mokhles Makary said: "This latest fleet deal is due to the quality of the Renault Trucks produce line-up, but also to our dedication for delivering the highest standards of customer service in the UAE."

"With fully trained and specialised service, our fully equipped service centres, we are able to deliver an excellent customer support, which we are confident will help to pave the way for further such deals and partnerships in the future," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Egypt is set to issue its first sovereign sukuk (Islamic bonds), Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said on Wednesday.

The cabinet approved in its Wednesday meeting the sovereign sukuk draft law, to be submitted to parliament for approval, and then to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi for ratification, Maait said.

The move will usher Egypt into the Islamic finance world, which recorded a $2.7 trillion in transactions by the end of June, he added.

The sovereign sukuk draft law is part of the finance ministrys plan to diversify its base of investors who want to invest in governmental financial securities, especially that the draft law will be issued in line with the principles of Islamic Sharia.

By issuing this kind of sukuk, Egypt is expected to attract new segments of investors who will pour extra finances and liquidity into Egypts governmental financial market and will contribute to decreasing the cost of the states public budget deficit, according to Maait.

The minister said the sovereign sukuk will allow utilising the state-owned assets according to the beneficial right system through either ownership without usufruct or renting.

He added that the finance ministry drafted the sovereign sukuk bill after consulting with concerned ministries, entities, and Islamic banks that have an experience in this regard to ensure the sukuks comply with Sharia.

According to the Islamic sukuk purchasing rules, the issuer must make a contractual promise to buy back the bond at a future date at par value.

Sukuk is a financial certificate issued in Islamic countries that allows investors to have a share of ownership in a portfolio of existing or eligible assets.

It also provides the investor with a proof of ownership in a specific asset and various financial obligations while conducting trade and other commercial activities.

Despite the COVID-19 crisis that has hit world economies, this year's global sukuk volumes are expected to match last year's, and sukuk supply is expected to increase with the rise in funding needs, according to a report by Fitch Ratings in October.

According to the report, sovereigns are expected to remain the major contributors to overall sukuk volumes as they face widening fiscal deficits and high borrowing needs, caused by the dual shock of the coronavirus-associated economic disruptions and the collapse in global oil prices.

The volume of outstanding Fitch-rated sukuk recorded $116.2 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2020.

The volume of outstanding Fitch-rated Green and Sustainability sukuk reached $7.2 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2020.

Throughout September and October, Egypt issued sovereign governmental green bonds, worth $750 million, domestically and in the London exchange stock market, the first of their kind in the Middle East and North Africa.

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CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), member of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Hani Salem Sonbol has started a five-day visit to Cairo, in his first official visit to the country since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.

During his visit, Sonbol is scheduled to attend the launch of a number of new projects and initiatives that are executed in cooperation with the Egyptian government.

He will also hold meetings with a number of Egyptian ministers, including ministers of planning and economic development, petroleum and mineral resources, supply and internal trade, trade and industry to discuss means of expanding cooperation and strengthening further the successful partnership with the Egyptian government.

He will take part in the launch of the SheTrades Egypt initiative in cooperation with the International Trade Center (ITC), which comes within the framework of the Aid for Trade Initiative for the Arab States (AfTIAS) Program.

The initiative catalyzes a strong network of Egyptian women entrepreneurs to help them thrive in international trade and increase their access to global markets and financial resources through bridging the finance gap for women entrepreneurs, which is estimated to be worth more than $ 1.6 trillion.

To enhance the potential of trade between the Arab and African regions, Sonbol will also witness the conclusion of the workshop entitled Entering African Markets, which is organized by the Egyptian Export Development Authority in cooperation with the ITFC for days as part of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program, Egyptian regional trade promotion program, which is under the auspices of Egypts Minister of Trade and Industry.

I am looking forward to a successful visit to Egypt, which is considered to be the first official visit since the pandemic outbreak. Egypt is a strategic partner of ITFC, where our historic relationship accumulated total trade financing of $11.2 billion in support of key sectors, namely energy and food," Sonbol said.

He added ITFC has recently provided an integrated trade solutions that included $200 million in favor of the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) to align with the Egyptian governments needs of basic strategic commodities, in addition to a capacity building program that aimed at enhancing the authoritys capabilities to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Organisers of the Ismailia International Film Festival for documentaries and short films are racing to complete preparations ahead of the widely anticipated 22nd edition that was finally rescheduled to take place between 16 and 21 June.

The challenging edition of the prestigious event received the culture ministry's green-light last week, after successive rescheduling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the cabinet eased up public gatherings restrictions.

The first Arab festival of its kind, which has been taking place annually since 1991, usually attracts filmmakers and critics due to its rich programming, which this year is being coordinated by newly appointed artistic director Safaa Morad.

Under the direction of prominent critic Essam Zakareya, who is heading the festival for its fourth successive edition, a special tribute is planned for veteran Egyptian film critic Kamal Ramzy.

During the festivals 21st edition -- held in April 2019 -- some Egyptian and international films celebrated their world premiere, including Amr Bayoumis Where did Ramses Go?, which won Best Long Documentary.

Although documentaries and short films are not immensely popular in the Arab country, the Ismailia Festival, which does not host many star actors, has been increasingly drawing attention in the coastal city.

Since the last edition, the festivals competition has been divided, with two judging panels: one for long and short documentaries and another for short and animated films.

Ismailia is located 100km east of the Egyptian capital Cairo. Various modes of transportation are available to travel to the Suez Canal city, where accommodation costs are lower than in Cairo and with several hotels and resorts available for different budgets.

A few days after the Ismailia's festival, another important cinematic event is taking place in the south, as the Aswan International Women Film Festival's fifth edition has also been approved, which will take place between 24 and 29 June.

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

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The words revolution, uprising and revolt often conjure up images of sudden and forceful social eruptions, sparking random violence and triggering chaos.

The scale of the death and destruction associated with the French and Russian Revolutions, for example, is almost unparalleled in modern history, with millions killed or wounded and societies torn apart.

Violence in social upheavals is nothing new. All revolutions suffer from this phenomenon to a certain extent as a common dynamic of interaction between revolutionaries, disgruntled citizens and security forces loyal to the authorities.

As anti-government demonstrations rock streets around the world today from Santiago to Hong Kong, discussion has focused on the growing violence and chaos in protests billed as rallies against the ruling political class and their Iranian allies in Iraq.

In Baghdad and cities across Iraq, masses of people have taken to the streets since 1 October, angry over corruption, poor governance, a lack of jobs and Irans increasing interference in the countrys domestic affairs.

But unlike other protests worldwide, the marches in Iraq have been marred by extreme violence. Some 500 people have been killed by the authorities and their allied militias since the turmoil began, and thousands of others have been left wounded or disabled.

The deadly use of live ammunition and tear gas grenades against mostly unarmed demonstrators and the assassinations and kidnappings of key activists have stoked the protests that began as an eruption of public anger against a corrupt ruling elite seen as serving Iran.

When the protests resumed after a two-week hiatus in October because of Shia religious events, the capital Baghdad was shocked by the security forces unleashing lethal canisters of tear gas that were used to kill rather than disperse the protesters.

The international rights group Amnesty International gathered evidence that pointed to the Iraqi security forces deploying military grade grenades against protesters in Baghdad, apparently aiming for their heads or bodies at point-blank range.

Shocking pictures showed gruesome wounds inflicted by skull-piercing tear gas grenades that also cause more severe asphyxiation and trauma wounds than those used against other rallies worldwide.

The Iraqi security forces also used live ammunition extensively against unarmed protesters who showed no signs of leaving the streets.

Hundreds were killed when the security forces fired live bullets in an attempt to stop the protesters trying to reach government offices in Baghdad and Iranian consulates in Basra, Nassiriya, Najaf and Karbala.

In some of the most violent moments in the uprising, the Iraqi security forces shot dead at least 33 protesters in Nassiriya after Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi ordered the deployment of special anti-riot forces.

Lynn Maalouf of Amnesty International described scenes from the city that morning as more closely resembling a war zone than city streets and bridges.

On 6 December, gunmen attacked unarmed protesters near the Sinak Bridge in Baghdad and shot 12 people, wounded about 100 others and kidnapped many more.

The attack came as anti-government demonstrators occupied parts of the citys Jumhuriya, Sinak and Ahrar Bridges in a standoff with the security forces. All the Bridges lead to or are near the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraqs government.

Iraqi President Barham Salih blamed the shootings on criminal gangs, but the protesters said the attackers had been members of Iran-backed militias that are now part of the Iraqi security forces.

Although the Iraqi uprising has prided itself on its peaceful protests, there have been numerous violent clashes with security forces who have been attacked with stones, Molotov cocktails and slingshots.

As the anger soared, the protesters have also resorted to arson, a familiar part of public unrest in parts of the region. Protesters torched the Iranian consulates in the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, driving the police to fire on them.

In Nassiriya and other southern cities, the protesters also set fire or tried to torch provincial government buildings and the houses of officials and MPs they accused of corruption.

But the most serious act of arson was when protesters in Najaf set fire to the entrance of the shrine of Baqir Al-Hakim, a Shia cleric and politician and founder of one of the Iran-backed factions.

When government security forces firing tear gas failed to disperse the protesters from the shrine, Shia militias were deployed to attack them at the scene, risking more bloodshed and a standoff that lasted for days.

As the demonstrations enter their third month, the violence is now increasing, with an increase in threats, kidnappings and the killings of activists and protesters, including of young women and photojournalists by unknown groups.

Hundreds of protesters were kidnapped after leaving Tahrir Square in Baghdad and disappeared for days before they escaped or were freed by the security forces or their abductors.

Zaid Al-Khafaji, a photojournalist known for documenting the protests, was taken from his home in a Baghdad neighbourhood after returning from the Square at approximately 4am. A black car with at least four men in it was seen taking Al-Khafaji away.

In one case last week, 11 protesters who were kidnapped collectively from a bus four days earlier after leaving Tahrir Square arrived in their hometown of Karbala following their release.

The UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) meanwhile said it had credible evidence that thousands of demonstrators had been arrested and held incommunicado or abducted by unknown armed men.

Several activists were killed at point-blank range in a string of targeted assassinations, fostering fear among the protesters and their families. Early in the protests, masked men killed activist and caricaturist Hussein Adil Al-Madani and his wife Sarah inside their apartment in Basra.

Last week, Ali Al-Lami, who was kidnapped from Tahrir Square, was killed in the Al-Shaab area northeast of Baghdad where his body was found with a gunshot wound to the head.

Several assassinations of protesters have taken place elsewhere, including by car bombs or drive-by shootings. In all these attacks against the protesters, the perpetrators have not been identified.

While the young protesters have shown a remarkable ability to resist being drawn into violence even though they have suffered great losses, a dynamic of political violence seems to be in the making in Iraq, raising fears of further excessively violent crackdowns on the peaceful protests.

Last week, young men in the protests lynched a teenager in Baghdad after they accused him of firing on them. A mob stabbed the boy 17 times, hung him by his ankles from a traffic light, and then cut his throat.

In horrific videos of the scene, people in police uniforms can be seen in the midst of the mob, seemingly turning a blind eye to the attack and ignoring calls from the protesters to intervene.

Pictures and video footage showed scores of people pointing their cell-phones at the body dangling above them in the square.

The leaders of the protests in Tahrir Square quickly distanced themselves from the attack and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. They urged the government to put the killers in the hands of the judiciary.

Yet, the brutal episode has underscored growing fears and suspicions swirling around the nearly three-month-old protests, particularly that the excessive violence could radically change the course of an uprising that has claimed to be committed to pacifism in the face of violence.

So far, the Iraqi protesters have insisted on remaining peaceful and seeking change through peaceful means, but a debate has been underway among activists, supporters and analysts whether pacifism will work as a strategy against the killings, kidnappings and arrests of the protesters.

Since the uprising started on 1 October, the protesters have been debating whether they should storm the Green Zone, the fortified area in Baghdad that hosts main government offices and the houses of the ruling elites.

Whether for moral, political or strategic reasons, the debate has not been settled, but analysts believe that the increasing violence against the demonstrators could eventually lead some dispossessed protesters who have seen their friends being killed to think about hitting back.

On the security forces side, there is no conclusive evidence of a coordinated or coherent strategy aimed specifically at ending the uprising by the use of massive force. Their responses to the protests thus far have been contradictory, haphazard and appearing to be working at cross-purposes.

But that is not necessarily the case with the Iran-backed militias that form the backbone of the powerful Popular Mobilisation Force (PMF) whose leaders have indicated a willingness to use whatever it takes to crush the uprising.

However, as the conflict escalates and the ruling class in Iraq remains entrenched, the prospects for the protesters, no matter whether they use peaceful or violent methods, look unrewarding.

Even so, they are likely to fight on.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 19 December, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The past year saw an increase in Google searches about mental health and emotional wellbeing. In response, the Arabic version of Google Assistant has launched a new service that will respond to queries about emotional wellbeing and coping mechanisms.

Google has announced that it is working with UAE-based mental health organisation Safe Space and its network of licensed therapists to draft a series of coping mechanisms on which Google Assistant will base its answers.

Ahram Online spoke with Salma El Shahed , Communication and Public Affairs manager at Google and Yasmin A. Razek, MA, RP, Registered Psychotherapist, Marriage & Family Therapist, to shed light on the new programme.

AO: Can you explain to the reader the idea behind the new Google Assistant feature?

Salma El Shahed: If anyone tells the Arabic Assistant, which understands Egyptian Arabic, that theyre sad, lonely, scared, or angry, they will hear responses based on coping mechanisms drafted by licensed therapists.

AO: In light of these challenging times, how important was the introduction of the new feature to Arabic-speaking societies?

S SH: Pretty important! The fact is, there is a growing interest in emotional wellbeing, and especially in our part of the world. Mental health research output in the Arab world has increased by almost 160 percent in the past 10 years, in comparison to 57 percent for the rest of the world. (Frontiers, 2020). We hope these new responses on the Assistant provide people valuable and helpful information.

AO: How will the interface be simplified to ensure speakers of different Arabic dialects have equal access?

S SH: The good thing about the Arabic version of the Google Assistant is that it understands all Arabic dialects. The interface of the Assistant is pretty simple, simply say Ok Google and ask your question. One of our favourite things about the Assistant is that it doesnt just provide the answer in the form of text, it also reads it out loud, which makes the information more accessible.

AO: What are the obstacles to addressing mental health in our society?

Yasmin A. Razek: Although theres some progress, one of the biggest challenges that still exists when it comes to mental health is the stigma thats attached to it. Many individuals struggle in silence and are either not aware of the resources available around them or are unable to ask for help for their mental health out of fear of family members or friends finding out, or instilled societal beliefs that may influence them in keeping these matters private and ineffectively dealing with them on their own.

While working on reducing levels of stigma and discrimination around mental health, we are also increasing awareness and knowledge in our communities, helping individuals identify their moods and feelings, offering coping mechanisms, and connecting them to resources.

Addressing mental health is immensely important and the fact that we are shedding light and normalising mental health and asking for support is a wonderful step in the right direction for our society.

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Israel could overcome advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles if they were deployed in Syria but any strikes on the system would be difficult and risk alienating its supplier, Russia.

Israel has pledged to take preventive action, seeing a future Syrian S-300 as a "game-changing" threat to its own airspace as well as to the relative free rein with which it now overflies its northern foe and neighbouring Lebanon.

Experts agree that Israeli sabotage or open force to disrupt delivery by Russia is extremely unlikely - a view seemingly shored up by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's announcement on Thursday that the first missiles had arrived.

That leaves Israel lobbying Moscow to slow down the shipment in hopes it would be overtaken and scrapped if Assad fell to a more than two-year-old rebellion, and in parallel preparing counter-measures to neutralise the S-300 on the ground in Syria.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror as warning European diplomats that Israel would "prevent the S-300 missiles from becoming operational". That may be achieved by ensuring Assad does not get the full system, experts say, or by disabling it militarily if he does.

"The S-300 would be the pinnacle of Russian-supplied arms for Syria," Colonel Zvika Haimovich, a senior Israeli air force officer, told Reuters in an interview. "Though it would impinge on our operations, we are capable of overcoming it."

He said Israel's "red line" on the S-300 was "between Syria and others". This was a hint Israel might hold off on bombing the batteries as long they did not appear set on shooting down planes within Israeli airspace, of being transferred to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas or to Iran both staunch allies of Assad and enemies of Israel, or of being looted by Islamist rebels.

MARKETING MOSCOW

The Israelis excel in electronic warfare. In 1982, they "blinded" Soviet-supplied Syrian anti-aircraft units in Lebanon, then destroyed 19 of them without Israeli losses. Similar technologies helped Israeli jets destroy a suspected nuclear reactor in Syria in 2007 and, this year, to hit Syrian targets on at least three occasions to prevent what intelligence sources called attempts to move advanced weaponry to Hezbollah.

A source close to Russia's defence ministry agreed that the Israelis "likely have a million ways to combat the S-300 electronically". But he questioned their feasibility because they had not been tested in war.

"So, whether the S-300 would fail or not cannot be known".

Robert Hewson, an IHS Jane's air power analyst, predicted Israeli prowess would prevail in Syria while cautioning that the S-300 would be the most formidable air defence system it had ever faced. "Israel has had nasty surprises from these things before," he said, noting its steep losses to the Soviet anti-aircraft missiles used by Syria and Egypt in the 1973 war.

Hewson felt Israel would prefer to destroy the S-300 in Syria but may opt instead just to circumvent it as required for missions, especially if there was the risk of inadvertently killing or wounding Russians helping to install the system.

Security sources have put the number of Russian military personnel in Syria at several hundred.

"The Russians would react badly to losing their people, and Israel knows that equally," Hewson said.

Former Israeli defence minister Moshe Arens said Moscow should be mindful of the harm that seeing the S-300 defeated in Syria would do to exports of the system elsewhere.

Past clients include Cyprus, whose S-300, posted on the Greek island of Crete, may have given Israel's air force a chance for test runs during manoeuvres over the Mediterranean.

"I'd be very surprised if the Russians deliver this system (to Syria)," Arens told Israel Radio. "It would become apparent that our air force is capable of besting this system, and that would not make for good advertising."

Playing down the strategic challenge that would be posed to Israel by a Syrian S-300, Arens added. "We are not afraid. This would simply change the situation, and we are not interested in the situation being changed to our detriment."

HAZY DEPLOYMENT TIMELINE

The timeline for the anticipated Syrian deployment of the S-300 remains hazy. Hewson said it could be "up and running within a minimum of a few weeks" once all components were in, and provided qualified Syrian personnel were available.

But the Russian defence ministry source said he knew of no Syrians who had already been trained by Moscow, and put the completion of the S-300 delivery at "six to 12 months from now".

Assuming Assad survives in power, such a lag could provide Israel with thwarting opportunities.

Hewson said the truck-towed S-300 would be physically hard to conceal. Its radar, if activated, would emit a distinctive signal that Israel could easily monitor, he added.

Diplomatic alternatives may not have been exhausted, though.

Yuval Steinitz, a senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet, held on Thursday what political sources described as a discussion of the Syrian S-300 deal with Russian Ambassador Sergei Yakovlev.

In 2010, following Israeli appeals, Russia scrapped an S-300 sale to Iran. In what may have been a quid pro quo, the Israelis also agreed that year to sell Russia surveillance drones that would narrow its technological military gap with rival Georgia.

Russia now has other strategic interests - for example, investment in Israel's Mediterranean gas fields. Silvan Shalom, another Israeli cabinet minister, told Reuters that Russian President Vladimir Putin mentiond the gas fields while hosting Netanyahu in Sochi on May 14 for talks that focused on Syria.

But Zvi Magen, a former Israeli ambassador to Moscow, was sceptical that Israel could offer anything that would spur Putin to slacken his support for Assad. "There's too much at stake here for the Russians," he said.

He was alluding to the conflagration's wider geo-strategic dimensions - pitting a Russian preference to keep Syria under Assad's control to preserve Moscow's last significant toehold in the Middle East against a Western and Gulf Arab desire for the downfall of Assad to roll back Iranian influence in the region.

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KYODO NEWS - Jun 6, 2021 - 12:25 | Feature, All, Japan

The Japan Agricultural Cooperatives group and wholesalers are stepping up efforts to export rice to the world's largest rice-consuming nation China as the domestic market shrinks.

Those dealers are tying up with Chinese companies and promoting high-priced, high-quality rice on the back of the Japanese food boom in China, although concerns remain over the impact of deteriorating U.S.-China relations on Japan-China ties.

According to Japan's agriculture ministry, Japanese rice costs two to three times more than rice grown in China or the United States. Export costs make Japanese rice even more expensive in overseas markets.

Thus prices need to be reduced for Japanese rice to be affordable for average families and competitive in overseas markets.

China consumes about 140 million tons of rice annually, about 20 times more than Japan, where rice consumption has fallen by around 100,000 tons each year due largely to a falling number of children and changes in people's eating habits.

In April, Zen-Noh International Corp., a Tokyo-based subsidiary of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives, said it will supply rice made in Niigata Prefecture for Chinese food giant COFCO to sell under its new imported rice brand King Food.

The first batch of supply is only 48 tons. Zen-Noh, however, sees its tie-up with COFCO as a major step forward, calling it a chance to have Chinese customers pick up Japanese rice.

Major wholesaler Kitoku Shinryo Co., also based in Tokyo, began to export rice to China in 2016, and has seen sales growth for products suitable as Chinese New Year gifts.

"There is a great deal of consumption appetite in China, so we see big room for growth," an official of Kitoku Shinryo said.

The company is now considering offering products at Chinese e-commerce platform Tmall, run by the Alibaba group.

The Japanese government has a goal of increasing the value of rice exports to China fivefold from the 2019 level to 1.9 billion yen in 2025.

But such an attempt is unlikely to succeed if Japan's relations with China worsen amid continued tension between China and the United States, a key ally for Japan.

"We don't expect an immediate impact," a Kitoku Shinryo official said, referring to a possible worsening of Japan-China ties. But he added that "the pace of rice exports may slow" if there is any boycott of Japanese products by Chinese customers.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 6, 2021 - 19:27 | World, All, Coronavirus

The United States will donate 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan as part of Washington's global vaccine sharing program, U.S. senators who visited the island said on Sunday.

One of the senators, Tammy Duckworth, said upon her arrival at Taipei Songshan Airport on a U.S. Air Force freighter that Taiwan would receive 750,000 doses of the vaccine as part of the first tranche of U.S. donations.

"It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognize your urgent need and we value this partnership," Duckworth said after the group arrived from South Korea.

On Thursday, the White House said that it plans to share roughly 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with others worldwide by the end of this month.

Of those, 7 million will be distributed to Asian countries and Taiwan through the U.N.-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing program. It did not specify how many doses Taiwan will receive.

The American Institute in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy in lieu of formal diplomatic ties with Taipei, said on Sunday that the bipartisan congressional delegation consisted of Duckworth, Sen. Dan Sullivan of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Sen. Christopher Coons of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

During their three-hour stay, the delegation members met with President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu to "discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, and other significant issues of mutual interest," according to the institute.

Washington's promised donation came after Japan delivered, free of charge, 1.24 million doses of AstraZeneca Plc's coronavirus vaccine to the self-ruled island on Friday.

Taiwan has been grappling with a spike in coronavirus cases since mid-May. As of Sunday, the total confirmed cases were 11,298, including 260 deaths, according to data by Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.

As the island continues to battle hundreds of new daily cases with a low supply of vaccines, Taiwan said China interfered in its vaccine purchase negotiations with German pharmaceutical company BioNTech SE.

China regards the democratic island as a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary.

Related coverage:

Taiwan thanks Japan for "timely" donation of vaccine

Japan to give 1.24 mil. COVID vaccine doses to Taiwan Fri.

Taiwan confirms 185 new COVID cases, raising alert for 2 cities
KYODO NEWS - Jun 6, 2021 - 21:36 | World, All

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has proposed to Myanmar's military-led government nominees for a special envoy who would serve as a mediator in future dialogue between the junta and pro-democracy forces.

ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi and Erywan Pehin Yusof, second foreign minister of Brunei, which holds the bloc's rotating presidency, visited Myanmar on Thursday and Friday and submitted the names of the nominees proposed by ASEAN member states to the junta, according to a statement released Saturday. But it did not reveal the names of the nominees.

On Friday, the two officials met with Myanmar junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw to discuss the crisis in the country following last February's military coup.

The dispatch of the special envoy was one of the five items agreed upon at an extraordinary ASEAN summit held in Indonesia in late April to discuss the situation in the country.

The five items also included the need for an immediate suspension of violence and humanitarian assistance from ASEAN.

During the meeting, Erywan Pehin Yusof, who serves as the chair of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, also called on Min Aung Hlaing and other Myanmar officials to release all political prisoners, which include women, children and foreigners.

It had been believed that the special envoy would be dispatched in mid-May, but the junta has so far shown little willingness to accept such a delegate.

Myanmar has said it will "give careful consideration to constructive suggestions" made by ASEAN leaders only "when the situation returns to stability in the country," making arrangements for dispatch of the special envoy potentially tricky.

Since the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government, the junta has kept her and other prominent politicians in detention while using brute force against anti-coup protesters.

As of Saturday, 847 people have been killed by the country's security forces since the Feb. 1 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group that keeps track of deaths and arrests in Myanmar.

Related coverage:

ASEAN representatives meet with Myanmar junta leader

FOCUS: No breakthrough on horizon in Myanmar crisis 4 months after coup

Junta-ruled Myanmar facing cash shortage, rising prices
Hanoi:

Vietnamese courts have handed down harsh prison sentences to two dozen people after finding them guilty of terrorism and subversion including a case linked to an exiled group.

A court in Ho Chi Minh City convicted 14 people for a petrol bomb attack at the city's international airport in April and sentenced them to between five and 16 years in prison on Wednesday.

The bomb caused a scare but no casualties. It was linked to an exiled group of the defeated South Vietnamese republic.

Also Read| Four inmates dead, 36 missing in Nigeria jail break: police

A court in south-central province of Binh Dinh sentenced nine people to between three to 14 years for attempted subversion and spreading propaganda against the communist state.

Both cases were reported by state-run Thanh Nien newspaper. Court officials were unavailable for comment on Thursday.

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Saudi Arabias Prince Sultan University (PSU) has signed an agreement with enterprise software leader VMware to set up the first regional VMware IT Academy, supporting youth digital skills development and Saudi Vision 2030.



VMware IT Academy is a publicprivate partnership to help individuals gain the foundational digital knowledge they need to compete in todays workforce by providing access to undergraduate certifications and ongoing skills education.



PSU, the first private university in the Kingdom, already offers select VMware courses and now plans to expand this with more tutors and the comprehensive range of courses to its more than 6,000 undergraduate students.



As the regional hub, the university will also be responsible for implementing the IT Academy program across other higher educational institutions and training the new tutors to further enhance Saudi Arabias skill sets.



Saudi Vision 2030 aims to transform the Kingdom into a globally competitive ICT hub and boost local content , particularly local participation, employment and foreign direct investment in manufacturing and services. Spending on IT in Saudi Arabia is set to grow more than $6 billion through 2024, according to a recent report by Technavio.



Dr Mohamed Alkanhal, Dean of Computer & Information Sciences, PSU, said: Saudi Vision 2030 has elevated the role of technology in developing Saudi Arabias economy and society, creating huge demand for advanced IT skills. Were thrilled to be in discussions as the first Regional VMware IT Academy in the Gulf. PSU students will have the opportunity to gain advanced training in VMware technologies to help them secure in-demand IT jobs, and support post-pandemic digital transformation in Saudi Arabia and across the region."



The VMware IT Academy will help students to develop advanced IT skills in areas including modern apps, cloud and automation, and digital workspace. Courses will initially be delivered online due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. PSU already has 16 tutors trained to deliver the VMware IT Academy syllabus, and it is anticipated that teaching will start in September.



In line with Saudi Vision 2030s aims to empower women in the workforce, PSU and VMware are committed to encouraging women to participate in the programme and progress their careers in ICT. Three of the PSU tutors trained to deliver the VMware courses are women, and the university is planning initiatives to maximize the number of female students who enrol on the courses.



Saif Mashat, Country General Manager for Saudi Arabia, VMware, said: We hope the Regional VMware IT Academy at PSU will play a key role in supporting IT job creation and training the Gulf regions next generation of ICT innovators. Students will gain the practical training, knowledge and certifications they need to help transform the regions economy and society, and improve the lives of citizens and residents.



VMware has collaborated with PSU since 2017, when VMware partnered with PSU on the Education for Employment initiative (E4E), which helps Saudi graduates from any university gain vocational IT skills for employment. The E4E programme, which includes courses on VMware Virtual Data Center and VMware vSphere, has already helped 141 graduates gain employment between 2019 and 2020, with a further 100 students on track to be hired in 2021 as a result of the programme.  TradeArabia News Service
Bengaluru:

After last years alleged molestation cases during new year celebrations on Bengalurus brigade road, police this time have doubled the security at brigade road and its surroundings on the eve of December 31.

T. Sunil Kumar, Police commissioner of Bengaluru city said, We will deploy 2000 policemen including 500 women personnel and 250 CCTV cameras will be placed in the Brigade road and adjacent streets.

Security will not only be tightened on the brigade road but in the entire city. Fifteen thousand policemen will be deployed in the city which includes 4 additional commissioners, 2 joint commissioner s, 19 DCPs, 49 ACPs and 400 police inspectors.

T. Sunil Kumar, police commissioner Bengaluru said, Drones will also be patrolling the City and Hotel, Restaurants, Bars will remain Open till 2 am.

Taking precautions, Bengaluru police has decided to close all flyovers with alternate routes from 10 pm on December 31.

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New Delhi:

India on Tuesday hit back at Pakistan, accusing it of violating mutual understandings on Kulbhushan Jadhav's meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced and under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of his mother and wife removed before they could meet him, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.



Also, most of Jadhav's remarks were clearly tutored and designed "to perpetuate the false narrative" of his alleged spying in Pakistan, it said in a no-holds-barred statement against Islamabad's conduct.



Summing up its anger, India said the manner in which Pakistan conducted Jadhav's meeting on Monday with his family violated the letter and spirit of understandings that the two countries had.



Countering Pakistan's contention that the meeting was a humanitarian concession, India's statement said "this exercise lacked any credibility."



"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the MEA statement said.



"We also regret that contrary to assurances, the overall atmosphere of the meeting was intimidating insofar as family members were concerned," it said.

Also read: Pak played cruel joke, meeting just a drama: Sarabjit Singh's sister

Family members, however, handled the situation with "great courage and fortitude," the ministry said. The 47-year-old Jadhav's "appearance also raises questions of his health and well being."



The meeting, at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad, took place after repeated requests by India for family access.



Jadhav, who was captured in March, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.



New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.



During yesteday's meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.



Before the meeting, the two governments were in touch through diplomatic channels and had reached "clear understandings" on the meeting's modalities and format, the MEA statement said.



While India "scrupulously abided by all its commitments," Pakistan violated the letter and spirit of the understandings, it said.



Despite a clear agreement that the media would not be allowed close access, Pakistani press was allowed on multiple occasions to "approach family members closely, harass and hector them and hurl false and motivated accusations" about Jadhav, the statement said.

Also read: Kulbhushan meets family in Islamabad; Pak claims meeting granted as 'humanitarian grounds' on Jinnah's birthday

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. "This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said.



Jadhav's mother was prevented from talking in their mother tongue, Marathi. She was repeatedly interrupted when she tried to speak in Marathi and eventually prevented from proceeding further, it said.



Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh, who accompanied the two women, was initially separated from them.



They were taken to the meeting without informing Singh, and the meeting was started without him, the statement said.



It added that Singh could join only after pressing the matter with officials, but was still kept behind an additional partition that did not allow him access to the meeting as agreed.



"For some inexplicable reason, despite her repeated requests," Jadhav's wife's shoes were not returned to her after the meeting," it said.

India on Tuesday strongly reacted and showed regret to the way Pakistan conducted the meeting between former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family, asserting that it violated the letter and spirit of understandings, and raised questions over the health and well being of the Indian national.

"From the feedback we have received of the meeting, it appears that Jadhav was under considerable stress and speaking in an atmosphere of coercion," the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said, a day after Jadhav's mother and wife met him at the heavily guarded building of the Pakistani foreign office in Islamabad.

There was a glass screen between Jadhav and his family during the entire meeting and they spoke through an intercom device.

The MEA said most of Jadhav's remarks were "clearly tutored" and designed to perpetuate the false narrative of his alleged activities in Pakistan.

"His appearance also raises questions over his health and well being," it said.

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Thiruvananthapuram:

The Centre will release an immediate assistance of Rs 133 crore to Kerala for rehabilitation of those affected by Cyclone Ockhi, a senior central government official said on Wednesday.

Additional Secretary (Disaster Management) Bipin Mallick told reporters that the state government had sought an immediate assistance of Rs 423 crore of which Rs 133 crore would be released soon.

Mallick and other team members today visited the cyclone-hit regions of Vizhinjam and Beemapally areas here.

The team led by Mallick had on Tuesday visited Poonthura fishing hamlet, among the worst affected. Mallick heard the woes of fisherfolk.

The central team had on Tuesday held discussions with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and top state government officials.

The Congress-led UDF Opposition on Wednesday met Mallick and demanded a special financial package.

UDF leaders led by KPCC President M M Hassan sought the package to take up permanent safety measures in coastal areas to prevent disasters like Ockhi.

The team also visited coastal areas of Ernakulam district.

Malayalam actress Manju Warrier also took time off from her busy schedule to visit the affected families in Poonthura.

The death toll in the cyclone has touched 74 and 134 persons are still missing, according to officials.

After visiting the areas affected by the cyclone, the central team would return here on December 29 and would hold another round of discussions with state government officials.

The state has sought a relief package of Rs 7,434 crore from the Centre to take up various permanent measures for coastal safety and rehabilitation of cyclone-hit fishermen and farmers.

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Lucknow:

A day ahead of the tabling of the triple talaq bill in Parliament, some Muslim women's organisations said on Wednesday that the proposed legislation would not be acceptable if not in consonance with the Quran or the Constitution.

"Nikaah (marriage) is a contract. Whosoever breaks it should be punished. However, if it (Bill) is not in the light of Quran and the Constitution, no Muslim woman will accept it," All India Muslim Women Personal Law board (AIMWPLB) chairperson Shaista Amber told PTI.

"I had sent a letter to the Law Commission requesting it to show the draft bill to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), AIMWPLB, Jamait Islami, Jamiat Ulma-e-Hind and organisations working for women who were given talaq. I got a reply that if needed, it will be discussed but that did not happen," she added.

Holding the AIMPLB responsible for the present state of affairs, Amber said the board never bothered to take triple talaq seriously, and now it was too late.

Muslim Women League's president Naish Hasan said that in the Family Court Act there is always a chance to save a family but the proposed bill does not give such a chance.

"Third party has also been given the right to complain in the bill. That is not fair," she said. Hasan added that the bill should be stalled for now and discussions should be held as a law in haste will complicate matters.

We will protest if the bill is passed without any discussion, she said.

Demanding withdrawal of the bill, the AIMPLB had earlier said the proposed legislation was against the provisions of the Constitution and violated the rights of women.

Describing it a "conspiracy", the AIMPLB at its meeting here on Sunday had accused the government of snatching the right of divorce from men.

AIMPLB chairman Maulana Rabe Hasani Nadwi will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withhold or withdraw the proposed bill that criminalises the practice of instant divorce, an official spokesperson of the Muslim body said.

Also read: Instant triple talaq: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi welcomes SC verdict



In August, the Supreme Court by a majority of 3:2 ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".

The government then drafted the 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill' according to which giving instant divorce will be illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

Also read: SC declares instant triple talaq unconstitutional, illegal, void; says it is against basic tenets of Quran



The bill seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce by repeated the word talaq thrice.

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Kabul:

At least 40 people were killed and dozens more wounded in multiple blasts at a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday, officials said, in the latest deadly violence to hit the Afghan capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Taliban was quick to deny involvement in the assault near the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could have been the target.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the blasts were in fact aimed at the Shiite Tabayan cultural centre.

A ceremony was being held to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan when the explosion went off, he said.

We have 40 killed, 30 wounded, but this is not the final toll. It might go up.

Rahimi said the main blast was followed by two smaller bomb explosions that did not cause casualties.

Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and the Islamic State group (IS) seeks to expand its presence in the country.

Fridays assault comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in an attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city, which was claimed by IS.

The Middle Eastern jihadist group has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015 and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the countrys Shiite minority.

A hospital official told local TV that 18 wounded had been brought to his facility.

Five of the wounded are in critical condition and our doctors are working to save their lives, Sabir Nasib, head of Istiqlal hospital, said.

A man attending the anniversary ceremony said he heard a big boom.

Also Read | Russia President Vladimir Putin calls Saint Petersburg blast 'act of terror'

We do not know the numbers (of casualties). When the explosion happened we immediately fled, he told Tolo News.

Mohammad Hasan Rezayee, a university student also at the ceremony, told Tolo News he had suffered burns to his face in the blast.

After the blast there was fire and smoke inside the building and everyone was pleading for help, he said.

Photos posted on Afghan Voice Agencys Facebook page showed the inside of a compound with debris and bodies lying on the ground.

Security in the city has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others mostly civilians.

Afghan media has previously been targeted by militants, underlying the risks faced by journalists in the war-torn country.

In November an attack on Afghan broadcaster Shamshad TV in Kabul, claimed by the Islamic State group, left at least one person dead and two dozen others wounded.

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New Delhi:

Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to exclude bamboo from the definition of tree under the Indian Forest Act, claiming it would improve the earnings of tribals and dwellers living around forests.

The Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill, which was adopted by the Lok Sabha on December 20, was passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha, amid a walk-out by member of the Congress, Biju Janta Dal and the Samajwadi Party.

The opposition parties protested its passage saying the bill was being passed in a hurry without proper consultations with stakeholders and the states. Besides, they alleged it would favour the industrialists. Replying to a short debate, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Harsh Vardhan said the bill to amend the 1927 Indian Forest Act would benefit the tribals, forest dweller and farmers as their income would increase.

The bill permits felling and transit of bamboo grown in non-forest areas. However, bamboo grown on forest lands would continue to be classified as tree and would be guided by the existing legal restrictions.

"I am really shocked to see that you (opposition ) cant see the benefit of tribals and poor farmers who are going to benefit after the bill is passed," he told the House amid protest from the opposition members.

Attacking the opposition which repeatedly questioned the government taking ordinance route, Vardhan said the process to make the bill a reality was going on for a long time and the government could no longer see tribals suffer in the country.

"It took us 90 years to do it. It was long awaited in India. We cannot allow tribals and poor farmers of the country to suffer," he said.

On the opposition charge that states were not consulted, the minister said that 26 states and union territories had responded on the bill while 24 of them had supported it.

Vardhan said the bill would not only increase rural income but also help in increasing green cover across the country.

Bamboo, the minister said, was used extensively in a variety of applications such as furnishing, yarn, pulp and paper, handicrafts, decoration and musical instruments.

Earlier while moving the bill for passage, Vardhan said the major objective of the amendment was to promote the cultivation of bamboo in non-forest areas and improve farmers income, keeping in mind the Governments "ambitious" target of doubling farmers income by 2022.

The Minister observed that after the amendment, all the legal and regulatory hardships faced by the farmers and other individuals will be removed.

Dissatisfied with his reply, Congress, SP and BJD members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha.

Participating in the debate, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had opposed the bill terming it as "very misleading" and one which would work against the interests of tribals in the long run.

After the minister's reply, Ramesh, a former Union Environment Minister, said it was most unsatisfactory on all counts and walked out of the House. He was followed by his other party members.



Ramesh questioned the "urgency" of promulgating the ordinance when Parliament was in session, alleging that the government was bringing the amendment to benefit private players and taking away the control of the forest areas from the Gram Sabhas. The Congress leader alleged that the bill was "trampling upon the rights of the Gram Sabha, which are enshrined in the Indian Forest Act".

Several opposition members including D Raja(CPI), Pradeep Tamta (Congress), Viplove Thakur (Congress) also opposed the bill.

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New Delhi:

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday termed as inhuman the restrictions imposed by Pakistan during Kulbhushan Jadhavs meeting with his wife and mother in Islamabad, saying it has hurt the sentiments of Indians.

Referring to the restrictions, Naidu said the move to ask Jadhavs wife take off her mangal sutra has not got down well with the people of India.

He was of the view that Pakistan did not do any good for itself by its handling of the meeting while showcasing to the world its gesture, a statement issued by the Vice Presidents Secretariat said.

The meeting between Jadhav and his mother and wife took place on December 25 at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad after repeated requests by India for family access.

Jadhav, who was arrested in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

Yesterday, India accused Pakistan of violating mutual understanding on Jadhavs meeting with his family, and said the Indian national appeared coerced under considerable stress during the tightly-controlled interaction.

Also Read | Pakistan sends shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic testing

Naidu made these remarks while interacting with faculty members and students from the universities of Harvard, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Vice President said that while India seeks peace in the region for the benefit of all, some nations were adopting a different approach.

He said during the interaction that the Indian voter has shown great maturity from time to time while casting ballot as was evident in their fierce defence of personal freedoms by voting against the Emergency in 1977.

India faces the challenges of inequality, rural-urban divide, unemployment, border issues, poverty and illiteracy. The ruling and opposition parties need to work together with shared perspectives for further strengthening parliamentary democracy, Naidu said.

He said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Demonetisation were development-oriented reforms undertaken by the government.

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New Delhi:

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and six others will face trial under an anti-terror law in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case as the special NIA court here today dismissed their applications for discharge.



The court has, however, dropped provisions under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA)against all the accused. It discharged three accused - Shyam Sahu, ShivnarayanKalsangra and Praveen Takalki - from the case.

The court said the accused persons will face trial under sections 16 (committing a terror act) and 18 (criminal conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA),and sections 120(b) (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 302(murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (intentionally causing harm to others) of the IPC.

"The UAPA sections 17 (raising funds for a terrorist organisation or a terrorist attack), 20 (being part of a terrorist organisation) and 23 (aiding somebody who is part of a terrorist organisation) have been dropped against all accused," special NIA judge S D Tekale said.

Also read: Malegaon bomb blast case: NIA court grants bail to two accused

Apart from Sadhvi and Purohit, the accused who will now face trial in the case are: Sudhakar Dwivedi, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and AjayRahirkar.

Two accused - Jagdish Mhatre and Rakesh Dhawde - will face trial only under the Arms Act, the court said.

The court has asked all the accused persons to appear before it on January 15 for the formal framing of charges against them.

Also read: 2008 Malegaon blast case: Accused Sameer Kulkarni gets bail on grounds of parity



On September 29, 2008, there was a bomb explosion nearBhiku Chowk at Malegaon in Nashik district, killing six persons and injuring several others.

The blast took place by an improvised explosive device(IED) fitted upon an LML Freedom motorcycle.









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New Delhi:

The Congress on Thursday condemned Pakistan for harassing Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife, and said it was an "insult" to all Indians.

The Opposition party said the matter was "important" enough to put an end to the impasse in the Rajya Sabha.

"We, as Indians, protest this strongly and condemn strongly this act of Pakistani government and we would like to discuss, show our displeasure tomorrow on the floor of the House. This was the single most important case, we did not want to continue the impasse," Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters outside Parliament.

The Rajya Sabha has not functioned normally since the start of the winter session on December 15, due to disruptions by the opposition over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

He condemned Pakistan's action of forcing Jadhav's mother and wife change their clothes and remove "bindi" and "mangal sutra", besides shoes.

"This is not just an insult to the mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav but also an insult of India. This is an insult to 1.3 billion Indian people irrespective of religion and caste," he said.

Azad said the way Jadhav's wife and mother were harassed and treated by the Pakistani government, it is something which "simply we should not tolerate as Indians".

"We may be in the opposition but we are Indian first Kulbhushan Jadhav is our fellow citizen. We will cooperate with the government... we would expect that he should get justice," Azad said.

The Congress leader said Pakistan had to succumb to international pressure to allow Jadhav's family members to meet him, but "we did not expect that his family members mother and wife will be separated by glass wall".

"We could never think of that they will not allow to meet, hug and talk to each other face to face. They were allowed to talk through intercom. What is difference between intercom and telephone His family members were watching him over television for the last so many years," he said.

The Congress today ended the week-long impasse over Modi's "conspiracy with Pakistan" remarks against Singh made during the Gujarat poll campaign.

Asked whether this was a climbdown or succumbing to any pressure, he said, "There is no question of succumbing under pressure and we shall never compromise with our commitment. Our commitment is most important for us, commitment to the country, the people are very important to us."

Also read: Jadhav-family meet: Pak restrictions 'inhuman', says VP Naidu



Azad said, "We did not want to continue this logjam for longer period. We have come to the conclusion that the government was feeling happier with this impasse in Parliament."

"We decided that we should not confine ourselves to one issue and hammer in time and again for days and weeks together. That means to let up the government from these issues which come up every day. I think we could smell that the government and the ministers particularly those facing the question hour were very happy," he said.

Also read: Govt to make statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in both Houses of Parliament tomorrow: Sushma Swaraj



He said talks were on with the government to end the stalemate and that a committee had been formed by the Rajya Sabha chairman and both the sides concluded that other issues needed to be taken up in the Upper House.

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New Delhi:

India-Nepal relations were back on track in 2017 with the high-level bilateral exchanges but their future ties would depend mainly on the approach adopted by the pro-China Left alliance which came to power in the recently concluded parliamentary polls.

The Himalayan nation, sandwiched between India and China, saw enhanced military ties with them in 2017, with Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat and Chinese Defence Minister Gen Chang Wanquan visiting Nepal to strengthen security cooperation.

In April, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari made her first abroad trip to New Delhi after assuming office in 2015, highlighting the significance of the ties with India.

During the visit, Bhandari met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and discussed all aspects of bilateral ties.

Her visit was "fruitful in enhancing the relations and goodwill between the two countries", after a period of unease in bilateral ties following the violent agitation in 2015 by Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, who blocked Indo-Nepal border demanding more representation in Parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries.

Prior to the Nepalese president's visit to India, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was here to attend the Nepal Investment Summit during which he reiterated India's commitment to support its landlocked neighbour in infrastructure needs.

India had pledged Rs 44 million to its neighbour for construction of the building of technical institutions.

In June, Nepal witnessed change of guard when 70-year-old Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba was elected as the prime minister of Nepal for the record fourth term, after Prachanda handed over the reign to the veteran leader under a power sharing deal.

In the later part of the year, Deuba, who is considered close to India, made a state visit to New Delhi after becoming the premier. He met top leaders including Prime Minister Modi.

Deuba discussed about completing the detailed project report of Pancheshwer Multipurpose Project with Indian officials. He also sought from India more economic development assistance and investments in Nepal.

He termed his visit as successful in laying foundation for further strengthening Nepal-India ties.

Ahead of Deuba's visit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was here in July to attend the meeting of BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation). She held talks with Nepalese leaders on the sidelines of the meet and both sides expressed their commitment to deepen the friendly bilateral relations.

Also, India's then railway minister Suresh Prabhu visited Nepal to discuss issues related to connecting the country with Delhi and Kolkata through rail network. The rail connectivity is important for the landlocked nation as its major exports or imports takes place through Indian ports.

The year saw Nepal's growing inclination towards China after the country became part of its ambitious "One Belt One Region" (OBOR) initiative, which is viewed by India with suspicion.

Nepal's then prime minister Prachanda, who is also the head of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, visited China to take part in the Boao Conference in March. He also met Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders.

Another example of growing China-Nepal relations was the first 10-day joint military drill 'Sagarmatha Friendship-2017 in which Chinese People's Liberation Army squad took part in the counter-terrorism and disaster response.

In May, along with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Nepal officially became part of Beijing's ambitious OBOR initiative, which aims to invest in infrastructural projects to revive the famous Silk Road trade routes.

Nepal's Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi and Chinese Envoy to Nepal Yu Hong inked a Memorandum of Understanding on the framework agreement on the OBOR.

The growing Chinese interest in Nepal was also evident with the establishment of Hongshi Shivam Cement Company, set up with USD 360 million Chinese investment in South West Nepal, with initial daily production capacity of 6,000 tonnes.

It was the year of elections in Nepal.

After 20 years, Nepalese voted in three phased elections to the local bodies, which was followed by elections for provincial assemblies and the lower house of Parliament.

In parliament elections held recently, a Left alliance of the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre won 116 out of 165 seats under the first-past-the-post system and is likely to form a Left government under former prime minister K P Sharma Oli, who is considered close to China.

"We seek cooperation and help from both India and China for our development, but we will not tolerate any interference in our affairs, from either side," said CPN-UML politburo member Bhim Rawal, who has been elected to the Parliament.

The elections are said to be a step forward in cementing the democracy and providing political stability to Nepal, which has seen 10 prime ministers in as many years.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Oli, Deuba and Prachanda on the successful conduct of elections.

Also this year, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae, who had completed his three and a half year term in Nepal, handed over the charge to Manjeev Singh Puri.

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The availability of digital tools has reduced the negative repercussions of Covid-19 on UAE schools overall, laying the foundations for governments, schools, and education companies to converge remote learning and technology use moving forward.

This is the finding of Arthur D. Little (ADL), the leading management consultancy firm with the longest-standing presence in the Middle East region, in its latest report entitled Accelerating post-pandemic e-learning: An opportunity to establish a sustainable digital education system.

The document highlights the success that school systems have enjoyed when mitigating negative closure impacts through digital tools, explaining the essential framework for successful new normal education and why digitalisation is fundamental for establishing a sustainable, high-class education system.

As per the reports findings, while countries are at different stages of digital learning progression, some have fared more favorably than others, as reflected by country-specific data that has been recently published. In terms of the UAE, post-pandemic e-learning is highly likely, especially when considering the countrys notable digital education system status at the global level.

The availability of online learning support platforms nationwide is already at 70%, while the availability of teacher resources on digital tools has reached 88%  higher than the US, Sweden, Austria, and Italy, where remote learning shifts have been successful.

The vitality of uninterrupted digital learning became apparent almost immediately when Covid-19 emerged. As education communities now look ahead to the future while referring to recent leanings, they can take full advantage of opportunities that lay ahead, transforming their schooling systems to ensure all concerned parties benefit from newfound performance capabilities, said Dr Raymond Khoury, Partner at Arthur D. Little, Middle East. From a UAE standpoint, the country is excellently positioned to accomplish this, as emphasised by the statistics mentioned above. The 70% of online learning support platforms is 15% above the global average listed by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the 88% for digital teacher resources is 24% above the global average. Making the transition from remote to digital learning now imperative, something that must be successful in enabling sustainable value in education.

Accelerating post-pandemic e-learning: An opportunity to establish a sustainable digital education system comprehensively explores how countries can transition from remote to digital learning, providing recommendations for others to apply as they seek to position themselves for sustainable success. Arthur D. Little also offers actionable insights to help governments and schools better adapt to the new normal post-Covid-19 as part of a specially developed framework, one that enables a sustainable long-term transition to digital learning and accommodates specific requirements in terms of governance, culture, pedagogy, and infrastructure and technology.

For governments and schools, a holistic digital learning approach is a topmost priority over the coming period. Leaders are required to ensure not only appropriate investment allocation and pursue a digital education strategy that accommodates every concerned player, but also that digital skills are taught with the same level of importance as others and data governance requirements met, explained Dr Khoury. At the same time, a digital education culture is required to be promoted and fostered in every establishment, teachers must guide and support students throughout their digital learning journeys, and the importance of infrastructure cannot be overlooked. With regards to the latter, seamless access to infrastructure is paramount, with students and staff requiring software, hardware, and reliable internet connectivity at all times.

The report concludes with several next steps for digital education stakeholders to carry out as they seek to use Covid-19 digitalisation to their advantage and establish leading digital education systems:

Guidance and resources should be provided to schools for them to implement digital education successfully.

School leaders should consider themselves digital education role models and facilitate education and learning amongst staff.

Establish an ICT teacher position that creates a single point of contact for staff to prepare for digital classrooms.

Work with the broader education ecosystem to adapt to new and emerging educational needs.

-- TradeArabia News Service
Bhopal:

A 50-year-old life term convict was allegedly knifed by another inmate in the Central Jail Bhopal on Wednesday, which left him with injuries to the neck and shoulders, an official said.

The incident occurred at around 10 A.M when Supiyar Singh, aged around 50, allegedly attacked Modak Singh with a vegetable knife from behind.

Both the prisoners are serving life terms in separate cases of murder.

"Prisoner Supiyar Singh attacked another inmate Modak Singh from behind at 10 A.M. Modak Singh sustained injuries to his neck and shoulders," Bhopal Central Jail Superintendent Dinesh Nargave told PTI.

He said the security personnel immediately overpowered Supiyar Singh and rushed Modak Singh to state-run Hamidia Hospital, located around 8 kms away from the jail.

Modak Singh is out of danger and stable now, he said.

Also read: Noida teen confesses to kill mother, sister with cricket bat, pizza cutter



When asked how the inmate laid his hands on the knife, Nargave said Supiyar Singh was given the work of chopping vegetables while Modak Singh was assigned the responsibility of cleaning wheat.

Also read: Noida double murder case: Boy held, says he killed mother-sister



While Supiyar Singh has been in the prison since 2015, Modak Singh has been lodged at the facility since last month.

Gandhi Nagar Police have registered a case and investigation is on.

When asked about the likely motive behind the attack, the officer said Supiyar Singh has told police that Modak Singh was threatening to kill him.

"However, Modak Singh has denied Supiyar Singh's contention," the officer said.

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New Delhi:

The Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with an objective to criminalise instant divorce among Muslims. The Triple talaq bill has met strong opposition from other parties, including Congress, Left and BJD, and various Muslim organisations expressing reservations over the proposed jail term for violators.

The draft bill says, "any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal".

The bill proposes to make the triple talaq practice a punishable offence and describes it against constitutional morality and gender equity.

Anyone who pronounces instant divorce "shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and a fine", the bill proposes.

Here are the live updates -

# This law is for women's rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha

# BJD opposes triple talaq bill, the Biju Janata Dal said that the bill has fundamental flaws in it

# This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill :BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Lok Sabha

# This bill violates fundamental rights & lacks legal coherence: Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha

# Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha. The Shiv Sena extended its support to the govt on the bill.

# PM appeals for consensus on triple talaq bill

# Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM President has given a notice to oppose the introduction of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill) 2017 in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill

# I don't think we can support it because they didn't made us understand how this criminality of Triple Talaq will benefit women. If someone is lodged in prison as a punishment for saying Triple Talaq, who will take care of his family: Salman Khurshid, Congress on #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/C6OgzzGH07

# PM appealed for unanimous passage of the Bill as it aims to give gender justice, protection & respect: Ananth Kumar after BJP Parliamentary meeting

# Agra: We are really happy that the procedure started by Modi Ji & Yogi Ji for Muslim women is going to succeed. This day will be more significant in Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid: Faiza Khan, victim on #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/vbbY6WmHaM

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017

# Lucknow: People like us who have been divorced & those who are threatened with divorce would be benefited from this law. If a law is formed for Triple Talaq just like there is a law for domestic violence, we will get some relief: Huma Khayanat, victim on #TripleTalaqBill

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 28, 2017

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New Delhi:

Police on Monday arrested two men for allegedly beating and raping a 19-year-old woman and leaving her outside a metro station in Dwarka, informed the sources.



The woman was found in an unconscious state said the police.



In her complaint, the woman said she had taken a cab from Shiv Chowk area in Gurgaon late on Saturday night. Three persons were already in the cab then, they said.



After one person got down near Rajokri border area, the vehicle started to roam around in areas near Delhi-Haryana border, a police official said.



The accused then took her to an isolated place, thrashed and raped her. They then threw her out of the car near a metro station in Dwarka, the police said.



Following the complaint, a case a registered and the two accused were arrested, they said.



(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi:

Pakistani authorities have sent the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife for forensic examination to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object, a media report said on Thursday.

The authorities were ascertaining whether the "metallic object" in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip, Pakistan Today quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal as saying.

A separate report in Dawn reported that the FO confirmed a "metallic substance" had been detected in Jadhav's wife's shoes that were retained by security officials prior to the meeting with the Indian death row prisoner at the Foreign Office in Islamabad.

Jadhav's wife's shoes were kept for inspection, while all other belongings, including jewellery, were returned, Faisal said, adding that she was given an alternative pair of shoes to wear after her shoes were removed.

In a statement issued last night, the FO made no mention of the "metallic substance" and had said that there was "something" in the shoes.

In the statement, Pakistan rejected as "baseless" India's contentions that Jadhav's wife and mother were harassed and claimed that his wife's shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was "something" in it.

"There was something in the shoe. It is being investigated. We gave her a pair of replacement shoes. All her jewellery etc were returned after the meeting," Faisal said.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement yesterday that Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of Jadhav's mother and wife removed before they could meet him.

India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security.

"This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security," it said.

The FO said that Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a "meaningless battle of words" and categorically rejects India's baseless "allegations and twists" about attitude of authorities during Jadhav's meeting with his wife and mother.

"The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hrs later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected," the statement said.

If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC (Deputy High Commissioner) should have raised them during the visit with the media which was readily available, but at a safe distance as requested by India, it said.

"We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words. Our openness and transparency belie these allegations," it said.

Also read: SP leader Naresh Agarwal says Pakistan has declared Kulbhushan Jadhav a 'terrorist', treats him like one



During the December 25 meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.

Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.

Also read: Pakistan rejects India's charges on Jadhav-family meet as baseless



New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution.

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New Delhi:

As the stalemate in Parliament over Modis colluding with Pakistan accusations against ex-PM Manmohan Singh comes to an end, Congress President Rahul Gandhi has taken a jibe at Prime Minister Modi and Finance Arun Jaitley.

Rahul Gandhi in a tweet shared a two-window video in which one side plays PM Modis speech in which he is accusing his predecessor and others of colluding with Pakistan and the other side shows Union Minister Arun Jaitley praising Manmohan Singh.

The text in Rahul Gandhis tweet read, Dear Mr Jaitlie - thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means. #BJPLies.

Earlier on Wednesday, Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha had clarified Modis election speech in which he accused former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari of colluding with Pakistan.

Jaitley in his statement said, "PM in his speeches didn't question, nor meant to question the commitment to this nation of either former PM Manmohan Singh or Former VP Hamid Ansari, any such perception is erroneous, we hold these leaders in high esteem, as well as their commitment to India."

The Congress, which was initially demanding Modis apology in both the houses of the Parliament seemed to be satisfied with Jaitleys clarification.

Also Read | PM Modi didn't question Manmohan Singh's commitment to nation, clarifies Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha

Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, Thank the leader of the House for clarification on what has been issue of contention. I, on behalf of my party, say that we disassociate from any comments made by any member during elections that may have hurt PMs dignity, also we dont want any such thing to be said in future.

While disassociating from any comments that hurt PMs dignity, Azad was referring to suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars neech remark against Prime Minister Modi.

However, Modi was not present in the house when Jaitley made his statement.

Earlier in the month, Modi, while addressing a rally in Gujarats Palanpur had accused Manmohan Singh, Hamid Ansari and other leaders of conspiring with Pakistan to win the assembly elections in his home state.

Reacting to his successors allegations, Manmohan Singh had said that he was pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread by the Prime Minister adding that Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former prime minister and Army chief.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The Border Security Force informed on Saturday that some of its troops were assaulted by cattle smugglers. The incident took place along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's Dakshin Dinajpur district on Saturday night.

BSF stated that troops observed some movement of 8-10 cattle smugglers along with cattle coming from the Indian side. They were coming along the bank of Chhoti Jamuna river with an intent to cross the cattle towards the Bangladesh side. The BSF troops warned the smugglers to stop, but the transborder cattle smugglers aggressively encircled and assaulted them with sticks. During this one of the BSF troops sustained an injury on his head. The injured BSF personnel then was rushed to a Govt Hospital Hili for medical treatment and his condition is said to be presently stable.

An inquiry is ordered over the unusual and suspicious movement near border.

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Haryana: The corona virus menace in the country is now receding but the death toll continues to rise. In such a situation, the vaccine is said to be necessary for all. At present, vaccination is being carried out at a rapid pace across the country to avoid infection. The vaccines of foreign companies are being introduced along with the country so that people can be vaccinated at the earliest and they can be protected from the havoc of corona. Now, a big news has come out of Haryana amidst all this. In fact, Haryana will now be supplied with corona vaccine by a foreign company.

As per the information received, Haryana has now become the first state to supply vaccine from a foreign company. In fact, under the recent news, HMSCL Pharma Company, Malta will provide about 60 million doses of Sputnik V to Haryana. This information was given by the state government itself last Saturday. It has been informed that the state government has been agreed to provide corona vaccine by an international pharmaceutical company in Malta. Let us also tell you that the Government of Haryana had floated a tender globally through Haryana Medical Services Nimg on 26th May to get corona vaccine from foreign companies. The same Government had closed the tender on 4th June.

The price will be Rs. 1,120 per single dose of Sputnik V coming from abroad. On the other hand, the firm says it will provide the first five lakh doses within 30 days and then 10 lakh vaccine doses every 20 days till the full supply is made.

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Kathmandu, June 6

The Danish government has offered providing some Covid-19 vaccines in a grant assistance to Nepal.

Dr Bhim Singh Tinkari, the chief of the Management Division under the Department of Health Services, says Nepal has responded to the offer positively, saying it immediately needs 1.4 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19.

Denmark is yet to confirm the number of doses it can provide, he maintains.*

The vaccines are coming via the United Nations childrens agency, Unicef, informs Tinkari.

Over 1.4 million people aged above 65 years are waiting for the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine currently as Nepal had brought the same vaccine, brand-named Covishield, from India in grant and purchase. It is likely that the government will distribute the Danish donations among them, once received.

*This post has been updated with the latest information available. Tinkari has clarified that Denmark is yet to confirm the number of the vaccines. Any confusion created by the previous post is regretted.
On Thursday, January 28th, Robinhood received a request for $3 billion in collateral from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). This prompted the broker to halt purchases of GameStop shares on its trading platform in order to reduce the size of the collateral desired by the DTCC. In the aftermath of this incident, Robinhood has been rallying for a move away from the current T+2 standard for settlement of trades to instantaneous settlement. This is because the DTCC collateral requirement is a result of the current T+2 standard. Essentially, the DTCC has to ask participating brokers, such as Robinhood, for collateral to insure against the event that the broker goes bankrupt between the time the trade is entered into, and the two days it takes to settle the trade.

While a move to instantaneous settlement might not be the panacea that Robinhood is hoping for, these recent events bring attention to the tremendous benefits that would come from moving the financial infrastructure to blockchain  the technology which could ultimately enable instantaneous settlement of stocks.

While I was in San Francisco a few years ago, I met with private equity expert and technologist Ankit Kumar, who would go on to mentor and teach me about blockchain technology. He essentially told me that blockchain technology and smart contracts are a new paradigm in computing. This allows a software program to make trustworthy commitments  something not possible before. This in turn enables instantaneous settlement of contracts with zero counterparty risk and an immutable auditable trail of the transaction  all at essentially zero cost. The use cases are infinite, especially in the world of finance. Projects such as Maker, Compound and Uniswap are now building the basic infrastructure of a stable digital currency, money market, and exchange. You will likely see an explosion of use cases across all segments of finance such as payments, real estate and insurance.

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Lets look at some of the key advantages of blockchain technology and some of the potential impacts on the financial ecosystem.

1. Elimination of counterparty risk

In the 1960s, the US stock exchanges were on a T+5 settlement standard. The NYSE closed every Wednesday to make sure the settlement backlog could be cleared. Stock certificates were recorded in physical form and the settlement process required couriers, known as runners, to transport these certificates from one brokers office to another.

The creation of the DTCC in 1973 followed by the process of first immobilization and then dematerialization of stock certificates enabled todays T+2 standard and electronic trading systems.

However, distributed ledger technology can take us further into an era of instantaneous settlement. This would ensure that shares and money are exchanged simultaneously and completely eliminate the risk that money is not delivered once the shares are exchanged, and vice versa. This in turn can obviate the need for intermediaries in a transaction and open up participation in financial markets to people who otherwise were left out because they did not know the right intermediary, or were not judged to be a reliable counterparty by biased intermediaries.

Related: 15 Crazy and Surprising Ways People Are Using Blockchain

2. Increased transparency of ownership and reduced litigation

In the current system, the DTCC only tracks ownership of stocks at the broker level. Each broker in turn keeps internal records of actual investors, called beneficial owners, who purchase stocks through them. There is, however, no master registry of actual stock ownership. As a result, there can arise situations where there are dual claims on ownership of the same stock.

In contrast, a blockchain-based system would record the entire chain of stock lending, borrowing, and selling, and would maintain an accurate record of the actual owner of shares at any particular moment.

Under the current system, situations arise where it is impossible to correctly distribute proceeds to the right people because of these conflicting claims. This is easily observed in cases where trades remain unsettled prior to a take-private transaction, or in situations where there is heavy shorting of the stock. A classic example of this is the Dole Foods case. A blockchain-based system would ensure that the rightful owners receive accurate proceeds in any situation, and therefore make the financial system more equitable and reduce litigation.

Related: What is Blockchain? We Explain the Technology of Blockchains

3. Pay key contributors for the value they create in a network

The low cost, instantaneously transmitted, and permanent record of ownership enabled by blockchain further enables the transfer of value at scale. As a result, key contributors who help build a network and make it valuable can benefit economically from the increase in value of the network. Imagine if the key early users and contributors on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn were able to economically benefit from the value they provided to these networks.

A great example of this concept is the compound token, which distributes the value of this lending platform to the key suppliers and borrowers, who are helping build this platform.

Blockchain technology can deliver immensely powerful benefits, such as reduced counterparty risk, accurate ownership records and fair distribution of value to key network participants. It is imperative that all stakeholders come together to enable moving the backbone of our financial infrastructure to this technology.

Related: How 2020 Became the Year of DeFi and What's to Come in 2021
Saudi Arabia has continued its global outstanding, outperforming 180 countries in two indicators of environmental performance, as revealed by the National Centre for Performance Measurement (Adaa), which monitors the international indicators.



The kingdom ranked first in the Tree Cover Loss and Wetland indicators, in addition to surpassing 172 countries in preserving and protecting natural environments and preventing the extinction of rare animal species, ranking eighth in the world in the "Species Habitat Index, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



This achievement comes as the international community celebrated June 5, the World Environment Day, in which the Kingdom stands out with many environmental achievements.



According to Adaa centre, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture is making remarkable efforts to protect the environment, which had an important impact on life, wealth, and the economy, and contributed to preserving the environment's natural resources and their sustainable development.



The Kingdoms achievements in the environment-related sectors are important in the international indicators, according to Adaa, citing Saudi Arabias ranking first place in the Tree Cover Loss indicator which confirms its preservation of forest areas, knowing that this indicator measures the average annual loss in forest area over the past five years; the chronological age of the launch of Vision 2030.



The Kingdom also garnered first place in the Wetland" indicator, a true reflection of the Kingdoms keenest to maintain and preserve the grasslands, as it measures the average annual loss in grasslands area over the past five years.

The Kingdom outperformed 133 countries by ranking 34th in the world and first in the Middle East and North Africa in the "Forest soils and site indicator" which assesses the quality of land, forests, and soil resources and their impact on the quality of life, in addition to the No Floods and Sustainable Nitrogen Management as sub-indicators of the Forest soils and site, in which the Kingdom ranked 17th and 19th globally, respectively, whereas the first measures the number of recorded floods based on data issued by the World Resources Institute while the second measures sustainable nitrogen management in crop production through two measures: nitrogen use efficiency, and land-use efficiency for crop productivity.



With regards to the indicator pertaining to "Satisfaction with Efforts to Preserve the Environment", Adaa Centre said the Kingdom ranked 13th globally out of 167 countries according to questionnaires prepared by Gallup polls which measure efforts to preserve environmental sustainability.



The Kingdom advancing to leading positions in these indicators reflects the Saudi leaderships ongoing support and keenest to raise the level of quality of life and preserve the environment and its natural resources that achieve sustainable environmental security and to achieve the objectives of Vision 2030 and its global initiatives that were praised worldwide, most important of which the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative.
PARIS, June 6 (Reuters) - French prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into money laundering allegations against Lebanon's central bank governor, Agence France-Presse reported on Sunday.

Riad Salameh is under investigation in relation to possible conspiracy and organised money-laundering, AFP said, citing a source with knowledge of the case.

Salameh's French lawyer Pierre-Olivier Sur dismissed the allegations as a politically motivated "communications operation" in a statement sent to Reuters by the bank governor on Sunday.

Responding last month to the underlying legal complaint against him by anti-corruption group Sherpa, Salameh said he had demonstrated that his wealth had been acquired before he took up his bank post in 1993.

The French financial prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sherpa filed the complaint against Salameh in April, citing investments including millions of euros in property.

Lebanon opened its own investigation in April following a Swiss legal request alleging that more than $300 million had been embezzled from the central bank via a company owned by Salameh's brother.

Salameh had no comment at the time when asked by Reuters about the opening of that investigation and actions related to it, including the sealing of his brother's office and the confiscation of files.

Lebanon's financial and political elite have long been under scrutiny over allegations of mismanagement, corruption and obstructing efforts to unlock international aid. (Reporting by Laurence Frost Additional reporting by Laila Bassam in Beirut Editing by Frances Kerry)
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich has called out Elon Musk about his social media activities. The latest to criticize the Tesla CEO for his impact on the cryptocurrency market.

Prof. Reich took to Twitter on June 5 to share his opinion about Musks Twitter activities, saying they arent funny.

His tweets are having a serious impact on markets. Its just another example of how billionaires get away manipulating markets without accountability.

He alludes to Musks series of social media updates, in which he advocates certain cryptocurrencies. Most notably the meme-inspired joke altcoin Dogecoin (DOGE), which has seen unprecedented growth this year as a result. More recently, Musk started pumping support for CUMMIES, the native token for adult creator NFT platform CumRocket.

This also resulted in a price spike on June 5, which, according to data, reached a 24-hour high of $0.219 (at time of press). More than three times the price at the start of the day, where it rested around the $0.06 mark.

DOGEs series of all-time highs throughout April and the start of May were also attributed to Musks tweets. The altcoin achieved its current ATH of $0.73 ahead of the Tesla CEOs appearance on Saturday Night Live on May 8.

In addition to his caustic opinion about the CEO, Prof. Reich also linked to a Wall Street Journal article from June 1. The article reported that representatives from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) argued that Musk had violated a court order with his tweets on two occasions.

They referred to a court-ordered policy that required company lawyers to pre-approve the CEOs Twitter activities.

Musk receives an Anonymous threat

On June 5, reports surfaced revealing that international hacktivist group Anonymous had issued a video directed at Elon Musk. The group voiced their frustration at the CEOs attitude towards cryptocurrency and the average working person.

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They asserted that many investors are counting on their cryptocurrency holdings to improve their lives, and that Musks tweets, which have such an evident and profound effect on the price of digital assets, liquidate the dreams of hardworking people. The group also accused the CEO of mocking average people with the memes he posts from one of his million-dollar mansions.

This video has come shortly after a cryptic series of Musks tweets, interpreted to be about his recent breakaway from crypto market frontrunner bitcoin (BTC), sent its price on a 7% decline.

Anonymous finally sent a veiled threat to Musk, telling him to expect them.

Not all bad for BTC

It may seem like a low point for BTC at the moment, but the bigger picture is much more positive. While now nowhere near the heights it was at last month, BTC is still substantially up from its position last year. According to data, even at its price at time of press, the BTC price is up nearly 26% from the start of 2021. And over 275% since June 2020.

Meanwhile, at a conference in Miami, the El Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele announced his intention to make BTC legal tender in his country. If congress approves his decision, El Salvador will be the first country in the world to have BTC as formal currency.
SUMMERSIDE, PE, June 4, 2021 /CNW/ - The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, will participate in a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate the Battle of Normandy and to mark the 77th anniversary of the D-Day Landings at Juno Beach.

Minister MacAulay, along with other event participants, will be available to media following the event.

Date: Sunday, June 06, 2021



Time: 10:50 AST



Location: Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Veteran's Memorial Park

89 Summer Street, Summerside

Onsite:

If you anticipate any accessibility barriers, please let us know and we will work with you to enable your participation.

Media and guests are asked to respect physical distancing guidelines from the Chief Medical Officer of Health. Wearing masks is strongly encouraged especially when not able to maintain physical distance.

SOURCE Veterans Affairs Canada

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/06/c4228.html
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 6, 2021 / The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that class actions have commenced on behalf of certain shareholders in the following companies. If you suffered a loss you have until the lead plaintiff deadline to request that the court appoint you as lead plaintiff. There will be no obligation or cost to you.

Romeo Power, Inc. (NYSE:RMO)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:http://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/romeo-power-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=16593&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 15, 2021

Class Period: October 5, 2020 - March 30, 2021



Allegations against RMO include that: (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 business 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.

Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:http://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/emergent-biosolutions-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=16593&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 18, 2021

Class Period: July 6, 2020 - March 31, 2021



Allegations against EBS include that: (i) Emergent's Baltimore plant had a history of manufacturing issues increasing the likelihood for massive contaminations; (ii) these longstanding contamination risks and quality control issues at Emergent's facility led to a string of FDA citations; (iii) the Company previously had to discard the equivalent of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines after workers at the Baltimore plant deviated from manufacturing standards; and (iv) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' public statements about Emergent's ability and capacity to mass manufacture multiple COVID-19 vaccines at its Baltimore manufacturing site were materially false and/or misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.



Story continues

Danimer Scientific, Inc. (NYSE:DNMR)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/danimer-scientific-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=16593&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: July 13, 2021

Class Period: October 5, 2020 - May 4, 2021



Allegations against DNMR include that: (i) Danimer had deficient internal controls; (ii) as a result, the Company had misrepresented, inter alia, its operations' size and regulatory compliance; (iii) Defendants had overstated Nodax's biodegradability, particularly in oceans and landfills; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

To learn more contact Vincent Wong, Esq. either via email vw@wongesq.com or by telephone at 212.425.1140.

Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Vincent Wong, Esq.

39 East Broadway

Suite 304

New York, NY 10002

Tel. 212.425.1140

Fax. 866.699.3880

E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com

SOURCE: The Law Offices of Vincent Wong





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/650580/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-RMO-EBS-DNMR-The-Law-Offices-of-Vincent-Wong-Reminds-Investors-of-Important-Class-Action-Deadlines




Sundial Growers (NASDAQ:SNDL) is down about 37% since I last wrote about it in March. Thats a bitter pill for bull-minded retail investors who remain committed to the company. But it has to be music to the ears of those equally passionate investors driving up short interest in SNDL stock.

Marijuana plants growing in a greenhouse.

Source: Shutterstock

Presently trading at $1.10, SNDL stock falls into the penny stock category. And as such it has attracted the attention of a committed group of retail investors known as the Redditors. Sundial was part of the meme stock craze back in February 2021, albeit playing a much smaller role than its A-lister brethren.

But even though the stock is down from its previously lofty price of more than $2 per share, Sundial remains a very active stock among the retail crowd. I say that because, as I brought up in a prior article, SNDL is virtually ignored by institutional investors.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

This doesnt mean that every investor should avoid Sundial Growers. However if you prefer to take a more set it and forget it approach to your investments, there are better options out there, including any number of cannabis-focused ETFs.

Sundial Is Making a Rational Pivot

Youve probably all heard the idiomatic definition of insanity: doing the same thing and expecting a different result. So investors can take heart that Sundial is attempting to try something new.

While not abandoning their cultivation efforts, they have been pivoting to focus on higher margin products (such as vapes). And the company is also becoming an investor in other cannabis companies. This is an intriguing model, but its far too early to tell if it will work out for Sundial.

And one thing that concerns me is that being the lender of last resort for many of these companies is an easy way to burn through the pile of cash the company accumulated in 2020. Plus as my colleague GS Early wrote in a recent article for InvestorPlace, the U.S. market isnt hurting for venture capitalists and investment bankers who are open to investing in viable cannabis companies.

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Earnings Were a Non-Event

When many cannabis companies continue to deliver terrible earnings, you would imagine that investors would be over the moon when it came to Sundials quarterly check-in with investors. One of the surprising aspects of the report was a positive adjusted EBITDA.

While that shouldnt be taken as the end all, be all for any stock, you would think it would be enough to give SNDL stock some love. But the stock has barely moved. And thats largely because it still lacks the juice that comes with being on the radar of institutional investors.

SNDL Stock Remains a Heavy Lift

When I last wrote about SNDL stock I felt it was a heavy lift for retail investors. Sundial is showing a little more interest from institutional investors, but its not significant. Ill go back to the article by GS Early who reminds investors that big money investors are likely scanning the playing field. But theyre not likely to do more than a little window shopping until they get a better idea of which companies are set up for long-term success.

This makes it difficult to see SNDL stock moving significantly higher in the short term. But at this point, the cannabis sector in general feels like its on hold. Canada continues to face pandemic restrictions that gives the retail cannabis industry a one step forward, two steps back feeling.

In more positive news, the United States Congress may introduce legislation to legalize marijuana. But even if the U.S. opens up tomorrow, not every cannabis company is ready or able to claim a piece of the pie. And here again, it appears that Sundial is not presenting investors with a clear strategy of how it will enter the U.S. market.

More a Trade Than an Investment

If youre looking to trade SNDL stock, there could be a case. The share price has been consolidating around its 200-day simple moving average. If it breaks above, traders could find themselves on the positive end of a swing trade. But that seems more like a gamble than a sure thing.

On the date of publication, Chris Markoch did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Chris Markoch is a freelance financial copywriter who has been covering the market for seven years. He has been writing for Investor Place since 2019.

More From InvestorPlace

The post Sundial Growers Stock Is A Speculative Trade, Not An Investment appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Rappahannock Area Lodge 15 recently held its Percy C. Poates Jr. Annual Awards and Memorial Ceremony. The organizations 68th annual memorial and awards service remembered those members of the law enforcement community who were killed in the line of duty, as well as those members lost over the past year. The lodge also recognized those federal, state and local law enforcement officers who demonstrated unequaled professionalism and exhibited courtesy, duty and honor. In accordance with the Fraternal Order of Police mission statement , the lodge aims to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual helpfulness among its members and the people it serves.

The service coincided with National Police Week. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. FOP Lodge 15s memorial and awards service began in 1953 as a way to honor those officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty from the area as well taking a moment to honor the fraternal bonds of those members of Lodge 15 who have passed away over the years.

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, 7th District, was the keynote speaker. Delegate Mark Cole, 88th District, also attended the service.
Lisa Latendress had been sliced and diced and radiated to keep the cancer in her breast from spreading to the rest of her body.

When she learned shed need chemotherapy as well, she couldnt bear the thought of losing her hair as a side effect of treatment.

It wasnt a matter of vanity, she said, but a desire to feel like she was still herself, that she had control over one aspect of her life when the cancer seemed to be taking over every other.

Latendress had heard about a process that cools the scalp during chemotherapy in an attempt to prevent hair loss. After a lot of research, the Stafford County woman found a practice that offers it, less than a mile from her home.

The No. 1 thing was that I wanted to keep my privacy, she said, adding she didnt want to broadcast that she was a cancer patient. You know, if I was out somewhere, I didnt want pity from anyone. And another big reason was that I did not want to look at the mirror and see a sick person.
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The one-year Diabetes Prevention program is $129 for Y members and $260 for non-members, but Murdock stressed the Open Doors program is available for anyone that needs and qualifies for financial assistance.

Both programs can be conducted virtually or in-person.

The BPSM is four months long. It is designed to help adults with hypertension lower and manage their blood pressure. It focuses on regulated self-monitoring, individualized support and nutrition education.

In addition to measuring and recording blood pressure at least twice a month, participants are asked to attend two personalized consultations per month as well as a monthly nutrition education seminar.

Participants must be at least 18 years old, have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and not have experienced a recent cardiac event. They also cant have atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias and not be at risk for lymphedema.

Its known as the silent killer because a lot of times people can walk around with high blood pressure and not even realize they have a problem until they have a problem, Murdock said. Our program really does help people manage their symptoms and identify what their triggers are.
Hess said it takes courage and time to become a foster family. UMFS speculates that many families do not have either to spare after living through a year and a half of a pandemic.

We know that for some folks, it can be a stressful time to think about becoming a foster parent, Hess said. But for those who are able, were asking for help at this time, to give back to the community.

Hess said there is particular need for families who are able to foster teenagers and for those who can take a child that cannot be placed in a home with other children.

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That includes emergency referrals, where a child is being removed the same day, and referrals for youth who have some exposure or risk factors for sex trafficking, Hess said.

Thats what the community is really needing at this time, she said. Weve had a lot of conversation with our VDSS partners and also other private providers in the community and they are seeing the same thing.

Hess said the stressors of the pandemic have made vulnerable families even more vulnerable.

Referrals from mandated reporters declined early in the pandemic when lockdowns meant there were fewer eyes on children and youth, but those referrals have been picking up again.
A three-child policy in China will certainly help on that front. Given replacement levels of 2.1 births per mother, by definition its impossible to stabilize your population when you cant have more than two children. Still, there are reasons beyond population policy that China may struggle to spark a baby boom.

Consider whats happening in other countries in the region. Japan and the four Asian Tiger Economies (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan) have so strikingly few babies that the term ultra-low fertility has been coined to describe them. The four tigers, along with Macau, take the bottom five places globally in the Central Intelligence Agencys latest ranking of countries by fertility rate, with Japan not far behind.

Theres evidence that this isnt just about the delayed maternity that caused Europes fertility slowdown. The ongoing decline since 2000 in South Korea is being driven instead by women having fewer or no children, according to a 2018 study by Sam Hyun Yoo and Tomas Sobotka of the Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital.

What can be done to reverse this?

Reducing the human and financial cost of rearing children will be vital, as my colleague Clara Ferreira Marques has written.
The US Navy has turned to global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin and enterprise applications company IFS to deliver an intelligent maintenance solution that will help power its digital transformation of multiple legacy systems into a single, fully modernized and responsive logistics information system. The solution will ensure personnel spend more time focused on the mission and less on aircraft and ship repairs, said a statement.

The IFS solution comprises capabilities for planning and executing maintenance, repair, and overhaul of more than 3,000 assets including aircraft, ships, and land-based equipment. The Naval Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (N-MRO) solution combines artificial intelligence (AI), digital twin capabilities and predictive analytics to anticipate and react to potential equipment failures before they happen, which will contribute to the enhanced support of maintenance, supply logistics, real-time fleet management and other business functions for more than 200,000 sailors.

Following a comprehensive and competitive evaluation process, the U.S. Navy selected Lockheed Martin together with IFSs acclaimed industry-specific functionality already used by some of the worlds largest aerospace and defense (A&D) organizations. With the added support of software developer Beast Code, the solution will initially be fielded at multiple U.S. Navy sites to help sailors and Marine Corps maintainers break down operational silos and work towards a common maintenance workflow across all ship and aircraft platforms.

The digital transformation of the U.S. Navys maintenance systems will see a consolidation of assets and parts data in a central repository visualized to the users through an intuitive, mobile-friendly experience. This initiative will lead to increased data accuracy, streamlined workflows and ultimately less asset downtime and fewer unscheduled maintenance events. Enabling Total Asset Readiness through N-MRO will ensure information is always readily available to help the U.S. Navy achieve its desired materiel readiness and operational availability objectives. For instance, Navy personnel will be empowered to document faults, request parts, and report work completion at the point of maintenance, thereby reducing asset downtime while increasing data accuracy as an enabler of enhanced planning and procurement.

Our goal is to provide capabilities that create real value across the Navys complex, multi-site operations and optimize its mission-critical maintenance processes, said Reeves Valentine, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Enterprise Sustainment Solutions. We want to empower Navy personnel with tools that are easy and effective to use with intuitive interfaces, streamlined workflows and timesaving, intelligent features. IFS distinguished itself by providing all of these capabilities through a single, commercial-off-the-shelf solution.

Scott Helmer, President, Aerospace & Defense, IFS, added, We are proud to be part of N-MRO, which will set a new global standard for Total Asset Readiness and the way defense organizations manage asset maintenance and logistics, both ashore and afloat. A&D has been a key focus industry at IFS for decades and this landmark deal stands as testament to the success of our long-term strategy and determination. Working with Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy, we are already making great strides and look forward to a long and successful collaboration.TradeArabia News Service
Nearly all adults who smoke are addicted before the age of 25. Eliminating these products will make it more difficult for the industry to lure kids into a lifetime of addiction and will prevent premature death.

While we work to remove these products from the market, tobacco cessation must be prioritized. Removing menthol from cigarettes and all flavors from all cigars will encourage adults to quit. We must also ensure these individuals have access to proven cessation services to improve the likelihood of successfully quitting.

ACS CAN is working with federal and state lawmakers to ensure all FDA-approved cessation medications and counseling are covered in Medicaid and to adequately fund tobacco control programs.

The evidence that menthol is a serious public health threat is overwhelming. The research on youth use of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars is well documented. Big Tobaccos use of both to target Black communities and youth to addict them to products that are the top contributor to the leading cancer killerlung cancermust be stopped.

FDAs announcement to prohibit menthol flavors in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars is a step in the right direction. ACS CAN urges FDA to swiftly finalize these changes and will continue to work with federal, state and local lawmakers to remove all flavors from all tobacco products and increase access to proven cessation services to help lessen health disparities and reduce suffering and death from cancer.

Lisa Lacasse is president of the American Cancer Societys Cancer Action Network. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.
At present, Mendoza is making about 1,200 16-oz bottles of horchata a week and is testing the shelf stability of 4-gallon "party" jugs. It's been flying off the shelf, and apparently there's been some degree of frenzy buying because of the limited availability.

Mendoza said his horchata has received a lot of positive feedback on social media, although fans sometimes feel disappointed by the limited availability.

"I'll see pictures of people buying like 10 at a time, 15, just because they know they're not going to have it the next day, or it's going to be out by the end of the day," Mendoza said. "That's how I'm kind of seeing it. Even the store's having people call them, 'Hey, can you save me 10?'"

For the time being, Mendoza has no plans to sell Lovechatas at any of South Sioux City's other Hispanic grocery stores or the other food trucks, partly because he can't keep up with demand at Maria's and Daga's as it is. He's also worried that the horchata could spoil if there were too many bottles on the shelf at a store where customers didn't buy as many.

"It costs a lot to do that -- I just haven't looked that far yet. Right now, my biggest battle is keeping both places stocked," he said.
Fauci, who has a security detail because of ongoing threats and who did not respond to a request for comment for this story, has repeatedly defended his work, saying he received thousands of emails and has never ruled out any theory.

I still believe the most likely origin is from an animal species to a human, but I keep an absolutely open mind that if there may be other origins of that, there may be another reason, it could have been a lab leak, Fauci said Thursday on CNN.

The doctors newly released emails, which span the early days of the pandemic and were obtained by BuzzFeed News and The Washington Post, show no evidence of any kind of coverup about the origin of the virus. Indeed, many of the discussions reflect the science at the time. But Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have seized on the emails as proof of a conspiracy to obscure the source of the virus.

In one email, from Feb. 1 of last year, Kristian Andersen, a researcher at the Scripps Research Institute, wrote to Fauci, the longtime director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, about ongoing efforts to decipher the origin of the novel coronavirus.

At the time, the lab leak hypothesis was largely dismissed by experts. It has recently gained traction, though the origins of the virus remain unknown.
According to William Daniel, a professor of canon law at Catholic University, a priest asked by his bishop to resign has the option of submitting a defense. The bishop then consults with two other pastors and issues a decree removing the priest if he determines that step is still warranted.

If the priest thinks the bishops decision is unfair, Daniel said, he can bring the case to the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy, which can uphold or change the bishops decision. A further Vatican review is possible if the priest or the bishop disagrees with the Congregations decision,

While requests for the resignation of a priest are not uncommon, its rare that they lead to a high-profile refusal to resign, Daniel said.

One of the few such cases in the U.S. came in 2002, when a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston refused to step down over an accusation that he sexually abused a child three decades earlier. The Rev. D. George Spagnolia took his case to the Vatican but was unable to overturn his suspension. He died in 2008.
At least 11 civilians, including three children, have been killed in northwest Afghanistan when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, officials said on June 6.

The incident happened at around 5.30 p.m. local time on June 5 in the Chalank village of Badghis Province, regional governor Hesamuddin Shams said. The passengers were on their way to the provincial capital, Qala-e-Naw, he said.

The minivan fell into a valley with the shock of the blast, Shams said, adding that rescuers were still searching for the bodies.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but local officials accused the Taliban of planting the bomb to target security forces. There was no immediate response from the militant group.

Large swathes of the war-torn country are littered with land mines and roadside bombs. Many were planted by militants to target government military convoys, but they often kill civilians instead.

The United Nations has repeatedly called on both government forces and the Taliban to take more precautions to protect civilians.

The UN mission in Afghanistan says that 1,783 civilians had been killed or wounded in the country in the first three months of 2021. It marks an increase of 29 percent over the same period last year.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, tolonews.com
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 89F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 59F. SE winds shifting to N at 10 to 15 mph.
Twenty-five vaccinated young Coloradans will each win $50,000 scholarships between next week and early July, Gov. Jared Polis announced Wednesday as part of the state's growing push to improve slagging vaccine uptake.
Revonic, a regional leader in the design and optimisation of digital experiences, has launched its deep analytics tool Rexa in Qatar, where online shopping has blossomed significantly over the past year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

With Internet penetration of 99%, Qatar is one of the most connected nations in the world, slightly ahead of countries such as Denmark and Sweden, at 98%, and Switzerland and South Korea at 97%. Qatars ecommerce sector is projected to reach $3 billion this year  a 50% increase on 2020  and surpass $5 billion by 2025.

The Revonic eCommerce Experience Assessment (Rexa) is designed for enterprises in such competitive ecommerce spaces. Through easy-to-use information dashboards and reporting features, digital enterprises can measure the impact of their digital transformation programmes on growth metrics such as conversion rates.

Rexa empowers digital businesses to get a rich view of their digital strategys effect on the real world by measuring a range of best-practice criteria related to data, content, user experiences and technology, and comparing them against conversion rates. Rexa presents non-trivial, actionable information about an organisations ecommerce channels that empowers tangible improvements to operations, including efficiency, revenues, and returns on investment.

Revonic takes a pragmatic approach to data and the actionable insights it yields, said Adam

Cukrowski, Founder and CEO, Revonic. Our Rexa platform will usher in a new age of optimization across the Qatari business landscape, allowing businesses to plot digital courses with confidence, and achieve measurable results. As we continue our shared journey into the new normal, we must be mindful of value added and gained from our changed markets. Business intelligence from detailed, real-world performance telemetry empowers informed decisions. We stand ready to support enterprises across Qatar in accelerating their digital transformation journeys with customer-centric strategies.

Rexa is designed for existing ecommerce channels such as websites or apps, as well as platforms in development. The tool empowers businesses that are trying to enhance or optimise the conversion experience, including during MVP-phase projects. Revonic has established a strong reputation in the GCC for optimising digital experiences.-- TradeArabia News Service
James A. Stuber is Co-Chair of the Coalition for a Prosperous Americas (CPA) Buy America Committee and the author of What If Things Were Made in America Again.
The Mason City engineering firm WHKS & Co. has been named the flagship investor for this year's North Iowa Corridor Economic Development investor campaign.

The North Iowa Corridors annual campaign generates private investment to complement public funding it receives from the City of Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, and the City of Clear Lake. Investors help the corridor promote the region, develop business recruitment and retention, and improve workforce development, according to a press release issued by the organization.

WHKS & Co. is honored to have the opportunity to be a flagship investor with the North Iowa Corridor EDC, said Fouad K. Daoud, President and CEO. We realize that economic development is the key component in the health of any community.

The positive impact of a professional organization like the North Iowa Corridor is vital to local businesses and contributes to the health and vibrancy of communities which in turn contributes to the well-being of the citizens. We are humbled to be able to partner with the North Iowa Corridor EDC and play a small but integral part in moving north Iowa forward and driving future growth.

The North Iowa Corridor will hold its annual meeting from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. June 10 at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.

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On Monday, Floyd County officials could find themselves looking at a new, state-imposed tax levy rate and/or expense cuts to their budget.

Or, it could be business as usual.

A group of county residents organized as the Coalition for Better County Government petitioned the state to protest the county's fiscal year 2021-22 budget.

In mid-May, a panel of representatives of the State Appeal Board came to Floyd County for a public hearing, during which the county and residents presented their arguments and the panelists asked questions. Both sides were also given a deadline before which they could submit written arguments supporting their positions.

On Monday, the board, made up of the director of the Department of Management, the state auditor and the state treasurer will vote on what happens next.

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

Section 24.27 of the Iowa Code allows for any person who is directly impacted by any proposed budget or expenditure by any taxing authority can file a petition with their county auditor, who then must turn it over to the state. The petition must contain 100 verifiable signatures of county residents. From there, the hearing and subsequent decision are made.
A group of Danville faith leaders have united for a COVID-19 memorial not only to honor the memory of lives lost to the illness but as a way to help the community heal from the lingering pains of the pandemic.

A total of 223 Danville and Pittsylvania County residents have died from the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. The first death was recorded March 25, 2020, and the most recent was listed Tuesday.

More than 10,000 people in the Pittsylvania-Danville Health District have contracted COVID-19. At least 555 have been hospitalized, but the Virginia Department of Health notes that figure is a vast underrepresentation.

Residents are invited to honor loved ones lost to the virus by writing a message or attaching a flower, photo or memento to a wall at the Home Park in downtown Danville. A Community Service of Remembrance and Hope is planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The idea emerged from a meeting of the Main Street Ministers, a group comprised of clergy from churches along Main Street and the greater Danville area, said Drew Herring the senior pastor at West Main Baptist Church. In addition to nine churches involved with planning the event, the Danville Area Choral Society is co-hosting Tuesdays service.
CBD  short for cannabidiol  uses are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and, last year, farmers were waiting on the FDA to release rulings expanding those uses, particularly regarding CBDs medicinal properties.

However, the FDA hasnt released the ruling, which local farmer Robert Mills says is because of the change between the Trump and Biden administrations. Because of the transition, they had to basically start back over again, Mills said. Farmers had expected that demand for industrial hemp would be higher after the 2020 growing season than it actually was.

Also complicating issues of supply and demand is how farmers sell their product. Many farmers in the past two years planted their crop without knowing how much they could sell and ended up having to throw out much of their harvest because they could not find a buyer. As the market stabilizes and new regulations are introduced, farmers will likely have an easier time finding contracts to sell their hemp.
The New Media Academy has announced the launch of the Middle Easts first virtual campus that will deliver an unrivalled learning experience.

The campus is a custom New Media Academy-branded Space Station in orbit around Mars. Users will be given the experience to transport down to the surface of Mars to explore.

The campus leverages state-of-the-art immersive technology to give students unparalleled access to top-notch quality education, allowing them to develop innovative content.

The inauguration of the virtual campus drew the participation of several Academy members and alumni, including leaders from public and private sector institutions and independent content makers. Immersive and virtual reality technology specialist and Forbes columnist Charlie Fink delivered a presentation on the role of AR and VR in business and accelerating global transition towards digital learning in virtual and immersive environments.

Rashid Al Awadhi, CEO of the New Media Academy, said: VR and immersive technologies are shaping the learning experience of tomorrow. It is not a moment; it is a permanent movement. With the extensive set of tools that comes with immersive learning, accessibility becomes a possibility and is the next best thing to real life. Students become active participants in an elevated educational process with exceptional multi-sensory 3D experiences where they can interact with objects and each other. VR is not simply a supplement for other learning solutions  it is the future. Our students have access to the highest quality education, supported by the worlds best educators.

He added: At the New Media Academy, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in June 2020 to foster a new generation of Arab content creation professionals with limitless ambition, we seek to set high standards for creative and digital learning in the region.

The launch event included a conversation between the participants, and Charlie Fink. Fink answered questions about the future of virtual and interactive learning environments, and their role in empowering the leaders of institutions to contribute to building future smart societies.

Fink said: Virtual and immersive reality applications have proven highly efficient in keeping pace with the rapid changes that our world has witnessed during the past year in terms of learning, work and communication systems. Today, immersive and integrated virtual reality experiences can enhance the flexibility of business, education, training and healthcare sectors, and ensure that we communicate under any circumstances, benefiting from digital tools and solutions.

He added: The launch of the first virtual campus of its kind in the region by the New Media Academy makes it a role model in developing innovative mechanisms that shape the future of learning and give learners new and wider spaces to test and experiment with concepts and ideas in a virtual environment with limitless creativity.

The Academy has developed its new virtual campus built upon ENGAGE, the multi-awarding winning platform from industry-leading development studio Immersive VR Education (IVRE). The virtual campus is a first step in the New Media Academys quest to design an unprecedented learning experience featuring immersive technologies.

David Whelan, CEO and founder of Immersive VR Education (IVRE), which developed ENGAGE, said: I am delighted to welcome the New Media Academy to the ENGAGE platform as the first to launch a digital VR campus in the Middle East. This partnership will see the Academy offer access to a fully immersive virtual campus, where users can interact on a wide range of devices and VR headsets. This is only the start of what we hope to be a fruitful and productive venture into the Middle East.

The new virtual campus and the inaugural event are powered by VIVE, a global leader in premium VR setting new benchmarks for individuals and businesses, pushing boundaries in gaming, creating, and virtual experiences.

Daniel Khayat, Head of Product and VIVEPORT Middle East and Africa, said: We are pleased to see the New Media Academy develop the first virtual campus of its kind in the Middle East. This type of innovation is very close to our vision with VIVE being a pioneer in innovation, supporting various sectors and businesses to achieve greater success by providing world-class experiences in immersive reality technology. The training and education sector can lead the transformation of business sectors towards virtual reality. We will witness qualitative growth and more satisfaction with the application of virtual reality as the new trend.

The New Media Academy is building strategic partnerships with global solution providers to offer flexible interactive educational and training materials that adhere to world-class standards and global best practices for its programme members that include public sector leaders, private sector employees, content creators, influencers and those interested in developing advanced digital skills.

It also cooperates with world-renowned experts and trainers to deliver its educational programs that cover various digital skills and grant the Academy's members a competitive head starts in communication, digital strategy design and content creation.-- TradeArabia News Service
I was asked for my identification. I felt lucky I remembered to put my drivers license in my wallet as I handed it to the woman. She looked at it and handed it back, telling me it had expired two years ago, and couldnt be used.

A quick word of explanation: Several years ago, I had two friends who had their purses snatched in a local shopping center. Since then, I keep my valid drivers license in my car at all times to have when I am driving. That day, I didnt even think about the license in that holder being expired.

As I took back my license, I asked to speak with a superior. I explained how far we had driven and that I didnt want to ruin the Jenkins family big trip, but it didnt faze him, even as tears welled up in my eyes. He also said it couldnt be used.

I requested he ask his superior. He left with the license and came back about 10 minutes later, shaking his head. No, it was impossible to use it and there was no one else I could ask. I asked if they could check online that the license is up-to-date, but again, he shook his head.

I fought back tears as the Jenkins family gathered around me. I insisted I wait in their car while they went on the tour as planned. But, then, Wayne turned back to ask a guard about my using the restroom facilities since the tour would last two or three hours.
Chantel, in an interview, said she was very naive at first. I went into the show thinking it would prove to the world how lovely and perfect my relationship was, she said. That was not reality. Instead, she said people were fascinated by the clashing family dynamics, the cultural misunderstandings and the communication limitations given that Pedros English was very poor when he came stateside five years ago.

They debated whether to do the spinoff show, but Chantel said they decided it might help people understand the K-1 visa process better so others could benefit from our mistakes and find comfort that our struggles are normal.

The producers would regularly question their motives and actions that in a way helped make their relationship stronger, Pedro said. Its therapeutic, he said. You can heal yourself. Talking about problems is better than hiding them.

Jason Sarlanis, senior vice president for development at TLC, said he loves how theyve been able to highlight people of all races and cultures. Its one of the most diverse shows on TV. Weve told stories about LBGTQ couples and how different countries view marriage.

To Sarlanis, I think this show really gives people out there hope that no matter where you look in this world, your other half is out there.
Maggie Simmons, the assistant health director in Surry County, said that while some people don't want the shot because they've had COVID-19 already, others "think it is a government takeover."

"We struggle with it because we want everyone to be vaccinated and have implemented strategies to get more people out," she said."

Simmons said she's heard of people asking, "Why would I want to take a shot to edit my genetics?"

Surry County's vaccination numbers are better than most of the other counties outside the Triad's urban core.

"We have done remarkably well," Simmons said. "At first, we did not have enough vaccine to support the need. We have the supply. We want to show them science and data that it is safe and effective."

Kimberly Irvine, the director of human services in Yadkin County, said people there are tending not to get their children vaccinated, even if the parents themselves have gotten their shots.

The better-educated, those with higher incomes and those who have better knowledge about vaccines  including people who work in medical fields and those who have a close relationship with their doctor  are getting vaccinated at higher rates, she said.
Tony Collins was removed from his position on the Greensboro Zoning Commission for refusing to address Carrie Rosario by her requested academic title: Doctor. The exchange was recorded and resulted in national press coverage that sometimes framed the incident as a case of white privilege.

Their interaction was an example of the validity of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jungs conclusion that Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.

Collins impatience and disregard for Rosarios perspective was reflected by his stubborn persistence in refusing her repeated requests to be addressed as Dr. Rosario. Whether it was conscious or unconscious white privilege, annoyance or a need to assert his power as a commissioner, the situation could have been easily defused had Collins simply complied.

Rosarios doctorate is in public health, a field not related to zoning. Her insistence on the title seemed based on a need for respect rather than establishing her professional expertise. The degree to which that need was grounded in race, gender, status, irritation with the process or Collins behavior is a learning agenda for her individual reflection and assessment.
And it has worked. As the numbers of infection have gone down while the rate of vaccination goes up, the economy has been improving. The states unemployment rate was 5.2% in March, compared to a pandemic high of 13.5% in spring 2020.

But were still not there yet. Some of us are still, for one reason or another, out of work.

The reasons include fear of infection  some are immunocompromised  and lack of child care. And, yes, some no doubt dont want to go back to stressful or demanding jobs that pay less than what theyre receiving in government benefits. Their reluctance is understandable.

But they cant stay on government assistance forever. Its not fair to the rest of us.

At least 21 red states, in an attempt to encourage workers to return to the workforce, have cut off the $300 federal supplements to state unemployment checks. Some of these are states with tight labor markets, according to a JP Morgan research team, so the decision is tied to politics, not economics.

In other words, they want to keep low-wage workers working for low wages rather than risk employers offering them more to come back to work.
What to watch as the impeachment trial kicks off
Police said a robber and burglar who victimized the same Decatur man twice within the same week was caught when he returned to the scene of the crimes for a third time and was reported to patrol officers.
As COVID-19 began spreading across the country last spring and schools, businesses and communities locked down and closed, inmates at one Southwest Virginia jail devised a plan to make some extra money in an illegal conspiracy to collect unemployment benefits, according to court records.

More Information  For more information on unemployment benefits in Virginia, go to www.vec.virginia.gov/unemployed.

The scheme, based out of the Regional Jail in Duffield, is just one of several conspiracies involving unemployment fraud, and this one resulted in a half-million dollars going to ineligible conspirators, prosecutors said.

More Information Concerned about unemployment fraud? Reach out to your state unemployment office to report the fraud. Its possible you could be a victim of fraud in several states.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the Virginia Employment Commission has paid approximately $12 billion in unemployment claims, according to a news release. The Associated Press reports that the VEC has admitted to paying more than $50 million in fraudulent claims, including to inmates ineligible to receive benefits.

Unemployment insurance fraud is a national issue that every state is struggling with and Virginia is not immune, VEC Commissioner Ellen Marie Hess said. Fraud takes many forms, including identity theft, filing under false pretenses and on a larger scale, organized fraud conducted by malicious actors from across the globe.

As a result of the pandemic, the government made it easier to file for claims, including self-certification and the lifting of other traditional requirements.

Twenty-four people have been indicted in connection with the scheme, which was headed by Leelyn Danielle Chytka, Greg Tackett and Jeff Tackett, according to federal prosecutors.

Over the past year, Virginians have endured one of the worst pandemics our country has ever seen, Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Bubar said in a new release regarding Chytkas plea agreement. During this time, jobless claims in the commonwealth dramatically increased, as unemployment spiked. While some struggled to make ends meet, this defendant and her co-conspirators worked to defraud an unemployment system which exists as a safety net for those in need.

Over the course of nine months, Chytka filed fraudulent claims for at least 37 individuals, with a total actual loss to the United States of at least $499,000, according to prosecutors.

In May 2020, Chytka developed the scheme to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits via the Virginia Employment Commission website, according to court records. The scheme was to submit claims for various individuals, including Chytka, Greg Tackett and Jeff Tackett, who were each ineligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, records show.

To file for benefits, the individuals made false statements about unemployment based on COVID-19, using a fictitious employer as the name of the last employer, and claiming that the applicant was actively seeking full-time employment.

Because pandemic unemployment benefits were paid on a weekly basis, the scheme was continuing. Chytka and the others agreed to file weekly recertifications for the claims they submitted.

At the time Chytka developed the scheme, court records say Jeff Tackett was incarcerated at the Regional Jail in Duffield and was not capable of accessing a computer system to file his own fraudulent claim. Inmates are ineligible to receive unemployment benefits.

Jeff Tackett provided all of his personal information required to file his claim to Chytka, who would then file on his behalf, court records state.

The scheme expanded and began to include other inmates  all ineligible to obtain benefits  at the Duffield facility. They also made claims for other friends and family members, court records show.

Jeff Tackett approached inmates at the jail and told them he had a way to make money by submitting claims for pandemic unemployment benefits on their behalf, prosecutors said in court records. Fifteen inmates, most of them in the same jail pod, are said to have provided their information to Tackett, who then passed it on to Chytka so she could file claims.

Some conspiracy members agreed that in exchange for filing claims, Chytka and others could keep a portion of the money. Some people gave them drugs. Others gave them money, according to court records.

Chytka and Greg Tackett used the address of a residence in Lebanon, where they lived, for all of the applications. Benefits were then sent to the address on pre-paid debit cards, records show. Thirty-nine pandemic unemployment benefit claims used the Lebanon address.

On 12 of the claims, they used the name Walls, which is Chytkas maiden name, records show. Seventeen claims used Chytkas cell phone number.

Chytka, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges in March, confessed to filing fraudulent claims during an interview with investigators while incarcerated at the Lincoln County Detention Center in North Carolina. She admitted to being employed at the time, but still filed for unemployment, records show. She received not less than $18,000 for her personal claim.

During the conspiracy, Chytka even attempted to start a business called D&R Accounting to facilitate the scheme. She wanted to make the scheme appear legit, court records show. She also planned to charge people a fee for her service of filing fraudulent claims.

To distribute benefits to inmate co-conspirators, Chytka occasionally sent money to the commissary accounts in jail, as directed by Jeff Tackett.

Chytka, who faces up to 48 years in prison, and Greg Tackett are awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Jeffrey Tacketts charges are still pending.

BACKGROUND

On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic an emergency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act. Five days later, the president signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The act provided flexibility for state unemployment insurance agencies and additional administrative funding to respond to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act expanded states ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including those ordinarily ineligible for unemployment benefits.

The CARES Act created three new unemployment insurance programs: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). The states, including Virginia, administer the programs.

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program provides up to 39 weeks of benefits for individuals who are self-employed, seeking part-time employment or otherwise did not qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. Coverage includes individuals who have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment insurance benefits or extended benefits under state or federal law, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

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The second program, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, is a state-federal program that provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to individuals who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance under state or federal law, have no rights to regular benefits under any other state or federal law, and are able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work.

Under this program, states, including Virginia and Tennessee, must offer flexibility in meeting the actively seeking work requirement if individuals are unable to search for work because of COVID-19, including because of illness, quarantine or movement restriction.

The third program, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, provides individuals who are collecting regular unemployment benefits with an additional $600 per week.

In total, more than $300 billion in federal funds for unemployment insurance were appropriated in 2020.

Individuals are only eligible for pandemic unemployment benefits if they are unemployed for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic and are otherwise available to work and are seeking employment.

Once an applicant is on the Virginia Employment Commission website, he or she is required to enter personally identifiable information including name, date of birth, Social Security number, email address, phone number and physical address. An applicant is then required to answer a series of questions to determine eligibility and payment amount. An applicant must then attest, under penalty of perjury, that the information provided in the claim application is true and accurate.

If approved, the applicant can choose whether to have the pandemic unemployment benefits deposited directly into a bank account of their choosing, or the funds can be loaded on a pre-paid debit card then shipped to the applicant.

In Virginia, the recipient receives an access code so they can recertify their unemployment status.

The Virginia Employment Commission reported that it obtained a list of about 39,000 inmates housed by the Virginia Department of Corrections and cross-matched the unemployment claims to people who were on the inmate list. The analysis revealed more than 6,000 claims filed on behalf of inmates in Virginia, totaling more than $85 million in paid claims.

PROCESSING

Authorities have only recovered $43,000 from the Chytka conspiracy, court records show. As part of her plea agreement, Chytka will have to repay the remaining $456,000.

In May 2020, Travis Kilgore and Brittany McReynolds discovered they could make money by applying for pandemic unemployment benefits via the VEC website. The couple from St. Paul sought to obtain benefits even though they were not eligible to receive such benefits, court records show.

On May 25, 2020, the pair filed individual claims for benefits with the VEC from cell phones. The claims were processed and approved. The VEC then sent confirmation information to the pair via email and they elected to receive payments to their bank accounts. They then made weekly recertifications that they were unemployed  even though they were not eligible.

As a result, Kilgore was paid at least $18,162 and McReynolds was paid $17,562, records show.

The pair expanded their scheme, filing claims for 21 others. For most of the claims, they used fictitious addresses in Wise County for fictitious employers.

In exchange for filing claims, Kilgore and McReynolds received cash payments and illegal drugs, court records show. The pairs scheme resulted in $182,474. The VEC recouped $18,004.

Kilgore and McReynolds pleaded guilty in April and face years in prison. Both have previously also been convicted on drug charges in Wise County.

In May, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam directed the VEC to invest $20 million to expand the agencys ability to process unemployment insurance claims. His directive requires the agency to add 300 new adjudication staffers, make immediate technology upgrades and complete a full modernization of the system by Oct. 1.

Northam said the state ranks sixth in the nation for the timely payment of benefits to eligible applicants. The governors action could speed up the resolution of cases flagged as potentially fraudulent or ineligible, Northam said. The cases represent about 4% of all claims.

If an individuals initial claim is flagged for potential ineligibility or fraud, federal law requires the VEC to adjudicate the claim before proceeding with payment. Most individuals that are placed in the adjudication process are ultimately found ineligible for benefits  despite funds going to ineligible individuals.

VICTIMS

While Chytka and others used the identities of real people, but fictitious employers, some scam artists have used stolen information and identities. Criminals have been seizing the opportunity created by the pandemic. Using data stolen from prior data breaches, they make a claim using someone elses identity to access an increased pool of benefits.

The problem can lead victims, those who have had their information stolen, to have trouble getting their legitimate benefits. Experts say everyone should be on alert, the Associated Press reports.

We are nowhere near the end of this particular fraud, said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps victims of identity theft.

Anyone can be a victim, Velasquez said. Retired individuals may find out they are a victim when the Social Security Administration alerts them their benefits are being reduced.

Some homeowners have even found their address tied up in a scam after they put their home up for sale.

Velasquez urges everyone to be alert to any suspicious mail, phone calls, email or social media requests. These could be attempts to gather personal information or a sign of existing fraud.

Its often difficult to know whether you are a victim.

People typically find out about the problem when they receive benefits-related paperwork in the mail, a call from their employer or when they try to file a legitimate claim for benefits and are denied. In some cases, a criminal may initiate the false claim, but the money itself is sent to the victims account or home. The fraudsters may also build on a legitimate claim by requesting further benefits and nabbing those.

States are required to mail out a 1099-G form, which reports income from unemployment benefits, the Associated Press said.

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The challenge that she faces is how to, on the one hand, have a conversation, keep the door open  while not seeming to ignore the obvious elephant in the room, which is this incredible penetration of the state by corrupt actors, he said.

In Mexico, Lopez Obrador continues to face a complicated security situation in many parts of the country. Nearly three-dozen candidates or pre-candidates were killed before this weekends midterm elections as drug cartels sought to protect their interests. The governments inability to provide security in parts of the country is of interest to the U.S. in an immigration context, both for the people who are displaced by violence and the impact it has on a severely weakened economy trying reemerge from the pandemic.

The number of Mexicans encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection rose steadily from December through April. Mexico remains a key U.S. ally in trying to slow immigration, not only of its own citizens, but those crossing its territory. Successive U.S. administrations have effectively tried to push their immigration enforcement goals south to Mexico and Guatemala.

Nongovernmental organizations placed Guatemalas widespread corruption at the top of their list of concerns before Harris visit.
All New Yorkers have a right to live free from fear of being targeted because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or religion. But right now, many of our Asian American neighbors walk with trepidation, if not terror. The numbers do not lie: Between the start of this year and May 23, there were 86 reported anti-Asian hate crimes, a more than 350% increase from the 19 reported in all of 2020. And that almost surely understates the problem.

Recent days have brought fresh heinous attacks, including a 55-year-old Asian woman sucker-punched in broad daylight on a Chinatown street Monday, and a 75-year-old grandmother punched in the face in Queens. This isnt a New York City-specific phenomenon, but nowhere in America is the scourge worse.

Anti-Asian stereotyping is another part of the problem, and must be vigorously combated. A new federal law should help a bit there.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea blames bail reform, people arrested multiple, multiple, multiple times, and released. Hes right that some of those arrested in recent incidents have lengthy rap sheets and went through revolving doors.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to maintain the critical separation between politics and aviation safety issues.

The call followed the latest development in events following the incident when Ryanair FR4978 was intercepted over Belarus Airspace and forced to land in Minsk. On June 2, EASA replaced its recommendation (Safety Information Bulletin) for European airlines to carefully assess the risk of flying in Belarus airspace with a blanket prohibition (Safety Directive) on European aircraft entering Belarus airspace.

Aviation safety must never be politicized. IATA condemned the actions of the Belarus government and called for an independent investigation. Banning European aircraft from using Belarusian airspace with a Safety Directive is also a politicization of aviation safety. This is a retrograde and disappointing development. EASA should rescind its prohibition and allow airlines to manage safety as they do each and every daywith their normal operational risk assessments."

Two wrongs do not make a right. Politics should never interfere with the safe operation of aircraft and politicians should never use aviation safety as a cover to pursue political or diplomatic agendas, said Willie Walsh, IATAs Director General.

Background

On May 23, Ryanair flight FR4978, while overflying Belarus en-route from Athens to its final destination, Vilnius, was made to divert and land in Minsk by Belarusian authorities.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident EASA issued a Safety Information Bulletin advising airlines to avoid operations in Belarusian airspace. This did not ban European aircraft from using the airspace but required any airline that continued to do so to satisfy themselves that the safety of the aircraft, passengers, and crew, was not at risk. IATA supported this measure as a proportionate response to the actions of the Government of Belarus.

Several airlines have continued to use Belarusian airspace. IATA supports their decision to do so.

On May 27, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization decided to undertake a fact-finding investigation into the Belarus incident which IATA fully supports.

On June 2, after consulting with the EASA Member States and the European Commission, EASA issued a Safety Directive which effectively bans airlines from using Belarusian airspace. IATA does not support this action as it, in effect, politicizes air safety. - TradeArabia News Service
In the last few decades, weve watched representation of Southwest Virginia continually shrink at the state and federal levels. Its crucial that we elect someone to statewide office who understands the issues facing Southwest, especially as we move forward with redistricting next year. Thats why Im supporting Del. Sam Rasoul for lieutenant governor this Tuesday, June 8th.

Sam has represented Roanoke in the General Assembly for eight years. Hes one of the strongest advocates for Southwest and rural Virginians, even though we live more than 100 miles from his district. He often visits here and makes a point of connecting with people, and he did so long before he was a statewide candidate. If elected, he would be the only statewide elected official in Virginia from west of Richmond, ensuring we would have a seat at the table.

As a former educator, I am impressed by Sams education plan. His priorities include implementing a holistic method for students to learn soft skills, like mental resilience. In fact, he passed Virginias first benchmarks for social-emotional learning last year. Our students desperately need more support in these regards, and Im glad to see a statewide candidate who recognizes that need.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Experts recovered the data recorder of a fire-ravaged ship carrying chemicals that is slowly sinking off Sri Lankas capital, as salvage crews stood by to head off a possible environmental disaster, officials said Sunday.

The Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl started sinking Wednesday, a day after authorities extinguished a fire that raged on the vessel for 12 days. Efforts to tow the ship into deeper waters away from the port in Colombo had failed after the ships stern became submerged and rested on the seabed.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority said experts together with the navy on Saturday recovered the ships voyage data recorder, or VDR, commonly known as the black box.

The authority said on its website that the VDR, which contains vital information related to the operation of the vessel, would be handed over to local law enforcement agencies investigating the fire.

Both the authority and the ships operator said the vessel's aft portion remains on the seabed at a depth of about 21 meters (70 feet), and the forward section continues to settle down slowly.

Operator X-Press Feeders said salvors remain on the scene to deal with any possible spills. It has apologized for the disaster.
However, is this not exactly the kind of scholarly debate that any good liberal arts university should want to encourage, not suppress? At least when I attended UNC from 1967-1971 hearing dissenting voices and views was encouraged, particularly after the years when Jesse Helms had promoted the notorious 1963 speaker ban law.

Ms. Jones and the 1619 Project are inviting scholars and students of history to reexamine our presuppositions about the traditional American narrative. In light of what I wasnt taught in school about the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898 or about all the horrors of the lynchings of Blacks before and during segregation, surely a revision of the historical record is at least worthy of discussion. That the proponents of the 1619 Project may do so from a somewhat narrow, yet needed perspective of the American Black experience surely provides a reason to challenge some of their broad assertions; it is not a reason to dismiss them or their voices from the university forum. As Thomas Jefferson once said, For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.
Representative image

Kabul [Afghanistan], June 6 (ANI/Sputnik): The Afghan army has lost 14 troops, and 37 other soldiers were captured during the hostilities with the Taliban militants in northern Afghanistan, the TOLOnews media outlet reported on Sunday, citing a local source.

According to the Afghan news outlet, Talibs attacked a police station in Qaisar district in the Faryab province on Saturday night. The source noted that 30 more security troops "were under siege by the Taliban" and would be also taken hostages unless the army deployed reinforcements to the area.

The local authorities have not yet commented on the incident.

The peace negotiations between Kabul and the Taliban began in the Qatari capital of Doha back in September of last year. However, the confrontation between the parties continues to rock the country. (ANI/Sputnik)
Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

The massacre of innocents was just the beginning, Joe Biden explained. African Americans in Tulsa, Oklahoma, would go on to be locked out of home ownerships, see a motorway built through their community and endure chronic underinvestment by government.

This story isnt about the loss of life, but a loss of living, of wealth and prosperity and possibilities that still reverberates today, the US president said during a visit marking the centenary of an attack by a white mob that left up to 300 people dead.

Related: Biden proposes $6tn budget to boost infrastructure, education and climate

He went on to offer hope, announcing expanded efforts to narrow the racial wealth gap that has proved generational in Tulsa and countless other cities. But a day later, Biden found himself back in Washington, haggling behind closed doors over a legislative proposal that could make or break his promise to right this systemic wrong.

When it was unveiled in March, the $2.3tn American Jobs Plan made good on Bidens campaign pledge by proposing to advance racial equity in education, employment, healthcare, housing and transport. It included $400bn to create jobs and boost wages for millions of women of colour who work as caregivers for the elderly and disabled.

But that is precisely the type of provision that Republicans oppose, arguing for a traditional definition of infrastructure as airports, bridges, railways and roads along with broadband internet.

During negotiations they have already forced Biden to trim his proposal to $1.7tn. There are fears that, if past form is any guide, Republicans will continue to chip away at the very measures that benefit the most marginalised.

Yvette Simpson, chief executive of the progressive group Democracy for America, said: We thought that the American Jobs Plan was already a compromise position and you have Republicans pulling out even more of it.

When you think about who has been the hardest hit by the pandemic, who is always hit the hardest in this country, its Black and brown people. So if Republicans start to gut parts of this bill, the folks who are going to be most affected are the folks who need it the most, which happen to be Black and brown people.

Story continues

The Republican view of infrastructure is too narrow, Simpson added. I always say Republicans love potholes more than people. They love bridges more than they love Black lives. They care more about wealthy than working families.

Give them everything that they want and theyre not going to come back and support you, so then youre not going to be able to pass the bigger things that we need to fill the gap as it relates to Black and brown people in this country. Were talking about the care economy, human infrastructure  things that have to stay in this bill and have to stay robust in this bill.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito: We disagree on the definition of infrastructure and weve been working with the president to bring it back to the physical core idea of infrastructure that weve worked so well on in the past. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

The typical white family in the US has eight times the wealth of the typical Black family and five times the wealth of the typical Hispanic family, according to research by the Federal Reserve.

In his Tulsa address, as he urged America to confront disquieting truths about itself, Biden noted that the percentage of Black homeownership is lower today than when the Fair Housing Act was passed more than half a century ago.

The president also used the occasion to tout the American Jobs Plan, which includes a $10bn fund to support community-led civic infrastructure projects that create innovative shared amenities; $15bn for new grants and technical assistance to overhaul existing transportation; a tax credit to attract private investment in affordable homes; and $31bn to increase access to capital and provide technical assistance to disadvantaged small businesses.

Senate Republicans, however, are intent on a narrower definition of infrastructure and propose to spend a more modest $928bn over eight years. Biden has reportedly dismissed the counteroffer as unworkable, partly because it would be paid for by dipping into unused coronavirus relief funds; he would prefer to raise the corporate tax rate to generate revenue for his $1.7tn target.

Related: Joe Biden calls for US to confront its past on 100th anniversary of Tulsa massacre

The White House set a deadline of 7 June to see clear signs of progress in reaching an agreement. On Wednesday the president, who has been described as an apostle of bipartisanship, spent nearly an hour in a private meeting with Shelley Moore Capito, Senate Republicans lead negotiator on infrastructure, trying to thrash out a deal.

Capito has made her position clear. We disagree on the definition of infrastructure and weve been working with the president to bring it back to the physical core idea of infrastructure that weve worked so well on in the past, she told Fox News last Sunday. Whether thats roads and bridges, waterways, ports, lead pipes, transit, airports, and also the new infrastructure, which we must have everywhere  broadband. Those are great categories, I think, that we can work together on.

I think it is so easy to say, Lets throw everything in, and I think thats what the president did initially. Human infrastructure, social infrastructure, great things to talk about, things that we need to address  daycare, senior care, all those items. But, thats not what we consider physical infrastructure or modernising our transportation system to meet the next century challenges, and thats where I think we need to concentrate our effort at this point.

You dont have people to work on roads, bridges and railways if people dont have childcare or if people are not healthy Amara Enyia

Improvements to physical infrastructure that upgrade inner-city schools, replace lead pipes or reduce air pollution in Black and Latino neighbourhoods near ports and power plants would make a welcome difference.

But Amara Enyia, policy and research coordinator for the Movement for Black Lives advocacy coalition, contends that Capito and other Republicans framing will no longer suffice.

It doesnt really make sense to hold on to that narrow definition, which just speaks to the fact that theyre unwilling to actually grapple with the challenges that this country is facing in this moment, she said. You dont have people to work on roads, bridges and railways if people dont have childcare or if people are not healthy.

What were seeing is trying to be creative and expanding the definition because we are living in unprecedented times where the challenges that were facing are not going to be addressed with interventions from the past or with solutions that may have worked 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago.

Capito represents West Virginia, a state where Donald Trump beat Biden in a landslide and where the population is 93.5% white, 3.6% African American. West Virginias other senator, Joe Manchin, is a conservative Democrat who could prove decisive if the party tries to pass the American Jobs Plan without Republican support through a congressional process known as budget reconciliation, requiring a 51-vote threshold in the Senate.

Lidia Vilorio, a home health aide, makes the bed for her patient in Haverstraw, New York. Bidens American Jobs Plan included $400bn to create jobs and boost wages for millions of women of colour who work as caregivers for the elderly and disabled. Photograph: Michael M Santiago/Getty Images

Some campaigners believe there is no alternative since Republicans refusal to even hold a commission on the 6 January Capitol insurrection shows they cannot be trusted. Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families party (WFP), said: That Republicans could not get to yes on studying a terrorist attack against themselves and their own staff speaks to the fact that, with this current Republican party, you dont have good-faith negotiators and the Democrats should absolutely go it alone.

The proposal that Republicans shared was laughable in terms of the scale. You cant really take them seriously when President Biden lays out a $2.3tn package over eight years and they come back with something under a trillion that doesnt at all include the care economy and is basically a bridges and roads infrastructure package.

Black voters were hailed as central to the coalition that got Biden elected and are urging him to hold the line.

The Biden administration insists it will not make compromises on the bill that undermine people of colour. Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, told a briefing on Thursday: Addressing racial equity is central to the presidents initiatives, his commitments to rebuilding our economy around the country, and certainly hes not going to give up on that.

Biden has a very slim majority in both houses of Congress so he is negotiating  However, he has a real awareness of the needs of racial justice James Roosevelt

The president may be determined to learn lessons from history. He has suggested that the American Jobs Plan will deliver economic and social change on a scale as monumental as President Franklin D Roosevelts New Deal in the 1930s.

Roosevelts grandson James, a former associate commissioner of social security in the Bill Clinton administration, said: As we now know from history, the programmes of the New Deal did not meet the needs of racial equity across the country, largely because in order to get them passed through Congress, FDR had to build a coalition that included very powerful segregationist southern congressmen and senators.

Joe Biden has a very slim majority in both houses of Congress so he is negotiating and its his nature to be bipartisan. However, he has a real awareness of the needs of racial justice so, if you see the latest negotiations between President Biden and Senator Shelley Moore Capito representing the Republicans, the focus is on how heavy the tax burden will be on various corporate sectors. Theres no backing off from being anti-racist.
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Tel Aviv [Isreal], June 6 (ANI): The head of Israel's Security Agency Shin Bet, Nadav Argaman has issued a warning against incitement, including on social media, amid political tensions in Israel that could lead to possible physical harm, Times of Israel reported.

"We have recently identified a serious rise and radicalization in violent and inciting discourse, specifically on social media," Argaman said, warning that such online speech could lead some groups or individuals to take violent action and even harm others.

"This discourse may be interpreted among certain groups or individuals as one that allows violent and illegal activity and could even lead to harm to individuals," he said.

The threats came after their decision to enter into a government with Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid and other Israeli parties seeking to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The leaders of the right-wing Yamina party Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked have come under intense attacks from others on the right for their decision to join the so-called "change government," and have had their security increased due to the potential threats to their safety. Netanyahu has declared that the new government endangers the Land of Israel, the State of Israel, and the Israel Defense Forces.

Earlier this week, Israel's ruling Likud party accused Facebook and Twitter of censoring the right-wing political force amid opposition calls to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sputnik reported.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin gave Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel's largest opposition party Yesh Atid, a mandate to form a coalition government after Netanyahu failed to do it following the March inconclusive elections. On June 2, the presidency said that Naftali Bennett, the Yamina head, would become the country's new prime minister on a rotation basis, and be replaced by Lapid after about two years. (ANI)




Oman in talks with ICC, BCCI to host WT20 matches

06 Jun 2021: Oman in talks with ICC, BCCI to host WT20 matches

The ICC and BCCI are in talks with Oman Cricket over hosting a few of the T20 World Cup matches later this year in the Gulf nation, an official has confirmed.Earlier this week, the BCCI had given BCCI a month's time to show its readiness to host the tournament in October-November.However, India's chances of hosting the tournament are unlikely.Here's more.

India: Hosting the WT20 in India unlikely due to COVID-19 situation

The ICC T20 World Cup in India is not expected to go ahead because of the expected third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.India is currently reeling with coronavirus and holding sporting events may just not be possible.Earlier, the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended midway through the tourney by the BCCI after several players tested positive.

ICC: ICC looking at a venue besides the UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is on standby to host the T20 World Cup.UAE will also be hosting the remainder of the IPL 2021 season in September-October.To ease the workload on the UAE, the ICC is also looking at Oman to host a few matches.The ICC has approached Oman for the same and talks are progressing with BCCI as well.

Oman Cricket: Oman Cricket has been approached by the ICC

Oman Cricket secretary Madhu Jesrani said that the ICC has approached them and the body's chairman is in talks with the BCCI."We have been approached by ICC and the chairman of Oman Cricket, Pankaj Khimji, is in talks with the BCCI which is due to host the tournament," he told IANS from Muscat.

WT20: Oman ready to host a few World T20 matches

He said Oman is ready and the details have been shared with the ICC."The talks with BCCI have just started. The ICC asked us for certain things that they are looking at in a hosting venue and we have given them the details. We have told them that we are ready. We have two turf pitch grounds, including one with floodlights," added Jesrani.

Story continues

Thoughts: Why is the ICC thinking about shifting a few matches?

There are three venues in the UAE to host cricket and after the IPL, the burden on the pitched will be massive. To ease the burden, the ICC is thus contemplating shifting some games to another nation like Oman. The pitches won't last for two successive tournaments with more than 70 matches on offer.

Venue: Muscat zeroed in for the preliminary rounds

A senior board official of Oman Cricket told PTI that Muscat has been zeroed in specifically for the preliminary rounds of the 16-team competition. This will also allow the three UAE grounds to get sufficient time to freshen up. He said the UAE leg of the World T20 can start in November which will allow the pitches to be spruced up for the event.

Fact: BCCI retains hosting rights regardless of venue

Recently, the ICC said that a final decision on the venue for the T20 World Cup will be taken later this month. The governing body also clarified that the BCCI will retain the hosting rights regardless of the venue.

The news article, Oman in talks with ICC, BCCI to host WT20 matches appeared first on NewsBytes.

Also see: T20 WC 2021: BCCI retains hosting rights regardless of venue

Remainder of IPL 2021 can't happen in India, says Ganguly

T20 World Cup in India could be shifted to UAE

Read more on Sports by NewsBytes.


Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah (Photo Credit - Reuters)

Karachi [Pakistan], June 6 (ANI): Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday accused Imran Khan-led Pakistan government of treating the country's province with abject bias and urged him to reconsider the proposed Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

Dawn reported that Shah urged Prime Minister to reconsider the PSDP terming it lopsided as it was 'detrimental' to the interests of people living in Sindh.

Giving the four-year break-up of the number of schemes and their allocation for provincially executed projects for Sindh in the PSDP, he said only six schemes with a total allocation of Rs 5,069.14 million were proposed in 2021, while the number of schemes in 2017-18 was 27 with a total allocation of Rs 23,387.21m.

He said there were 10 schemes with the allocation of Rs 8,302m in 2020-21, 13 schemes of Rs 8.508.85m in 20019-20 and 22 schemes with allocation of 14,266.72 m in 2018-19.

"As you note above, grave injustice is being meted out to the people of Sindh ever since the current federal government came into power in August 2018," the letter read.

He also said that the National Highway Authority was responsible for executing major road sector schemes in the country, but there was big difference between the numbers of schemes given to Sindh as opposed to other provinces.

"There were 22 schemes with total allocation of Rs 32,151.57m for Punjab and 21 schemes with allocation of Rs 41,256.48m for KP and 15 schemes with allocation of Rs 24,150m for Balochistan in the proposed PDSP 2021-22, while there were only two schemes with allocation of 7,111.95m for Sindh," he said while adding "I know the above data is unbelievable, but it is unfortunately a reality."

As per the newspaper, the country's development projects of the National Highway Authority (NHA) have been stalled due to a lack of disbursement of funds under the PSDP for the third quarter of the current fiscal year.

The NHA contractors did not get payments for the last three months because of the non-release of funds and as a result, they adopted a policy of either go-slow or abandoned the infrastructure projects, including those being executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). (ANI)
Laurel Burleson, chef and owner of the Ugly Apple Cafe in Madison, Wisconsin, first made this fruity riff on Italian caprese salad toasts for a catering gig. Fresh mozzarella offers a creamy counterpoint to the tartness of strawberry-basil jam, and a balsamic drizzle underscores some of the same flavor notes.

For a sweeter canape, make a balsamic glaze by simmering a little balsamic on the stove until it reduces by half. Or do as Burleson and pick up a high-quality balsamic vinegar and just use it straight.

Put a pin in this jam recipe for the first time you see strawberries at the farmers market. Burleson says this recipe makes six 8-ounce jars of jam, which you can give away to lucky friends or freeze to treat yourself later this winter.

The jam recipe can be cut in half and will still work just fine. A kitchen scale is more accurate and may speed up the process. Burleson always advises that, when making jam, surface area is your friend, so she recommends using a wide saute pan or saucepan. Also, if you plan to can the jam in sealed jars, bottled lemon juice is preferred for its uniform level of acidity.

Strawberry Caprese Canapes with Strawberry-Basil Jam

Yields: 10 canapes

Strawberry-Basil Jam

3 lbs fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and cut into -inch pieces

3 cups (1 lbs) granulated sugar

2 Tbsp (1 oz) lemon juice

cant  cup (1 oz) chopped fresh basil leaves

Strawberry Caprese Canapes

1 demi baguette (about 8 oz)

1 ball (8 oz) fresh mozzarella

2 to 3 fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

2 to 3 large basil leaves, thinly sliced

balsamic vinegar, glaze or reduction

freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

finishing or coarse salt, to taste (optional)

Prepare Strawberry-Basil Jam: Place a plate and a few teaspoons in freezer. In large saute pan or wide saucepan over low heat, add strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. With potato masher, mash strawberries, then stir with rubber spatula until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Boil about 10 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping sides and bottom of pan to prevent sticking or burning.

After about 10 minutes, stir in basil. Remove pan from heat. To know when jam is done, test jams gel point: Remove plate and teaspoon from freezer; drop about 1 teaspoon jam onto plate. Return plate and spoon to freezer for 1 minute. After 1 minute, push jam with spoon into a line. If jam remains somewhat firm when pushed and line does not fill in with juice, the jam is ready. If line fills in with juice, then continue to cook, retesting gel point every few minutes.

Set aside about  cup jam for canapes. If desired, for longer storage, ladle remaining jam into six 8-ounce sterilized jars, leaving a half inch of space at top of jar. Seal and secure jars with button-top lids; place in boiling-water bath about 10 minutes or until seal takes hold and pops. Place jars on drying rack; cool jam at room temperature. Refrigerate sealed jam up to 1 month. Or place jam in airtight containers; cover and refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 year.

Prepare Strawberry Caprese Canapes: Preheat oven to 325F. Meanwhile, trim ends from baguette; cut baguette crosswise into ten -inch-thick slices. Place slices on cookie sheet and bake 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Cut mozzarella into -inch-thick slices, each to about the same size as each bread slice (slice mozzarella ball in half, if necessary).

Assemble canapes: On large serving platter, arrange toasted baguette. Spread 2 teaspoons or so Strawberry-Basil Jam over each slice of bread; place 1 slice mozzarella over jam, then top with 1 or 2 slices strawberries and some basil. Drizzle with balsamic. If desired, sprinkle canapes with pepper and salt.
Find out how many job openings there are in the U.S., plus how much the ultra-rich pay in taxes, and more of this week's trends in data with t
Entry into the UAE from Vietnam is being suspended for all incoming passengers on national and foreign carriers, and those carrying transit passengers, starting June 5, said a report.

The decision by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) exempts transit flights coming to the UAE and heading to Vietnam, news agency WAM reported.

The new precautions apply to travellers who were in Vietnam in the last 14 days before coming to the UAE.

Flights between these countries and the UAE will continue to operate, allowing the transportation of passengers from the UAE to Vietnam.

It will also allow the transfer of some exempted groups from Vietnam to the UAE, with strict enforcement of precautionary measures.

These groups include UAE citizens and their first degree relatives, and diplomatic missions accredited between the UAE and Vietnam, including administrators working in embassies, official delegations, chartered flights by businessmen, those holding golden and silver residency visas, provided that they receive prior approval, and those who have received the full vaccine doses approved by the World Health Organisation, provided that 28 days have passed since receiving them.

This can be approved through the applications approved in the two countries or an approved vaccination certificate.

The holders of essential jobs according to the classification of the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) and the crews of foreign shipment and transit aircraft are exempted, provided they obtain a negative PCR test for COVID-19 within 48 hours of departure and upon arrival and adherence to quarantine until departure.

The exempted groups are required to undertake preventive measures that include a 10-day quarantine and a PCR test at the airport, as well as on the fourth and eighth day after entering the country, the report said.

Cargo flights will continue to operate between the UAE and these countries.
Now our most recent provocations come from Russia. Last week, it was reported Russians launched a cyberattack against our food supply. This follows last months attack of our critical fuel supply. It is inconceivable that these attacks could occur without the direction, or at least knowledge, of Vladimir Putin. These actions require strong responses. However, I am concerned by President Bidens message to Putin and the world by moving forward with a planned summit later this month.

After last months Colonial Pipeline attack, the Biden administration responded by green-lighting a Russian pipeline that will spell doom for Ukraine and increase Russian dominance over Europe. Now following last weeks cyberattack, I am calling on President Biden to postpone his meeting with Putin until he stops the attacks. We should not reward continued aggression from Russia by allowing Putin to share the global stage with the President of the United States.

I am committed to dialogue with Russia. I am the chairman of an international security committee that seeks peace, security and human rights in Europe. However, a summit between President Biden and President Putin sends the wrong message at this time. To his credit, President Biden has talked tough and said that Putin would pay a price for aggressions. I now hope President Bidens actions back up this rhetoric.

We can send a strong message to Russia and the world, that the United States will not be intimidated by increased aggressions from Russia or any other adversary. Peace is not obtained by hope and happy thoughts. We must show the tyrants of the world that the forces of freedom are strong and America is prepared to lead the way.

Richard Hudson represents North Carolinas 8th District, which includes Cabarrus and other counties extending east to Fayetteville.
ARTHUR  Visitors flocked to Arthurs Strawberry Jam festival on Saturday for a day filled with food, fun, and local flavor.

We weren't doing any of this last year, said Holly Golecki, who was visiting the fair with her family. So it's really nice to ... feel more comfortable going out and things are happening, because we're new to the area. Getting to know the Illinois flavor is what we want to be out doing.

We come by here every year, said visitor Robin Bennett of Mattoon. We go to the Otto Center, buy some strawberries, then walk around. Then we look to see if there is anything we cant live without.

The fair filled the streets with vendors selling food, merchandise, and promoting organizations.

One organization attending was the Arthur Beekeepers, who were selling beeswax and honey, with funds used to keep the organization running.

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Several sold strawberry pies and other pastries at the festival to raise money for missions in Haiti. This fundraiser, which has become a beloved practice over the years in Arthur, has prompted other vendors to support this mission, too. Julie Yoder with Heartland Deli and Delights, for instance, tries to wait to bring out all of her product so the charity does not need to compete.

Yoder, who sold strawberries and other fresh produce and foods, says the festival is important for the local economy.

This one is not as well attended as the cheese festival, but it's still first in the beginning of the summer as far as festivals, and its still very important for us (business owners) to have people come, Yoder said. I think this year we're seeing a bigger crowd ... people are ready to get out and about. So it's been busy.

The rush of people signaled something more to several attendees: a return to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ive just tried to come out and enjoy it, enjoy the good foods, kind of like fair food, you know, Sandy Snyder said as she relaxed on a chair in the shade. And then just support some of the businesses thatve been struggling. So, I came back to eat lunch, and just people-watch and enjoy that homemade ice cream.

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TV spinoffs have been around for decades as a way to build brand recognition and reduce risk.

Norman Lear came up with The Jeffersons and Maude from All in the Family. Dick Wolfs Law & Order begot a spinoff Law & Order: SVU that has outlasted the original. Andy Cohens The Real Housewives of Orange County has led to housewives spinoffs all over the nation, and the world, from New Jersey and the Potomac to Australia and South Africa.

TLC has now turned one of its reality shows into a spinoff factory: 90 Day Fiance.

The show, eight seasons in, features Americans who meet mates overseas and bring them to the United States using a K-1 visa. The clock begins ticking because the foreigner must get married to said American within 90 days to qualify for a green card  or go back home.

The premise, inspired by a Dateline NBC story, generates a melange of tensions: a ridiculously tight time limit, mixed motivations, suspicious relatives, culture clashes and wedding planning all melded into one show.

TLC executives sensed demand for more about these couples. So they obliged. And then some.

There are a whopping 18 variants of the original, the newest called 90 Day Fiance: Foody Call on the Discovery+ streaming service where couples from past shows cook favorite dishes while dishing advice about keeping the romance spicy. Discovery+, in fact, has been home to seven spinoffs, all released since January.

90 Day is currently TLCs most popular franchise, beating staples such as Dr. Pimple Popper and My 600-lb Life. And TLC is not shy about airing expanded two-hour-long episodes every Sunday night without fear of diluting their audience or testing their patience.

Of the 100 most-watched shows among 18-to-49 year olds the past eight months on broadcast and cable TV, 90 Day Fiance and four spinoffs of that show made the cut. Four 90 Day shows also made the top 100 amongst all viewers, each drawing more than 3 million viewers.

90 Day Fiance brought in more viewers in the 18-49 demo than NBCs New Amsterdam, Foxs The Resident and ABCs The Goldbergs. It also trounced Bravos The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

TLC executives knew they had a great concept in 2014 that complemented shows at the time like The Little Couple and Breaking Amish. But they had no clue it would become such a genuine hit until season two when word of mouth enabled them to cast a more dynamic cast including the rocky marriage of Ohio resident Danielle Mullins and Tunisian-born Mohamed Jbali.

That was a game changer, said Dan Adler, the shows executive producer. We were really able to push the envelope with that couple.

Monica King, a 50-year-old Alpharetta, Georgia, resident who works in corporate regulatory affairs at a health care company, said she is drawn in by the authenticity of the relationships. They feel human, not like cartoon characters on The Bachelor, she said. They seem like real people seeking true everlasting love. I really want to find out what happens next in their lives.

Once TLC realized through social media how rabid the fan base had become, they began casting shows focused on relationships prior to the K-1 visa process (Before the 90 Days) and shows featuring couples well past the 90-day period (Happily Ever After?). They delved into the lives of now single people whose K-1 visa relationship failed. They follow Americans who do the reverse and move to another country to marry someone.

They even have a meta-style show where popular 90 Day couples sit in bed (Pillow Talk) and make snarky comments while watching another 90 Day show.

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One of the most popular couples in the shows history hails from Atlanta: nurse Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno, a Domican Republic man she met and fell in love with while learning Spanish virtually. She brought him back to Atlanta to start the K-1 visa process while lying to her family, saying he was on a more permissive student visa. Her wary family did not like Pedro at first, and Pedros family in the Dominican Republic clashed with her family. It became a case of Romeo and Juliet-style star-crossed lovers that viewers ate up.

After appearing on Happily Ever After? TLC gave them their own show The Family Chantel. It featured Chantels brother Royal falling for a woman from abroad, in his case, the Philippines, and Pedros sister Nicole dating a married man. The second season aired last year. Adler said it did well despite the fact a good portion of the dialogue is in Spanish.

Chantel, in an interview, said she was very naive at first. I went into the show thinking it would prove to the world how lovely and perfect my relationship was, she said. That was not reality. Instead, she said people were fascinated by the clashing family dynamics, the cultural misunderstandings and the communication limitations given that Pedros English was very poor when he came stateside five years ago.

They debated whether to do the spinoff show, but Chantel said they decided it might help people understand the K-1 visa process better so others could benefit from our mistakes and find comfort that our struggles are normal.

The producers would regularly question their motives and actions that in a way helped make their relationship stronger, Pedro said. Its therapeutic, he said. You can heal yourself. Talking about problems is better than hiding them.

Jason Sarlanis, senior vice president for development at TLC, said he loves how theyve been able to highlight people of all races and cultures. Its one of the most diverse shows on TV. Weve told stories about LBGTQ couples and how different countries view marriage.

To Sarlanis, I think this show really gives people out there hope that no matter where you look in this world, your other half is out there.

Some fans do watch with more cynicism. Bobby Gaines, a 50-year-old Bowdon, Georgia, resident, said he began bingeing the various 90 Day shows during quarantine and enjoys it more than his wife. Over the last year, I had my toe amputated, he said. My life felt pretty bad. But after watching 90 Day Fiance, I feel like the king of the world. I dont have problems compared to these people!

TLC is continuing to mine the franchise and has more spinoffs planned.

They glean a lot from the fan base. Sunday night social media commentary, Sarlanis said, is like a live real-time focus group.

And a surprising number of the couples remain together, Adler noted. We dont put these people together, he said, alluding to shows like WE-TVs Married at First Sight, which is generating its own share of spinoff shows. They fall in love.

Spinoff heaven

These are the 18 90 Day Fiance spinoffs to date, some of which aired on TLC, some which were on the internet only and for seven more shows, on Discovery+, the streaming service. A few are glorified clip shows.

"90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?": A look at the couples after the 90 days.

"90 Day Fiance: What Now?": A TLCGo web series that looked at couples from multiple shows.

"90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days": Couples wondering if they should go through the K-1 visa process.

"90 Day Fiance: Pillow Talk": Couples reacting to other 90 Day shows in real time while relaxing in bed.

"90 Day Fiance: The Other Way": Americans falling in love and moving to other countries.

"90 Day Fiance: Just Landed": A TLCgo original web series chronicling the first day a couple enjoys in the United States.

"The Family Chantel": Atlantas Chantel Everett and Pedro Jimeno and their wacky families.

"90 Day Fiance: Self Quarantined": A series during the pandemic.

"B90 Strikes Back!": The 90 Day couples respond to social media critics and other couples.

"Darcey & Stacey": A look at Darcey and Stacey Silva, American twins and their Albanian and Bulgarian beaus.

"HEA Strikes Back!": Happily Ever After couples clap back at critics.

The seven spinoffs below all have debuted on Discovery+:

"90 Day Bares All!": A talk show featuring 90 Day couples.

"90 Day Diaries": Couples shoot video of themselves.

"90 Day Journey": A clip compilation of each couples journeys from beginning to now.

"The Other Way Strikes Back!": The Other Way couples talk about what others are saying about them.

"90 Day: The Single Life": Former 90 Day folks who broke up and are now single.

"90 Day Fiance: Love Games": A trivia game show.

"90 Day: Foody Call": Couples cook dishes from their native countries.

___

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They have huge systems in those counties, she said. They see more people coming through than here and are able to give more (care).

Dr. Christopher Ohl, infectious disease expert with Wake Forest Baptist Health, said the lower levels of vaccination in the outlying parts of the Triad are nothing unusual.

That finding is actually the same over most of the U.S., he said. More rural areas are less likely to be vaccinated than urban areas.

And places where the population leans conservative are also less likely to have gotten their shots, he said.

There are some people who are worried that they havent been yet fully tested and that we dont know everything we need to know yet, Ohl said. They are kind of waiting. For those people, a lot of (persuading them to be vaccinated) is education. And some people want to get a vaccine from their own doctor.

Many younger people see no need to get a shot they dont think theyll need because theyre at low risk for serious or fatal COVID consequences, Ohl said. The trick to persuading those people is to stress how they can protect someone they love, such as an older relative, or how getting a vaccine makes it possible to take part in activities they cant otherwise engage in.
Today is the 77th anniversary of D-Day, known more formally as Operation Overlord and the invasion component of it was Operation Neptune. It was the invasion by the Allied troops of the European continent during World War II. The invasion was the beginning of the end of Nazi occupation of Europe.

According to the D-Day Memorial website (www.dday.org), it was the largest armada the world had ever seen. There were more than 5,000 ships, 11,000 aircraft, and 150,000 members of the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.

The BBC said in a 2019 in the 75th anniversary commemoration of the invasion, On D-Day, Allied forces consisted primarily of US, British and Canadian troops but also included Australian, Belgian, Czech, Dutch, French, Greek, New Zealand, Norwegian, Rhodesian (present-day Zimbabwe) and Polish naval, air and ground support.

About 12:15 a.m. June 6, 1944, aircraft began taking off from England headed to France. Some were towing gliders, others were packed with paratroopers to drop behind enemy lines and still others had leaflets in French and German to let the people on the ground know that the invasion had begun. The paratroopers job was to hold roads and bridges so the trucks, tanks and soldiers could get through. They also fought and confused the Germans.
DES MOINES, Iowa  The former CEO of Make-A-Wish Iowa has pleaded guilty to charges of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the charity that supports sick children and their families.

Jennifer Woodley admitted in a written guilty plea last week that she made unauthorized charges on a foundation credit card, gave herself an unapproved bonus and salary increases and made false entries into foundation records related to those expenses.

Woodley, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree theft and one count of fraudulent practices, all felonies. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of five years of probation, along with fines and restitution.

A charging document alleges that Woodleys embezzlement totaled nearly $41,000, but restitution has not yet been set.

Judge Scott Beattie accepted the guilty pleas Tuesday and scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 20.

Woodleys attorney, Nicholas Sarcone, said that he would ask for a deferred judgment at sentencing. If granted, that means the case would be expunged from her record, as long as Woodley completes her probation and the other parts of her sentence.
Signs were quickly posted that read: Negroes Plan to Kill All Whites! The local newspaper ran articles stoking white fears. Local sheriffs recruited additional men from outside the area. An estimated 500 to 1,000 armed white males  mostly from the surrounding Arkansas counties but also from across the river in Mississippi  descended on the Negro areas of Phillips County.

Arkansas Gov. Charles Brough requested and received the assistance of federal troops. The federal government that consistently cited its inability to aid Blacks terrorized by white violence based on the 10th Amendments states rights provision quickly accommodated Broughs request to assist the posse. Unlike the D.C. police who were onlookers to the violence, many sent by the federal government participated with the white posse.

Oblivious to the melee, decorated war veteran Leroy Johnston and his three brothers were aboard an incoming train. As the train pulled into the station, someone wrongfully accused Johnston of being the one who passed out the leaflets that started the insurrection. The armed mob forcibly removed Johnston and his brothers from the train. Minutes later, all four Johnston brothers were dead. Leroy Johnston had been safer in the trenches on the frontlines in France than he had been at home.
Beautiful Surry County to our north is a great destination for a daytrip or weekend getaway. Mount Airy is pleasant and home-townish with some interesting artifacts for fans of the classic and beloved The Andy Griffith Show. Along with Yadkin County, Surry plays host to Pilot Mountain State Park, one of the most picturesque spots in the state. Its a land full of natural splendor and good people.

But be warned that before long, travelers to that area may have a little trouble getting their hands on Coca-Cola products. The Surry County Board of Commissioners recently voted to remove 12 Coca-Cola vending machines from the countys office buildings.

The truth is that visitors to Snappy Lunch wont likely have much trouble getting a Coke with their pork chop sandwich. And we doubt that the commissioners themselves are carrying lists of Coca-Cola products to the Food Lion to be sure they dont slip up and grab Minute Maid by mistake. The commissioners surely realize that removing a few vending machines is no real threat to the multi-national, multi-million-dollar beverage companys bottom line. Its more a symbolic gesture than anything, expressing their displeasure for Coca-Colas recent political stance opposing Georgias new voting restrictions.
Changing times

So Cal Thomas thinks we need to listen to those rioters who believe their country is being taken away from them without their consent. Thats what we need a commission to study (The commission we really need, June 3).

But we already know what theyre upset about. Its not socialism or increased government spending  they were fine with former President Trumps increased spending. Its race. Thats certainly whats upsetting Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. It upset the hell out of Trump himself.

Theyre upset because they see more Black faces and brown faces and Asian faces. They hear people speaking Spanish and they have to drive by mosques and synagogues. Theyre upset because their communities, in which white was once the default, are changing to something else and they don't know what to think about it. Theyre no longer the near-monopoly  they have to share the country with other people.

Then conservative commentators like Tucker Carlson harness their fear and teach them to be angry.

The ironic thing is that they have more in common with poor racial minorities than with rich white folks.
No surprise. Biden and members of his administration often tap into their inner Trump. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has pledged to finish building what Trump pitched as a big beautiful wall on the U.S.-Mexico border by patching some of the gaps left behind by the last administration. Biden himself declared the Trump administrations annual cap of 15,000 refugees just dandy and worth keeping before promising to boost it to 62,500 under pressure from progressives. And the administration housed refugee kids from Central America locked up in cages and glass holding pens before transferring custody of them from the Department of Homeland Security to the Department of Health and Human Services.

All those things probably went over well with the white working-class voters in the Rust Belt states who backed Trump in 2016 but supported Biden in 2020 because they got tired of a freak show presidency. These voters likely feel as if they have enough competition for jobs from fellow Americans. The last thing they want are foreign workers added to the mix.

Its convenient for the liberal media to blame Republicans for Congress unwillingness to tackle the immigration issue. The truth is, Democrats deserve more than 50% of the blame for why lawmakers cant seem to solve the immigration impasse.
Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africas first and largest low-cost carrier has announced the resumption of direct flights between Sharjah and Vienna, starting October 15.

Customers can now book their direct flights between Sharjah and Vienna by visiting Air Arabias website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.

Flights to Vienna will operate four times a week, on Wednesday, Saturday, Friday and Saturday. Flight G9571 will depart Sharjah at 07:30 am and land in Vienna at 11:45 am on Fridays and Saturdays while the return flight G9572 will leave Vienna at 12:35 pm and reach Sharjah at 20:15. On Wednesdays and Sundays, flight G9 573 will depart from Sharjah at 16:40 and reach Vienna at 20:55 while the return flight G9 574 will leave Vienna at 21:45 and land in Sharjah at 05:25am. All times are local.

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
Nebraska

editor's pick alert

Hundreds of PPP loans went to phantom farms in Nebraska, elsewhere

This story was originally published by ProPublica.

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.

The shoreline communities of Ocean County, New Jersey, are a summertime getaway for throngs of urbanites, lined with vacation homes and ice cream parlors. Not exactly pastoral  which is odd, considering the dozens of Paycheck Protection Program loans to supposed farms that flowed into the beach towns last year.

As the first round of the federal governments relief program for small businesses wound down last summer, Ritter Wheat Club and Deely Nuts, ostensibly a wheat farm and a tree nut farm, each got $20,833, the maximum amount available for sole proprietorships. Tomato Cramber, up the coast in Brielle, got $12,739, while Seaweed Bleiman in Manahawkin got $19,957.

None of these entities exist in New Jerseys business records, and the owners of the homes at which they are purportedly located expressed surprise when contacted by ProPublica. One entity categorized as a cattle ranch, Beefy King, was registered in PPP records to the home address of Joe Mancini, the mayor of Long Beach Township.

Theres no farming here: Were a sandbar, for Christs sake, said Mancini, reached by telephone. Mancini said that he had no cows at his home, just three dogs.

All of the loans to nonexistent businesses came through Kabbage, an online lending platform that processed nearly 300,000 PPP loans before the first round of funds ran out in August, second only to Bank of America.

In total, ProPublica found 378 small loans totaling $7 million to fake business entities, all of which were structured as single-person operations and received close to the largest loan for which such micro-businesses were eligible. The overwhelming majority of them are categorized as farms, even in the unlikeliest of locales, from potato fields in Palm Beach to orange groves in Minnesota.

The Kabbage pattern is only one slice of a sprawling fraud problem that has suffused the Paycheck Protection Program from its creation in March 2020 as an attempt to keep small businesses on life support while they were forced to shut down. With speed as its strongest imperative, the effort run by the federal Small Business Administration initially lacked even the most basic safeguards to prevent opportunists from submitting fabricated documentation, government watchdogs have said.

While that may have allowed millions of businesses to keep their doors open, it has also required a massive cleanup operation on the backend. The SBAs inspector general estimated in January that the agency approved loans for 55,000 potentially ineligible businesses, and that 43,000 obtained more money than their reported payrolls would justify.

The Department of Justice, relying on special agents from across the government to investigate, has brought charges against hundreds of individuals accused of gaming pandemic response programs.

Drawn by generous fees for each loan processed, Kabbage was among a band of online lenders that joined enthusiastically in originating loans through their automated platforms. That helped millions of borrowers whod been turned down by traditional banks, but it also created more opportunities for cheating.

ProPublica examined SBA loans processed by several of the most prolific online lenders and found that Kabbage appears to have originated the most loans to businesses that dont appear to exist and the only concentration of loans to phantom farms.

In some cases, these problems wouldve been easy to spot with just a little more upfront diligence  which the programs structure did not encourage.

Pushing this through financial institutions created some pretty bad incentives, said Naftali Harris, the CEO of Sentilink, which helps lenders detect potential identity theft. This is definitely a case where companies that decided they wanted to be more careful in terms of giving out loans were penalized for doing so.

Presented with ProPublicas findings, SBA inspector general spokeswoman Farrah Saint-Surin said that her office had hundreds of investigations under way, but that she did not have any information to share or available for public reporting at this time.

Reuters reported that federal investigators were probing whether Kabbage and other fintech lenders miscalculated PPP loan amounts, and the DOJ declined to confirm or deny the existence of any investigation to ProPublica.

Kabbage, which was acquired by American Express last fall, did not have an explanation for ProPublicas specific findings, but it said it adhered to required fraud protocols. At any point in the loan process, if fraudulent activity was suspected or confirmed, it was reported to FinCEN, the SBAs Office of the Inspector General and other federal investigators, with Kabbage providing its full cooperation, spokesman Paul Bernardini said in an emailed statement.

* * *

As soon as the pandemic swept across America, Kabbage was in trouble.

The online lending platform had launched in 2009 as part of a generation of financial technology companies known as non-banks, alternative lenders or simply fintechs that act as an intermediary between investors and small businesses that might not have relationships with traditional banks.

Based in Atlanta, it had become a standout in the citys tech scene, offering employees Silicon Valley perks such as free catered lunches and beer on tap. It advertised its mission as helping small businesses acquire funds they need for their big breaks, as a recruiting video parody of Michael Jacksons Thriller put it in 2016.

The basic innovation behind the burgeoning fintech industry is automating underwriting and incorporating more data sources into risk evaluation, using statistical models to determine whether an applicant will repay a loan.

That lower barrier to credit comes with a price: Kabbage would lend to borrowers with thin or checkered credit histories, in exchange for steep fees. The original partner for most of its loans, Celtic Bank, is based in Utah, which has no cap on interest rates, allowing Kabbage to charge more in states with stricter regulations.

With backing from the powerhouse venture capital firm SoftBank, Kabbage had been planning an IPO. Its model foundered, however, when Kabbages largest customer base  small businesses such as coffee shops, hair salons and yoga studios  was forced to shut down last March.

Kabbage stopped writing loans, even for businesses that werent harmed by the pandemic. Days later, it furloughed more than half of its nearly 600-person staff and faced an uncertain future.

The Paycheck Protection Program, which was signed into law as part of the CARES Act on March 27, 2020, with an initial $349 billion in funding, was a lifeline not just to small businesses, but fintechs as well. Lenders would get a fee of 5% on loans worth less than $350,000, which would account for the vast majority of transactions. The loans were government guaranteed, and processors bore almost no liability, as long as they made sure that applications were complete.

Despite objections, Texas company seeking to buy cattle yard near Mead ethanol plant wins permit Supervisors voted to grant a conditional use permit to the Texas firm to run the feedyard adjacent to AltEn over objections from seed companies who argued Mead Cattle bore some liability in the environmental cleanup at the ethanol plant.

At first, encouraged by the Treasury Department, traditional banks prioritized their own customers  an efficient way to process applications with little fraud risk, since the borrowers information was already on file. But that left millions of the smallest businesses, including independent contractors, out to dry.

They turned instead to a collection of online lenders that have sprung up offering short-term loans to businesses: Kabbage, Lendio, Bluevine, FundBox, Square Capital and others would process applications automatically, with little human review required.

For the platforms, this was also easy money. In the first funding round that ran out last August, Kabbage completed 297,587 loans totaling $7 billion. It received 5% of each loan it made directly and an undisclosed cut of the proceeds for those it processed for banks; its total revenue was likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

A lawsuit filed by a South Carolina accounting firm alleges that Kabbage was among several lenders that refused to pay fees to agents who helped put together applications, even though the CARES Act had said they could charge up to 1% of the smaller loans (a provision that was later reversed). For Kabbage, that revenue kept the company alive while it sought a buyer.

For all of these guys, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. If you could do the minimum amount of due diligence required, you could fill up the pipeline with these applications, said a former Kabbage executive, one of four former employees interviewed by ProPublica. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation at their current jobs or from industry giant American Express.

To handle the volume, Kabbage brought back laid-off workers starting at $15 an hour. When that failed to attract enough people, it increased the hourly rate to $35, and then $40, and awarded gift cards for reaching certain benchmarks, according to a former employee with visibility into the loan processing.

At a certain point, they were like, Yes, get more applications out and youll get this reward if you do, the former employee said. (Bernardini said the company did not offer incentive compensation.)

In a report on its PPP participation through last August, Kabbage boasted that 75% of all approved applications were processed without human review. For every 790 employees at major U.S. banks, the report said, Kabbage had one. Thats in part because traditional banks, which also take deposits, are much more heavily regulated than fintech institutions that just process loans.

To participate in the PPP, fintechs had to quickly set up systems that could comply with anti-money laundering laws. The human review that did happen, according to two people involved in it, was perfunctory.

They werent saying, Is this legitimate? They were just saying, Are all the fields filled out? said another former employee. As acquisition talks proceeded, the employee noted, Kabbage managers who held the most company stock had a built-in incentive to process as many loans as possible. If theres anything suspicious, you can pass it along to account review, but account review was full of people who stood to make a lot of money from the acquisition.

One situation in which Kabbage approved a suspicious loan became public in a Florida lawsuit filed by a woman, Latoya Clark, who received more than $1 million in PPP loans to three businesses. When the funds were deposited into accounts at JPMorgan Chase, the bank discovered that Clarks businesses hadnt been incorporated before the PPP programs cutoff and froze the accounts.

Clark sued Chase, and Chase then filed a counterclaim against the borrower and Kabbage, which had originated the loan despite its questionable documentation. In its response, Kabbage said it had not yet completed its investigation of the incident.

Although the Justice Department rarely names lenders that processed fraudulent PPP applications, Kabbage has been named at least twice.

One case involved two loans worth $1.8 million to businesses that submitted forged information, and the other involved a business that had inflated its payroll numbers and submitted a similar application to U.S. Bank, which flagged authorities. Kabbage had simply approved the $940,000 loan. American Express Bernardini declined to comment further on pending litigation.

Shortly after the application period for PPPs first round closed Aug. 8, American Express announced the Kabbage purchase. But the transaction included none of Kabbages loan portfolios, either from the PPP or its pre-pandemic conventional loans. The PPP loans had either been sold to SBA-approved banks or bought by the Federal Reserve. Bernardini wouldnt say which banks now own the loans, however, and said that no potentially fraudulent loans had been pledged to the Fed.

Resolution creating committee to investigate AltEn won't get a hearing this year The proposal to create a special investigatory committee examining an ethanol plant near Mead was introduced too late in an abbreviated session to schedule a committee hearing, Executive Board Chairman Dan Hughes said.

* * *

In April, an Ocean County, New Jersey, resident contacted ProPublica after seeing his name attached to a Kabbage loan for a nonexistent melon farm.

To see whether it was an isolated incident, ProPublica took basic information the government released after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by ProPublica and others and compared it with state business entity registries. Although registries dont pick up all sole proprietorships and independent contractors, the absence of a name is an indication that the business might not exist.

As it turned out, Kabbage had made more than 60 loans in New Jersey to unlisted businesses. Fake farms also showed up repeatedly in the SBAs Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, according to reports from local news outlets.

A common tie became apparent when the resident of the home to which one nonexistent business was registered said that he was a client of the certified public accountants at Ciccone, Koseff & Co.

In March 2020, the firm notified its clients of what it called an ultimately unsuccessful ransomware attack that occurred the previous month. According to information filed with Maines attorney general, the attackers acquired Social Security numbers and financial information.

Several other clients of the accounting firm, including Mancini, the Long Beach mayor, also had loans registered to their addresses. Reached by phone, firm founder Ray Ciccone declined to comment.

But that CPAs data breach didnt account for all of the suspicious loans ProPublica found across the country. Searches for PPP applicants that didnt show up in state registration records yielded hundreds in 28 more states, with dense clusters in Florida, Nebraska and Virginia.

Other lenders had nonexistent businesses as well, but fake farms only showed up in Kabbage loans. Most followed a distinctive naming convention, with part of the name of a resident or former resident of the home to which the business is registered, plus a random agricultural term.

* * *

Some of the fake loans listed addresses of people whod also legitimately applied for their businesses. Hartington, Nebraska, anesthesiologist Bruce Reifenrath received a PPP loan for his practice in nearby Yankton, South Dakota. Thats why the idea of one being approved for a potato farm was so strange. We did a PPP loan last spring and its pretty extensive, the documentation, Reifenrath said.

Reifenrath was part of a cluster of dubious Kabbage loans in Hartington that also included the home of J. Scott Schrempp, the president of the Bank of Hartington, who confirmed that he did not own a strawberry farm. Schrempp said he had noticed the fake loan, and reported it to the SBA.

Mead commission recommends revoking AltEn's permit, with exceptions for cleanup Instead of pulling AltEn's conditional use permit outright, the Mead Planning Commission chose to recommend revoking the permit with exceptions to allow the company to continue cleaning up pesticide contamination at the site.

The SBA data only reflects approved applications received from lenders, some of which are then caught and not funded. The SBA also periodically updates its dataset to remove loans canceled by lenders. But none of the suspicious loans pulled by ProPublica show undisbursed funds, and they all have remained in the dataset for more than eight months.

One possible mechanism for the invented businesses is a technique known as synthetic identity theft, in which a criminal obtains pieces of personally identifiable information  such as a home address, a Social Security number and a birth date  and combines it with fake information to build a credit profile. The associated bank account then routes to the fraudster, not the owner of the original information.

None of the residents of the phony farms ProPublica contacted were getting notices that they needed to repay the loans they didnt apply for, because they didnt get any money. But that doesnt mean theyre not at risk, according to James Lee, chief operating officer at the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Just having an address linked to your name on a fraudulent loan can impact your credit, Lee said. It can also pose problems for pre-employment background checks, insurance applications or new identification documents such as passports and drivers licenses.

Meanwhile, if not corrected, the fabricated identities will stay in circulation and become better at fooling other financial institutions. Those records get built into the credit and authentication systems used by government and commercial entities, Lee said. Each next time they are used and authenticated, the more real they become. Thats what makes synthetic identity fraud so insidious.

This, however, is largely not Kabbages problem anymore.

After its huge blitz of PPP loans last summer, Kabbage had hundreds of thousands of borrowers whose loans would need to be serviced until they were closed out. The loans could either be forgiven, if the borrower demonstrated that they spent most of the money on payroll, or paid back with interest.

But American Express didnt acquire the part of Kabbages business that owned those loans. Instead, a separate entity called K Servicing would handle loan forgiveness and take applications for a second PPP draw that Congress funded in December. The servicer is led by former Kabbage employees and its website looks very similar to Kabbages, but American Express says it has no affiliation.

If Kabbage was understaffed for the volume of PPP loans it took on before the acquisition, the situation has apparently worsened since then. Reddit, Yelp, Consumer Affairs, Trustpilot, Facebook and Better Business Bureau threads are replete with complaints from customers whose applications were denied or who received no communication from the company.

When the SBA changed the rules in February to make the program more generous to independent contractors, K Servicing couldnt incorporate the new forms into its processing system. So it told all new applicants to apply through another company, SmartBiz, which had operated as a mostly online processor of SBA loans even before the pandemic.

K Servicing is run by Kabbages former head of program management, Laquisha Milner, who also runs her own consulting firm. Due to extenuating circumstances beyond our control, currently, our processing function is delayed, Milner emailed in response to detailed questions from ProPublica. We are relentlessly exploring all available options to ensure our existing customers are able to maximize their loan forgiveness.

Jennifer Dienst is a freelance travel and events writer who received her first-draw loan from Kabbage and wants to apply for forgiveness before her window for doing so closes in the fall, but she has been stymied by K Servicings failure to make the forms available. Please be patient with us as we prepare for the new forms, a message on the loan portal reads.

Meanwhile, Diensts account has started accruing interest, which Milner said will not be charged if the loan is forgiven. But its making Dienst nervous.

Its always the same response from K Servicing  were updating our forgiveness forms and theyll be made available soon, Dienst said. Theyve been saying that for months.

Special committee proposed to study AltEn, environmental regulations Lawmakers introduced a pair of resolutions calling for an interim study of Nebraska's environmental regulations and for an investigation into the history and environmental impacts of AltEn near Mead.
The two knew each other and spent time together only because their late fathers -- Jim Nesmith and Richard Rook -- were best friends. But, because Bob was a few years older, they didn't run in the same circles.

"We really weren't that close," Nesmith said. "We got to know each other more as adults."

Oddly enough, both gravitated to lives on the stage.

"Our dads were anything but theater guys," he said. "I guess it was just a weird sequence of events."

Rook said "their dads would be proud" that he and Nesmith are working together again.

Nesmith will play Norbert, a middle-aged toll booth attendant in Florida who is going through a midlife crisis when a new woman, a stripper on the run named Pippi, moves into the Armadillo Acres trailer park, where he lives with his wife, Jeannie.

However, the love triangle you'd expect never materializes and the story grows into one of the empowerment of women.

"When the opportunity came along for us to work together, especially right after this pandemic, it was a no-brainer to have him play this role," Rook said.

With the comedic timing and the cast, the show promises plenty of laughs.
In Nguyen's deft writing, the truth is never so simple as one version of a story. Throughout the novel, Huong thinks with anguish about the reasons she chose to spare her sons the truth about their father. Nguyen is showing that one story, one truth is not necessarily better or easier than the other, and all can lead to a kind of pain: "In fact, the ache grows. It grows into two boys, and the two boys grow into two sons, and those two sons grow to look like their father, uncannily like their father in their moods, their movements, their voices, so that it's always like she's losing him again  to the world, to life, to fate."
Students have told us they appreciate the anonymity of not going to the Counseling Center, Caneiro-Livingston said.

Offering access to services online has also resulted in a slight decrease in the number of appointment cancellations, or no-shows that take place, Corner added.

As the pandemic subsides and campus opens up fully in the fall, NWU said it will continue offering students the option to schedule remote counseling sessions in the coming school year.

A student survey done earlier this year signaled that while many want a return to in-person activities on campus, students appreciate the flexibility of talking with a counselor online, Corner said.

Students really miss that in-person interaction, Corner said. They definitely want being seen in person as an option as well, which is how it was always designed to be, but theyll have that choice when they contact us.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will follow a similar track, with plans to return to in-person counseling this fall after most recently using a hybrid model, according to Tricia Besett-Alesch, the director of counseling and psychological services.
Former Secretary of Defense and U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel and former Nebraska Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey will discuss bipartisan leadership at Leadership Lincoln's annual Celebration of Community Leadership.

Hagel and Kerrey will deliver the keynote address at the June 10 event at Embassy Suites in Lincoln. The event will also include an award ceremony and a celebration of this year's Leadership Lincoln graduates.

The conversation between Hagel and Kerry will be moderated by Mike Zeleny, chief of staff and associate to the chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, according to a news release. Hagel and Kerrey will join the event via Zoom, and participants will be able to join either in person or online and can submit questions.

This past year has seen a divisiveness that has been damaging community and our country, Leadership Lincoln executive director Brendan Evans said. In order for us to move forward, we have to find a space for bipartisan conversations and leadership."
Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

There was a story about how Aunt Nyla came to own the painting in her living room, that colorful still life depicting a table set for one.

The story of the 50-cent raffle.

Nyla Tipton Hall lived in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband William back then. She worked in the offices of TWA, where the airlines owner  and eccentric mogul  Howard Hughes would sometimes stroll past her desk and say hello.

She was an office worker of some sort, her nephew, Bob Tipton, said last week. Not an art collector.

Nyla and William never had children, but their nieces and nephews were as close to their own as it could get, and Tipton remembers the painting hanging in that Kansas City living room and later in his aunt and uncles condo in Brownsville, Texas.

He remembers what his aunt would always say: That painting is worth something because its a Thomas Hart Benton original.

What she didnt know was this: It was two Thomas Hart Benton originals.

Benton lived in Kansas City. The painter had spent time in Paris and nearly 20 years in New York City, too, making a reputation for himself.
It is unclear how long or even if the Treats lived in the house but at some point, they moved to Colorado and the house literally became mere storage. By 2018 the virtually abandoned house had deteriorated, and the grounds overrun to the point where David Citys building inspector suggested demolition.

In January of 2019, the Treats were given six months to bring the property into compliance or the house would be razed. The city inspector appeared at a city council meeting and described it as one of the worst cases of hoarding he had ever seen. On March 27 the council, perhaps to send a clear signal to the Treats, voted to demolish the mansion. Two months later, after considerable debate around saving the historic house rather than razing it, David City bought the house through eminent domain.

On Nov. 1, 2020 the city, having reported spending approximately $110,000 to acquire the property, offered the nine-room, 2,318 square foot, single-family Taylor/Zeilinger house for sale. The several-page offering noted, among various requirements from bidders, that they would consider offers of less than their investment but if the city was unable to sell it, they could proceed in any manner it sees fit, which, reading between the lines, probably means the bulldozing of the house.
We know from looking at data in the U.S. and other countries, the more we vaccinate people, the fewer cases and deaths we will have, said Khan, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.

Indeed, Dr. Anthony Fauci has made similar points in recent interviews, including one with WBURs On Point. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said researchers dont have a solid herd immunity threshold but rather an estimate, with a number of unknowns still in play. He, too, has stressed the need to focus on getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible in order to reduce cases and deaths.

Khan said Israel already is demonstrating the power of the vaccines. That nation, which has vaccinated nearly 60% of its population, has a fraction of the new COVID-19 cases being reported in Nebraska or the United States as a whole.

As of Thursday, 43.3% of Nebraskas population was fully vaccinated; across the U.S., 41.2% had completed their shots. At that point, Israel was recording new COVID cases at a rate of 1.8 per million people per day. Nebraska was tallying about 21 new cases per million people per day. The U.S. was posting 49 new cases per million per day.
A Gretna woman was killed Saturday after her Dodge Ram crashed into a tree on the outskirts of town, according to the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office.

Just after 12:30 p.m., Julia Wynkoop-Wiley, 52, was driving southbound on Westridge Road north of Capehart Road when her car left the roadway at a curve and struck the tree, a news release from the sheriff's office said.

Police, along with Gretna Fire and Rescue, responded to the scene and performed life-saving efforts.

Wynkoop-Wiley was airlifted to Nebraska Medicine Trauma Center in Omaha, where she died shortly after, the release said.

The case is still under investigation by the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office Crash Response Unit.

LATEST MISSING PERSONS CASES IN NEBRASKA

Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or hmuslic@journalstar.com

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OMAHA  The second teenager who was shot last week in Omaha has died from his injuries.

Omaha police said 17-year-old Javondre McIntosh died Saturday. Omaha police found McIntosh and Jiaquan Williams, also 17, with gunshot wounds just after 8 p.m. Thursday in north Omaha.

Williams died shortly after he was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center. McIntosh had been listed in critical condition, with life-threatening injuries.

Police have said they're still investigating and are looking for two people in connection with the shooting.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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The improvement of the epidemiological situation in Spain and the developing progress in the vaccination roll-out, both in Spain and in many countries around the world, make it possible to ease the measures for entry into Spain for tourist purposes.

The new regulations, described below, will come into force on June 7.

If you are travelling to Spain for tourism purposes from a country that does not belong to the European Union or the European Economic Area, what are the entry requirements

1. If you are travelling from a country or territory included in the list of countries with low incidence, excluded from the risk zone, you will be able to travel without the need for a diagnostic test or a certificate of vaccination or immunity. At the moment the countries included in this list are:

1. Australia

2. Israel

3. Japan

4. New Zealand

5. Rwanda

6. Singapore

7. South Korea

8. Thailand

9. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

10. China and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao (subject to reciprocity)

2. If you are travelling from a country or territory that is not included in the list of exempted countries, from June 7 tourists will be allowed to enter if they have a certificate of vaccination issued by the competent authorities of the country of origin from 14 days after the date of administration of the last dose of the complete vaccination schedule. The vaccines accepted shall be those authorised by the European Medicines Agency or those that have completed the World Health Organisations emergency use process. Currently, these vaccines are those produced by Pfizer-Biontech, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca, Jansen/Johnson&Johnson, Sinovac and Sinopharm.

The certificate of vaccination shall include at least the following information:

1. Name and surname of the holder

2. Date of vaccination, stating the date of the last dose administered

3. Type of vaccine administered

4. Number of doses administered/complete schedule

5. Issuing country

6. Identification of the institution issuing the certificate of vaccination - TradeArabia News Service
That Nebraska has become the center of the storm over the initiative has perplexed some supporters who claim opponents havent read the plan. Those supporters claim the furor is mostly about pumping up Ricketts conservative political credentials.

But Ricketts insists this is about bad policy, and told farmers and ranchers to be wary of new attempts by the federal government to tell them how to manage their land. He urged them to watch out for attempts to put more property into permanent conservation easements, to read the fine print in land set-aside contracts with the federal government, and to be on the lookout for new efforts to buy more land near existing parks and refuges.

In a state where 97% of all property is now in private hands, placing 30% in federal control would be a massive change, and would shift the property tax load onto private landowners, Ricketts said.

Some nodded in agreement. One man questioned whether the federal government would resort to using eminent domain to seize private lands.

While Ricketts said he doubted if condemnation could be used, he didnt reject that Washington, D.C., wanted more control over their farming and ranching operations, and would be seeking property in quiet, under the radar ways.
Indeed. But what does this mean? That his ambition is fickle and transitory? That he's not the sort of fellow who needs whatever it is that political victories satisfy in others? That he's just realized that he's The One and feels duty-bound but also can take it or leave it? My guess: All of the above. Which means either that he's simply delightful or full of it. Possibly both.

We tend to like entertaining politicians, or we used to before Donald Trump. In some ways, Yang and Trump are similar politicians, except in opposite ways. One light and hopeful, the other dark and brooding.

Both Trump and Yang love the spotlight and know how to please a crowd. In March, Yang donned a hairnet to hand-pull noodles at a Chinatown restaurant. Not even Michael Dukakis would have done that. But Yang, the boyish 46-year-old, thought nothing of it. "They gave it to me," he explained, "and I put it on."

While Trump glories in stadiums filled with raucous fans cheering his mean jokes, Yang makes targeted forays into neighborhoods with a BFF vibe. His campaign scrapbook is a collection of everyman vignettes starring Yang riding the Cyclone on Coney Island, shooting hoops, hanging with artists and the "nightlife" people he insists are vital to the city's revitalization.
The only way Aubrey Trail will leave prison is in a coffin.

Given the nature of his grisly crime  the 2017 murder and dismemberment of Lincoln resident Sydney Loofe  a lifetime of imprisonment until his death, whenever and however it occurs, is the most severe punishment the state can dispense to protect Nebraskans against him and sociopaths and killers of his ilk.

Regardless of the outcome of his death penalty hearing next week, though, there remains no way the state can carry out the capital punishment prosecutors are seeking for Trail.

Which begs the question: What will a death sentence achieve?

The Journal Star editorial board remains staunchly opposed to the death penalty on moral grounds, but this argument is being made from a practical standpoint.

Nebraska voters reinstated the death penalty after it was abolished by the Legislature, but theres no legal means or aboveboard way to obtain the drugs to carry out a lethal injection, the only execution method allowed under state law.

The Legislature would need to either change the type of capital punishment  something it wont find 33 votes to do  or find drugs through a back-door method to perform a lethal injection.
Without medical breakthroughs, the number of Americans with Alzheimers is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. As an Alzheimers advocate, I understand firsthand the impact this disease has on families across America.

Recently, I attended the 2021 Alzheimers Impact Movement Advocacy Forum. Held virtually this year, thousands of Alzheimers advocates from across the nation met with members of Congress on Capitol Hill. During the virtual event, I met with Sen. Ben Sasse to explain why Congress must continue to prioritize legislative action against Alzheimers.

Specifically, I urged Senator Sasse to cosponsor the bipartisan Alzheimers Caregivers Support Act (S. 56/H.R. 1474), which would expand training and support services for families and caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimers.

Please join the Alzheimers Association and me in encouraging Senator Sasse to prioritize policies that address the critical national public-health challenge that Alzheimers poses.

Gregg Bieber, Lincoln

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Families with kids with developmental disabilities need support such as LB376, the Family Support Waiver, would have provided.

My son has a developmental disability and is on the Developmental Disability Waiver wait list. He attends therapy daily, which we pay thousands of dollars for every year. When your child is nonverbal, you use every option to help them interact with others and the world around them.

There are also hard choices when caring for a disabled child. Is it more important for your child to speak or eat, because you cant afford all therapies? How do you get them to therapy in the middle of the day? Specialized childcare is necessary because after-school programs do not accommodate kids with disabilities, but without Medicaid access can be unaffordable.

Children on the developmental disability wait list need help to eat, dress, bathe, use the restroom (or are in diapers) and cant go outside without help, not to mention extra medical and therapy costs.

We try to increase independence and reduce the need for significant support after aging out of the school system (which costs the state more than providing help at a young age). Senators who voted against this bill told families to continue to shoulder the costly care and that they do not deserve relief.
Are you mad enough yet? Are you going to take it anymore? Are you sick of seeing and hearing of new gun killings every day of the week?

So far this year, there have been more than 200 mass shootings. This has to stop! New gun laws need to be enforced to protect innocent citizens.

I do not feel safe in my country anymore. People are killed in their homes, in their cars, in their churches, going to work and just for the heck of it. Our country is among the worst in the world for per-capita gun killings. Not something to be proud of.

Citizens should not be allowed to have weapons of war. There are more than 400 million guns in this country, more than one for each man, women and child. You can buy a gun easier than you can get a ballot to vote. Are we a civilized country or reverting back to the Wild West where streets are filled with gun-toting vigilantes?

We need to change our attitude about safe rules, regulation and registration. The gun worship seems to have become a religion for some. They clutch them to their breast like a child whose candy is being taken away from them. Lets have a grown-up conversation about keeping the public safe.
May 31-June 4

This list is not comprehensive. Municipalities are listed as they appear on the criminal complaint. Suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. To see mugshots of the accused, visit journaltimes.com/gallery. Additional information about the complaints can be found at: journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts.
This is a sad tail, but a familiar one: Job loss, forced early retirement, no longer able to keep up with employment requirements.

Yes, we meant tail. The tails are no longer wagging in Virginia, where the legalization of marijuana on July 1 is putting an end to the careers of 13 K-9 marijuana sniffing dogs.

Apollo, Airies, Bandit, Blaze, Jax, Kane, Mater, Nina, Reno, Sarge, Thunder, Zeus and Zoey are all getting pink-slipped and sent out to pasture  all of them to retire to the homes of their handlers. Their services are no longer needed and they lack the job skills for todays market.

Sorry, there will be no effort to retrain them with new job skills  like sniffing out methamphetamine, ecstasy, heroin and cocaine.

A dog is not like us. We cant just tell it to ignore this odor of marijuana anymore, said Sgt. Scott Amos, Virginia State Polices training coordinator. With the legalization of marijuana, we didnt want to subject anyone to an illegal search.

We can attest to that. We know of a duck hunter in Eau Claire whose black lab was trained, after a wet retrieve, to promptly go to the far end of the boat and shake. The simple command kept hunter and gear from being splattered with marsh.
1. Yes. Its important to address the problem before it gets worse. A bond is needed.

2. Yes. Its fine, as long as the bond isnt too large. The city doesnt need more debt.

3. No. A bond issue would just put the problem back on the taxpayers. Not acceptable.

4. No. Certificates of obligation, targeting the worst roads, would be a better choice.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing the details of what a bond would entail.

Vote

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The Church cannot be content with just "the usual little group [that] meets to celebrate the Eucharist". The procession with the Blessed Sacrament  a hallmark of the feast of Corpus Domini, yet one that for the moment we cannot celebrate  reminds us that we are called to go out and bring Jesus to others." " We need to enlarge our hearts. We need to break out of our tiny self-enclosed space and enter the large room, the vast expanse of wonder and adoration" .

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Go outside. Become a Church that opens itself to others, that goes out to meet those who suffer, to a world in which "the thirst for God is less and less", where "questions about God are no longer asked, desire for God has faded, seekers of God have become increasingly rare.

A Church for which it is not enough that the usual little group meets to celebrate the Eucharist", but in which everyone makes room for God who "that is precisely why we need a great heart to be able to recognize, adore and receive him."

Pope Francis celebrates Mass for Corpus Domini at the altar of the Chair of St. Peter's Basilica. And he recalled that "the procession with the Blessed Sacrament  a hallmark of the feast of Corpus Domini, yet one that for the moment we cannot celebrate  reminds us that we are called to go out and bring Jesus to others".

Taking a cue from the Gospel account, Francis says that "we too are called to ask ourselves: in which 'place' do we want to prepare the Passover of the Lord? What are the 'places' of our life where God asks us to be hosted? ".

The first image with which the Pope is that of "the man carrying a pitcher of water", indicated by Jesus as a guide to the place where to celebrate Easter. "The pitcher of water is the sign by which they recognize him. It is a sign that makes us think of our human family, athirst, constantly seeking a source of water to slake its thirst and to bring refreshment. All of us walk through life with pitcher in hand: we thirst for love, for joy, for a fulfilling life in a more humane world. To sate this thirst, the water of worldly things is of no avail. For ours is a deeper thirst, a thirst that God alone can satisfy." " To celebrate the Eucharist, we need first to recognize our thirst for God, to sense our need for him, to long for his presence and love, to realize that we cannot go it alone, but need the Food and Drink of eternal life to sustain us on our journey. 

The tragedy of the present time is that this thirst is felt less and less. Questions about God are no longer asked, desire for God has faded, seekers of God have become increasingly rare. God no longer attracts us because we no longer acknowledge our deep thirst for him. Yet wherever there is a man or a woman with a pitcher for water  like the Samaritan woman (cf. Jn 4:5-30)  there the Lord can reveal himself as the One who bestows new life, nurtures our dreams and aspirations with sure hope, a loving presence to give meaning and direction to our earthly pilgrimage. The man carrying a pitcher of water led the disciples to the room where Jesus would institute the Eucharist. Our thirst for God brings us to the altar. Where that thirst is lacking, our celebrations become dry and lifeless. As Church, it is not enough that the usual little group meets to celebrate the Eucharist; we need to go out into the city, to encounter people and to learn how to recognize and revive their thirst for God and their desire for the Gospel.

The second image is that of the great Upper Room. A large room for a tiny piece of Bread. God makes himself tiny, like a morsel of bread. That is precisely why we need a great heart to be able to recognize, adore and receive him. Gods presence is so humble, hidden and often unseen that, in order to recognize his presence, we need a heart that is ready, alert and welcoming. If our heart, instead of being like a large room, is more like a closet where we wistfully keep things from the past, or an attic where we long ago stored our dreams and enthusiasm, or a dreary garret filled only with us, our problems and our disappointments, then it will be impossible to recognize Gods silent and unassuming presence. We need a large room. We need to enlarge our hearts. We need to break out of our tiny self-enclosed space and enter the large room, the vast expanse of wonder and adoration. Adoration: that is the attitude we need in the presence of the Eucharist. The Church too must be a large room. Not a small and closed circle, but a community with arms wide open, welcoming to all. Let us ask ourselves this question: when someone approaches who is hurting, who has made a mistake, who has gone astray in life, is the Church a room large enough to welcome this person and lead him or her to the joy of an encounter with Christ? Let us not forget that the Eucharist is meant to nourish those who are weary and hungry along the way. A Church of the pure and perfect is a room with no place for anyone.

Finally, the image of Jesus breaking the Bread. It is the Eucharistic gesture par excellence, a shocking gesture: up until then lambs were sacrificed and offered as sacrifices to God, now it is Jesus who becomes lamb and sacrifices himself to give us life.

"In the Eucharist, we contemplate and worship the God of love. The Lord who breaks no one, yet allows himself to be broken. The Lord who does not demand sacrifices, but sacrifices himself. The Lord who asks nothing but gives everything. In celebrating and experiencing the Eucharist, we too are called to share in this love. For we cannot break bread on Sunday if our hearts are closed to our brothers and sisters. We cannot partake of that Bread if we do not give bread to the hungry. We cannot share that Bread unless we share the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in need. In the end, and the end of our solemn Eucharistic liturgies as well, only love will remain. Even now, our Eucharistic celebrations are transforming the world to the extent that we are allowing ourselves to be transformed and to become bread broken for others.

"May we become a Church with pitcher in hand, a Church that reawakens thirst and brings water. Let us open wide our hearts in love, so that we can become be the large and welcoming room where everyone can enter and meet the Lord. Let us break the bread of our lives in compassion and solidarity, so that through us the world may see the grandeur of Gods love. Then the Lord will come, he will surprise us once more, he will again become food for the life of the world. And he will satisfy us always, until the day when, at the heavenly banquet, we will contemplate his face and come to know the joy that has no end.
KEARNEY  GROW Nebraska has helped some of the states youngest entrepreneurs launch or grow their businesses. From Gracies Candles, started by 13-year-old Maddison Grace Brown of Morrill, to JR Lures, which was started by Justin Hoeft of Kearney when he was just 10 years old, GROW supports entrepreneurs of all ages.

Alyssa started her business when she was 11 years old after attending Biz Kidz Camp at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, according to a GROW Nebraska press release. She makes and sells a variety of edible lip scrubs and hydrating body scrubs in scents like Zesty Lemon, Vanilla Brown Sugar and Wedding Mint.

She first sold her products at Kearneys Night Market, a summer evening event featuring vendors, food and live music. She earned enough money from her sales to repay her parents for sending her to gymnastics camp.

My previous way of paying for gymnastics camp was mowing the lawn, Alyssa said. But I didnt really enjoy it.

After the Night Market season ended, Alyssas customers still wanted to purchase her products. And, she wanted to continue selling and growing her business. So, Alyssa (with some help from her mother) approached Sonya Griffith, owner of the Rustic Patch in downtown Kearney, about selling her products at the store. Sonya agreed.
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
A written and signed appeal can then be made to the superintendent.

If still not resolved, another written and signed appeal can be made to the Board of Education.

Finally, if still not resolved, a final appeal can be made to the U.S. Department of Education.
Ill be honest with you: We didnt know what was going on. So the first thing is the safety of all of our students and staff at the school, and then even when I arrived, I would say it took me five to six minutes just to even find out what was going on, Gnewikow said.

Its tough when something happens and you dont have any information yet and you want to make sure that everybody is safe, he said, but I will tell you this, that what the students told us afterwards and told me in a meeting, we are going to be putting that into effect as we move forward to make sure that people arent feeling uncomfortable in situations like that.

The hovering, Shamawyah said, is one example of the lack of discretion used when addressing concerns or situations with minority students. The girls confrontation with the teacher over his views on Daunte Wrights shooting and the destruction caused during protests brought tensions to a head, and Shamawyah believes the school isnt looking out for their mental health. With every new act of police violence, they are retraumatized, she said, and their bodies go into fight or flight mode.

Are you checking in with the students of color? Are you checking in with the students in general? Shamawyah said.

Finding remediation

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Officers found evidence of a shooting in the 1600 block of Olmstead St. in Curtis Bay and found the victim shot in the leg in the 3700 block of Fairhaven Ave., nearly a half-mile away, police said. That victim, whose name also was not released, was expected to survive.
Now, you may believe as I believe that such rules are unfair, but lets 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 weve 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, Im 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 Trumps spell on the party still holds. It isnt 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.
A dozen Greenwood leaders made their case for continued federal territorial governance directly to President Theodore Roosevelt. He had already determined his support for statehood. Despite a Congressional requirement that Oklahomas constitution make no distinction in civil or political rights on account of race or color, the new state implemented a system of harsh segregation, just as Greenwood residents had feared.

In 1919 the United States erupted into a Red Summer. More than 30 cities, including the nations capital, experienced race riots. Two thousand African Americans lost their lives. It was Greenwoods fate to experience the worst of these killing sprees two years later.

This tragic episode vividly displays the two Americas that have existed through our history. One is the idealized notion of a land of opportunity and freedom available to the predominant white population. Black Americans, along with other designated minorities, have experienced the second America of brutal discrimination and violent suppression.

There are three remaining Greenwood survivors. To this day there has been no recompense for the transgressions against them, or any descendants of the 300 victims and 1200 owners of homes and businesses destroyed .
After leaving Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin was asked by Elizabeth Wiling Powel, Well, Doctor, what have we got ... a republic or a monarchy? Franklins answer was, A republic, if you can keep it.

His response was in apparent reference to the fragile balance required in the government model as intended. It is an interesting story. The message is as true today as it was in 1787.

What do we expect of elected officials in our American democracy? The question is a vital one and not as simple as it seems on the surface. Digging deeper, we find several important phrases. Lets break it down.

First of all, there is the widely used expression American democracy, (self disclosure: I use it frequently).Yet nowhere is the term democracy used in the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution. The American founders designed a representative democracy (as opposed to a direct democracy such as used in Ancient Greece). The Founders preferred the term republic to democracy because it described a system they generally preferred.
There wasnt much to do last summer, but the Susquehanna River never closed.

For Marty Cox, that has meant an influx of new customers for Marietta-based Chiques Rock Outfitters which rents kayaks and bicycles and offers guided tours.

Everybody got the bug last year and experienced what the river brings, and everybody wants to get back out and do it again, said Cox, who just bought four new kayaks.

Read related stories:

Tourism to rebound this summer, Lancaster County destinations say, due to vaccines arriving and restrictions leaving [photos, video]

Slow return of bus tours could hamper Lancaster County tourism industry

Whether its from still being cautious about COVID-19 or because of a newfound interest in the outdoors, some Lancaster County businesses expect more customers to find ways to be outside. Yet with most tourists coming to Lancaster County to see shows, shop and be actively entertained, any boost from the most outdoorsy types of visitors could be limited.

When it comes to camping, people want to go more in the great outdoors in other areas, said Brian Kopan, owner of White Oak Campground near Quarryville and Mill Bridge Village Camp Resort near Ronks.

While his campgrounds allow visitors to social distance and be outdoors, Kopan says they will be full this summer if the weather is good, and if restaurants and major venues such as Sight & Sound and Dutch Wonderland can operate normally.

Eating, recreating and camping, they all go hand in hand, and thats the product that weve sold for generations down here, he said.

For Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center in Stevens, the increased popularity of its zip line tours has been blunted by the drop off in planned conferences, which are just now being planned again, said Justin Harnish, Refreshing Mountains administrative director.

And while robust, Harnish said the woodsy zip line tours are not as lucrative as they could be since he cant hire enough guides.

We are losing hundreds of sales every weekend, Harnish said. Im not sure we could even staff to the demand, but we would absolutely love to find some more people to run the zip line tours.
Living with the pandemic over the past year has forced all of us to modify at least some of our habits.

For example, more people are venturing into the outdoors for recreation, and theyre keeping their outdoor adventures somewhat close to home.

Parks officials at the municipal, county and state level across Pennsylvania have reported a huge increase in traffic at their properties over the past year.

People are heading out in droves to hike, bike, canoe, fish, hunt and on and on.

Surprisingly, its not uncommon to visit your favorite Lancaster County park these days and encounter lots of people.

But travel barely 3 hours north, and you can find plenty of nature to explore, along with lots of elbow room, in the aptly named Endless Mountains of northeast Pennsylvania.

Within an hours drive of Laporte, Forksville, Eagles Mere, Dushore and Red Rock, you can find access to enough public outdoor recreation to keep you busy for a month straight.

Here are the top destinations youll want to visit in the Endless Mountains region of Sullivan, Lycoming, Columbia and Luzerne counties.

Ricketts Glen State Park  This is a 13,193-acre park spread across parts of Columbia, Luzerne and Sullivan counties. Arguably the most popular attraction within the park is the Falls Trail System in the Glens Natural Area. You can make a 7.2-mil loop hike on a steep, rocky trail along Kitchen Creek that will take you past 21 named waterfalls, including the 94-foot-tall Ganoga Falls, which is the tallest of the lot.

Theres also the 245-acre Lake Jean, which is a popular fishing spot for largemouth bass, pickerel and other species. Any non-powered boats are allowed there, while motorboats can use electric trolling motors only.

Worlds End State Park  This 780-acre park surrounds a picturesque section of Loyalsock Creek in Sullivan County. The Loyalsock here is heavily stocked with trout, and the scenery is about as good as it gets for mountain stream fishing. Definitely bring your gear.

If fishing isnt your thing, there are several awesome hikes you can plan here  especially if you like mountaintop vistas.

High Rock Trail is only 1 mile long, but much of it is essentially straight up  or down, depending on which way youre going. Point being, its a challenging trail.

At the highest elevation, the trail takes you to High Rock Vista, which offers an okay view looking south over the parks main developed area.

Worlds End Trail is 3.25 miles of steep terrain that peaks at the Worlds End Vista. This view overlooks the parks beach area, but the scenery is better than from High Rock Vista.

Canyon Vista Trail is a 4-mile loop that takes you to the best overlook in the park  Loyalsock Canyon Vista. This north-looking vista offers breathtaking views of the Loyalsock Creek gorge, as well as the mountains that frame it. If you can only do one of these hikes, this is the one to do, although you can drive to this vista as well.

Loyalsock Trail  This is a 56-mile trail that runs from Dushore to Williamsport, through Worlds End State Park and the Loyalsock State Forest. Its easily distinguished from other trails in the area, by its round yellow markers with LT written on them in red letters.

For the adventurous, you can hike the entire 56 miles from end to end. Park a car at the end where you plan to finish and drive back to the other end to start your hike.

Be aware that camping is allowed on many parts of the trail, but not all. Know where you are and whats allowed.

Most people are probably going to opt for day hikes, as opposed to overnight trips. And the Loyalsock Trail has something that will appeal to just about everyone.

The western end of the trail is rugged, with lots of elevation changes. The eastern end is the most scenic, with awesome vistas and great Loyalsock Creek geology. Throughout, youll find incredible mountain forest surroundings.

To plan a hike, go to alltrails.com and search Loyalsock Trail. The site has a map that shows the trail and all connecting trails, so you can plot out a loop, and which offers suggestions about what to see/experience on different parts of the trail.

Eagles Mere  No visit to the Endless Mountains is complete without a stop in Eagles Mere. This town at the top of a mountain in Shrewsbury Township, Sullivan County, was established in the late 1800s as a resort on the shores of Eagles Mere Lake.

It hasnt been a resort town for more than 50 years, and there are many references in travel literature to Eagles Mere being the town that time forgot.

The main reason to visit Eagles Mere is to feel that sense of history. Walking the tree-lined streets, you can just tell that it once was a place that was very special. No doubt it still is to the folks who live there in the historic Victorian homes. But you can feel why it drew people looking for an escape from Philadelphia, Wilkes Barre, Scranton and Harrisburg in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

There used to be a series of grand hotels around the lake, which people flocked to via a narrow gauge railroad that was abandoned in 1930. You can hike a 2.1-mile section of the rail line in Eagles Mere, now that it is maintained as a trail by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Unfortunately, Eagles Mere Lake is a private lake that is not open to the general public, so you wont be able to do much there except look at it.

There is a small, fascinating museum tucked into one of the only commercial buildings in town on Eagles Mere Avenue that tells the whole story of how Eagles Mere came to be a famous playground for Pennsylvanias rich and famous. Its definitely worth a visit

Forksville  To be totally honest, stopping by Forksville is not quite as entertaining as it was when the Forksville General Store was operating as a general store. Now its simply a Big Mikes Steaks and Hoagies, minus the general store.

Visiting Forksville still makes my list, though, because its just the coolest, small mountain town.

The most picturesque access to the town is a one-lane covered bridge off Route 154, and any true Lancaster Countian has to appreciate covered bridges. Once through the bridge, youll find a small cluster of well-kept houses, the Forksville Fire Company and the Forksville Post Office, in addition to the Forksville General Store building.

Stop in at Big Mikes for lunch, which you can eat in the shadow of that covered bridge alongside the riffles of Loyalsock Creek. If you have your fishing pole, take a couple minutes to try to catch a trout.
An Adamstown man has died after crashing in West Cocalico Township early Sunday morning, according to Ephrata police.

The driver, whose name has not yet been released to the public, lost control of the Chevrolet Silveradro he was driving as it was negotiating a sharp left turn at Route 897 and Sportsman Road and struck a utility pole as it skidded off the road at around 1:15 a.m., police said in a news release. The collision caused the truck to flip onto its side.

First responders arrived to find the man, the vehicles only occupant, unresponsive, police said. The man later died at the scene.

Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said a determination has not yet been made as to whether there will be an autopsy.

The road was shut down for several hours as police investigated the scene and Denver and Schoeneck firefighters freed the man from the wreckage, according to the news release.
While some people who stormed the nations Capitol on Jan. 6 did so because they believed the false narrative about a stolen election, thats not why Michael Lopatic was there, according to his attorney.

Several of the 400-plus defendants charged for alleged crimes committed in and around the Capitol are arguing in court they were essentially duped into believing Donald Trump had won the 2020 election. They say they were misled by Trumps bogus claims about voting fraud and by false reports in pro-Trump media outlets, according to a recent article by The Associated Press.

But that apparently wont be Lopatics strategy.

Instead, the Manheim Township man was in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 to advance the pro-life cause, his attorney Dennis Boyle said this week.

Lopatics Facebook page, no longer publicly available, included many posts noting his opposition to abortion. On Feb. 2, he posted: It wasnt a riot at the capital (sic) it was a Crusade against baby murderers.

Lopatic does not and did not believe the election was stolen, Boyle wrote in an email when asked about his clients case. Boyle said he couldnt discuss strategy other than to say Lopatic didnt believe the election was stolen. He also noted Lopatic has a brain tumor, saying, That is an issue we are exploring.

Lopatic has a pituitary macroadenoma, which is a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. Symptoms can include headaches, vision problems and hormone problems. It can also lead to Cushing Syndrome, with symptoms such as irritability, depression and loss of emotional control, along with diabetes, high blood pressure and other problems.

Lopatic is charged with repeatedly punching one police officer in the head outside the Capitol and ripping the body camera off a second officer and later throwing it away. He was arrested at his home on Feb. 3 and was held federal detention until April 26. A trial has not been scheduled.

Boyle said Lopatics actions toward the police were motivated by a statement he heard indicating that the police had shot and killed a 16-year-old girl. This statement turned out to be false, but he did not know it at the time.

The rumor Boyle was apparently referencing could have been inspired by the shooting of Ashli Babbit, a San Diego woman who was killed by a police officer when climbing through a broken window on a door near the U.S. House Chamber.

Boyle said Lopatics involvement with police lasted no more than 16 seconds. In a filing late last month summarizing information made available to Lopatics attorneys, federal prosecutors said the information included 19 pages of medical records pertaining to an officer identified as C.M., whom Lopatic is accused of punching.

The information is not public record, and Boyle said he was precluded from discussing it.
Culture is an integral part of all ethnic, racial and religious groups. Each group has its own cultural values, beliefs and traditions. But a common denominator cuts across different cultural values: truth.

Our American values have always exemplified and taken pride in expressing the truth. Truth is something that we take for granted, and we expect that all personal and political views are based on nothing but the truth.

However, especially in recent months, some segments of our population have been misled and misinformed by some political leaders who are trying to downplay the importance of truth by rejecting the academic concept of critical race theory.

According to scholars Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, the focus of critical race theory is to study and transform the relationship among race, racism and power.

In their essential book on the subject, Stefancic and Delgado explain that critical race theory has these major components:

 Racism is ordinary, not aberrational.

 Because racism advances the interests of both white elites (materially) and working-class people (psychically), large segments of society have little incentive to eradicate it. Also, elite whites have benefited from civil rights legislation.

 Race and races are social constructions; that is, they are invented and manipulated categories that dont correspond to biological or genetic reality.

 People of color, by virtue of their experiences, are best equipped to tell stories related to race and racism.

My focus here will be on the storytelling and counter-storytelling component as I show why critical race theory is an important concept to teach our children as they learn about American history.

The objections

Some states  including Texas, Tennessee, Idaho and Oklahoma  have crafted legislation banning K-12 schools from using critical race theory to teach historical events.

It seems particularly appalling that Oklahoma is on that list. It was, after all, the site of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, in which hundreds of Black Americans and the prosperous Black business district of Greenwood were wiped out by a racist white mob. As we learned during the 100th anniversary of that horrific massacre last week, it was a subject rarely taught in schools in the 20th century.

Other states seem ready to embark on a similar path.

Conservative lawmakers argue that critical race theory does not unify but rather creates division among students, and that it consists of teaching kids to hate their country and promotes public school wokeness.

On the contrary, critical race theory allows students to think critically about different historical events from broader perspectives. This actually makes them appreciate their country even more. It also enables students to respect their fellow classmates who come from diverse backgrounds and have different life experiences. The storytelling and counter-storytelling in critical race theory emphasize the importance of providing different perspectives of an event that is commonly believed to be true but has not been explored from a different angle.

This approach gives students an opportunity to think critically that they may not have had otherwise. Students may realize that certain events in history could be explained in different ways than how they had been presented previously. They also will realize that their classmates ancestors may not have had the same experiences as those of their ancestors.

In a recent interview with the Lexington Herald Leader in Kentucky, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed opposition to schools teaching The 1619 Project, a New York Times initiative that, according to the Times, aims 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 McConnells view, the year 1619  when the first African slaves were brought to Colonial Virginia  is not an important historical fact that students need to know. McConnell prefers that schools teach the events that took place in 1776, 1787 and 1861-1865 because he believes these are more important mile markers in U.S. history.

Unfortunately, the minority leader doesnt seem to realize that critical race theory does not oppose also teaching what happened in the years he singled out.

Lets take the case of the American Civil War. If slavery was the cause of the Civil War  and it was  then one must learn where it all began. Critical race theory would indicate that without knowing the historical facts of 1619, the history of the Civil War would make little sense.

Consider, too, 1776. McConnell thinks that 1776, when the American Colonies declared independence from England, is more important than the events of 1619. The Declaration of Independence reads: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Many teachers in the past did not mention just which men the Declaration of Independence encompassed. But the framers of the document meant white men, not Black men; otherwise, they would have abolished slavery in 1776. Critical race theory wants teachers to examine the events of 1776 from an African American perspective, too. Those events also should be taught from the perspective of women, who did not get the right to vote until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, 144 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Battle for truth

Banning critical race theory from schools will deprive students of all backgrounds from learning the whole of history from broader perspectives. Teachers must have the ability to provide alternate sides of the story to the already-established versions.

I have been teaching in Lancaster County for the last 20 years, and part of my teaching responsibility is to supervise student teachers in elementary schools.

A decade ago, I was supervising a student educator teaching about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in a third grade classroom.

One of the activities created for the children was for them to crawl from one corner of the room to the other as if they were going from the Southern states to the Northern states. Since Underground Railroad activity generally took place at night, the student teacher turned off the lights and closed the blinds to darken the room. Because groups of enslaved people made their journeys over several days, the student teacher asked her students to crawl to a certain distance and hide under a cluster of desks  representing an Underground Railroad station. Once the children reached a station, the student teacher would turn on the lights to make it daytime and children would stay under the desks for few minutes until the student teacher again turned off the lights, and the process would begin again.

This activity helped the third graders understand, even if just a bit, Harriet Tubmans struggle to free enslaved people and the struggle they had to endure to achieve their freedom.

As the activity unfolded, I noticed something interesting. The student teacher identified the slaves as Black people. She also said that these slaves or Black people were fleeing from their masters, but she did not identify those masters as white.

During my post-observation conference, I asked the student teacher why this was. She replied that her supervising teacher had told her not to do so as parents would not approve.

I was not surprised. I understood the supervising teachers point of view. Teachers in many U.S. school districts walk a fine line as they try to teach without jeopardizing their jobs. But critical race theory acknowledges truth, which we must pass on.

American values are seen as a beacon around the world, and many countries try to emulate these values. If we want to continue to be the shining light for others, we must continue to uphold the value of truth by allowing teachers to teach history from different perspectives. Critical race theory will help them to do this. If we fail to teach the truth, our moral standing in the world will be in peril.

Kazi Hossain is an associate professor in the Department of Early, Middle & Exceptional Education at Millersville University.
THE ISSUE

U.S. Senate Republicans blocked the creation of an independent, bipartisan commission to study the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Meanwhile, the November presidential election and the insurrection continue to shape the political landscape in Pennsylvania and across the U.S.

The juxtaposition of stories on the front page of last Sundays LNP | LancasterOnline was jarring: Most of the page was devoted to a poignant story of a local soldier, Brandon Styer, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009 at just age 19.

His story, his familys story, was one of courage, sacrifice, patriotism and honor.

But another front-page article related a strikingly different narrative: that of several defendants charged with crimes allegedly committed during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Their attorneys hope that their clients gullibility in falling for the Big Lie  the false claim that the November election was stolen from former President Donald Trump  might save them or at least engender some sympathy, The Associated Press reported.

Lawyers for at least three defendants charged in connection with the violent siege  which aimed to interrupt the peaceful transition of power and overturn the presidential election result  told the AP that those who spread that misinformation bear as much responsibility for the violence as do those who participated in the actual breach of the Capitol.

Defendant Anthony Antonio told the AP that he put his faith in Trump. He said pandemic boredom led to his immersion in conservative cable news and right-wing social media, and he became consumed by conspiracy theories that the election was rigged.

This tale of woe from defendants who bought into the Big Lie leaves us cold. The insurrectionists are charged with attacking the very heart of American democracy  and, in some cases, with viciously attacking police officers valiantly trying to protect the U.S. Capitol and the people within it.

But their lawyers have a point when they say that Trump, certain right-wing media outlets and some GOP lawmakers share culpability for the insurrection because of the dangerous lies they told.

And the thing that keeps us awake at night, worrying for our democracy, is that this campaign of misinformation and disinformation hasnt ended.

Drumbeat of lies

As U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote in an opinion denying the pretrial release of a man accused of threatening to kill U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: The steady drumbeat that inspired (this) defendant to take up arms has not faded away; six months later, the canard that the election was stolen is being repeated daily on major news outlets and from the corridors of power in state and federal government, not to mention in the near-daily fulminations of the former president.

That drumbeat turned into a shrieking four-alarm fire last week when conservative writer Charles C.W. Cooke confirmed New York Times reporting that Trump believes he will be reinstated in the White House this summer after election audits in Arizona and other states are completed.

This, Cooke wrote in the National Review, is a rejection of reality, a rejection of law, and, ultimately, a rejection of the entire system of American government.

Cooke pointed out that there is no Reinstatement Clause in the Constitution. Joe Biden is the president  thats a fact.

Unfortunately, forces are at work to undermine democracy, employing the Big Lie to make it harder to hold free and fair elections in the future.

Sham audit

As the AP reported last week, Trump supporters are still auditing ballots in Arizonas largest county and may revive legislation that would make it easier for judges in Texas to overturn election results. In Georgia, meanwhile, the Republican-controlled state Legislature passed a bill allowing it to appoint a board that can replace election officials.

In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County, attended and organized a bus trip to the Jan. 6 Trump rally that preceded  and instigated  the insurrection.

And Mastriano is one of three Pennsylvania Republican legislators who traveled to Maricopa County in Arizona last week to witness a sham election audit that is being conducted by a firm called the Cyber Ninjas, whose CEO is a conspiracy theorist.

Details like those would be amusing if the reality wasnt so alarming. As former Department of Homeland Security official Matt Masterson told NPR, Arizonas audit is a threat to the overall confidence of democracy, all in pursuit of continuing a narrative that we know to be a lie.

As Mike Wereschagin of the LNP Media watchdog publication The Caucus reported Friday, Mastriano issued a statement about the Arizona trip that asserted: Transparency is a must (in) our republic.

Ironically, however, Mastriano and his fellow travelers  state Sen. Cris Dush and state Rep. Rob Kauffman  are refusing to say who paid for their travel, lodging and meals, Wereschagin reported. (A Kauffman aide sent an email to Wereschagin to say the trip was not being funded by taxpayer or campaign dollars.)

So much for transparency.

As Wereschagin noted, even some elected Arizona Republicans have called the audit unhinged and embarrassing. Mastriano, however, told a right-wing media outlet last week that Pennsylvania should use Arizona as a model for its own audit.

Moreover, as Wereschagin reported, A group called Audit the Vote PA is collecting signatures calling for an audit of the states 2020 results.

This is happening despite the fact that, as Wereschagin pointed out, No evidence of widespread fraud has ever been revealed to suggest vote fraud cheated Trump of victory in the commonwealth.

On Friday, Trump ratcheted up the pressure on Mastriano, who is courting the former presidents support for his possible run for governor next year. In a statement, Trump said the Pennsylvania Senate needs to act by launching a full Forensic Audit of the November election. If the Pennsylvania Senate leadership doesnt act, there is no way they will ever get re-elected! Trump warned.

Restricting voting rights

State Rep. Seth Grove, R-York County, chairman of the House State Government Committee, tweeted Thursday that the state House of Representatives will not be authorizing any further audits on any previous election. We are focused on fixing our broken election law to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.

Theres reason to worry, though, about Groves focus on changing the commonwealths election law.

Because Novembers presidential election didnt go their way, some Republican state lawmakers now want to make mail-in voting more difficult  a reversal of GOP support for Act 77, the bipartisan election reform law passed in 2019. They claim theyre worried about election fraud. But as Wereschagin reported last week, there were only a handful of voting fraud cases reported in the state and two involved Republican voters casting ballots for deceased loved ones for the former president.

Even state Sen. Ryan Aument of Mount Joy is advancing the narrative that there were issues with the November election that must be remedied in order to restore voters trust.

He actually proposes suspending no-excuse mail-in voting until 2023 or until Act 77 is revised to pressure lawmakers from both parties to address flaws in the state elections law, though he disingenuously told LNP | LancasterOnline he hopes such a suspension isnt needed. The hope is that folks will come together, well make the fixes ... to again get voters assurance, Aument said.

The reason some voters lack that assurance is that Republicans have been ginning up their distrust.

And Auments call for suspending no-excuse mail-in voting is the headline that those who believe the Big Lie will see; they may not examine the nuances of his position. (We must note that Aument is up for reelection in 2022, when Pennsylvanians also will choose a new U.S. senator and governor.)

Federal leadership and state leadership sowed distrust about the election by perpetuating lies about election fraud and election irregularities for which there is no evidence, Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, told LNP | LancasterOnline. They are now saying, Were hearing from our constituents that they want us to address the problems. Theres this false circular logic; by spreading the Big Lie about the election, now theyre pointing to the concern that they created.

Precisely.

According to a recent analysis by the Brennan Center, lawmakers have enacted more than 20 laws in 14 states that will make it harder for Americans to vote. At least 61 more bills with restrictive provisions are moving through 18 state legislatures. All told, lawmakers have introduced at least 389 restrictive bills in 48 states this year.

These dangerous laws could be countered to some extent if the U.S. Senate passed the For the People Act, which passed in the U.S. House in March, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which the House passed under a different name in 2019.

The lesson of the last election and the insurrection that sought to overturn it cannot be that bending the truth is an acceptable means of seeking political power. We cannot accept the trafficking of lies that undermine democracy. And we must not take our democracy for granted.
I read The New York Times article headlined A coming population bust will transform the world in the May 23 Sunday LNP | LancasterOnline and agreed with it. The article points out that the human population is declining. Today, fewer children are born per family in most parts of the world.

Declining birth rates, together with rapid industrialization, caused more and more people to live in big cities, abandoning small towns and rural areas.

The article stated that smaller human populations could increase wages, cause less air and water pollution and lead to a better quality of life for each individual. The lower the human population, the higher the quality of life for each individual.

High human populations cause declines of other life forms, many of which we need for physical or emotional health. We necessarily use natural resources to maintain life, but we destroy too many resources simply for recreation. Having fewer people would reduce those needs and wants.

Having fewer people would create cleaner air and water, because fewer products would be made.

Falling human populations will challenge economic growth, but we cant have it all. We cant forever bolster our numbers to increase business at the expense of Earths natural resources. Those resources will vanish.

I believe that people worldwide should continue to have one or two children per family. That would lower the human population without starvation, war or illness. It would increase the quality of life for each person.

Clyde McMillan-Gamber

New Holland
Is the hold harmless provision in Pennsylvania state education funding a modern-day version of disenfranchising people of color?

After the 15th Amendment gave Black men voting rights, various state laws were enacted to effectively bar them from voting. For example, some laws disqualified those who could not pass literacy tests. Few Black people could pass because, during slavery, learning to read and write was illegal for them. At the same time, many white people who were also illiterate were granted exemptions from these tests.

The hold harmless policy enacted over 30 years ago in Pennsylvania prevents a school districts state funding from falling, regardless of enrollment changes.

As Republican state Rep. Steve Mentzer of Manheim Township stated in a March 6, 2020, press release, While the policy was instituted to prevent school districts from being harmed by reduced funding, it has resulted in severe inequity to hundreds of school districts. Mentzer went on to explain that per-student revenue for districts with declining enrollment is now over three times that of the fastest-growing districts.

Coincidentally, growing districts tend to be less affluent, with proportionately more students of color. In other words, the current funding methods favor white and more well-to-do students and essentially disenfranchise people of color and the less affluent. Can we consider that hold harmless? We must and can do better! I encourage our state legislators to enact changes to dismantle this unfair policy, which I believe contributes to systemic racism.

Ken Langeman

Manheim Township
An illegal building project is threatening one of North Americas greatest treasures: the ancient pyramids in central Mexico. The project may harm the remains of temples and about 24 other ancient buildings.

The illegal project is next to the Teotihuacan archeological area. Building anything new there is illegal. The owner of the land, however, has ignored orders from Mexico's antiquities organization (INAH) to stop for the past two months. Many Mexicans are angry that officials are failing to protect the ruins of Teotihuacan, a place visited every year by large numbers of people.

Reuters news agency was unable to find or question the owner, whose name has not been made public.

Rogelio Rivero Chong is the director of Teotihuacan's archeological area. He said the failure by police to stop the project showed the property owner's "total impunity."

In late April, the INAH brought a complaint to the government. Federal prosecutors charged the owner with "damage to archeological patrimony." In recent weeks, the INAH documented ongoing building in the area by 60 workers. That information came from Mexicos Cultural Ministry. However, the prosecutors' office did not answer Reuters' questions about the case.

Teotihuacan is about 50 kilometers northeast of Mexico City. It once was home to about 100,000 people who mostly lived in colorful stone houses.

People lived in that city at about the same time that Mayan culture had reached a high level to the south. But Teotihuacan is known for its own art and architecture. It grew rich for a period of 600 years until about 550 because of trading with other cities. It had an economy built on creating goods such as clothing and metal blades, or knives.

Rivero Chong said officials have struggled for years to stop illegal building. The building is often done at night and local government officials often arrive too late, he said.

A tall wall surrounds the illegal building area. It is in what is believed to be one of the ancient citys oldest parts. A past archeological report said the area held at least three temples and 25 other ancient buildings.

Teotihuacan was named a world heritage site by the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, in 1987. The naming requires government protection of the area, said Rivero Chong.

In recent days, a number of leading archeological experts have asked the government to act. "For me, this really hurts," said Linda Manzanilla. She is a Teotihuacan archeologist with Mexico's National Autonomous University.

During one of her projects there in the 1980s, she found a housing complex in Oztoyahualco where workers once lived. It was next to a workshop near the three temples that are now under threat.

She said the latest illegal building is in an area just west of the Moon Pyramid. Near the illegal work, other research has found beautifully colored ancient buildings that were created around the central spaces of the city.

"It's very likely that there are very large complexes there," she said.

Im Susan Shand.

The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pyramid  n. a very large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top

archaeology  n. the study of past human life and of the things that people made in the past

antiquities  n. objects from ancient times

impunity  n. freedom from punishment, harm, or loss

prosecutor  n.one who represents the state when charges are brought against someone accused of a crime.

patrimony  n. things that are from the past; property that you receive from your father when he dies

heritage  n. the things that are inherited from a family member

complex n. a group of buildings that are used for a certain purpose

complaint n. a formal charge saying that someone has done something wrong

temple n. a building for worship

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Dozens of Romanian children had their eyes examined for the first time in a rural area of the southern Carpathian Mountains in Romania.

Casa Buna, or good house, is a humanitarian organization. It planned the eye exams in Nucsoara, an area with many villages.

Periodic eye exams are suggested from as early as six months old. But many children in the poor, rural community had never been seen by an ophthalmologist, a doctor that specializes in eyes.

Mioara Marinescu was the volunteer ophthalmologist at last Saturdays event. She told The Associated Press, out of 30 children tested, 20 needed glasses. She said that as many villages in the country as possible need events like this.

The importance of testing childrens eyes is not limited to corrective eyewear. Amblyopia is the condition known as lazy eye. It is when one eye becomes weak and no longer looks straight. It is estimated to affect one to five percent of children around the world. And missed cases can lead to problems in the future.

Marinescu found three children with amblyopia when she examined them. She said this disorder can restrict individuals from certain professions in adulthood.

The eye doctor said, in our country, children do not receive education or health equally.

Valeriu Nicolae founded Casa Buna in 2007. He comes from a poor Roma community himself. He said poor eyesight can have a serious, harmful effect on childrens educational outcomes.

Teachers think the kids hate to read, but in fact, they hate to read because they cannot read because their eyesight is poor, Nicolae said. Kids who cannot read because their eyes are really bad are useless in the educational process. They get fed up and they drop out.

The volunteer organization supports more than 300 children and their families. It most importantly believes in supporting children to follow education. The group has played a key part in helping children during the pandemic.

Casa Buna arrived in Nucsoara more than a year ago. The city is 200 kilometers northwest of the capital Bucharest. Volunteers visit every two weeks. They bring aid to 94 children and their families.

Nicolae said, it was the start of the pandemic, and practically none of these kids had internet or computers. We put computers in all of their houses, made sure they have internet ... and all they need to stay online to continue their education.

Dozens of volunteers joined the eye testing event. Even motorcyclists, persons who rides a vehicle with two wheels, from the group Bikers for Humanity joined. The volunteers organized activities and games to bring in as many children as possible. Casa Buna also brought children's gifts for International Childrens Day which took place on June 1.

Nicolae said, well do (eye testing) this year in nine villages. We hope to make anywhere between 600 to 1,000 pairs of glasses. He has won international awards for his work to better childrens education.

Romania has a population of more than 19 million people. It has the highest percentage of children at risk of becoming poor and socially rejected in the 27-country European Union. The European agency on data Eurostat found Romanias rate is 35.8 percent compared to an EU average of 22.5 percent.

Poor children are usually found in the countrys rural communities. About 50 percent of children are poor in these areas.

Ophthalmologist Marinescu said that we should all have equal ability to have education and health care from the moment we are born. She believes it should not matter where we are born.

Im Dorothy Gundy.

Stephen McGrath and Andreea Alexandru reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

dozen  n. a group of 12 people or things

volunteer  n. someone who does something without being forced to do it

glasses  n. eyeglasses with light metal frames and large lenses

lazy  adj. not liking to work hard or to be active

kid  n. a young person

fed up  adj. very tired of something: angry about something that has continued for a long time

practically  adv. almost or nearly
When Samantha Maltais arrives at Harvard this autumn, she will be the first member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe to attend its law school. In some ways, she will be joining an ancestor.

More than 350 years ago, an Aquinnah Wampanoag man named Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard University. He attended because of its 1650 charter calling for the education of English and Indian youth of this country.

Maltais says she understands Harvards impact because she has always lived nearby. And she is the daughter of her tribes leader.

Harvard is a symbol of New Englands colonial past, this tool of assimilation that pushed Native Americans into the background in their own homelands, she said.

Maltais will arrive on campus at a time when Native American tribes, students and University teachers and officials are pushing the famous university and other colleges to do more for Indigenous communities. Many feel the schools need to admit their past wrongs. It is similar to the call for states and other communities to admit to the wrongs of slavery and discrimination against Black people.

Calls for return of lands, lower costs

In Minnesota, 11 tribes have called on the state university system to return some of the lands taken from tribes. They have also asked for Native American students to attend without payment and to increase the number of Native Americans in the administration.

Tadd Johnson is the University of Minnesotas director of tribal relations and a Chippewa tribe member. He said the university will create a truth and reconciliation process to investigate the historical wrongs and find ways to correct them.

Were listening, he said, adding the university system is acting on everything that has been thrown at us.

Meanwhile in Colorado, state lawmakers are considering legislation to permit students from certain tribes to pay much less to attend the state university system.

And in California, Native American students also want lower costs. Most California state schools have released statements that admitted their past wrongs against Native Americans and their lands. Tori McConnell is a 21-year-old member of the Yurok Tribe who graduates from the University of California, Davis in June.

Its only right that they do these things, she said. Actions speak louder than words.

University spokesperson Ryan King said officials are working hard to continue supporting Native students and tribal communities. He pointed out that the school created an advisory board that includes tribal leaders and others.

Looking to change the future

Many American universities are a product of an 1862 law that paid for the creation of public universities through the sale of federal government land. But a study found that much of that land had been taken from about 250 tribes of Native Americans.

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, near Harvard, Native American students looked into the schools past as one of the original federal land universities.

Luke Bastian is a 22-year-old Navajo student from Phoenix. He says he and other students presented the results of their class project to MITs president earlier this month. The students also asked him to create a Native American studies program.

University officials say conversations with Native students continue. Bastian believes they will make progress. Native American students asked for, and received, a meeting place for themselves, say Indigenous community backers.

South Dakota State University uses private donations to provide scholarships to local tribal members. It also uses money earned from the land to improve Native American programming, research and other efforts.

We cant change the past, but we can change the future for these young people, says Barry Dunn. He is the universitys president and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe who started the Wokini Initiative in 2017.

Native Americans have the lowest graduation rates in the country, said Cheryl Crazy Bull. She added that the pandemic has made it even harder for Native American students. She is president of the American Indian College Fund, which awarded Maltais her scholarship.

At Harvard, there is a concern that Native students are being asked to withdraw from the school for poor grades at higher rates than other students, said Emily Van Dyke. She is president of Harvards Native American alumni group.

Students and alumni are also pushing Harvard to admit that it stands on land where Indigenous peoples once lived, Van Dyke said. MIT and the University of California, Davis have both admitted to being on land once owned by Native Americans.

Harvard spokespeople refused to comment.

However, Joseph Gone heads the schools Native American program. He said the university is in talks with local tribes and plans to release a statement in the future.

For her part, Maltais says Harvard and other schools should help Native students coming from distant tribal communities adjust to university life with counseling and other services. She also supports the idea of free education for Native Americans, but thinks it is not enough.

Sometimes the only reparation for land is land, she said.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

Quiz - For Native Americans, Harvard and Other Colleges Fall Short Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

youth - n. someone who is young

impact - n. a powerful or major influence or effect

assimilation - n. to cause (a person or group) to become part of a different society, country,

indigenous - adj. produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment

reconciliation - n. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement

scholarship - n. an amount of money that is given by a school, an organization, etc., to a student to help pay for the student's education

alumni - n. someone who was a student at a particular school, college, or university

adjust - v. to change in order to work or do better in a new situation

reparation - n. something that is done or given as a way of correcting a mistake that you have made or a bad situation that you have caused

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Picture a fading fluorescent light tube, sputtering off and on and humming a warning that it may soon blink out and go dark.
This is the story of the most unbelievable demo I've been given in world of open source. You can't make this stuff up.

It was 2005, and I felt like I was in the eye of a hurricane. I was an independent performance consultant and Sun Microsystems had just released DTrace, a tool that could instrument all software. This gave performance analysts like myself X-ray vision. While I was busy writing and publishing advanced performance tools using DTrace (my open source DTraceToolkit and other DTrace tools, aka scripts), I noticed something odd: I was producing more DTrace tools than were coming out of Sun itself. Perhaps there was some internal project that was consuming all their DTrace expertise?



DTraceToolkit v0.96 tools (2006)

As I wasn't a Sun Microsystems employee I wasn't privy to Sun's internal projects. However, I was doing training and consulting for Sun, helping their customers with system administration and performance. Sun sometimes invited me to their own customer meetings and other events I might be interested in, as a local expert. I was living in Sydney, Australia.

This time I was told that there was a Very Important Person visiting from the US whom I'd want to meet. I didn't recognize the name, but was told that he was a DTrace expert and developer at Sun, and was on a world tour demonstrating Sun's new DTrace-based product. Ah-hah  this must be the internal project!

But this would be no ordinary project. I'd seen some amazing technologies from Sun, but I'd never seen a developer on a world tour. This was going to be big, and would likely blow away my earlier DTrace work.

The VIP was returning to Sydney for a few days before going to the next Australian city, so we agreed to meet at the Sun Sydney office.

The Meeting

The DTrace expert arrived wearing casual business attire and a heavy American accent, and seemed a bit weary from his world tour. He had just been to South Africa and New Zealand, and listed other countries and cities he was heading to next. Two other Australian Sun staff joined the meeting, and one introduced me with:

"Brendan teaches some classes for us, and has been doing some DTrace stuff.

Low-key introductions are the norm in Australia (especially for Australians) and I wondered whether he knew of this cultural difference. Another difference was that there were few roles in Australia for engineers in 2005, unlike the US. The Sun Microsystems Australia jobs, for example, were all in support and none in development, and other tech giants had not yet arrived. So back then in Australia you could find amazing engineers doing whatever roles were available.

I tried to expand on the "stuff" a bit by saying that Id written the DTraceToolkit, but he wasn't impressed. He didn't recognize my name, nor had he heard of the DTraceToolkit. To him, I was just some random guy.

He was kind enough to give me a quick demo anyway. His DTrace product was an add-on for a larger Sun GUI that I was already familiar with. After it loaded, he showed how you could run one of several DTrace tools by double clicking an icon. Either the raw output would be printed in a separate window, or the results would be shown as a line graph. This seemed quite underwhelming. The GUI already had this functionality: Showing the raw output of tools or drawing a line graph. I was hoping for a new GUI feature.

The only new work was the tools themselves, of which there were several. He gave a quick sales pitch about the new and amazing observability they provided, something he must have said many times to impress customers. I got the feeling he wasn't expecting me to properly appreciate their value.

But I did understand these tools, since I had coded similar functionality for my own DTraceToolkit. They were useful, but...I was expecting a hurricane of awesome new DTrace content.

"I've done these before  I've written tools that do these things myself!"

"Yeah, sure." He didnt quite say it, but gave me a look like he didn't really believe me, or that I could even truly understand what they were. This was an important innovation by Sun Microsystems, a US-based multinational company worth billions. I was just some random Aussie.

Socket Tracing

I browsed the GUI icons for something new, and the closest was a tool for tracing socket I/O. I had tried this in 2004 (socketsnoop.d) and published it as open source, but my tool was incomplete: I didn't have access to the kernel source code so I had to figure out everything the hard way using black box analysis. It worked for most TCP traffic types but not others, which I warned about in the script comments. I'd also not included it in the DTraceToolkit yet as I didn't consider it finished. So of all the tools he had, I was most interested to see this one. Sun could do a much better job just by referring to the source code they were instrumenting, and actually finish this tool.

"Can I see the socket I/O script?". I fired up a terminal. He looked alarmed at first, as if I wasn't supposed to look behind the curtain, then realized another selling feature: "Well, sure, you could even add more tools to the GUI!" and after a pause, added "if you have them". Sure, I have them all right. He gave me a path to start looking under, and after a bit of searching I found the directory with all the tools he had been demoing.

The tools all had familiar names. One was even called socketsnoop.d. A new possibility dawned on me.

No way.

I printed socketsnoop.d. The screen filled with my own script. It was the same incomplete attempt I had hacked up a year earlier, and published as open source. It included some weird code that only made sense when I wrote it (use of PFORMAT, prior to defaultargs) and was written in my earlier coding style. I was looking at my own fucking script.

"This is MY script."

I printed the other tools and saw the same  they were all mine. This hot new Sun product that Mr. VIP was touring the world showing off was actually just my own open source tools.

My jaw was on the floor. He didn't seem to believe me.

You Can't Do That

I used grep to search all his tools for my name, which was in the header comment of all my tools, to prove beyond a doubt that these were mine. But I found nothing. My name had been stripped.

Some of my tools had even included the line:

# Author: Brendan Gregg [Sydney, Australia]

And now, here he was, in Sydney, Australia, trying to sell Brendan Gregg's tools to Brendan Gregg.

One of the Australian Sun staff interrupted: "Those say copyright Sun Microsystems." Most of my tools had my own copyright and a GPLv2 or CDDL license. But these only had Sun's standard copyright message, and the open source licenses had been stripped.

"You deleted my name! And the copyrights and licenses!"

The other Aussie added, to the VIP: "You can't do that." A silence fell over the room as the magnitude of what had happened sunk in. While some at Sun were encouraging open source contributions and building a community, others were ripping off that same community. Taking their work, changing the licence and copyrights, and then selling it.

The VIP wasn't prepared for this and had a look of confusion. He didn't say much, other than that he didn't know what had happened, and that he may have gotten the tools from someone else already like this (ie, don't blame me). He seemed to be only half believing what we were saying.

The meeting ended quickly. I suggested that he get newer copies of my tools, directly from the DTraceToolkit, since these older versions from my homepage were out of date, and some had errors that I had already fixed. I also reminded him to keep my name, copyright, and license on all of them.

In his defense, perhaps the meeting may have gone differently had I not been given a low-key Australian introduction. That's an Australian cultural problem (tall poppy syndrome). To an Australian, introductions in the US can sound boastful, but they can also be useful as a quick way to share one's specialties.

Other Cases

Of all the tools I had published as open source, I still can't believe socketsnoop.d was included. It wasn't even very good. Later on I wrote much better socket tools (in my DTrace and BPF books).

A few years later, Apple added dozens of my tools to OS X. They left my name, copyright, and CDDL open source license intact, and even improved and enhanced some of them. Years later, Oracle did the same for Oracle Solaris 11, and the BSD community did for FreeBSD. My thanks to all of you.

You might say that this wasn't really Sun the company doing this, but rather, a careless individual. But there was something in Sun's culture that contributed to this kind of carelessness. It was something I and my consulting colleagues had run into before: The belief at Sun that only Sun could make good use of its own technologies, and anything created outside of Sun was trash. When these Sun employees found something that was good, they were inclined to assume it came from Sun, and it was therefore safe to reuse and rebrand (and relicense) as they assumed they already held the copyrights.

There were also others at Sun that did try hard to do the right thing by me and my work. On at least four other occasions my DTraceToolkit was built into observability products, without stripping licenses. (In one case they wanted to relicense to GPL, and talked to me and Sun legal about it, but that's another story.)

This also wasn't the last time someone unwittingly tried to sell me my own work, it was just the first. I've learned to not tell sales people that I invented what they are showing me, as they then give me funny looks like I'm a crazy person, but instead to simply say "I have a lot of experience with that technology" and leave it at that.

I'm reminded of this first case since my BPF tools are now appearing in observability products, and will grow to a scale much bigger than my DTrace tools. I'll write about it more in future posts, but my immediate advice to developers is this: Please do not rewrite my BPF tools and the bcc libraries; try to build upon them as-is (either bcc Python or bcc libbpf-tool versions) and fetch regular updates. This is because they are works-in-progress, and rewriting (forking) them divides engineering resources and will have your customers using out of date versions. (Note that I think my flame graph software is different: Since it is a simple and finished algorithm that doesn't need much maintenance, I don't see a big problem with people rewriting it. It is nice to get some thanks, however, just as I have done for those that inspired flame graphs.)

As for the unbelievable demo: This wasn't the great DTrace product I imagined when hearing about a world tour. It was, in fact, my own tools. I suspect that it's not uncommon for an open source developer to discover, at some point, that their own code has been rebranded. But the circumstance in this case may be a little unusual. A US developer got a world tour for software he didn't write, which included giving a sales pitch and demo in Australia, unwittingly, to the author. I don't think he even said thank you.
Staff members carrying balloons and bouquets of flowers leave the Cleveland Elementary School campus on the last day of school, May 27, 2021 in Oakland. Despite higher than usual teacher retirement this year, Oakland Unified has already filled 141 out of 241 vacancies, including newly created positions across the district.
We listen to local police and fire departments scanner traffic, but sometimes miss crimes, wrecks, fires or other incidents, especially if they happen overnight. If you know of something were not covering yet, please let Managing Editor Jeff Pownall know by emailing him at jpownall@lufkindailynews.com, or submit a news tip online by visiting lufkindailynews.com/tips.
If the kit has been moved, or some other information about the kit is updated, the victim should have the choice to opt in to receive an automated message alerting them to an update in their kits status. We already use similar updating tools today. Online credit trackers notify users if their credit scores have changed. The state could do the same. Users would thus always know where their kits are in the process.

Wisconsin deserves serious leaders who can work together effectively. By attacking the Legislature and doubling down on left-wing legal causes when he should have been working on safety, Kaul has failed to do his job effectively.

I therefore ask the Legislature to make these changes. Lets work together on rape kits and get the job done.

Ryan J. Owens is an attorney, a constitutional conservative, a professor, and the former director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a Republican candidate for attorney general in Wisconsin.

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.
Dear Editor: I have resided between Steuben and Chicago for most of my life. As a woman of 65, a college professor and professional sculptor, I have finally begun to realize my lifelong dream to restore and convert our familys centenary barn into my art studio.

I was devastated when the DNR approved plans for the Roth Feeder Pig operation in Crawford County into a CAFO. Nine million gallons of manure each year would endanger the region and the health and safety of my family and neighbors. The Kickapoo River that I swim in, and its pristine environs, would become septic. The valuable karst geology  Wisconsins national treasure  would be annihilated. Everything we hold dear  our health, wildlife, air and water  would be destroyed for one mans gain. This ecological damage cannot be undone.

The DNR exists to protect Wisconsins natural resources, not to squander them, not to sell them to the highest bidder with the most political clout.

The DNR can prevent this wreckage. We challenge them to conduct an environmental impact statement (EIS) for this specific area. If the Roth CAFO would not cause irreparable harm to Wisconsins precious land and water, let them prove it.

Do the right thing, DNR. Reverse the Roth CAFO aberration.
Your help will be etched on our hearts, said Tsai, who thanked the Biden administration for including Taiwan among the first places to receive vaccine donations. She also said she hoped that the U.S.-Taiwan partnership would continue to improve. During the three-hour visit, the senators were to discuss security and other issues with Tsai and other senior Taiwanese leaders.
Here's a list of current dates of suspensions in place by major cruise lines, and the earliest dates those cruise lines are scheduled to resume departures from ports in the United States.

Several cruise lines operating in Europe and Asia resumed services last fall but suspended them when infection counts began to surge again. They are beginning to restart operations as more people get vaccinated.

As during the past year, upcoming schedules are subject to cancellation. Travelers agents warn consumers not to book unless they understand and accept cruise lines policies for refunds and future cruise credits.

Current schedules, prices and cancellation updates can be found at the cruise lines websites.
Schroll noted that Wisconsin has a strong base of angel and venture investors at the seed stage, meaning the earliest investments. He noted investments from Wisconsin Investment Partners, BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation and Great Oaks Venture Capital, which isnt based in Wisconsin but whose founders are state natives. He also credited the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. for early support.

When it came to later rounds, however, it became much harder to find investment dollars close to home.

Schroll and his team looked outside Wisconsin for most of the Series A investment rounds and beyond. That wasnt because local investors turned their backs on the company, but that kind of money isnt generally available from Wisconsin-based investors.

Most of the funds domiciled in Wisconsin are small- to medium-sized by national standards. As a result, Wisconsin has one-third of 1% of all U.S. venture capital assets under management  with nearly 2% of the U.S. population.

About 80% of all U.S. venture capital is centered in California, Massachusetts, New York and Texas  so those are states where Schroll and Fetch Rewards looked for investors.
Republicans railed against Evers entry into the race.

Over the past three years, Wisconsinites have suffered the consequences of an administration fraught with mismanagement, incompetence and a governor who has been asleep at the wheel, said Republican Party of Wisconsin chairperson Andrew Hitt in a statement.

Tony Evers had no plan to handle unemployment claims after shutting down our states economy, no plan to address the violence in Kenosha after refusing federal assistance, no plan to reopen schools while students were struggling, and now has no plan to address the labor shortage while business owners are begging him for help. Evers has nothing to run on except a record of abysmal failure and absent leadership.

Challenges ahead

Evers will face a number of challenges in his reelection bid, chief among them the lessons of political history, which indicate Democrats will have a hard time maintaining power statewide in 2022.

Another potential complication in the race is whether Evers lieutenant governor, Mandela Barnes, will join him in his reelection campaign or dive into the already crowded Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. During his convention speech Saturday evening, Barnes didnt indicate which path he intends to take.
East Towne Mall has been a great community member that has provided thousands of jobs and a strong tax base for decades, Halverson said. (But) in the last several years, the East Towne area has become more depressed, and we as a city must put our focus on this area to demonstrate our commitment to the revitalization of this area.

Draft land use and transit concepts show how the East Towne area could evolve in phases, beginning with the start of BRT and development on existing lots along existing major streets, followed by construction of more streets and development around the mall.

The concepts show more development and street connections if the mall was partially removed, and a large, linear green space, more streets lined with new construction, and more large-scale development if the mall was completely gone.

The latter concepts, however, might send the wrong message, Halverson said.

To have a plan that essentially shows the mall completely eliminated is very disappointing, he said. As we continue to tweak this plan, my hope is that we create a space that is inclusive of our long-time businesses and attractive to new developments. We can and should do both.

The city is not asking East Towne to go away, city urban design planner Rebecca Cnare said.
RUPERT  Some residents who need help to pay medical bills across the state will no longer get help from the their counties when new legislation takes effect.

Anyone who is eligible for Medicaid or insurance through the states insurance exchange will no longer be eligible for county assistance through the indigent program and the state catastrophic health care fund.

The Legislature decided the state of Idaho will be ruled by personal responsibility, Minidoka County Commissioner Wayne Schenk said.

The law will take effect July 1 but counties will begin implementing the changes in 2022 and fully in 2023.

The county medical indigent program currently operates as a loan for people who are unable to pay their medical bills up to $11,000, according to Susan Keck, who facilitates the indigent claims for Cassia County. The cap amount is the same for every county.

The amount of the remaining bills over the countys cap amount is then sent on for approval through the states catastrophic health care fund.

Applicants set up payment plans to repay the money. If the money is not repaid the county can issue a lien on the persons property. But this will now change under the new law.
We are so impressed with the recipients for the 2021 Governors Cup Scholarship, especially for completing their senior year of high school during such an unprecedented time. These students have demonstrated their commitment to their neighbors, communities, and the state, and we are proud to have them become the next generation of Idaho leaders, Little said. Additionally, we would like to express appreciation for the generous sponsors and donors who contributed to the scholarship program last year despite the event cancellation. Providing opportunities for these students has always been at the heart of the Governors Cup and being able to continue that legacy amid uncertain times is important.
Ive never had so many educators reaching out to me for advice, and sharing their concerns and looking for another profession, honestly, McInelly said. Its at an all-time low. We need to work as a community and as a state to help educators, so they can continue to help our students in public schools.

Over 40 percent of teachers and classified staff say they were more frustrated and burned out at the start of 2021 than ever before, according to an IEA poll.

Thats not just an Idaho challenge.

An April survey by the Education Week Research Center found that teachers are not only more stressed than before the pandemic  theyre also more stressed than in April of 2020, when the pandemic first struck.

That tracks for Pearson.

When Idaho schools shut down because of COVID-19 last spring, and teachers scrambled to move classes online, we realized it wasnt going to be perfect, she said. For a time, teachers felt respected by parents and the public who praised them for trying to connect with students despite pandemic barriers.

That sentiment has since evaporated. As McInelly sees it, teachers have become the scapegoats for pandemic and political frustrations.
Christine Uhlhorn, the former fire chief of the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, spoke about the difficulties families endured having a loved one die in the line of duty during the ongoing health crisis. The program honored seven first responders who died since June 2019 and three who officials said were identified as having died in the line of duty during the 1930s and 1940s.
The target-odor is the smell the dog is trained to sniff out and alert the handler to when they find it, said Michelle Sullivan, the trial chair with the Snake River Canyon Kennel Club. AKC (American Kennel Club) uses two drops of an essential oil on a Q-tip. The oils they use are birch, clove, anise, or cypress.

Scent work is one of many dog sports hosted through the American Kennel Club, clinics the Snake River Canyon Kennel Club offers as well.

Its a great way to have fun with your dog while building a relationship through training, Sullivan said. Whats really exciting is that this sport, along with many other AKC performance sports, is not limited to the pedigreed, purebred AKC dog.

Non-pedigreed dogs and mixed breeds are welcome. Receiving an alternative registration number is all that is needed.

Sullivan also said the Snake River Canyon Kennel Club is excited to bring opportunities like the scent work clinic to the community since it can help promote responsible and fun dog ownership.

We encourage all dog owners to come and join us for meetings, workshops, and shows, Sullivan said. We have a farm dog certified test event on June 26th at the Jerome County Fairgrounds. If youre curious about scent work, we also have a trial at the Jerome County Fairgrounds on July 24th and 25th.

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Last fall, that new reality reshaped the Smalls life  and the lives of hundreds of other Oregon residents  in just a few hours. The Echo Mountain Fire burned nearly 300 homes and displaced about 1,000 people.

Like many of their neighbors, the Smalls were underinsured and did not have wildfire coverage for their white house with green trim. They bounced around for weeks  an emergency evacuation site, camping by a stream and staying with relatives in Washington state.

An insurance payout of $50,000 was not enough to buy a manufactured home big enough for their family. Eight months after the fire, the money goes to keep their kids in a single room at a local Comfort Inn, while the parents sleep in a borrowed trailer outside.

The family had two rooms paid for by the state, but when wildfire survivors were asked to move to a different motel, the Smalls decided to stay and pay their own way rather than uproot their family again. They said they didnt qualify for federal disaster assistance and that the pandemic cost Tye Small his job as a gas station attendant.
TWIN FALLS  A brush fire burned more than 40 acres Saturday evening in the Snake River Canyon near Pillar Falls.

The fire had burned more than 40 acres as of 6:30 p.m., city spokesperson Joshua Palmer said.

After using a helicopter to drop thousands of gallons of water on the fire, it was contained by 7:50 p.m. and residents who had evacuated were encouraged to return to their homes, Palmer said.

Ground crews are still working to put out any hot spots.

The Twin Falls Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, Rock Creek Fire Department and Jerome City Fire Department all helped fight the fire.

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There is still no word on how the fire started. Palmer said the fire began at the base of the canyon and moved its way upward. Weather conditions may have played a factor.

Earl Watters, one of the captains for Billings Flying Service, said the aircraft used to fight the fire was a CH-47D. This helicopter had a 2,700-gallon bucket.

Billings Flying Service is a private company that has a 90-day contract with the U.S. Forest Service out of McCall. There were three people on board the helicopter while it performed water drops, a captain, co-pilot and crew chief.
A crisis is a terrible thing to waste, the saying goes. So Democrats have been working to make state election law changes implemented to make voting safer during COVID-19 both permanent and broader. And theyre pushing federal legislation to impose their methods on unwilling states.

Theyre framing their play as voting rights  as if anyone who voted in 2016 had fewer rights.

Never mind that some states are pushing to get rid of COVID-inspired poll changes  including 24-hour voting and drive-thru voting in Texas  that are pricey and offer an open invitation to mischief.

The New York Times described the effort to end the 2020 changes in Texas as part of the national struggle over voting rights in the face of Republican efforts to clamp down on voting.

Speaking at a Tuesday event to commemorate the vicious Tulsa race massacre, President Joe Biden offered that the sacred right to vote is under assault with incredible intensity like Ive never seen. As if returning to the laws of 2008 and 2012  when President Barack Obama and his running mate won the White House  is an attack on democracy.
In McGeachins case, she secretly and deceitfully waited for Gov. Brad Little to be out of state, then sprung an ill-conceived order prohibiting masking in public buildings. She apparently consulted no one but her henchmen. Coordination with others? Nope. Testing the idea with a wide circle of other interested parties? Nope. Just issue a decree. Isnt that the definition of tyranny, which McGeachin frequently accuses Little of practicing? Fraudsters are often like, that, pushing their own way through life, then blaming others for their own mistakes, leaving the remains for someone else to clean up.

Little learned early in 2019 following the election, that McGeachin wasnt going to be of any help in improving the state, or its economy. She had other goals. Among her first hires was an anti-police verbal thug long connected with the Idaho Freedom Foundation as a security officer, her own private police agent.

She then doubled down with a photo of herself and two III Percent militia ruffians at her office door, a clear signal on who had her ear. When the COVID pandemic struck in 2020, she flitted about the state blaming Little for not doing enough and claiming he imposed mask mandates, which he never did. Wrong facts dont seem bother her; shes in it for the glory and the power.
It was surprising when Donald Trump declared he would make fixing the U.S. Postal Service one of the top personal priorities of his four-year White House adventure. It quickly became obvious, though, that he was using the word fix in the same way your veterinarian uses it when you bring in your dog.

Yes, Trump was saying, Lets fix this puppy, and he wasted an inordinate amount of his presidential power and prestige in a failed attempt to neuter an agency that literally delivers for the people. Think about it: For a 55 cent stamp, Americas extraordinary postal workers and letter carriers will take your piece of mail and deliver it by truck, car, airplane, boat, motorbike, mule  and, of course, by foot  to any address across town or across the country. The post office is a public system that works; it is both essential and effective. Indeed, the U.S. Postal Service ranks at the top of federal agencies in popularity, with 91% of the public approving its work. Thus, an uproar of protests (including by Republicans) spread across the country, killing Trumps attempt to gut the agency.
The list, only the second since Congress created the trust fund, focuses on the larger parks with the most maintenance needs, he said.

They are geared toward a pretty small number of larger parks that receive heavy visitation and have large deferred maintenance portfolios, MacDonald said.

In future years, the administration should spread more of the funding to smaller parks, MacDonald said.

The lists are subject to approval in a Congress controlled by the same party as the administration, and because of the wording of the Great American Outdoors Act are likely to remain mostly intact.

The lists show early returns for the Great American Outdoors Act, Garder said. Conservationists hailed the bipartisan law last year as a milestone for funding public lands projects.

The LWCF list demonstrates the value of this bill and the many, many projects  including more than 30 in our national parks  that can and should be funded to protect these special places in perpetuity, Garder said. There are countless more properties at threat.

Roads and bridges make up half of National Park Service maintenance backlog
Piedmont Arts' anniversary kicks off

The 60th anniversary of Piedmont Arts will get underway with an event Friday and another scheduled for later this month.

A semiformal jubilee gala at 6 p.m. Friday starts the festivities at the museum, where

attendees will spend the night surrounded by artwork in the museum's galleries and outside on the front patio.

There will be live music, including piano and violin in the galleries and the blues/rock of Slick Jr. and the Reactors on the patio.

There will be heavy hors d'oeuvres and an open bar with beer, wine and the event's signature cocktail, the White Diamond.

Semiformal attire is suggested, and tickets are $60 per person, available at the museum and PiedmontArts.org.

Then at noon on June 22 a luncheon at the museum will examine its history.

Speakers will include former Executive Director Toy Cobbe and Julie Ascough Work, granddaughter of Michael "Big Mike" and Purnell Schottland, whose heirs donated their former home to Piedmont Arts.
Events set to draw blood

The American Red Cross in Martinsville is in need of blood, and prizes will be offered at two events that have been scheduled to address this concern.

First an email from Doug Rubell of the Red Cross said that there have been fewer blood donors give as the nation begins to climb out of the pandemic and that this downturn comes at a time when the Red Cross continues to see strong hospital demand for blood products, causing concern for the sufficiency of the blood supply this month and throughout the summer.

Red Cross scheduled an emergency drive for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday at the Martinsville Elks Lodge, 300 Fairy St. Ext. T-shirts will be distributed to donors.

You can call or text Rubell at 540-352-9157 with any questions or concerns at any time and schedule an appointment at 800-733-2767 or RedCrossBlood.org.

Then on the following Monday, Flag Day, the Colonel George Waller Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution is sponsoring a blood donation event at the Martinsville-Henry County Heritage Center & Museum in the Historic Henry County Courthouse.
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, could easily be described as Earth's greatest light show. The theory of how the aurora is created has been speculated but never proven, until now.
I think they have very good plans for their lessons, Leach said about the college, adding that the professors do not ask for more than they give. She called them amazing and noted that they want students to succeed.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson receives his second jab of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine from James Black, at the Francis Crick Institute in London, Thursday, June 3, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the Group of Seven wealthy democracies' summit next week to urge world leaders to commit to vaccinating the global population by the end of 2022.

Johnson is expected to stress the importance of a global vaccination drive when he meets with fellow world leaders on Friday in Cornwall, on England's southwestern coast, for the first face-to-face G-7 summit since the pandemic hit.

"The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the postwar era: defeating COVID and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values," he said in a statement Sunday. "Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history."

U.S. President Joe Boden and the leaders of Canada, France, Italy and Japan will arrive in Cornwall from Friday for three days of talks focusing on the global recovery from the pandemic.

Britain's government pledged in February to give most of the country's surplus vaccine supply to COVAX, the U.N.-backed program aiming to supply poorer countries with jabs.

But the U.K. hasn't yet put a figure on how many doses it will donate. The country, with a population of about 70 million people, has ordered around 400 million doses of vaccines. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that the U.K. doesn't have any excess doses at the moment and that "we're just getting them into arms as quickly as possible."

The Sunday Times reported that Johnson is set to announce at the summit that the U.K. will pledge to donate over 2 billion pounds' worth of jabs this year, with further donations in 2022.

The U.S. has said it plans to share 80 million doses of its surplus vaccine globally by the end of June, most of them through COVAX.

Explore further Vaccine firms pledge 3.5 bn COVID doses for poorer nations

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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 HB 102 was signed into law by Gov. Greg 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 five 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.
Seventy-ve years ago, in a small town in eastern Germany, an area named Burgenland for its old castles and fortications dating back many hundreds of years, a young family of three arrived starving, homeless, exhausted after riding on a train of refugees for days through war-torn Germany.

It was nearly the end of a catastrophic war brought on by the madness of Nazism. This family was trying to evade the Russian troops, who were approaching from the eastern front, marching into what is today the eastern Czech Republic. Leaving their home in the middle of the night with a 1-year-old baby was the only desperate answer to a nearly hopeless situation.

Droyssig was the home of a castle dating to the 14th century. It was surrounded by a park and part of a small town. The old prince and his wife were the in-laws of a fellow ocer and friend of the father of this refugee family. A room with a lovely baby bed was provided to the family, and so they awaited the uncertainty of the conclusion of World War II.

The father, who had been an ocer in German Luftwae, returned to his troupe and surrendered to the American Army. Before his goodbyes to wife and child, he left a bag of potatoes with them, as food was scarce. They might never see each other again.
American history is riddled with gaps and competing versions of events. Despite ongoing improvements, the history lessons taught in most U.S. schools are woefully incomplete, and all are subject to revision as new information comes to light. Such is the case, for example, with the Tulsa race massacre, a violent attack by a white mob on an affluent Black neighborhood in Oklahoma that took place 100 years ago. Official accounts at the time reported 13 deaths of white people, and 26 Black fatalities. In 2001, a special commission took a closer look at the records and estimated the total number of deaths at between 75 and 300.

In another example, thanks to new technology, the remains of 215 children were discovered this month at a former boarding school in British Columbia where Indigenous children as young as 3 were kept after being taken from their families. Similar boarding schools were once a fixture in the United States and in Montana as well.

A solid public school education should ensure these important, although painful, stories are not swept from the nations memory by those who prefer a more sanitized view of history. Montanans must not allow high-profile politicians to silence these stories in the name of some misguided mission to protect students from uncomfortable truths.
To Florence School Superintendent Brian Rayburn:

I support the Gay-Straight Alliance for students at Florence School. For their safety, you must reject requiring permission slips for students to join and attend.

Regardless of the appearance of dominance by noisy extremists, that regressive minority of violence-threatening bigots in Ravalli County is not representative of our community. And, there are children who live in abusive households where they are not safe to learn, whether we are talking about math, science or their essential natures, in loving freedom, with acceptance and support. Our community insists these kids be protected.

Regarding the planned June 8 public school board meeting, I hope my neighbors retain their humanity, compassion and common sense through this process of weeding out hatred and bigotry that would otherwise harm our children.

My familys kids are graduates of the Florence School system. There has been a contingent of homophobic fools who have been planning mayhem, literally for decades. We know they are armed.

Do not allow legitimate social progress in our community to be the excuse that these miscreants interpret as permission to enact violence. It is your job to ensure safety for all; I support your efforts to do your job.
It took several years for Copper King William A. Clarks mansion to be built on the corner of 77th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City and an insane amount of money, too.

According to the Historic Homes of America, the mansion was beyond ostentatious. Clark spent much of his adult life trying to get membership into the inner sanctum of Americas aristocracy and this was his ticket in.

Completed in 1910, The Anaconda Standard may have called it the Fifth Avenue Princely Palace, but unfortunately, it didnt take long for others to dub it Clarks Folly. That had to be a blow to Clarks ego. The copper king was said to have designed much of the mansions interior and exterior.

When the mansion, with its more than 120 rooms, was complete, it came at a cost of $7 million. That is the equivalent of nearly $197 million in todays market.

It is said to be the costliest residence ever built in America, wrote an Associated Press reporter nearly 111 years ago.

Inside the mansion, it was over-the-top as well, even down to the 24-person dinner set, made of gold and silver. The 900-piece set included platters, tureens, bowls, dishes, goblets, pitchers, bowls, spoons, forks and knives.

In December 1910, the New York World reported that these dishes alone cost $120,000. Today, a person would expect to spend about $3.4 million for the same set.

Clark reportedly told the New York World  I have seen all the gold and silver plate now in existence. Mine is the most magnificent. It is the most beautifully designed. The like of it probably will not be made in the world. It is the acme of the art of the silversmith.

The copper king didnt have much time to gloat.

Almost from the get go, Clark had a battle on his hands. Tax officials had deemed the mansion unique which meant his property taxes were about to shoot through the roof. As theses assessors explained  The mansion is the only one of its kind in the world and no other building can be cited as an example to guide the assessment.

Clark barked back  It is not in a class by itself as far as assessment is concerned. It may be unique, but its uniqueness should not be made the basis for taxation.

The tax assessors of the time brought in witnesses to back up their claims. One of which was Austin Sargent of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., who testified that he and his crew worked five years to attach the glass in the mansions bathrooms. The Turkish baths included Carrara glass, which cost $14,750.

Want to learn more about Clarks Folly. Listed below are even more interesting facts and figures:

The key ingredients needed to complete the mansion were stone, steel, marble and bronze.

The pipe organ that was installed had a $300,000 price tag. Present day, expect to pay about $8.5 million.

Some of the interior marble was imported from Italy and the oak, from England.

By February 1910, Clark had moved into his not-quite completed home. His wife, Anna, however, chose to wait until it was fully furnished. In the interim, she opted to stay in Paris.

Whats a mansion without a swimming pool, which Clark also had installed.

The Associated Press reported on Dec. 19, 1910, that Clark would pay $60,000 in property taxes each year. Today, those taxes would be about $1.7 million.

The paintings that graced the walls of the mansion were, at the time, valued at $2 million. In 2021, they would have gone up in value to more than $56 million.

The rugs alone cost $500,000. At present, you would expect to pay more than $14 million.

The monthly budget for toilet paper had to be a bit pricey as the mansion included 31 bathrooms.

Of the mansions three art galleries, one was devoted to sculptures.

Clark had a love for tapestries and prominently displayed them in his mansion. Some of these tapestries were once the property of Francisco de Asis, husband to Queen Isabella II of Spain.

For the next 15 years, Clark and his family took up residence at the mansion. Once spring hit, Clark and family headed west for a bit.

He died on March 2, 1925. Twenty-three months after his death it was announced that the mansion had been sold and would be torn down. It would be replaced by a luxury apartment complex.

A New York newspaper reporter wrote: After nearly two years as a white elephant, on the real estate market, the huge Fifth Avenue mansion  was sold today. The buyer was real estate developer Anthony Campagna, who, during his career, became famous for reducing to rubble several historic New York buildings.

So, perhaps it was folly for Clark to build such a palatial estate. All that time, money and effort was not well spent because 17 years later, what took years and years to complete, took no time to reduce to a heaping pile of steel, stone and marble.

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Although there were several men on this level, and all took measures to extinguish the flame, the extremely flammable nature of the cable insulation and the dryness of the shaft timbers caused the flame to spread so rapidly that within five minutes of the initial ignition the hot gases had converted the chippy compartment of the shaft with a velocity of downcast air over 700 feet per minute into an upcast, and rapidly filled the 2,400-foot station with smoke to such an extent that all men were driven from the station in less than 15 minutes after the fire started.

As for the Speculator Mine, Harrington believed the mines hot and humid air helped to escalate the out-of-control conditions.

He explained that as the hot and the practically saturated air from the lower parts of the mine neared the surface it cooled and condensed and much water dropped back in the shaft  and always prevented the entrance of much air from the lower levels into the shaft.

Harrington also explained that the open drifts between shafts on the 700, 600, and 2,400 quickly filled the Speculator with poisonous fumes.

By June 10, it was estimated that about half of the victims, along with seven horses, had been brought to the surface. Many more men would be added to the list of dead, only a few would be found alive.
1. Grave doubts exist about whether there will be enough money. The state asserts that there will be enough but the cleanup as a waste-in-place solution must last decades into the future based on costs calculated last century. Lets do the math. $29 million remains in the cash out fund. The yearly cost of operating the water treatment plant, only one part of the remedy, ranges on the low end to $400,000 per year and the high end to $1 million. The necessary life of the water plant, at a minimum, is 46 years. So, splitting the difference, let us say the yearly cost is $700,000 over 46 years that would then be: $32.2 million. (If the cost is $1 million a year, we are looking at $46 million, which would make the deficit much higher.) Add to that the cost of the cap construction is around $2 million, the switch to a cap instead of bioremediation is around $1.5 million and added to that will be the cost of removing contamination from under the Interstate highway, which could be $7 million. So far, we have reached $43 million. Subtracting that from the $29 million remaining, we have a deficit of about $14 million. If the water treatment plant tab is $1 million a year, the deficit would be $28 million. That deficit does not include the cost of operation and maintenance of the site. Also, the water treatment plant will likely have to go longer than 46 years. Remember too, things always seem to cost the government more than planned. Who will pay for the cost overrun? Will the cleanup be compromised? We have a significant potential shortfall.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Sunday called for more public-private cooperation on cyber defenses and said U.S. adversaries already are capable of using cyber intrusions to shut down the U.S. power grid.

I think that there are very malign actors who are trying, she said. She added: "Even as we speak, there are thousands of attacks on all aspects of the energy sector and the private sector generally.

Granholm noted, without mentioning the company by name, that Colonial Pipeline Co. was hit in May with a crippling cyberattack by a ransomware group. Colonial temporarily shut down its gasoline distribution networks in the South before paying $4.4 million to the hackers. She urged energy companies to resist paying ransom.

The bottom line is, people, whether youre private sector, public sector, whatever, you shouldnt be paying ransomware attacks, because it only encourages the bad guys, she said.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A 131-year-old statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee took center stage Tuesday as the Supreme Court of Virginia heard arguments on whether the state has the right to take down the once-celebrated monument that is now widely seen as a symbol of white supremacy and Black oppression.
The BoatWatch.org report, based on information from Taylors family and friends, said that Ward reported that he last saw Taylor at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when she took the overnight watch. He discovered her missing at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday when he woke up to relieve her.
Restaurant workers are seen inside one of the city's most popular restaurants amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in El Paso, Texas on Nov. 15, 2020.
President Joe Biden gestures toward Sen. Shelley Capito, R-WV, during an infrastructure meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., May 13, 2021.
AR-15 style rifles are displayed for sale at Firearms Unknown, a gun store in Oceanside, California on April 12, 2021.
BCs Tales of the Pacific | The shape of things to come
South Africans should brace themselves for more severe load-shedding later this month.

This is according to Sunday newspaper Rapport, which said that Eskom plans to take six generating units at its ageing coal power plants offline for planned maintenance.

According to feedback from energy expert Chris Yelland, these outages coupled with unexpected breakdowns could result in supply capacity shortages that will require stage 4 or stage 5 load-shedding to be implemented.

During stage 4 load-shedding, up to 4,000MW is shed from the national grid.

This means that South Africans can expect double the frequency of stage 2 load-shedding, with two hours of load-shedding 12 times over a four day period.

Stage 5 load-shedding will see 5,000MW being shed, which means households will effectively suffer around 7.5 hours of load-shedding per day.

Economist Mike Schussler warned that this increase could curtail the small gains made by South Africas economy as it has been recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full week of stage 2 load-shedding

According to data from popular load-shedding app EskomSePush, the last time Eskom implemented stage 4 load-shedding was in September 2020.

The utility has in recent days suffered numerous unexpected breakdowns at several power plants, while electricity demand in the country has simultaneously risen due to colder weather.

Its emergency generation reserves had also been drained due to extensive utilisation to keep load-shedding at bay for several days.

As a result, stage 2 load-shedding was implemented every day over the past week.

Eskoms evening peak feedback statistics during this week showed that total peak demand repeatedly exceeded generation capacity.

On Saturday evening, for example, available generation stood at 31,459MW, while total demand had reached 31,907MW.

Koeberg delay

Eskom also suspended the general manager of Koeberg power station this week, due to a delay in the return to service of a generating unit at the nuclear facility.

Koeberg Unit 1 has been down since January, which means that 900MW of generating capacity has been unavailable for five months.

Eskom now plans to bring the unit back online in the third week of June.

Yelland said this was an unusual occurence, as refuelling and maintenance of these units typically took about three months.

He added that this was bad news for the long-delayed planned major shutdowns of both Koeberg Unit 1 and Unit 2, which had to be undertaken for replacement of their steam generators to extend the plants operating lifetime.

Now read: Minister denies corruption in R218 billion power deal
The South African government wants to pay Russia over R654 million for 5 million doses of the Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine after it refused an offer of 15 million free shots earlier this year.

This is according to a report from Sunday newspaper Rapport, which has obtained emails confirming that representatives of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the institute which developed the vaccine met with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) earlier this year.

The meeting, which took place on 28 January, discussed the emergency registration of 15 million Sputnik V doses for delivery between March and May.

However, SAHPRAs tone was described as negative by an RDIF representative, who claimed it was clear that officials had been given instruction to purposefully derail the proposal.

Russia has claimed that Sputnik V is 90% effective in preventing death from COVID-19.

SAHPRA was hesitant to give its approval for the vaccine owing to concerns over its efficacy against the 501Y.V2 variant, which was the dominant variant in South Africa at the time.

In addition, flags have been raised over the vaccines possible effects on persons with HIV/Aids, as it uses adenovirus type 5, which previous research on an HIV/Aids vaccine showed made people more susceptible to HIV.

Despite the offer of free vaccines and SAHPRAs concerns, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize previously told Parliaments portfolio committee on health that the department wanted to buy 5 million doses of Sputnik V.

He said this was being done as it was expected that SAHPRA would approve the vaccines.

The African Union paid $9.75 (R132) per Sputnik V dose, which means 5 million of these could cost around R654 million at current exchange rates.

Vaccine rollout progress

South Africa previously sold 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the African Union after research showed that it only provided limited protection against the so-called South African variant (501Y.V2) of the virus.

The World Health Organisation has since officially designated 501Y.V2 as the Beta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

South Africas vaccine roll-out faced further delays when it halted the distribution of Johnson & Johnson vaccines following concerns over reports of blood clotting incidents overseas.

Following an investigation into the reports of blood clotting elsewhere in the world, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was once again cleared for use in South Africa.

While South Africa has secured enough doses from Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer & BioNTech to vaccinate 45 million adults, these vaccines did not arrive early enough to prevent the start of a third wave of infections.

The snails pace of the vaccine roll-out has been blamed on governments slow response in engaging vaccine developers to secure batches as early as possible, which has to led to delayed deliveries.

As of Friday, Media Hacks vaccination calculator showed that at the current rate of vaccination it would take South Africa more than nine years to vaccinate 67% of the population.

By Friday, 1,266,893 vaccinations had been administered in South Africa since the rollout started on 17 February 2021, making for an average of just 11,840 per day.

Fortunately, the latest information from the Health Department indicated a big increase in average vaccinations per day.

It showed that a total of 1,336,547 vaccines had been administered as of Saturday 5 June, a daily increase of 69,600 vaccinations.

However, Media Hacks calculator showed South Africa would have to vaccinate around 100,000 people per day to reach herd immunity one year after starting the rollout.
The fence at Kilometre Zero

'Soon after the Uruguay Round Agreement [of the WTO] was settled, Korean fellow farmers and myself realized that our destinies were out of our hands. We were utterly powerless. We could do nothing but look at the waves that destroyed our lovely rural communities, settlements hundreds of years old. To make myself brave, I have tried to search out the real reasons for and the major forces of those waves. Reaching my conclusion' at the front gate of the WTO, I am crying out my words to you that have been boiling for so long inside my body.'

These are the words of Lee Kyung-Hae, of the Korean Farmers' League, in March 2003, on hunger strike at the gates of the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland as the Committee on Agriculture was drawing up its agenda this spring.

Yesterday in Cancun after hanging a sign that read 'WTO kills farmers' on the security fence keeping ten thousand protesters from reaching the Convention Centre. Climbing up to the top of it and facing the direction of the WTO he cried out, drew out a Swiss Army Knife and stabbing himself in the heart, fell backwards into the arms of the crowd.

Mr. Lee, who was 56 years old with a wife and two children, had spent a lifetime campaigning for farmer's rights. He suffered increasingly as the situation of farmers  10 per cent of the South Korean population  had worsened. 'What would your emotional reaction be if your salary was suddenly cut in half, without you knowing the reason?' Lee had written during his March vigil. As elsewhere in the world, overproduction and cheap imports after Korean agriculture was liberalized resulted in massive price drops.

He described abandoned, decaying villages of rural Korea: 'Some farmers just gave up farming and migrated to the urban slums. Others' became bankrupted through debt. Some fortunate people continued  but not for much longer, I suspect. As for me, I could do nothing but look around their vacant and crumbling houses. I would check them, sometimes, hoping that they had come back. Once I ran to a house where a farmer had abandoned his life by drinking toxic chemicals because of his uncontrollable debts. I could do nothing but listen to the screams of his wife. If you were me, how would you feel?'

Later, the Korean group described the wave of suicides that had gone through the farming community, and that Lee had said before he died that he did it because the WTO was killing farmers around the world. None had anticipated that Lee would take his own life, and the group were shocked and grieving.

He was rushed to the General Hospital where he died three hours later from puncture wounds to the heart and lungs.

Dusk fell over the vigil held by the Korean activist delegation outside the Hospital. Silently, indigenous peasant women from Chiapas wearing their bright red, pink, blue and orange dresses joined them, carrying candles with quiet dignity.

***

No-one had expected the day to end this way.

It had begun with the Farmer and Indigenous Forum's Declaration at the Via Campesina encampment. This global alliance of small and family farmers, peasants, landless and indigenous people, women and rural labourers, has a combined membership of over 100 million - the vast majority from poor countries. In a stadium filled with campesinos wearing their trademark green t-shirts and caps they called for food sovereignty, a ban on genetically modified foods, and for food and agricultural issues be removed from the remit of the WTO. From their point of view, food is a human right, not a commodity, and its production is fundamental to all human existence. This does not mean that they are 'anti-trade' but that a country needs to support its own food needs and production first.

The gathering swelled until it numbered almost 10,000. Peasant women wearing white dresses decorated with bright floral patterns had brought the village to the city: dried fish were strung on lines between trees; cobs of smoked maize were piled in sacks. Tiny children wore green headscarves.

A gang of kids wore dolphins made out of foam as hats in protest at the WTO ruling in favour of a Mexican trade complaint against rules on dolphin-friendly tuna fishing. The dolphins and the fishworkers unions uniting on the march was Cancun's answer to Seattle's teamsters and turtles, when unionists and environmentalists came together on the streets.

An indigenous movement from the state of Oaxaca, CIPO-RFM, arrived with intricate, intensely coloured murals of their farms painted on sheets. Mexican indigenous call themselves  people of maize&  and were the originators of corn as a crop. CIPO-RFM explained:  our ancient varieties are being destroyed by GM corn coming in from the US, cheaper than we can produce.  Last year university researchers discovered that between 20 and 60 per cent of traditional maize varieties of crops in CIPO-RFM's community are contaminated with modified genes from imported US corn, and for which Monsanto owns the patent.

As one Mexican farmer said, 'the protest would have been ten times bigger if our farmers could have afforded to come to Cancun'. Those who could not lend their presence lent their support from afar. Recorded messages from the Zapatistas Comandancia rang around the encampment. Comandante David of the EZLN said, 'the land is ours, it belongs to the peasants and the indigenous peoples, and we should take it back and make it produce for all, not just for a handful of the wealthy who wouldn't even recognize the colour of the soil if you placed it before them.'

Zapatista spokesperson Subcomandante Marcos said: 'This is not the first time nor the last that those who think they own the planet have to hide behind their high walls and pathetic security forces to make their plans. Just as in any war, the high command of this army of the transnationals, which seeks to conquer the world in the only way that it can be conquered - by destroying it - meets under a security system which is matched in size only by their fear.'

***

Joined by Seattle's marching band the Infernal Noise Brigade, students from Mexico City, assorted anarchists and activists banging oil drums lodged in stolen Wal-Mart carts, the march headed towards that high wall protecting the luxury hotel zone. One group carried a puppet of Mayan God Kaluka, a feathered dragon invoked against the WTO's intellectual property rights regime. Another wheeled Chac, a stunning 12 foot high Mayan God, his arms raised towards the heavens, invoked against the privatization of water.

Most spectacular of all were the 200 members of KOPA, a coalition of 40 South Korean social movements who walked, banged traditional drums, and sang together. Their procession was a mock Korean-style funeral march for the WTO, replete with multicoloured coffin carried on the shoulders of six and followed by people dressed as priests.

We arrived at the heavily policed security fence blocking access to the causeway leading towards the Convention Centre. Some tied banners to it, and others scaled it. With the Koreans in the lead, the crowd began to push sections of the fence over. Then Koreans set fire to the coffin and threw it at the barrier. This was the moment when Lee fell from the fence  at the time the nature of his injury was not clear to the crowd, and he was quickly taken away in an ambulance.

Then as the Infernal Noise Brigade's drums beat a driving rhythm, the crowd lifted up the fence bodily and toppled it. The heat was intense and people began to suffer from heatstroke. From out of nowhere, a dark grey cloud opened up right over our heads and showered the protesters with cooling rain. John Ross, veteran chronicler of the Zapatista rebellion emerged out of the crowd, grinned with broken teeth and shamanic stare, yelled 'It's Chac  the God of Rain!'  and dissolved once more into the crowd.

A group of boys at the front, reluctant to push through the line of riot police, began to throw stones and sticks instead. The campesinos drew back, some of them hit by stones later blamed on provocateurs that had apparently been thrown from too far back to have been intended for police. The crowd, now fatally divided in tactics, began to lose momentum. Several hours passed in this manner. And then the news spread from person to person, that the Korean man was dying.

***

And this was how the protest ended. The Koreans sat facing a line of riot police who had filled the space where the fence had been torn down, singing a song from the Guangzhou massacre of 1980 which recalled the faces of the dead looking back at those still struggling. Giant letters spelling out 'NO WTO' in golden corn lay at the police's feet. Above them the gaudy banner welcoming trade delegates to Cancun had been half pulled down, revealing a sophisticated culture jam: behind it on the billboard was a picture of the real Cancun  impoverished litter pickers combing the beach.

The intersection where Lee died is known as Kilometre Zero. Today the Koreans returned to camp there until the WTO stops the meeting out of respect, and called for the Korean delegation to pull out of the meeting immediately.

Via Campesina announced: 'We do not want any more deaths. We do not want people to die of hunger. We do not want our land to die' At great cost we understand this sacrifice of life, this immolation committed by our friend Lee Kyung Hae has left us speechless and heartbroken. We do not want this death to be in vain; we want a solution to the despair in which a large number of farmers are living because of these international treaties.'

Though both the official Korean trade delegation and WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi expressed sadness at Lee's death, there is no sign that the demands will be met. KOPA remain steadfast: 'He didn't kill himself. The WTO killed him', they said.

KOPA's website: http://antiwto.jinbo.net

Indymedia Cancun: http://cancun.mediosindependientes.org

Notes from Nowhere editorial collective's new book about social movements We Are Everywhere: the irresistible rise of global anticapitalism is out now, published by Verso.

www.WeAreEverywhere.org
"The burden on the core Second Amendment right, if any, is minimal, the state argued, because the weapons can still be used  just not with the modifications that turn them into assault weapons. Modifications like a shorter barrel or collapsible stock make them more concealable, state officials said, while things like a pistol grip or thumbhole grip make them more lethal by improving their accuracy as they are fired rapidly.

The lawsuit filed by the San Diego County Gun Owners Political Action Committee, California Gun Rights Foundation, Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition is among several by gun advocacy groups challenging Californias firearms laws, which are among the strictest in the nation.

It was filed on behalf of gun owners who want to use high-capacity magazines in their legal rifles or pistols, but said they cant because doing so would turn them into illegal assault weapons under California law. Unlike military weapons, the semi-automatic rifles fire one bullet each time the trigger is pulled, and the plaintiffs say they are legal in 41 states.
The question of whether its unconstitutional to require men but not women to register could be viewed as one with little practical impact. The last time there was a draft was during the Vietnam War, and the military has been all-volunteer since. But the registration requirement is one of the few remaining places where federal law treats men and women differently, and womens groups are among those arguing that allowing it to stand is harmful.
CLEVELAND (AP)  One of the stars of the popular Nickelodeon children's show Drake & Josh faces criminal charges regarding a girl he had met online and who attended his 2017 concert in Ohio when she was 15.

Jared Drake Bell, 34, pleaded not guilty on Thursday in a Cleveland courtroom to a felony charge of attempted endangering children and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

All facts will be revealed in a courtroom," Bells attorney Ian Friedman said Friday, declining to comment further.

Bell was charged by information, which typically indicates a plea agreement has been reached. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on June 23.

Tyler Sinclair, spokesperson for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley, said the girl filed a complaint with Canadian police in October 2018. Police there contacted Cleveland police, prompting an investigation.

The attempted endangering children charge relates to the concert, Sinclair said, where Bell violated his duty of care and created a risk of harm to the victim. He didn't elaborate further.
This time weve got Caitlyn Jenner and a bear that John Cox is schlepping around the state.

A mosaic of potential candidates that might run if the effort to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom succeeds. They are clockwise from top left; former San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer; businessman John Cox; former Rep. Doug Ose; retired adult movie actress Mary Carey; billboard model Angelyne; and Caitlyn Jenner.

All that could change, which is why Newsom would probably schedule a snap election for tomorrow if it were in his power. Its not. There are target dates and election guidelines written into state law.

But its not as if those rules were carved in stone tablets handed down from Mount Whitney. There is a certain amount of flexibility built into the process and you can be certain Newsoms fellow Democrats will look out for the governors interests and do all they can to help him stay in office.

The clock began ticking on the recall election on April 26, when the secretary of state announced that proponents had gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. There is a mandatory 30-day period allowing for those who signed petitions to withdraw their support, though no serious effort is underway to change minds.
Fire breaks out in village of Armenia's Ararat Province

Court rules to allow "Armenia" bloc's rally to end at 9 p.m.

Armenia 3rd President holds meetings in Gegharkunik Province

Armenia Elections Oversight Committee member addresses letter to OSCE/ODIHR regarding Pashinyan's statements

Armenia acting PM receives steel hammer as a gift, refers to it as a 'steel mandate'

Armenia 2nd President recommends setting up Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora

Armenia 2nd President: It is necessary to either ban offices of Soros or set tight restrictions

Armenian Public Television and "I Have the Honor" bloc apply to Ombudsman regarding video broadcasting

Armenia acting PM: Today there are army generals who have served for over 20 years, but have no apartments

Australia, UK and US agree on cooperation

Armenia Ombudsman's representatives hold personal talks with 15 Armenian POWs

"I Have the Honor" bloc says Armenian authorities might allocate nearly $1.5 mln for electoral bribes

"I Have the Honor" bloc: Mass media report that conspiratorial junta is delaying return of Armenian POWs

Putin on upcoming meeting with Biden, says it is necessary to establish direct dialogue

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office welcomes return of 15 Armenian POWs

Georgia MFA: Tbilisi worked for return of Armenian soldiers for 2-3 months

Armenia ex-official: Sectors of country's roads will be transferred to Azerbaijan, according to current authorities

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff ex-chief: War won't break out, Azerbaijani army is currently weakened

Iran's interior minister: Country's presidential election will be held in full security atmosphere

Armenia acting PM to citizens: Opposition was mourning and weeping after return of 15 Armenian POWs

Armenia confirms 39 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths

Armenia 3rd President: I declare that there was no talk about enclaves during my administration

Armenia MOD: 2 residents of Syunik Province disoriented, find themselves in Azerbaijani territory

Russian MFA Spokesperson on return of 15 Armenian POWs

Armenia Central Electoral Commission grants motion to deprive MP candidate of liberty

Members of "Armenia" bloc light candles at Haghpat Monastery after campaigning

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
The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia received a call Saturday informing that the Azerbaijani armed forces had opened fire on a shepherd of the village of Kut in Gegharkunik Province when he was grazing small and large cattle in the village pasture. Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan wrote about this on his Facebook.

He added that the Azerbaijani military opened fire from the moment the animals approached the rivulet in the pasture and drank water; this is a permanent place for them to drink water. Moreover, the shepherd as well as the animals were in the sovereign territory of Armenia, whereas the Azerbaijani armed forces were in the part that they invaded the territory of Armenia.

The shooting lasted about 30 minutes in the direction of this shepherd living in Kut. The shepherd managed to escape on horseback, but his horse's leg was injured by the shooting.

As a result, the Azerbaijani military stole more than 80 cattle, and they shot and killed four others.

The fact that the Azerbaijani armed forces fired at the shepherd of Kut village on Saturday was also confirmed by the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia.

The firing stopped after the return fire of the Armenian armed forces. The MOD has noted this, too.

The Human Rights Defender records that these actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces are clearly criminal.

These actions, which grossly violate the rights of the border residents of Armenia, are connected with the policy of Armenophobia and enmity backed by the Azerbaijani authorities.
The United States is interested in establishing stable and predictable relations with Russia in domains where the two countries can work together. This is stated in an opinion article by US President Joe Biden, published Saturday in The Washington Post.

In my phone calls with [Russian] President Putin, I have been clear and direct. The United States does not seek conflict. We want a stable and predictable relationship where we can work with Russia on issues like strategic stability and arms control. Thats why I acted immediately to extend the New START treaty for five years and bolster the security of the American people and the world, Biden stated.

At the same time, I have also imposed meaningful consequences for behaviors that violate U.S. sovereignty, including interference in our democratic elections. And President Putin knows that I will not hesitate to respond to future harmful activities. When we meet, I will again underscore the commitment of the United States, Europe and like-minded democracies to stand up for human rights and dignity, he added.

We are standing united to address Russias challenges to European security, starting with its aggression in Ukraine, and there will be no doubt about the resolve of the United States to defend our democratic values, which we cannot separate from our interests, the US president stressed.

The Putin-Biden meeting will take place on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland.
At a Republican Party rally in the US state of North Carolina on Saturday former US President Donald Trump called on world leaders to demand China pay "reparations" to "compensate" for the damage caused by Covid, the Sunday Express reported.

In a brutal attack on China's Xi Jinping, Trump demanded a massive ten trillion dollar pay packet to cover the economic chaos covid has caused.

The former President said: The time has come for America and the world to demand reparations and accountability from the Communist Party of China.

We should all declare within one unified voice that China must pay, they must pay!"

He added: In addition, all nations should work together to present China a bill for a minimum of ten trillion dollars to compensate for the damage theyve caused.

And that is a very low number, the damage is far, far greater than that."

The ex-President stressed: As a first step all countries should collectively cancel all debt they owe to China as a down payment on reparations.
Trumps speech to hundreds of Republican officials and activists gathered for the North Carolina GOP convention was the opening appearance in what is expected to be a new phase of rallies and public events. Out of office for more than four months and banned from his preferred social media accounts, the former president hopes to use such events to elevate his diminished voice ahead of another potential presidential run.
The patriarchal visit of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) is over, according to the Information Services of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The Catholicos on Sunday presided over a Divine Liturgy at the Artsakh diocesan seat mother cathedral in the capital Stepanakert.

The Divine Liturgy was attended by Artsakh statesmenled by President Arayik Harutyunyan, ex-Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, clergymen, servicemen, and many faithful Artsakh people.

Subsequently, Karekin II brought his blessing and message to those present.

The Catholicos reflected on the difficulties that befell Artsakh due to the recent war, and the need for revival.

The Armenian Patriarch asked for the Lord's support and assistance to the people and statesmen of Artsakh in overcoming the consequences of this war and in re-establishing the normal course of life in Artsakh.

Also, the Catholicos thanked the Russian authorities and Russian President Vladimir Putin, for their efforts to bring about peace, preventing more casualties and more destruction of Armenian settlements in the large-scale war unleashed by Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, Karekin II expressed his brotherly love and gratitude to Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, for the establishment of peace. On this occasion, the Catholicos of All Armenians touchedwith gratitudeupon the mission of Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh to ensure security and stability of the situation.
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is the ruling Civil Contract Partys candidate for the post of Prime Minister, has addressed Armenian citizens. His message reads as follows, in particular:

"I want you not to give up, I want you not to doubt. They are trying to convince you that you were wrong thinking that you can be a decision-maker in your homeland, in your state. They are trying to convince you that time has shown the opposite, that you must either be a subject in your homeland or lose your homeland.

But I address you with the conviction that the truth is just the opposite. For many years we endured many things for the sake of the homeland, and as a result it turned out that we are tolerating the destruction of the homeland.

And now you are facing a choice: To abide by the time? Or make the time abide by you? I want you to make the time abide by you because the time that did not abide by you yesterday is the key cause of our losses today. Our bitterness today has accumulated yesterday.

I am writing to you to say that there is a future [for Armenia]. There is a future, and we will create it today."
At around 1:30pm on Sunday, the Azerbaijani military tried to steal about 20 horses from the shepherd of the pasture of Verin Shorzha village of Gegharkunik Province. This was reported by the Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan.

As per the respective statement, this attempted theft by the Azerbaijani servicemen was prevented thanks to the shots fired by the servicemen of the Armenian armed forces.

According to the statement, Azerbaijani armed soldiers are committing blatant crimes against the border residents of Armenia.

As per the statement, in fact, they deliberately open fire on the civilian population of Armenia in order to deprive them of the opportunity to earn a living.

According to the statement, these criminal acts of the Azerbaijani armed forces should be considered as a joint intention, taking into account that they commit the same acts against the residents of the border villages of Syunik Province, as well as of other villages of Gegharkunik Province.

As per the statement, these actions by the Azerbaijani armed forces are connected with the policy of Armenophobia and enmity backed by the Azerbaijani authorities.

According to the statement, the protection of the rights of the population of Armenia from the criminal actions of the Azerbaijani armed forces requires the presence of a security zone.

As per the Armenian ombudsmans statement, today's incident also clearly shows who is actually undermining the safety of the people in the region and the prospects for restoring peace.
Scotland head into their first major international tournament for 23 years on the back of a win as Che Adams' goal saw off 10-man Luxembourg 1-0 on Sunday.

The Southampton striker swept home his second international goal since switching his allegiance to Scotland in March on 28 minutes from Lydon Dykes' layoff.

Steve Clarke's men should have ran out far more convincing winners after Luxembourg had Vahid Selimovic sent-off for hauling down Dykes 10 minutes before half-time in a bad-tempered contest.

Adams had a second goal harshly ruled out for a push, while Dykes and Scott McTominay missed glorious chances in the second-half.

Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour's second cap was ended early by a dangerous blow to the head from Vincent Thill.

And Clarke will be pleased just to have escaped without any more injuries as the hosts took out their frustrations in the closing stages.

Scotland host Czech Republic in front of 12,000 fans at Hampden Park on June 14 before facing England and Croatia in Group D of Euro 2020, which was postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

kca/iwd
PITTSBURGH (AP)  Sandy Alcantara cruised through eight innings, ending the Miami Marlins longest losing streak in six years at eight games with a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Jesus Aguilar hit a long solo home run and added a sacrifice fly for Miami.

Alcantara (3-5) gave up one run and six hits, striking out six. The right-hander allowed a leadoff double to Adam Frazier in the eighth, but retired the next three batters to finish his outing.

We are like a family here, Alcantara said. We support each other. I think we've been doing a great job. There's been a lot of people getting hurt. That can happen. You can do nothing about it. We just have to keep positive and keep working hard.

It was the second time in his past three starts that Alcantara went eight innings.

The Marlins last lost eight straight from May 15-22, 2015. They blew two eighth-inning leads in the first three games this series, a one-run lead in a 5-3 loss Thursday and a three-run lead before losing 8-7 in 12 innings Saturday.

Obviously, it felt good, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. This thing builds and builds. You don't really think about it early on, but as it starts to grow and you've lost a couple of tough games, it creeps in there. It creeps into your team. It's good to get one on the board.

Yimi Garcia pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save.

Pirates starter Chad Kuhl (0-3) allowed two earned runs and three hits in six innings.

Hot day, felt like I conserved pitches, Kuhl said. Felt like I kept my pitch count in a good spot. ... Felt great. Felt like I had 100 pitches in the tank.

Shortstop Erik Gonzalez fumbled a toss while covering second after Corey Dickerson grounded to Frazier at second base in the sixth, letting the Marlins take a 2-1 lead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored from second, though he had some trouble running home after getting hit on right foot with pitch to reach base.

(Frazier) got aggressive on it. I actually think he made the right play, Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. (Gonzalez), as we've seen, is elite. It's just a tough play.

Story continues

Aguilar followed with a sacrifice fly to tack on another run. He hit a 444-foot home run, his 12th, into the left field bleachers to tie it 1-all in the second.

We've been playing good, Aguilar said. A couple of adjustments today. That's what we have to do. Keep playing. This game is not easy, but I think we've got the right guys. We just have to keep going.

After giving up an RBI double to Colin Moran in the first inning, Alcantara didnt get into trouble again until the fifth, when Ben Gamel led off with a ground-rule double. Michael Perez grounded to first, Kuhl struck out with Gamel on third and Frazier grounded out to end the inning.

Moran was activated from the 10-day injured list Sunday after being out since May 8 with left groin discomfort.

I felt comfortable, Moran said. Obviously, first inning after being out a while, it's nice to get a little action over there. I thought it was like it always happens, it always finds a guy. That first at bat was kind of just getting a ground ball, getting into the game and get things going.

ROSTER MOVE

Pirates INF Cole Tucker was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. He was 2 for 15 with an RBI in eight games (three starts) with Pittsburgh this season.

TRAINERS ROOM

Marlins: Chisholm could have some swelling, but should be able to play against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, Mattingly said. ... INF/OF Garrett Cooper missed a second straight game with back stiffness.

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller was placed on the COVID-IL list.  LHP Austin Davis (left elbow sprain) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. He retired the side in order when relieving Kuhl in the seventh.

UP NEXT

Marlins: RHP Pablo Lopez (1-3, 2.82 ERA) will take the mound in Boston against the Red Sox on Monday, making up a game postponed May 30. Despite having just one win this season, Lopez has allowed fewer than three runs in 10 of 12 starts.

Pirates: RHP JT Brubaker (4-4, 3.74) is in line to start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, the first of a three-game set. Brubaker gave up four hits in six shutout innings his last time out against the Colorado Rockies on May 29.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
- By GF Value





The stock of Alkermes PLC (NAS:ALKS, 30-year Financials) is believed to be modestly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $23.08 per share and the market cap of $3.7 billion, Alkermes PLC stock appears to be modestly overvalued. GF Value for Alkermes PLC is shown in the chart below.





Alkermes PLC Stock Is Believed To Be Modestly Overvalued

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Since investing in companies with low financial strength could result in permanent capital loss, investors must carefully review a company's financial strength before deciding whether to buy shares. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage can give a good initial perspective on the company's financial strength. Alkermes PLC has a cash-to-debt ratio of 1.26, which ranks worse than 81% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks Alkermes PLC's financial strength as 4 out of 10, suggesting poor balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of Alkermes PLC over the past years:

Alkermes PLC Stock Is Believed To Be Modestly Overvalued

Companies that have been consistently profitable over the long term offer less risk for investors who may want to purchase shares. Higher profit margins usually dictate a better investment compared to a company with lower profit margins. Alkermes PLC has been profitable 1 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $1 billion and loss of $0.601 a share. Its operating margin is -8.76%, which ranks better than 71% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. Overall, the profitability of Alkermes PLC is ranked 3 out of 10, which indicates poor profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Alkermes PLC over the past years:

Story continues

Alkermes PLC Stock Is Believed To Be Modestly Overvalued

One of the most important factors in the valuation of a company is growth. Long-term stock performance is closely correlated with growth according to GuruFocus research. Companies that grow faster create more value for shareholders, especially if that growth is profitable. The average annual revenue growth of Alkermes PLC is 3.6%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Biotechnology industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 43.7%, which ranks better than 85% of the companies in Biotechnology industry.

Another way to look at the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital and the weighted cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. We want to have the return on invested capital higher than the weighted cost of capital. For the past 12 months, Alkermes PLC's return on invested capital is -10.03, and its cost of capital is 5.57. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Alkermes PLC is shown below:

Alkermes PLC Stock Is Believed To Be Modestly Overvalued

In closing, The stock of Alkermes PLC (NAS:ALKS, 30-year Financials) appears to be modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is poor. Its growth ranks better than 85% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. To learn more about Alkermes PLC stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


(AP)

The top official at an American Legion post in Ohio has stepped down after reportedly censoring a Memorial Day speech that recognised the history of Black people organising to commemorate the holiday.

The American Legion Department of Ohio has also suspended the chapters charter pending permanent closure.

Jim Garrison resigned from his position as Post Officer and officials have demanded that he resign his membership altogether, according to a statement from the organisation.

The American Legion Department of Ohio does not hold space for members, veterans, or families of veterans who believe that censoring Black history is acceptable behavior, the statement said.

The moves follow widely shared Memorial Day remarks from retired Army Lt Col Barnard Kemter to an audience of roughly 300 people at the Markillie Cemetery in Hudson, Ohio to commemorate the holiday and reflect on its history.

Mr Kemters microphone was abruptly cut off at one point as he discussed how Black Americans honoured Union soldiers who died as prisoners of war during the US Civil War with a proper burial, decorated their graves and held a parade with thousands of participants.

Mr Garrison and Cindy Suchan knew exactly when to turn the volume down and when to turn it back up, according to the American Legion.

Before the event, Ms Suchan reportedly told Mr Kenter to remove parts of the speech that discussed how formerly enslaved people were among the first to commemorate Memorial Day after the Civil War ended by giving deceased Union soldiers at a Confederate prisoner of war camp an honorable burial and by decorating their graves with flowers and organizing a parade to honor them, according to the organisation.

The move to censor Mr Kemters remarks constitutes a violation of the ideals and purposes of the American Legion, according to the statement.

The organisation added: We are deeply saddened by this and stand in unity and solidarity with the Black community and all peoples of race, color, religion, sex, and gender, so that those who are exclusive of such persons will know that this behavior is not acceptable in The American Legion, in our homes, our hearts, our communities, in private, public, or anywhere.

Story continues

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Over her long life the Queen has entertained almost every president during her lifetime, the only notable exception being Lyndon Johnson, who in fact never visited Europe during his time in office, his energies in foreign policy being almost entirely focused on Vietnam. Including President Truman, whom she met when she was heir to the throne, President Hoover, whom she encountered after hed retired, and now Joe Biden, shes done her bit for the special relationship with a total of 14 of these statesmen. The only other person alive today who might rival that claim is Henry Kissinger.
Mucormycosis affects the sinuses and may require the surgical removal of the eye

About 12,000 cases of a condition known as "black fungus" have been reported in India, mostly in patients recovering from Covid-19.

This severe infection is normally very rare and has a mortality rate of about 50%.

Some medical experts have suggested India has seen cases growing because of the high prevalence of diabetes.

But are other factors at work and what is happening in other countries?

Which countries have got black fungus?

Prior to the Covid pandemic, at least 38 countries around the world had reported cases of mucormycosis, more commonly known as black fungus.

India and Pakistan had the highest rates with around 140 cases per million annually, according to Leading International Fungal Education.

A special mucormycosis ward in a hospital in the Indian state of Gujarat

Dr David Denning at the University of Manchester, an expert on fungal infections, says reported cases of black fungus in India were "masses more than any other part of the world" well before the pandemic.

"Mucormycosis is strongly linked with poorly controlled diabetes and there's a lot of it [diabetes] in India."

In patients recovering from Covid-19, according to a recent research paper looking at cases globally, 94% of those who had the fungal infection also suffered from diabetes.

And the majority (71%) of the reported cases of black fungus were from India.

Is a link to diabetes seen in other countries?

Of the top countries with a high per-capita prevalence of diabetes, others (apart from India) have reported cases of mucormycosis.

Bar chart showing major countries diabetes per capita

India's neighbours, Pakistan and Bangladesh, both have a high prevalence of diabetes in their populations, and have had mucormycosis cases - but not in especially large numbers.

In Bangladesh, doctors have been treating one confirmed case of mucormycosis and are awaiting test results for another suspected case.

Doctors told the BBC that both patients also had diabetes.

Pakistan has also reported five cases of mucormycosis in recent weeks and four had died as of 12 May, according to media reports.

Story continues

Brazil has reported 29 cases so far, but it's not yet clear how many of these had Covid and/or were diabetic.

Russia has also reported "isolated" cases of mucormycosis in Covid patients recently - but it is unclear how many have been detected so far.

The US has a very high prevalence of diabetes - 9.3% of the population is estimated to have the condition.

It also has the highest number of Covid cases globally.

But mucormycosis is very rare - diabetes cases there are largely managed with only 3% going undiagnosed, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.

Why might diabetes be a risk factor?

Experts say it's not so much recorded cases of diabetes as the levels of undiagnosed diabetes that are the issue.

Table of %age of undiagnosed diabetes globally

The IDF estimates that about 57% of those with diabetes in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka are undiagnosed cases - and nearly all of these are found in India.

Pakistan is also estimated to have a high proportion of undiagnosed diabetes.

"There's a lot of uncontrolled diabetes in India because people don't do regular health check-ups," says Dr Hariprasath Prakash at the International School of Medicine in Kyrgyzstan.

He says a large majority of diabetes cases are "discovered through other health complications" and remain untreated.

Poorly controlled diabetes puts you at higher risk of certain infections, including some fungal ones.

The Africa region also has a high proportion of undiagnosed diabetes at nearly 60%, but estimates show the incidence of mucormycosis there is low - only 3%.

Dr Denning points out that "it could be because [mucormycosis] cases might be going undiagnosed... it is not the easiest thing to diagnose."

Studies have suggested that cases of black fungus go undiagnosed because of the difficulty in tissue sample collection and the lack of sensitivity of the diagnostic tests.

What else might cause black fungus?

Experts also suggest that the indiscriminate use of steroids for some Covid treatments could be linked to mucormycosis or other fungal infections.

Two widely prescribed steroids - dexamethasone and methylprednisolone - are used for Covid patients in India to reduce the inflammation caused by the body's immune response.

Black fungus graphic representation

However, with hospitals and doctors overwhelmed by a growing numbers of cases, there's evidence that these steroids are being taken without medical supervision.

The Indian authorities have recently warned against such self-medication, which can have seriously harmful consequences including, says Dr Denning, such as an increased the risk of developing mucormycosis.

A UK-based trial conducted on around 2,000 Covid patients showed that dexamethasone helped reduce mortality in those with a moderate or severe infection, but could potentially be harmful for those with a mild infection.

That study showed the efficacy of steroids when used in a hospital setting. However, some states in India are reported to have distributed dexamethasone to the public along with home isolation kits.

"It is very clear (through studies) that more steroids is not better," said Dr Denning.

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- By GF Value





The stock of BlueLinx Holdings (NYSE:BXC, 30-year Financials) appears to be significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $45.13 per share and the market cap of $427.3 million, BlueLinx Holdings stock appears to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for BlueLinx Holdings is shown in the chart below.





BlueLinx Holdings Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

Because BlueLinx Holdings is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 18.6% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 8.77% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

Since investing in companies with low financial strength could result in permanent capital loss, investors must carefully review a company's financial strength before deciding whether to buy shares. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage can give a good initial perspective on the company's financial strength. BlueLinx Holdings has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.00, which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in Construction industry. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks BlueLinx Holdings's financial strength as 4 out of 10, suggesting poor balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of BlueLinx Holdings over the past years:

Story continues

BlueLinx Holdings Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

It poses less risk to invest in profitable companies, especially those that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. A company with high profit margins is also typically a safer investment than one with low profit margins. BlueLinx Holdings has been profitable 3 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $3.5 billion and earnings of $14.75 a share. Its operating margin is 6.27%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Construction industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks the profitability of BlueLinx Holdings at 4 out of 10, which indicates poor profitability. This is the revenue and net income of BlueLinx Holdings over the past years:

BlueLinx Holdings Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

One of the most important factors in the valuation of a company is growth. Long-term stock performance is closely correlated with growth according to GuruFocus research. Companies that grow faster create more value for shareholders, especially if that growth is profitable. The average annual revenue growth of BlueLinx Holdings is 18.6%, which ranks better than 89% of the companies in Construction industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 61.4%, which ranks better than 96% of the companies in Construction industry.

Another way to look at the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital and the weighted cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. We want to have the return on invested capital higher than the weighted cost of capital. For the past 12 months, BlueLinx Holdings's return on invested capital is 19.23, and its cost of capital is 9.29. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of BlueLinx Holdings is shown below:

BlueLinx Holdings Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

Overall, BlueLinx Holdings (NYSE:BXC, 30-year Financials) stock appears to be significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is poor. Its growth ranks better than 96% of the companies in Construction industry. To learn more about BlueLinx Holdings stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


A Queens boy was killed and a man was wounded in a hail of bullets on Saturday night, police said.

Justin Wallace, 10, and a 29-year-old man walked into a building on Beach 45th St. near Beach Channel Drive in the Rockaways Edgemere neighborhood just before 9:30 p.m. when gunfire rang out, police said.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found Justin was shot in the torso and the man, who lives at the address, was shot in the shoulder, said police sources.

Police rushed Justin to St. Johns Episcopal Hospital, but he could not be saved. The 29-year-old, whose name was not released, was taken to Jamaica Hospital and was expected to survive, said police.

The two shooting victims are related, police sources said.

Police were still searching for the shooter early Sunday. There were no immediate arrests.
A memorial to almost 22,500 servicemen and women under British command killed during D-Day and subsequent battles was unveiled in northern France on Sunday, a tribute to their sacrifice seen as long overdue.

The British Normandy Memorial, inscribed with the names of 22,442 men and women who lost their lives during the invasion of Nazi-occupied France in the summer of 1944, is situated on a hillside in the Normandy village of Ver-sur-Mer.

Opened on the 77th anniversary of the landings, it overlooks Gold Beach, one of three beaches where British forces landed on the morning of June 6, 1944 to begin the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

"It is truly a memorial fit for heroes," British Ambassador to France Ed Llewellyn told guests at the memorial in sunny weather. "A more tranquil and beautiful scene would be hard to imagine."

Llewellyn said he looked forward to visit the memorial again, "not as ambassador, but as the father of three young Franco-British children".

Covid-19 restrictions prevented British survivors from travelling to France for the event, but some 100 veterans were gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, UK, to watch the ceremony via video link.

- 'Long overdue' -

The memorial -- built at a cost of 33 million ($47 million) met by both the UK government and private donors -- is the first Normandy site commemorating those who fell under British command.

"The construction of a national memorial in Normandy has been a long-held ambition of Normandy Veterans, frustrated that Britain alone among the main wartime allies did not have such a memorial," the Normandy Memorial Trust said in a statement ahead of the ceremony.

It consists of a series of 160 standing white stones where the names of the soldiers who fell are inscribed in chronological order from June 6 to August 31, 1944. Some 4,000 tonnes of stone were used.

The heir to the British throne Prince Charles, in a video message broadcast at the ceremony, described the memorial as "long overdue".

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"It has been for many years a concern to me that the memory of these remarkable individuals should be preserved for generations to come as an example of personal courage and sacrifice," he said.

"The memorial... will provide a place of private and perpetual contemplation where visitors will be able to reflect on what we owe to all those who so gallantly carried out their duty with such extraordinary selflessness and resolve," Prince Charles added.

Soldiers from over three dozen nationalities, including from across the Commonwealth and French resistance fighters, served under British command in the landings.

- 'A lot of research' -

Steven Dean, the manager of the project, said he hoped that the site could draw in a quarter of a million visitors every year.

"This is the only place with all the names, so it took a lot of research to find the 22,442," he told AFP.

Until now, the main site of pilgrimage for paying respects to those who died under British command has been the cemetery in the nearby town of Bayeux.

The American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, whose 10,000 graves overlook Omaha Beach, used to welcome some one million visitors annually before the pandemic struck.

The ceremony, attended by French Defence Minister Florence Parly, had the added symbolism of highlighting historical bonds between the cross-Channel neighbours in the wake of Britain's exit from the European Union.

The site also includes a French Memorial, dedicated to the memory of estimated 20,000 French civilians who died in Normandy as a result of bombing and fighting.

The June 6, 1944 landings by Allied forces on five Normandy beaches were the biggest naval operation ever in terms of the number of ships deployed and the troops involved.

By the end of what became known as "the longest day", 156,000 Allied troops and 20,000 vehicles had landed in Nazi-occupied northern France despite facing a hail of bullets, artillery and aircraft fire.

clc-sjw-jh/jj
Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic will on Tuesday hear the decision on his appeal against his genocide conviction, in a Hague tribunal's final verdict on the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

The ruling will be the closing chapter in the case against the man dubbed the "Butcher of the Balkans", who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a UN war crimes tribunal in 2017.

Now an ailing 78-year-old, the once-burly military strongman of the 1992-1995 Bosnian war is expected to be in court, where he has previously delivered angry outbursts against the West.

Mothers of some of the 8,000 men and boys killed in the worst act of bloodshed on European soil since World War II will be outside the court where they have long campaigned for justice.

"We will go to The Hague to look the executioner in the eye once again as he is finally sentenced," Munira Subasic, president of one of the "Mothers of Srebrenica" associations, told AFP.

The verdict will be handed down at 1300 GMT, viewable on a livestream with a half hour delay because the courtroom is closed to journalists due to coronavirus restrictions, at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Its prosecutor Serge Brammertz said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the verdict, telling reporters this week he "can't imagine another outcome than confirmation".

The mechanism deals with cases left over from the now-closed UN war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia, which brought justice for crimes in the bloody break-up of the country in the 1990s.

- 'Future of our children' -

Mladic, who spent a decade on the run before his capture in 2011, was convicted of one count of genocide over Srebrenica as well as for war crimes and crimes against humanity in general during the Bosnian war.

Judges found him guilty of orchestrating a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" to drive Muslims and Bosnians out of key areas to create a Greater Serbia as Yugoslavia tore itself apart after the fall of communism.

Story continues

The war left around 100,000 people dead and 2.2 million displaced.

Prosecutors said he personally oversaw the massacre at the supposedly UN-protected enclave of Srebrenica as part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing to drive out Muslims.

Footage from the time showed him handing out sweets to children before they and the women of Srebrenica were taken away by bus, while the men of the town were marched into a forest and executed.

Relatives of the victims also hoped that the court would also overturn Mladic's acquittal in 2017 on wider genocide convictions, saying it was necessary for reconciliation between still-divided communities.

"This verdict is not only important for the victims and survivors. It is very important for the future of our children, of all of us," said Subasic, who planned to be at the court with around a dozen supporters.

- 'Everyone is proud' -

But for many Bosnian Serbs, Mladic and Karadzic remain heroes.

"Everyone is proud that he is from here," said Radosav Zmukic, head of a local veterans' group in Mladic's hometown of Kalinovik.

He recalled meeting Mladic two or three times during the war and being impressed by his "boldness".

During a long legal process delayed repeatedly after Mladic needed surgery to remove a polyp, and then because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mladic appealed all the convictions and his life sentence.

The frail-looking former general raged during the two-day appeal hearing in August 2020 that he had been "pushed into war" and dismissed the court as a "child of western powers".

He was the military face of a trio led on the political side by ex-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic and former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

Milosevic died of a heart attack in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before his trial had finished while Karadzic is serving a life sentence for genocide in Srebrenica.

Prosecutor Brammertz warned the Mladic judgment would not bring an end to the divisions in the Balkans, saying it was just "the end of one chapter".

"Denial of genocide is the last phase of the genocide," Brammertz said.

burs-dk/bp
- By GF Value





The stock of Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE:CNQ, 30-year Financials) gives every indication of being significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $37.6 per share and the market cap of $44.4 billion, Canadian Natural Resources stock is estimated to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Canadian Natural Resources is shown in the chart below.





Canadian Natural Resources Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

Because Canadian Natural Resources is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which is estimated to grow 2.01% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

It is always important to check the financial strength of a company before buying its stock. Investing in companies with poor financial strength have a higher risk of permanent loss. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great way to understand the financial strength of a company. Canadian Natural Resources has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.03, which is worse than 89% of the companies in Oil & Gas industry. The overall financial strength of Canadian Natural Resources is 4 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Canadian Natural Resources is poor. This is the debt and cash of Canadian Natural Resources over the past years:

Story continues

Canadian Natural Resources Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

It poses less risk to invest in profitable companies, especially those that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. A company with high profit margins is also typically a safer investment than one with low profit margins. Canadian Natural Resources has been profitable 7 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $15.4 billion and earnings of $1.487 a share. Its operating margin is 6.55%, which ranks better than 66% of the companies in Oil & Gas industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks the profitability of Canadian Natural Resources at 6 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Canadian Natural Resources over the past years:

Canadian Natural Resources Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

Growth is probably the most important factor in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long term performance of a company's stock. The faster a company is growing, the more likely it is to be creating value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of Canadian Natural Resources is -1.6%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Oil & Gas industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -11.9%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Oil & Gas industry.

One can also evaluate a company's profitability by comparing its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. If the return on invested capital exceeds the weighted average cost of capital, the company is likely creating value for its shareholders. During the past 12 months, Canadian Natural Resources's ROIC is 1.75 while its WACC came in at 11.73. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Canadian Natural Resources is shown below:

Canadian Natural Resources Stock Is Believed To Be Significantly Overvalued

In conclusion, The stock of Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE:CNQ, 30-year Financials) is estimated to be significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Oil & Gas industry. To learn more about Canadian Natural Resources stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


I assume she noticed that, pre-pandemic, the buses were already empty. In fact, buses in the city have been losing, over $2.5 million each year for many years! Not a pretty picture. Without the subsidy it receives from parking revenues, it would have drowned in red-ink, long ago. Why not consider vouchers for Uber or taxis and save millions on buses?
Colombian President Ivan Duque on Sunday announced plans to modernize the country's police force after weeks of protests, which have sparked an international outcry over alleged human rights abuses, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The mass anti-government protests have entered their second month in the country. Last month UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for investigations into deaths of protestors at the hands of the police.

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The state of play: The protests were sparked by proposed tax reforms but then widened into a social movement focused on poverty and inequality in the country.

"The attorney general's office says 20 deaths are linked directly to more than a month of demonstrations against Duque's social and economic policies, while rights groups report dozens killed by security forces," reports Reuters.

At least three officers are facing murder charges, per the news agency.

The big picture: The proposed reforms, which Duque said he would ask Congress to approve, include the creation of a human rights directorate, which will seek international input on policy, as well as a new education directorate for officer training, Reuters reports.

The reforms would also "expanded disciplinary standards for officers" and create a new complaints system.

A new design for police uniforms will incorporate body cameras and more clearly display officer's names and ranks, said Duque.

What's next: The law will officially be proposed at the start of the next legislative session in July, per Reuters.

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An estimated one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage in the UK. (Getty Images)

Pregnancy loss is heartbreakingly common  yet just a handful of companies give employees paid leave when either they, or their partner, loses a baby in the first few months.

However, a leading London law firm has announced it will begin to give staff time off if they have been affected.

Kingsley Napley will offer ten days paid leave for those who have experienced a miscarriage or abortion  or if their partner has.

This time off, which employers currently have no obligation to provide before 24 weeks, will be in addition to related medical appointments.

Read more: 12 celebrities who have opened up about miscarriage and stillbirth

They are thought to be the first company in the legal sector to make the move, however Channel 4 and Monzo have previously announced their own policies.

Watch: Call for more support over miscarriage

Speaking to The Sunday Times, managing partner Linda Woolley said they hoped it would validate the experiences of staff impacted.

Currently, employees can legally take planned parental leave if they lose their baby after 24 weeks  when it is considered a stillbirth.

However, the majority of pregnancy losses occur in the first three months, when it is called a miscarriage.

Read more: New Zealand introduced bereavement leave for miscarriages  should the UK follow suit?

According to the charity Tommy's, one in four pregnancies ends in loss during pregnancy or birth.

Similarly, one in four women have experienced a miscarriage, and one in a hundred experience recurrent miscarriages.

The law firm's announcement comes after New Zealand announced bereavement leave for miscarriages back in March.

Under legislation passed by the country's parliament, women and their partners will be eligible for three days off.

Watch: It's Time to Normalise What Happens to the Body After a Miscarriage
About 200 new coronavirus cases are being reported daily in Virginia, down 78% from a month ago and the lowest rate since the beginning of April 2020.

With just 2.6% of standard nasal swab tests coming back positive for COVID-19, flat with the previous week, the pandemics retreat has continued throughout the state and Hampton Roads, despite the slowing of vaccinations, according to Virginia Department of Health data.

Over the past six weeks, the states average vaccination rate has dropped 64%. In mid-April, the state was administering some 78,000 shots a day. That rate has since fallen to about 28,000.

If transmission does accelerate again, the lower level of infections reduces the likeliness Virginians will see a surge of cases this summer that matches the rise of this past winter.

Under the worst-case scenario, with lax behavior and more contagious variants spreading, the state could expect a peak of 36 daily cases per 100,000 people in mid-August, according to a recent forecast by the UVA Biocomplexity Institute. The peak in January was 68.

The universitys pandemic data scientists say a factor that could lead to another uptick is the so-called delta variant, a form of the virus spreading in India. The World Health Organization has deemed it a global concern, now identified in 62 countries. The variant represents perhaps 1.3% of COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to the UVA report.

And research suggests it moves at a much faster clip than the U.K. variant.

Whether the delta variant will be able to break through and infect vaccinated people remains to be seen, the report said.

To reduce the impact of a surge, public health officials are cautioning unvaccinated residents to continue wearing masks, keeping 6 feet from others and washing hands frequently.

But fewer people are wearing face coverings and observing social distancing practices. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

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Gov. Ralph Northam also lifted Virginias indoor mask mandate and eased all social distancing and capacity restrictions about a week ago. Public transportation, health care facilities and prisons remain a few of the exceptions that still require masks.

The state of emergency in Virginia will continue through the end of June to provide flexibility for local government and to support ongoing vaccination efforts. Masks will continue to be required in K-12 public schools because of low rates of vaccination among children.

So far, there have been about 526,200 confirmed coronavirus cases and 11,222 suspected deaths in the state.

During the past week, 13 people were reported to have died from the virus in Hampton Roads: four in Newport News; three in Chesapeake; two in Norfolk; and one each in Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and Accomack and York counties.

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States rose to 33.3 million last week, according to Johns Hopkins University, and about 597,000 Americans have died. Around the globe, 172.3 million people have had confirmed infections, with 3.7 million deaths.

As has been the case for nearly the entire pandemic, Virginia Beachs count of new infections was the highest in Hampton Roads. The city reported 86 new cases over the past week, followed by Norfolk, with 50, and Hampton, with 49.

High caseloads are expected in bigger cities, but sometimes communities with fewer people see greater rates of new cases per capita. Hampton led the area with the highest rate, with about five per 100,000 people. By comparison, South Hampton Roads cities all had rates of two or three per 100,000.

In Eastern Virginia, about 70% of hospital beds are occupied, the lowest level in six months, according to data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. Intensive care unit hospitalizations have decreased for 10 weeks, and emergency room visits for coronavirus-like symptoms have also fallen for about eight weeks.

About 3.8 million Virginians, or 45% of the population, had been fully inoculated as of Friday. Those figures now include people in the state who have been vaccinated through the military, Veterans Affairs and federal prisons. Approximately 55% of Virginians have at least one shot.

All Virginians ages 12 and older are eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, now that Pfizer has received emergency use authorization for the younger age group. Pediatricians, pharmacies, state and federally-run clinics and some schools will offer shots to older children and young teens.

Heres a look at the pandemic around the region. Some cities saw elevated numbers two weeks ago due to a vendor reporting a backlog of cases:

Virginia Beach reported 86 new cases, with a daily case average of 12, down from 16.

Norfolk reported 50 new cases, with a daily case average of seven, down from 13.

Newport News reported 40 new cases, with a daily case average of six, down from 22.

Chesapeake reported 44 new cases, with a daily case average of six, down from 12.

Portsmouth reported 19 new cases, with a daily case average of three, down from six.

Hampton reported 49 new cases, with a daily case average of seven, down from 16.

James City County reported 12 new cases, with a daily case average of two, down from three.

York County reported three new cases, with a daily case average of zero, down from five.

Suffolk reported 14 new cases, with a daily case average of two, down from three.

Williamsburg reported two new cases, with a daily case average of zero for the third consecutive week.

For other pandemic data, go to www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus.

For more information on where to find vaccines, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or www.vaccines.gov. For phone assistance, call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA.

Elisha Sauers, 757-839-4754, elisha.sauers@pilotonline.com
The coronavirus vaccine programme will be rolled out to people under the age of 30 for the first time this week, Matt Hancock has announced.

The Health Secretary said the next move down the age range will bring the country "a step closer" to vaccinating all adults in the UK and "restoring our freedoms".

The Government has set a target for every adult in the UK to be offered a first dose by the end of July.

Mr Hancock told Sky News that the decision to reopen on June 21 has been made "more difficult" by the spread of the Indian variant, which has become the most dominant strain in the UK.

"Ultimately it does make the calculation more difficult for June 21, but it doesn't change our strategy, which is we all need to go and get vaccinated and that way we will break this link between the number of cases to the number of hospitalisations," he said.

Follow the latest updates below.

04:13 PM

India to ease lockdown rules as coronavirus case numbers decline

India reported 114,460 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, the lowest in two months, while the death toll increased by 2,677, as parts of the country prepared to ease movement restrictions.

India has the world's second-largest number of coronavirus infections after the United States with total cases at 28.8 million, according to health ministry data. The country has suffered 346,759 deaths.

A second wave of the coronavirus that has largely battered the rural interiors of the country is yet to abate but New Delhi and other cities are working towards allowing more businesses to operate and movement rules to be relaxed from Monday onwards.

Story continues

The western state of Maharashtra, which is India's richest and has suffered the most infections during the second wave, plans to start this week easing in stages a strict lockdown imposed in April.

Scientists have warned of a third wave of the coronavirus that could hit India later in the year, likely impacting children more.

04:00 PM

Portuguese PM criticises UK for removing it from travel 'green list'

Portugal's prime minister criticised Britain on Sunday for removing his nation from a Covid-19 quarantine-free travel list, and urged London to adhere to a European digital certificate scheme to ease travel.

Britain said last week it was removing Portugal from its "green list" of countries that do not require quarantine on return because of rising Covid-19 case numbers and the risk posed by coronavirus variants detected in Portugal.

Portugal had been placed on the "green list" just weeks earlier. But from 4am on Tuesday, Britons returning from Portugal will need to quarantine for 10 days and take two Covid-19 tests.

"We can't have this system of instability and changes every three weeks," Prime Minister Antonio Costa told reporters. "It isn't good for those who plan their holidays, nor for those who have to organise the tourism industry to receive tourists in good conditions."

British tourists and residents line up to return to England at Faro airport, Algarve, Portugal - LUIS FORRA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

03:44 PM

Watch: We have proof of vaccination technology ready, says Matt Hancock

03:28 PM

Latest coronavirus figures in the UK

The Government said a further 5,341 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus had been recorded in the UK as of 9am on Sunday.

It said a further four people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday, bringing the UK total to 127,840.

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03:26 PM

Challenge for Irish pubs after 'irreplaceable' staff lost during pandemic

O'Donoghues Bar in Dublin ahead of the reopening of pubs in Ireland on Monday - Niall Carson/PA Wire

A Dublin publican had spoken of the challenge Ireland's pub industry faces replacing the people skills of staff who have left the trade during the pandemic.

Kevin Barden, whose family owns the traditional Irish music pub O'Donoghue's, said he has been lucky to welcome back 19 of his 20-strong team after 15 months of closure and he hopes the final one will also return by the end of the summer.

But he said many other venues have not been so fortunate and are finding it hard to fill their rotas ahead of reopening.

O'Donoghue's, a pub where the Irish folk band the Dubliners made their name, has not had a customer cross its threshold since March 2020, when the Covid-19 emergency forced the closure of bars across Ireland.

While relaxations allowed some pubs to reopen for periods in the months since, many traditional venues in Dublin have remained closed throughout.

03:01 PM

Weekday road traffic exceeds pre-pandemic levels for first time

Weekday road traffic has exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time, new figures show.

The number of vehicles on Britain's roads on May 28 was at 104% of the figure before the virus crisis began, according to Department for Transport data.

The rise in vehicle use on that date was driven by it being the Friday before a bank holiday weekend.

But traffic for the previous four days still averaged 96% of pre-pandemic levels.

Weekend road traffic has been at or near 100% since mid April.

02:22 PM

'We should have robust quarantine measures in place' for travel, says shadow foreign secretary

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy was asked if she thinks people who go on holiday to France should be quarantined in the UK on their return.

She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I think that we should have robust quarantine measures in place for people coming back into the country. That's absolutely right.

"I also think that we need to be much clearer with people that, at the moment, travelling overseas, particularly when you've got countries like Thailand and Vietnam on the amber list where new variants are emerging and being imported into the UK, is the wrong thing to do, and the Government ought to be absolutely clear about that."

02:12 PM

UK has responsibility to world to break transmission cycle within the UK

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the UK has a responsibility to the world to break the transmission cycle within the UK.

She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We've got the virus out of control in some parts of our own country and we have a responsibility, not just to our own citizens but to the world, to do something to break that transmission cycle as well.

"We know that the virus mutates in areas where there's very high prevalence, so this is a really, really critical contribution that Britain can make, is to get a grip on the virus here."

01:47 PM

Latest vaccination figures for the UK

A total of 57,193,641 Covid-19 vaccinations took place in England between December 8 and June 5, according to NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 590,645 on the previous day.

NHS England said 33,700,486 were the first dose of a vaccine, a rise of 175,001 on the previous day, while 23,493,155 were a second dose, an increase of 415,644.

01:26 PM

'Plenty of good reasons' to vaccinate children, according to the Health Secretary

Vaccinating children could have "upsides" by preventing school classrooms from being shut down due to coronavirus outbreaks, Matt Hancock has argued.

The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine was approved for use by the UK regulator in children aged 12 to 15 on Friday but experts have flagged ethical concerns in issuing jabs to a group that is classified as being at low risk from Covid-19.

The Health Secretary said he would be considering advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the "right approach" before making a final decision.

But the senior Government minister said there were "plenty of good reasons" for inoculating children, despite admitting it was "very rare" that young people are affected "very negatively" by coronavirus infection.

He said preventing long Covid in children and putting a stop to school disruptions could be two reasons to go ahead with offering vaccines to those aged 12-15, following the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) recent Pfizer ruling.

01:08 PM

Decision on June 21 made 'more difficult' by Indian Variant, says Matt Hancock

The decision to reopen on June 21 has been made "more difficult" by the Indian variants spread to the most dominant variant in the UK, the Health Secretary has said.

Matt Hancock told Sky News that the latest advice the Government has received is that the so-called Delta mutation first identified in India is 40 per cent more transmissible than the previously dominant Kent variant.

"That means that it is more difficult to manage this virus with the new Delta variant," he said.

Mr Hancock told Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme: "Ultimately it does make the calculation more difficult for June 21, but it doesn't change our strategy, which is we all need to go and get vaccinated and that way we will break this link between the number of cases to the number of hospitalisations."

"We are not saying no to the 21st of June at this point, we will keep watching the data for another week and critically watching that link from the number of cases to the number of people ending up in hospital," he said.

12:52 PM

Next week will be 'absolutely critical' in looking at data infections in the UK

The next week will be "absolutely critical" in looking at data on infections in the UK, the president of the Academy of Medical Sciences said.

Dame Anne Johnson, professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at University College London (UCL), told the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme on Sky News: "We need more data and this next week is going to be absolutely critical in obtaining that data."

She said there had been a "significant uptick" in the number of cases in the past week or two, adding: "What we need to understand is what the risks are of that setting off another wave of infection, and also how well we can do in controlling it so the data that come through in the next week are very important."

She said reopening is a "very finely judged decision" and that society will need to learn to live with coronavirus.

"In the end, we're going to have to, as you heard earlier from David Nabarro (WHO special envoy), live with this virus and try and minimise the amount of severe disease that it causes."

12:22 PM

PM's aim for G7 leaders to get world vaccinated by 2022 is 'wonderful', says Dr Nabarro

Boris Johnson's aim to urge G7 leaders to get the world vaccinated by the end of 2022 is "wonderful", a special envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

Dr David Nabarro said he was "absolutely delighted" at the news.

He told the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme on Sky News: "We've always said it's going to take some time for the world to be vaccinated, but for the leader of the UK - and also the chair of the G7 - to put a date on it is wonderful, because this now means that there's a real prospect that when G7 leaders meet next weekend they will actually think of a plan for getting towards everybody being vaccinated by the end of 2022."

11:58 AM

No country is 'let off the hook' by the WHO when it comes to investigating Covid's origins

No country is "let off the hook" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) when it comes to investigating the pandemic, Dr David Nabarro said.

The special envoy on Covid-19 for the WHO told the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme on Sky News: "When we're dealing with pandemics it's a joint effort between national governments and the WHO. We are mutually dependent on each other and no nation is let off the hook."

He said the WHO is not an "independent superpower" with "carte blanche" to do what it wants and must "work within the rules set by the governments that own it".

He said the WHO has scientists "who just want to do the best science in the world and all they do all the time is to push at countries when countries are somewhat pushing back at us, and we just say 'give us what we need', and we're not going to stop that."

11:45 AM

Traffic light rating system for travel is 'confusing' and 'dangerous'

The Government's traffic light rating system for travel is "confusing" and "dangerous", shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy has said.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, she said: "I think we've got a real, real problem with the travel system that the Government has put in place.

"We've currently got countries on the amber list which the Government is basically urging people not to go to but allowing people to go to with very lax quarantine requirements when they come back.

"We think the amber list should be scrapped. We think it's pointless. We think it's confusing and that confusion is actually dangerous at the moment.

"It risks unravelling all of the progress that we've made."

11:25 AM

Global eradication of Covid is not a reasonable target currently, says Dr Nabarro

Global eradication of coronavirus is not currently a reasonable target, a special envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Dr David Nabarro told the Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme on Sky News: "Humanity is going to have to learn how to coexist with this virus, preventing it from spiking and then surging and causing hotspots of disease, and we're going to have to be able to do this for the foreseeable future. Eradication is not currently a reasonable target for the world."

He said reports of a Nepal variant are being examined "in the coming days and weeks".

He said: "Each time there is a sudden surge, it does stimulate in one's mind the thought that there might be a new variant appearing. That wouldn't be surprising."

He said that will be "the pattern for the future", adding: "This virus isn't going away any time soon, there will be variants emerging."

11:10 AM

Tony Blair's institute proposes that extra freedoms should be given to fully vaccinated people

Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair appears on BBC TV's The Andrew Marr Show - JEFF OVERS/BBC/REUTERS

Former prime minister Tony Blair said his institute's proposal to allow people who have been fully vaccinated extra freedoms was part of a similar risk management strategy pursued throughout the Covid pandemic.

The former Labour leader said the European Union was already preparing to permit those who had been given both jabs to travel, signalling that a two-tier system of rights is going to come into force internationally.

Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show whether the plan would create a "discriminatory" two-tier society, Mr Blair said: "I think the word discrimination has a very loaded meaning in the English language now but really when it comes to risk management, it is all about discrimination.

"The reason we vaccinate elderly people first is because they are more at risk, the reason we ensure people are vaccinated is because it then reduces the risk of transmission.

"I think since everybody is going to be able to get the vaccination, other than those who for medical reasons can't, I think it really is important that people are encouraged to get vaccinated."

10:59 AM

'Plenty of good reasons' to give Covid vaccines to children, says the Health Secretary

Matt Hancock said there are "plenty of good reasons" to give Covid jabs to children.

The senior Government minister told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme: "The spread among children does have an impact on others and, critically, we know how much it disrupts education as well.

"There is this problem of long Covid in some children who test positive.

"So, there are plenty of good reasons to do this but we will also want to be very careful and listen to the scientific advice on exactly what approach to take."

The Health Secretary added that it is "very rare" that young people are affected "very negatively" by coronavirus infection.

Matt Hancock this morning in central London - Victoria Jones /PA Wire

10:51 AM

Wearing face coverings and work from home measures could continue in the long-term

Pressed on whether the June 21 removal of restrictions could be postponed if the Indian variant data "gets bad", Matt Hancock told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We are absolutely open to doing that if that's what needs to happen.

"We said in the road map that June 21 is the date by which we would not take Step 4 before that date and that we would look at the data."

Asked if the wearing of face coverings and work from home measures could continue in the long-term, the Health Secretary added: "Yes, I wouldn't rule that out.

"The way we are looking at this is Step 4 involves the removing of the remaining social restrictions like the rule of six and some of the business closures which are still there."

10:16 AM

Government 'absolutely open' to delaying June 21 unlocking, says the Health Secretary

Ministers are "absolutely open" to delaying the June 21 unlocking in England if the Indian variant worsens the country's coronavirus recovery prospects, the Health Secretary has said.

Matt Hancock, in what will be viewed as the clearest indication yet that the target date for lifting all restrictions could slip, stressed that June 21 was a "not before" date and that it was only "pencilled in" as the next step out of lockdown.

The senior Government minister also implied that social distancing could continue beyond the final stage of the Prime Minister's road map.

The comments come as Covid-19 cases have continued to surge in the UK amid reports Boris Johnson is considering delaying so-called freedom day by at least two weeks in order to allow more people to be fully vaccinated against the Indian variant.

The Health Secretary, pressed on whether the June 21 removal of restrictions could be postponed if the Indian variant data "gets bad", told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "We are absolutely open to doing that if that's what needs to happen."

09:59 AM

Rules on social distancing after lockdown have not yet been finalised, says Matt Hancock

The rules on social distancing after the final stage of lockdown easing have not yet been finalised, the Health Secretary suggested.

Pressed on whether people could be asked to continue to abide by some lockdown rules, such as continuing to work from home where possible, Matt Hancock told Sky News' Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme: "We consider all options and the way we have set this out is as follows.

"There are a series of things at the moment, restrictions on how you can live your life, that we've said will be part of Step 4 when we can take Step 4, which include, for instance, the rule of six and the fact there are still some businesses that are closed.

"As well as that we have four reviews into international travel, into certification and into social distancing, for instance, and we are concluding those reviews and doing that work at the same time.

"We haven't yet set out the approach to social distancing after Step 4 and that is something we are working on with our scientific advisers. We will be guided by the science, but ultimately it will be ministers who make these decisions."

09:36 AM

Hundreds of students miss out as four-hour UCL clinic runs out of vaccines

UCL students queuing for a vaccination - Jeff Gilbert

Thousands of University College London students were left disappointed yesterday after supplies ran out halfway through a four-hour vaccination clinic.

The majority of students who joined a queue at the Hunter Street Clinic in Kings Cross were told to go home because demand had far outstripped supply.

The first 450 people to show up were given a ticket for a vaccine, while a further 250 had pre-booked slots, but the remainder of students were unable to secure an appointment.

It is the first time that a university has advertised a walk-in vaccine clinic to its students amid hopes that this will become a more regular means of administering jabs to young people.

The clinic, run by NHS Camden, had organised the event as a walk-in vaccination session for students who were not registered with a GP, with a view to ensuring that they did not miss out on getting vaccinated at a later date.

Jamie Fullerton and Dominic Penna have the story: Hundreds of students miss out as four-hour UCL clinic runs out of vaccines

09:18 AM

Under 30s will be invited to book their vaccine this week, says Matt Hancock

Those aged under 30 will be invited to book their coronavirus vaccine jabs this week, the Health Secretary has confirmed.

Matt Hancock told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme that vaccines had "severed but not broken" the link between a rise in cases and an increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital.

"The majority of people going into hospital right now are unvaccinated," the senior Government minister said.

"This week we will be opening up vaccines to the under-30s and so we are getting a step closer to the point when we have been able to offer the vaccine to all adults in this country.

"Then, once we have got everybody having had their second dose, then you will get this protection that we are seeing at the moment among older people, you'll get that protection throughout the whole adult population."

UCL Students queuing for a vaccine at Bloomsbury Surgery, London, on Saturday after the university opened a walk-in clinic to students - Jeff Gilbert

09:03 AM

PM to urge G7 leaders to defeat pandemic by vaccinating world by end of 2022

Boris Johnson will call on fellow leaders at the G7 in Cornwall to pledge to vaccinate the world's population against coronavirus by the end of 2022.

With the face-to-face gathering of leaders due to take place on Friday, the Prime Minister is planning to use the UK's G7 presidency to implore his counterparts to "rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era" and put a stop to the pandemic by ensuring every person on the globe has access to a jab within the next 18 months.

"The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era: defeating Covid and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values," according to Mr Johnson.

"Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

"I'm calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end this terrible pandemic and pledge will we never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again."

The Prime Minister hosting a virtual meeting of G7 leaders in the Cabinet Room at Downing Street - Geoff Pugh

08:28 AM

'Too early' to confirm June 21 reopening, says Health Secretary

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was "too early" to determine whether the Government would lift all coronavirus restrictions on June 21.

Asked whether he had seen anything in the data that could delay reopening this month, the Cabinet minister told Sky News: "It is too early to make a final decision on that. The Prime Minister and I and the team will be looking at all of the data over this week.

"We have said that we will give people enough time ahead of the June 21 date which is pencilled in as the next step - which is to be not before June 21 - and the critical thing is to see whether the four tests we have set have been met.

"That's in terms of the number of cases, and cases are rising slightly, the number of hospitalisations, which are much more flat.

"That's because the third test, the rollout of the vaccine, is going incredibly well.

"Then, of course, we have to look at the impact of new variants and we have seen a very significant impact of a new variant - the Delta (also known as the Indian) variant - over the last month or so."

Matt Hancock gestures before appearing on The Andrew Marr show on the BBC on June 6 - Hollie Adams/Getty Images

08:12 AM

'Moral and ethical balance' on prioritising vaccines for children or rest of world

The UK faces a "moral and ethical balance" on prioritising the country's children or the wider world when it comes to vaccination, Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), has said.

Prof Semple told BBC Breakfast: "If we haven't got enough vaccine in the world and you want to do most to save lives, then sending the vaccine to Africa or to India, to places that need it, would actually have greater impact.

"There's a really interesting moral and ethical balance here between doing most for most people on a global benefit and doing most for society, the wellbeing, in our country. That's why there are some really difficult decisions for our policymakers to make.

"Here, we would be vaccinating children mainly to protect the public, which we do for other infections as well.

"We do it for influenza. The main reason for vaccinating children against influenza is actually to protect granny and grandpa."

Asked if it was time for the UK to start jabbing teenagers, he added: "I'm not sure it is. Although a large proportion of the infections currently are in children, the overall number of infections is vastly reduced on what it was during wave one and wave two."

07:44 AM

Vaccines for children could start in August under plans being discussed by ministers

Covid vaccines would be rolled out to children from as early as August under plans being drawn up in Whitehall, The Telegraph can disclose.

A Government source said that under current modelling "we would be ready" to begin vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds by the second half of August, or early September at the latest.

Ministers are awaiting advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which insiders expect will recommend the jab for younger teenagers, before they make a final decision.

However, writing in The Telegraph, Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, warns that "a huge proportion of the latest cases are in children", as he urges secondary school pupils to take a coronavirus test on Sunday before returning to school on Monday.

Read more from Edward Malnick, our Sunday Political Editor: Vaccines for children could start in August

07:39 AM

Today's front page

Here is your Sunday Telegraph for June 6.

sunday tel

06:32 AM

Reminder for second jab to combat variant

People who have been contacted to bring forward their second vaccine appointment are being urged to rebook as soon as possible.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended in May that the second dose interval should be reduced from 12 weeks to eight for those aged 50 and over, as well as the clinically vulnerable.

The move aims to combat the spread of the Covid-19 variant first detected in India, also known as the Delta variant.

Since then, the NHS has sent texts to more than 1.7 million people inviting them to rebook their appointment.

05:31 AM

Cruise ships' return to Venice since pandemic reignites tensions

The MSC Orchestra cruise ship sailed across the basin as it left Venice yesterday - MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP

Saturday saw the first cruise ship cast off from Venice since the pandemic hit Italy, reinflaming a war of words between supporters and opponents of the massive floating hotels.

With the MSC Orchestra looming over St Mark's square, demonstrators in small motorboats waved banners reading "no to cruise ships".

Activists of the No Grandi Navi committee protest in Venice - Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu Agency

Activists of the No Grandi Navi committee - Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu Agency

However, fans of the massive vessels say stopoffs by tourist cruises create jobs in a city dependent on tourism - itself massively undermined by the pandemic.

Around 650 people boarded the MSC Orchestra in Venice after showing a negative coronavirus test less than four days old and passing another on the spot.

A crew member of the MSC Orchestra cruise ship undergoes a swab test as part of health measures applied prior to departure - MARCO SABADIN/AFP

04:45 AM

Latest coronavirus figures from around the world...

The United States will donate 750,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan as part of the country's plan to share shots globally, offering a much-needed boost to the island's fight against the pandemic. Taiwan is dealing with a spike in domestic cases but has been affected by global vaccine shortages. Only around 3pc of its 23.5 million people have been vaccinated, with most getting only the first shot.

The Australian state of Victoria today reported two new locally acquired Covid-19 cases, with the low number raising hopes that a hard lockdown in the state's capital of Melbourne will be eased on June 10. The two new local infections bring Victoria's total recent cases to 72.

The number of confirmed cases in Germany has increased by 2,440 to 3,700,367, with the death toll rising by 74 to 89,222.

Mexico reported 2,649 cases of coronavirus infections and 186 fatalities on Saturday, bringing total cases to 2,432,280 and the death toll to 228,754.

Markets and shopping malls in New Delhi will be allowed to partially reopen from Monday in a further easing of its lockdown, as infections fall in major Indian cities after weeks of restrictions. Delhi Metro will resume services at 50pc capacity.

Brazil had 66,017 cases in 24 hours and 1,689 deaths, with the South American country registering 16,907,425 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 472,531. It is the world's third worst outbreak outside the United States and India and the second deadliest.

Belgium plans to start vaccinating people between the ages of 16 and 17. Ministers said: "Starting in the month of July, they will start receiving an invitation concerning the first dose." They will receive the Pfizer jab.

04:21 AM

'Grannycore' the new lockdown trend we cant get enough of

You know youve become totally ancient when an evening with the sofa and a primetime drama feels like a big night.

Blame the pandemic (what else?)  aka the Great Acceleration  which, over the course of one very long year, has fast-forwarded the ageing process, stealthily converting us into one big pipe-and-slipper brigade.

When it comes to interiors, cosy nostalgia is in - Andreas von Einsiedel

Who isnt spending all day in their slippers and shawl, turning down events that might require a change into "real" clothing? Whose skin, hair and body hasnt aged at warp speed? Who hasnt started to resemble their parents in shape and weight after a year of quiet hobbies; moving less, sitting more and eating absolutely everything in sight?

The past 16 months have given rise to "Grannycore"  and the trend has hit our homes too.

A rush on chintz, doilies and tea sets is all part of a bid to make our homes as cosy and familiar as possible.

Read the full story here.

03:55 AM

Police attacked at illegal rave

Police have broken up an illegal rave in a field attended by around 200 people, with one man arrested on suspicion of breaching coronavirus legislation.

Essex Police said officers were called to Theydon Bois at around 11pm on Saturday after reports of the music event.

Objects were thrown at police as the force engaged with people at the unlicensed music event off Forest Drive.

The music was turned off at around 1am and decks, speakers and a generator were seized by police.

Chief Superintendent Tom Simons said: "Essex Police does not tolerate attacks, no matter how minor, upon officers who are just doing their job by responding to incidents reported to them by the public.

"In this instance, thankfully, no officers were injured and the attendees did eventually disperse when they were asked to do so and that is a credit to the officers who attended the scene and worked under very difficult circumstances.

"As a result of our initial investigations, we have seized a number of items of musical equipment and one man has been arrested."

03:46 AM

Tony Blair: End restrictions for vaccinated people

Tony Blair has called for vaccinated people to be released from lockdown restrictions and says businesses should have the right to admit only jabbed customers.

In a report called "Less Risk, More Freedom", the former prime ministers think tank lays out a vision for how the country could remain open if the virus persists in the population.

Mr Blair says he is keen to see the target to end social distancing by June 21 maintained, but adds: We surely now know enough about this disease to know that every time we think its over, it finds a way of bringing back uncertainty.

READ MORE: Tony Blair calls for vaccinated people to be released from lockdown restrictions

03:22 AM

PM to urge G7 leaders to vaccinate world to end pandemic

Boris Johnson will call on fellow leaders at the G7 in Cornwall to pledge to vaccinate the world's population against coronavirus by the end of 2022.

With the face-to-face gathering of leaders due to take place on Friday, the Prime Minister is planning to use the UK's G7 presidency to implore his counterparts to "rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era" and put a stop to the pandemic by ensuring every person on the globe has access to a jab within the next 18 months.

"Next week the leaders of the world's greatest democracies will gather at an historic moment for our countries and for the planet," according to Mr Johnson.

"The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era: defeating Covid and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values.

"Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

"I'm calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end this terrible pandemic and pledge will we never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again."

02:53 AM

Today's top stories
- By GF Value





The stock of CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH, 30-year Financials) is estimated to be modestly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $52.36 per share and the market cap of $40.8 billion, CRH PLC stock is believed to be modestly overvalued. GF Value for CRH PLC is shown in the chart below.





CRH PLC Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

Because CRH PLC is relatively overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be lower than its business growth, which averaged 4% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 1.81% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

Companies with poor financial strength offer investors a high risk of permanent capital loss. To avoid permanent capital loss, an investor must do their research and review a company's financial strength before deciding to purchase shares. Both the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage of a company are a great way to to understand its financial strength. CRH PLC has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.56, which which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Building Materials industry. The overall financial strength of CRH PLC is 5 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of CRH PLC is fair. This is the debt and cash of CRH PLC over the past years:

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CRH PLC Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

It poses less risk to invest in profitable companies, especially those that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. A company with high profit margins is also typically a safer investment than one with low profit margins. CRH PLC has been profitable 9 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $27.6 billion and earnings of $1.418 a share. Its operating margin is 8.14%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Building Materials industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks the profitability of CRH PLC at 6 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of CRH PLC over the past years:

CRH PLC Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

Growth is probably one of the most important factors in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus' research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long-term performance of a company's stock. If a company's business is growing, the company usually creates value for its shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. Likewise, if a company's revenue and earnings are declining, the value of the company will decrease. CRH PLC's 3-year average revenue growth rate is in the middle range of the companies in Building Materials industry. CRH PLC's 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 3.1%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Building Materials industry.

Another way to look at the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital and the weighted cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. We want to have the return on invested capital higher than the weighted cost of capital. For the past 12 months, CRH PLC's return on invested capital is 4.43, and its cost of capital is 5.07. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of CRH PLC is shown below:

CRH PLC Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

In conclusion, The stock of CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH, 30-year Financials) is estimated to be modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Building Materials industry. To learn more about CRH PLC stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Panama is struggling to handle a surge of migrants crossing the deadly jungles of the Darien Gap separating the country from Colombia  many bound for the U.S., government officials, migration experts and members of Congress tell Axios.

Why it matters: Vice President Kamala Harris departed Sunday on her first trip to Central America after being tasked with the migration crisis. Most migrants reaching the U.S. border still hail from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador. But more people than before from farther-flung points are fleeing their homes and trying to enter the U.S.

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Lax visa requirements in places like Brazil and Mexico, political and economic turmoil in South America, a still out-of-hand pandemic and hopes of eased enforcement are driving the growing push north.

"The trip through the Darien Gap presents migrants with really unimaginable hardships  thirst and hunger and crocodiles and snakes and armed cocaine traffickers and common thieves," Benjamin Gedan of the Wilson Center, a global policy forum, told Axios.

What they're saying: Reps. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) and Burgess Owens (R-Utah) visited the border village of Bajo Chiquito in Panama at the end of May.

"What we saw was people just rolling in, one after another," Tiffany said. "We saw people from Haiti, one person identified himself from Senegal. There was a person from Egypt. People talked about seeing Pakistanis come through."

Local villagers told them about seeing bodies float down the river, both Tiffany and Owens said. Migrants who survived the Darien Gap described "how they walked over bodies, people that just died in the jungle down there," said Tiffany.

Owens described seeing the red, infected and possibly gangrenous feet of one migrant who made it through.

Panamanian Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes has begun sounding the alarm, speaking with numerous U.S. and United Nations officials in recent weeks.

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In a phone interview with Axios, Mouynes emphasized the point, saying, "We have them in migrant camps and we gradually lead them in a controlled flow to go through the border. All they want is: U.S., U.S., U.S."

One thousand migrants have crossed into Panama through the gap in a single day, the foreign minister added. The large and sporadic numbers can overwhelm towns in which the populations are smaller than the caravans.

Most migrants come from Haiti and Cuba, although hundreds who crossed from Colombia into Panama this year were originally from Bangladesh, Senegal or Nepal.

Mouynes expressed concern about the impact of Colombia's decision last month to open its borders again and emphasized the need for other countries to stop allowing visa-free travel.

Mouynes also told Axios that in addition to providing care for migrants, Panama runs biometrics and that officials had stopped some who had been flagged for associations to al-Qaida.

By the numbers: More than 5,000 migrants arrived through the Darien Gap in April and again in May, per data from Panama's migration agency  the highest monthly numbers in at least three years.

By comparison, the monthly peak was just shy of 4,000 during the 2019 U.S.-Mexico border surge.

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BERLIN (AP)  David Dushman, the last surviving Soviet soldier involved in the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, has died. He was 98.

The Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria said Sunday that Dushman had died at a Munich hospital on Saturday.

Every witness to history who passes on is a loss, but saying farewell to David Dushman is particularly painful, said Charlotte Knobloch, a former head of Germanys Central Council of Jews. Dushman was right on the front lines when the National Socialists machinery of murder was destroyed.

As a young Red Army soldier, Dushman flattened the forbidding electric fence around the notorious Nazi death camp with his T-34 tank on Jan. 27, 1945.

He admitted that he and his comrades didn't immediately realize the full magnitude of what had happened in Auschwitz.

Skeletons everywhere, he recalled in a 2015 interview with Munich newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. They stumbled out of the barracks, they sat and lay among the dead. Terrible. We threw them all of our canned food and immediately drove on, to hunt fascists.

More than a million people, most of them Jews deported there from all over Europe, were murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau between 1940 and 1945.

Dushman earlier took part in some of the bloodiest military encounters of World War II, including the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk. He was seriously wounded three times but survived the war, one of just 69 soldiers in his 12,000-strong division.

His father  a former military doctor was meanwhile imprisoned and later died in a Soviet punishment camp after falling victim to one of Josef Stalin's purges.

After the war, Dushman helped train the Soviet Union's women's national fencing team for four decades and witnessed the attack by eight Palestinian terrorists on the Israeli team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, which resulted in the deaths of 11 Israelis, five of the Palestinians and a German policeman.

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Later in life, Dushman visited schools to tell students about the war and the horrors of the Holocaust. He also regularly dusted off his military medals to participate in veterans gatherings.

"Dushman was a legendary fencing coach and the last living liberator of the Auschwitz concentration camp," the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

IOC President Thomas Bach paid tribute to Dushman, recounting how as a young fencer for what was then West Germany he was offered friendship and counsel" by the veteran coach in 1970 despite Mr Dushmans personal experience with World War II and Auschwitz, and he being a man of Jewish origin."

"This was such a deep human gesture that I will never ever forget it, Bach said in a statement.

Dushman trained some of the Soviet Union's most successful fencers, including Valentina Sidorova, and continued to give lessons well into his 90s, the IOC said.

Details on funeral arrangements weren't immediately known. Dushman's wife, Zoja, died several years ago.
- By GF Value





The stock of Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT, 30-year Financials) is believed to be fairly valued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $47.37 per share and the market cap of $5.3 billion, Essent Group stock shows every sign of being fairly valued. GF Value for Essent Group is shown in the chart below.





Essent Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Fairly Valued

Because Essent Group is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth, which averaged 14% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 4.80% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

Investing in companies with poor financial strength has a higher risk of permanent loss of capital. Thus, it is important to carefully review the financial strength of a company before deciding whether to buy its stock. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great starting point for understanding the financial strength of a company. Essent Group has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.25, which is worse than 88% of the companies in Banks industry. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of Essent Group at 5 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Essent Group is fair. This is the debt and cash of Essent Group over the past years:

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Essent Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Fairly Valued

Companies that have been consistently profitable over the long term offer less risk for investors who may want to purchase shares. Higher profit margins usually dictate a better investment compared to a company with lower profit margins. Essent Group has been profitable 8 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $971.1 million and earnings of $3.57 a share. Its operating margin is 0.00%, which ranks in the bottom 10% of the companies in Banks industry. Overall, the profitability of Essent Group is ranked 6 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Essent Group over the past years:

Essent Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Fairly Valued

Growth is probably the most important factor in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long term performance of a company's stock. The faster a company is growing, the more likely it is to be creating value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of Essent Group is 14%, which ranks better than 85% of the companies in Banks industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 3.3%, which ranks worse than 66% of the companies in Banks industry.

Another method of determining the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital to the weighted average cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. When the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it implies the company is creating value for shareholders. For the past 12 months, Essent Group's return on invested capital is 8.49, and its cost of capital is 9.10. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Essent Group is shown below:

Essent Group Stock Shows Every Sign Of Being Fairly Valued

To conclude, Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT, 30-year Financials) stock is estimated to be fairly valued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks worse than 66% of the companies in Banks industry. To learn more about Essent Group stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union's ambassador to the United Kingdom said on Sunday that levels of trust between the two powers was low ahead of Brexit talks on the Northern Ireland protocol this week, but added that he was confident it would improve.

"The levels of trust are low right now," Joao Vale de Almeida told Times Radio.

"We ultimately need to re-establish a minimum level of trust that allows us to find solutions, but this being said...I remain confident that we can get there."

(Reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
The claim: President Joe Biden wants to extend high school by four years

Social media users are sharing a misleading clip of President Joe Bidens April 28 address to Congress to further the false claim that he wants to extend high school by four years.

The brief clip, published in a June 1 Instagram post, shows Biden explaining how his proposed American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America.

Text over the video reads, Joe Biden Says He Plans To Extend High School Education By Four More Years. The video's caption reads, #JoeBiden thinks 12 years of public school education isnt enough."

Fact check: Both Biden and Harris commemorated veterans on Memorial Day, despite false claims

Other posts shared the same clip with similar text.

But this claim is a distortion of Bidens proposal. He has not announced any plan to elongate high school. In reality, the American Families Plan would grant two years of free prekindergarten and two years of free community college to all Americans.

USA TODAY reached out to several posters for comment.

Full address shows claim is false

The clip shows a short and misleading section of Bidens April 28 address to Congress. In the clip, Biden says:

"I wonder whether we'd think, as we did in the 20th century, that 12 years is enough in the 21st century. I doubt it. Twelve years is no longer enough today to compete with the rest of the world in the 21st century. Thats why my American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America  starting as early as we can.

President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress as Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R) look on in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol April 28, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

The clip does not include Bidens next statement, in which he explained the additional public education would involve two years of universal high-quality pre-school for every 3- and 4-year-old and two years of free community college.

American Families Plan proposes free pre-K, community college

The American Families Plan would grant $200 billion for free prekindergarten and $109 billion for free community college for all Americans.

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If passed, states would have the option to partner with the federal government and receive the funding.

Biden tapped first lady Jill Biden, who continues to work as a community college professor, to lead the effort.

The plan does not extend the duration of high school.

Our rating: False

The claim that Biden wants to make high school four years longer is FALSE , based on our research. His American Families Plan proposes to make two years of prekindergarten and two years of community college free for all Americans. The plan would not make high school longer.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Biden plan wouldn't add four years to high school
Letting go of myths has always been hard. It is easy to cherish the Confederate and the cowboy even though they are only a storybook version of history, a confection for children who can identify with them because of how they look or because it makes for an entertaining tale.
The number of students signing up for summer school is expected to be greater than ever before, with the Biden administration requiring states to devote some of the federal pandemic relief packages to these programs, the Associated Press reports.

The big picture: Families are enrolling their children in academic-focused summer programs to catch up and stay on track after the last 18 months.

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Some educators are concerned with their school districts' abilities to cater to the growing student participation.

Though the Department of Education has said it is too early to know how many students will sign up, the number is more than likely to exceed the 3.3 million who went to summer school in 2019, per AP.

In Montgomery, Ala., more than 12,000 of the school systems 28,000 students signed up before the June 1 deadline. Typically about 2,500 attend summer school.

What they're saying: "Its an understatement to say the needs are greater this year, said Kalman Hettleman, an education policy analyst in Maryland.

Its not realistic to think that summer school, no matter how good and intense, will close all the gaps because many of these kids had gaps before the pandemic, Hettleman added. But it will help, and it will at least give them a fighting chance if there are intense interventions during the regular school year.

I learn better in school than online. Being in a classroom where a teacher is present is so much better than waiting hours for an email back from your teacher, Taylor Dennington told the wire service.

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By Gavin Jones

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's co-ruling 5-Star Movement has resolved a long-running internal legal battle, paving the way for former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to take over as leader of the divided party and try to revive its fortunes.

Conte agreed to take the reins of 5-Star after his coalition government collapsed in February, but his plans to relaunch the struggling group have been delayed by a bitter dispute with the firm that provided its internet platform.

The company, called the Rousseau Association, said many 5-Star parliamentarians had refused to honour a commitment to pay part of their salaries towards the platform's upkeep.

In response, it refused to hand over the identities of the party's members, making it impossible for Conte to be formally voted in as leader and leaving the movement politically paralysed.

"The waiting and the delays are over ... we have finally obtained the data of our members and reached an agreement with the Rousseau Association," Conte said on Facebook late on Saturday, adding that 5-Star would honour its debts to the firm.

5-Star is the largest party in parliament thanks to its triumph at 2018 elections when it took 32% or of the vote, but since then its popularity has been undermined by policy U-turns and internal feuding.

It is now polling at around 16%, making it Italy's fourth largest party, but it is still only five points behind the right-wing League, the most popular group on the country's fragmented political landscape.

Conte wants to give the formerly anti-establishment protest movement a more traditional, moderate face as part of his efforts to form a stable alliance with the centre-left Democratic Party.

"In the coming days, our political project will be revealed," said Conte, who is Italy's most popular politician after Mario Draghi, the former central banker who replaced him as premier at the head of a national unity government.

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This month, 5-Star will hold an online vote of its members on a new web platform to elect its leader, Conte said. Environmentalism and the fight against inequality will be among the guiding principle of the re-founded movement, he added.

It is unclear if anyone will run against Conte as leader, but in any case his election is considered a formality.

Foreign Minister and former 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio urged 5-Star's voters and lawmakers to get behind Conte and "bulletproof" his leadership.

"United, we can do many more useful things for the Italians," Di Maio said.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)
(Bloomberg) -- President Emmanuel Macrons government isnt abandoning its controversial plan to reform the French pension system, hammering home the argument that its key to attracting foreign investors.

Well keep working on the pension reform, Frances Delegate Minister for Foreign Trade Franck Riester told Bloomberg News. It shows we are committed to keep improving the business environment in France.

Macron came to power in 2017 with a pledge to boost growth and employment by cutting bureaucracy and encouraging foreign investment. But the pandemic derailed his plans and forced him to halt some of his reforms -- including the one that triggered the strongest opposition on the streets, the overhaul of the pension system.

Opponents criticized the reform for being too vague and unfair, with some people losing benefits. Riester says foreign investors are keen for France to overhaul its social safety net, because the prospect of sounder public finances would improve the long-term outlook of the country.

On the campaign trail on Thursday, ahead of upcoming regional elections, Macron fueled long-running speculation about whether he would try to revive the plans, saying that difficult decisions were needed in the remaining year of his mandate. The president added that the overhaul, as he first envisioned it, was off the table.

One ministerial adviser said Macron needed to first tour the country to gauge public opinion before making a decision.

Whatever It Costs

The French president has also wagered that the states whatever it costs strategy to support businesses and employees with public money through three national lockdowns would appeal to foreign companies and foster job creation. The bet has yet to pay off.

According to a new study by EY, on average, one foreign investment project creates 34 jobs in France, compared with 61 in the U.K. and 48 in Germany. About 8% of the French workforce is still unemployed, despite a drop in 2019.

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Overall, around 1,000 foreign investment projects in France last year led to the creation of some 30,000 jobs, the EY study shows.

Fewer Projects

Yet the coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on foreign investment comparable to the 2008 financial crisis, according to EY. The number of investment projects in France fell 18% last year, the research shows, compared with 12% in the U.K. and 4% in Germany.

Aeronautics, the auto industry and services -- key sectors of the French economy -- were particularly affected. Logistics and financial services held up.

Even so, the country remains the most attractive destination in Europe for foreign investors, ahead of the U.K. and Germany, according to EY. Thats largely because finance industry headquarters relocated to the country after Brexit and due to the governments tax cuts for businesses and wealthy individuals, Riester said.

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2021 Bloomberg L.P.
GUATEMALA CITY  The Biden administration is trying to manage expectations for Kamala Harris first international trip as vice president.

The goal for her two-day visit to Guatemala and Mexico isnt to roll out a massive plan to solve the problems driving thousands to flee the region, according to administration officials, people close to the White House and experts, but simply to show that the U.S. cares and isnt just looking for quick fixes.

Nevertheless, Harris faces an early test not only of her diplomatic skills, but also of her ability to be a leader on the world stage.

In the immediate term, Harris needs to prove shes the right person to lead the Biden administrations efforts to stem the migration of thousands of Central Americans and Mexicans, something previous administrations  both Democrat and Republican  have failed to do. In the long term, showing she can handle a complex foreign policy issue is a must for her future political ambitions.

Its no small task, given the deeply rooted challenges in the region and Harris limited exposure to foreign policy as an elected official in California.

Migration in the Western Hemisphere is a structural issue that is not going to be resolved in a matter of six months, said Juan Gonzalez, the National Security Councils senior director for the Western Hemisphere, who has been briefing Harris for months on the issue.

In order to truly begin tackling the root causes of migration, Gonzalez added, the vice president has to be down there in person, she has to engage on these issues, she has to talk to these leaders directly as part of her playing a leadership role.

Harris lands in Guatemala City Sunday night ahead of a sit-down with President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday, followed by events with Guatemalan community leaders and entrepreneurs. On Tuesday, she will be in Mexico City to meet with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders.

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Administration officials, Harris aides and experts say this is an opportunity to demonstrate, in a high-profile way, that she is genuinely committed to engaging community and business leaders in the two countries, and not just their governments.

She cant just go down and deliver an announcement of aid, said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute. She also has to be seen as listening to people, because if the strategy in Central America is going to work, there has to be a two-way dialogue open with people who are working for change there.

Selee summed up what he foresees from the trip: Modest expectations, solid foundations.

Administration officials point out Harris has been keen on meeting with more than the leaders of Guatemala and Mexico. She has also had conversations with NGOs, leaders in the private sector and justice advocates  examples that officials say show a different approach than previous administrations, including when Biden was tasked with the same job as veep to President Barack Obama.

Rafts carry passengers and supplies across the Suchiate River between Tecun Uman, Guatemala (left) and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, on June 5. Vice President Kamala Harris heads to Guatemala and Mexico on her first foreign trip Sunday.

White House aides stress that the trip is meant to be a public launch for actions that have either been in the works or in planning stages for months all over the federal government.

Having a head of state visit, the vice president in this case, really galvanizes a whole host of actions, one senior administration official said.

I expect when she comes back, she'll want to bring the Cabinet together again to make sure we're making progress [on] the goals that she's set to make sure that the governments themselves are meeting our expectations for their level of engagement, to make sure that the international community is engaged.

For months, aides who are experts in the region have been holed up with Harris, briefing and presenting her with a range of options for negotiations and conversations with the leaders shell be meeting with.

She is going to be ultimately making some of these calls once she's in the meeting. I think what she's trying to do is figure out, as a former prosecutor, how is she going to make her best argument? a senior administration aide said.

The trip is also a chance for the administration to reset what her role on immigration policy actually is. Harris was tasked with leading diplomatic efforts in the Northern Triangle and Mexico nearly three months ago, but aides admit in private that the rollout could have been smoother. The initial announcement that Harris would oversee efforts to address the root causes of migration  which came amid a spike in the number of migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border  prompted Republicans to label her the border czar and blame her for continued influx of migrants there.

But aides say they arent focused on correcting the record for Republicans, because the trip likely wont change the GOPs tactics. They're deliberately not getting it. It's not hard to understand but they want to try to tie her up in the border czar position for their own purposes, a senior administration official said.

Beyond the GOPs framing of her job, Harris faces major issues in working with Central America and Mexico on the corruption, poverty, violence and other destabilizing conditions driving thousands of people to migrate north to the United States. In addition to having some of the highest homicide rates in the world, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have been rocked in recent years by political turmoil, natural disasters and Covid-19 and the economic downturn its caused. The pandemic appears to have caused a dramatic drop in migration from the region in 2020, but migrant crossings have surged upward again in 2021. U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel encountered more foreign nationals from the Northern Triangle through the first half of fiscal year 2021 than they did in all of fiscal year 2020, according to the Congressional Research Service.

For now, Harris has opted to center her work around Guatemala and Mexico, while lower level officials have taken on talks with the governments of Honduras and El Salvador, whom the administration has less faith in.

While more open to collaboration, the Guatemalan and Mexican governments have their own set of issues. In Guatemala, the government is seeking to undercut civil society groups. In Mexico, Lopez Obrador has slammed the U.S. for giving money to non-profits that have been critical of his government.

She does have to really deliver a message to the government of Guatemala about governance and rule of law, but she also has to make sure she doesnt come across as the overbearing American official thats trying to tell Central Americans what to do, Selee said. Thats a really tough tightrope to walk.

Advocates and community leaders in Guatemala on Thursday urged the Biden administration to take concrete action to improve conditions for Guatemalans in their home country and those already in the U.S. That includes rescinding Title 42, which allows the U.S. to almost immediately expel migrants arriving at the border and granting Guatemalans Temporary Protected Status, which would grant legal status to certain migrants already in the U.S.

The advocates, speaking at a press conference ahead of Harris trip, made clear, however, that anti-corruption needs to be a centerpiece of any strategy toward the region  a point that Harris has agreed with in public remarks.

The Biden administration needs to take very firm positions and make very firm decisions on issues of corruption in Guatemala. As long as those positions are not taken, theyre not supporting us, Carolina Escobar Sarti, a Guatemalan human rights activist working with Grupo Articulador de la Sociedad Civil en Materia Migratoria, a coalition of immigrant advocacy and human rights groups, said at the press conference.

Immigrant advocates and civil society groups in the U.S. and Central America are also concerned about the Biden administrations push for both Mexico and Guatemala to help crack down on migrants heading for the southern U.S. border.

Beyond enforcement, there needs to be a commitment to doing the greatest effort to amend [U.S.] immigration laws and have a real investment in development not only in Central America but in south, southeast of Mexico, Martha Barcena, former Mexican ambassador to the U.S., said.

The Biden administrations aid to Central America has largely been measured thus far. However, Biden has proposed a $4 billion aid package as part of a long-term strategy toward the region.

In April, the U.S. Agency for International Development deployed a disaster assistance response team to help with humanitarian needs. That same month, Harris announced the U.S. would send an additional $310 million for humanitarian relief and to tackle food insecurity in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Harris also announced that a dozen companies and organizations  including Mastercard, Nespresso and Microsoft  have committed to invest in the Northern Triangle countries to help spur economic development in the region.

Immigrant advocates point to polling that shows addressing root causes isnt only the right policy, but the right politics, too. A majority of Americans  86 percent of Democrats, 87 percent of Republicans and 81 percent of Independents  agree that the U.S. government should work more closely with other countries in the region to preemptively reduce migration, according to a Civiqs poll conducted for Immigration Hub in April.

She has led with this message of giving hope and that makes sense to people, said Sergio Gonzales, executive director of the advocacy group Immigration Hub and former senior policy adviser to Harris on immigration and homeland security. Its important to the American public because its a message people can relate to and understand even if there are big variations on how they believe immigration policy should be handled, he added.

The message of hope is one thing but the carrot and stick approach, experts of the region say, is key. Stephen McFarland, a former ambassador to Guatemala to Presidents Bush and Obama, who has spent the last decade consulting in the region, said the followup on promises and possible threats is going to be the real challenge, because it will force the leaders to actually make good on their promises.

They will reinforce the administration's credibility, because if you only talk nice and don't pressure and make good on threats, then they won't take you seriously, McFarland said.

Aides say Harris knows that a lot of this is going to depend on her ability to convince Northern Triangle countries to actually work to address corruption, violence and poverty more than they have in the past. One said it will require political will from the governments of the region to manage migration, which is something she will be making very clear to leaders.

She is going to be one that's going to be making a lot of these decisions because she is leading the effort. But at her request, we have put together carrots and sticks. And she will deploy them as she manages the leadership on this for the president, a senior administration official said.


Jun. 6There's nothing like the gaiety of a Japanese community bon dance, with thousands of people of all ages clapping and dancing in circles. The atmosphere is filled with thumping taiko drums and sing-song strains of the samisen (Japanese lute ), and the aroma of sizzling barbecue on the grill, as strings of glowing lanterns sway overhead.

In spite of COVID-19 restrictions that ban large gatherings for the second year, several Buddhist temples are determined to keep the spirit alive with virtual dances and a few in-person customs as the summer obon season, which honors one's ancestors, begins.

Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission Karen Pang, one of the leaders of the Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission Bon Dance Team, said it was a letdown not to have the real bon dance last year, but she thought, "we just have to make the best of the situation and maybe feel better about the pandemic."

Last year's video, made by the team, garnered positive comments and was viewed by at least 2, 000, including neighbor islanders and mainlanders, she said. A family in Idaho sent video of themselves dancing along with Wahiawa's team, Pang added.

She and Vivian Murayama, another team leader and both lifelong Hongwanji members, remember there's always been a designated bon dance team. They've pranced along to bon dances since they were children, and now Murayama's granddaughter Skylar Oshiro, age 3, has joined the team. Skylar's mother, Stephanie Oshiro, used to tote her infant in a carrier on her back as she practiced on the team ; the toddler started coming to rehearsals a year ago, they said.

Doris Matsuoka, 94, who has been dancing for more than 25 years, is the oldest member of the team, Pang said. The team started rehearsing 15 songs via Zoom in March, followed by in-person sessions a few weeks ago, to be in peak form for the video to be released at 6 p.m. June 26.

Wahiawa will also have a drive-thru pickup for three choices of bentos from 4 :30 to 5 :30 p.m. June 26 at the temple ; call 622-4320 to preorder by noon June 16, said Dale Shimaura, the temple's vice president.

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Memorial ribbons with names of deceased loved ones are being sold for $20, and will be hung from pink-and-white lanterns decorating the temple ; call the temple to order by noon June 12. Items for an online silent auction will be displayed on the website this month, with more details to follow.

Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission, 1067 California Ave, 622-4320 ;

Mililani Hongwanji Mission The Rev. David Fujimoto, minister of Mili lani Hongwanji, said the temple's longtime bon dance instructors will perform about five dances for a video premiering at 6 p.m. Aug. 21 on the Mililani /Ewa Hongwanji YouTube Channel (); a virtual bon service will be shown at 7 a.m. Aug. 15 on the same channel.

There will be a drive-thru pickup for preordered bentos and fried noodles from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 21 at the Mililani temple. A craft fair and silent auction will be available online, where people can mail-order items or pick up ordered store items at the same time as the drive-thru.

The paper lanterns that will decorate the temple were designed by the dharma school students to keep them engaged during the pandemic, he said.

"It's important to keep traditions like the bon dance alive. ... For many, they come home for bon to be with their family, " Fuji moto said in an email. "Many times, it is their one and only time to come to the temple, outside of New Year's. Bon dance allows our members to see each other ; even (for ) myself as a minister, I look forward to seeing the members and friends that we don't normally see. It's like going to Vegas !

"When they do come and visit the temple, there is that feeling of appreciation and gratitude for all those who have come before us. With all of that music, laughter and excitement going on outside, still, the temple offers us a quiet place to reflect on the meaning of obon. All of that was missing last year, " he said. "This year, in all of the frustration and anxiety of the pandemic, like last year, it's our gift to everyone to escape from that stress-filled world."

Fujimoto also oversees the Ewa Hongwanji Mission, which will have its own drive-thru for bentos and fried noodles from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 31. A virtual bon service will premiere at 6 p.m. July 24 on the Mililani /Ewa Hongwanji YouTube channel.

Mililani Hongwanji Mission, 95-257 Kaloa pau St., Mililani, 625-0925 ; Ewa Hongwanji Mission, 91-1133 Renton Road, Ewa Beach, 681-5222 For more information about the bento orders, check the Mililani and Ewa temples' Facebook pages, or visit the temple websites : or.

Moiliili Hongwanji Mission Moiliili Hongwanji Mission and community organizations are sponsoring a virtual Summer Fest with a new online pop-up makeke, or market, in place of the popular event that drew thousands to the district every July, said organizer Cedric Duarte.

Sponsors include the Moiliili Community Center and the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai 'i, and at least 20 to 30 retail vendors will participate. Beginning July 1, items will be available for purchase at the monthlong online market. Visit moiliilisummerfest.com.

This month the temple began selling bon dance towels ($10 ) and lantern tags ($20 ) in memory of loved ones, and taking bento and andagi doughnut orders by phone for a drive-thru pickup 4 to 6 :30 p.m. July 3 in front of the temple. Call 949-1659 to order by June 30.

A virtual bon dance will premiere at 7 p.m. July 3 ; visit for the link.

Moiliili Hongwanji Mission, 902 University Ave., 949-1659.

Seasonal events Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, the main temple of the Hawaii Kyodan, said other temples on Oahu are planning their own events for the bon season, but dates and times have not yet been determined. Check with the individual temples for information or call 536-7044.
COVID has forever changed the way many industries operate, as many venues were forced to come up with alternative ways to do business as restrictions and social distancing were enforced. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images

The reopening of indoor hospitality has failed to reignite footfall returning to town centres, as customers frustration with queuing, QR codes and basic menus grows.

New research, seen exclusively by Yahoo Finance shows the gap between footfall in May 2021 and the same time period in 2019 widened from 25.3% to 26.8% as the month went on.

This means while footfall increased after the reopening of non-essential retail in April, the much-anticipated return to hospitality has struggled to make the same impact.

One potential reason for this is a reduction in casual walk-in guests, in conjunction with KPMG analysis that has suggested that the culture of browsing around shops and town centres has reduced.

While sales at indoor hospitality venues rose in the first week of reopening, footfall in town centres decreased as they fail to entice consumers who are still reluctant to return.

COVID has forever changed the way many industries operate, as many venues were forced to come up with alternative ways to do business as restrictions and social distancing were enforced.

The resurgence of the quick response (QR) code has also allowed venues to offer minimal contact for customers, with 88% of respondents saying they would continue online menus after the pandemic.

Restaurant goers are now able to scan a QR code present on the table and be presented with the digital menu via their smartphone, improving both efficiency and customer experience.

A QR code is a machine-readable barcode that contains information about the item to which it is attached.

According to a study by Ubamarket LTD, the creators of hospitality tech app, NOMM (New Order Magic Menu) consumers have experienced "teething issues" with the rise of technology in the sector.

Of the respondents, 44% (9,995,000) said that they found it frustrating that apps and QR codes at hospitality venues do not show the entire menu. A further 32% agreed that ordering from QR codes in venues was too unreliable.

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Meanwhile, 17% said they were frustrated digital menus did not show all the ingredients in a dish. 43% said they did not want to wait longer than five minutes for their order to be taken, while 60% said they were most concerned about standing in long queues for the bar.

Read more: How COVID changed the UK's hospitality sector

"Venues and technology providers have responded quickly by pivoting and creating an array of apps. However, as pinpointed in our research, there have undoubtedly been some frustrations that have surfaced," said Will Broome, founder of Ubamarket and NOMM.

Separate research from card payments firm Dojo, revealed that as a result of COVID, 95% of UK hospitality venues are looking to implement technology into their businesses.

Catalysed by the events of the last 12 months, hospitality technology has gone from a niche product, to an absolute necessity.

The crisis has propelled contactless payment and orders. From mobile apps to web ordering, 43% of customers have been using some form of order and pay technology since July 2020.

It is not only order and pay tech that has changed how the hospitality sector operates. COVID has also seen a huge rise in the number of restaurants using online menus, with 57% of them now offering physical and digital menus at their venues.

According to analysts at ING, social spending had already exceeded last summer's levels before indoor hospitality reopened in May, while the number of job adverts in hospitality is above pre-virus levels.

This confidence is, however due to be put under pressure by the Delta COVID variant. Although there is evidence supporting the fact that vaccines protect against it, it could be around 50% more transmissible than the previously dominant strain.

Watch: What UK government COVID-19 support is available?
Israeli police Sunday arrested a prominent activist at the centre of the movement to publicise the threatened eviction of Palestinians from their homes in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, her family told AFP.

The father of Mona el-Kurd, 23, said police apprehended his daughter and took her to a police station for questioning, leaving a summons for her twin brother, Muhammad.

In footage widely shared on social media, Mona el-Kurd was shown handcuffed and taken by officers out of her family's home in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, whose struggle has crystalized Palestinian anger over Israel's settlement movement.

The duo, whose family is currently under threat of losing their home, have gained more than 180,000 Twitter followers and more than half a million on Instagram for their activism, under the hashtags #SheikhJarrah and #SaveSheikhJarrah, taking their neighbourhood's plight global.

Their father, who spoke to AFP in front of the police station in Jerusalem, dubbed his daughter's arrest part of "an operation to terrorise the parents, because the voice that emerged from the neighbourhood was thanks to its youth."

He said his son Muhammad had been away teaching in Ramallah but was on his way back to cooperate with the police summons.

The police did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

Under Israeli law, if Jews can prove that their families lived in east Jerusalem before the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that created the state of Israel, they can request the "return" of their property, even if Palestinian families have been living there for decades.

Palestinians whose ancestors became refugees in the 1948 war have no means to retrieve their homes or land in modern-day Israel.

Israeli right groups Ir Amim says up to 1,000 Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah and the nearby Silwan district face being displaced.

While Palestinians and their backers see the issue as a microcosm of the wider conflict over land, Jewish settlers and their supporters have labelled it a mere property dispute, to be decided by Israeli courts.

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Protests in Sheikh Jarrah spread early last month into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, sparking a crackdown by Israeli security forces against Palestinians there.

Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, responded by launching volleys of rockets towards Israel on May 10, triggering an 11-day war between the Jewish state and Palestinian militants.

bur-mdo/dwo
By Zainah El-Haroun

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli police detained two prominent Palestinian activists on Sunday who have become the faces of a campaign to halt Palestinian evictions from the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

Footage on social media on Sunday showed Muna El-Kurd, 23, whose family faces eviction from their home in Sheikh Jarrah after Jewish settlers won an Israeli court ruling, handcuffed and being escorted from her home by Israeli officers.

Her twin brother, Mohammed El-Kurd, later turned himself in at a police station after receiving a summons, their father said. Both were released hours later, he added.

Without explicitly naming Muna El-Kurd, an Israeli police spokeswoman said police had arrested a 23-year-old resident of East Jerusalem under court order, on suspicion of participating in riots that took place in Sheikh Jarrah recently.

The police did not immediately comment on Mohammed El-Kurd, who was later shown in a live Instagram video leaving the station, accompanied by father Nabil El-Kurd.

Their supporters said the twins' detention was part of a broader Israeli effort to halt opposition to the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, where Jewish settlers want to move into the El-Kurds' home and others under court order.

"It's clear that these are policies to silence people, policies to pressure and scare people," Muna El-Kurd said in a statement on the Sheikh Jarrah Instagram page after her release.

Anger over the proposed evictions helped spark 11 days of violence in May between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza, whose Islamist rulers Hamas have called Israeli policy in East Jerusalem a "red line".

The detentions came a day after police in Sheikh Jarrah arrested a reporter with Qatar-based media network Al Jazeera who had been covering a protest there.

In October last year an Israeli court ruled in favour of Jewish settlers, who say some eight Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah are living on land that used to belong to Jews.

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Palestinians are appealing the decision in Israel's Supreme Court, and the evictions are currently on hold.

Tensions could flare further in Jerusalem this week when a Jewish right-wing march is expected to pass through the Old City's Damascus gate. A similar march, its route diverted at the last minute, was held the same day that the Israel-Gaza fighting broke out.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians are seeking the territories for a future state.

(Writing by Rami Ayyub and Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Jan Harvey)
By Jeffrey Heller

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday a newly formed Israeli coalition that is poised to unseat him was the result of "the greatest election fraud" in the history of democracy.

Hours after Netanyahu's comments, Naftali Bennett, a nationalist set to replace him as prime minister, called on Israel's longest-serving leader not to leave "scorched earth" behind and accept that "people are allowed to establish a government - even if you don't head it".

Netanyahu made his sweeping accusation at a time when Israel's domestic security chief has warned publicly about the prospect of political violence.

"We are witnessing the greatest election fraud in the history of the country, in my opinion in the history of any democracy," Netanyahu said in comments to legislators from his right-wing Likud party.

He focused his allegations on a broken campaign promise from Bennett, who had pledged not to partner with left-wing, centrist and Arab parties.

On Wednesday, Bennett announced with opposition leader Yair Lapid that they had formed a governing coalition with factions from across the political spectrum following an inconclusive March 23 election, Israel's fourth in two years.

Under a rotation deal, Bennett will serve first as prime minister, followed by Lapid.

No date has been set for a vote in parliament to approve the new government.

In a televised speech, Bennett called on Yariv Levin, parliament's speaker and a Netanyahu loyalist, not to try to buy time to encourage members of the new coalition to defect, and said he should hold the vote on Wednesday. There was no immediate comment from Levin.

"Let go. Let the country move forward," Bennett said, addressing his remarks to Netanyahu, who has been in office since 2009. "Mr Netanyahu, don't leave scorched earth behind you. All of us, the entire nation, want to remember the good you did during your service."

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Netanyahu's tenure has been clouded by a corruption trial, in which he has denied any wrongdoing, but he has won praise at home and abroad for Israel's quick rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations.

"FRAUD AND SURRENDER"

The prospective new government caps political jockeying since the election. People angry at the planned alliance have held protests outside the homes of opposition politicians, whose security has been beefed up after threats on social media.

"We, my friends and I in Likud, we will vehemently oppose the establishment of this dangerous government of fraud and surrender," Netanyahu said. "And if, God forbid, it is established, we will bring it down very quickly."

In a rare public warning, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency said on Saturday that increasingly extreme online discourse could lead to violence.

While condemning violence and incitement, Netanyahu, 71, repeated his designation of the Lapid-Bennett coalition as a leftist alliance that would put Israel at risk.

He said the diverse partnership would be unable to stand up to Washington over Iran's nuclear programme or confront Gaza's Hamas militant group that fought with Israel for 11 days last month before a fragile ceasefire went into effect.

Bennett, who heads the far-right Yamina party and advocates annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, said Netanyahu's description of the coalition as being "extreme-leftist" was "another lie".

(Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell and Ari Rabinovitch, editing by Frances Kerry and Timothy Heritage)
Young is hoping to get a job in August when her two children return to school, although it may prove difficult to stay afloat when payments end in early July, she said. Child care for them proved too costly, so she had to stay home while the pandemic kept schools closed. In the meantime, shes gone back to school in hopes of a higher-paying job.
FILE -- Vice President Kamala Harris meets with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in Washington on May 17, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times)

Is Kamala Harris drawing the shortest straws in the White House?

This week, President Joe Biden announced that Harris would lead the administrations effort to protect voting rights, a task he immediately said would take a hell of a lot of work.

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And Sunday, Harris leaves for her first trip abroad, visiting Mexico and Guatemala as part of her mandate to address the root causes of migration from Central America that are contributing to a surge of people trying to cross the U.S. southern border.

The central political question facing Harris has never been whether she will run for president again. It is when and how.

Yet for a history-making politician with big ambitions, Harris has adopted an early agenda that has left some Democrats fretting about the future of a politician who is already positioned as a presidential-nominee-in-waiting.

Both immigration and voting rights are politically fraught problems with no easy solutions. Democrats expansive election legislation has faltered in the Senate, with moderate party lawmakers like Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia expressing concerns about the bill.

And despite the best efforts of her team, Harris has become the administrations face  sometimes quite literally  for the influx of migrants, including tens of thousands of unaccompanied children, at the southern border.

Allies point out that Harris portfolio extends beyond those two high-profile issues. She is also responsible for expanding broadband internet access, combating vaccine hesitancy, advocating the infrastructure plan, helping women reenter the workforce, highlighting the Black maternal mortality rate and aiding small businesses, among other issues.

The allies cite the challenges Biden took on during his first term as vice president  including leading the White House effort to draw down troops in Iraq and overseeing the implementation of the stimulus bill  and argue that voters reward politicians for tackling hard issues, even if they remain unresolved.

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And many argue that there are no easy problems in a country still grappling with a devastating pandemic, continued economic uncertainty and a divisive racial reckoning.

These are long-term, systemic issues, said Donna Brazile, a former Democratic Party chair who speaks with Harris and her team. Shes defined by what I call real big problems  and problems that require a different kind of leadership to solve.

Of course, real big problems also carry a far greater risk of political missteps and policy failures, particularly for a politician who is more polarizing than the president she serves, polls show.

Even before she became the first Black female vice president, Harris emerged as an early target of Republicans, who found it easier to rile up their base with racist and sexist attacks against her than with condemnations of Biden. In the conservative media, she is relentlessly defined as an untrustworthy radical with an unpronounceable name and an anti-American agenda.

The false caricature may be having an impact on her image: Tracking polls find Harris approval rating hovering a few percentage points lower than Bidens, with more voters expressing negative views of her performance.

Aides to Harris have quietly placed some of the blame for the politically damaging situation on Biden, according to some Democrats outside the White House. The president announced her new diplomatic assignment by telling reporters before a March meeting on immigration at the White House that the vice president would lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle, and the countries that can help, need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border.

Harris staff spent weeks explaining that her job was not to reform the countrys immigration system but a narrowly focused foreign policy mission. That distinction is difficult to draw, given the interconnected nature of global migration.

And it seems to have been lost on Republicans, who see the situation at the border as one of their most potent lines of attack against a relatively popular administration. They have spent weeks falsely calling her Bidens border czar, releasing #BidenBorderCrisis videos and calling on the vice president to visit the southern border, which she will fly over this weekend on her way to meetings in Central America.

But there are some indications that behind the scenes, Harris pushed for leadership roles on these charged policy issues.

After the election, some allies of Harris urged her to take on immigration, according to people who have spoken with her team, even though the issue has long been so intractable that the last president to pass significant legislation addressing it was Ronald Reagan. And the vice president personally asked Biden if she could spearhead the administrations fight against Republicans new voting restrictions as an extension of her past work as a senator and the attorney general of California on a problem she believes threatens the underpinnings of American democracy.

Yet in the Senate, Harris was not known for her close relationships with moderates like Manchin. It is unclear if she will be able to broker the kind of compromises within her party that will be necessary to pass a voting rights bill. And given the lack of Republican support, little is likely to happen on the bill unless Democrats agree to abolish the filibuster, which several moderates oppose.

Beyond legislation, her influence is limited. In the states, Republicans have made the passing of laws that restrict voting an early litmus test for their party. While the Justice Department can bring litigation against voter-suppression measures, Harris cannot been seen as pressuring the agency to do so. Filling judicial vacancies with pro-voting judges could help stop some of the state laws, but that is a role that falls to Congress and Biden.

Still, there may be political upsides for Harris in taking on voting rights. Voting rights advocates have expressed frustration at what they see as the administrations tepid approach to countering voter suppression and the prospect that it could hamper Democrats ability to win elections in 2022 and beyond.

Harris can travel the country rallying her partys base, particularly voters of color who are the backbone of Democratic politics. Allies say her role will extend far beyond the legislative wrangling in the Senate to include meetings with activists, state officials and corporations  building relationships with the kinds of Democrats who can help bolster a presidential bid.

From her perspective, what I would say shes thinking about is, Look, if we dont fix this, our democracy is gone, said Leah Daughtry, a veteran of Democratic campaigns. She will be using the power of the bully pulpit of the White House to get people engaged and involved.

But some suggest that Harris portfolio may have more to do with office politics than those of the presidential variety. While Biden feels comfortable with Harris, Democrats familiar with the workings of the White House say, some on his team remain skeptical of her loyalty after the divisive primary race. Her agenda, they argue, may simply be the White House version of cleaning up after the office party: What better way to prove her fidelity than by taking on some of the most thankless tasks?

Theres always the long view when you are vice president and you think about the future, Brazile said. But its too early. Joe Biden has said hes running in 2024, and she is a real team player.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

 2021 The New York Times Company
Jun. 6Maine is unique on the national dairy landscape  something that some say makes the Pine Tree State the envy of other dairy-producing states.

That's because in Maine, as long as a dairy producer has a valid Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry dairy license, a simple heat treatment process can be used to pasteurize milk. It's a less expensive process than the federal pasteurization standards used in the other 49 states.

The ability to work with heat-treated milk, they say, allows small farms and creameries the freedom to explore different products and diversify without first having to make a substantial monetary investment.

It's also something that agriculture officials say does not come at the expense of dairy quality or safety.

Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. The higher the temperature used in the process, the shorter the time it takes. Outside of Maine, it must be in compliance with the United States Department of Agriculture's pasteurized milk ordinance  or PMO. That means the process must include technology and equipment that records and documents those temperatures and times.

Heat treating is basically the same thing without the technical recording equipment. Instead, that information is recorded in written logs and based on observation.

In both cases, heating the milk for the prescribed amount of time kills microorganisms and enzymes that can reduce the quality, shelf life and safety of the milk or milk product.

Maine is also one of 13 states that allows the sale of raw milk at the retail level. Raw milk is milk that has not been treated in any manner.

For value-added products, though, the low-tech method of pasteurization opens the door for producers to experiment more, according to Eric Rector, president of the Maine Cheese Guild. In Maine, any cheese or yogurt aged less than 60 days that is destined for retail sales must be made with milk that has been pasteurized.

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"Those federal pasteurization standards are not conducive to what we do in Maine," Rector said. "There are some dairies and creameries that would go out of business if they had to change over to PMO standards."

The cost of PMO compliant equipment is around $10,000. It's a cost that would be difficult for many small creameries in Maine to afford, according to Heather Donahue of Balfour Farm and The Little Cheese Shop.

Both Rector and Donahue use simple vats to heat treat raw milk. They keep careful written records throughout the process that are available at all times to state dairy inspectors.

"Instead of fancy equipment, we are the timers and temperature monitors," she said. "What we write down becomes the legal record and this is something that has allowed small creameries in Maine to flourish."

It also gives creameries the ability to more easily diversify, said Rector.

In Rector's case, it means he can use heat-treated milk to make yogurt while he waits for up to two months for his cheeses to properly age before he can sell them.

"This allows me to keep my business humming along and to keep the money rolling in that supports the long-term aging of cheese," Rector said. "Heat treatment is a wonderful option for small dairies who need to maintain a cash flow."

Heat-treated milk products can't be sold outside of Maine, creating a unique niche that cheese lovers can only find in the state.

Rector is quick to point out the heat treating that is permitted in Maine is very different from the process used in many European countries known as "thermized heating." This process uses very low heat and shorter time to produce a milk that is somewhere between raw and pasteurized. It's not legal anywhere in the US.

The Maine Bureau of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources inspects and licenses the 87 dairies in the state. The bureau aims to bolster the milk industry.

"We have a [dairy] program and state environment that fosters a lot of support for milk producers," said Nancy McBrady, director of the bureau. "We want to support these businesses and our philosophy is to work with them and not be heavy handed [and] the industry welcomes that collaboration."

Still, dairies are not free to run their operations in ways that result in unsanitary products.

"We wear a hat that is regulatory and prioritizes public health and we know we walk a fine line," said Linda Stahlnecker, director of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry milk quality laboratory. "We know this is your business but how can we help you make it as clean as possible for people?"

Each licensed dairy in Maine is inspected multiple times throughout the year by a state certified dairy inspector. If a dairy is found to be out of state compliance in any way, Stahlnecker said the Department of Agriculture works with them to solve the problem.

"The state is a partner in my business," Rector said. "They are 100 percent behind my succeeding and willing to do their part to help me succeed."

That collaboration and the unique regulations are helping Maine's cheese industry grow, according to McBrady.

"Those that are using milk to create value-added products are doing well," McBrady said. "Our cheese industry is growing steadily and there is so much opportunity for that growth with great products."
The incident took place in a second floor unit at Block 2 Jalan Bukit Merah Road. (PHOTO: Google Street View screengrab)

SINGAPORE  A 48-year-old man was arrested on Sunday (6 June) for allegedly attacking four people with a knife at a HDB flat in Bukit Merah.

Three people suffered knife wounds during the incident, while another "fell down a flight of steps while fleeing the scene", said the police in a Facebook post.

Police said they responded at around 6am to case of assault at the the flat along 2 Jalan Bukit Merah Road.

Officers who were patrolling in the area were approached by a 59-year-old woman with blood-stained hands at the ground floor of the block. They then proceeded to the unit of the block's second floor.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that a 48-year-old Singaporean Chinese man had allegedly attacked four individuals, who are residing in the unit, with a knife. He allegedly entered the unit while the four individuals were asleep and assaulted two female tenants of the unit with a knife," said the police.

Two male tenants of the unit heard the women calling for help and attempted to subdue the assailant. Another 31-year-old male tenant, who had been awoken by the commotion, fled the unit to seek assistance from the police officers on patrol nearby. He did not suffer any injuries.

The officers subdued the alleged assailant at the unit and arrested him for voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon, possession of an offensive weapon and drug-related offences.

Four people were taken to the hospital for their injuries: a 39-year-old Vietnamese woman, 59-year-old Malaysian woman and 24-year-old Malaysian man  who all sustained knife wounds and are undergoing medical treatment  and the 18-year-old Malaysian man who fell down the stairs.

The Malaysian teenager and Vietnamese woman were listed as being in stable condition.

Police said the alleged assailant is believed to have acted alone and that there are no indications the attack was an act of terror. The man's criminal record showed he had several drug offences since 1991. He was last released from prison on 6 October last year following a drug-related conviction for which he was sentenced to seven years' jail and six strokes of the cane.

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Investigations into the case are ongoing and police have stepped patrols in the vicinity of the incident.

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Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia may be a Democrat. But he's from a conservative state, and he's not on board with big parts of President Biden's agenda. (Associated Press)

The Democratic-led Senate is heading toward showdowns on two critical pieces of legislation: President Bidens ambitious infrastructure plan and a bill to stop state legislatures from making it harder to vote.

But theres a roadblock in the Democrats way, and its not Republican leader Mitch McConnell. Its Joe Manchin III, the maverick Democrat from West Virginia, who insists that laws must be the product of bipartisan compromise, even when bipartisanship is in painfully short supply.

Its an understandable stance for a politician whose positions are often midway between the two parties' and whose state has turned thoroughly Republican.

But in a polarized 50-50 Senate, where almost every issue has become a zero-sum battle, his old-fashioned appeals to comity sound increasingly anachronistic  and theyre driving other Democrats to distraction.

Even Biden, who once believed bipartisanship would blossom as soon as Donald Trump left town, flashed a little frustration last week.

I hear all the folks on TV saying, Why doesnt Biden get this done? 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 Republican friends, he said, referring to Manchin and another centrist Democrat, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Biden has been trying to negotiate a deal with Republicans on infrastructure, but after weeks of meetings the two sides are still far apart. The president has cut his initial request by more than half and is asking for about $1 trillion in new spending; GOP leaders have countered with an offer of $307 billion, less than one-third as much.

Democratic political strategists are beginning to sound desperate; they want to pass big legislation now, so they can campaign on it for next years congressional election. But Manchin, who isnt up for reelection until 2024, is unhurried.

These [things] take time, he said last week.

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Even if Manchin agreed to abandon the quest for GOP support, to win his vote Democrats would have to settle for half a loaf on infrastructure, and may not be able to get a voting rights bill at all.

If progressives want to change these outcomes, criticizing Manchin wont help; they need to go out and elect more Democrats. And that actually might be possible  at least in the Senate.

The main reason is the peculiar arithmetic of the 2022 congressional election: Twenty Senate seats currently held by Republicans will be on the ballot, compared with only 10 held by Democrats.

The Democrats' best opportunities appear to be in two states Biden took last year: Pennsylvania, where Republican Sen. Patrick J. Toomey isnt running again, and Wisconsin, where Trumpite Sen. Ron Johnson has hinted he may retire.

Of course, Democrats will have challenges, too, including in Ohio, where Rep. Tim Ryan, a moderate with union backing, may face Republican J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy and a protege of Silicon Valleys Peter Thiel. Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Mark Kelly of Arizona will also face tough battles in states Biden won by a whisker.

Even if Democrats increase their margin in the Senate, they face a bigger challenge holding on to their majority in the House of Representatives. A GOP gain of only five seats would oust Nancy Pelosi as speaker and put a Republican, possibly Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, in her seat.

In both chambers, Democrats face a headwind: In a midterm election, the party of the incumbent president usually loses seats. Thats because a congressional election is partly a referendum on the president, and critics normally turn out more readily than fans.

Democratic strategists are hoping to turn that factor upside down next year by making the election a replay of the 2020 presidential election  in effect, a referendum on both Biden and Trump.

But other factors will be important, too. The real world could have an impact, Democratic strategist Mark Mellman told me. If the pandemic continues to ease and the economy keeps expanding, Democrats could be in pretty good shape.

Plus a wild card: If the Supreme Court strikes down the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion, that could send Democratic voters flooding to the polls.

Its far too early to forecast the outcome of a congressional election 17 months away. But it's not too early to note how big the stakes are. Biden's prospects of enacting most of his ambitious agenda depend almost entirely on the choices voters will make in 2022.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on October 2, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have welcomed their second child, a baby girl.

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on June 4 in Santa Barbara, California.

The royal baby is eighth in line to the British throne after Archie, the couple's first child.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Duchess of Sussex has given birth to her second child, a baby girl named Lilibet Diana.

"Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet," Meghan Markle and Prince Harry said in a statement on the website for their organization, Archewell. "Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

The couple welcomed the new arrival to the family on Friday in Santa Barbara, California, making their 2-year-old son Archie Harrison an older brother.

"She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe," the couple said in a statement. "Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."

Buckingham Palace said in a statement to Insider that the royal family was "delighted" by the news.

"The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex," the statement said.

The royal baby is eighth in line to the British throne after Archie, who became seventh in line upon his birth on May 6, 2019.

She is the younger cousin of Prince William and Kate Middleton's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louise, and Queen Elizabeth's 11th great-grandchild.

It's likely the baby will be raised in Santa Barbara, where the family has resided since the Sussexes purchased their first home there last year.

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Harry and Markle announced the baby's gender during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, and said they had no plans to have more than two children.

"To have any child, any one or any two would've been amazing, but to have a boy and then a girl - what more could you ask for?" Harry said. "Now we've got our family. We've got the four of us, our two dogs."

The couple announced that they were expecting their second child on Valentine's Day.

"We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child," a spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Insider.

Along with the statement, the couple shared a previously unseen black-and-white photo, which showed the duchess with her hand on her stomach.

Read the original article on Insider
Cohen sat down with Insider for an interview from his midtown Manhattan office on May 25, 2021. Adam Miller/Insider

Melinda Gates' divorce lawyer told Insider the spouses of very wealthy people sometimes settle for much less than they deserve.

Robert Stephan Cohen said he'd try to talk a client out of a deal where they're giving up too much.

To resolve bitter financial disputes, he often proposes setting up trusts for a couple's children.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

As Bill and Melinda Gates divide their enormous and complex estate, Melinda has the backing of a divorce lawyer who has decades of experience advising high-net-worth and celebrity clients.

Her attorney, Robert Stephan Cohen, recently sat down with Insider for an exclusive interview, speaking broadly about the complexities of a billionaire's divorce and how America's elite divide their astronomical wealth when their marriages crumble.

Occasionally, Cohen said the spouses of very wealthy people don't ask for as much money as they could and instead settle for much less. He added that if he thinks a client is about to do a deal he thinks is "egregiously bad," he'll advise them to not to take it.

"I might push them a little bit and try to get them to see the other side of it," he said. "Remember: for the unmoneyed spouse, it's likely to be the largest business deal that they'll ever do in their life. And they really need to think about it, because they may not have a second opportunity."

Some clients will find a happy medium between the extremes of accepting too little or demanding too much of their spouse, and those are the cases Cohen says he resolves fairly easily out of court.

If Cohen were to represent the wife of a man who's worth $500 million, he said it wouldn't be unusual for that client to ask him to win a settlement closer to $100 million or $115 million, rather than a full $250 million. In such a case, Cohen said he could simply call up the lawyer representing the hypothetical husband - it's a small number of elite divorce lawyers handling these cases, and they all know each other.

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"You'll never get that deal again," Cohen said. "Because if we go to court and we have to fight about that, you know what the end result is going to be, because I know what the end result is going to be, and you're a smart guy."

Though the famed Manhattan lawyer has a long reputation for being "mean" and a "killer," Cohen said people would be surprised by how fair he tries to be. He said he often has to remind his clients that what they consider fair may be very different from what their spouse considers fair.

"One of my jobs is not only to do well for my client, but I think one of my jobs is also to make it possible that both parties at the end of the day feel reasonably good about the resolution," he said. "Especially if there are children involved."

Melinda French Gates speaks onstage at a February 2019 event. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for THR

Cohen considers himself something of an expert at determining what's a square deal: He's known for winning the first major equitable-distribution case in New York in 1985, Karp v. Karp, after the state's divorce laws required marital assets to be split "equitably" - which means the assets must be distributed fairly, but not necessarily 50/50.

"To be candid, I'd like my client to come out a little better than 'reasonably fair,' but nevertheless, I want both people to walk away and say, 'I did okay,'" Cohen said.

But he acknowledged that he has to get "clever" at times when fairness doesn't cut it. When neither side can agree on the amount of money that should be paid to or received by a given spouse, Cohen often will propose taking that sum and creating a trust for the couple's children.

"You're doing something you're likely to do anyway, which is leave money to your kids," he said. "It's a way to sort of get around the delta that we sometimes run into."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Watch: We spoke to Melinda Gates in 2019 about marriage, gender equality, and problem-solving tough problems
Jun. 6North Dakota elected officials oversaw a send-off ceremony for members of North Dakota's National Guard, who will again be heading to the nation's capital.

On Saturday, June 5, Gov. Doug Burgum joined Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, both Republicans, in Grand Forks for a ceremony honoring the deployment of members of the North Dakota National Guard's 1st Battalion of the 188th Air Defense Artillery. The 225 guard members will return to the National Capital Region for a third time, where the unit will provide airspace security under Operation Noble Eagle for up to 14 months.

"No matter where or when, the members of our North Dakota National Guard are always ready to serve," said Hoeven. "This unit is no stranger to being deployed and as they return to protect our nation's capital, we thank them and their families for making this sacrifice on behalf of our state and country. We look forward to their safe return."

According to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, a military information service for among others, members of the media, Operation Noble Eagle is a surveillance mission focusing on surveillance and control of the airspace over Canada and the United States. The mission began after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
- By GF Value





The stock of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO, 30-year Financials) shows every sign of being modestly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $80.95 per share and the market cap of $186 billion, Novo Nordisk A/S stock is believed to be modestly overvalued. GF Value for Novo Nordisk A/S is shown in the chart below.





Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

Because Novo Nordisk A/S is relatively overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be lower than its business growth, which averaged 6.4% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 6.31% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

Since investing in companies with low financial strength could result in permanent capital loss, investors must carefully review a company's financial strength before deciding whether to buy shares. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage can give a good initial perspective on the company's financial strength. Novo Nordisk A/S has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.79, which ranks worse than 86% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. Based on this, GuruFocus ranks Novo Nordisk A/S's financial strength as 6 out of 10, suggesting fair balance sheet. This is the debt and cash of Novo Nordisk A/S over the past years:

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Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

It is less risky to invest in profitable companies, especially those with consistent profitability over long term. A company with high profit margins is usually a safer investment than those with low profit margins. Novo Nordisk A/S has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $20.1 billion and earnings of $2.912 a share. Its operating margin is 41.62%, which ranks better than 95% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. Overall, the profitability of Novo Nordisk A/S is ranked 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Novo Nordisk A/S over the past years:

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

One of the most important factors in the valuation of a company is growth. Long-term stock performance is closely correlated with growth according to GuruFocus research. Companies that grow faster create more value for shareholders, especially if that growth is profitable. The average annual revenue growth of Novo Nordisk A/S is 6.4%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Biotechnology industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 6.5%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Biotechnology industry.

One can also evaluate a company's profitability by comparing its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. If the return on invested capital exceeds the weighted average cost of capital, the company is likely creating value for its shareholders. During the past 12 months, Novo Nordisk A/S's ROIC is 32.56 while its WACC came in at 4.65. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Novo Nordisk A/S is shown below:

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Overvalued

In conclusion, The stock of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO, 30-year Financials) is believed to be modestly overvalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Biotechnology industry. To learn more about Novo Nordisk A/S stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


A man is dead and another is in the hospital after a shooting in the Dixie Manor neighborhood of Boca Raton.

The shooting occurred around 1:45 p.m. Sunday at 1350 North Dixie Highway. Police did not immediately identify either victim, but said the suspect knew the victims.

It all started when a group of people were hanging out in front of one of the apartments, according to a statement from the Boca Raton Police Department. A car pulled up and someone in the vehicle got into an argument with one of the people in the group hanging out.

A fight broke out between the two groups and one person at the scene shot one of the men involved in the fight and someone else nearby, before fleeing in a gray, older model vehicle, officials say. Now police are searching for the suspect and the vehicle they fled in.

The area was open only to residents of the community for much of the afternoon and evening as police searched for the alleged shooter. Traffic was reopened Sunday night, police said.

No other information was immediately available.

Anyone with information is asked to call Boca Raton Police at 561-338-1344.

Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat.
Jun. 6Each week, The Spokesman-Review is examining one question from the exam taken by immigrants trying to become United States citizens.

This week's question: The American Revolution had many important events. Name one.

Anyone who's watched the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" short from "Schoolhouse Rock!" should be able to answer this question by naming any of the early battles of the American Revolution, including those that took place prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

The one that may be seared into your memory is the Battle of Bunker Hill, where "the rebel Col. Prescott proved he was wise" by holding fire until the colonists "could see the whites of the eyes" of the redcoats.

Only, it's not certain Prescott said that. And the battle didn't take place on Bunker Hill.

This month marks the 246th anniversary of the end of the British blockade on Boston, culminating with the battle immortalized both in song and memorial in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. Massachusetts forces had been tipped that British soldiers intended to capture the hills surrounding Boston Harbor, and on June 16, 1775, received orders to capture Bunker Hill and others on nearby Dorchester Neck to prevent the English from gaining control of the area.

The forces, however, took nearby Breed's Hill instead. In his 1826 history of the battle, which contains long adoring passages to Col. William Prescott and the Massachusetts militia, the writer Samuel Swett ascribed the error to "a most serious confusion," and also the belief that Breed's Hill was a better spot to fortify against the English. The writer Nathaniel Philbrick, author of the 2013 award-winning history "Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution," told Smithsonian Magazine he believed the hill was fortified closer to British forces in an attempt to force them to fight, rather than the more defensive position afforded by nearby Bunker Hill.

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When the English rose the morning of June 17 and noticed the colonists upon them, they opened cannon fire and began to push toward the line of 1,000 men on Breed's Hill. Peter Brown, a private in the Massachusetts army, wrote of the experience to his mother a week later in a letter that has been preserved by historians.

"We began to be almost beat out, being fatigued by our Labour, having no sleep the night before, very little to eat, no drink but rum, but what we hazzarded our lives to get, we grew faint, Thirsty, hungry and weary," Brown wrote.

Tellingly, Brown makes no note of the order to stay their rifles until eye whites were visible. Instead, the decision to hold fire had more to do with the technical limitations of their firearms.

Brown said the British forces "found a Choaky mouthful of us, 'tho we could do nothing with our small arms as yet for distance, and had but two Cannon, and no Gunner, and they from Boston, and from the shipping firing and throwing Bombs, keeping us down, till they almost surrounded us."

Swett does make note of the famous line supposedly uttered by Prescott, but was writing a full 50 years after the battle had ended. Swett indicates Prescott told his troops not to fire until the British were within "eight rods" of their position, about 44 yards. But also that they should aim low when they saw the whites of the eyes of the British. The phrase had also been used by commanding officers in previous conflicts as early as the 17th century.

J.L. Bell, a historical writer published in the Journal of the American Revolution and author of the blog Boston 1775, notes that an early biography of Prescott didn't include the quote. Its first appearance may be in the 1808 book by Mason "Parson" Weems about the life of George Washington. That same book contained the story of Washington chopping down the cherry tree, largely believed today to be pure fiction.

Whether Prescott uttered the famous phrase or not, the Battle of Bunker Hill is an acceptable answer to the citizenship question. Though the colonists eventually were forced to retreat from the hill, they lost far fewer men than the English that day. Modern estimates place the casualties at 450 for the colonists and more than 1,000 for the British.

Washington soon arrived to take control of the Continental Army, and King George III rejected the Olive Branch petition, the Continental Congress' final offering of peace. In August, the king issued a proclamation finding the colonists in rebellion, and the revolution was on.
At least 11 civilians were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Abkamari district in Badghis province, confirmed district governor Khudadad Tayib.

The incident happened at around 5.30 pm local time on Saturday in Chalank village of Abkamari district, TOLOnews reported.

According to local officials, there were women and children among the victims. Abkamari district governor blamed the Talibani terrorists for the bombing, but the group so far has not commented on the incident.

Violence has remained high in the country as clashes continue between Afghan forces and the Taliban on multiple fronts. Security officials reported clashes between the government forces and the Taliban in at least 10 provinces in the last 24 hours on Saturday.

(ANI)

Also Read: Donald Trump slams Joe Biden for 'bowing down' to China: 'Most radical left-wing administration'
By Marco Aquino and Marcelo Rochabrun

LIMA/TACABAMBA, Peru (Reuters) -Socialist presidential candidate Pedro Castillo said Peruvians are a "people of hope" on Sunday, with the country on edge as unofficial vote counts showed him and his conservative election rival separated by the thinnest of margins.

A quick count of votes cast in Sunday's election, with a 1% error margin by Ipsos Peru, put Castillo, an elementary school teacher and novice politician, ahead by 0.4 of a percentage point.

A previous Ipsos exit poll, with a 3% error margin, put his rival in the run-off election, Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori, up by 0.6 of a percentage point.

By 1 a.m. (0600 GMT), the ONPE electoral agency had published partial official results with 61% of votes counted that put Fujimori first with 52.4% of votes and Castillo second with 47.5%. Authorities however cautioned that this count was predominantly urban, where the conservative candidate has an advantage.

"We need to have faith in the people," Castillo said. "Our votes still remain to be counted, the votes of the provinces."

The quick-count results triggered celebrations and cries of "we won" from Castillo's supporters in Tacabamba, the Andean town closest to the impoverished village where he was born and raised, which is also where he is waiting for the results.

Hundreds gathered in Tacabamba's main square before midnight for a concert with a pro-Castillo presenter telling the crowd: "yes we can". The concert appeared to violate an 11 p.m. curfew linked to the coronavirus, which has hit Peru particularly hard.

A tight race could lead to days of uncertainty as counts trickle in, and could trigger unrest if disillusioned supporters of either candidate question the results.

Castillo had earlier called his supporters onto the streets after an exit poll gave a slender lead to Fujimori. But he has not made any official comment since the quick count put him as the likely winner, and neither has Fujimori.

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"I ask our people to defend every vote," Castillo wrote on Twitter when the early forecast suggested he would lose. "I call on Peruvian people from all corners of the country to go to the streets in peace to be vigilant in the defence of democracy."

Speaking before the quick count via megaphone from a balcony to crowds in Tacabamba, Castillo appealed for calm.

"We must be prudent, the people are wise," said the 51-year-old schoolteacher who has vowed to redistribute wealth and rewrite the constitution. "What we have heard is not official."

Fujimori said she was reserving judgement until the official results. She also appealed for "prudence, calm and peace from both groups, those who voted and did not vote for us."

CROWDS GATHER

Reuters witnesses reported a small crowd of people gathering outside the headquarters of Castillo's Peru Libre party in the capital, Lima.

Opinion polls up to election day had indicated a statistical dead heat, with Fujimori, who had earlier trailed Castillo, pulling slightly ahead at the end of campaigning.

Polls showed urban and higher-income citizens prefer Fujimori, while the rural poor largely support Castillo.

Both candidates have pledged vastly different remedies for rescuing Peru from the economic doldrums brought on by the COVID-19 crisis, which has seen it lead the world in per capital deaths.

Fujimori, a 46-year-old who has tilted at the presidency twice before, has pledged to follow the free-market model and maintain economic stability in the worlds second-largest copper producer.

Castillo, the son of peasant farmers, has promised to redraft the constitution to strengthen the role of the state, take a larger portion of profits from mining firms and nationalize key industries.

Voting in the Lima district of Surco on Sunday afternoon, Fujimori noted a handful of allegations of doctored voting papers discovered in the capital and the countrys interior.

"We know that there have been incidents today. We hope that the electoral bodies will take action on the matter and sanctions will be issued accordingly," she said. "I also expect our party officials to be on their guard."

In Lima, voters made their way to polling stations by bike, roller skates and on foot to traffic jams that built up as the day progressed.

Among those casting their vote in Lima was Luis Pizango, who said that for him, "transparency" was key.

"May Peru win for the good of all Peruvians," he said.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima and Marcelo Rochabrun in Tacabamba; Additional reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Marcelo Rochabrun and Aislinn Laing; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall, Peter Cooney and Lincoln Feast)
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that he was pained by the discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former Catholic school for indigenous students in Canada and called for respect for the rights and cultures of native peoples.

However, Francis stopped short of the direct apology some Canadians had demanded. Two days ago, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Catholic Church must take responsibility for its role in running many of the schools.

Indigenous leaders and school survivors said the Church needed to do much more.

"We're all pained and saddened. Who isn't?" said Bobby Cameron, chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in Saskatchewan.

Speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for his weekly blessing, Francis urged Canadian political and Catholic religious leaders to "cooperate with determination" to shed light on the finding and to seek reconciliation and healing.

Francis said he felt close to "the Canadian people, who have been traumatized by the shocking news".

The residential schools operated between 1831 and 1996 and were run by a number of Christian denominations on behalf of the government. Most were run by the Catholic Church.

The discovery last month of the remains of the children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, which closed in 1978, has reopened old wounds and is fuelling outrage in Canada about a lack of information and accountability.

"The sad discovery further increases the understanding of the pain and suffering of the past," Francis said.

"These difficult moments represent a strong reminder for all of us to distance ourselves from the model of colonizer ... and to walk side by side in dialogue and in mutual respect in the recognition of the rights and cultural values of all the sons and daughters of Canada," he said.

The residential school system forcibly separated about 150,000 children from their homes. Many were subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition in what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 called "cultural genocide".

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"Let us commend to the Lord the souls of all of the dead children in the residential schools of Canada and let us pray for the families and the native communities of Canada shattered by pain," he said, before asking the crowd to join him in silent prayer.

Francis, who was elected pope 17 years after the last schools was closed, has already apologised for the Church's role in colonialism in the Americas.

But he has mostly chosen to make direct apologies while visiting countries and talking to native peoples. No papal visit to Canada is scheduled.

Visiting Bolivia in 2015, Francis apologised for the "many grave sins (that) were committed against the native people of America in the name of God".

(Additional reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny and Amran Abocar in Canada; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Raissa Kasolowsky and Jan Harvey)
Pope Francis said on Sunday that he was saddened over the discovery of the remains of 215 indigenous students at a Catholic-run boarding school in Canada  but he didn't apologize, AP reports.

Why it matters: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had criticized the Church for its silence and called on it to "step up and take responsibility for its role in this."

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

In Canada, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend state-funded Christian schools from the 19th century to the 1970s, most of them run by Catholic missionaries, per AP.

Some of the children, whose remains were found, were as young as three, BBC reports.

What they're saying: May the political and religious authorities continue to collaborate with determination to shed light on this sad affair and to commit to a path of healing, Francis said, per AP.

These difficult moments represent a strong call to distance ourselves from the colonizing model and from todays ideological colonizing and to walk side by side in dialogue, in respect and in recognizing cultural rights and values.

In a statement to BBC, Trudeau said, "We need to have truth before we can talk about justice, healing and reconciliation."

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The remains of 215 Indigenous children were discovered at a residential school in western Canada in May (AFP via Getty Images)

In his Sunday remarks to worshippers gathered in St Peters Square, Pope Francis expressed pain over the discovery of the remains of 215 indigenous children that were found at a church-run boarding school in Canada last month.

But he did not offer an apology, nor did he take responsibility for the deaths on behalf of the Catholic Church.

I am following with pain the news that arrives from Canada about the upsetting discovery of the remains of 215 children, the pontiff said on Sunday.

I join with the Canadian bishops and the entire Catholic church in Canada in expressing my closeness to the Canadian people traumatised by the shocking news.

This sad discovery adds to the awareness of the sorrows and sufferings of the past.

Ground-penetrating radar was used to confirm the presence of the childrens remains at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, in May.

Residential schools aimed to assimilate indigenous children into mainstream white Canadian society. The were initially run by the government of Canada, then by various churches, and more 150,000 children were taken from their families and placed in the schools between the 1870s and the 1990s.

The schools claimed to provide necessary education to indigenous children, but they simultaneously aimed to indoctrinate them into Christian and Euro-Canadian ways of life.

First Nations, Inuit and Metis children were exposed to malnourishment, disease, and sexual and physical abuse, including being beaten for speaking their native languages.

At least 6,000 students are known to have died in the residential school system, though the exact figure is unknown as few accurate records were kept.

The British Columbia school where the remains were found last month was the largest in Canada, and was controlled by the Catholic Church from 1890 to 1969.

On Sunday, Pope Francis said: These difficult moments represent a strong call to distance ourselves from the colonial model and from todays ideological colonising and to walk side by side in dialogue, in mutual respect and in recognising rights and cultural values of all the daughters and sons of Canada.

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Lets entrust to the lord the souls of all those children, deceased in the residential schools of Canada. Let us pray for the families and for the indigenous Canadian communities overcome by sorrow.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau had called on the church to apologise for its role in the residential school system in Canada.

In 2008, the Canadian government formally apologised for the harm that was caused by residential schools, and has since offered compensation to survivors.

In 2017, Mr Trudeau echoed that apology, sincerely apologising for the dark and shameful chapter in Canadas history. He also asked Pope Francis to apologise for the Catholic churchs role in the residential school system, and to make church records publicly available to assist reconciliation efforts in Canada. No such action was taken.

On Friday, Mr Trudeau but said that Canada was still seeing resistance and that he was deeply disappointed in the position taken by the Catholic Church.

The Anglican, Presbyterian and United churches have all apologised for their complicity in the residential school system.

Established in 2008, the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission aimed to document the history and lasting legacy of the Canadian residential school system on indigenous students, their families and their communities. In 2015, its findings and 94 calls to action to achieve reconciliation were published. One of these calls to action is a papal apology.

Additional reporting by agencies

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Must credit: Snappin Turtle Sunday 6 June, the D-Day 77th anniversary, where the British Normandy Memorial was opened virtually by the Prince of Wales, who also sent this video message. He speaks of his pride of his involvement in the ceremony and the great debt the world owes fallen servicemen.

Video Transcript

- Despite having to watch via satellite link, this in no way obscures the enormous regard, and admiration, in which we hold our veterans, or diminishes our debt of gratitude to the more than 22,000 men and women whose names are now permanently inscribed in stone, in this place of honor above Gold Beach.

As I said when I first became aware of the plans for this long overdue British Memorial, it has, for many years, been a concern to me that the memory of these remarkable individuals should be preserved for future generations as an example of personal courage, and sacrifice. For the benefit of the wider national and, indeed, international community.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Sunday that ransomware attacks "are here to stay," and that businesses should plan accordingly.

"The first thing we have to recognize," she said, "is this is the reality, and we should assume and businesses should assume, that these attacks are here to stay and, if anything, will intensify. And so just last week the White House sent out a letter broadly to the business community urging the business community to do more."

Speaking on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," the former governor of Rhode Island declined to blame Vladimir Putin's Russia outright in answering a question on whether the Biden administration should look to punish Russia, which is believed to be the source of some or all of these attacks.

"We are evaluating all the options and we won't stand for a nation supporting or turning a blind eye to a criminal enterprise," she said. "And as the president has said, we're considering all of our options."

She added: "This week when the president meets with Putin and other world leaders, this will be at the top of the agenda."

In a ransomware attack, hackers seize control of a business or organization's computer system by exploiting weaknesses in the security system, then lock up the entire system until a "ransom" is paid. Raimondo said one way to stymie international hackers is to approve Biden's proposed infrastructure plan.

"Certain components of the American Jobs Plan provide for investments to shore up the nation's cyber infrastructure," she told Stephanopoulos.

Raimondo argued that the good news in all this was that businesses can make relatively simple changes to protect themselves against such attacks.

"Some very simple steps like two-factor authentication, having proper backups and backup technology, can be enormously helpful against a wide variety of these attacks. So it is clear that the private sector needs to be more vigilant, by the way, including small- and medium-sized companies," she said.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm also cited the grave threat posed by ransomware attacks, saying "very malign actors" have the capability of shutting down major sections of the economy.

"This is why the private sector and the public sector have to work together," she said on CNN's "State of the Union." "And this is what the president is doing. He's working with our allies. He's working with countries around the world, because other countries, even Russia, they don't want to see their sectors attacked by malign actors, by rogue non-state actors, not to mention state actors."


- By GF Value





The stock of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NAS:REGN, 30-year Financials) is believed to be modestly undervalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $511.89 per share and the market cap of $54.5 billion, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals stock gives every indication of being modestly undervalued. GF Value for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is shown in the chart below.





Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Undervalued

Because Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is relatively undervalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be higher than its business growth, which averaged 13.4% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 15.10% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

It is always important to check the financial strength of a company before buying its stock. Investing in companies with poor financial strength have a higher risk of permanent loss. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great way to understand the financial strength of a company. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has a cash-to-debt ratio of 1.30, which is worse than 81% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. The overall financial strength of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is 7 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is fair. This is the debt and cash of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals over the past years:

Story continues

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Undervalued

It poses less risk to invest in profitable companies, especially those that have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. A company with high profit margins is also typically a safer investment than one with low profit margins. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has been profitable 9 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $9.2 billion and earnings of $35.33 a share. Its operating margin is 43.37%, which ranks better than 95% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks the profitability of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals at 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals over the past years:

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Undervalued

One of the most important factors in the valuation of a company is growth. Long-term stock performance is closely correlated with growth according to GuruFocus research. Companies that grow faster create more value for shareholders, especially if that growth is profitable. The average annual revenue growth of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is 13.4%, which ranks better than 66% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 22.5%, which ranks better than 67% of the companies in Biotechnology industry.

Another method of determining the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital to the weighted average cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. When the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it implies the company is creating value for shareholders. For the past 12 months, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals's return on invested capital is 33.02, and its cost of capital is 2.01. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is shown below:

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Stock Is Estimated To Be Modestly Undervalued

In summary, the stock of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NAS:REGN, 30-year Financials) is estimated to be modestly undervalued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks better than 67% of the companies in Biotechnology industry. To learn more about Regeneron Pharmaceuticals stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Reuters

MILAN (Reuters) -Countries should avoid giving the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to people over 60 in addition to younger age groups, the head of the EU drug regulator's COVID-19 task force was quoted on Sunday as saying, amid fears over rare blood clotting and as alternative vaccines become available. The European Medicines Agency's (EMA) position is that the AstraZeneca shot is safe and can be used for all age groups over 18. "In a pandemic context, our position was and is that the risk-benefit ratio remains favourable for all age groups," COVID-19 task force chief Marco Cavaleri told the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
Kamala Harris gives a thumbs-up after her plane was forced to land shortly after take-off (REUTERS)

A plane carrying US vice president Kamala Harris on her first foreign trip was forced to return to base after just 30 minutes following a technical difficulty.

Ms Harris had been due to fly to Guatemala and Mexico on Sunday and took off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

But the plane suffered a technical issue and returned less than an hour later, as reported by the Associated Press.

She gave a thumbs-up as she disembarked following a safe landing and said: Im good, Im good. We all said a little prayer, but were good.

Symone Sanders, a spokesperson for the vice president said she would depart on a different plane later that day.

She said: It is a technical issue. There are no major safety concerns.

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Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson said Saturday that she finds the threat of a cyberattack on the U.S. Capitol more worrisome than another repeat of the Jan. 6 assault.

"I worry a lot more about cybersecurity than I do about another mob attacking the Capitol," the Senate's chief law enforcement officer for the Senate told CNN.

JBS HACK LATEST ESCALATION OF RUSSIA-BASED AGGRESSION AHEAD OF JUNE 16 PUTIN SUMMIT: EXPERTS

Gibson said attempted intrusions on the Capitol networks occur on a daily basis, and with the recent rise in ransomware attacks, cybersecurity has become a greater risk.

"Cybersecurity for me is a much greater concern than the prospect of thousands of people storming the West Terrace," she said.

"Members have sensitive information that they would not necessarily want to have disclosed that may be in documents. Much of what we do is public. And meant to be so," she explained, adding there is a growing concern foreign adversaries are using nefarious means to cripple the U.S. government.

Gibsons comments come just days after the latest major victim of ransomware, Brazil-based JBS  the worlds largest meat processing company with operations in the U.S.  resumed production after being shuttered for roughly four days.

FBI officials attributed the attack to the same Russian criminal group that targeted the East Coasts Colonial pipeline last month, REvil.

It remains unclear if JBS paid a ransom, but the attack on the largest U.S. fuel pipeline cost Colonial nearly $4.5 million dollars so the company could regain access to its system.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO ELEVATE RANSOMWARE ATTACKS TO BE ON PAR WITH TERRORISM

President Biden called for a federal overhaul of the governments approach to cybersecurity in a May executive order, following the Russia-led Solar Winds attack.

The Justice Department also announced earlier this week it is elevating the priority it places on ransomware attacks.

Story continues

The Biden administration has urged the private sector to more heavily invest in countering cybersecurity.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I've often thought of that as sort of the soft underbelly of America -- the critical infrastructure that's in private sector hands, and may or may not be secured to the extent that we need it to be, as we saw, perhaps, with the Colonial Pipeline ransomware incident. There are many opportunities for those who wish us harm to do so, in a cyber domain," Gibson said. "It's certainly going to keep the cybersecurity staff very busy for the foreseeable future."

The White House has said Biden, during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva June 16, will address the recent flurry of Russia-based cyberattacks.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh secretary Aajiz Dhamrah has warned that the country may face a serious food crisis if farmers are not able to cultivate paddy in the absence of water in the rice cultivation zones of the province.

Speaking to media persons on Friday, Dhamrah said that the functionaries of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had always tried to push the Sindh province to backwardness through ill-conceived and anti-people policies, reported Dawn.

He also mentioned that 'incompetent' rulers had no plans to boost the agriculture sector and provide relief to farming communities across the country, adding that the people of Sindh were ready to launch a massive protest against the 'artificial water crisis' created by the federal government.

"Not only is the economy at stake but also livelihoods of many farmers across the province," he said.

He also blamed the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) chairman and the Imran Khan-led government for the 'banditry' on the waters of Sindh at Taunsa link canal.

The agriculture sector had already suffered a lot due to the self-centred policies of the rulers imposed on the country and the water crisis in areas that will cause destruction for the farmers in a number of districts, Dhamrah mentioned.

Warning the federal government of backlash by the people of the province if it is denied its due share in water, the Sindh minister said that all barrages were facing the worst water shortage due to which farmers, as well as common people, were forced to take to the streets to register protests, reported Dawn.

He also claimed that those who were claiming to have bolstered the national economy were just trying to hoodwink people and distract their attention away from price hike and worst governance.

Dhamrah also slammed PTI lawmakers for "issuing concocted statements while sitting in Islamabad and Karachi instead of asking high-ups of the federal government to ensure fair distribution of water across the country".

The tug of war between the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) members from Pakistan's Sindh and Punjab over water distribution has touched a new low over the opening of TP-link canal from the Indus at a time when the low riparian federating units are craving for water even for drinking purposes.

IRSA has reviewed the water situation on May 27 after giving its new estimates under which the country will experience 17 per cent water shortages during the period from May 21 to June 10.

On Monday, the PPP's Sindh chapter announced holding protests against Imran Khan's government at the district level in the Sindh province from June 3 to June 15 against acute water shortage.

It also said that the IRSA in this regard had done an injustice by curtailment of gas to the residents of the province, reported The News International.

(ANI)

Also Read: Afghanistan: 11 civilians killed in Badghis roadside bomb blast
The U.S. will donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) announced after arriving in the capital, Taipei, on a bipartisan congressional visit Sunday.

Why it matters: The island state is facing spiking coronavirus cases, and officials say their efforts to obtain vaccines are being impeded by China's government, which considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

The visit by Duckworth and Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Ak) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) is likely to raise the ire of China's government, which reacted with fury to then-Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar's trip to Taiwan last August.

Driving the news: The donation is part of President Biden's initiative to share COVID-19 vaccines globally.

What they're saying: "We are here as friends, because we know that Taiwan is experiencing a challenging time right now, which was why it was especially important for the three of us to be here in a bipartisan way," Duckworth said, per AP.

"It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines, because we recognize your urgent need, and we value this partnership."

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, who met the senators at Tapei's airport, said officials would have to "overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicine are delivered free from troubles of Beijing," AP reports.

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The story of Shamima Begum is among the ones told in documentary 'The Return: Life After ISIS'. (MetFilm/Sky)

Shamima Begum has claimed she fled the UK to join Isis because she did not want to be the friend that was left behind.

The 21-year-old, who left for Syria aged 15 with two other east London schoolgirls in 2015, has reportedly told a new documentary that she was young and naive.

Begum is currently detained in the al-Roj refugee camp in northern Syria after her British citizenship was removed by the UK government.

The UKs Supreme Court ruled in February that Begum cannot return to pursue an appeal against the removal of her British citizenship.

Read: Labour slams governments travel traffic light rating system as confusing and dangerous

In the film, The Return: Life After ISIS, Begum gives the most detailed account of her departure from the UK to date, according to the Telegraph.

The newspaper reports that Begum describes herself as the black sheep of her family, who did not get along with her mother and instead turned to Islam to be part of something.

Speaking from the al-Roj camp, she tells filmmakers how recruiters preyed on the guilt that the young girls felt at seeing Muslims suffering in Syria.

Watch: Who is Shamima Begum?

Begum reportedly describes the moment she decided to leave the UK, saying: I knew it was a big decision, but I just felt compelled to do it quickly.

"I didn't want to be the friend that was left behind.

Since fleeing six years ago, her two friends, and all three of the children she has given birth to, have died.

On the death of her daughter, Begum said: When she died at that moment I just wanted to kill myself. I felt like I couldnt even get up to run anymore when there were bombings.

The only thing keeping me alive was my baby I was pregnant with. I felt like I had to do him right by getting him out and giving him a normal life.

Her son then died one month after he was born in 2019 from pneumonia.

Read more:

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Story continues

Begum also reportedly pleads for the UK government to allow her to return, adding: I would say to the people in the UK, give me a second chance because I was still young when I left.

I just want them to put aside everything they've heard about me in the media and just have an open mind about why I left and who I am now as a person," she added.

The Return: Life After Isis will be available on Sky Documentaries and NOW TV from June 15 at 9pm.

Watch: Shamima Begum: IS bride angry, upset and crying after court rules shecan't
Jun. 5Kootenai County deputies said they found a wooden support to the Timber Terror roller coaster at Silverwood Theme Park burned from arson early Saturday morning and are still trying to identify a suspect.

Around 1:30 a.m., Kootenai County deputies and the Watch Commander responded to Silverwood for a reported fire, according to a release from the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

Park security told deputies they were on a routine patrol when they found one of the wooden roller coasters on fire and used a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze, the release said.

It appeared someone cut a small hole in the fence to enter the park and brought a gas canister to light the fire, said Jordan Carter, a spokesperson for the park.

The sheriff's office has called in the state fire investigator to help, the release said. Silverwood staff have gone through security video and turned it over to deputies, Carter said.

Carter said the charred area only affected a few boards, which park staff replaced. The ride was safely running again Saturday.

"It was very small and security got there fast," Carter said. "We're going to add new technology around the perimeter and more night security, but it's something that could've been a lot worse."

The roller coasters have been equipped with sprinklers for several years in case of wildfire, but the fire was not big enough to activate them, he said.

Kootenai deputies ask that anyone who saw suspicious vehicles or people near Silverwood Friday night and early Saturday morning call the sheriff's office to make a report.

"Nobody is more familiar with your neighborhood than you," Sheriff Robert Norris said in the release. "Vehicles parked on a road or area that doesn't normally have a vehicle parked there could be a clue that criminal activity is involved."
BEIJING (Reuters) - A social media account for popular Chinese e-commerce site Xiaohongshu, or "Little Red Book," was unavailable on Sunday, after it issued a post on Friday, the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Tiananmen Square, a highly sensitive date in China.

The Friday post on its account on China's Twitter-like Weibo said, "Tell me loud: what's the date today?", according to a screenshot seen by Reuters. That post was quickly deleted by Xiaohongshu, according to a person familiar with the matter, who declined to be named given its sensitivity.

A Weibo search for Xiaohongshu's official account yielded no results on Sunday, although its own app appeared to be functioning normally. Some online searches said the account was unavailable "due to complaints of violations of laws and regulations and the relevant provisions of the Weibo Community Convention".

The company, backed by Chinese internet giants Alibaba and Tencent, did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Sunday.

The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's internet regulator, could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday, and Sina Weibo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In March, The Information reported that the site was considering a U.S. initial public offering.

Xiaohongshu's Weibo account frequently poses questions as part of its regular user engagement.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Two opposition parties in the self-declared republic of Somaliland said Sunday they had formed a coalition giving them a majority in parliament following long-delayed local and legislative elections.

The territory in the north of Somalia declared independence 30 years ago but has never achieved international recognition.

But it has a functioning government and institutions, its own currency, passport and armed forces.

In the May 31 elections, more than a million voters were eligible to cast ballots to elect 82 lawmakers and 220 local councillors in a political system limited to three parties.

According to official results, the leading opposition party, Wadani, won 31 seats in parliament, followed by the ruling party Kulmiye with 30 seats and the opposition UCID with 21.

Wadani and the UCID announced their alliance shortly after the results were announced on Sunday.

Ismail Adan Isman, spokesman of the new coalition, told reporters that the move was "in the interest of the unity of the people of Somaliland".

With a combined 52 seats, the alliance will enjoy an absolute majority in parliament.

The two parties together also won 127 local councillors -- 79 for Wadani and 48 for the UCID -- against 93 for the outgoing ruling party.

The new balance of power is expected to reduce President Muse Bihi's room for manoeuvre. The next presidential election is set for late 2022.

Somaliland's last legistative elections were in 2005, and the May 31 vote had been postponed several times.

Somaliland, formerly British Somalia, fused with the former Italian Somalia at independence in 1960. It seceded unilaterally in 1991 after the fall of the dictator Siad Barre, which plunged the country into clan-based fighting.

nur-fal/ayv/gd/tgb
Reuters

The northern highlands of Ethiopia became a global byword for famine in the mid-1980s, when drought and conflict combined to create a disaster that killed as many as one million people. Now hunger is stalking the Tigray region again, and a senior UN official alleges that starvation is being used as a weapon of war. More than 350,000 of Tigray's nearly 6 million people are living in famine conditions, according to an analysis by United Nations agencies and global aid groups first reported by Reuters on Thursday.
TAIPEI (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Sunday that Taiwan will receive 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from the United States, as part of a plan announced last week to share the country's stocks.

Duckworth made the announcement at a news conference shortly after arriving in Taipei.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Budapest on Saturday to protest the Hungarian government's plans to build a satellite campus of Shanghai's Fudan University in the city.

Organisers estimated 10,000 marched, despite government restrictions on demonstrations, in an indication of what a hot-button issue the controversial project has become in the Hungarian capital.

The proposed campus, which would be Fudan's first physical presence in Europe, will cost more than US$1.5 billion to build, will employ mainly Chinese contractors in its construction, and will be funded using Chinese commercial loans, according to leaked documents reported by Direkt36, an investigative news outlet in Hungary.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

It will be built in place of a planned "student city", aimed to provide affordable housing to students in Budapest. With an election next year, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's political opponents have seized on the project's perceived excess, claiming it highlights the corruption of Orban's right-wing Fidez party, which has reigned for four terms.

Demonstrators marching towards the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=Demonstrators marching towards the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Addressing the rally, Gergely Karacsony, Budapest's liberal mayor who is heavily favored to win September's primary to run against Orban on a unified opposition ticket, said: "We are raising our voice against the selling out of Hungary's national sovereignty, not against the Chinese state, not against the Chinese people, especially not those with whom we live peacefully in this country together. We are standing up for our own country."

Story continues

Some protesters carried signs accusing Hungary's leadership of "treason", while others commemorated the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the anniversary of which was on Friday. More still poked fun at the cosy ties between Orban and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"Instead of building dormitories they build another university exclusively for the elite, indebting generations of Hungarians," student union leader Aron Berezcki told the rally.

Polling in Hungary shows the project is unpopular with voters. A survey by Publicus Research in May showed only 20 per cent supported the Fudan campus, which would be built in the district of Ferencvaros.

Earlier this week, officials in the district renamed street signs after Chinese human rights issues. Four streets were rechristened "Free Hong Kong Road", "Uygur Martyrs' Road", "Dalai Lama Road" and "Bishop Xie Shiguang Road", referring to a persecuted Chinese Catholic bishop, in a move that made global headlines.

China's foreign ministry dismissed the stunt as "contemptible" and "shameful".

"A few Hungarian politicians are trying to hype up China-related issues in order to grab attention and obstruct China-Hungary cooperation," spokesperson Wang Wengbin told a Beijing press conference this week.

Orban has proven time and again to be China's most reliable ally in the European Union. Last week, Hungarian representatives scuppered Brussels' plans to issue a statement criticising Beijing's ongoing imposition of a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, as well as its plans to reform the city's electoral system. This was the third such intervention in the space of two months.

"Hungary again blocked an EU-Statement on Hong Kong. Three weeks ago it was on Middle East. Common Foreign and Security Policy cannot work on the basis of a blocking policy. We need a serious debate on ways to manage dissent, including qualified majority voting," tweeted Miguel Berger, Germany's state secretary for foreign affairs.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony at Saturday's protest. Photo: Reuters alt=Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony at Saturday's protest. Photo: Reuters

But opposition figures say the campus and the outcry it has launched are now resonating with ordinary Hungarians.

"The campus will take space away from a university town planned for Hungarian students. People will now start to see very visibly what it means when Hungary is not leaning towards our traditional allies in the West, but broadly favours autocratic allies," Katalin Cseh, a member of the European Parliament representing the liberal Momentum party, told the South China Morning Post.

"Our goal is to bring back the original plans for the student quarter that was to be built in the district. The government rejected these plans and aims to build the Fudan University campus, a place and an institution exclusively for the elite," Jambor Andras, an opposition politician and protest organiser, told the Post.

"We want affordable student housing in this area, not another elite university especially if it comes at the price of sacrificing a housing project that is very much needed in Budapest," Andras said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2021 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
(Independent)

Donald Trump has called for China to pay reparations to the United States for the damage done by Covid-19, which originated in the city of Wuhan.

At a rare speech to a Republican convention in Greenville, North Carolina, the former president said China should be presented with a bill for $10 trillion and all countries that owe money to the Asian superpower should refuse to pay.

And he said the US should put 100 per cent tariffs on all goods coming from China.

More follows ...
Former Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, now a Democrat, tweeted that Mr Trump is the leader of an authoritarian movement. (Getty Images)

Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt has warned that the words of former President Donald Trump will surely kill again.

He also went after the press for its profoundly stupid media coverage around the demise of the Trump blog.

Mr Trump shut down his blog entitled from the desk of Donald J Trump after reportedly becoming enraged at its measly traffic and being told by allies that it made him look small and irrelevant.

Mr Schmidt slammed those who argue that Mr Trumps election loss, social media bans, and inability to sustain a blog are evidence of his decline, irrelevance and diminishment.

The former Republican strategist said that many have posited that just saying Mr Trumps name out loud is what fuels and sustains the Trump threat. All we need do, they claim, is to treat him like Voldemort, so long as no one speaks his name out loud, no problem.

These people are fools and their delusions are dangerous for the survival of American democracy, Mr Schmidt wrote on Twitter. We are at an hour that requires people to wake up. Trump is powerful and he is a clear and PRESENT danger to our democratic society and national stability.

Mr Schmidt has worked on the Republican campaigns of former President George W Bush, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and former Arizona Senator JohnMcCain, who passed away in 2018.

Mr Schmidt said Mr Trump has the ability to kill and destroy with the spoken word, adding that the former presidents words, lies, delusions and conspiracy theories have caused bloodshed.

That is what happened on January 6th. His words will surely kill again, Mr Schmidt tweeted.

A mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol on 6 January in an attempt to stop the certification of the electoral college results and prevent President Joe Biden from taking office. Five people died in the riot, including a Capitol police officer.

Mr Schmidt argued that Mr Trump leads an authoritarian movement consisting of extremists such as the Proud Boys, neo-Nazis, white nationalists, religious fanatics, and conspiracy theorists. He called the GOP the vessel of this movement, adding that its membership was united behind Mr Trump.

Story continues

Calling Mr Trump the presumptive nominee for the Republicans in 2024, Mr Schmidt said that Republican officeholders are obedient soldiers in Trumps cult of personality.

This movement has become faithless to American democracy and it requires an almost Trumpian level of historical ignorance to not recognize it as one of the gravest threats the country has ever faced, Mr Schmidt warned.

He reiterated the notion that Mr Trumps failed blog is not evidence that his power is waning and that an indictment against him will not take away his influence or damage his movement. It will simply hasten his candidacy, he said.

Mr Trump and his family are being investigated by the New York Attorney General and the Manhattan district attorney.

We are in the early years of a great struggle in this country that will last a long time provided the pro-democracy side can win elections because we are one away from seeing the autocratic side take power. They will not relinquish it again when they do, Mr Schmidt tweeted.

He added that the Republicans were not chastened by the Capitol riot, but instead were becoming more extreme.

Mr Schmidt left the Republican Party in 2018 and announced in late 2020 that he was registering as a Democrat.

He tweeted that his former party was on track to take back control of the House in the 2022 midterms.

The pro-democracy coalition won a great victory when Joe Biden became President. That victory has brought us some time but all the time in the world cant cure a willful and delusional blindness to the great danger, resilience, ambition and authoritarianism of Trumps movement, he concluded.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Trump for comment.

Read More

Nick Clegg says Facebook sets a red line on inciting violence in wake of Trump ban

Trump claims hes trying to save democracy as he lies about 2020 election

Trump claims credit for US Covid vaccines: Youd be in a lot of trouble right now
TAIPEI, Taiwan  The U.S. will give Taiwan 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, part of President Joe Bidens move to share tens of millions of jabs globally, three American senators said Sunday, after the self-ruled island complained that China is hindering its efforts to secure vaccines as it battles an outbreak.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who made a three-hour stop in Taiwan with fellow Democrat Christopher Coons of Delaware and Republican Dan Sullivan of Alaska, said their visit underscores bipartisan U.S. support for the democratic island that Beijing claims as its own renegade territory. Taiwan faces a severe vaccine shortage and has geopolitical significance as a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.

Im here to tell you that the United States will not let you stand alone, Duckworth said at the airport after landing on a U.S. military transport plane. We will be by your side to make sure the people of Taiwan have what they need to get to the other side of the pandemic and beyond.

Taiwan was included on a long list of places announced last week that would receive 25 million doses from the United States in what the Biden administration says is the first tranche of at least 80 million doses to be distributed globally. Most of the first tranche, including Taiwans, will be sent through COVAX, a U.N.-backed program to distribute vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

The island of 24 million people, which lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) off Chinas east coast, is desperate for vaccines after a sudden outbreak that started in late April caught authorities by surprise. Japan shipped 1.2 million doses to Taiwan on Friday, opting to skip the COVAX process in the interest of speed. It was unclear when the 750,000 American doses would arrive.

Taiwan has accused China of blocking its efforts to reach a deal with BioNTech to import the vaccine co-developed by the German company and Pfizer. Beijing has said it is willing to supply vaccines to Taiwan, including BioNTech, through Chinese partner Fosun, and that the islands government is to blame for putting politics above the lives of its people. Taiwanese law bans the import of Chinese-made medicines.

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Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, welcoming the senators at the airport, said that Taiwan is fortunate to have like-minded countries showing support, which he said is about sustaining freedom and democracy in the face of autocracy.

Taiwan is facing unique challenges in combating the virus, he said. While we are doing our best to import vaccines, we must overcome obstacles to ensure that these life-saving medicine are delivered free from troubles of Beijing.

He said China is trying to block Taiwans international assistance and prevent it from participating in the World Health Organization. We are no strangers to that kind of obstructionism, he said.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and most Taiwanese favor maintaining the current state of de facto independence while engaging in robust economic exchanges with the mainland.

Chinas ruling Communist Party says Taiwan must come under its control, and has in recent months increased pressure on the island, including flying warplanes near Taiwan. The increasing activity and vast improvements in Chinas military capabilities have raised concern in the U.S., which is bound by its own laws to ensure Taiwan is capable of defending itself and to regard all threats to the islands security as matters of grave concern.

Taiwan, which had weathered the pandemic virtually unscathed until the recent outbreak, is now facing its most serious flare-up with more than 10,000 new cases since late April.

President Tsai Ing-wen, meeting with the senators, expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for including Taiwan in the first group to receive vaccines and said the doses will arrive at a critical time for the island.

I hope that through cooperation with the United States, Japan and other countries, Taiwan will be able to overcome the immediate challenges and ... and move towards recovery, she said.

Both Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, and Sullivan said the American donation also reflects gratitude for Taiwans support for the U.S., as Taiwan donated millions of masks and other supplies to the U.S. in the early days of the pandemic.

This is love from America in return, Sullivan said, wearing a mask that he noted had Love from Taiwan written on it.

The three senators arrived at 7:30 a.m. from South Korea, where they met senior officials including the foreign and defense ministers on Friday and Saturday to discuss COVID-19 cooperation, the U.S.-South Korea military alliance and North Korea. They departed Taiwan at 10.30 a.m. the same morning, according to Taiwans foreign ministry.


- By GF Value





The stock of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP, 30-year Financials) is believed to be significantly overvalued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $226.17 per share and the market cap of $150.2 billion, Union Pacific stock is believed to be significantly overvalued. GF Value for Union Pacific is shown in the chart below.





Union Pacific Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

Because Union Pacific is significantly overvalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much lower than its future business growth, which averaged 2.8% over the past three years and is estimated to grow 0.76% annually over the next three to five years.

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

It is always important to check the financial strength of a company before buying its stock. Investing in companies with poor financial strength have a higher risk of permanent loss. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great way to understand the financial strength of a company. Union Pacific has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.04, which is in the bottom 10% of the companies in Transportation industry. The overall financial strength of Union Pacific is 4 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Union Pacific is poor. This is the debt and cash of Union Pacific over the past years:

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Union Pacific Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

It is less risky to invest in profitable companies, especially those with consistent profitability over long term. A company with high profit margins is usually a safer investment than those with low profit margins. Union Pacific has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $19.3 billion and earnings of $7.73 a share. Its operating margin is 39.80%, which ranks better than 96% of the companies in Transportation industry. Overall, the profitability of Union Pacific is ranked 8 out of 10, which indicates strong profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Union Pacific over the past years:

Union Pacific Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

Growth is probably the most important factor in the valuation of a company. GuruFocus research has found that growth is closely correlated with the long term stock performance of a company. A faster growing company creates more value for shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. The 3-year average annual revenue growth of Union Pacific is 2.8%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Transportation industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 5.3%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Transportation industry.

One can also evaluate a company's profitability by comparing its return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. If the return on invested capital exceeds the weighted average cost of capital, the company is likely creating value for its shareholders. During the past 12 months, Union Pacific's ROIC is 9.67 while its WACC came in at 7.69. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Union Pacific is shown below:

Union Pacific Stock Gives Every Indication Of Being Significantly Overvalued

In summary, the stock of Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP, 30-year Financials) is believed to be significantly overvalued. The company's financial condition is poor and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Transportation industry. To learn more about Union Pacific stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.

To find out the high quality companies that may deliever above average returns, please check out GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Jun. 6Note: Bangor Daily News archives dating back to 1911 are now available at newspapers.com. In order to fully access and search them, a separate subscription is required.

It's been a quarter century since Unity College student Laura "Lollie" Winans, 26, and her girlfriend, Julianne "Julie" Williams, 24, were brutally slain at their backcountry campsite in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Their murders frightened hikers and wilderness enthusiasts, and caused many to call for authorities to investigate them as a hate crime because the victims were lesbians.

But despite the enormous investigative, media and community response to the crime, the murders remain unsolved. And that is something that has haunted Hauns Bassett of Unity, one of Winans' good friends and college classmates, for all these years.

"I just want justice for Lollie," he said. "I just want to know that the person responsible for taking two lives for no reason will pay the consequences for that. Justice needs to be served. It's never going to bring her back, obviously. But it's the way it should be."

The women, accompanied by Winans' golden retriever, Taj, had begun a backpacking trip in the national park on May 19, 1996. They had planned to explore some of the beautiful parts of the Appalachian mountains, with the trip coming after the end of Winans' school year and before Williams was set to begin a new job in Vermont, on June 1.

On May 31, after Williams didn't come home when she was expected, her father reported the young women missing. Rangers set out to look for them, first finding their car parked near Skyland Lodge, a hotel, and then Taj, who was wandering alone through the woods. The next day, rangers found their bodies at their campsite. They had been bound and gagged, with their throats slashed.

Even though it has been 25 years, officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation still believe the murders can be solved. They are using the anniversary to share photos of the women and information about the case. They're hoping that someone who was in the area at the time will remember something, no matter how seemingly insignificant, and let investigators know.

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"We don't give up on our cases," said Dee Rybiski, public affairs specialist for the FBI's Richmond, Virginia, office. "Somebody knows something, and they hopefully will do the right thing and call in."

A music and nature lover

Winans, originally from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, was studying outdoor recreation at Unity, and was on track to graduate that December.

Unity College President Wilson Hess described her as quiet and unassuming in a June 1996 Bangor Daily News story, adding that she'd experienced steady personal growth since her 1994 arrival at Unity as a transfer student.

"It looked like she was really getting ready to take off," he said.

Williams, of St. Cloud, Minnesota, was a high-achieving student at Carleton College in Minnesota and a budding geologist. Winans and Williams met as interns at Woodswomen, a now-defunct outdoor recreation program in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Minnesota. There, they learned to run wilderness trips for women and children.

Bassett, who met Winans in the summer of 1994, remembered her love of music and the outdoors, as well as her irrepressible joy.

"She smiled all the time," he said.

His first adventure with Winans was when they went together to the H.O.R.D.E. Festival that summer in Old Orchard Beach. They didn't have tickets to the traveling music festival, but decided to head there anyway with some other Unity friends. A "random guy" came up to them and offered backstage passes, Bassett recalled.

"We got to go backstage and hang out with the Allman Brothers," he said. "The whole way home, we couldn't believe that had happened to us. That was my intro to Lollie, hanging out with the Allman Brothers backstage.

"She loved music," Bassett said. "Any type of live music, you could bet that Lollie would be there, dancing and smiling."

The friends also bonded over their shared passion for the outdoors. They spent hours in the woods, accompanied by Taj, identifying trees and looking for deer scrapes  places where male deer rubbed their forehead and antlers against the base of a tree.

"She was so much fun," he said. "We were nature people. We loved to just hike up a mountain and bring a sleeping bag, look at the stars."

Winans had a serious side, too. She volunteered for a rape crisis center in Waterville, and was planning to become a wilderness guide to help women who had suffered trauma.

It was cruelly ironic, Bassett said, that a woman drawn to the wilderness because she found it a place of peace and healing was brutally murdered there.

"These 25 years have been tough," he said. "It really impacted me and others who love ... the outdoors. It was like our one safe place, the woods, was gone. It still bothers me to this day."

FBI agents on campus

Bassett had just driven across the country to Glacier National Park in Montana and started an internship there when he got a phone call alerting him that Winans and Williams had been killed.

"I remember crying for days," he said. "I had friends all over the country, also in national parks. I just needed my people. I just felt so hopeless, lost and sad and grieving. I didn't have any answers."

When the summer ended, the students returned to Maine, where they had a big gathering to share stories about Winans and grieve together. They weren't alone there, though. After the killings, federal investigators cast a wide net, following leads all over the country, including at Unity. It seemed that anybody could have been a suspect, so they interviewed Winans' friends.

"To the FBI's credit, they were looking for any lead that they could," Bassett said. "They had nothing, and they were doing due diligence."

But as the agents spent time with the students, they found that their alibis checked out. No one from the school became a person of interest.

With no quick arrests made, the case drew the attention of national gay rights activists, who believed homophobia was the most plausible reason for the slayings, according to a 1996 article in Out Magazine.

"The first motive is hate," Rachel Lurie said at a speakout in memory of the two women held in Vermont. "It is the most likely motive. Women are killed for being women, and gay people are killed for being gay."

An indictment, but no conviction

In 2002, six years after the murders, a Maryland man named Darrell David Rice was indicted for the crimes. He was charged with four counts of capital murder  two of which alleged that he intentionally selected his victims because of his hatred of women and gay people, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Rice had been convicted of the attempted abduction of a female bicyclist in Shenandoah National Park in 1997.

"Rice acted in a hostile and violent manner toward women solely because they were women," U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said at a news conference. "In addition ... [there is] evidence of Rice's hatred for homosexuals, including his statement that Julianne Williams and Laura Winans deserved to die because they were homosexuals."

But prosecutors lacked forensic evidence and dropped their case against Rice in 2004, just a month before he was scheduled to go to trial. A hair found at the crime scene had been DNA-tested, according to Blue Ridge Outdoors, and belonged neither to Rice nor the victims.

As far as the investigation goes, said Rybiski of the FBI, nothing has been taken off the table.

"It could potentially be a hate crime because of them being a young couple," she said. "Or it could be a crime of opportunity."

But Bassett, for his part, believes that Rice is the most likely culprit, and that he singled out Winans and Williams because they were a couple.

"Most of us in the Unity community feel that they had him, and it was just on a technicality that they had to let him go," he said.

He doesn't want people to forget about what happened 25 years ago in a quiet, beautiful corner of Virginia. He can't. And to this day, he can't watch certain horror movies or torture scenes because they are just too close to home.

"I don't want this story to fade away. I want justice," Bassett said. "Two young women in the national park were brutally murdered, just because they were thought to be lesbians ... You could be murdered just because of who you loved."
By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO (Reuters) - Indigenous leaders and school survivors on Sunday dismissed Pope Francis' expressions of pain at the discovery of 215 children's remains at a former Catholic residential school in Canada, saying the church needed to do much more.

In his weekly blessing in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, Francis said he was pained by the news about the former school for indigenous students and called for respect for the rights and cultures of native peoples. But he stopped short of the direct apology some Canadians had demanded.

"We're all pained and saddened. Who isn't? This is a worldwide travesty," Chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in Saskatchewan, Bobby Cameron, told Reuters.

"How hard is it for the Pope to say: 'I'm very sorry for the way our organization treated the First Nations people, the First Nations students during those times, we are sorry, we pray.'"

The discovery last month at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, which closed in 1978, reopened old wounds in Canada about the lack of information and accountability around the residential school system, which forcibly separated indigenous children from their families.

On Sunday, demonstrators tore down a statue of Egerton Ryerson, one of the architects of the residential school system, at the Toronto university named for him.

Kamloops survivor Saa Hiil Thut, 72, said people have not been held responsible for the suffering he endured during his years at the school.

"The culprits sort of get off scot-free," he said.

"The Pope won't say, 'You know what? I heard there was (thousands of) cases of physical and sexual abuse in those residential schools run by our church.' He won't say that. He won't say 'There's 215 children in an unmarked grave in Kamloops and probably every residential school in Canada.'"

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The system, which operated between 1831 and 1996, forcibly separated about 150,000 indigenous children from their homes, with many subjected to abuse, rape and malnutrition. Most were run by the Catholic Church on behalf of the government.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday the church must take responsibility for its role in the schools. A spokesman for Trudeau declined further comment on Sunday.

The Pope's statement "does not go far enough," said a spokesperson for Crown-Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett on Sunday.

"(The) government calls again upon the Pope and Church to apologize for their role."

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Writing by Amran Abocar; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Research has revealed many organisations have been poorly equipped to enable remote working and training throughout the past year. Photo: Getty

British businesses have been weighing the future of remote work as the UK government is poised to scrap its official work from home (WFH) guidance later this month.

As the economy looks to fully reopen on 21 June, prime minister Boris Johnson has said he intends to the guidance in the coming weeks, meaning Britons should no longer be advised to WFH after that date.

While employees have proven they can keep up with job demands while working remotely, and businesses have shown they can function, some firms are divided over the future of long-term remote work.

"As lockdowns are lifted and vaccination rates continue to climb, naturally this has sparked some spirited debate about the future of remote work," said Nikolas Kairinos, CEO and founder of Soffos. "For many firms, the pandemic has been a game-changer  changes have been introduced not only to ensure business continuity, but to allow employees to be more productive and fulfilled in their roles."

Research has revealed many organisations have been poorly equipped to enable remote working and training throughout the past year.

While the use of technologies including Zoom (ZM), Teams and Slack (WORK) have risen during the pandemic, new data shared exclusively with Yahoo Finance UK, shows 36% of organisations have experienced communication breakdowns while WFH.

Companies in the architecture, engineering building sectors predominately experienced communication issues, with 44% admitted breakdowns.

Of the 750 business leaders surveyed by Soffos.ai, 39% admitted they have struggled to make time for training and 38% noticed poorer collaboration within their organisation.

A third (33%) say they lack the tools and knowledge to effectively support remote employees, according to the study by the AI-powered learning platform. This rose to 41% in the banking sector.

Vital sectors across the UK economy said the pandemic widened skills gap/shortages in their business, including banking (62%), healthcare (58%), legal (53%), sales, media and marketing (52%), IT & telecoms (48%) and retail, catering and leisure (44%).

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Read more: How COVID changed the UK's hospitality sector

Looking ahead Soffos found that 50% of businesses intend to prioritise digital training over in-person training in the coming 12 months.

"In truth, hybrid working is likely to remain in place long after the pandemic has passed. With the right infrastructure in place, businesses will reap the benefits of remote working," Kairinos added.

"To ensure the shift is successful, organisations will therefore require greater investment in digital infrastructure, as well as key technologies to support their workers learning and professional development."

Meanwhile, many businesses plan to invest more heavily in tech to allow them to better support their employees.

The majority (52%) plan to invest in data analytics to understand the strengths, weaknesses and particular needs of their workforce, and 43% will invest in artificial intelligence to deliver more advanced training initiatives.

COVID has forever changed the way many industries operate, as many venues were forced to come up with alternative ways to do business as restrictions and social distancing were enforced.

It comes after a separate study from card payments firm Dojo, revealed that as a result of COVID, 95% of UK hospitality venues are looking to implement technology into their businesses.

Catalysed by the events of the last 12 months, hospitality technology has gone from a niche product, to an absolute necessity.

The crisis has propelled contactless payment and orders. From mobile apps to web ordering, 43% of customers have been using some form of order and pay technology since July 2020.

Watch: What UK government COVID-19 support is available?
In one sense, vaccinations may be the victim of their own success. COVID-19 cases are down more than 90% and deaths down more than 85% since January. Some people may feel they dont need to get jabbed.

The fact remains: If you are not vaccinated, you are at risk of getting the virus or spreading it to someone else, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

About 63% of adults have received at least one shot, but President Joe Bidens goal of having 70% of adults fully vaccinated by July 4 appears in doubt. On Wednesday, he launched a month of action.

The campaign will include door-to-door canvassing, texts, media ads featuring celebrities, free rides to vaccination sites by Uber and Lyft, and free childcare for parents while theyre getting shots.

Black barbershops and beauty salons will help clients find vaccinations, which are readily available. Some pharmacies will stay open 24 hours on Fridays in June to give shots.

Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts to the vaccinated. Some supermarkets are offering free groceries to customers who get vaccinated in their stores.

When the 70% goal is achieved, Anheuser-Busch promises a free round of beer to those 21 and older who are vaccinated and sign up on their website.
Senate Republicans refused to go along with the House and establish a commission to investigate the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, which left five people dead, and more than 100 police officers injured. By a vote of 54 to 35, the bill to form the bipartisan commission failed. But who really believes that it would have been truly bipartisan? In Washington, virtually everything is partisan.

Wall Street Journal columnist Gerald Seib attempted to make the case for a commission, even while acknowledging that trials, investigations by journalists and other information about the incident will eventually be known. He seems to think a commission made up of politicians will find credibility with most Americans. Probably the opposite will be true.

How about a commission to examine the source of the anger that produced the attack? The sources arent conservative talk radio or cable TV. They are merely conduits for many Americans who are fed up with their government and want it to return to the boundaries established by the Founders.

While violence and destruction were not justified on January 6, or at any other time, the riot might go a long way toward heading off future incidents if our leaders understood the depth of feeling held by those rioters who believe their country is being taken away from them without their consent.
It was bad enough when Greene likened mask mandates to the yellow-star mandate Nazi Germany imposed on Jews during the Holocaust. It took some public pressure, but the GOP leadership finally denounced her false analogy as reprehensible and appalling. Not one to be deterred, she soon doubled down with another ahistorical Nazi parallel. Just as Hitler came to power through a National Socialist Party, the Democrats, she charged, are now a National Socialist Party.

The National Socialist Party of the Third Reich, historians will tell you, was anything but socialist. Greenes remarks have been ridiculed and dismissed as overblown and ridiculous. Deservedly so. But there is a parallel here that we dare not dismiss. Hitler did whip up popular support by demonizing and blaming the Jews for Germanys problems. But his pretext for seizing total control of Germany was the burning of the Reichstag, the parliament building. He blamed it on the communists. Hitler and his followers held that up as evidence that the situation was too dire for democracy. Only a strong authoritarian leader could save Germany! The parallel should be obvious. Greene speaks for Republican demagogues seeking to undermine our faith in democracy. They would have us believe only a strong authoritarian leader  a Donald Trump  can save us from the Democratic socialists.
After a two-year hiatus caused by foreign animal disease concerns and the COVID-19 global pandemic, the World Pork Expo returns to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines Wednesday through Friday.

This will be the first expo since 2018, and it feels really good to be back, said Doug Fricke, director of trade show marketing for the National Pork Producers Council. Our board took a hard look at everything, and they felt this was the right move for everyone involved.

Much of the expo remains the same as 2018, but there have been concessions made to COVID-19. That includes the absence of a live hog show, Fricke said.

However, the trade show has sold out when it comes to indoor space. Fricke said the outdoor portion of the trade show has expanded, providing ample opportunities for producers to talk to an assortment of vendors.

We are continuing to add vendors outdoors. We have room to grow there, he said.

Pork Academy and corporate-sponsored educational seminars remain an integral part of the expo. Fricke said he is pleased with this years lineup, which includes sessions on labor challenges, industry technology, sustainability and climate impact.
Terrence also works with students after school on their SkillsUSA projects and demonstrates his belief that the leadership and technical skills taught through this program will make students marketable in the industry, his nominator wrote.

That has resulted in strong student participation in the program and many continuing their studies at Iowa Western Community College.

Thanks to the vision of Dr. Murillo, Dr. Rassekh, the Board of Education and Terrence, Council Bluffs is now a leader in skills training for high school students, the person wrote.

Bridgette Bellows has been with the district for 15 years and served as an assistant principal at Abraham Lincoln before being promoted to principal in 2015.

Bridgette Bellows is a true leader who walks the walk, her nominator wrote. She has a large knowledge base and is able to not only share information but also model and teach it. She is collaborative, caring and is an engaging colleague, able to establish and maintain quality relationships with students, staff and families.

Bellows is both empathetic and realistic, her nominator wrote.

With her high expectations, she works to ensure students and staff have what they need to be successful, the person wrote. She is an advocate who always supports students and staff in their personal growth. She is trusted, solution-focused and always keeps students and their success at the center of her work.

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It is not entirely clear why that is the case, said Scott Hensley, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania. RNA vaccines are relatively new, so the immunity they provoke has not been thoroughly studied. In his own research on mice getting different types of flu vaccines  some made with RNA and others inactivated viruses  Hensley saw a similar difference. The level of antibodies produced by the two kinds of vaccines are outrageously different, he said.
WAVERLY  U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley praised Hy-Vee for incentivizing people to get the coronavirus vaccine, but said Iowa doesnt need a million-dollar lottery like Ohios to increase inoculations.

Hy-Vee is offering $10 gift cards to those who get vaccinated through November 1 and administers the vaccine in its pharmacies.

To get the next 10 or 20% of the people in America vaccinated, were gonna have to work a little harder, and I compliment Hy-Vee for helping us work a little harder, Grassley said during a stop at the Waverly Hy-Vee on Thursday afternoon.

The seven-term senator had asymptomatic COVID-19 in 2020 and was later vaccinated. He came to the Waverly to thank the pharmacy employees personally for what theyve done during the COVID pandemic and also during the vaccine rollout, said Christina Gayman, director of public relations for Hy-Vee corporate.

Grassley briefly toured the store before meeting privately with employees.

Were at a point now in Iowa and throughout the nation where the percentage of people who are getting vaccinated on a weekly basis has decreased quite a bit, Gayman said. And so were hoping to provide some incentive for individuals to come on in and get vaccinated.

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IN THE NEWS

Farm worker guilty in student's death

A farm laborer was found guilty in the abduction and killing of an Iowa college student who vanished while out for a run in 2018 and will face life behind bars for a crime that shocked the nation. A 12-member jury unanimously found Cristhian Bahena Rivera guilty of first-degree murder in the attack on University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. Bahena Rivera, who came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico as a teenager, will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prison attack: A correctional officer was assaulted by an inmate at the Anamosa State Penitentiary that was the scene of a deadly attack earlier this year. The Iowa Department of Corrections said an inmate, secured in restraints, was being supervised by the officer during a virtual disciplinary hearing with an administrative law judge.

Ransomware attack: A ransomware attack on the worlds largest meat processing company disrupted production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. JBS SA of Brazil, which has three facilities in Iowa, notified the U.S. of a ransom demand from a criminal organization likely based in Russia.
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As a Child Development Home C with two providers, Hurt is limited to 16 children, with four of those kids needing care only part time. Right now, she has 13 children in her center because shes holding spots open for current families with babies on the way.

She supports the new bills that provide more financial assistance to families. The bill that addresses the child care cliff is especially helpful, she said.

In the past, you make more money and they cut you off. By the time you pay for child care, youre coming out worse than you were before, Hurt said. Ive had clients in the past turn down a raise or a promotion because they would lose their child care assistance.

Shes less supportive of the new law that increases the number of children allowed in a child-care home setting.

Its not beneficial to those of us who work hard to become registered, Hurt said. The ones not registered, (the state Department of Human Services) doesnt come out and do checks on them. Youre basically giving them benefits to stay unregistered and, to me, that doesnt seem fair.
Heres the bigger point: Much of this conversation, debate, disagreement, whatever you want to call it, could and probably should have taken place between the auditors and governors staff before either one of them went public.

Clearly the auditor and governor have different interpretations of the state law in question. One option would have been for their respective staffs to hash some of that out between themselves before airing their dirty laundry for the public.

In other words: They could have governed.

Im not assigning motives here, but this is happening against this backdrop: Reynolds likely will be running for re-election next year, and Sand has acknowledged he is weighing whether to run for governor.

It does not take a giant leap in logic to question whether both parties were at least partially, if not entirely motivated, by politics in their handling of this report.

Sand could have given the governors office more time to respond to the report. Reynolds could have taken her disagreement with the reports findings to Sand first.
He balked when asked whether Trump should serve as the face of the Republican Party for the midterms, when control of the House, Senate and dozens of governorships are at stake.

The face of the party is each individual race, Scott said, noting that there will be hundreds of Republican candidates on midterm ballots. The party is those people, its not one person, its not one persons agenda."

For now, when Republicans are not aligning themselves with Trump, they're focusing much of their energy on culture wars and railing against Biden's agenda. The president, backed by narrow Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, has already adopted a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that was widely popular among voters. Now, he's pushing a massive infrastructure package that polls suggest could be equally popular.

Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., worries that Republicans could squander built-in advantages in their quest to win back control of Congress and expand their advantage with governorships. In recent history, the party out of the White House has almost always made significant gains in the first midterm election of a new presidency.

Democrats will lose control of Congress if Republicans flip just five seats in the House and only one in the Senate.
The next term could be huge. But the current term has its own important mysteries. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The biggest Supreme Court news of late involves cases it has teed up for the next term; starting in October, the Court will tackle the hot-button issues of abortion, guns, and possibly affirmative action. But the current term could produce some bombshells as well. There are still 23 cases on the docket for this term, which normally ends in late June or early July. While the Court has already handed down a few rulings, justices traditionally back-load important decisions, so the best  or the worst  could be yet to come.

By most reckonings, there are four potentially big decisions that are likely to come down in the remainder of the term. Here are the cases to watch out for in the coming weeks, in descending order of notoriety (if not necessarily legal significance).

Yet another challenge to Obamacare

Following repeated Republican efforts to strike down the Affordable Care Act, the law will be tested once again in California v. Texas. The plaintiffs claim the tax-power justification of Obamacares individual mandate (which the Court famously articulated when it upheld the law in 2012) fell apart when Congress repealed the tax penalty in 2017. The closely related question is whether the rest of Obamacare can stand even if the mandate falls.

Despite powerful support from Republican pols at both the federal and state levels for this challenge to Obamacare, its viability has never marshaled a great deal of expert support. And as SCOTUSblogs Amy Howe explained, the oral arguments last November were reasonably clear:

After roughly two hours of oral argument in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, it appeared likely that the Affordable Care Act will survive yet another effort in the courts to dismantle it. Although there may be five votes to strike down the ACAs individual mandate  the provision in the law that directs virtually all Americans to buy health insurance  a majority of the court in California v. Texas seemed to agree with the ACAs defenders that even if the mandate is unconstitutional, the rest of the ACA can survive. That determination would effectively leave in place the status quo, because Congress in 2017 eliminated the penalty for failing to obtain insurance, and the ACA has continued to operate without any enforceable individual mandate.

Theres also a standing issue that could prevent any damage to Obamacare, but if the Court goes as expected, the reputation of the Roberts Court for saving Barack Obamas signature accomplishment will be burnished.

A timely election-law case

As Republican-controlled states compete to restrict voting opportunities and preempt local-election management in Democratic cities, the Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee that could pry open the door to such practices even more. At issue are bans imposed by Arizona on so-called ballot harvesting (third-party collection of sealed mail ballots) and on counting votes cast in the wrong precinct. But the stakes could be bigger if the Courts conservative majority chooses to raise the bar for challenges to voter-suppression practices under Section Two of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to more or less require a showing of racist intent as well as racist results.

Keep in mind that the same chief justice who has done so much to allow Obamacare to stay in force also wrote the opinion in Shelby County v. Holder that gutted the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

Another landmark religious liberty case?

Dating back to the 2014 Burwell v. Hobby Lobby decision, the Roberts Court has steadily begun to carve out an ever-widening zone of religious liberty that creates statutory and constitutional protections for faith-based defiance of anti-discrimination laws and policies. Fulton v. City of Philadelphia involves a Catholic social-services agency that refused to comply with Philadelphias laws against anti-LGBTQ discrimination in adoption placements made subsequent to a city contract.

The New York Times suggests the Fulton decision could continue the judicial march toward a separate, parallel set of rules for those claiming religious grounds for discrimination:

The justices questions during oral arguments seemed to point to a ruling in favor of the Catholic agency  That would restrict the impact of the 2015 ruling establishing a right to same-sex marriage, making clear that LGBTQ Americans could not expect the same protections as other groups. It would also raise questions about whether the newly conservative court might one day revisit that 2015 ruling.

If Justice Neil Gorsuch writes the opinion in Fulton, look out. He has quickly become the Courts chief champion of religious liberty, defined as focusing on the right to fully exercise ones faith as opposed to the right to be free of state-supported religious teachings. Thats despite the great notoriety he gained from writing a 2020 opinion that said LGBTQ workers are protected by federal anti-discrimination laws (a matter of statutory interpretation in which Gorsuch followed the plain-meaning textualist doctrines of Justice Antonin Scalia).

A case on how the First Amendment applies to social media

A fourth big case, Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., involves Brandi Levy, a Pennsylvania high-school cheerleader penalized by her school after she posted a profane Snapchat tirade complaining about her failure to make the varsity squad. Existing precedents drawing a bright line between censorship of on-campus and off-campus utterances, and of expressions which are disruptive of school communities, dont seem to apply very clearly. The case has created some conflict between points of view that are usually aligned, as Reuters points out:

Many schools and educators, supported by President Joe Bidens administration, have argued that ending their authority over students at the schoolhouse gates could make it harder to curb bullying, racism, cheating, and invasions of privacy  all frequently occurring online.

The American Civil Liberties Union, representing Levy, has argued that students need protection from censorship and monitoring of their beliefs.

Levy won decisively in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, but its unclear how the Supreme Court will rule.
(Bloomberg) -- A consortium of private equity firms reached an agreement to buy medical supply company Medline Industries Inc. in what would be one of the biggest leveraged buyouts of all time.

The group, comprising Blackstone Group Inc., Carlyle Group Inc. and Hellman & Friedman, will take a majority stake in Medline. Singapores GIC Pte will also invest as part of the partnership, the consortium said in a statement Saturday.

The transaction is valued at more than $30 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal is worth as much as $34 billion including debt and would include a $17 billion so-called equity check, one of the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.

Based in Northfield, Illinois, Medline is the biggest private U.S. manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies like medical gloves, gowns and exam tables to hospitals and doctors offices. The company is run by the billionaire Mills family: Chief Executive Officer Charlie Mills, his cousin Andy Mills, who is president, and Chief Operating Officer Jim Abrams, who is Charlies brother-in-law.

Charlie and Andy took the reins in 1997 from their respective fathers, Jim and Jon Mills. Those brothers founded the company in 1966, taking inspiration from their grandfather who helped sew gowns for surgeons at a hospital in Chicago before World War I.

The Mills family will remain the largest single shareholder, according to the statement, adding that there will be no changes to Medlines senior management team.

The investment will enable us to accelerate that strategy while preserving the family-led culture that is core to our success, Medlines CEO said.

Narrowed Down

The team beat out Canadian investment giant Brookfield Asset Management Inc. which was bidding on its own, the people said.

At least eight buyout firms had last month been preparing offers for the company, some lured by the prospect of getting the first shot at slashing costs and maximizing profits at a massive company in Medline thats never been touched by another buyout firm.

Story continues

Blackstone, Carlyle, and H&F were attracted to Medline because of the opportunity to work with the company to help it accelerate its international expansion, make new infrastructure investments, strengthen its supply chain and expand its product offerings.

By June 1, the bidding group had been narrowed down to three parties: the Blackstone consortium, Brookfield bidding on its own and a separate consortium that included Bain Capital, Advent International and CVC Capital Partners.

Bains consortium decided not to submit final bids after the final deadline was abruptly accelerated by several weeks, some of the people said.

Blackstone and H&F have teamed up to buy large assets in the past, including a bid to take Germanys Scout24 private.

Medline generated $17.5 billion in sales in 2020, a representative said previously.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and BDT & Co. advised Medline on the transaction, one of the people said, while Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays Plc, Morgan Stanley and Centerview Partners advised the private equity firms.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

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Lee Countys health care infrastructure will get a needed boost very soon.

Auburn city and university officials joined with East Alabama Medical Center Friday to cut the ribbon on Auburn Medical Pavilion, a new emergency department in Auburn Universitys research and technology campus on Auburns south side.

This is a very exciting day for us  our hospital familys been looking forward to this day for a very long time, said EAMC President and CEO Laura Grill to a crowd of about 100 people. It seems like weve been talking about and planning this facility for many years.  We knew we wanted to be associated with the university and with the research and technology park, and this turned out to be the perfect location for this facility.

The $33.7 million building, located on Shug Jordan Parkway just west of College Street, will house the 12-bed emergency department, an outpatient surgery center, inhouse pharmacy and a breast health center  84,000 square feet on three floors, all told.

EAMC spokesman John Atkinson said the emergency department will initially handle walk-in traffic and reroute ambulances to the Opelika campus. It should open later this month, with the other services at the site available by the end of this summer.
Manchins opposition to the broader elections bill is just the latest challenge facing Democrats as they enter the summer work period under rising pressure to deliver on their promises to voters. Manchin reiterated he would not vote weaken or eliminate the filibuster, a route that many Democrats see as the only realistic path forward. The filibuster rule requires 60 votes to pass most bills, and in todays Senate, which is split 50-50, that means many of the Democrats biggest priorities, from voting rights to gun control, are dead on arrival.
For Burger lovers, the seventh annual Burger Wars in downtown Opelika had it all: warm weather, ample choices and a chance to watch local businesses, restaurants and tailgaters going head-to-head.

Were in the South  who doesnt love pulled pork and tailgating? said Chris Ficarra of The Red, White and Blue BBQ tent while passing out samples.

The group of about a dozen friends was one of 22 grill operations stationed around North Railroad Avenue, Eighth Street and First Avenue on Saturday.

Several hundred people traveled booth to booth for the event, many saying this years felt larger than previous Burger Wars. Two dozen tents were stationed in downtown Opelika, with two reserved for offering shade away to festival goers.

Opelikas La Cantina won first place for best restaurant burger, while Rock N Roll Pinball took home the corporate trophy and Team Wilson captured the tailgater division.

Its great to be out here supporting the community, said Larry Arnold of Golden State Foods, which won second place in the corporate division.
Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful, brightest explosions in the universe. They last only seconds but release immense amounts of energyas much, in fact, as the sun will emit throughout its existence. According to scientists, there may be a way to imitate the process that leads to this explosion in what could be an energy industry game-changer. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to occur when a black hole is formed. The first was observed in 1967, but it was only in 1991 that the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory with the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) was launched. BATSE has been discovering roughly one gamma-ray burst daily. Now, the most powerful gamma-ray burst may have given scientists the key to replicating it.

GRB 190114C, Science Alert writes, came from 4.5 billion light-years away and generated energy of some trillion electron volts. You don't need to be versed in electricity measures to grasp the magnitude of the burst: if it's got a trillion of anything in it, it's bound to be powerful.

Earlier this year, scientists from Columbia University and Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Chile reported that they had discovered a way to harvest energy from black holes by separating and rejoining magnetic lines along the event horizonthe so-called point of no return where black holes suck in everything and not even light can return.

This disconnection and reconnection process, the researchers said, could accelerate plasma particles around the black hole to negative energy. This, in turn, would generate massive amounts of energy that could be extracted.

Now, a team from the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network (ICRANet), an organization headquartered in Italy, says it had uncovered the mechanism that leads to gamma-ray bursts.

Related: ''We'll See $200 Oil": Russia & OPEC Ministers Blast IEA's Net Zero Plan

They're calling it a binary-driven hypernova, which is a system of two stars, one carbon-oxygen star and a neutron star. The carbon-oxygen star is nearing the end of its life, and when it becomes a supernova, which is how stars die, it ejects material that the neutron star absorbs, which causes it to pass the critical mass point and turn into a black hole. The process of this happening causes gamma-ray bursts.

That's the theory, but the team, led by Rahim Moradi, has also described how the process can be replicated. This comes down to particle acceleration along magnetic lines, which extracts rotational energy from the black hole's ergosphere: a region where the space-time continuum is rotating so fast that every object spins in the same direction as the black hole.

"The novel engine presented in the new publication makes the job through a purely general relativistic, gravito-electrodynamical process: a rotating black hole, interacting with a surrounding magnetic field, creates an electric field that accelerates ambient electrons to ultrahigh-energies leading to high-energy radiation and ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays," explains one of the authors of the research, Remo Ruffini, as quoted by Science Alert.

It probably sounds far-fetched and too theoretical to have any practical implications. Yet black holes have captured the imagination of scientists ever since their existence was only theorized. Then they were proven to exist. Some half a century ago, a British mathematical physicist, Roger Penrose, described a future where humans or aliens would be able to harvest the energy of a black hole by dropping an object in its ergosphere and accelerating it to negative energy. Last year, scientists from the University of Glasgow devised a proof-of-concept for the process.

In other words, what seemed like a fantasy decades ago turned out to be an actual phenomenon and what sounded an impossible way to use this phenomenon to extract energy fifty years ago is hypothetically possible now. Perhaps replicating a gamma-ray burst may become possible too.



By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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When Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced that Saudi Arabia was no longer an oil-producing country, he likely didnt mean literally.

Saudi Arabia is no longer an oil country, its an energy-producing country, the Energy Minister told S&P Global Platts this week.

Saudi Arabia has high green ambitions that include gas production, renewables, and hydrogen.

I urge the world to accept this as a reality. We are going to be winners of all these activities.

Saudi Arabia will surely benefit from the green transition. While the Exxons, Chevrons, and Shells of the world are busy doing climate activists bidding in the boardroom and courtroom, NOCs--particularly in various OPEC nations--are all-too-eager to take advantage of what will surely be increased oil prices.

Already Saudi Arabia has raised its official selling price for the month of July to Asia.

But that doesnt stop Saudi Arabia from pursuing its green ambitions--the Saudi Green Initiative--while funding those green ambitions through oil sales. Saudi Arabia plans to generate 50% of its energy from renewables by 2030, in part to reduce its dependence on oil. In 2017, renewables made up just 0.02% of the overall energy share in Saudi Arabia.

But that doesnt mean Saudi Arabia is planning on producing any fewer barrels of oil. And it doesnt mean that Saudi Arabia is planning on halting funding for all new oil and gas projects, as the recent IEA bombshell report has suggested the world must do to reach net-zero by 2050. Saudi Arabia has long maintained that oil will remain a dominant energy source for decades.

Saudi Arabias Energy Minister said that the IEAs net-zero pathway spelled out in its most recent report was like a sequel to La La Land. In fact, several oil-producing and oil-consuming nations have dismissed the report.

Saudi Arabias oil revenues--which will fund any green aspirations the country may undertake--have dwindled over the last year and a half, and state-run oil giant Aramco had to hold bond sales just to pay its hefty dividend to the state.

Nevertheless, the worlds largest exporter of crude claiming it is no longer an oil-producing country is noteworthy indeed.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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An under-the-radar hearing on the way shippers will contract volumes on Canada's key crude oil export pipeline began last month in what could turn out to be the most important battle for control of Canadian oil resources.

The more than a month-long hearing at the Canada Energy Regulator (CER)planned to end on June 25is expected to end up with the regulator determining how Canadian oil firms and U.S. refiners will pay to ship crude on Enbridge's Mainline system over the next decade. Mainline, with the capacity to ship nearly 3 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, is Canada's biggest transporter of oil, carrying crude from oil-rich Alberta to markets in eastern Canada and the U.S. Midwest.

The current pipeline contracting system expires on June 30, 2021. Mainline's operator Enbridge has been operating the pipeline for decades under the so-called "common carrier" system, in which all of the huge capacity has been available for short-term shipments of volumes that shippers can change every month. This has given Canadian oil producers the flexibility to contract short-term volumes without having to commit to long-term obligations to ship crude on the pipeline.

Mainline Operator Enbridge Looks To Secure Long-Term Shipments

Now Enbridge wants to change that. Mainline's operator seeks to convert the contracting terms to ones where 90 percent of the available capacity would be reserved for long-term access to its network. Canada Energy Regulator's Commission is set to decide, after the hearing ends at end-June, whether the proposal is fair for all parties.

Enbridge's rationale for the new tolling framework is to ensure certainty for shippers in the long term, it says. But it also has a purely business reason to seek long-term firm contracts for Mainlineto reduce its long-term volume risk, because competing pipelines already offer shippers the ability to contract for firm service on a long-term basis. The new proposed system will "provide Enbridge with the tools to compete on a level playing field," the company said in its proposal.

For example, the Trans Mountain expansion project already has contracts in place that commit the majority of its capacity to firm service on a long-term basis. In this case, if Enbridge continues as a "common carrier", it could lose much more than the firm long-term contract pipelines where shippers pay for volumes anyway, regardless of how much they would actually ship one month or next.

While Enbridge's application to convert Mainline to firm long-term contracting may be just protecting its business in the long term, it could mean that Canada may give control to its most important pipeline to U.S. refiners, which favor the proposed new contracting system, Samir Kayande, an independent energy business strategy consultant, writes in Financial Post.

CER Hearing "is about who effectively controls Canadian resources"

Since refiners typically want low crude oil prices, if they are given their way in the new contracting system, their bargaining power would grow, at the expense of Canada's exploration and production companies which usually would like to see higher oil prices, Kayande argues.

"The toll hearing at the CER is about who effectively controls Canadian resources," Kayande notes.

According to Enbridge's evidence, companies that ship over 75 percent of the volumes on the Mainline have said the proposed terms and tolls are "fair, balanced, and productive."

"Producers have generally not shipped on the Mainline, with the exception of those that hold capacity on connecting downstream pipelines. It could well be that, if Mainline Contracting is approved, it is primarily parties with refining interests and parties (including producers) that have downstream pipeline capacity that will contract for service on the Mainline," Enbridge argues.

"But this would not be a "redistribution of the pie". This would be entirely consistent with the current and past usage of the Mainline under the 100% uncommitted service structure," the pipeline operator says.

Canadian Oil Producers Vs U.S. Refiners

However, most Canadian oil producers, especially those without downstream capacity in Canada and the United States, beg to differ.

The Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC), which includes 170 producers, said, "Ensuring that the crude oil and liquids produced and exported from Western Canada realize the highest possible market value is of critical importance to the citizens of the provinces that own the resource, to the oil producers of the WCSB and their investors, to the communities who depend on that investment and to the municipal, provincial and federal governments who rely on the taxes and royalties paid by the upstream oil and gas industry."

"These public interests also far outweigh the objectives of the small group of mostly US based refining and allied interests that support the Application, that seek to acquire control for the next two decades over 90% of the transportation capacity on the Mainline thus giving them ability to lower the price that WCSB producers receive for their crude oil," EPAC noted.

The association also slammed Enbridge's "fear of competing pipelines" as "self-serving and opportunistic."

The Canadian Shippers Group, consisting of Canadian Natural Resources, MEG Energy Corp, Shell Canada, and Total E&P Canada, said that "The Application is the result of an egregious attempt by Enbridge to exert its market power to its own advantage, which would come to the detriment of Canadian based producers, aggregators and refiners."

Roland Priddle, the former chair and board member of the National Energy Board between 1986 and 1997, also slammed Enbridge's proposal in his evidence on behalf of the Canadian Shippers Group.

"The support that Enbridge has marshalled for the Application does not represent the Canadian public interest: it is biased in favour of U.S. refiners and against Canadian crude oil producing interests, which had previously been the only or the dominant counterparty in settlement negotiations," Priddle said.

The ongoing hearing about the changes to Mainline's operation has turned into a battle about who will control the future of Canadian oil and its prices.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Zachary was one of the most vulnerable in our city that night, Hinman Petto said. A human being who, of all people, needed the service and protection of our Omaha Police Department.

The event began with a prayer in the Omaha language by Renee Sans Sonci, who said she prayed for Bear Heels family to find peace. The Lincoln woman said more people in Omaha need to learn of the injustices and dangers that Native people face.

Were the most vulnerable people in this country, she said.

Bear Heels was more than his mental illness and death. His mother recalled a happy son who was athletic and loved music and dance. During his school days, Chalepah said, he had journaled about his dream of becoming a doctor.

I want everyone to know that he was loved, she said.

During a stop at a billboard calling for justice for Zachary Bear Heels at 54th and Center Streets, several speakers vowed to continue telling Bear Heels story and demanding justice.
A day later, the first of two atomic bombs was dropped on Japan, bringing about the end of the war.

Fosco was discharged in 1946, as a tech sergeant, and returned to work at his former company. He stayed there until retiring, after 49 years.

The Foscos moved to Omaha in 2006, after their son, Carl, relocated for a job. Caroline Fosco died in 2011.

Herb Hahn is one of the few World War II veterans to have been part of the European war from beginning to end.

A member of the Army Signal Corps, his job was installing and maintaining communications equipment.

He took part in Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, in late 1942, operating a radio station on top of a mountain in Algeria under conditions he told an interviewer were doggone primitive.

Hahns squad supported Patton during the invasion of Sicily. He spent time on the Anzio beachhead in 1943 before taking part in the August 1944 invasion of southern France.

In spring 1945, he reached the Rhine River and saw the famous Ludendorff bridge at Remagen, famously crossed by a squad under the command of Lt. Karl Timmermann of West Point, Nebraska.
Authorities are investigating separate shootings that left three people wounded over the weekend.

On Sunday, a shooting at the Brent Village Apartments in Bellevue left a man critically wounded. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center. The shooting was reported just before 6 p.m.

About 11:45 p.m. Saturday, police arrived at a home near 33rd and Sprague Streets, where they found Mark Broadway, 55, with gunshot wounds.

Police found suspect Deron Gatus, 36, in a vehicle near 22nd and Ohio Streets. He was taken into custody after a short pursuit.

Gatus was arrested on suspicion of first-degree felony assault, use of a weapon to commit a felony, possession of a gun by a prohibited person and felony flight to avoid arrest.

Broadway was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The second shooting took place around midnight at a home near 98th Avenue Circle and Mockingbird Drive.

Officers found Lonnie Williams, 46, with gunshot wounds. He was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy with injuries that were not life-threatening.
With successful implementation, our students are going to have a better experience than they did before the pandemic, Cardona said in an interview with the AP.

Because Nebraska schools were able to open early and stay open during the 2020-21 school year, the bulk of the states money can be focused on academic recovery efforts as opposed to reopening expenses.

Kala Morrissey, a spokeswoman for OPS, said details are still being finalized at the state level, including distribution schedules and approved spending options.

Morrissey said once the details are made clear, OPS will engage stakeholders to ensure that these funds will be utilized responsibly and effectively for our students.

The district used the first round of federal money to purchase 54,000 iPads for every student in the district, which allowed the district to do remote and blended learning throughout the school year. It also supported health and safety efforts when the school district reopened its doors for students to attend in person, Morrissey said.

The district is still in the planning stages for the second and third rounds of federal money. Morrissey said the district will provide an update and a plan to gather community feedback at a future school board meeting.
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Several thousand people rallied in Hungary's capital Saturday against plans by Prime Minister Viktor Orban to host a Chinese university in Budapest.

A strategic agreement that Hungary signed with Shanghai-based Fudan University envisages opening a branch in the citys 9th district. Plans call for the Budapest campus to be completed by 2024. It would enroll international students and represent the schools only foreign outpost, as well as the first Chinese university campus in the 27-nation European Union.

The protesters marched from Heroes Square toward the Hungarian parliament building, defying a pandemic ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. The crowd carried banners reading 'No Fudan," flags and posters.

Budapest authorities have opposed the university branch idea. They argue the $1.9 billion project would place a huge burden on taxpayers and send the wrong political message because of the alleged human rights abuses in China.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony had a huge photo of a protester facing a tank in Beijing's Tiananmen Square projected behind him during Saturday's demonstration. Chinese troops opened fire on protesters in the square on June 4, 1989, killing hundreds and perhaps thousands.
Its certainly true that the Trump era has revealed a lot about how serious  or, rather, unserious  some prominent Republicans and conservatives really were about their reverence for the Constitution. But instead of going down various intellectual and historical rabbit holes, Ill just say that trying to lay this at the feet of conservative ideas is a distraction.

The core problem afflicting the right  and to a great degree, the country  is that the elite surrender to populism.

Definitions of populism vary, but for our purposes its best understood as the politics of the mob. The defining emotion of populism and mobs alike is passion, fueled by the invincible twin convictions that we are right and that we have been wronged by them. Its a bit like Charles de Gaulles line about the difference between patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.

Populism is often immune to reason and contemptuous of debate. The people of Nebraska are for free silver, and I am for free silver, William Jennings Bryan proclaimed. I will look up the arguments later.
I visited the Marefat school in 2010 and was deeply moved by the steely determination and optimism of female high school students. Their open confidence was a far cry from my 1999 visit to Kabul under the Taliban when girls education was banned and girls snuck into secret schools.

Mohammadi was helped by the New-Jersey based Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund (AGFAF) to attend high school and college in America, and now wants to create educational projects for people in war zones. With AGFAFs help and fundraising, she built the first library for the blind at the Kabul School for the Blind.

Qamarnisa Ayoub is also struggling to imagine Afghanistans future. She hopes to return to Kabul as a doctor. (My dad wanted me to be Minister of Health, she recalls.) With AFGAFs help she attended Wagner College in New York City and is now a student researcher at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

But her high school, the Sayed Ul-Shuhada school, was bombed this month, targeting girls who were leaving classes and killing around 90 students. The school was badly damaged, she says, and students are still dying. Its harder for them to convince parents to let them attend.
Take all comments about suicide seriously, the Air Force directs its personnel. Be an active listener and let your wingman tell you about their challenges. Although it can be awkward, its important to ask the tough questions about whether or not your wingman is thinking about harming or killing himself.  Care for your wingman by calmly listening and expressing concern.

In line with the directive, the Air Force provides annual training in suicide intervention, so peers can help if a unit commander is unresponsive to someones needs.

More than 70% of Air Force suicides since 2015 have involved personal firearms, according to official figures. To address the issue, the Air Force last year distributed more than 200,000 gun locks.

The Air Force, the same as all service branches, has an obligation to develop more responsive mental health supports. And the service needs to make absolutely clear that seeking mental health help will not harm the individuals Air Force career.
Mozambique has received the third batch of Covid-19 vaccines, a donation from China.



Some 60,000 doses have been donated to the Mozambican armed forces from their Chinese counterparts.



Defence Minister Jaime Neto said the vaccines will benefit the military that is fighting insecurity in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.



Health Minister Armindo Tiago and the Chinese Ambassador to Mozambique Wang Hejum witnessed the vaccine delivery ceremony.



This is the second time that China has donated Covid-19 vaccines to Mozambique.



In February, China donated 200,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines for use by health workers and people with chronic diseases.



Mozambique received 384,000 Astra-Zeneca vaccine doses through the Covax initiative in March, and another 100,000 Covishield doses as a donation from India.



Another batch of 2.4 million doses was expected to reach the country by the end of last month but there have been delays.

Source: BBC









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Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has been criticized for refusing to confirm the appointment of six judges.



The six are among 41 judges who had been recommended for appointment by the country's Judicial Service Commission (JSC) two years ago. One of the judges has since died.



Mr Kenyatta had rejected the JSC recommendations despite two court orders requiring him to do so.



On Thursday, the president confirmed the appointment of 34 judges and left out the six - including two who had been part of the five-judge bench that recently overturned the president's attempt to amend the constitution.



Kenyan legal experts say the president cant change the list of nominees or reject the recommendations and has no choice but to confirm all the JSC's appointments.



Mr Kenyatta recently accused the judiciary of "testing constitutional limits" after the high court blocked the government's plan to change the constitution.

Source: BBC









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The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has called on Ghanaians to hold on to the positive values of the country to foster national unity and cohesion.



This, the Commission believed would promote patriotism, national pride and belongingness as well as devotion and service to the country.



Mrs. Florence Sackey, a Senior Civic Education Officer at the Cape Coast Metro of the NCCE made the call when she addressed Beauticians and Artisans in the Metropolis as part of the National Constitution week celebration.



This years Constitutional Week celebration is on the theme: "We are one, Ghana first" and place emphasis on patriotism, nationhood, unity, national cohesion, loyalty to the state and hard work as a shared positive value which engenders good character development among the citizenry.



Calling for national unity, Mrs Sackey urged all to eschew ethnicity, religious and cultural biases that created division but instead, embrace democracy and be tolerant of everyone's views.



Explaining the essence of Constitutionalism, Mrs Sackey indicated that it was not simply about the power structure of society but also asked for strong protection of the interest of citizens, civil rights as well as civil liberties, especially for the social minorities.



She also urged all to defend, protect and be abreast with the content of the Constitution at all times.

Source: GNA









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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his shock and outrage at the killing of more than 100 people in Burkina Faso on Saturday in one of the country's deadliest attacks in years.



Seven children are believed to be among the victims, according to the UN, while the total number of deaths is unclear.



In a statement late on Saturday, Guterres condemned the "heinous" attack and called on the international community to step up its support in the fight against violent extremism.



The identity and motive of the attackers, who targeted a village in the province of Yagha, is unclear. Several armed groups are active in the Sahel region, which stretches south of the Sahara from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.



Some of these militant groups have pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State extremist organizations.



While Burkina Faso had long been spared attacks, their frequency has increased significantly since 2015. According to the United Nations, more than 1.2 million people are now refugees in their own country.

Source: GNA









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He noted that when he met with Francis at the Vatican in 2017 he had asked him to move forward on apologizing and on making records available. But, Trudeau said, were still seeing resistance from the church, possibly from the church in Canada.
Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, the Minister of Education, has refuted an assertion that the Free Senior High School (FSHS) Policy is being administered from the Jubilee House, the seat of government.



Addressing the media in Accra on Sunday, Dr Osei-Adutwum said the Free SHS Policy since its inception in 2017, had been managed by the Ministry of Education, through the Free Senior High School Secretariat.



He said, so far, government had spent GHC7.7 billion in implementing the flagship policy since its roll-out, which had benefitted more than 1.2 million students at the secondary education level.



He said, for instance, an amount of GHC480 million was spent on the Policy in 2017, GHC1.3 billion in 2018, GHC1.6 billion in 2019, GHC2.4 billion in 2020, while GHC1.9 billion would be spent this year.



The Minister said government had made giant strides in providing teaching and learning materials and expanded physical infrastructure like classroom blocks, dormitories, science and library laboratories, among others, to second-cycle educational institutions across the country even though some elements in the society had tried to downplay Governments efforts.



"We may not have the best education system in the world, but we had made giant strides over the past four years," Dr Osei-Adutwum stressed.



He reiterated the Akufo-Addo-led government's determination to providing free, compulsory and quality education to every Ghanaian school going-child in the quest of "making Ghana the education hub of Africa".



The Minister said government was committed to building a robust education system that could compete with international best practices.



Dr Osei-Adutwum said Government's goal in implementing the Free SHS Policy was to transform the education system and making it play a pivotal role in socio-economic development of the country.



"For education to be fit-for-purpose, we should have students who are creative and critical thinkers, especially in this Fourth Industrial Revolution to navigate the world," Dr Osei-Adutwum added.



The Minister mentioned three key areas government was focused on addressing in the country's education system- access, quality and relevance so that Ghana could make progress in transforming its economy in the near future.



Dr Osei-Adutwum said government was determined to improve its Gross Tertiary Enrollment Ratio from the current figure of 18.8 percent to 40 percent by 2030.

Source: GNA









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The McCarthy Hill Residents Association has protested against the siting of a cement factory in their area.



They said they would not sit aloof and allow the siting of a Cement factory that would be too hazardous to their health and well-being at McCarthy Hill, Tetegu, Mallam, Gbawe and Weija.



Mr Eddie Quaynor, the President of the McCarthy Hill Residents Association said this during a news conference to protest against the siting of the cement factory named Empire Cement'-next to Pambros salt at South McCarthy Hill along the main road leading to Weija.



He said the dust from the cement whether it was crushed on-site or brought in to be bagged on site would affect the lungs of residents, adding, Many residents want to enjoy a peaceful and serene environment, free of constant cement dust particles in the air.



The wind direction blows over the cement factory area in the direction of the catchment areas mentioned.



Mr Quaynor said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had confirmed in its' correspondence to Empire Cement that edible salt and a cement factory do not mix and that the two land-uses were mutually exclusive and must be completely separated.



He said the Pambros salt was consumed in Ghana and served as a source of foreign exchange earner for Ghana as the salt was exported to many African countries and siting the cement next to Pambros salt was like destroying one precious industry conducive to the environment for another that is detrimental to human settlement.



Mr Quaynor said the Ownership of Empire Cement had Chinese ownership with a Ghanaian partner, Nana Obokomatta IX and that they knew what some Chinese were doing to the water bodies as a result of their galamsey operations.



He said many were not in the least concerned about the hazard the factory would cause to residents of McCarthy Hill and its environs.



He said the Factory owners had disregarded several warnings from the EPA to cease operations and instead were working day and night to speed up the construction of the factory and that they had installed three aluminum silos so far and were excavating and filling up the low-lying areas.



He said McCarthy Hill residents supported the one district, one factory concept and would welcome the creation of jobs in Ghana, and good initiatives for building factories according to well-thought-out land-use planning and law.



He added that Proper land-use planning would ensure that the health and safety of the residents were protected.



Mr Quaynor however, said the air pollution from the cement factory would blow and contaminate the regional hospital at the lower McCarthy Hill, and across Upper McCarthy Hill, Mallam, and the immediate environs.



He said their major concern was that the factory was being built even though there was no preliminary approval from (EPA) the statutory body in charge of assessing, granting approval, and monitoring such factories that impact the environment negatively.



Mr Quaynor said Cement factories by their nature were classified under heavy industry as they generated heavy-duty air pollution that required sitting in heavy industrial area, away from heavily populated or densely residential areas.



He said the production process of packaging cement disclosed in a document from Empire Cement involved Four Big Warehouses with each Warehouse carrying separate projects namely, Clinker, Gypsum, Pozzalana, and Cement Grinding Aid.

The President said the above production processes pointed to heavy industry which must be in a heavy industrial zone, away from the densely populated residential areas mentioned.



He said the Empire Cement owners had avoided any engagement with the residents about the health hazards on residents, especially children and the elderly and they were shocked to see the extent of construction that had occurred without their knowledge.



Mr Quaynor said the Cement particles which resulted from bagging 100 metric tons of cement per month, was a major environmental concern to the health of residents at McCarthy Hill and its environs.



He said they want the factory project to be terminated as soon as possible to curtail the monstrosity and related health dangers the factory posed to the community.

Source: GNA









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Ghana on Saturday joined the rest of the world to mark World Environment Day at a ceremony at Juaben in the Ashanti Region on the theme, "Ecosystem Restoration."



Celebrated globally on June 5 every year, the day is set aside by the United Nations (UN) to inspire worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment.



At the national level, the theme chosen for the celebration was, "Growing Trees and Greening Cities."



Organized by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), the colourful ceremony was attended by Traditional Leaders, students, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the public.



Dr Kwaku Afriyie, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said the ecosystem in our part of the world was depleting at an alarming rate due to the overexploitation and unsustainable extraction of resources from the natural environment.



He said a recent World Bank report on Ghana's Environmental Analysis put the cost of environmental degradation in Ghana per year at an estimated US11 billion.



"The analysis points to the conclusion that environmental degradation and unsustainable natural resource use pose a significant risk to future growth as well as a threat to public and ecosystem health," he noted.



He said the current generation had the moral obligation to restore and sustainably manage the environment for the next generation to benefit from it.



He used the occasion to direct Planning Authorities in districts, municipalities and the EPA to spearhead the fight against environmental degradation by enforcing the requisite laws and regulations.



The Minister also called on Traditional Leaders to promote and uphold cultural values that go a long way to support the conservation agenda.



"When we destroy our environment, we threaten our existence. When we protect it, we protect ourselves and posterity," he observed.



He said Ghana's sustained social development and economic growth was much dependent on the sustainable management of the environment comprising mainly of both renewable and non-renewable sources.



He reiterated government's commitment to deal with the galamsey menace, adding that his ministry would work closely with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to restore the quality of polluted water bodies, degraded forests and lands.



Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, the Executive Director of EPA, said the celebration was important to efforts at addressing the problem of ecosystem degradation and related environmental challenges.



He expressed concern about the alarming rate of wetlands which served as habitat for fish and wildlife being filled for purposes of construction.



Restoring damaged ecosystems, he said, was an efficient and cost-effective way people could work with nature to address the most pressing challenges humanity is facing today.







Source: GNA









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The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has described as disappointing govt's justification for burning excavators in a bid to fight illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.



"...that when the excavators are confiscated they get stolen; really??? President Akufo-Addo should have even resigned because of this claim. Is it our fault that you don't have trusted people in your government? Are you telling us that in your whole government there's no one you can trust? Then Ghana is in trouble..." he said.



Sammy Gyamfi who was speaking in an interview on Neat FM said the fact that "Akufo-Addo doesn't have people he trusts in his administration is no justification to violate the law by burning excavators and causing judgment debt in the end"



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship exits the lagoon as it leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The first cruise ship since the pandemic wended its way Saturday through the heart of Venice, escorted by triumphant water-spouting tugboats and elated port workers as it traveled down the Giudecca Canal but also protested by hundreds on land and a small armada of wooden boats waving "No Big Boats" flags.

The battle for Venice's future was stark as the MSC Orchestra set sail with some 1,000 passengers. The voyage heralded the return of cruise ships to the historic city of canals after more than 18 months, but the vessel reignited an anti-cruise movement that for more than a decade has opposed the passage of the enormous ships through the fragile lagoon due to environmental and safety concerns.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi's government pledged this spring to get cruise ships out of the Venice lagoon, but reaching that goal will take time. Even an interim solution rerouting larger ships away from the Giudecca Canal is not likely before next year. Ridding the lagoon of the ships, which run more than 250 meters (yards) in length and weigh over 90,000 tons, could take years.

Venice has become one of the world's most important cruise destinations over the last two decades, and in 2019 served as a lucrative turnaround point for 667 cruise ships embarking nearly 700,000 passengers and carrying a total of 1.6 million, according to the association Cruise Lines International (CLIA).

The the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship exits the lagoon as it leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Passengers arriving Saturday for the week-long cruise aboard the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra, with stops in southern Italy, two Greek islands and Dubrovnik, Croatia, were greeted at the port with signs reading "Welcome Back Cruises."

Antonella Frigo from nearby Vicenza had her departure date delayed multiple times due to the pandemic and was excited to finally be leaving on vacation. But she also sympathized with activists who want the huge ships moved out of the center of Venice.

"I have always said that they should be moved, but I'm sorry, I need to depart from Venice, since I am from nearby,'' Frigo said after being was dropped off with a companion at the cruise terminal. "But I hope they can be rerouted. I ask myself, 'Is it not possible to come up with another solution, so they don't pass where they shouldn't?'"

The the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship exits the lagoon as it leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The message for passengers taking in Venice from the ship's decks was mixed as the ship navigated the Giudecca Canal, past St. Mark's Square and the Doges Palace. Hundreds of Venetians gathered at a noisy canal-side protest to demand an immediate halt to cruise ships moving through the lagoon, citing a series of past decrees they say were never enforced.

The MSC Orchestra responded with noisy blasts of its horn, while two dozen boats filled with port employees and VIPs motored alongside, celebrating the renewal of cruises and the return to work for hundreds of port workers. According to the Venice Works Committee, more than 1,700 workers deal directly with cruise ships, from tug boat drivers to baggage carriers, while another 4,000 jobs depend on cruise traffic.

The long battle over cruise ships in Venice ramped up after the Costa Concordia cruise ship sank off Tuscany in 2012, killing 32 passengers and crew members. And it sharpened after the MSC Opera struck a dock and a tourist boat, injuring five people, while maneuvering through the Giudecca Canal two years ago this week.

The the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship exits the lagoon as St. Mark's Square stands out in background, left, as it leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

In all those years, no viable alternative has ever gotten off the drawing board.

The Venice Environmental Association, one of the groups against the ships, is demanding that Italian cultural and Venice port officials immediately ban ships from the lagoon, threatening legal action if there is no action within 15 days.

"It is a great provocation that a ship has passed,'' Andreina Zitelli, an environmental expert and member of the association, said. "You cannot compare the defense of the city with the defense of jobs in the interest of big cruise companies."

The cruise industry's trade association said it supports moving bigger ships to other areas to avoid traversing the Giudecca Canal but maintains that cruise ships still need access to Venice's lagoon.

"We don't want to be a corporate villain,'' said Francesco Galietti of Cruise Lines International Italy. "We don't feel we should be treated as such. We feel we are good to the communities."

"No Big Ships" activists stage a protest as the MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Galietti said cruise ships account for only a small percentage of the tourism to Venice, somewhere around 5%, and that many passengers stay in the city before or after their cruises, contributing an average of $200 a day to the tourism-dependent economy.

Prior to the pandemic, Venice struggled with over-tourism, receiving 25 million visitors a year. It was about to impose a tax on day-trippers before the pandemic struck, bringing tourism to an abrupt halt.

In Rome, the Italian government said it is organizing bids for a viable alternative outside the lagoon, and the request for proposals should be posted any day now. Still, even an interim alternative route to the Giudecca Canal - moving larger ships to an industrial port west of Venice - won't be ready until next year, Italy's Ministry for Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility told The Associated Press.

"No Big Ships" activists stage a protest as the MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

"No Big Ships" activists stage a protest as the MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship exits the lagoon as a flag of the Lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice, is being waved, in Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

People applaud as the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship departs from Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The cruiser passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters belonging to a movement called "No Big Ships" who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

People applaud as the 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship departs from Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The cruiser passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters belonging to a movement called "No Big Ships" who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Passengers stand on the deck of the 92,409-ton,16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship as it departs from Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Passengers stand on the deck of the 92,409-ton,16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship as it departs from Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The the 92,409-ton,16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship exits the lagoon as St. Mark's Square stands out in background, left, as it leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

"No Big Ships" activists stage a protest as the MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. The cruiser passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

"No Big Ships" activists stage a protest as the MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. The cruiser passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

"No Big Ships" activists stage a protest as the MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. The cruiser passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic, is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The MSC Orchestra cruise ship, center, leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic, is set to depart Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021. The 92,409-ton, 16-deck MSC Orchestra cruise ship, the first cruise ship leaving Venice since the pandemic, departed Saturday amid protests by activists demanding that the enormous ships be permanently rerouted out the fragile lagoon, especially Giudecca Canal through the city's historic center, due to environmental and safety risks. The ship passed two groups of protesters: pro-cruise advocates whose jobs depend on the industry as well as protesters who have been campaigning for years to get cruise ships out of the lagoon. Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

Preparing the port of Marghera, which is still within the lagoon, requires lengthening existing piers to accommodate larger vessels as well as dredging a canal on the approach, cruise industry officials say. Under current plans, ships over 250 meters, representing about 70% of cruise traffic, would be rerouted.

While some cruise companies have experimented with Trieste to the east or Ravenna to the south as drop-off points for those visiting Venice during the pandemic, industry officials say the lagoon city with 1,600 years of history remains a key port of call for cruises in the Adriatic Sea and eastern Mediterranean.

But environmentalists say the cruise industry must change.

"Venice is at water level. There are days when Venice is below water level," said Jane da Mosto, executive director of We Are Here Venice who was also representing the Global Cruise Activist Network. "We need ships that use renewable energy. We need ships that don't bring thousands of people into our narrow alleyways at one time. We need visitors that are interested in learning about Venice.''

Explore further Image: Deserted Venetian lagoon

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
California's fish and wildlife department have taken "the proactive measure of trucking millions of hatchery-raised" juvenile salmon to the sea.

With chronic drought drying up rivers earlier than usual this year, California is scaling up a drastic operation to help its famous Chinook salmon reach the Pacifictransporting the fry by road in dozens of large tanker trucks.

The tasty migratory fish are typically born in rivers, swim to the ocean where they reach maturity and can remain for several years, before returning to their native rivers to spawn and die.

But drought-hit rivers with too little flow or unusually warm water can fatally disrupt that cycle, causing California's fish and wildlife department to take "the proactive measure of trucking millions of hatchery-raised" juvenile salmon to the sea.

"Trucking young salmon to downstream release sites has proven to be one of the best ways to increase survival to the ocean during dry conditions," said northern California hatchery chief Jason Julienne in a recent statement.

While road transportation of salmon dates back to the 1980s, early drought conditions this summer mean authorities plan to boost the size of the operation by 20 percent.

Trucks bearing nearly 17 million young salmon will travel more than 30,000 miles (48,000 kilometers) between April and June, helping the fry avoid streams where many have perished in the past.

A "fish ladder"a narrow channel around a mile long with man-made stepssimulates the rapids of a mountain stream.

One beneficiary will be the Feather River Hatchery, just below a dam north of Sacramento, which produces around eight million salmon fry annually from fish that naturally return to the rivers in which they were born.

The hatchery was built in 1967 to compensate for the destruction of natural spawning sites above the Oroville Dam, with a "fish ladder"a narrow channel around a mile long with man-made stepssimulating the rapids of a mountain stream.

'Don't have any rain'

"The fish will migrate up, because the instinct of the fish is to go upstream when they're ready to spawn," said Anna Kastner, head of the hatchery, on a recent visit by AFP.

On a day in late May, several dozen salmon were crowded at the top of the ladder, ready to be diverted into the hatchery basin where the powerful fishwho can exceed 50 pounds (22.5 kilograms) in weightwill be tranquilized for tagging and receive vitamin injections.

The Feather River Hatchery, just below a dam north of Sacramento, produces around eight million salmon fry annually from fish that naturally return to the rivers in which they were born.

Later, salmon ready to spawn will be harvested, and some 20 million eggs placed in incubation trays at the hatchery. They'll make next year's journey back to the Pacific as fry.

According to Kastner, the entire artificial process means "survivability in the hatchery is much higher than the river," with around 85 percent of eggs able to produce fish that can be returned to downstream rivers or the sea near San Francisco and Monterey.

Already this summer California authorities have declared a drought emergency in more than 40 of California's 58 counties.

Conditions in Butte County, where the Oroville Dam is located, are classified as "exceptional"the highest category.

The powerful fishwho can exceed 50 lb in weightwill be tranquilized for tagging and receive vitamin injections.

Exacerbated by climate change, conditions are likely to deteriorate until rainfall returns in five to six months.

"We want to make sure that we have the best available chance for this fish, because we don't know what's going to happen," said Kastner.

"We don't have any rain."

Explore further Study: Fish farming reduces genetic diversity of salmon in Swedish rivers

 2021 AFP
The Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl carrying hundreds of tonnes of chemicals and plastics has been slowly sinking after a fire.

A black box from a ship loaded with chemical and plastic that is sinking off Sri Lanka has been located, officials said Sunday, as investigators probe what caused the vessel to catch fire.

The Voyage Data Recorder, also known as a maritime "black box", enables investigators to review procedures and instructions ahead of an accident.

Sri Lankan authorities said they hope it will provide details of the ship's movements and its communications with the harbour in the capital Colombo, where it had been due to dock.

"The navy facilitated technicians to remove the VDR from the bridge which is still above the waterline," navy spokesman Indika de Silva told AFP.

The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl has been slowly sinking into the Indian Ocean since Wednesday after a fire that raged for nearly two weeks within sight of the coast.

The ship, carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid and a huge amount of plastic raw materials, was heading to Colombo from Gujarat, India.

Sri Lankan officials have said an acid leak since May 11 may have sparked the blaze. Ports in Qatar and India had refused to offload the leaking nitric acid, they added.

Police on the island nation launched a criminal investigation, interviewing the vessel's skipper and chief engineerboth Russiansand its chief officer, an Indian, and seizing their passports.

Tonnes of microplastic granules from the ship have swamped an 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch of beach in Sri Lanka.

Authorities are bracing for a possible oil spill after the stern submerged. There has been no sign of any leaks so far, they added.

Tonnes of microplastic granules from the ship swamped an 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch of beach declared off-limits for residents. Fishing in the area was also banned.

Map locating the area off Sri Lankan west coast where a burnt-out container ship started sinking on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan environmentalists on Friday sued the government and the ship's operators for allegedly failing to prevent what they called the "worst marine disaster" in the country's history.

Explore further Sri Lankan officials brace for oil spill from sinking ship

 2021 AFP
"They would get less frequent checkups with the doctor, they were more likely to view that their doctors were negatively judging them about their weight, and that their doctor had less respect for them and didn't listen to their needs," Puhl said.

Those beliefs persisted even if the person was not significantly overweight, the study found.

"I should note that body weight was not associated with any of those health care experiences, so it was just the internalization of that stigma," Puhl said.

Prior research shows that when people experience weight stigma and internalize it, that itself can predict weight gain.

"A common perception is that a little shame or stigma might motivate people to lose weight, but that is not what we see in research," Puhl said. "In fact, when people experience weight stigma this actually contributes to unhealthy eating behaviors, lower physical activity and weight gain."

That pattern was also seen in both studies across all countries: The more people blamed themselves for their weight, the greater the weight gain in the past year -- and the more they turned to food as a way to cope with stress.
At a crossroads, the Quintals began receiving messages of support from customers all over the world encouraging the family to rebuild. Monetary donations also came pouring in, along the help with the rebuild efforts.

Jerry said the fire was a turning point, which allowed the business to build back bigger and better than before.

I always go back to the fire, because that was the turning point of our whole business. The response from our customers and the dedication from our employees to stay was just amazing, he said.

State Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, who was on hand during the festivities, said hes enjoyed the jerky and bacon at Oscars for around 20 years.

He said the fact that the Quintals have been able to maintain the business over the last 75 years is a testament to their resiliency.

This is a family business that has meant a lot to this small town for a long time now and has employed a lot of people, he said. Theyre tough. They survived and roll with the punches. But theyre good people.

Stec presented the family with a Senate proclamation honoring their 75 years in business.

Jerry was overcome with emotion when he was presented the plaque.

I couldnt have done it without my family, he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

Chad Arnold is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls and the town and village of Lake George and Washington County government. Follow him on Twitter @ChadGArnold.

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The cases echo reports from Israel in young men diagnosed after receiving Pfizer shots.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alerted doctors last month that it was monitoring a small number of reports of heart inflammation in teens and young adults after the mRNA vaccines, the kind made by Pfizer and Moderna.

The CDC hasn't determined if there's really a link to the shots, and continues to urge that everyone 12 and older get vaccinated against COVID-19, which is far riskier than the vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is available to those as young as 12; the Moderna shot remains cleared only for adult use.

This kind of heart inflammation can be caused by a variety of infections, including a bout of COVID-19, as well as certain medications -- and there have been rare reports following other types of vaccinations.

Authorities will have to tease out whether cases following COVID-19 vaccination are occurring more often than that expected "background rate."

For now, the CDC says most patients were male, reported symptoms after the second dose, and their symptoms rapidly improved.
65 more Covid-19 infections confirmed, Sunday tally reaches 206

Vietnam has confirmed 65 more Covid-19 infections, raising the Sunday counts to 206 and the total number of patients in the country to 8,747 the Ministry of Health has reported.



According to the ministry's report, 60 of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some localities including 31 in Bac Giang, 18 in Bac Ninh, and 11 in Ho Chi Minh City.



The 31 cases in Bac Giang were recorded at some industrial parks of Van Trung, Dinh Tram, Song Khe-Noi Hoang, and Quang Chau which have reported a large outbreak over the last few weeks.



As of Sunday evening, 5,621 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 3,089 in the virus epicentre of Bac Giang. The outbreak has so far spread to 39 cities and provinces nationwide.





Five imported patients are all Vietnamese people who recently returned from abroad. They were sent to quarantine areas in Tay Ninh and Kien Giang provinces and are now being treated at local hospitals.

With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 8,747 including 7,191 locally-transmitted cases.





As of 6 pm on June 4, a total of 3,368 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital.



So far there have been 53 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.



At present, over 141,000 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home.



On June 5, an additional 24,466 people were given Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam, raising the total number of vaccine doses used in the country to 1,243,304. The number of people who have received two doses has risen to 33,632.
Ald. Ray Lopez, 15th, who visited the shooting scene, told the Tribune on Thursday that he learned from police and community sources that the girl and her boyfriend were walking to a corner store when three people approached her and asked if she was in a gang. She told them that she was not in a gang but that a relative of hers was a gang member.
ROCHESTER  Police in Rochester fatally shot a fugitive Friday after he opened fire on officers attempting to take him into custody, authorities said.

WHAM-TV reports the man, whose name was not released, had been wanted for attempted murder, first-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

The case marks the third fatal police shooting of the year in Rochester.

Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan said the man had been involved in several shootings and was considered high risk.

Herriott-Sullivan said officers followed the man for several hours before trying to arrest him. The shooting happened near Hudson Avenue and Durnan Street, she said, after the man ran off, pulled a gun and shot at the officers.

Two officers returned fire. One was hurt when he fell and injured his arm after being shot at, Herriott-Sullivan said.

There is a bullet hole through his uniform, so I dont know how he wasnt struck, Herriott-Sullivan said, but I can only tell you that someone was looking out for him.
I know Joe Biden needs to have a cue card given to him by his staff. Thats the sort of casual ageism I expect to see from Rep. Stefanik.

Also, not President Biden? Such respect. Cant admit that he won, you know! Since Biden is running a highly competent, scandal-free, drama-free White House, maybe the previous guy shouldve tried cue cards.

Former President Trumps first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, celebrated Memorial Day weekend by supporting the idea of a Myanmar-style coup in this country. Dont we all miss the heck out of these folks?

Republican former Rep. Barbara Comstock, this weekend, said that if Trump went missing, very few congressional Republicans would join a search party. No doubt Stefanik is among those whod love to see him disappear. Killing the January 6th commission is as much about memory-holing Trump as it is the attack.

Rep. Liz Cheney is at least being honest. In the meantime, our rep has to say things like the NY investigation into Trumps business is politically motivated, displaying the same respect for American justice as for American democracy.
Editor:

After reading William Crowes fawning letter about Rep. Elise Stefaniks support of the military (Thursday, May 27), I wondered how many of our past representatives in Congress have opposed the military.

Im hoping Mr. Crowe can provide a list because I dont know of any.

I believe he would be hard-pressed to find many members of Congress who dont support our military.

But if you look a little deeper at Rep. Stefaniks record, there are questions about how supportive she really is of the defense effort.

Mr. Crowe mentions her support of a missile defense system at Fort Drum, but what he doesnt mention is that the Pentagon experts dont believe the system is needed. I believe the billions spent on the missile defense could be better spent on benefits for veterans.

Id urge all of Rep. Stefaniks constituents to review her record on sexual assault in the military. Ms. Stefanik has been slow to come around to the fact that these men and women need to be protected and a new system needs to be in place to get them justice.
+7 Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival attendees, brewers eager to 'resume normal' ATLANTIC CITY  The sun was already beating high in the sky as the runners rounded the last 

Its encouraging to see so many people come out, he said. We were slightly nervous about being the first out the gate.

He said his favorite thing about planning this years festival was the confidence from supporters, especially how many did not ask for a 2020 refund, instead opting to keep their tickets to use at the 2021 event.

Planning for such a large event during a pandemic was a gamble, but Henderson said he was closely following information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as statewide case counts and vaccination rates. He said he was confident that Memorial Day weekend would be a turning point in the pandemic. And it was.

But Henderson said he also knows that luck was on his side this weekend, despite a brief but strong thunderstorm that rolled through Friday evening at the start of the first session. Festivalgoers were undeterred.

Shawn Gorman, originally from Brigantine and now living in Philadelphia, was helping man the table for the Atlantic City Beard and Mustache Club. They, like the hundreds of vendors, had set up earlier in the day Friday, only to pack up to protect their products during the downpour before setting back up a second time.

+10 Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival kicks off with wet Friday night It's nearly impossible to be dry when surrounded by beer. Friday night took that to the next level.
Another project in 2011 altered a bird flu virus so it could spread between mammals. This was a particularly scary creation because bird flu can occasionally jump from birds to humans, killing about 60% of those infected. A version of this that could travel from human to human would be devastating. Debate continued for years over whether the benefits of this kind of research could possibly justify the grave risk, though the research was scheduled to resume in 2019.

Theres also U.S. funding for virus surveillance, which carries its own risks. Researchers go out and collect viruses, grow them in their labs, and use them in experiments. Ebright considers this analogous to the space virus collection in The Andromeda Strain, except that now we know that plenty of exotic viruses exist right here on Earth.

Scientists have, more recently, been creating genetically altered coronaviruses. That research has been done as a collaboration between U.S. labs and the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. In one controversial project, researchers took bat coronaviruses and introduced changes to see if they could induce greater pandemic potential. That research was published in 2015 in Nature Medicine.
Quinn Whitesall, habitat restoration coordinator for the society, said female horseshoe crabs will come onto the beach 20 times during spawning season and lay from 4,000 to 5,000 tiny green eggs in the sand.

Another effort has put volunteers to work rescuing horseshow crabs one by one, and taking steps to reduce the hazards they face during their vulnerable spawning.

Called reTURN the Favor, for the simple act of turning over a wave-flipped and perhaps doomed horseshoe crab, the program deploys volunteers to the beaches to also rescue them when stranded in rubble or riprap, to identify beach hazards, and to observe and gather data.

In its eight years, reTURN the Favor-trained volunteers have rescued nearly 700,000 horseshoe crabs during 4,000 beach walks. Last year alone, despite the pandemic, they rescued more than 180,000.

Horseshoe crabs the past year have had an essential role in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. Their blood contains a protein for detecting the presence of a bacterial toxin that can be fatal to people, so pharmaceutical companies use it to test vaccines and surgical implants. The past year, the blood was critical in ensuring the safety of COVID vaccines.
For an area like ours, where there is such an imbalance in the property tax burden between Iowa and Illinois, this is no small thing. Not only does this law move the state toward greater equity in education funding, but if there is to be more even growth throughout the Quad-Cities, the property tax imbalance must be dealt with; in other words, the state must continue to make these investments.

We were disappointed in how the Democratic majority handled infrastructure funding in the budget. It appears that Republicans were shut out of directing how that money will be spent. Democrats may not care too much about their colleagues across the aisle, but this area is represented by people in both parties, so we have an interest  and not just as a matter of fair play  that both parties get input.

The General Assembly also finally took action to pass ethics reform legislation, but what lawmakers came up with is not very impressive.

For a state with a reputation as the most corrupt in the country, you would expect more than half measures. But thats what we got.

Lawmakers made progress in some areas, like disclosure, but they failed in so many other ways.
 Partners for Scott County Watersheds, which will be awarded a $2,000 grant for its Pet Waste Disposal Stewardship Program.

Partners for Scott County Watersheds is requesting funds for additional pet waste receptacles along recreational trails and sidewalks in Scott County with the goal of more citizens properly disposing of pet waste in the receptacles instead of leaving the waste to decay and possibly pollute local watersheds.

 River Action, Inc., which will be awarded a $2,000 grant for its First Floor Elevation Survey Program for the Quad Cities Flood Resiliency Alliance.

River Action, Inc. will conduct first floor elevation surveys of properties in the 500-year flood zone in two communities within the Iowa American Waters service territory. The elevation study will inform and educate property owners on flood risk, mitigation options, and flood risk management. Data from the study will feed into floodplain maps through Silver Jackets and may be used by property owners to take steps toward Letter of Map Amendment, if appropriate.

 Keep Scott County Beautiful (Xstream Cleanup), which will be awarded a $1,920 grant to upgrade its invasive species removal supplies for watershed cleanup events.
The past week in COVID-19 brought news of low new-case counts across the Quad-Cities and a decrease in total cases in Scott County.

In the seven days from Friday, May 28, to Friday, June 4, the Quad-Cities saw an increase of 61 cases  30 in Rock Island County and 31 in Scott County.

That was an average of 8.7 new cases a day in both counties combined.

By the middle of the week, both Rock Island County and Scott County had recorded the lowest number of new daily cases and lowest test positivity rate since late June 2020.

By Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Health said Scott County's positivity rate was just over 1%. In Rock Island, Illinois health officials said the positivity rate was 2.2%.

No counting system is perfect all the time  and those who follow daily COVID-19 numbers saw an example of that last week.

On Wednesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 21,686 total cases in Scott County since the start of the pandemic. One day later, the state reported six fewer cases in the county.
As one of the most memorable school years in history winds down, state and local school leaders are considering how to make the most of the $190 billion federal dollars in COVID-19 relief flowing to our nations public schools.

The wise course of action would be to fund initiatives that address both the short-term impacts of the pandemic, while laying the groundwork for long-term student success. Fortunately, some states have already taken this approach with money from the first round of federal relief aid, distributed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act.

In California, state leaders used $45 million in CARES funding to start a competitive grant program for expanding and sustaining school programs that provide student health, mental health and other support services, as well as training to local personnel. In Ohio, Cincinnatis school district used CARES money to offer students summer learning programs that address both short-term learning loss due to the pandemic and provide learning opportunities that could be sustained when schools resume in the fall.

In each of these cases, state leaders were guided by whats known as the community school strategy.
There were more than 40 bullet casings found on the scene from different calibers including 9 mm, .40-caliber and rifle rounds, police said. There were as many as three suspects and possibly a silver car involved in the shooting, police said. No detailed descriptions of the suspects were available.
It's also sending a tremendously harmful message that women are less fit than men to serve their country in this particular way and conversely that men are less fit than women to stay home as caregivers in the event of an armed conflict. We think those stereotypes demean both men and women, she said.

Even if the draft is never used again, retaining the men-only requirement sends a really damaging message, said Tabacco Mar, who represents the National Coalition For Men and two individual men challenging the law

A group of retired senior military officers and the National Organization for Women Foundation are among the others urging the court to take the case.

If the court agrees to hear the case, it wouldn't be deciding whether women have to register, just whether the current system is constitutional. If it isn't, then it would then be up to Congress to decide how to respond, either by passing a law requiring everyone to register or deciding registration is no longer necessary.
June is National Dairy Month, and in South Dakota we have a lot to celebrate.

Over the last three years, milk production has grown 35% in South Dakota. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, total cheese production in South Dakota increased 16% in a year when many states were not as fortunate.

During my first term in Congress, I advocated for and rallied support from many of my colleagues across the aisle to pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement which provided necessary improvements to increase dairy market access for South Dakota producers. Canada needs to live up to their end of the USMCA bargain, and thats why I urged the administration to ensure Canada is allowing producers to meet the tariff quotas set in place under USMCA  Im glad they are taking action.

Despite these successes, dairy farmers in South Dakota are still facing hardships because of the pandemic, and they need our support now more than ever.
HAMILTON - Randy Craig Keith, 61, of Hamilton, passed away on May 29, 2021, due to complications from a heart procedure. Randy was born to Eddie Lee Keith and Nancy Katherine Keith (now deceased) on September 22, 1959, in West Plains, Missouri. He grew up running Missouri rivers in canoes with his dad and brothers, and he never got over his love of the water or his love for Missouri, which lately manifested as ardent support for the Kansas City Chiefs. Randy found himself in Montana in 1987 and never looked back. In Missoula in 1990, he met the love of his life, his "Sweet Coreen". He had talked to her a few times at work and on his 31st birthday, he put on his tightest black T shirt and blue jeans and gathered up his nerve to ask her out. Cory was not much impressed, but she was too sweet to turn him down on his birthday. They soon became soul mates, best friends, and lovers, were engaged a couple of months later, and married the next year, one day before his birthday. Upon Randy's untimely passing, they remained inseparable companions, deeply committed to each other and their family, and profoundly in love. If there was one thing Randy couldn't turn down, it was an outdoors adventure. Since he ran his own roofing company for 35 years (Keith Roofing and Siding), he was able to get his boss to let him take time off to go camping, fishing, boating, bird hunting, elk hunting, paintball competitions, mountain biking, snowboarding, white water rafting or whatever other fun there was to be had. He ran Lochsa Falls at every level from 6,000 to 22,500 cubic feet per second, and Cory was right behind him screaming and laughing and trying to hold on. He held to the Hunter S. Thompson saying that it's better to be shot out of a cannon than squeezed out of a tube. Randy ran the River of No Return twice, the Middle Fork of the Salmon twice, the recreational sections of the Salmon more times than you can count, the Smith, Blackfoot, Lewis, Bitterroot, Beaverhead, Missouri Rivers and more. He was the life of the party around the fire at night, always ready with a big smile, a bigger cigar, a bottle of good scotch to pass around, and a story that filled the air with laughter. He was also a camp chef extraordinaire and meals on river trips were judged on a scale from 1 to Randy. He served his meals with theatrical flair complete with costumes, big spoons, a Scottish Brogue and always dessert. The loss of Randy Keith will be deeply felt by the Montana Council of the Boy Scouts of America for whom he volunteered for 35+ years at levels from Unit to District to Council. He was most proud of being Course Director for Wood badge, earning his 4th bead, organizing and working the Bitterroot Rendezvous, and taking over 50 youths to the National Jamboree in 2017. His passion was teaching leadership and survival skills, and his life epitomized the values of scouting. The Boy Scout slogan is "Be prepared." But we could never be prepared for the loss of Randy. Randy was very proud of his wonderful family, of their successful and happy lives, and he lived to make good memories with them. The best times were when his kids and grandkids were along for the adventure. Randy turned back into a child when with his grandkids and it is hard to think that they will have to grow up without his love, play and laughter. Randy is survived by his wife, Cory Keith of Hamilton, MT; his daughter Shelay Keith, her husband Harper Cooper and their children, Mckiel and Charlie; his son, Jeremy Keith, his wife, Trista and their children, Kennadi and Everly; and Trichelle Keith, her daughter, Illiana, and her partner Kyle Cirincione. He is also survived by his three siblings: Jeff Keith and his wife, Tammy; Kathy Keith and her partner Renee; Dan Keith and his wife Michelle. We grieve greatly because Randy was a great man, a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and a friend to many. He touched many lives with his love, generosity, kindness, and quick wit. A memorial service to honor Randy's life will be held on Saturday, June 12th at 11:00 am at Daly-Leach Chapel with Chaplain Dan Dixson officiating. A reception will follow. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that memorials be made to the Boy Scouts of America, Montana Council, 825 W Spruce St., Ste A., Missoula, MT 59802
I had a letter from Auntie Louise today telling me that Grandmother, a woman of 86 years, had been sent to Poland by the Germans. It is unthinkable how she can stand the strain of such a journey, not to talk of the conditions awaiting her there perhaps. What has become of our family? Oh, those Germans. Not the entire soap and paint in this world would be sufficient to whitewash them of their misdeeds.

She was 21 when she wrote that.

What do you say to that? Heidi said. It just blows my mind. Im in awe of somebody that age thinking this way and writing like this, and watching what shes going through now 

The conversation quickly swerved to something else, and Heidi didnt have the opportunity to finish her thought, but I went back to her later and asked if she recalled what she was about to say.

I do recall what I was about to say because I think about it all the time when I read the diaries  having to watch what shes going through now with losing my brother and her health declining. Here she was at the beginning of her young life. When I read what she writes, I struggle with knowing whats ahead for her.

But her words help me get over that, because she was so hopeful. And even with what shes experienced, she still is.
Already, 114,600 voters have cast ballots in the race, nearly five times the number that had voted early in the 2017 primary, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project. Thats largely because Democrats ushered in expanded early voting in Virginia.

But if the turnout this year matches that of the 2017 Democratic primary  550,000  it means that only about 1 in 5 primary voters have cast their ballots. The job for campaigns is getting the rest to the polls by Tuesday night.

In the Richmond metro area, about 16,000 people had voted as of Saturday.

McAuliffe, governor from 2014 to 2018, looms large over the race. With high name recognition and fundraising figures, hes benefited from the trappings of incumbency, though Virginia does not let its governors serve consecutive terms. While polls give him a significant lead, McAuliffes last day on the campaign trail will see him start off in Bristol in Virginias southwest and make stops in Richmond, Roanoke and Norfolk.
The Karshes are UVA alumni and met as students at the School of Law. Bruce Karsh, a 1980 UVA law school graduate, is the co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital Management. He also serves on the executive board of the NBAs Golden State Warriors, of which he and Martha Karsh are co-owners.

Martha Karsh graduated from UVAs College of Arts & Sciences in 1978 and the law school in 1981 and co-manages the Karsh Family Foundation. Since they formed the foundation in 1998, the Karshes have committed more than $300 million in gifts, focusing primarily on education. She co-founded the Los Angeles design firm Clark & Karsh.

The Karshes established the Karsh Center for Law and Democracy at UVA School of Law in 2018.

Melody Barnes, currently co-director of UVAs Democracy Initiative, will serve as the institutes inaugural executive director. Barnes was the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under then-President Barack Obama.
About 60% of Appalachians electricity is produced by coal-burning power plants. Another 19% is from natural gas. Both fuels generate greenhouse gases that Virginia is now trying to check.

In what is essentially a bookkeeping exercise, Appalachian must demonstrate that it has enough capacity from renewable sources to serve the customers who pay for it.

Currently, that capacity consists of nine hydroelectric facilities  dams such as the one near Smith Mountain Lake  and five wind farms, none of them in Virginia. When the company begins its first venture into solar energy later this year, purchasing power from an industrial-scale facility in Campbell County, that electricity will be added to the mix.

Those sources provide power to all customers, regardless of whether theyre enrolled in the renewable energy program.

With the $4.25 premium, youre not getting anything you havent gotten before, Cleveland said. Youre just paying more for it.

In a brief filed with the SCC, Appalachian acknowledged that participating customers will still consume the same electrons as they did before they signed up, but will be able to make the legal claim that they are consuming 100% renewable energy just by paying a small premium.
As we age, we feel there is a disconnect sometimes that can happen when there is a lack of mobility, Brickler said. We cant travel as much as we want, we cant connect with nature as much as we want, cant 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 Knoxs chief marketing and innovation officer, said the communitys administrators believe VR helps residents  its been used on a limited basis there for three years  but Stanfords 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 its important that Stanford is getting fully informed consent, screening participants and making sure they arent 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.
Among the issues Orlando considers of great importance are micro businesses and small farms.

Often they are overlooked, she wrote in an email. Microbusinesses are amongst the largest employers of [Southwest Virginia]. I seek to empower them by finding grants that will facilitate their growth so they can expand, thus creating jobs.

Currently, Orlando runs a small business specializing in skin care products and herbal teas. She also runs the nonprofit Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers, which helps natives mostly from Latin America access services such as health care, housing and employment.

Orlando is also supportive of efforts to address crumbling infrastructure and the lack of broadband and cell phone services in many areas across the region.

Lack of broadband and, in many places, lack of cell services created huge challenges during the pandemic, she wrote. Broadband needs to be a utility, not a luxury as it is a necessity.

On the long-time GOP dominance in the 7th District, Orlando has said the issues she wants to tackle should be of concern to many in the area, regardless of partisan leanings. She looked back at the past few months of campaigning.
The Democratic contest for lieutenant governor is the most wide-open and uncertain statewide nomination to be decided in Tuesdays primary.

With six candidates, theres been no clear front-runner, although Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, has raised significant money and started with a higher profile than other candidates. And Del. Hala Ayala, D-Prince William, received endorsements from Gov. Ralph Northam and House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax.

For non-politicos who are wondering who these folks are, heres a look at the six Democrats on the primary ballot and their messages to voters. The winner will face GOP nominee Winsome Sears in November for the right to bang the gavel in the state Senate, presiding over the chamber and breaking tie votes.

Del. Hala Ayala

Ayala touts her endorsements from Northam and Filler-Corn. She also talks about her background as an Afro-Latina single mother who relied on Medicaid for health care for her family. Ayalas mother was Lebanese and Irish, and her father was an immigrant from El Salvador with African roots.
On Saturday night, a 34-year-old man was driving his Audi in the 200 block of North LaSalle Street when a white sedan bumped him from behind shortly before 9 p.m., police said. The 34-year-old pulled over and got out of his car to exchange information, and then a man left the passenger seat of the sedan and pointed a gun at him, according to police. The gunman demanded the drivers keys, which he handed over, and told the others in the Audi to get out. He then fled in the Audi, along with the driver of the sedan, police said.
Its not just Tulsa.

From the 2019 premiere of HBOs Watchmen, which introduced many Americans to a racial atrocity theyd never heard of, to all the recent media attention  CNN, the New York Times, NPR  marking this weeks centennial, the Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31 to June 1, 1921 has lately been inescapable.

As well it should be.

It stands out for multiple reasons. There is the sheer size of it: at least 35 square blocks leveled by white mobs. There is the death toll of it: an estimated 300 African Americans  the exact number will never be known  killed. And there is the cussed gall of it. Barred from white community and society, Black people created a thriving community and society of their own, a Black Wall Street  only to have white people burn it to the ground.

Its important that all this be known. Yet its also important to recognize that what happened in that Oklahoma town was not some isolated event. No, Tulsa in 1921 is echoed by New York in 1863, Memphis and New Orleans in 1866, Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898, Atlanta in 1906, Springfield in 1908, East St. Louis in 1917, Chicago and Elaine, Arkansas, in 1919, Rosewood, Florida in 1923  among others.
It is almost as if the monopolies who have brilliant market analysts and a fiduciary interest to maximize shareholder profit had reason all along to believe the prices they advocated be frozen were going to go down.

In 2018, when ratepayers excessive overpayment to the monopolies had become crystal clear, the monopolies ran an expensive advertising campaign including Super Bowl commercials in support of the monopoly written Grid Modernization Act.

Few constituents contacted their legislators in support of the bill at the behest the commercials, but that was not the real intent anyway. Legislators understood the monopolies next over the top marketing campaign could very well be against them.

The legislation passed by a wide margin and Gov. Ralph Northam dutifully signed the legislation that offered only meager refunds to ratepayers and let the monopolies direct excess profits to their favored projects.

In 2020, Northam signed the monopoly-written Virginia Clean Economy Act that increased your electric rates by as much as $600 annually for years to come under the guise of green energy with provisions like $300 million in wind energy costs to power only 3,000 homes.
Bush had been in office barely four months, and some Americans had not yet gotten past the contentious vote count in Florida that had put him there (although no one stormed the U.S. Capitol to protest).

Bushs talk that day was a good reflection of the man  plainspoken and not particularly poetic. In re-reading the text two decades later, it still holds up.

When people come here, it is important to see the town as the monument itself, Bush said. Here were the images these soldiers carried with them, and the thought of when they were afraid. This is the place they left behind. And here was the life they dreamed of returning to. And then the line that got quoted the most: They did not yearn to be heroes. Yet thats how we now think of them.

Heres a line that didnt get quoted much at the time but was true then and still true today: Free societies in Europe can be traced to the first footprints on the first beach on June 6, 1944.

Its not too much of an overstatement to say that Europeans today owe their freedom to some young, scared but ultimately brave Virginians.

A lot has changed since that dedication day 20 years ago, not all of it for the better.
Its time to hold employers accountable. Its time to pass the PRO Act.

In 2020, American heroes in grocery stores, the U.S. Postal Service, hospitals and more became known as essential workers, and many of them had to risk their lives by going to work in unsafe conditions.

As the coronavirus crisis continues into 2021 and deadly workplace risks remain, there has never been a more important time to give workers more voice and power.

Research shows that nearly 60 million workers would join a labor union if given the opportunity. So why havent they?

For years, policymakers, lobbyists and CEOs have stopped at nothing to keep worker power at bay. They weakened the National Labor Relations Act. They attacked collective bargaining rights.

2020 underscored something else, toohow urgently we need labor law reform.

Under current law, the penalties against employers who illegally fire or retaliate against workers who are trying to form a union are a drop in the bucket. As a result, employers routinely retaliate against pro-union workers, because they know it will undermine the organizing campaign and they will face no real consequences. To them, its simply the cost of doing business.
Turkeys president has promised to rescue the Marmara Sea from an outbreak of sea snot that is alarming marine biologists and environmentalists
Magdaleno Rose-Avila is a long-time human rights activist who worked with the UFW, on immigrant rights, and the NAACP. In 2020, he worked with the Georgia NAACP on voter registration and is presently working on the Georgia 2021 special Senatorial election.
Its amazing to be at home around your family, to sleep in your own bed  little things, you know  shower in your own shower, he said to the media. I feel the love, and I feel so much light.  Its just a blessing to be back and to be back with people who stayed with you, walked with you, prayed with you, believed in you.  I hope they feel my love.
 "Roper, Graham, Miller, & the MS-13 Juvenile Homicide Cases" | Main | "Election Contestation and Progressive Prosecutors" 

The question in the title of this post is prompted by the notable oral argument that took place last week in the California Supreme Court. This Los Angeles Times piece, headlined "Californias top court weighs overturning hundreds of death penalty sentences," provides this account and context. Here are excerpts:

For decades, Californias highest court has left it up to individual jurors to decide whether certain circumstances increase the severity of a crime and thereby warrant the death penalty in murder cases that qualify for the ultimate punishment. On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court heard arguments on a change to that long-standing practice, which could potentially overturn hundreds of death penalty sentences in California.

At issue is how juries review aggravating factors  such as whether a crime was gang-related or involved multiple victims. Defense lawyers in the case argued that to ensure equal application of the death penalty, state law and the state Constitution require juries to be unanimous in their reasoning on each factor.

That the court is even considering new requirements is unusual. It has refused to impose them in the past and has even summarily dismissed the kind of arguments presented Wednesday. But the courts composition has changed over the years. Last June, the court issued a brief order asking for written arguments on the jury issue in what was otherwise a routine death penalty case. That raised hopes among some that the court might be ready to wield an ax to capital punishment in California, a state that has produced the nations largest death row but hardly any executions.

Wednesdays hearing probably tempered those hopes. During a 90-minute hearing, only three justices  the more liberal members of the seven-judge court  spoke. Though the silence of the majority can be interpreted in different ways, the hearing did not clearly signal that monumental changes were afoot.

The June order asked litigants to submit written arguments on this issue: Must a jury decide beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant should get the death penalty or life without parole, and must that jury also be unanimous in deciding the reasons for a capital verdict? If the court agreed, a ruling would probably throw out hundreds, if not all, previous death sentences in California.

The courts sudden interest in the issue alarmed death penalty supporters. They considered the questions long answered. Kent Scheidegger, a lawyer for a prominent pro-death penalty group, said he was both surprised and very disturbed, even with the changed composition of the court....

Justice Goodwin Liu, a Brown appointee, spoke the most during the hearing. He repeatedly pressed defense lawyers to cite precedent for their positions. I think theres a lot of appeal to your argument from a fairness perspective, Liu told a defense lawyer. Lius difficulty, he said, was in finding cases that supported the argument legally. Is it possible, he asked, that this issue has simply been missed this entire time? For 150 years, we have missed this issue?...

Scheidegger said even that partial victory for the defense would have a cataclysmic impact on the death penalty and potentially overturn scores of sentences. Such decisions in California are usually applied retroactively. But Scheidegger said he felt cautiously optimistic after the hearing. Liu, he said, did not seem to be buying the defendants main arguments.

UC Berkeley law professor Elisabeth A. Semel, who co-wrote Newsoms written argument, declined to predict how the court would vote. Justices Liu, Cuellar, and Groban had some tough questions for the deputy attorney general defending the death penalty, she said. I do not believe she answered to their satisfaction.

California has more than 700 inmates on death row, but legal challenges have stymied executions. Only 13 inmates have been executed since 1992, and Newsom imposed a moratorium on executions during his term in office.
By David Milliken and Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) -The United States, Britain and other large, rich nations reached a landmark deal on Saturday to squeeze more money out of multinational companies such as Amazon and Google and reduce their incentive to shift profits to low-tax offshore havens.

Hundreds of billions of dollars could flow into the coffers of governments left cash-strapped by the COVID-19 pandemic after the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies agreed to back a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15%.

Facebook said it expected it would have to pay more tax, in more countries, as a result of the deal, which comes after eight years of talks that gained fresh impetus in recent months after proposals from U.S. President Joe Biden's new administration.

"G7 finance ministers have reached a historic agreement to reform the global tax system to make it fit for the global digital age," British finance minister Rishi Sunak said after chairing a two-day meeting in London.

The meeting, hosted at an ornate 19th-century mansion near Buckingham Palace in central London, was the first time finance ministers have met face-to-face since the start of the pandemic.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the "significant, unprecedented commitment" would end what she called a race to the bottom on global taxation.

German finance minister Olaf Scholz said the deal was "bad news for tax havens around the world".

Yellen also saw the G7 meeting as marking a return to multilateralism under Biden and a contrast to the approach of U.S. President Donald Trump, who alienated many U.S. allies.

"What I've seen during my time at this G7 is deep collaboration and a desire to coordinate and address a much broader range of global problems," she said.

Ministers also agreed to move towards making companies declare their environmental impact in a more standard way so investors can decided more easily whether to fund them, a key goal for Britain.

Story continues

TAXING TIMES

Current global tax rules date back to the 1920s and struggle with multinational tech giants that sell services remotely and attribute much of their profits to intellectual property held in low-tax jurisdictions.

Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice-president for global affairs and a former British deputy prime minister, said: "We want the international tax reform process to succeed and recognise this could mean Facebook paying more tax, and in different places."

But Italy, which will seek wider international backing for the plans at a meeting of the G20 in Venice next month, said the proposals were not just aimed at U.S. firms.

Yellen said European countries would scrap existing digital services taxes which the United States says discriminate against U.S. businesses as the new global rules go into effect.

"There is broad agreement that these two things go hand in hand," she said.

Key details remain to be negotiated over the coming months. Saturday's agreement says only "the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises" would be affected.

European countries had been concerned that this could exclude Amazon - which has lower profit margins than most tech companies - but Yellen said she expected it would be included.

How tax revenues will be split is not finalised either, and any deal will also need to pass the U.S. Congress.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he would push for a higher minimum tax, calling 15% "a starting point".

Some campaign groups also condemned what they saw as a lack of ambition. "They are setting the bar so low that companies can just step over it," Oxfam's head of inequality policy, Max Lawson, said.

But Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe, whose country is potentially affected because of its 12.5% tax rate, said any global deal also needed to take account of smaller nations.

The G7 includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada.

(Additional reporting by Andy Bruce, David Lawder, Padraic Halpin, Thomas Escritt, Giulia Segreti, Sabahatjahan Contractor and Mathieu RosemainEditing by Alexander Smith and David Holmes)
People seen along Orchard Road on 24 May 2021 amid Singapore's Phase 2 (Heightened Measures) period. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE  The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (6 June) confirmed the detection of 20 new cases of COVID-19 infection in Singapore, taking the country's total case count to 62,196.

The are six new cases of COVID-19 infection in the community, said the MOH in a news release. Of these, five are linked to past cases, and all have been placed on quarantine. The remaining local case is unlinked.

There are also 14 imported cases, all of whom have been placed on Stay-Home Notice or isolated since their arrival in Singapore.

Among the new cases today, 17 were asymptomatic while three were symptomatic.

Unlinked community case did not immediately seek medical treatment

The sole unlinked community case is a 13-year-old Singaporean girl who is a student at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls School. She was last in school on 18 May. She developed anosmia on 29 May and did not seek medical treatment until 4 June when she visited a general practitioner (GP) clinic and was tested for COVID-19.

Her test result came back positive for COVID-19 infection on 5 June. Her serology test result is pending.

Five linked cases already quarantined

The remaining cases are family members or close contacts of previous cases and have been quarantined. They are:

a 50-year-old male China national who works as a machine operator at Xinghe Knife Sharpening Service; he is linked to the NTUC Foodfare (308 Anchorvale Road) cluster.

a 29-year-old Malaysian man who works as a delivery rider at Pizza Hut (Bukit Merah), and resides at Wanderloft Capsule Hostel; he is linked to the McDonalds delivery riders cluster.

a 13-year-old Singaporean boy who is a student at Canberra Secondary School and was last in school on 18 May; he is linked to the Tektronix cluster.

a 10-year-old Singaporean boy who is a student at Endeavour Primary School and was last in school on 18 May; he is linked to the Tektronix cluster.

a 79-year-old Singaporean woman who is a retiree; she is linked to the Case 63931 cluster.

New Case 63931 cluster: 3 cases

Story continues

The MOH announced a new cluster with three cases currently, with the latest case  a 79-year-old Singaporean woman  announced on Sunday. The cluster is so-named as Case 63931 is an 82-year-old Singaporean man who is a retiree  he was confirmed to have COVID-19 infection on 1 June.

Imported cases include 12 Singaporeans/PRs returning from India

Among the 14 imported cases:

Six are Singaporeans and six are Singapore permanent residents who returned from India.

One is a work pass holder who arrived from Myanmar.

One is a short-term visit pass holder who arrived from Indonesia to visit her family member who is a Singaporean.

Two clusters closed

As there have been no more cases linked to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Pasir Panjang Terminal clusters for the past two incubation periods, or 28 days, the MOH have closed them.

99% of total cases have recovered, 2 in ICU

With 22 more patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities on Sunday, 61,635 cases  or 99.1 per cent of the total  have fully recovered from the infection.

Most of the 207 hospitalised cases are stable or improving, while two of them are in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

A total of 321 patients  with mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive  are isolated and cared for at community facilities.

Apart from the 33 patients who have died from COVID-19 complications, 15 others who tested positive for the virus were determined to have died from unrelated causes, including three whose deaths were attributed to a heart attack and another four, whose deaths were attributed to coronary heart disease.

Among the 168 confirmed cases reported from 31 May to 6 June, 59 cases have tested positive for their serology tests, 79 have tested negative, and 30 serology test results are pending.

Overall, the number of new cases in the community has decreased from 136 cases in the week before to 116 cases in the past week, the MOH said. The number of unlinked cases in the community has also decreased from 23 cases in the week before to 17 cases in the past week.

In a national televised address on Monday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the government should be able to ease COVID-19 safe management restrictions after 13 June if the pandemic situation continues to improve and the number of community cases falls further.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

More Singapore stories:

Sinovac COVID vaccine approved for use in Singapore: MOH

Possible easing of COVID restrictions after 13 June if community cases fall further: Lee Hsien Loong

Singapore to make over-the-counter DIY COVID-19 tests available to residents

COVID-19: Vaccination bookings for Singapore students to begin from 1 June
MARIB, Yemen (Reuters) - U.S. and British diplomats urged Houthi forces to end an offensive in northern Yemen on Sunday after at least 17 people were killed in an explosion which the Saudi-backed government blamed on a Houthi missile strike.

The Houthi group, which ousted the government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014 later said it had only struck a military camp in Marib City on Saturday and welcomed an independent investigation into the incident.

Among those killed in Saturday's explosion near a petrol station in Marib City was a five-year-old girl who was charred beyond recognition.

Reuters TV footage showed the partially covered bodies of the child and a man, who the interior ministry said was her father, lying in a military hospital.

Medical sources at the hospital told Reuters on Sunday that the death toll had risen to 21 after authorities said it was 17.

The internationally recognised Yemeni government, which has been battling the Houthi movement for over six years, said the blast - which wrecked the petrol station and gutted cars - was caused by a Houthi missile.

Marib has become the focal point of the war since the Houthis launched an offensive to seize the gas-rich region, the government's last stronghold in northern Yemen.

"This inhuman violence must end," Cathy Westley, charge d'affaires at the U.S. embassy, said in a statement.

The British ambassador to Yemen, Michael Aron, said on Twitter that serious engagement by the Houthis with U.N. efforts to secure a nationwide ceasefire would "prevent such tragic losses".

Yemen has been mired in violence since a Saudi Arabian-led military coalition intervened in March 2015 against the Houthis, who say they are fighting a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, including in coalition air strikes, and caused what the United Nations says is the world's largest humanitarian crisis with 80% of the population reliant on aid.

(Reporting by Reuters team in Yemen; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Alexander Smith)
SIOUX CITY -- What's coming to a beer tap near you?

If a class full of Morningside University students had their way, you might be getting a buzz from an English Milk Stout called William Shakesbeer, or perhaps a Wisconsin-based ale made with real cream cheese.

All right, scratch that last one.

"I suggested a cream cheese ale one but it didn't get very far," business management senior Joe Dolincheck explained. "My team settled on a golden, light-bodied beer called a Milwaukee Cream Ale because it would market better."

For their final project, Dolincheck and other students were testing out marketing plans for fictional products in Beer Culture in America & The Art of Brewing, a three-week May Term class taught by Morningside music professor Erik Mahon.

"I wanted students to examine beer history and what factors have led to its popularity in America," Mahon explained. "Students got to see how beers were brewed, first-hand, through field trips as well as sample some craft beers that were made here in Siouxland."

Don't worry, every student in Mahon's class was 21 or older.

That included Hannah Capps, a political science senior and self-confessed novice when it came to beer.
Its not just Tulsa.

From the 2019 premiere of HBOs Watchmen, which introduced many Americans to a racial atrocity theyd never heard of, to all the recent media attention  CNN, the New York Times, NPR  marking last weeks centennial, the Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31 to June 1, 1921 has lately been inescapable.

As well it should be.

It stands out for multiple reasons. There is the sheer size of it: at least 35 square blocks leveled by white mobs. There is the death toll of it: an estimated 300 African Americans  the exact number will never be known  killed. And there is the cussed gall of it. Barred from white community and society, Black people created a thriving community and society of their own, a Black Wall Street  only to have white people burn it to the ground.

Its important that all this be known. Yet its also important to recognize that what happened in that Oklahoma town was not some isolated event. No, Tulsa in 1921 is echoed by New York in 1863, Memphis and New Orleans in 1866, Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898, Atlanta in 1906, Springfield in 1908, East St. Louis in 1917, Chicago and Elaine, Arkansas, in 1919, Rosewood, Florida in 1923  among others.
Cook said the doubling of the income threshold for the tax credit will help more families that are earning income, but not enough to afford child care. The United Way has conducted research on those types of families, calling them ALICE: an individual or family who is asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed.

Theyre working. Theyre churning it out every single month. But theyre coming up short, Cook said. The (expanded tax credit) captures so many more families.

Business interests are applauding the approved legislation as well, saying it will help employers find more workers.

For a number of years, even pre-pandemic, we have continued to hear that talent is the No. 1 issue for our members. They need more of it, and we know from recent census numbers that Iowas not growing quite as quickly as the jobs that our members are creating, said Andrea Woodard, senior vice president of government relations and public policy for the Greater Des Moines Partnership, a coalition of central Iowa businesses and chambers of commerce.

Child care access and affordability is often a huge piece of that, and with a population in a state that hinges heavily on two parents working outside the home, child care is increasingly important in our state, Woodard said.
The infamous $223 million Alaska bridge to nowhere often is cited as the earmark that shamed Congress into banning earmarks. However, a 2003 request by Grassley for $50 million to leverage as much as $300 million from other sources for Earthpark, an indoor rainforest at Coralville, is another much-derided earmark that critics pointed to as a reason to end the practice.

The rainforest project never was funded. When the GOP gained control of the House in 2011, tea party Republicans chose to eliminate the practice. In his State of the Union address that year, Democratic President Barack Obama promised to veto any bill containing earmarks, saying the American people deserve to know that special interests aren't larding up legislation with pet projects.

Hinson and Axne dont see it that way. Their requests are not adding spending to the federal budget. Instead, according to Hinson, who sits on the House Appropriations and Budget committees, they are asking that money already being designated to certain federal programs be allocated to these projects within those programs.
Heres a look at how APs general news coverage is shaping up in Iowa. Questions about coverage plans are welcome and should be directed to the Des Moines Bureau at 515-243-3281 or apdesmoines@ap.org.

A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories and digests will keep you up to date. All times are Central.

Some TV and radio stations will receive broadcast versions of the stories below, along with all updates.

For up-to-the-minute information on APs coverage, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org.



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MISSOURI RIVER FLOWS

NORFOLK, Neb.  Two years after Missouri River flooding ravaged parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, officials are now dealing with whats shaping up to be one of the rivers driest years.

EXCHANGES:

EXCHANGE-MY SISTER'S PLACE
As for how much the two men like each other now? All I can say is that while Galanis and Harris still harbor a few resentments and differing opinions about who was right and who was wrong in their contentious standoff, they admit to a growing friendship and certainly healthy respect for one another.
Board members told opponents that they're listening to the concerns.

Board Vice President Patsy Koch Johns said she had never seen such crowds turn out on an issue. She pushed back on critics who she said suggested that her mind's made up and the standards are a done deal.

"I'd like to assure you that I'm conflicted about so many things in this," Koch Johns said. "I have grandchildren, and I love them with all my heart, like so many of you have told me. And so I want to make sure whatever we do is good for them."

Under the proposed standards, kindergartners would be taught about different kinds of family structures, including cohabitating and same-gender families.

Fourth graders would be taught the difference between sex assigned at birth and gender identity. Fifth graders would be taught that gender expression and gender identity exist along a spectrum.

Sixth graders would learn what sexual identity is and learn about a range of identities related to sexual orientation, among them heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, two-spirit, asexual and pansexual. They would learn the differences between cisgender, transgender, gender nonbinary, gender expansive and gender identity.
To peer into the cockpit  as many former crew members did after Fridays ceremony  is to look at an array of analog dials and switches that looks as outdated as a dial telephone. Which it is.

Litecky said the planes noisy, smoke-belching TF-33 engines had developed a reputation for just being a bear to deal with.

It didnt help that the planes frequently operated in extreme conditions and at austere Russian airfields.

Lt. Col. Julie Gilbert, a former crew member, showed photos from a mission in which the temperature was minus 31 degrees at the starting point, Novosibirsk, in Russias frigid Siberia. Crews had to shovel 2 feet of snow off the wings.

We still flew the mission, she said.

Lt. Col. James Hansen, now the standards and evaluation officer for the 55th Operations Group, recalled turning back to Hawaii, en route to Japan after both of 2670s high-frequency antennas broke.

Once, an engine failed and the cockpit filled with smoke and fumes.

And he was the commander of a notorious March 2016 flight aboard 2670 out of Khabarovsk, in the far east of Russia. Already short one generator, the plane filled up with smoke and fumes after takeoff.
Editor's note: This column first appeared in the Omaha World-Herald on May 8.

Nebraskas history is filled with interesting stories about Native Americans. Perhaps the most well-known is the story of Ponca Chief Standing Bear, who was tried in court in 1879 for returning to his homeland to bury his son against federal orders. The U.S. attorney had argued that Standing Bear was not a person under the law.

Standing Bear is famously quoted as saying in court, I am a man. The court agreed for the first time that an Indian is a person. Representing Nebraska, a statue of Chief Standing Bear is on display in the U.S. Capitols National Statuary Hall.

The Omaha Tribe also has a great historic figure. Dr. Susan La Flesche was the first female Native American doctor, and she opened a hospital on the Omaha reservation in 1913. While Dr. La Flesches achievements as a physician are remarkable, she was not considered an American citizen because of her race. For her many accomplishments, she will soon have her own statue on Nebraskas Centennial Mall in Lincoln.
Sen. Joe Manchin said Sunday he will vote against a sweeping voting rights and ethics bill that has been a top priority among Democratic leaders to push back against Republican efforts to impose fresh voting restrictions across the country. In an op-ed piece for the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Manchin said he cant support the bill, known as the For the People Act, because it is too partisan. I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act, the senator from West Virginia wrote. The truth, I would argue, is that voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen.

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The House had approved the For the People Act in March in a 220-210 vote without any Republican support. The measure would, among other things, allow voters to register online or on Election Day, mandate 15 days of early voting, limit the ability of states to block mail-in voting and also rewrite federal campaign finance rules. Democratic leaders had made clear that the bill was a top priority as it became a catchall for several liberal priorities on voting rights but had recently become nervous about Manchins lack of support for the initiative. Without his backing, the bill seems destined to fail in the evenly-split Senate.

In the op-ed, Manchin reiterated his objection to ending the filibuster rule. Some Democrats have again proposed eliminating the Senate filibuster rule in order to pass the For the People Act with only Democratic support. Theyve attempted to demonize the filibuster and conveniently ignore how it has been critical to protecting the rights of Democrats in the past, Manchin wrote. I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster.

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Rather than For the People Act, Manchin said he would support another voting reform bill, known as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. That measure, which also has the backing of GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, would involve a broad rewrite of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and is being touted as a bipartisan alternative to the bill that the House approved. I continue to engage with my Republican and Democratic colleagues about the value of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and I am encouraged by the desire from both sides to transcend partisan politics and strengthen our democracy by protecting voting rights, Manchin wrote.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed their second child into the world. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced the birth in a statement Sunday. It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world, reads the statement. Meghan gave birth on Friday at 11:40 a.m. in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The first name of their daughter, Lilibet, is in honor of the Queens nickname while her middle name is in honor of Harrys mother, Princess Diana. Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales, the statement added. There was no photo accompanying the announcement.

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From Buckingham Palace:

The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.  Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) June 6, 2021

The couple already had a son, Archie Harrison, who is two. They had revealed they were expecting a girl during their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year. At the time they had made it clear that they would not be having any more children. Amazing, Harry said when Winfrey asked how he felt after learning he would have a daughter. Just grateful. To have any child, any one or any two, would have been amazing. But to have a boy and then a girl, what more can you ask for? Weve got our familythe four of us and our two dogs. Winfrey asked, Done? And the couple both agreed. Two is it, Meghan answered. Meghan suffered a miscarriage last year, which she wrote about for the New York Times.

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The newborn is the Queens eleventh great-grandchild, is eighth in line to the throne and the most senior royal in the line of succession to have been born overseas. Her birth in the United States also makes her a dual US-UK citizenmeaning that the youngest Sussex could potentially go on to become US President when she grows upwhile also being in line to the British throne, notes CNN.

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Many congratulations to The Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their daughter.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 6, 2021
Essential Quality was the favorite for a reason. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

In the shadow of a scandal surrounding one of the biggest names in horse racing, Essential Quality took home the win at the 2021 Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

The heavy favorite pulled away late in the race, holding off Hot Rod Charlie in a thrilling two-horse competition down the stretch. Hot Rod Charlie finished a length back in place, while Preakness winner Rombauer showed.

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Essential Quality entered the race at 6-5 odds in the eight-horse field. He had been the favorite entering the Kentucky Derby as well, only to finish in fourth place after getting bumped and losing position when the race began. The horse did not compete at the Preakness.

The horse's win is the first Triple Crown win for trainer Brad Cox, though it also comes with controversy due to owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The United Arab Emirates prime minister faced calls for a ban entering the Kentucky Derby due to the disappearance of his daughter.

While Essential Quality's win was the story of the day, coverage of the race before Saturday was dominated by who wasn't allowed to participate.

Another bizarre Triple Crown comes to a close

Not in the Belmont field on Saturday was 2021 Kentucky Derby winner (for now) Medina Spirit.

The horse and its legendary trainer Bob Baffert were banned from the Belmont Stakes last month in light of a positive test for the regulated steroid betamethasone.

Medina Spirit's wire-to-wire win at Churchill Downs has been in doubt since the positive test on May 9. Baffert initially reacted by claiming the horse had eaten some hay that had another horse's tainted urine on it and labeling the saga as "cancel culture." That defense was pulled back a day later when Baffert admitted the horse was treated for dermatitis on its hind end with an ointment containing the substance, which is not allowed to be used less than 14 days before a race.

The decision to disqualify Medina Spirit now rests with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, but Baffert has already banned from Churchill Downs for two years. If Medina Spirit is disqualified, Cox will get his second Triple Crown win as well, having trained runner-up Mandaloun.

Story continues

Medina Spirit ended up competing in the Preakness, finishing a distant third behind Rombauer after leading for much of the race.

All of that added up to yet another atypical set of Triple Crown races. The 2019 season featured Maximum Security's infamous disqualification for veering into the path of another horse, while 2020 was obviously thrown into chaos due to the rescheduling required by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sports' stewards can only hope things get a little more normal in 2022.

More from Yahoo Sports:
The search, in fact, continues today for the bodies of those massacred as the city of Tulsa excavates more ground to locate remains in Oaklawn Cemetery. As of Thursday, 20 coffins has been found in a mass grave feature at the cemetery, AP reported.

Harris continued, The fact that not one white person was ever put on trial for such a massacre shows the deep sickness of white supremacy that gripped America, and Oklahomas inability to truly provide tangible reparations and proper compensation after 100 years speaks to the sickness that still grips America.

The local NAACP president said the city of Tulsa has yet to truly take responsibility for what was done.

I find it saddening that slave owners were given reparations for slaves lost as a result of the Civil War, but an entire town of approximately 10,000 people was decimated, property destroyed, and not one person from the Greenwood District was ever repaid for damages, Harris said.

Race riots and massacres happened around America, he added, leading to creation in 1909 of the NAACP, the nations largest civil rights organization.
Johnson, who is now 101 years old, admitted that during World War II, the South Pacific Theater and the European Theater felt like two different wars. He wasnt necessarily thinking about what was happening in the fight against the Nazis; his focus was on his duties almost 9,000 miles away in Finschhafen, New Guinea.

We werent interested in what was happening over in Europe, he said.

Thats how 98-year-old Bill Myers felt too. Myers was stuck in naval aviator training for most of his time in the service. He was supposed to be on the team of fliers sent to the South Pacific to knock out Kamikaze bombers, but was stopped short when President Harry Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bombs.

We were interested in one thing, and that was what was happening to our fleet in the South Pacific. Thats what we were trained to do, he said. Thats what our minds were set to do  we were a whole different outfit.

Still, the deadliest war in history was won through the united efforts in both places. While the Allied Forces trudged their way across Europe, reclaiming it inch by inch, those in the South Pacific were hopping from island to island and soon began a second front in the central Pacific to take on Japan.

It was just a few months after Germanys surrender that the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, ending World War II.

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Thats because most Americans accept the reality that Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election. Some who embrace alternate facts believe Biden stole the election from Trump. Lately, Trump has expressed the view that the outcome of the election will be overturned and that he will be reinstated as president by August.
I recently reintroduced the RFS Integrity Act with Senator Tammy Duckworth to address this problem. Our bipartisan bill would require companies to apply for exemptions before June 1 of the prior year, which would give the EPA enough time to account for them in the overall biofuel blending requirements they set each November. That would bring much-needed certainty to ethanol producers and corn farmers, many of whom call Nebraska home.

Our bill would also require the EPA to publish the name of every refinery granted an exemption, as well as the number of gallons of biofuels the EPA is allowing them to bypass, at the time the refinery is notified they have received a waiver. These two changes would bring transparency back to the SRE process and help it work as Congress intended.

Ethanol supports more than 1,400 Nebraska jobs and brings billions of dollars to our state every year. If the EPA doesnt account for the exemptions it grants, our friends and neighbors who work in this vital industry are left with nowhere to sell their products, to say nothing of the added strain on the environment.
Maybe Castro didnt notice, but the irony was overwhelming. The Democrats in Washington who want to kill the filibuster say theyre doing it because the filibuster allows the minority -- Republicans -- to thwart the will of majority Democrats. Leave aside that the Senate is evenly divided, 50-50, and it is only the tiebreaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris that gives them the most tenuous of majorities. Democrats say they are sick of a minority being able to frustrate the majority.

And yet what are Democrats doing in Texas? As the minority unable to outvote majority Republicans, they have walked out of the House to frustrate the will of the majority. They have exercised what is sometimes called a walking filibuster. And some of them are doing it even as they encourage Washington Democrats to get rid of the filibuster.

By the way, the Texas Democrats tactics are nothing new. Back in 2003, when Republicans had just won a majority in the Texas House and set about work on redistricting, Democrats actually fled the state to deny the GOP a quorum to continue the work. They didnt just leave the building, they left the state. Then-Gov. Rick Perry called a special session, and Democrats left the state again, gathering in New Mexico. A standoff ensued. But the majority finally won.
The KC-135 she refers to is a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. It is a military aerial refueling aircraft that was developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, alongside the Boeing 707 airliner. The KC-135 was initially tasked with refueling strategic bombers, but it was used extensively in the Vietnam War and later conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm to extend the range and endurance of US tactical fighters and bombers.

I was a part of the 22 Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron (22 EARS). Our mission was to refuel other aircraft so they could complete their missions, Jensen said. We were a giant aircraft gas station in the sky, thats the best way to explain it.

Before the school year wrapped up, Jensen was home from deployment and able to thank the two classes in person.

She presented the students with a flag that was flown in the KC-135 Stratotanker during a refueling mission over Iraq and Syria as well as a certificate of authenticity explaining the importance of the flag, Johnston said. She requested that the flag be displayed in the school and then flown on their Graduation Day in 2027. It was such an amazing experience for not only the students, but also Mrs. Roland and I.
Work is underway broadening Court Street. The county commissioners, at their meeting Monday, decided to allow the town the use of five feet from the court house property to broaden the street. The county will retain title to the property. (6/9)

Another important step in the approach to Statesvilles new hotel was taken Friday when Mr. C.V. Henkel accepted bids for the construction of the building, the installation of the heating and electrical appliances. Mr. Henkel announces that work will begin at once and under favorable circumstances the hotel will be ready for occupancy in about ten months. The contracts as let, not including furnishings for the hotel, aggregate about $150,000. (6/13)

Troutman Rt. 2. Mr. Will Bailey, who has typhoid fever, is getting along just as well as any one can with fever. Mr. Baileys pastor, Rev. J. Clyde Yates, stayed down last week and plowed all week for him. He saw their need and put on overalls and went to work. (6/13)

One hundred twenty-five years ago:

Landmark, June 9 and 12, 1896.
In the 21st century aerial, and space based, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment has become much more effective, which has made it more difficult and expensive to use cheap decoys of weapons and vehicles to deceive aerial surveillance. There are still firms that develop and manufacture effective fake vehicles, artillery and anti-aircraft systems but the cost of these fakes has gone up 5-10 ten times faster than the cost of the original items. This is because the aircraft and space satellite sensors have become more powerful and able to detect a lot more details. It was no longer enough to just have a lot of convincing, from the air, inflatable armored vehicles and artillery.

Current sensors, first developed to survey farmland or search for new resources from the air or space, use radars and sensors that can identify what is down there and what it is made of. Worse for the military these multispectral sensors can identify what is below foliage, like forests or jungles as well as camouflage nets. The higher resolution sensors can also detect the tracks armored vehicles or heavy trucks leave on the ground or even the wear heavy tanks leave on paved roads. It gets worse, because new fire control and target selection systems use computers and software to find patterns indicating what enemy forces have been or are planning to do. These systems can also be used to spot deceptions on the ground.

Israel gave a demonstration of how effective these new systems are during the recent 15-day war with Hamas in Gaza. The Hamas surprise rocket attacks were much less effective than during the 51-day war in 2014. Although Hamas fired over three times as many rockets than in 2014, Israeli casualties and losses were much less than in 2014. Hamas losses were higher, especially in terms of tunnels and bunkers located and destroyed, often only after Hamas gunmen or leaders were detected taking shelter in them. Over the last decade software has replaced humans in analyzing aerial digital photos along with data obtained from more abundant and powerful electronic sensors. The use of digital photos made it possible to use software systems to look for threats and even their patterns of operation.

Many nations still maintain stockpiles of inflatable vehicles that could deceive 20th century aerial surveillance but these decoys are now worse than useless because they are more likely to reveal your deception efforts than provide any effective deception. In short, ground deceptions have become less effective and a lot more expensive. There is still some use of these deceptions but they cannot be used as frequently on as large a scale as in the past.

In the early 20th aerial reconnaissance revolutionized the ability to spot, count and even identify enemy forces and bases far from the front line or advancing troops. Before aerial surveillance you were dependent on mounted scouts who operated as close to the enemy as possible to count and identify the opposition and ride back to report what was there. A century ago, horse mounted scouts were supplemented and often replaced by airborne scouts, so aerial combat developed in an effort to keep enemy air observation away from your own rear area.

Senior commander quickly discovered that it was impossible to keep all enemy recon aircraft from getting a look, and often photos, of what was behind the front lines. This made it more difficult to plan surprise offensives, or even protect vulnerable rear-area targets like headquarters, supply storage sites and the hundreds of towed artillery weapons set up in the open to provide support fire for front line troops. Users of aerial recon soon discovered that there were ways to effectively deceive aerial surveillance and the post-Soviet Union forces were the first to discover how much had changed.

While the Russian armed forces were not able to buy many real tanks or warplanes in the two decades after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, they still bought fakes. Russian firms that designed and produced inflatable tanks and aircraft were still in business and they had new designs that were real enough looking that they could deceive human analysts who scrutinize aerial photographs. Actually, Russia had lots of these in storage after 1991, but a decade ago they were again buying more tanks and aircraft that were improved models and realized they had to replenish their stock of fakes as well.

All this goes back to the World War II era, when dummy tanks and trucks were widely used and often made of wood and cloth. These were fragile and difficult to set up. Soon came the rubber, inflatable decoy. These were much lighter, easier to set up and could be easily moved about once deflated and packed. In addition, a special trailer was built that created realistic marks on the ground showing characteristic tank "track" marks. The trailer would be towed to where each rubber tank was to be set up. With that, the enemy photo analysts would be convinced that the rubber tank was real, for there behind it were the characteristic marks on the ground that only heavy trucks or armored vehicles tank leave. The military advantages of this deception were substantial. If the enemy recon aircraft spotted hundreds of tanks, enemy plans would have to be changed to deal with this threat.

The Allies used the rubber tank ploy against the Germans many times and as a result, the Nazis always overestimated the number (already substantial) of forces the Allies had. The Germans could have been a lot more aggressive against the Western Allies were it not for the rubber tanks. The presence of these "additional" tanks forced the Germans to hold back large numbers of their own forces as a reserve to deal with fake Allied forces represented by rubber tanks and other deceptions.

Of course, the rubber tanks never saw combat, aside from being shot up by German aircraft a few times and the German armored units being held in reserve were often pounded by Allied aircraft before the panzers ever got to reach the real Allied forces. Many Allied soldiers in 1944 and 1945 owed their life to rubber tanks, and most were never aware of it. For example, in preparation for the final Allied offensive in Italy in 1945, an entire dummy armored division was assembled in the rear of an American Infantry Division, with a highly regarded (by the Germans) Japanese-American regiment attached, convincing the Germans that the main attack was to come on the west coast, rather than in the center. Like any good deception, the use of the rubber tanks was kept secret as much as possible.

For the rest of the 20th century the rubber tanks were still used. In the late 1980s the U.S. Army developed a decoy version of the M 1 Abrams tank. It cost only $3,300 and weighed 23 kg (about 50 pounds). When disassembled the dummy tank is about the size of a duffel bag, while its portable generator is about the size of a small laser printer. When erected, which could be accomplished by two men in a few minutes, the decoy not only looks like a real M-1 (at least from the front), but also simulates its heat signature, to fool infrared detectors. What's more, it can take several hits and remain standing, giving the illusion that you missed, or that there are more enemy tanks around than you thought. Developers of air or space-based sensors took note and began equipping their aircraft and satellites with systems that identify the improved fakes.

While rubber aircraft were not a big item during World War II, fake tanks were easier to build and inflate to the right shape than they are today. And with the high speed of modern combat, attacking bombers often don't notice the peculiar effect their bombs and missiles have on the aircraft they were hitting on an enemy airfield. During these attacks, the parked aircraft might be fake, but the anti-aircraft fire isn't. While the aircraft lost on the ground were cheap imitations, the attacking aircraft shot down were not. Rubber aircraft, then, can be quite lethal. Sort of like cheap bait.

All this began to change in the 1990s as guided bombs and missiles replaced unguided bombs and the need to deal with enemy air defenses. More effective airborne sensors made it easier to get accurate assessments of damage done by aerial attacks.

There have been fewer opportunities to use the ground-based deceptions, especially the new ones and that meant fewer opportunities to see how effective aerial attack and surveillance has become. The recent Hamas campaign revealed how current ground-based deceptions are in trouble and that has military leaders and their staffs paying attention.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday that the international community should work together with unprecedented ambition and action to strive for a fair and reasonable system of global environmental governance featuring win-win cooperation and promote the sustainable development of humanity.



Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the World Environment Day events held in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Noting that this year marks the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Xi said the World Environment Day events held in Pakistan under the theme of ecosystem restoration are of great significance.

Xi stressed that Earth is humanity's shared home, and a sound ecosystem is essential for the prosperity of civilizations.

The human race should respect nature, follow its laws, protect it, and endeavor to foster a new relationship where humans and nature can both prosper and live in harmony, he added.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, worsening desertification and frequent extreme weather events have all posed severe challenges to human survival and development, Xi said, noting that the world is in fact a community with a shared future where everyone is in the same boat.

Xi pointed out that the Chinese civilization has always valued harmony between humans and nature, and that ecological conservation has been incorporated into China's overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

As a participant, contributor and trailblazer in global ecological conservation, China is firmly committed to putting multilateralism into action and defending the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law so as to enhance global governance on the environment, Xi said.

Noting that China will host the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity later this year, Xi said China stands ready to discuss and draw up plans together with all parties for ecological conservation, inject new impetus into global environmental governance, foster a community of life for man and nature, and jointly build a clean and beautiful world.

In 1972, the United Nations designated June 5 as World Environment Day. The UN Environment Programme selects a member state every year to hold celebration events. The theme of this year's World Environment Day is ecosystem restoration.
Today is Friday, June 4, 2021. Let's get caught up.

These headlines are in the news this morning: Facebook will end a policy that exempted politicians from its moderation rules; a consequential US jobs report coming today; and the Phoenix Suns eliminated the defending champion L.A. Lakers from playoffs.

Read on for these stories, other top headlines, celebrity birthdays and more.

TOP STORIES

Reports: Facebook to end rule exemptions for politicians

Facebook plans to end a contentious policy championed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg that exempted politicians from certain moderation rules on its site, according to several news reports.

The company's rationale for that policy held that the speech of political leaders is inherently newsworthy and in the public interest even if it is offensive, bullying or otherwise controversial. The social media giant is currently mulling over what to do with the account of former President Donald Trump, which it indefinitely suspended Jan. 6, leaving it in Facebook limbo with its owners unable to post.
CASTLE ROCK  Kelli Zimmerman woke to her dog barking around 1 a.m. March 1. The pregnant mother of three checked a security camera app on her phone. A man in a chaplaincy jacket was standing on her front porch.

Her mind started to race: Was her husband dead?

A Cowlitz County police chaplain drove her to the hospital and assured Zimmerman her husband, who is a Castle Rock police officer, was wounded, but OK.

Im glad he was there with me, she said. I wouldnt have wanted to find out any other way.

Castle Rock plans to purchase new department vehicle after patrol car totaled in February arrest CASTLE ROCK  The police department is expected to have a new patrol car by the fall after one of its vehicles was totaled and an officer was 

When first responders suffer physical or mental injuries, chaplains are dispatched to help families handle emergencies. The Cowlitz Chaplaincy is a Longview-based religious nonprofit that provides services like counseling, therapy referrals and recovery plans to injured responders and their families.

Officers like Bill Zimmerman put their lives at risk to protect the community, said Lead Chaplain Doug Fields, and its the chaplains job to protect emergency service providers.

We have tools in our toolbelt to help first responders to keep them healthy and safe, so they can keep us healthy and safe, he said.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News.

Serious injuries

Adrenaline masked the pain when the driver of a stolen van rammed into his patrol car twice Feb. 28, Bill Zimmerman said.

It wasnt until he reached PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center that Bill Zimmerman discovered he had a concussion, and the lowest vertebrae in his neck was fractured.

He spent two days in the hospital and nearly two months in a neck brace. At first, he couldnt stand up on his own from a chair, he said.

He couldnt complete everyday tasks like driving, taking out the garbage and tucking his children into bed.

Friends, family and fellow officers prepared meals and performed household duties like mowing the lawn.

When his son Cole was born March 26, Bill Zimmerman snuck in cradles against doctors orders not to lift more than a few ounces.

Offering help

Once Bill Zimmerman was home, 5-year-old Hudson wouldnt leave his fathers side. He pretended to be sick to stay home from preschool to be with his dad.

Hudson told his mom he was worried bad guys might destroy his dad again, Kelli Zimmerman said.

Investigators release videos, send report to prosecutor from February officer-involved shooting Videos of a local police officer firing shots at a driver who struck him with a van have been released to the public as part of a report sent 

The couple turned to the chaplaincy for counseling referrals for Hudson, as well as themselves.

Bill Zimmerman said he learned through counseling that he needed to be more open about his work with his family. He said he thought he was protecting them by limiting information, but put up a wall between them instead.

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Kelli Zimmerman said she and her husband still attend sessions, but Hudson was able to work on his issues without treatment.

Chaplain Fields said he spends up to 25 hours a week counseling first responders and their families.

First Responder Resources Cowlitz Chaplaincy, cowlitzchaplaincy.org, 360-425-7222. First Responder Family Resources of Cowlitz County, firstresponderfamily.org.

He said in Cowlitz County, only about two officers are severely physically injured a year, but the chaplaincys two staff members and five volunteers respond to emergencies from the countys 18 emergency agencies 24/7.

Chaplains also are dispatched to help the families of civilians injured or killed, Fields said.

As of Wednesday, Fields had been on about six calls that week including an attempted suicide. Fields said chaplains help explain how emergency service providers are treating victims so staff can work.

Chaplains dont preach to families, Fields said, but can connect them with their church.

He said first responders have a very unique culture, where employees see dozens of traumatic events a year and require therapists who can empathize with the high-stress duties.

Castle Rock cop shares experience responding to drowning CASTLE ROCK The courage he witnessed and the support hes received from his peers are helping Castle Rock PD officer Bill Zimmerman get throu

About six months before his accident, Zimmerman helped pull two drowning victims from the Cowlitz River, one of whom did not survive.

Back to duty

Bill Zimmerman returned to full officer duties Tuesday at the four-person Castle Rock Police Department.

He was on paid leave for nearly three months while he healed and an investigative team reviewed his decision to fire his gun at the suspect during the attack that wounded him.

At first, he said he feared another critical call, then that the time off may have slowed his responses.

Ive worked through that and feel 100% more motivated than before, he said.

Guilty plea

The driver of the stolen van, Dale E. Woodley, 41, of Longview, entered a guilty plea May 3 in Cowlitz County Superior Court to second-degree assault, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, second-degree malicious mischief and possession of a stolen vehicle.

He is serving an 8 1/2-year sentence.

After he was hit, Bill Zimmerman fired a backup pistol at Woodley because he feared further assault and danger to the public, a local third-party investigative team found.

The investigation found Zimmermans use of force was justified.

A passenger in the vehicle, Timothy R. Bean, 33, of Longview, was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, third-degree possession of stolen property, attempting to elude a police vehicle, second-degree malicious mischief and resisting arrest.

He is awaiting trial in Cowlitz County Superior Court.

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Lynn Bush has one of the last chalkboards left in Rose Valley Elementary. Its seen plenty of use in the past four decades, even as she learned to use Google Classroom.

As Bush retires this year, with 40 years in Kelso and another 10 split between Longview School District and a private school, shes happy she stayed on through the pandemic despite considering retirement last year.

Im so happy that I didnt retire and miss out on this opportunity, she said. There were days, especially in the fall, when I thought, holy cow, Im in over my head. But it shows that were never too old to learn and it really gave me a greater understanding and a greater empathy for children in our classrooms.

My fourth graders

Bush started teaching at the old Kessler Elementary in Longview in 1970. She was there for the 1973 earthquake that rendered the upper floors unusable.

Many of us on that second story couldnt even get into the classrooms, because the old wooden floors had buckled to the point that we couldnt get our doors open, she recalled.

She was placed temporarily at Mint Valley, then at Robert Gray until she went back to the rebuilt Kessler in 1976.
Gov. Jay Inslee is now known as a backstabber, even to some of his fellow Democrats.

In a move that will compromise his ability to lead, the governor late last month vetoed key parts of the Legislatures two carbon-reduction bills. The vetoes were of provisions that delayed implementation of the bills until the Legislature adopts a state transportation package.

Why should we care you might ask? Well, because politics and loyalty matter.

The governors action undercut months of negotiating and bargaining over cap-and-trade climate change legislation. Inslee himself, who has portrayed himself as a warrior against global warming, has unsuccessfully sought such legislation since he took office in 2013, even with his own party in control for most of the time.

In the last session, Democratic leadership finally managed to pass the legislation  with provisos that the state has a transportation package adopted for cap-and-trade to take effect. The leadership, particularly state Sen. Reuven Carlyle, worked assiduously and in public view on a grand bargain to work out a compromise. Without that effort, its unlikely the bills would ever have passed to reach Inslees desk in the first place.
Apple Inc. will debut major software updates for the iPhone and iPad at its developers conference next week to an audience that has grown increasingly critical of the companys App Store policies.

The virtual event beginning Monday will also include software updates for the Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV as well tools developers can use to build apps. The company plans to discuss new privacy protections for limiting data collection as well as health-tracking, notifications and messaging features. Executives also will promote significant improvements to iPad software, making the device more capable and appealing to more advanced users.

This years conference arrives while Apple is facing criticism from some developers over its App Store policies. The controversy was highlighted by a three-week trial last month of a lawsuit filed by Epic Games Inc., which argued that the iPhone makers policies and revenue share of as much as 30% are anticompetitive. Unhappy developers have grown more willing publicly to express discontent, Apple executives have been grilled by U.S. lawmakers and companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Spotify Technology SA have chided Apple.

The Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker will now try to convince developers that Apples platform remains the best place for them to sell software and that it has new features to keep consumers glued to the companys products. Apple, however, isnt expected to announce wholesale App Store policy changes next week. The company generated about $22 billion from App Store commission in 2020 alone, according to Sensor Tower estimates.

ALSO READ: Apple WWDC 2021 Swift Student Challenge saw more women participants than men: Meet 3 of the winners

As part of its continued privacy push, Apple is planning new features to counter overly invasive apps. One major new addition will be a control panel that provides in-depth detail on what data are being collected by each third-party app installed on a users device. Earlier this year, Apple rolled out a feature to limit the ability of developers to track users across apps and the web for advertising purposes, irking developers like Facebook Inc.

On the iPhone and iPad software updates, users will now be able to set a status -- such as whether you are driving, sleeping, working or dont want to be disturbed -- and have that dictate how incoming notifications are handled. The update will also include a larger focus on auto-replying to messages and a new design for incoming notification banners at the top of the screen.

For the iPad, Apple plans to revamp the home screen and support the placement of widgets -- snippets of dynamic information like calendar, weather and stocks -- anywhere on the screen. This is a commonly requested feature that will bring the iPad in line with Android rivals. The company also plans an improved multitasking system to make it easier to operate multiple apps at the same time.

The Messages app will receive enhancements on the way toward Apples eventual goal to turn it into a more direct competitor to messaging services on social networks like Facebooks WhatsApp and Messenger, Bloomberg News has previously reported. Apple has also been working on a revamped lock screen for the iPhone and iPad, though some of those changes have been pushed back to a future release and wont appear this year.

Apples planned update to macOS is expected to be somewhat minor after the operating system received an overhaul in 2020, while the Apple Watch is expected to gain some health-tracking and interface improvements. The Apple TV will also get enhanced software after the company released a faster model last month.
The two biggest Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce fundraisers of the year, Chamber Experience and Business & Bites, have been combined into one event for the first time. And it wont be the last.
Erica Bellar, a cousin on Pittingtons paternal side who lives in Colorado, also has taken interest in the case. She said she and her sister want to produce a multipart podcast about Pittingtons life and death to preserve what memories and evidence do exist.

Bellar, 47, is John Pittingtons great-niece. She said family members are far-flung and she didnt even know Teal Pittington existed until her death.

Bellar was 10 at the time and said she remembers hearing the adults talking about what had happened, though never openly.

Probably my parents and grandparents interpreted it as being painful for (John Pittington) if it was brought up, she said in a recent phone interview.

As a kid, I would hear bits and pieces, but I really didnt understand it. I actually grew up thinking Ted Bundy had killed my cousin.  It wasnt until much later, when I grew up and started looking into stuff, that I realized that wasnt true. It was something I was very curious about. Plus, the forbidden nature of even asking questions made me want to understand what actually happened.

My sister and I have followed Teals case as adults because we didnt want her memory or the memory of what happened to her to be forgotten, Bellar wrote in an email.
With a nearly 20-year lock on control of both House and Senate, Democrats have in recent years eased voting access. Pile on top of that the COVID-19 crisis and the accompanying precautions for safe spring and fall elections last year, and there are the elements for West's measure.

The General Assembly drew the lesson that we could do this in the future, in a way that would really bring people in to participate, said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. It stands in sharp contrast to Texas or Florida, where those Republican governors have actually said, 'Hey, we ran a free, fair and open election  and oh, by the way, what were going to do is make it harder to do that the next time.

West's bill, sponsored in the Senate by Chicago Democratic Sen. Mike Simmons, allows counties to establish permanent lists for which voters can sign up to get mail-in ballots sent to them. County jails could allow those awaiting trial to vote; it's already a practice in Chicago's Cook County Jail.

Election Day would continue to be a state holiday and empty schools use as polling places. Citing security and other issues, schoolhouses have opted out of recent elections, leaving authorities scrambling for polling stops.
As Confederate monuments topple and sensibilities start to change, one institution is sticking with tradition.

Despite pressures from within and without, the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees has voted 22-6 to keep its 151-year-old name. The decision, announced Friday in a lengthy memo to The Washington & Lee community, followed 11 months of deliberations that included surveys, letters and listening sessions involving faculty, students, alumni and parents.

The memo recognized why some would think a name change was overdue and appropriate. The university originally was named for President George Washington in recognition of his 1796 gift to keep then-named Liberty Hall Academy alive. Robert E. Lees surname was added upon his death in 1870 while serving as president of Washington College  not for his leadership of the Confederate Army, the university said, but for his work restoring the school following the war.

Some 2,000 alumni have called on the school to change its name, mostly because of Lees role in defending the Confederacy; so have a majority of current faculty. Other alumni were well arrayed against any change. What no one disputes is that the school is steeped in history, for good and ill.
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 95F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
You are here: China

Chinese State Councilor Wang Yong has emphasized efforts in flood monitoring and warning as the country enters the main flooding season.

Wang, who heads the country's anti-drought and flood work, made the remarks during his trip to the eastern provinces of Jiangxi and Fujian to inspect flood prevention.

From Wednesday to Friday, Wang visited water infrastructure facilities including pumping stations, hydrologic stations, dams and reservoirs in the two provinces to learn about preparations.

Bracing for frequent heavy rains and extreme weather in the flooding season, the country must ramp up measures for flood prevention and disaster relief to ensure people's safety, he said.

Wang urged local authorities nationwide to root out risks, use flood prevention facilities scientifically, and keep rescue crews and supplies in high-risk areas ready.

Efforts should also be made to ensure prompt emergency response and relocation to avoid casualties, Wang added.
He said these varieties represent a major achievement of the University of Nebraska Small Grains Breeding Program that without doubt will positively impact wheat production in Nebraska, as they were developed to suit stakeholders growing areas and conditions in Nebraska and the Midwest.

Stephen Baenziger, a wheat breeder who retired last month after 35 years with UNL, was instrumental in the development of these varieties. During Baenzigers tenure, he has released, co-released or is in the process of releasing 44 winter wheat, seven winter barley and 13 winter triticale cultivars. Katherine Frels was recently hired to be the new small grains breeder and continue the tradition of producing new varieties.

Both the NW13493 and Epoch varieties were developed with support from the Nebraska Wheat Board. The Husker Genetics Foundation Seed Program will maintain breeder and foundation seed of NW13493 and Epoch, and the Nebraska Wheat Board has requested a license to assist with the marketing of this variety. See your local Certified Seed Dealer for variety characteristics and more information on these varieties.

Ricketts joins governors regarding Department of Justice investigation of meat processors
The medical oncologists of CHI Health Regional Cancer Center in Grand Island will be joining Nebraska Cancer Specialists, an independent comprehensive community oncology clinic based in Omaha, on Aug. 1.

The board-certified medical oncologists and hematologists, Dr. Ryan Ramaekers, Dr. David Crockett, Dr. Pornchai Jonglertham and Dr. Sarah Creamer will enhance Nebraska Cancer Specialists existing group of 12 board-certified medical oncologists and more than 230 dedicated oncology professionals.

The four central Nebraska providers will continue to work out of the CHI Health Regional Cancer Center on the CHI Health St. Francis campus as well as in their existing cancer center in the Hastings Landmark Center.

NCS will soon be announcing details regarding the full-service clinic and cancer-treatment center they will be opening at the Grand Island Regional Medical Center in early 2022.

We are excited to become an independent practice to allow us more flexibility in serving our patients and referring providers from any facility in central Nebraska. We could not have chosen a better group than Nebraska Cancer Specialists. This collaboration will allow us to continue providing exceptional medical oncology care to our current and future patients, Ramaekers said.
U.S. corn prices recently have been above $6 per bushel and $14 per bushel for soybeans.

Both are well above most prices since 2013.

According to the U.S. Grains Council, Chinas purchase of 10.744 MMT of corn (422.97 million bushels) for 2021/2022  more than three months before the new marketing year even begins  sets a historic pace for U.S. export sales. Mexico, the second-highest U.S. corn purchaser, had also bought more than 1.808 MMT of corn (71.18 million bushels) for the new marketing year as of May 20.

Some of Chinas recent purchases of U.S. corn will likely go into the countrys state reserves, but much will go directly to the feed and livestock industry, USGC reports.

No one knows how much of Chinas corn imports are going into official state reserves, but the amount going into reserves may be just for annual replenishment rather than for rebuilding depleted reserves, said Bryan Lohmar, U.S. Grains Council director in China.

He said private stocks held by end users, however, are growing, prompted by the depletion of the temporary reserves built up in the early part of the last decade and sold off at auctions held every summer since 2016.
Once, an engine failed and the cockpit filled with smoke and fumes.

And he was the commander of a notorious March 2016 flight aboard 2670 out of Khabarovsk, in the far east of Russia. Already short one generator, the plane filled up with smoke and fumes after takeoff.

Hansen said he didnt want to risk an emergency landing in either Russia or nearby China. He determined that the smoke was coming from the pressurization system, not a fire, and decided to press on to Yokota Air Base in Japan, with the U.S. and French crew members on oxygen.

Then parts of the electrical system failed as they flew over a mountain range in Japan. He managed to land the plane safely.

Its a good jet, Hansen said. When all is said and done, she got us out of Russia.

Crew members did speak fondly of the plane and the Open Skies mission, in part because of the shared adversity of flying into decrepit airfields aboard an unreliable jet.

You really love them more, even with all their faults and foibles, said Lt. Col. Andrew Maus, commander of the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, the 55th Wing unit that flew the OC-135s.They are near and dear to our hearts.
Something momentous happened in Israel on Wednesday that could have a major impact on Jewish-Arab relations.

I dont just mean the ousting of the far right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Bibi Netanyahu, pending ratification by the Knesset. Israels longest serving premier, from 2009 to the present and 1996-1999 before that. Netanyahu had clung to power with Trump-like tenacity through four indecisive elections in two years  and seemed headed for a fifth when he was unable to put together a coalition with a majority of seats.

At the last moment, eight Israeli political parties from right, left and center  some with totally contradictory ideologies  managed to pull together a governing majority on Wednesday, united by their intense dislike of Netanyahu. The new prime minister will be Naftali Bennett, head of a small religious nationalist party, who styles himself as more right-wing than Bibi and opposes any Palestinian state.

So what has happened that could strongly affect Jewish-Arab relations? The kingmaker in forming the new government was a Palestinian citizen of Israel, Mansour Abbas, whose conservative Islamist party, the United Arab List (known as Raam) won four seats.

This will be the first time that an Arab party will be an actual partner in an Israeli government.
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:
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China will strengthen basic agricultural research in the seed industry to ensure food security and the supply of agricultural products, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) said.

A series of significant achievements have been made during the country's 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) in genome analysis, the cloning of new genes and key breeding technologies for crops.

Researchers have explored the field of genome-wide selection and genetic improvement and identified a number of genes that regulate the tolerance of increased planting density, defense responses and nutrient absorption and utilization in rice.

Dozens of key genes related to tiller number, stature and root meristem activity in rice have been cloned.

Researchers studied the fixation of heterozygosity and haploid induction through the simultaneous editing of related genes in hybrid rice and obtained plants that could propagate clonally through seeds. Application of this method may enable self-propagation of a broad range of elite hybrid crops.

The CAAS said it has also unveiled a series of programs to boost the development of the seed industry in the country's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

It will focus on basic research in the new system of plant-microbe interactions featuring highly efficient nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis and nitrogen use and epigenetic regulation in response to the environment, aiming to increase grain yield and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers.

The integration of systems biology, big data, synthetic biology and artificial intelligence will innovate precise gene-editing tools and technologies.

It will also design new gene and protein components and construct an efficient system of cell factories and synthetic organisms.
Cattle Hacked by Russians

This weeks ransomware attack on the worlds largest meat company caused a substantial loss of weight and profitability. Nearby ranchers watched as truckloads of cattle arrived at huge Brazilian-owned JBS meatpacking plants, made U-turns, and had to head back home. A Russian criminal group is believed to be responsible. Higher meat prices are expected as the result of the delay from the cyber attack.

In the meantime, a labor strike in Argentina, the worlds largest exporter of beef, threatened the supply chain further. Dockworkers, with the support of numerous unions, have gone on strike a few times recently in an attempt to get President Lopez Obrador both to recognize the vital role they play in their countrys economy and to highlight how badly theyve been impacted by the pandemic. Argentina currently ranks third globally in the number of average daily COVID-19 cases.

The price of live cattle for delivery in August traded at $118.37 per hundred pounds as of Friday afternoon.

Oil Demand Returns Along with Higher Prices
Local

editor's pick alert top story

WATCH NOW: 'We have to get people back to work': Orangeburg job opportunities in big supply

GENE ZALESKI, T&D Chestnut Grill waitress Roxanne Allen takes an order from Lee Snyder, left, and Vera Driggers. Chestnut Grill, like many businesses and industries in the Orangeburg area, is experiencing workforce shortages and is aggressively looking for individuals to fill positions. GENE ZALESKI, T&D Orangeburg Planet Fitness front-desk employees Patricia Wright, right, and Abriyana Hawkins are among 13 staff members at the fitness club, which is short-staffed as it struggles to attract individuals back to the workforce.

"We're hiring" and "Now hiring" signs dot the Orangeburg landscape.

Yard signs, marquee signs and billboards let all know that jobs and opportunities are available.

By all appearances, it seems everyone is looking for workers -- workers that in many cases are becoming harder and harder to find.

The cause of the workforce shortage -- whether it be fears of the coronavirus or extra federal unemployment benefits -- is not known for certain. But some local business owners and managers say they believe government benefits could be one reason for the hesitancy of some to return to the workforce.

At Orangeburg's Chestnut Grill, General Manager Marji Albergotti says the restaurant continues to accept applications for interested future employees. Currently, the restaurant has a little over 30 people on the payroll but is still short on a few positions such as one or two skilled cooks.

"I do feel that when the extra benefits expire at the end of this month there will be many people looking for work," Albergottii said, referring to the federal coronavirus unemployment benefits that were put in place shortly after the pandemic hit last year.

"When the extra benefits were rolled out, it suddenly became more lucrative for a person who traditionally worked 20-25 hours a week to stay home. This in turn made it difficult to entice many of them to come back to work."

"Unfortunately, I think a lot of businesses have shifted their working employee model and I am not sure how many jobs will be available for those that have chosen to stay out of the job field for over a year," Albergottii said.

In an effort to get people back to work, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster is ending the federal unemployment benefits for South Carolinians on June 26. Governors in other states have done the same.

Through the end of May, Orangeburg County had 1,400 job openings and 36 green jobs, according to South Carolina Works Online Services.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines green jobs as positions in which workers' duties involve making their establishment's production processes more environmentally friendly or using fewer natural resources.

Some of the local employers with online jobs being advertised are: General Dynamics Information Technology Inc. (151); The Regional Medical Center (100); McDonald's Corp. (59); South Carolina State University (46); and PruittHealth (42).

Bamberg County had 131 jobs advertised to include: PruittHealth (35); Denmark Technical College (27); Enmarket Inc. (13); CVS Health (9); and McDonald's Corp. (8).

Calhoun County had 53 jobs advertised to include: Pilot Company (12); Calhoun Convalescent Center (8); DISH Network LLC (4); Enmarket Inc. (4) and Windstream Communications Inc. (3).

Locally, Orangeburg County's unemployment rate for April was 7.9%; Bamberg Countys unemployment rate was 8.2% and Calhoun Countys rate was at 4.7%.

In order to deal with the shortage in staff at Chestnut Grill, Albergotti said adjustments have been made.

"A majority of the employees that we have working close to full-time hours right now have been with us for many years," she said. "Many of them picked up the number of hours they were working and moved into the full-time category to make up for the shortage of available workers."

But Albergotti said staff challenges have been going on throughout the pandemic.

"When the initial shutdown was ordered by the governor, we laid off about 60% of our staff," she said. "At the time, we employed a little over 50 people. We maintained about 15 employees during the mandated shutdown of indoor dining. Those 15 employees were the backbone of our survival during that time, as most of them, along with the owners, were putting in twice as much time as usual."

She noted that "front of the house" workers (servers, hosts) with small children suddenly found themselves with nowhere to take the kids.

"When daycare and schools closed, they were left with no other option than to stay home to take care of their children," Albergotti said. "This was a major factor in the loss of many employees for many businesses across the state."

Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss said the restaurant firm's story is like many in the service industry.

"It depends on the part of the country you are in," Boss said, choosing not to speculate on the reasons for the labor challenges. "We have a very dedicated group of associates, employees and managers who are operating our restaurants every day to the best of their ability to be able to offer the best customer service we can for as many as we can for as long as we can."

"We look forward to the time when truly post-pandemic people can look around and see what is really the playing field," Boss said. "I don't know if anyone really knows right now."

Boss said the restaurant is hiring and looking for servers (sales people), grill operators and managers.

"We offer job opportunities and career opportunities for anyone willing to work and who wants to work and loves serving the public because that is what we do," Boss said, noting the company offers "competitive pay."

"It seems to be more opportunities out there for people to start a great career in the restaurant industry with a proven leader."

Local workforce shortages, however, go beyond the food service sector.

Health/fitness

The Orangeburg County YMCA is in need of lifeguards.

"Like most businesses, we are struggling to find enough people," said Lisa McGee, marketing and communications director at the affiliated YMCA of Columbia. "It seems that there is a nationwide shortage of lifeguards this year as well. We are doing all we can to find qualified candidates."

The shortage has gotten so bad that Orangeburg County YMCA Executive Director Demetrius Hardy has been doing double duty -- lifeguard/lifeguard training and branch operations.

Hardy said the hope is that as the summer progresses, more lifeguards will be trained and parks can return to traditional hours after the July 4 holiday.

Due to the shortage of lifeguards, the Orangeburg Aquatic and Santee Water parks have had to change their hours and days of operation. One park is open each day until additional staff can be hired.

Typically, both parks are open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

YMCA of Columbia Senior Vice President of Operations Cathy Muffler said the Orangeburg and Santee parks usually have about 50 to 70 lifeguards in total.

Through May 27, the YMCA has about 20 lifeguards on payroll and another 25 scheduled to get certified over the next couple of weeks, Muffler said.

"Lifeguard certifications are valid for two years," Muffler said. "We didnt certify any guards in 2020 and returning guards from 2019 have expired certifications."

"Typically, 50% of our summer team comes from staff returning from the previous summer," Muffler said. "We only had one park open last summer on weekends so we just dont have many returning guards. That puts us in a position to hire 100% of our guards as new employees. Most of those come to us without any guard certification."

The YMCA has increased its marketing efforts for hiring, offered lifeguard certification classes at reduced rates and increased the starting salary for guards. It is also looking into some type of incentive for working all summer, Muffler said.

Muffler said the YMCA does not anticipate closing any location for the summer.

"We should be able to open one park each day until we are able to hire more staff," she said. "Our goal is to get back to our normal schedule once we have hired enough guards to staff both locations."

Kristin Bobenage, human resources director for Planet Fitness, said the workforce shortage at the fitness club is real not only at Orangeburg but in all its Columbia-area facilities.

"Finding employees has proven to be difficult, as the applicants that we do have often don't respond when contacted for further information, or in some cases, don't even show up for interviews," Bobenage said. "Overall, we can definitely say the applicant pool has been much less than what we are used to."

Bobenage said Planet Fitness participated in a job fair opportunity with SC WORKS in Orangeburg and hopes to do at least one additional event later in June.

"We've offered employee referral bonuses, created hiring brochures and are in the process of designing signage to use both internally and externally to attract applicants," Bobenage said.

Bobenage said the workforce challenges are difficult to put a finger on.

"It could be a number of factors, such as those that are still collecting unemployment post-pandemic, but there are multiple other potential factors -- changing career paths in general as a result of COVID, opting to find positions away from the front-line risks that offer more work-from-home opportunities, or chasing higher-paying positions," Bobenage said.

"Since almost everyone is hiring these days, other companies have offered higher pay or sign-on bonuses for employment, which can easily cause employees to constantly be on the lookout for a better job."

In order to make up for the shortages, businesses are relying heavily on current employees.

"Now that CDC recommendations have been updated and more of the community is getting vaccinated, we are seeing an increase in club membership for those that saw themselves become inactive during the pandemic," Bobenage said.

"As our members are feeling more confident about returning to the gym, our workforce has remained the same, therefore putting more work on our current team, and increasing their hours. Those that have stuck it out have done a great job constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing local and CDC guidelines while in some cases taking on more hours or responsibility."

Retail

Orangeburg Lowe's Manager Eric North said the store has had a challenging time finding workers, though the company has been out front with the public through hiring events. A job fair was held in April during which the company gave walk-in interviews.

"We had lines from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. that evening," North said. "For Lowe's, the spring and summer is our season where we hire enough people for the store."

North said currently the store has about 178 employees, above the desired level of 150.

The hiring overages are a direct result of the challenges of COVID-19, he said. Ensuring there are enough employees is crucial, especially during a pandemic with time lost to illness.

North also noted the store had further challenges hiring when colleges and universities ended their year and students went home.

Though there are no open positions now, North said Lowe's has proven to be an attractive place to work due to good full-time and part-time benefits for employees as well as schedule flexibility allowing individuals to work two jobs.

Calhoun Oil Company Inc. President Boyd McLeod III, who oversees convenience stores in Orangeburg, Calhoun and Sumter counties, said the company has about 179 full-time employees but needs about 200 to be fully staffed.

"We are probably two or three managers short of a full staff," he said. "The other positions would be cooks for Bojangles and clerical staff for convenience stores."

Hiring individuals has "been much harder," McLeod said.

"We just don't see people coming to the market as they have in the past," he said, noting the extra unemployment benefits could be a part of the reason. "We hope to see an uptick. We have seen a small uptick but we are still struggling."

"I think schools being out for so long really hurt things and it is a big supply-chain issue," he said.

Job fairs

Since May 2020, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce has had 35 job fair events in Orangeburg.

SCDEW spokeswoman Heather Biance said single-employer events have seen attendance lower overall with a maximum of 12 people showing for any one event.

"That could be for a variety of reasons, including some employers or positions may require a specific skillset," Biance said.

She said a large job fair in Orangeburg held in September 2020 drew more than 400 job-seekers due to the large number of employers.

"There are a lot of contributing factors as to why turnout may be higher or lower at events; including weather, challenges in that specific area, the employers who are hiring at that moment," Biance said. "However, as partners with the SC Works Centers statewide, we do everything we can to promote these events, but we cant control how many people show up to benefit from the resources made available."

Biance said what is known is that workforce demand is high.

"There are currently more than 86,000 job openings in SC Works Online Services (SCWOS)," Biance said. "This is the highest number of job postings weve had in years, so the demand for jobs is definitely up."

Biance said these numbers do not take into account the number of employers who do not post online but may just post in a local paper or in their window or on a marquee.

"With the federal programs coming to an end on June 26, 2021, we want to help job-seekers connect with the SC Works Center staff who are very plugged in with local employers and we can promote the free services that are available to jobseekers at any time (resume writing, interview skills, etc.," Biance said.

To connect with SC Works: https://jobs.scworks.org/vosnet/Default.aspx

Manufacturing

Husqvarna Human Resource Manager Tiffany Glenn said the plant is having the same challenges as others in recruiting new employees. It is the county's largest manufacturing employer.

She said hiring has been more difficult than normal, which she blames on the economy and the fact that Husqvarna tends to pull from "the same pool of people" as other local industries.

"The unemployment payments probably have something to do with it," Glenn said when asked why there have been greater challenges in finding employees.

She said concerns about COVID as a factor should not be as great now with the vaccine rollout and the number of safety measures the company has implemented to protect its employees.

Currently, Husqvarna is hiring welders, assemblers and material handlers.

She said the company is aggressively seeking workers through an incentive program, working with the SC Works program, holding job fairs as well as working with Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College for specialty laborers like welders and maintenance.

"We have several apprenticeship programs as well," she said. "We are trying to find out the method to this madness."

Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said he has heard from a number of manufacturers about workforce challenges.

"They are frustrated because a number of workers have opted not to work," Robinson said, noting that finding employees has been "harder than normal."

"That is what COVID is. They are compensating folks to not work to reduce the spread."

"But we have to get people back to work and re-engaged in the workplace," Robinson said. "Manufacturing is essential."

In addition to Husqvarna, other companies struggling to find workers include Quality Model, HT Hackney and Okonite.

"We are continuing to reach out to our employers trying to make sure they are satisfied," Robinson said. "We are seeing the tail end of this and hopefully people will get back to work."

Santee Transport Service owner Joe Goodwin said he has two truck drivers but "could use one more."

He said "it has been a challenge" finding employees.

"Sometimes we get two or three and a period of time we don't have any respond to an ad," he said, noting he does not know why hiring has been slow. "I don't have any definite answer."

Goodwin said there could be a number of reasons, such as the state requirements for truckers such as random drug tests and certifications. Also, trucking can be a demanding profession that can keep individuals away from family days at a time.

He also said there are lot of different types of trucking jobs, meaning the pool of opportunity is there.

"It is slow in coming," he said, noting that applications may come through but hirings are "few and far between."

Agriculture

Agriculture has also been impacted.

Gregg Covington of Norway Farms Partners has been farming for 38 years. The farm grows cotton, corn, oats and peanuts.

"It is tough out here right now," Covington said. "I have never seen it like this before. We can't find labor anymore."

"I don't know what it is, whether it is COVID money," he said. "It is something enhancing it to make it worse. People don't have the need to get out there and work. They are sustaining their needs by not working."

Covington said he currently pays his workers $15 an hour but says a number of factors are playing into the shortage.

One is an aging population and the fact that younger people have more opportunities available to them.

"The construction business is booming and the housing business is booming," Covington said, noting individuals can make more in construction or in a manufacturing plant and not have to "hang out in the dust" all day long.

Covington said the labor challenge has prompted him to go through a hiring agency seeking workers from South Africa.

"These guys farmed in South Africa and the government took the land from them," he said. "They were farmers all their life. They are very smart and they have got some experience on the farm."

But Covington said the visa approval process has slowed down, making it more difficult to get the workers over here.

Covington said he has also hired individuals from Mexico but the language barrier makes it difficult.

Social service agencies

The Orangeburg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board is experiencing "unprecedented staff shortages."

"It has been extremely difficult to find employees," OCDSNB Executive Director Vonda Steward said. "The human service field is one that is both challenging and rewarding. Providing direct care to people is not just a job, it is a calling."

It takes people who have patience, compassion and a heart to serve. Unfortunately, working in this field will not make a person wealthy," Steward said. "It will, however, enrich your life in so many other ways."

Steward said the agency has tried to make employment attractive by staying competitive with pay.

"The pandemic has also made things even more difficult with the sheer number of employers out there just like us," Steward said. "We are all seeking good qualified candidates to fill our positions."

The agency currently has about 20 part-time and five full-time direct-care positions. It is also in need of two full-time nurses for its work activity centers in Orangeburg and Santee.

The agency has covered shortages by reassigning existing staff members and paying overtime.

It has heavily advertised via the newspaper, radio, Facebook, the agencys website and word of mouth.

"We have 'Join Our Team' business cards that we pass out to prospective candidates," Steward said. "We also work closely with SC Works and have hosted job fairs."

At the Orangeburg County Department of Social Services, positions are open in economic services and human services. There are currently seven vacant human service workers and three case worker positions.

Filling the positions has been difficult, said Charlene Nimmons, Orangeburg County DSS director.

"One reason is due to competition with surrounding agencies and current low salaries compared to other social service roles," Nimmons said. "There is also strong competition from the private sector to fill open positions in other fields and professions."

In an effort to fill these positions, DSS has done a number of things: reached out to local schools to recruit recent high school and college graduates; encouraged staff to share information with people in the community on how to apply for vacant positions through the careers.sc.gov website; attended meetings and conferences to announce vacancies; posted jobs on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and participated in local job fairs.
I pray that my story of rebounding from being a fatherless child, being one who grew up in poverty, being a high school drop-out, and being teased and bullied by some of my former classmates will resonate with others and that they will know if someone like me can go to Johns Hopkins University, earn all As to become the first black male in his discipline to be awarded a masters degree, end up teaching English in the most affluent African American public school district in the United States (Prince Georges County public schools) and serve as a professor of English at Howard University, the top Historically Black College and University in the nation, then there remains hope, real hope, for anyone who wants to succeed in life, Brown added.
There are visible signs of mold and structural instability, LS3P Associate Principal and Project Manager Jason Likas said. The school is in really, really bad shape."

The ceiling is caving in, and I could actually see through the holes in the floor from all of the termite damage, he said. We are basically recommending that it be demolished, not necessarily the whole school, but at least the part that is closed off from use currently.

That one has some safety and health considerations, and is one of those immediate things that needs to be remediated.

In addition to highlighting some of the maintenance issues with each of the district's schools, the study also mapped out school locations, percent utilization of the schools and the annual cost in energy to operate each school.

The study revealed that several schools in the district all had a use capacity of less than 30% last year. Those schools are Elloree Elementary School, North Middle High School, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High School and Lake Marion High School and Technology Center.

Elloree and North Middle have had under 30% usage for every year since 2017, except for 2019-2020. Hunter-Kinard-Tyler and Lake Marion have not had greater than 30% usage any year since 2017.
Sept. 11, 2001. The worst attack on our shores claimed 3,000 Americans. It is the reason America has been at war against terrorism ever since.

Its been a different kind of war, with no great battles like those of World War II. There are casualties, though, with the people in our armed forces knowing full well the risks they face daily and the risks that face our nation if U.S. forces and our allies do not succeed in rooting out terrorists dedicated to our destruction.

Stopping those dedicated to destroying freedom was the mission 77 years ago today, too.

More than 2,500 Americans lost their lives on June 6, 1944, D-Day, the greatest amphibious assault in history. It was the day America and our allies began the process of physically taking Europe back from the Nazis and Fascists.

Immortalized in the movie Saving Private Ryan, the contributions of the soldiers who won the day at Normandy in 1944 cannot be underestimated. People do what they have to do in such situations.

Many were the heroes from that great day. Many are those still thankful for being spared as they watched hundreds die around them.

There stories are not dissimilar to the stories of heroes and heroines on Sept. 11 and the days and months afterward.
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We deal with so much stuff youd like to forget, but you cant, Stroup said. We meet people on some of the worst days of their lives. This was one of the best days.

The positivity stands out through all of the negativity, all the more noticeable for its contrast to the norm.

Ive forgotten a lot of things Ive done around here, but thats not one of them, Stroup said.

Despite the memorable nature of Rachels arrival, the details faded over time and names on both sides became something that was glossed over in each sides respective retellings of the story.

The story, as widely shared and oft-cited as it was in Rasses family, didnt always focus on the name of the police officer who got there first. Though Rasse had been a classmate of Stroups son since seventh grade, the name never registered as familiar. Jake had no reason to know either, as Stroup said he didnt think his son had ever heard the story.

Barb suggested to her daughter that they send an invitation to the police officer who delivered you, she said. After re-reading the article, Rasse thought the name sounded familiar, and through a mutual friend asked if Jakes dad was the same Stroup whod welcomed her into the world.
Madison and others recognized the weakness of their position and proposed to remedy it with the addition of a Bill of Rights, after the Constitution was ratified by the sovereign people. In his marvelous speech on June 8, Madison introduced the Ninth Amendment to protect against the very concern that he had expressed in the Convention. Thus, the language, other rights retained by the people, made it clear that the people enjoyed rights not enumerated. And, whatever else it might mean it is clear that the Bill of Rights was not exhaustive of the rights enjoyed by the people.

While we cannot be certain what rights Madison had in mind, he prefaced his introduction of the Bill of Rights by stating the need to secure the great rights of mankind. Madisons approach was creative. Indeed, no precedent for it existed. He may have included freedom of speech in that category, for he did not list it as an enumerated right. A friendly amendment to his motion, by his fellow Virginian, George Mason, converted free speech to an enumerated right. Madison, moreover, may have had in mind protection for natural rights, which he believed preexisted government and were separate from those that were derived from the Constitution. Also, he probably had in mind the concept of positive rights, those practices and activities that were familiar to Americans but not prohibited by law, including, perhaps, the right to hunt and fish, and the right not to be taxed except by consent through ones representatives, the right to refuse military service on grounds of religious conscience and, important to all, the right to pursue happiness.
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The fact that so many of their constituents want marijuana laws loosened should spur lawmakers to action. But so should the haphazard nature of legalization in the region. Already, there are Wyomingites who work in neighboring states where marijuana is legal, only to return home in the evenings to a place where they could be jailed for possession. And its possible that even within our borders, marijuana could eventually become legal. On the Wind River Reservation, both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho have taken steps recently toward loosening marijuana rules.

That could soon result in a reality similar to what weve experienced with gambling. Until recently, games of chance were illegal in Wyoming. But people could still gamble at casinos on the reservation, and eventually, gray-area games of chance began sprouting up in some businesses. Finally, lawmakers had to step in to address what had become a confusing issue.

We could avoid that with marijuana by examining the matter proactively, rather than waiting for our hand to be forced. Unfortunately, lawmakers did not include marijuana policy on their list of interim topics. The Judiciary Committee  the likely venue for such a study  will review non-compete clauses and electronic court records, but has no plans to discuss an issue that many Wyomingites have strong feelings about. That oversight should be rectified.
For several years, the Bureau of Land Management has been working towards publishing its Draft Resource Management Plan for its Rock Springs Field Office, which covers over 3 million acres of public lands within Sweetwater County and southwest Wyoming. Even though it may be months before this draft plan is published, it is important for everyone who uses and enjoys BLM land to watch for public notices of its publication and be prepared to comment on a wide array of multiple use resource issues covered by the draft plan. Commenting will make you part of the public participation process that will help ensure that our public lands are managed to protect our regions multiple use heritage.
Summer is upon us! And for many, that means vacation time. What better place to take a holiday than Yellowstone? But while enjoying the spectacle of Americas first National Park, please keep safety in mind.

In fact, there are many ways to get injured or even die while visiting Yellowstone National Park. As reported in the book Death in Yellowstone, there have been numerous causes of death throughout the regions history, including violent confrontations between people, wagon accidents, falling trees, poisonous gases, drownings, falling into hot springs, and, of course, encounters with wildlife. Even in the past few years, news stories have reported bison gorings/tossings, bear attacks, and fatal falls from selfie moments gone awry.

However, contrary to common belief, one of Yellowstones biggest dangers to the public is not the abundant and diverse wildlife that millions gather to see, nor even human error, such as falls or traffic accidents.

Instead, a grave potential danger is all around you  Yellowstones hot, near-boiling hydrothermal waters. While you can see the surface expression of some of these thermal features, fragile ground hides much of this geothermal reservoir of hot water below the surface.
SALE DEFERRED: The controversial property at Queens Park East, Port of Spain, owned by the National Insurance Board, that once housed the Apsara and Tamnak Thai restaurants and the Siam nightclub. The NIB took possession of the property in March this year, following a dispute over the payment of the lease rental.
THIRD Horizon Film Festival in Miami celebrates an exciting new wave of cinema and creativity emerging from the Caribbean and its Diaspora.

Deemed one of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World by MovieMaker magazine in 2019, the Third Horizon Film Festival returns for its fifth edition. This year the festival will be hosted hybrid style with a thoughtfully curated mix of in-person and virtual screenings beginning June 24, 2021, through July 1, 2021, in Miami, Florida, USA.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has apologised for the vaccine fiasco last week, but said it was just one bad day.

After more than a year of managing and attempting to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Trinidad and Tobago, Rowley admitted that the Government made a blunder by allowing walk-in vaccinations at health centres across the country.
Russia to discuss Sputnik-V production cooperation with Vietnam

Russia is set to discuss cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik-V production with Vietnam, Press Secretary for the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told the media recently.



Peskov said his nation will contact the Vietnamese side to discuss the vaccine production cooperation, noting this issue was touched upon in a letter Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently sent to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.


Tobagonians are being urged not to show up at the health centres to request Covid-19 vaccines as vaccinations are being done by appointment only on the island.

Speaking at yesterdays Covid-19 news conference in Tobago, general manager of primary care at the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) Dr Roxanne Mitchell said some people descended on health centres on Wednesday, demanding to be vaccinated on a walk-in basis.
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After 15 months of living with Covid-19, it is clear that uncertainty is the only certainty.

A week ago, T&T was flush with the expectation of mass vaccinations and the re-opening of the countrys borders. A week later, elation has been quelled by the sober realisation that the vaccination route out of this pandemic is not assured for the foreseeable future given the realities of global supply.
Authorities in south-central Arizona ordered the evacuation Saturday of outlying areas of one community due to a threatening wildfire and advised residents of a different town to prepare for possible evacuation due to another wildfire.

Evacuations were ordered for several areas on the outskirts of Peridot on the San Carlos Apache Reservation due to a fire driven by winds to within 4 miles of the community, said Dave Shell, a spokesman for the incident management team assigned to the fire.

Shell said he didn't have information on how many homes were involved.

As of Saturday, the fire had burned 12 square miles of grass and brush, with containment around 5% of its perimeter.

The 400 firefighters battling the fire nearing Peridot were aided by large air tankers. But those crews, and others battling the separate fire that prompted an advisory notice for the town of Superior, faced hot, dry and windy conditions.

A top-tier incident command team has been ordered for the second fire, which had burned 11 square miles of shrub and grass since starting Friday, fire officials said in a statement. It continues to exhibit extreme fire behavior."
Officials have identified two men who died, including the apparent shooter, in a shooting Friday morning in the Catalina area north of Tucson that also wounded two others.

The Pima County Sheriffs Department gave this account in a news release Saturday:

The shooting took place at a home near the intersection of East Coronado Sunset Drive and North Coronado View Road.

About 10 a.m. Friday, deputies responding to the shooting learned victims had been driven away from the home.

Those victims, two men, flagged down the deputies while on the side of the road a short distance from the home. While deputies were giving them aid, Golder Ranch Fire Department personnel arrived and took the victims to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

When deputies got to the home, they learned of a third victim believed to be inside.

A rescue team went into the home, found a man and tried speaking with him. Based on descriptions reported to deputies, they determined the man was the alleged shooter, Benjamin Jacinto, 72.

Jacinto, while speaking with deputies, retreated behind a wall before multiple gunshots were heard.
Lugos adviser would be with him even as the native Tucsonan was in Italy during time he spent studying abroad, which was the first time being on an extended stay without his family.

Before I left, I was asking them a lot of questions, and they gave me a lot of other scholarships to apply for that was specifically for studying abroad that were really good, Lugo said. It was a great time, and it didnt even stop CSA from communicating with me.

Lugo was paired with Sotelo, whom he had known since coming to the program, leading into his senior year at UA after his previous adviser was promoted.

Its a relationship that provided inspiration for Lugo to complete his psychology degree after switching majors.

Because of how Matt was for me, I would like to be for someone else, or a group of people, Lugo said. I would love to help people with their mental health. Its just like passing the torch, basically.

Now as a graduate and a part of the organizations alumni network, Lugo knows how big of an impact College Success Arizona has within the state.

I think the overall impact that CSA has isnt just on each person, but on high schools and whole cities, basically showing you it is possible, you can do it and you can succeed, he said.

Contact Star reporter Shaq Davis at 573-4218 or sdavis@tucson.com On Twitter: @ShaqDavis1

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The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers have reached "a historic agreement" to reform the global tax system to make it fit for the global digital age, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said on Saturday.

Sunak made the remarks after hosting the first in-person meeting of G7 finance ministers in London since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.

"I am delighted to announce that the G7 finance ministers today, after years of discussions, have reached a historic agreement to reform the global tax system to make it fit for the global digital age and crucially, to make sure that it's fair so that the right companies pay the right tax in the right places," Sunak said in a video clip on his twitter.

The G7 also agreed to the principle of a global minimum corporation tax on large firms of at least 15 percent operated on a country-by-country basis, creating a more level playing field for British firms and cracking down on tax avoidance, according to Sunak.

"We commit to reaching an equitable solution on the allocation of taxing rights, with market countries awarded taxing rights on at least 20 percent of profit exceeding a 10 percent margin for the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises," said a communique released after the meeting.

The communique said the G7 will provide for appropriate coordination between the application of the new international tax rules and the removal of all digital services taxes.

Digital service tax refers to a move taken by countries including France, Britain and Spain to make big internet companies pay their fair share of taxes in countries where they make their sales, but the United States believes it unfairly targets U.S.-based technology companies.

"And that's a huge prize for British taxpayers. This is a very proud moment and I want to thank my G7 finance minister colleagues for their collective leadership and for their willingness to work together to seize this moment to strike a deal of historic significance that finally brings our global tax system into the 21st century," Sunak said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tweeted that global minimum tax would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporate taxation, and help the global economy thrive, by leveling the playing field for businesses and encouraging countries to compete on positive bases, such as educating and training their work forces and investing in research and development and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe was also in London for the G7 finance minister's meeting as Eurogroup President. He previously told Sky News that Ireland, whose corporate tax rate is 12.5 percent, is strongly opposed to the 15 percent rate proposed by the United States.

He tweeted after the meeting that "I look forward now to engaging in the discussions at OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). There are 139 countries at the table, and any agreement will have to meet the needs of small and large countries, developed and developing."

Corporate tax rate in the European Union (EU) average is 20.7 percent in 2021 but, its members have as low as 9 percent in Hungary and 12.5 percent in Ireland, which prove to be attractive to multinationals.

Britain has made securing an agreement on digital tax a key priority for its G7 presidency with the fairer system raising more tax to pay for public services.

The new agreement is expected to be discussed in further detail at the Group of 20 financial ministers and central bank governors meeting in July.

The ministers also agreed to work together to ensure a strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive global recovery that builds back better and greener from the COVID-19 pandemic, and once the recovery is firmly established, they need to ensure the long-term sustainability of public finances to enable them to respond to future crises.

Other priorities in the meeting include transformative effort to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and continued support to low-Income and vulnerable countries.

The G7 includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Britain holds the G7 presidency this year. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will gather the G7 leaders for a summit in Cornwall in South West England next week.
The sheriff should have revealed immediately that the man was unarmed, they said. Instead Nanos told the Star to file a public-records request for that detail, wrongly claiming he did not have to reveal if the man was armed because the incident was still under investigation.

It took two weeks for Nanos to publicly disclose that the man shot dead did not have a gun in his hand, but rather, a key fob mistaken for a gun by the deputy who fired on him. The deputy, whose name the sheriff withheld for 12 days, later was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by Pima County Attorney Laura Conover.

Attorney Gregg Leslie, executive director of the First Amendment Clinic at Arizona State Universitys law school, said state law does not allow the sheriff to withhold basic facts about a fatal law enforcement encounter simply because an investigation is ongoing.

Things like details about a shooting should be released to the public immediately and should not be tied to public-records requests, said Leslie, formerly the longtime legal director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
While enough people can get vaccinated in a census tract to reach a 70% or 75% threshold for herd immunity, one tract cant reach true herd immunity on its own because its too small of an area. The threshold needs to be met collectively throughout a much larger population.

When you reach the herd immunity threshold, by definition, the effective reproduction rate has to be less than one. If it's less than one, the virus moves towards being extinguished and zero cases, Gerald said. If you want to get rid of your risk, you have to get vaccinated. You can't simply rely on your neighbors.

The "effective reproduction" number is the average number of people an infected person infects as the number of susceptible people changes.

Theres also the question of how to calculate vaccination rates in census tracts. The two general options are to find the rate by looking at the number of people who have been vaccinated among the total population and the vaccine-eligible population.

Whichever way you go, whether its denominator by eligible population or total population, theres always going to be a caveat, said Bonnie LaFleur, a biostatistician at the University of Arizona.
Operation Overlord begins

June 5, 1944: On the morning of June 5, amid bad weather fears, U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe, gave the approval for Operation Overlord. About 6,000 landing craft, ships and other vessels carrying more than 150,000 troops left England for France.

That night, about 1,000 aircraft filled with more than 15,000 paratroopers landed in drop zones in Normandy to begin missions behind enemy lines. About 12,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.

Operation Neptu ne beg ins

June 6, 1944: Early in the morning, Allied bombers took off to attack targets around the beachhead. The amphibious landings, called Operation Neptune, also were preceded by extensive naval bombardment.

The seaborne units began to land about 6:30 a.m. France time. Many Americans were packed into flat-bottomed Higgins boats launched from troop transports.

At 3 a.m. ET on June 6, President Franklin Roosevelt received the call that the invasion had commenced. He later notified the nation by radio, saying that at this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in a prayer.

On the coast of Normandy, the British and Canadians landing on Gold, Juno and Sword beaches overcame light opposition. The Americans at Utah did as well.

The U.S. 1st Division at Omaha Beach, however, confronted the best of the German coast divisions, the 352nd, and was torn up by machine gunners as the troops waded ashore.

Eventually the Allied troops fought their way inland, at a heavy cost of life. More than 4,000 died that day. By the end of D-Day, more than 150,000 troops had landed in Normandy. They pushed their way inland, allowing more troops to land over the next several days.
Adrian, 34, said he saw racial discrimination in Chile and Tijuana, where he worked in data entry for a company that assembled neck braces and other medical devices. He said he saw Mexicans getting paid more than twice as much for the same work.

He lost his job when his temporary work visa expired and heard that Ciudad Juarez had work. A straight shot by bus, he decided to take another chance on a new life.

During his first week in Ciudad Juarez last month, Adrian asked downtown merchants to let him sell items on the streets, which are still half-empty amid COVID-19. No one let him. Factories are known to hire foreigners, but he no longer had a work permit.

Adrian wants to settle in Ciudad Juarez and save money, saying he may try to get to the U.S. one day. For now, he fears being sent back Haiti too much to risk applying for asylum or enter the country illegally.

A scar on the back of his head is from being pistol-whipped by an attacker in 2016, he says, and one on his left hand is from being tied up. He said his mother was targeted at her home and killed because she refused to participate in rallies for the Tet Kale party, whose presidential candidate, Jovenel Moise, won the 2016 election.
A local who did not want to be named, fearing for his safety, was visiting relatives in a medical clinic in Sebba town, approximately 12 kilometers from where the attacks occurred. He said he saw many wounded people enter the clinic.

I saw 12 people in one room and about 10 in another. There were many relatives caring for the wounded. There were also many people running from Solhan to enter Sebba....People are very afraid and worried, he told the Associated Press by phone.

The government has declared 72 hours of mourning.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was outraged by the killings and offered the world body's full support to authorities in their efforts to overcome the threats to the peace and stability in Burkina Faso according to his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.

He strongly condemns the heinous attack and underscores the urgent need for the international community to redouble support to Member States in the fight against violent extremism and its unacceptable human toll, Dujarric said in a statement.

Islamic extremists have been increasingly staging assaults in Burkina Faso, especially in the region that borders Niger and Mali.
OPINION: There is a lot to say about Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and what she is doing and more about what she is not doing. What are your thoughts? Write a letter to the editor at tucosn.com/letters.
OPINION: "No, I am not and we are not 'over sensitive.' Anti-Semitism is real, hurtful and malicious. Sometimes it is subtle, sometimes flagrant. It affects more of us than anyone would want to admit," writes Rabbi Emeritus Robert Eisen.
The Tulsa Chautauqua will return after a years hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a series of virtual presentations and workshops that will examine the lives and legacies of five unique individuals.

The theme for this years event, which begins Tuesday, June 8, is 20th Century Visionaries: Catalysts for Change  which also was to have been the theme of the 2020 Chautauqua.

Officials with the Oklahoma Chautauqua, which presents programs in Altus, Enid and Lawton as well as Tulsa, made the decision in February to present this years event in a virtual format, as they were not certain they could safely present the five scholars in four locations throughout the state.

Also, the very format of Chautauqua centers around interaction between the scholars and the audience. Each scholar delivers a scripted lecture in the guise of his or her historic figure, answers questions from the audience in character, then steps out of character for a further discussion of their subjects life and work.

In addition, the scholars conduct daily workshops that examine ancillary aspects of the subjects life and work.
A Tulsa ministry for inmates has announced a long-awaited expansion to ease former inmates reintegration into life outside of prison.

Prison Discipleship, a faith-based nonprofit providing spiritual services to inmates in 30 prisons across Oklahoma, announced the creation of Project H.U.B.  Hope through United Benefits.

Wayne McCombs, president of the Prison Discipleship board of directors, said the 18-month program will help recently-released inmates ensure that their drivers licenses and other documents are up to date, acquire bus passes, receive job training and connect them to employers hiring former inmates.

Really its just to help them acclimate back into society, McCombs said, and hopefully not get back into a situation maybe they were in before they went to prison and instead go down a different route.

Ivy Kirk, Prison Discipleship vice president, said other services H.U.B. will offer include counseling, mentorship, college scholarships and, should individuals complete the program, a path to clean up their records.
However, as TPS Executive Director of Bond Projects and Energy Management Chris Hudgins pointed out, federal dollars come with federal strings and can not be used to cover all the items and projects included in the bond package.

The CARES Act is very limited in what it can be spent on, he said. It cant be spent on ADA improvements, renovations, roofs or things like that. It is very much tied to the pandemic.

Among the entities endorsing the proposal are the Tulsa Regional Chamber and Public Service Companies of Oklahoma.

Quality education is such an important key factor in attracting as well as retaining companies to our community, Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Neal said. Anytime we sit down with an industry cluster and talk to them about the future of their business, education and workforce is the first thing they talk about.

Meanwhile, the Tulsa County Republican Party has been campaigning in opposition to the bond package.

Along with a desire to lower property tax rates when the 2015 bond expires in August and objections to the districts decision to stay in distance learning for more than a semester due to COVID-19, Republican Party leadership cited TPS declining enrollment among the reasons for balking at the proposal.
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Kenyan police said Saturday they were holding three suspects who were arrested for robbing two Chinese contractors in central Kenya.

The suspects attacked the two Chinese contractors in their residential house on Friday night at Kariminu (II) Dam site in Kiambu County and seized 6 million shillings (about 55,600 U.S. dollars), Kiambu County Police Commander Ali Nuno said.

"The two Chinese contractors were forced to surrender approximately 6 million shillings," Nuno said.

He said they have launched investigations, noting that the suspects armed with pistols could have gained entry through a tunnel used for water supply.

The police commander said that the suspects, including a night guard and the driver of the Chinese contractors, were in police custody, adding that the hunt was still on to arrest more perpetrators.

Nuno said the suspects will be arraigned in court on Monday to face charges of robbery with violence.
A Tulsa police officer fatally shot a man who reportedly pointed a gun at officers following an hours-long standoff on Sunday.

Police about 8 a.m. responded to a call of shots being fired in the 1300 block of North Saint Louis Avenue, where they found a distraught man who appeared to be intoxicated waving a gun in the air in the street, Tulsa police spokesman Capt. Richard Meulenberg said.

The 28-year-old Hispanic man, who then went back inside his house, was having trouble communicating, and an officer who could translate Spanish was brought to the scene, Meulenberg said.

The departments Special Operations Team was also called to the scene.

During several hours of negotiations, the man was saying things like youll have to shoot me, indicating he wanted suicide by cop, Meulenberg said.

The man exited the home at least once and waived a gun in the air.

About 1 p.m., he again exited the house and pointed a gun at officers, Meulenberg said, and one of the members of the tactical team fired a single round at the man, killing him.

The mans name was not released Sunday.
About the last thing President Joe Biden did before leaving Tulsa on Tuesday, according to Politico, was tell members of the Congressional Black Caucus to he doesnt support the creation of a reparations commission  at least not at this time.

He didnt disagree with what were doing, Politico quotes Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan as saying. He did talk about his plate (being) full with trying to get the infrastructure bill passed and that he really wanted to make sure that he could get that through before he took on anything else.

Biden met privately with about 10 members of the CBC after speaking at the Greenwood Cultural Center on the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Biden spoke frankly about the role of race and racism in American history during his 40-minute speech. He did not mention reparations, though.

Every year since 1989, Democrats have introduced legislation calling for a commission to look into the feasibility of reparations for economic disparities attributable to centuries of racial discrimination in the United States. This year is the first time the legislation has advanced from committee.
While the law seems to create parameters that limit its reach, Black people are often deemed suspicious and criminal, even when going about the most banal activity. This statute is ripe for misuse by law enforcement, prosecutors and judges, whose biases  implicit or explicit  already contribute to the disproportionate incarceration of Black people.

The law comes after a 2020 incident in which a white man drove his pick-up truck into Black Lives Matter protesters who blocked the interstate here in Tulsa, injuring three people, including one who is now paralyzed from the waist down. District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler declined to bring charges against the driver.

This law permits a tactic that has been used by the KKK. It gives people a license to kill, creating a real risk to the safety and lives of people who peacefully protest against racial and social injustice.

Another new law, House Bill 1643, is positioned to stifle accountability and result in criminalizing a person for posting videos or images of police violence online. It has vague parameters that will doubtlessly be interpreted unreasonably and misapplied by prosecutors, as the lawfulness of this act is predicated on an ill-defined intent to harass or intimidate police officers.
The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next.

It was the deep knowledge  and pray God we have not lost it  that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. Ones country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because its the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They fought  or felt in their hearts, though they couldnt know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4 a.m., in Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying, and in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.
The phrase, "Don't mention it," has been used in a myriad of contexts and purposes.

I thought of it as I perused the numerous news articles and TV programs describing how the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre had been swept under the rug for 10 decades, and only now is being revealed to our generation.

"Don't mention it" also describes our Legislature's bill to disallow responsible public school instruction about U.S. and Oklahoma history: slavery, the Trail of Tears and the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Sadly, Gov. Kevin Stitt willingly signed it into law.

The "Don't mention it" phrase also describes an unwilling U.S. Senate, including Oklahoma's two senators, to authorize an independent commission to shine a light on the U.S. Capitol invasion on Jan. 6.

If we "don't mention" these painful incidents, will they go away? Will our citizens, especially our young, ever learn the truth?

Jesus said in John 8:32 "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

A healthy society doesn't hide from the truth; it seeks it out.
Police in Vietnams Central Highlands have caught twelve people red-handed using narcotics in the basements of two local villas.

Officers in Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province raided two villas located next to each other on Nguyen Trung Truc Street in Ward 3 early on Saturday morning.

Two groups of young men and women were high on drugs in the basements of the two villas, which were filled with music and laser lights.

The first group consisted of eight people while the second included four.

Police also confiscated two packages containing ketamine and ecstasy, considered illegal drugs in Vietnam.

All 12 individuals were then taken into custody.

Among them, seven are from many Vietnamese provinces and cities, while the rest are residents of Da Lat and other districts in Lam Dong Province.

Preliminary investigation showed that L.X.T., 27, who hails from northern Yen Bai Province, had bought the narcotics and rented the villas to organize the drug parties.

In Vietnam, organizing drug use is punishable by a prison term ranging from two to 20 years or a life sentence, depending on the severity of the offense.

Those who use narcotics are fined VND500,000 (US$22) to VND1 million ($44).

Officers in Da Lat on the same day raided two local karaoke shops and discovered 42 customers and employees, although karaoke service has been suspended in the locality due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of them later tested positive for narcotics.

Each of the 42 individuals was fined VND3 million ($130) for violating regulations on coronavirus prevention and control.

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Here are todays leading news stories:

COVID-19 Updates

-- Vietnams Ministry of Health on Sunday morning reported 39 domestic COVID-19 infections, including 21 in Bac Giang, 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, and eight in Bac Ninh. The national tally was at 8,580 patients, with 3,310 recoveries and 53 deaths.

-- The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Sunday confirmed the 52nd and 53rd coronavirus-related death in the country after two women, aged 35 and 53, passed away with COVID-19 and underlying conditions.

-- A ceremony was organized in Hanoi on Saturday evening with the attendance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to officially launch Vietnams COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Society

-- Two siblings, aged seven and eight, drowned after falling into a pit of water near their house in the north-central province of Ha Tinh on Saturday afternoon, local authorities confirmed later the same day.

-- Police in Da Lat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong raided two karaoke shops early on Saturday morning and discovered 42 people using the service despite a ban due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

-- Twelve people were caught using drugs in the basement of a villa in Da Lat City after officers inspected the venue early on Saturday morning.

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed on Saturday they had arrested two men, aged 31 and 33, for snatching phones of multiple commuters in the city.

-- An official from the port authority in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho was arrested on Saturday for being involved in an illegal ring that produced and traded fake gasoline.

-- Police in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang have broken up a gambling ring run by a 55-year-old woman, with transactions worth more than VND50 billion (US$2.1 million).

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The election of members to a commune-level peoples council in Hanoi was re-organized on Sunday following the detection of a serious violation committed by a local official.

The election of members to the Peoples Council in Trang Viet Commune, Me Linh District at election team No. 4 was held for the second time under the direction of Lieutenant General Nguyen Hai Trung, director of the municipal Department of Public Security and secretary of the districts Party Committee.

The election of members to the Peoples Council in Trang Viet Commune, Me Linh District, Hanoi, is re-organized on June 6, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

The authorities in Trang Viet Commune and Me Linh District exerted their best efforts to achieve a high turnout rate and make sure regulations were strictly obeyed during the re-election.

Residents across Vietnam previously cast their votes to elect deputies to the 15th National Assembly and members to peoples councils at all levels for the 2021-26 tenure on May 23.

A resident has his body temperature measured during the re-election in Trang Viet Commune, Me Linh District, Hanoi, June 6, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

However, the result at election team No. 4 in Trang Viet Commune was considered invalid after Nguyen Xuan Hung, deputy secretary of the Party Committee, chairman of the Peoples Council, and chairman of the election committee in the commune, was caught cheating in the election.

Hung, who was a candidate for a seat on the Trang Viet Peoples Council for the 2021-26 tenure, took advantage of his position to add 75 illegitimate ballots, on which he had crossed out all the names of other candidates.

He was eventually expelled from the Party and eliminated from the list of candidates for the serious violation.

A resident casts his vote during the re-election in Trang Viet Commune, Me Linh District, Hanoi, June 6, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

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Authorities in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang have imposed a VND150 million (US$6,540) fined upon the developer of a building after several of their violations were detected.

A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed on Sunday that the municipal Peoples Committee had penalized Summit Building Company.

The firm is the developer of The Summit Building, an officetel project on Nguyen Van Linh Street in Thanh Khe District.

Summit Building Company was previously found committing several violations in the implementation of the project, including going against the content of the building permit in the construction of the first to twelfth floors.

The company has agreed to pay the fine, while the construction has been suspended.

Within 60 days after the violations are booked, Summit Building Company must carry out procedures to request local authorities to adjust its building permit.

If the firm fails to do so, it will be required to dismantle the illegal parts of the project.

The Summit Building project is carried out on an area of 1,301 square meters, consisting of 13 stories and one basement.

This project is located in the city center and near Da Nang International Airport.

Its office space and apartments have been advertised on many real estate websites.

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Police in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed on Saturday they had arrested two men for snatching phones from multiple commuters in the city.

The suspects are Vo Cu Ngoc Bao, 33, from District 12, and Dang Hoai An, 31, from Binh Chanh District.

According to preliminary investigation, Bao carried An on a motorbike as they scouted multiple streets on the morning of June 1.

At around 10:30 am, the two targeted a motorcyclist on Le Trong Street in Son Ky Ward, Tan Phu District and snatched an iPhone 11 from the rider.

At 10:50 am the same day, Bao and An snatched an iPhone 12 from a young man as he was sitting on the sidewalk of Hien Vuong Street in Phu Thanh Ward, Tan Phu District.

They later sold the two devices for VND27.5 million (US$1,200).

After the incidents were reported, officers managed to apprehend the two suspects on June 4.

At the police station, Bao and An said they usually scouted local streets and stole smartphones and valuable belongings from commuters and residents.

To avoid suspicion and pocket more money, they often renewed the stolen phones before selling them.

Police records also showed that the two men are drug addicts who had been convicted of robbery several times.

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The Philippines received an additional batch of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine from China on Sunday morning.

China donated the first batch of CoronaVac to the Philippines on Feb. 28, allowing the Southeast Asian country to kick off its vaccination drive on March 1.

The Philippines has administered more than 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of May 30, primarily to frontline healthcare workers, the elderly, and those with underlying medical conditions.

The country aims to vaccinate up to 70 million people this year.

The Philippines has recorded 1,262,273 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, including 21,732 deaths.




Three students drowned in separate incidents in Vietnam on Saturday, according to local authorities.

Relevant agencies in Ha Tinh Province were working to return the bodies of two drowned siblings back to their family for burial, Le Sy Thai, a ward-level official said on Saturday evening.

The two victims were identified as B.M.T., 8, and B.V.G., 7, who allegedly slip and fell into a pond near their house while they were shepherding their familys buffaloes.

T. and G.s sister, who was nearby, sighted the accident and sought help from her family to rescue the siblings.

The two victims did not eventually pull through.

The pond, about two meters deep, is an irrigation reservoir dug by a local family.

According to Thai, T. and G.s family is struggling financially as their mother has just gave birth to the fourth child, while their father is in poor health.

Also on Saturday, police in neighboring Nghe An Province also found the body of P.V.C., 16, a student who drowned in the local Lam River after swimming there in the afternoon.

Police officers were promptly called to search for C.s body, but they faced multiple struggles due to the swift flow of the Lam River currents.

During the past week, a total of nine victims have been pronounced dead from drowning accidents in Nghe An and Ha Tinh.

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Vietnam has recorded almost 5,500 domestic COVID-19 cases over the past six weeks as it is battling the fourth wave of infections.

The country had spent nearly a month finding zero patients in the community when it detected the first infection on April 27, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

Health authorities have since recorded 5,460 locally-transmitted cases, including 39 patients the ministry confirmed on Sunday morning, in 39 out of the nations 63 provinces and cities.

By comparison, Vietnam confirmed 106 community cases in the first wave from January 23 to April 16, 2020, 554 in the second from July 25 to December 1, 2020, and 910 in the third from January 28 to March 25, 2021.

Bac Giang Province has logged 2,989 patients in the current round, followed by Bac Ninh Province with 1,061, Hanoi with 434, Ho Chi Minh City with 355, and Da Nang with 158.

Ho Chi Minh City, which is Vietnams busiest economic hub, has imposed enhanced social distancing since Monday amid rising domestic infections.

Vietnam has registered 8,580 patients, including 3,310 recoveries and 53 deaths, since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country on January 23, 2020, according to the Ministry of Healths data.

The Southeast Asian nation has administered 1,243,304 vaccine doses to medical staff and other frontline workers since it rolled out mass inoculation on March 8, the ministry said.

The government is quarantining almost 184,000 people who either came into close contact with infected patients or entered Vietnam from virus-struck regions.

More than 33,600 people have been fully vaccinated against the respiratory disease.

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After more than 10 days since its establishment, Vietnams COVID-19 Vaccine Fund has collected more than US$40 million from donors, the Ministry of Finance reported on Sunday.

The fund, which was set up under a decision of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on May 26, was officially debuted at a ceremony held in Hanoi on Saturday evening.

By 6:00 pm on Saturday, the fund had received VND928 billion ($40.2 million) from around 950 organizations and more than 124,600 individuals, the Ministry of Finance reported.

Among the businesses financing the fund are Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, Vingroup, Vietnam Electricity Group, Vietcombank, Vietinbank, Hoa Phat Group Joint Stock Company, Bao Viet Life Group, Trung Nam Group, and others.

Meanwhile, an individual donor contributed VND5 billion ($216,000) while other donations ranged between VND1 million ($43) and VND10 million ($430).

Speaking at the ceremony, PM Chinh expressed his deep thanks to all donors at home and abroad and emphasized that vaccination is a fundamental, long-term, and strategic solution to escape the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the spirit of loving others like ourselves, we believe that the fund will receive support from people both at home and abroad, the prime minister said.

The money donated to the fund represents donors love and responsibility, so it must be used effectively for epidemic prevention and control missions, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc said at the fund debut.

The Ministry of Finance is committed to using this fund publicly and transparently, the minister emphasized.

The event participants sent their COVID NK messages from their mobile phones to number 1408 to make their cash donations to the fund.

As guided by the national text-to-donate program, N is any number from 1 to 2,000, and K stands for the unit of thousand Vietnamese dong. For example, a text message reading COVID 20K means a donation of VND20,000 ($0.87) to the fund.

With an aim to reach herd immunity, the Ministry of Health expects to purchase 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to immunize about 75 million out of Vietnams population of 98 million people at an estimated cost of VND25.2 trillion ($1.1 billion).

Of that amount, the cost of purchasing vaccines will be about VND21 trillion ($909 million), while the rest will be spent on transportation, storage, and injection.

So far, more than 1.2 million people have been vaccinated nationwide, mainly frontline health workers, of whom over 33,600 have been fully inoculated against COVID-19, the health ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry confirmed 102 new coronavirus cases at noon on Sunday, of which 69 were detected in Bac Giang Province, the largest epicenter in Vietnam now.

The new cases have taken the Southeast Asian countrys tally of patients to 8,682, including 53 deaths, since early 2020.

Since April 27, when the pandemics fourth wave appeared in Vietnam, 5,562 domestic infections have been documented nationwide.

BANK ACCOUNTS FOR DONATIONS 1. For donations within Vietnam: a) At State Treasury Transaction Office: - Account name: Fund for Vaccination Prevention of Coronarivus Disease 2019 - Account number: 3761.0.9098866.91999 (VND); 3761.0.9098869.9199 (USD) and 3761.0.9098786.91999 (EUR) b) At Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, Hanoi Branch: - Account name: Fund for Vaccination Prevention of Coronarivus Disease 2019 - Account number: 21110009116868 (VND); 21110371116868 (USD) and 21110142996868 (EUR) 2. For donations outside Vietnam: - Account name: Fund for Vaccination Prevention of Coronarivus Disease 2019 - Account number: 21110009116868 (VND); 21110371116868 (USD) and 21110142996868 (EUR) - Beneficiary bank: Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, Hanoi Branch, 4B Le Thanh Tong Street, Phan Chu Trinh Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi City, Vietnam - Swift code: BIDVVNVX Source: Ministry of Finance

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Hit French thriller Lupin returns to Netflix on Friday.

These are 5 new episodes starring Omar Sy as Assane Diop, the man inspired by the adventures of master thief Arsene Lupin.

This isnt a game anymore. Assanes quest for revenge against Hubert Pelligrini has torn his family to pieces. With his back to the wall, he now has to think of a new plan, even if it means putting himself in danger.

Friday June 11 on Netflix.

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Tyler, TX (75702)

Today

Sunshine and a few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 95F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable.
Tyler, TX (75702)

Today

Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 95F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable.
"Edi0908" Wins the 888poker XL Spring #17 - $30,000 DeepStack ($5,880)

June 06 2021 Jason Glatzer

Friday, June 4 was DeepStack day in the $1 million guaranteed XL Spring Series at 888poker with players in all three events starting with 30,000 in chips instead of the usual 20,000 in chips featured in most of the other events.

Germany's "Edi0908" was the biggest winner of the day after shipping the XL Spring #17 - $30,000 DeepStack for $5,880, while "averygrande" and "Farzi1279" also won XL Spring Series titles on Friday.

Check out the results from the sixth 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 20 FREE bonus

XL Spring #17 - $30,000 DeepStack

Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $55 June 4 643 $32,150

The XL Spring #17 - $30,000 DeepStack attracted 643 entries for a $32,150 prize pool to smash the $30,000 guarantee.

After nearly nine hours of play, Germany's "Edi0908" bested "dothehessel" (second - $4,263) in heads-up play to win the title which came with a huge $5,880 top prize.

Canada's "8vincent8" was also on the podium after finishing in third place for $3,090 while "Lisa.1989" (fourth - $2,257), "Constagram" (fifth - $1,662), and "Mabd90" (sixth - $1,222) also managed to add four-figures to their 888poker account in this event.

XL Spring #17 - $30,000 DeepStack Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Edi0908 $5,880 2 dothehessel $4,263 3 8vincent8 $3,090 4 Lisa.1989 $2,257 5 Constagram $1,662 6 Mabd90 $1,222 7 TestU888 $903 8 kfkain $672 9 pavkom $502

XL Spring #18 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack

Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $16.50 June 4 1,053 $15,795

The XL Spring #18 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack also surpassed its guarantee of $15,000 after 1,053 entries generated a $15,795 prize pool.

It was a grand win for Canada's "averygrande" after this player bested Brazil's "TMAZOLLI" (second - $1,783) to claim the $2,446 top prize.

Brazil's "luish64" was the only other player to win a four-figure score in what was a nearly nine-hour event after finishing in third place for $1,311.

XL Spring #18 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 averygrande $2,446 2 TMAZOLLI $1,783 3 luish64 $1,311 4 NL_Basmach $971 5 flyingbeton $719 6 griura $537 7 boxyfox $404 8 J8888J $306 9 thejackal302 $234

XL Spring #19 - $10,000 Late DeepStack

Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $33 June 4 464 $13,920

The XL Spring #19 - $10,000 Late DeepStack was another success story for 888poker with 464 entries creating a $13,920 prize pool to smash the $10,000 guarantee.

This event was quicker than the previous two lasting less than 7 1/2 hours from start to finish. The event ended after "Farzi1279" defeated "ravenbyrne" (second - $1,846) to win the top prize of $2,546.

Matthew "ProPriced" Price joined this duo on the podium and was the only other player to win four-figures in this event after taking home the third-place prize of $1,338.

XL Spring #19 - $10,000 Late DeepStack Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Farzi1279 $2,546 2 ravenbyrne $1,846 3 Matthew "ProPriced" Price $1,338 4 Qparadabensa $977 5 sssiiixxx $720 6 Holly_Grail $529 7 mp5610 $391 8 Mastermindz9 $291 9 AMG_people $217

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

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 Flash

APEC trade ministers have committed to speeding up the cross-border flow of vaccines and related goods to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pledge came following the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor on Saturday.

"As we face the biggest health and economic crisis of our lifetimes, I was greatly heartened to see how we united to make progress. We represent half of global GDP and wanted to use trade as a force for good," O'Connor said in a statement.

"We know nobody is safe until everybody is safe from COVID-19, and we know that our region prospers economically by keeping our markets open to one another rather than closing ourselves off."

He said the APEC trade ministers agreed to speed up the flow of vaccines and vaccine-related goods by eliminating trade restrictions that increase the cost of vaccines and the goods that support them.

They also agreed to a set guidelines for the customs authorities to ensure quick vaccines flow, and to remove barriers to freight and logistics services to support trade in vaccines and vaccine-related goods.

"It is encouraging to see APEC trade ministers working together to respond in practical, concrete terms to the COVID pandemic and rebuild our economies," he said.

New Zealand Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth Phil Twyford said the APEC had returned to its traditional role of championing multilateralism by rejuvenating the World Trade Organization (WHO) and injecting momentum into a series of trade negotiations with the aim of concluding these by the end of this year.

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said at the joint virtual press conference that China has continued to further open up to the outside world amid the pandemic.

He said efforts have been made by China on broadening market access, optimizing the business environment, enhancing the level of customs clearance facilitation, and shortening the time of customs clearance.

China is willing to work with all APEC members and send positive signals to the international community that the Asia-Pacific region is working together to fight the COVID-19, keep the regional industrial chain supply stable, and promote the regional economic recovery.

China will also speed up the fostering of a new development paradigm, promote the opening up to a higher level, and create more opportunities for global and regional development, Wang said.

New Zealand is hosting APEC 2021 with more than 300 meetings scheduled across the country.

APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific region. APEC's 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.




A delegation of HCMCs leaders on June 5 offered incense to pay tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of his departure to the world to seek suitable pathways for the countrys salvation (June 5, 1911).

HCMC's leaders offer incenses to President Ho Chi Minh at the Ho Chi Minh Museum-HCMC branch. (Photo: SGGP)



A delegation of HCMCs leaders led by Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen on June 5 offered incense and flowers to pay tribute to late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Ton Duc Thang on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minhs departure to the world to seek suitable pathways for the countrys salvation (June 5, 1911).

At the incense offering ceremony in Ho Chi Minh Museum  Ho Chi Minh City Branch, the leaders sincerely commemorated and expressed deep gratitude for the great merits of President Ho Chi Minh and his glorious revolutionary life and career.

The late President is the genius leader of the Vietnamese Party and people, and a symbol of the backbone and the boundless efforts to overcome challenges for the independence and reunification of the country.

He devoted his whole life to the countrys independence, for the freedom and happiness of people. He is a great example of revolutionary morals be hard-working, practicing thrift, honesty and righteousness, and be public-spirited and selfless.

An exhibition themed Nguyen Tat Thanh-Ho Chi Minh: From Nha Rong Harbor to the historical "Ba Dinh Square" honoring President Ho Chi Minhs journey for national salvation, the great event of the nation, is held at the Ho Chi Minh Museum-HCMC branch.

SGGP
World Environment Day 2021 calls for urgent action to revive the damaged ecosystems.

Straw burning in a suburban district of Hanoi, which is one of serious factors causing environmental pollution in the capital city. Photo: VNA

Themed Ecosystem Restoration, World Environment Day 2021 focuses on highlighting the importance of preserving and developing natural ecosystems in order to sustain a healthy environment for peoples survival.

The World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 across the world annually to raise the public awareness about environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, and encourage the communities to take action to prevent the growing strain on Earths natural systems.

This year, the World Environment Day calls for urgent action to revive the damaged ecosystems, with Pakistan being the host country for the day.

The day will kick off the United Nations (UN) decade on ecosystem restoration (2021-2030), a global mission to revive billions of hectares, from forests to farmlands, from the top of mountains to the depth of the sea.

Ecosystem restoration holds significance in a globalized world that has been witnessing rapid development at blinding speed. As much as 50% of our coral reefs have already been lost and up to 90% of coral reefs could disappear by 2050, even if global warming is limited to an increase of 1.5C, the UN has warned.

Moreover, the raging coronavirus disease pandemic has held a mirror on how debilitating the consequences of ecosystem loss can be. The shrinking area of natural habitat for animals has led to ideal conditions for pathogens, including coronaviruses, to spread, the UN has noted.

In Vietnam, multiple efforts have been made for the recovery of degraded and destroyed ecosystems as well as conserve those that are still intact, particularly in the Mekong Delta, the southern part of Vietnam and one of the worlds deltas most vulnerable to climate change.

Furthermore, Vietnams Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has requested activities as part of the Action Month for the Environment to be organized in accordance with Covid-19 prevention and control regulations.

Across the country, slogans for this years action month include The Earth needs us! Lets unite against climate change, Lets use utensils from recycled materials, Using green materials contributes to environmental protection, and Avoid environmental pollution from the use of pesticides, single-use plastics, and non-biodegradable plastic bags.

Vietnams relevant authorities and citizens are required to strengthen control over waste collection, transportation and treatment, use natural resources efficiently, and focus resources on addressing environmental pollution, building a circular economy, and combating plastic waste.

Earlier, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched the Youth for Climate Innovation Contest in Hanoi on May 28.

The contest seeks breakthrough solutions and initiatives from young people around the country regarding environmental protection and climate change response. Vietnamese citizens aged from 16 to 35 are eligible to join the contest by signing up at https://bitly.com.vn/y238yy until July 25. Winners are expected to be announced in August.

UNDP Resident Representative for Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen said the contest is one of the ways to tap young peoples potential in stepping up climate change agendas, and expressed her hope that many entries will be submitted.

hanoitimes
Before June 1, the southern metropolis recorded 50 infection cases a day. On June 1 and 2, it reduced to 43 cases and 28 cases respectively.

Vice-Chairman Duong Anh Duc at the meeting

Ho Chi Minh City has seen a decline in coronavirus cases daily, said Director of the city Department of Health Dr. Nguyen Tan Binh at an online briefing on epidemic prevention and control chaired by Vice Chairmen of the municipal People's Committee Ngo Minh Chau and Duong Anh Duc on June 4.

According to Dr. Binh, before June 1, the southern metropolis recorded 50 infection cases a day. On June 1 and 2, it reduced to 43 cases and 28 cases respectively. The city reported 26 cases on June 3. This is a good sign, proving the city have well done in tracing measure.

Speaking at the virtual meeting, Dr. Binh said from May 18 to June 3, three community clusters had been reported. Worse, scientists discovered both viral variants that were first detected in the United Kingdom and India in cases in three local clusters. Presently, contacts of infected people are being brought to centralized isolation facilities to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the community.

According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tan Binh, in the coming time, the city may still have cases of Covid-19 without clear origin because some people are not willing to declare their health status. Therefore, Dr. Binh prompted organizations to stay alert and not worry.

Dr. Nguyen Tan Binh said currently doctors and nurses in large hospitals take turns to assist their peers in grass-root medical facilities in districts citywide. He advised local administrations to expand the concentrated areas; if they face personnel problems, the Department of Health will help them.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice-Chairman Ngo Minh Chau said that the city strictly followed the direction of the Central and Municipal Steering Committees for Epidemic Prevention and Control; as a result, the city has basically controlled the situation.

City dwellers should maintain calm amid the coronavirus pandemic while staying alert to the disease. He stressed that district authorities must strictly comply with the direction of the Central Steering Board for Covid-19 Prevention and Control and the city with a focus on reasonably organizing specific functional forces. He requested to pay attention to wholesale markets, traditional markets, supermarkets, hospitals, companies, factories, and public places where people usually gather.

Vice-Chairman Duong Anh Duc said nobody knows when the Covid-19 pandemic will end; therefore, all people must be prepared for a long-lasting fight.

He ordered enough isolation areas for contacts F1 stressing to curb cross-infection in these special areas.

The problem of garbage disposal in the blockade areas is very important because there is a potential risk of infection; hence, Mr. Duc required cooperation between the city Urban Environment Company and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to manage and treat them as medical waste.

The city People's Committee has proposed the Ministry of Health to provide more vaccines so that the city can inject people in the priority groups. In addition, the city and donors together find other sources of vaccines.

Regarding that many localities have sent documents for quarantine of people returning from Ho Chi Minh City and most recently the Southern Province of Dong Nai, Mr. Duc asked the Department of Transport and Communications and the Department of Health to consult the City People's Committee on working with Dong Nai province so as not to affect the production and flow of goods.

Enterprises in districts and Thu Duc city where industrial parks, export processing zones are located need to make a list of workers and employees for tracing purposes. If the disease spreads in industrial parks, factories, a lot of workers will be infected by the present variants; therefore, the situation will deteriorate very quickly. Business establishments and companies must utterly follow safety criteria issued by the Ministry of Health and the city.

SGGP
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) has proposed an eight-month exemption of health insurance premiums, until January next year, for labourers and firms victimised by COVID-19.







The beneficiaries include workers whose labour contracts are suspended or those who have to leave their jobs without any salaries at firms, public and private primary and secondary educational establishments during the time of temporary closure to curb the spread of the pandemic.

An estimated budget of 33.6 billion VND (1.46 million USD) is set to support 50,000 people.

The VGCL also asked the Government to add more pandemic-hit workers into the list of beneficiaries.

It put forward assistance in cash for workers who had to stop working in over two weeks for they must stay in concentrated quarantine facilities, at their accommodations or sealed off areas.

Some 60 billion VND sourced from the State budget will be earmarked for 60,000 people from June 1 until the end of this year.

VNA
In the current circumstance, countries that are able to reopen their borders will stand a bigger chance to spur economic growth. Such a chance are worth every effort to be made by Vietnam to grasp it.

The key word may be a workable vaccination strategy.

Vietnam has remained consistent with her dual objectiveboth fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and retaining economic developmentfor more than a year now. This strategy has achieved certain successes. However, in defiance of all the efforts made to contain infections via the border, the ongoing fourth wave of attack revealing further complications is way more unpredictable than the previous ones. It is clear now that maintaining the efficiency of the achievements reached so far in fighting the pandemic is much more challenging in such a context.

That some industrial parks (IPs) with infected cases have to be temporarily shut down and HCMC has to impose social distancing measures to fight the coronavirus is menacing Vietnams economic targets. If the situation gets worse, more IPs will be closed and more people quarantined. Due to the efficacy of their inoculation campaigns, Vietnams key export marketssuch as the United States and the European Unionare back on track and will be placing more orders. In this case, Vietnam would possibly not only be able to satisfy the rising demand but also risk losing out veteran customers.

It can be said that Vietnam will not be sure of its successful attainment of her twin goalefficaciously containing the pandemic and spurring economic growthwithout the help of Covid-19 vaccines. However, it may take at least one year to have enough vaccine supplies meeting all the need of the Vietnamese population.

As vaccine supplies are currently scant, the formulation of a new workable vaccine strategy to support the fulfillment of the Governments dual objective should be scrutinized carefully.

Consequently, in addition to frontline forces directly combating the pandemiclike healthcare workers and the militaryit needs to vaccinate next IP workers whose priorities are based on the rated risks.

Coming next in line are residents in urban areas, especially metropolises like HCMC, Hanoi, Haiphong and

Danang, which are key economic hubs and gateways where foreign trade activities are conducted. Of course, among these levels of priority must be established, for instance senior citizens, patients with chronic diseases.

The third group of the lineup should be people working in the hospitality industry, especially those in the countrys best tourist destinations.

In addition, it is necessary to come up with more measures for stepping up the pace of vaccine supplies for Vietnam. Currently, the Ministry of Health is the coordinator in charge of finding vaccine supplies for the whole country. Yet aside from this ministry, the Government should allow too the authorities of key localities to actively negotiate for buying vaccines themselves. Last but not least, the green light should also be given to capable businesses having large labor forces which can find their own sources of vaccines. All these possibilities should be examined and accepted to improve the vaccine accessibility in Vietnam and partly relieve the financial burden on the national budget.

Once all IP workers and dwellers in her metropolises have been immunized, it is more likely for Vietnam to put the pandemic under strict control. The country then can consider opening the border for international tourism.

In the current circumstance, countries that are able to reopen their borders will stand a bigger chance to spur economic growth. Such a chance are worth every effort to be made by Vietnam to grasp it.

SGT

COVID-19 vaccine fund officially launched as part of sustained anti-pandemic efforts A COVID-19 vaccine fund made its debut on June 5 evening in Hanoi, featuring the participation of PM Pham Minh Chinh, officials from the Vietnam Fatherland Front, ministries, sectors, and organisations, business community representatives and others.
We are at the point where we have gotten to many people who are really high risks, and now is the time for everyone else to be fully vaccinated, not only for their own safety but for everyone around them, Craine said. If you are fully vaccinated and exposed to someone who has COVID, you dont have to quarantine, you dont have to change anything, and that is really, really important, particularly when you are talking about the many disruptions we have had in the past year. It provides a sense of stability.

McLennan County Sheriffs Maj. Ricky Armstrong said county jail officials worked with health authorities to offer COVID-19 vaccines to county jail inmates when they became available. About 100 of the countys 1,200 inmates were vaccinated during one stretch, but Armstrong said no inmates he is aware of have been asking to be vaccinated lately.

The county jail hit a peak of COVID-19 cases last year, but there have been no active cases or quarantines at the jail for several weeks, Armstrong said.

We vaccinated everybody who wanted it at the time, Armstrong said. We are winning the war right now. It is all looking good.

County jail officials ask incoming inmates if they have been vaccinated and still test new inmates and follow safety protocols, he said.
Note: This article was originally published in 2018.

The hills had names: Landing Zones (and Firebases) Alpine, Manchester and Winchester. But they werent anything local. They were the names of hills in Vietnam that often served as area for small aircraft  especially helicopters  to land. And, it was to these hills that China Spring resident, Bobby Brister, 70, would end up serving on during the Vietnam War.

Brister, a Waco native, always knew about duty. He was surrounded by family members who had served. Moving to Atlanta, Georgia, at age 6 he grew up there and graduated from high school. By the time he was 18, he already had registered for the draft and came back to Waco. He wasnt sure at the time what he was going to do. I didnt know, Brister said. I was free.

In the meantime, Brister, a cousin and friend went down to join the U.S. Navy on the 120-day plan, a deferred plan. While he was waiting, he left Waco and went back to Atlanta and worked for a time at Owen-Illinois glass. Then he got a draft notice for the Army.
Blood pressure program

Waco Family YMCA, 6800 Harvey Drive, will kick off a blood pressure monitoring program Monday. The four-month program helps people with high blood pressure monitor and learn to control hypertension. Participants are given a blood pressure monitor and they record their blood pressure two times a month, meet with trained YMCA staff and attend monthly nutrition seminars.

Cost the program is $45 for YMCA members and $55 for nonmembers.

For more information, call Crystal Hernandez at 254-776-6612.

Newcomers and Neighbors RSVP

Newcomers and Neighbors of Waco will meet at 11:30 a.m. June 16 at the Baylor Club in McLane Stadium, 1001 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Reservation deadline is 5:30 p.m. Monday. Cost is $20 for lunch, payable at the door. A mask is required upon entering.

To make a reservation, call 916-718-0218 or email reservationsnnn@gmail.com.

Newcomers and Neighbors is a social club for all Central Texas women. The months program will be presented by Waco Civic Theatre.

Performing arts camp registration
The Korean War Memorial, though, is changing. Construction has just begun on building it all over again. Incredibly, following the example of the Vietnam War Memorial, the plan is to etch on black granite the names of all the American troops killed in the war. The number, though, will go well beyond those who were in U.S. uniforms. They also will include the names of 7,200 Koreans who served as Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army, known by the rather awkward acronym KATUSA. For the first time, those Koreans who died while in U.S. military units, under the command not of Koreans but American officers, will be getting the recognition they deserve as having fought as members of the U.S. armed forces.
 Flash

"I was born in China and I love the Chinese culture. When I grow up, I want to work as a music teacher here in China," said Sana, a 9-year-old Iranian girl who can speak fluent Chinese, at the "International Culture Day" event on Saturday.



The event was held by the Pakistan Embassy College Beijing (PECB) where Sana is a student. This activity was also part of the celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan.

At this event, stalls representing more than twenty different countries were set up to present their cultures, including China, Pakistan, the U.S.A., Indonesia, Nigeria, Romania and Turkey. The stalls featured traditional clothes, special food, dazzling accessories and handmade artwork such as paintings and figurines, which were all prepared by parents of PECB students for appreciation and sale.

Aside from the international stalls, student performances such as traditional singing and dancing, games like darts and ring throwing, and exhibitions displaying handicrafts made by students were also popular among the visitors.

Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque noted at the event that the entire world is going through an extraordinary time, with many people unable to travel and appreciate other countries due to COVID-19. However, China is a safe country that has got the epidemic under control, so activities such as this can be organized to present the world to those who long to experience diversity.



"This event also constitutes part of the school"s education and training system to instil the values of friendship, honesty, determination, hard work and volunteering into the students," Haque added.

In addition, the event aimed to make students from different nationalities feel more comfortable in PECB. "We want our students to feel that this is their school, not just Pakistan's school. Through the platform of "International Culture Day," we want to show that every student is a part of the school," said Shazia, principal of PECB.

"Since the PECB students come from difference countries, my kid can experience various cultures and customs and develop a variety of friendships to broaden her horizons while studying here," said a mother of a kindergarten pupil of PECB.

Established in 1969, PECB is a full-time international school catering to children of expatriate Pakistanis, as well as diplomatic staff posted in Beijing and the international community. Currently, the school is home to around 500 students from 52 countries. The school has around 50 faculty members, 11 of whom are Chinese, while the rest are from Pakistan and other countries, principal Shazia told China.org.cn.



"There are still certain constraints because of COVID-19 now. Therefore, we hope the epidemic will go away so that we can hold more such activities to facilitate culture communication," Shazia said.
Bob and Joy had three children, Teresa being the youngest. Teresa and her older brothers Bob Jr. and Morris Maag all participated in Waverly band growing up with their father as their teacher. Joy recalled one year the three were all in the band when Teresa was a freshman, Morris was a sophomore and Bob Jr. was a senior.

Teresa remembers going to her fathers office after school back when the schools were all connected and the high school was what Waverly Intermediate School is now. She and her siblings would often ask for money to get snacks out of the vending machines.

We kind of grew up hanging around school, Teresa said.

All three graduated from Waverly High School and pursued teaching jobs. Teresa has taught fourth grade at Hamlow Elementary School for 31 years. Her brother Bob Jr. is currently the band director at the Shippensburg Senior High School in Shippensburg, Penn. and her brother Morris teaches math at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz.

He (Bob) was really proud of the fact that all three kids all became teachers, Joy said.
Govt-and-politics

breaking top story

Child care bills should help families with cost, access, advocates say

Deann Cook Andrea Woodard CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Children play outside Sunshine Home Child Care Center in Cedar Rapids. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Children do hands-on learning activities at the Sunshine Home Child Care Center in Cedar Rapids.

DES MOINES  Families seeking more accessible and affordable child care should be helped by legislation approved this year by state lawmakers.

Groups that advocate for better child care programs say the package of bills is a huge step forward.

Were really happy with the progress thats been made on child care in Iowa for those families that need support, said Deann Cook, executive director of United Ways of Iowa. That organization has been working on the issue for more than a decade, she said. Its a huge win.

Advocates say many low-income families cannot afford child care, and the cost is keeping some out of the workforce as they find it cheaper to not work than to pay for expensive child care.

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In Iowa, the average cost for one year of infant child care in a center is $10,743, according to the advocacy organization Child CareAware of America. That is nearly 18% of the states median income, according to federal census data, and more than the cost of tuition and fees for Iowa students who attend the states public universities.

The annual cost of an infant plus a 4-year-old in a center is $19,599, according to Child CareAware. That is 32% of the states median household income.

State lawmakers this year passed multiple bills designed to address child care cost and access.

House File 302 [https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=hf302] addresses the so-called child care cliff, where a worker begins to earn more income and thus loses eligibility for child care assistance. The bill creates a more gradual phase-out of eligibility for assistance as a workers income rises.

Senate File 619 [https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=sf619] is a wide-ranging tax policy bill that doubles income eligibility for a state child care tax credit. Currently, households earning less than $45,000 are eligible for a roughly $170 tax credit on child care costs; the bill doubles that income threshold to $90,000.

Covid-19 vaccination info

House File 260 [https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=hf260]

increases the number of children that can be served in a home setting from five to six, so long as at least one is school-aged.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed House File 260 into law; the others passed the Legislature and await the governors final decision.

Charlina Hurt, 55, of Cedar Rapids, has been a child care provider for 36 years  long enough to care for a second generation of some families.

They already know me, so its amazing, said the owner of Sunshine Home Child Care Center in Cedar Rapids.

As a Child Development Home C with two providers, Hurt is limited to 16 children, with four of those kids needing care only part time. Right now, she has 13 children in her center because shes holding spots open for current families with babies on the way.

She supports the new bills. The bill that addresses the child care cliff is especially helpful.

In the past, you make more money and they cut you off. By the time you pay for child care, youre coming out worse than you were before, Hurt said. Ive had clients in the past turn down a raise or a promotion because they would lose their child care assistance.

Shes less supportive of the law that increases the number of children allowed in a child-care home setting.

Its not beneficial to those of us who work hard to become registered, Hurt said. The ones not registered, (the state Department of Human Services) doesnt come out and do checks on them. Youre basically giving them benefits to stay unregistered and, to me, that doesnt seem fair.

Sunshine Home Child Care Center kept most of its clients during the COVID-19 pandemic because even if the parents were working from home, they still needed child care. Except for one week when Hurt was quarantining because of a possible exposure to the virus, she did not have to close the center nor did she have any cases among children or staff. Now that Iowans are heading back to their offices, shes getting more calls from panicky parents trying to find care.

I turn down five clients calling me a week, she said.

Cook said the doubling of the income threshold for the tax credit will help more families that are earning income, but not enough to afford child care. The United Way has conducted research on those types of families, calling them ALICE: an individual or family who is asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed.

Theyre working. Theyre churning it out every single month. But theyre coming up short, Cook said. The (expanded tax credit) captures so many more families.

Business interests are applauding the approved legislation as well, saying it will help employers find more workers.

For a number of years, even pre-pandemic, we have continued to hear that talent is the No. 1 issue for our members. They need more of it, and we know from recent census numbers that Iowas not growing quite as quickly as the jobs that our members are creating, said Andrea Woodard, senior vice president of government relations and public policy for the Greater Des Moines Partnership, a coalition of central Iowa businesses and chambers of commerce.

Child care access and affordability is often a huge piece of that, and with a population in a state that hinges heavily on two parents working outside the home, child care is increasingly important in our state, Woodard said.

While advocates applauded the significant progress made on child care access this year, they caution that more work remains. Hurt thinks the state should allow some registered care providers to take on more children  if the provider has a good track record and strong parent reviews. Cook said she would like to see lawmakers to raise income eligibility thresholds for other programs.

Meantime, the legislation that was passed this year represents a strong start, she said.

It has been a difficult more than a year (with the COVID-19 pandemic), so to see something work out and be so positive for so many people in such a rough time is such a great feeling, she said.
Q. Who are the council members who voted to change the convention center name?

A. The May 17 vote to change the name of The Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center to the Waterloo Convention Center was unanimous. It included naming the plaza surrounding the center Sullivan Brothers Plaza.

Q. Was Mollie Tibbetts a junior or senior at the time of her death?

A. Tibbetts was reportedly a sophomore at the University of Iowa when she disappeared July 18, 2018.

Q. Can I legally have chickens in my backyard in Waterloo?

A. Yes, if you have enough fenced backyard space to support the animals and a petition of support signed by all abutting property owners and 60% of those within 250 feet of their property. The city allows a resident with at least 10,000 square feet of fenced backyard to keep up to two small animals, such as chickens, geese, rabbits and minks. Another small animal is allowed for each additional 2,500 square feet of fenced yard, to a maximum of eight animals.

Q. Will the farmer who hired the alleged killer of Mollie Tibbetts be charged with hiring an illegal immigrant?
Sunshine Home Child Care Center kept most of its clients during the COVID-19 pandemic because even if the parents were working from home, they still needed child care. Except for one week when Hurt was quarantining because of a possible exposure to the virus, she did not have to close the center nor did she have any cases among children or staff. Now that Iowans are heading back to their offices, shes getting more calls from panicky parents trying to find care.

I turn down five clients calling me a week, she said.

Cook said the doubling of the income threshold for the tax credit will help more families that are earning income, but not enough to afford child care. The United Way has conducted research on those types of families, calling them ALICE: an individual or family who is asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed.

Theyre working. Theyre churning it out every single month. But theyre coming up short, Cook said. The (expanded tax credit) captures so many more families.

Business interests are applauding the approved legislation as well, saying it will help employers find more workers.
You dont understand true justice until you appreciate, internationally, what justice looks like, Funchess said. And in this particular situation, I think the Palestinian people have been abused, that their human rights have been violated, and for whatever reason we tend to close our eyes to that.

Masinovic said it was similar to the genocide at Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the early 1990s, saying it was important to stand up for Palestinians in the same way others stood for her.

My people went through it, and I dont want to see another people or generation have to go through the same hardship and inhumane treatment, Masinovic said.

Masinovic said shes tried reaching out to UNI President Mark Nook about supporting Palestine, and said she didnt receive a reply. Other local leaders werent supportive, either.

When asked about the upcoming march last week, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said the federal government would continue to support Israel because the U.S. needs a friend in the region, partly due to oil production and because it was the only democracy in the region.
WATERLOO

With the crack of a bat at Riverfront Stadium, the community will begin to Rock the Park during My Waterloo Days. The Waterloo Bucks, in partnership with MWD, will be on the diamond for a game beginning at 6:35 p.m. Monday, signaling the start of the seven-day festival.

A full week of festivities is planned Monday through next Sunday, including activities at Lincoln Park and RiverLoop Amphitheater.

Im really excited for us to come back together as a community and really celebrate Waterloo. 2020 was rough for everybody, but we got to see how we supported each other, how we were there for family and friends and supported local businesses, how we made it through that difficult time, said Jessica Rucker, Main Street Waterloo executive director.

Spectators are expected to line downtown streets for the MWD parade on Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. School groups, local organizations and businesses are participating, including a Waterloo marching band composed of band members from East and West high schools. Four awards will be presented to winning entries.

The route begins on Park Avenue, crosses the Cedar River to Washington Street, and back across the river on Fourth Street, ending at Lincoln Park.
But Myeni was indeed a newcomer to Hawaii, which might have contributed to the general reaction to his death, said Daphne Barbee-Wooten, former president of the African American Lawyers Association of Hawaii.

Whereas if it was someone who people knew for a long period of time who got shot or killed, I think there might be more outrage because they would have been neighbors, gone to the same church, she said.

And I think a lot of African Americans who live here are outraged, she said. But do they take to the street about it? Not really.

The are various reasons for that, she said, including people with military jobs who might not be allowed to protest publicly or those who are waiting to see results of an investigation into the shooting.

Ethan Caldwell, who is of Black and Asian descent and an assistant professor of ethnic studies at the University of Hawaii, said he can personally relate to the Myeni family feeling Hawaii would be relatively safer.

I always ask the question to my students, safer for who? he said. Black folks have been present in the Hawaiian Kingdom since prior to the illegal annexation, but rarely do we see, hear, or disassociate them with the military in Hawaii in the present.
We're not heroes anymore, are we? Anthony Yesker, a nine-year employee at the Sioux Falls plant, said after casting a vote against the company's proposed contract. They should at least look that we all put our lives on the line to keep the company going."

He reasoned that if the union decided to go on strike, there were plenty of jobs in other warehouses available. The wages that Smithfield offered were once significantly higher than service industry jobs, but Yesker said the cost of living has gone up in Sioux Falls, making him rethink his job at the plant.

This is a moment when workers have leverage right now, said Laura Dresser, a labor economist at COWS, a liberal think tank at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Worker shortages at meatpacking plants aren't new, but they have gotten worse during the pandemic, said Sarah Little, a spokeswoman for the North American Meat Institute, a trade association of meatpacking companies. She noted that companies are generally offering very competitive wages and benefits" that start at $22 an hour for entry-level positions in some areas.

For employees like Bullen Furula, who has worked at the Sioux Falls plant for 21 years and praised the opportunities that a job at the plant can bring, rising wages elsewhere mean a greater burden on those who have stuck with the company through one of its most trying years: The more people quit, the more pressure is on us who are left behind.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Dr. Rob Mixsell of Genesis Health System talks about being first in Davenport to receive COVID-19 vaccine.

This week marks the 28th anniversary of this editorial effort. In round numbers thats more than 1,430 columns, a million words, and who knows how many cold beverages.

Its start came about like many efforts in journalism: I got fired. Its a long story, so you might want to get comfortable  and even grab a cold beverage.

In early 1993 I was nearing the end of my eighth, year-long contract with Farm Journal magazine. My arrangement with FJ was simple: It sent me a check at the start of every month and, by the end of every month, I sent it three stories.

The freelance deal, claimed the FJ boss, was the best in ag journalism. That had to be a whopper because in eight years the monthly money never changed even though the stories had to.

Then, in February or March, the Big Boss telephoned to say he had a problem. What? I asked, genuinely puzzled.

You, he announced; you cant walk down the middle of the road.

I had no idea what he meant so after an uncomfortable silence, I suggested, No one with any sense walks down the middle of the road because cars can hit you going and coming.

Four, maybe five, seconds later the axe fell.
Are you older and want to ask your neighbor to drop off your absentee ballot at the courthouse? Better not  Iowa Republicans made that neighborly act a felony crime. Seriously.

Want your local school board to make decisions which guide your children when theyre at school? Forget about it  Republican legislators know what your child should or shouldnt discuss at school, so they overruled local school boards and put it into a new law. And that law covers your adult children at Iowas universities and colleges too.

Is it OK if youre a small business owner to keep your employees safe by having anyone who enters your store be vaccinated? Dont be silly  Iowa Republicans dont allow that.

Want to speak out and attend a protest about an issue you care about? Be extra careful  legislative Republicans just decided to hold harmless anyone who happens to run you over with their car while youre there.

If youre a woman dealing with an intimate medical decision, can you involve just you, your doctor and your insurance company? Not if Iowa Republicans get their way  they not only want to limit what you can do with your body, they also want to dictate what your doctor can and cant discuss with you.
 Flash

The European Space Agency launched a recruitment drive on March 31 to employ four to six career astronauts, who will be permanent ESA staff, and about 20 reserve astronauts for possible shorter, one-off missions to destinations like the International Space Station.



This is the first time the ESA has recruited astronauts in a decade, and the process will be open for eight weeks.

Notably, the agency is aiming to introduce its first astronaut with physical disabilities  indeed, the first in human history, according to ESA Director General Jan Worner - to diversify its astronaut pool. The agency will open that opportunity for one or more applicants, he stressed.

We believe that exploration is the matter of a collective effort, we need to extend the pool of talent we can rely on in order to continue progressing in our endeavor, declared an ESA statement.

Visible representation is always important and, therefore, weve been asking ourselves, what are the barriers preventing us from flying a physically disabled astronaut to the ISS, Worner told the media.

This a part of the Para-astronaut feasibility project the agency has started, through which the ESA plans to adapt space hardware to enable those otherwise excellently qualified professionals to serve as new crew members on a safe, useful space mission, the agency says in its statement.

The applicants should be qualified to be an astronaut psychologically, cognitively, technically and professionally.

The agency said that it has communicated with the International Paralympic Committee to determine what kinds of physical disabilities can satisfy the requirements of space missions.

According to the agency, it will accept applicants with leg amputations, and it hopes to expand the opportunities to other categories of physically challenged people. After the candidates with disabilities are recruited, the agency will determine what physical accommodations they may need in order to take part in space missions.
On Jan. 6 a mob rampaged through the U.S. Capitol. You saw it on TV, but some see history differently.

It was a normal tourist visit, said Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.

Five people dead, 500 tourists arrested.

A majority of Republicans in the House, including former KCRG newsreader Ashley Hinson, R-Cedar Rapids, voted against a Jan. 6 Commission investigation. A Senate Republican filibuster killed it.

I guess some people were scared of what theyd find out, said former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, a Republican who chaired the 9-11 Commission. He added, Its a mistake and its a countrys loss and a democracys loss.

The ostriches pretend criminal trials will suffice. History suggests otherwise.

The 9-11 Commission made 41 recommendations. Many were adopted.

We had the largest reorganization of government in years, Kean said. The bottom line is there hasnt been anything like that attack since.

If recent history is an affront to the GOP, Texas and Oklahoma Republicans want to ignore the past.
If they fail, Democrats will pay a huge price  probably losing the House and the Senate next year, and creating the conditions for a constitutional crisis in 2024 if the presidential election is at all close, especially if Trump is the GOP nominee.

The For the People Act, which has passed the House and awaits Senate action, would effectively block the worst restrictions adopted by Republican legislatures. Since it will certainly be filibustered, however, the only way it can pass is if Democrats amend or eliminate the filibuster rule. But Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, has repeatedly rejected changes to the filibuster, and without his vote, nothing will happen.

So the critical question becomes: Are there any circumstances under which Manchin can be induced to alter his view?

Democrats need to take two steps. The first is to cut back the For the People Act, which weighs in at 800 pages and contains a long liberal wish list, from financing campaigns with public money to curbing the gerrymandering of congressional districts. Theyre good ideas, but not essential this year, and Manchin is far more likely to support a bill squarely centered on voting rights.
What on earth, Ancestry? Its more important that the ACLU likes you than that a majority of Americans do?

How about taking a poll of your members? Should we allow law enforcement to submit DNA into our database to solve rapes and murders without the necessity of obtaining a court order first?

Yes would be a 90% winner, and the other 10% would be ACLU types suddenly signing up just to vote. Even criminals would say, Yeah, for a killer, sure, thats fine. Only a few law professors and, of course, the Times Charles Blow, would be against it, which is formidable competition, but I still think we can win this baby!

The objections to allowing police access to genealogical websites consist of vague invocations of privacy. University of Maryland law professor Natalie Ram, for example, told the Times that law enforcements use of genealogical databases was chilling, concerning and privacy-invasive.

Many people find serial killers breaking into their homes, tying them up and raping them to be chilling, concerning and privacy-invasive, so we seem to be at an impasse.
Instagram Celebrity

The 'This Is Paris' star is gearing up to release her tell-all book, joining forces with the company that published Jessica Simpson's best-seller tome 'Open Book'.

Jun 6, 2021

AceShowbiz - Paris Hilton is set to release a memoir.

The 40-year-old businesswoman has reportedly sold the rights to a new memoir to HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books - the same company that published Jessica Simpson's best-seller, "Open Book", in March this year (21).

According to Page Six, Paris shopped the memoir via literature agent Albert Lee at UTA, and the upcoming publication was acquired by Dey Street's editorial director Carrie Thornton.

Dey Street describes Paris' memoir as "both searingly honest and deeply personal," and added, "Hilton will share the real Paris Hilton as her celebrity persona evolved."

A publishing insider reportedly told Page Six the former Simple Life star is hoping her own memoir can capitalise on "the success of Jessica Simpson's book, and nostalgia for early 2000s-era pop culture."

As of the time of writing, there is no title for the book and there is no confirmed release date.

However, Paris could be set to go into further detail about her life as a pop culture icon after previously opening up in her YouTube documentary series, "This Is Paris".

In the series, the heiress discussed the alleged abuse she suffered while attending Provo Canyon School in Utah when she was 17, and later said her traumatic experiences at the school led her to film her infamous 2003 sex tape.

"That would never have happened if I hadn't gone to that school," she explained. "I just feel when I got out of that school, I was so lost  I never would have let someone like that in my life if I hadn't gone through such experiences. And therefore, I would have never put myself in that situation. But I just wanted love so bad. I didn't really know. I was so naive. And I trusted the wrong person. And that's something I'll regret for the rest of my life."

"I think when people see the film, they're going to see a completely different side. And, they're going to see I am human, and I do have feelings."
Facebook Music

The Justin Hawkins-fronted rock band will release their next studio installment titled 'Motorheart' in October and soon follow it up with a trek across the United Kingdom.

Jun 6, 2021

AceShowbiz - The Darkness will release their new album "Motorheart" in October (21).

The group, fronted by Justin Hawkins, declared the "time has come" to "rock like Satan is eating your private parts with a pointy fork" as they unveiled their follow-up to 2019's "Easter Is Cancelled".

The "One Way Ticket" rockers are set to embark on a tour of the U.K. in November and December in support of the record, which drops on 15 October.

They will be supported by Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris' side project British Lion.

Justin said in a press release, "The time has come, the walrus said... to put your f**king pants on your head and rock like Satan is eating your private parts with a pointy fork!"

"Yes, we, The Darkness, are the f**k back on tour, praise Satan's better half... come and party with us like it's the last orders at the last chance saloon. Which it may well be, but I wouldn't like to comment any further on that."

"Get in kids, it's the Darkness, wot you knows and luvs, plus British Lion - Steve Harris' top rock band who are guaranteed to blow your socks straight up your welcoming arses. What a night! Delirium! Outfits, including hats! Denim that smells of hamsters! Who doesn't want that? See you down the front, connoisseurs of the finest that life has to offer... (sic)"

The run kicks off in Brighton on 17 November, and concludes with two consecutive nights and London's O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on 16 and 17 December.

Tickets go on sale on 11 June from 10 am BST.
WENN Movie

The 'Thor' actor is teaming up with conservationist Valerie Taylor to uncover the science of shark behavior in an upcoming National Geographic special.

Jun 6, 2021

AceShowbiz - Chris Hemsworth is to front a documentary about Shark Beach.

The actor, who recently wrapped his upcoming movie "Thor: Love and Thunder", will take part in a special dive, surrounded by nurse sharks, for a documentary on National Geographic "WILD", which will premiere on 12 July (21) at 9 pm ET.

The programme - which forms part of a larger Sharkfest week on the channel - will see Chris "go on a mission to uncover the science of shark behaviour and discover how humans and sharks can safely coexist."

The description reads, "After an increase in local shark attacks along the east coast of Australia, Hemsworth seeks to understand different species of sharks and their behaviours while also exploring new preventative measures and the latest tech to help stave off shark-human encounters."

Chris will dive alongside conservationist Valerie Taylor as they join forces to investigate how humans and sharks can live better together going into the future.

Janet Vissering, senior vice president of Development and Production, National Geographic Partners, added, "The mysteries of the ocean's most iconic predators are so vast, even with eight years of shark-focused content under our belt, there still remains more to be discovered. Like every year, shark scientists and oceanic experts have pulled out all the stops for SHARKFEST, revealing new discoveries, shocking revelations and bizarre shark behaviour never seen before. It's going to be jaw-some!"

Other programmes to feature during Sharkfest include "The Sharks of Hawaii", "Shark Attack Files", "Shark Gangs", "Rogue Shark?", and "Sand Eating Sharks", amongst others.
WENN Movie

The voice of Homer Simpson helms and stars in 'The Long Isolation' while the Red Hot Chili Pepper member has been added to Damien Chazelle's next feature film.

Jun 6, 2021

AceShowbiz - "The Simpsons" star Dan Castellaneta has made his directing debut with a "Zoom noir," filmed virtually during the COVID pandemic.

The actor, who voices Homer Simpson on the hit animated series, teamed up with Deb Lacusta to write and direct "The Long Isolation", a black and white movie based around a case for private detective Marlowe Phillips.

All the stars of the project, including Castellaneta, Lacusta, Julie Brown, Rick Hall, and Jonathan Stark, shot their scenes separately via meeting room app Zoom.

The movie, which features original music from Laura Hall, the pianist from American improv show "Whose Line is it Anyway?", is available to watch at https://bit.ly/3hTH3yw until 11 June (21).

Meanwhile, Red Hot Chili Peppers star Flea has landed a role in Damien Chazelle's new movie "Babylon".

The bassist joins Max Minghella and Samara Weaving in the cast, according to Deadline, while previously announced actors include Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, and Jovan Adepo.

While Flea is best known for his musical talents, he is no stranger to the movie industry, having last appeared in 2019 movie "Queen & Slim". He's also starred in films such as "Baby Driver", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", "The Big Lebowski", and "Back to the Future II" and "III".

"Babylon" - the plot details of which are being kept under wraps - will mark Chazelle's first directorial movie role since 2018's "First Man".
WENN Celebrity

The Duchess and Duke of Sussex have welcomed a new addition to their growing family as the former 'Suits' actress gave birth to the couple's second child.

Jun 7, 2021

AceShowbiz - Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have welcomed a baby girl named Lilibet Diana.

The couple's daughter was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California on Friday morning (04Jun21) and, in a statement announcing the child's arrival, the new parents reveal her name pays tribute to both Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and his late mum, Diana, Princess of Wales, who was killed in a car crash in 1997.

"It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world...," reads a statement issued on Sunday (06Jun21).

"Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home."

The press release continues, "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who relocated from the U.K. to Meghan's native California early last year (20), are already parents to a son named Archie, who turned two last month (May21).

They went public with the news of Meghan's pregnancy in February, a few months after the former actress revealed she had suffered a miscarriage last July (20) in an op-ed for The New York Times.

Meghan and Harry revealed the gender of the baby while sitting down with Oprah Winfrey in a bombshell interview where the couple accused the royal family of racism. They also revealed that Meghan was suicidal when she was pregnant with Archie.
Update Tuesday, June 8, 2021: Firefighters have determined the fire was caused by an escaped campfire in the area of an illegal encampment, according to the Shasta Trinity CAL FIRE unit.

CAL FIRE said no one has been arrested.

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Updated 5:35 p.m. Saturday, June 5, 2021 - According to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office all of the evacuations for the River Fire have been lifted and all roads are now open.

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Updated 5:15 p.m. Saturday, June 5, 2021 - Bartel Street remains under a mandatory evacuation order due to the large fire crew working in the area. Residents of all over evacuated streets are now allowed to return home.

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Updated 3:23 p.m. Saturday, June 5, 2021 - The River Fire is 20-percent contained at this time. According to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office, the fire burned seven acres. The Sheriff's Office reports that 40-45 homes have been evacuated from a neighborhood behind the Pit River Casino. They said no structures have been damaged from this fire at this time.

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Updated 2:35 p.m. Saturday, June 5, 2021 - Hard road closures are now established at Bartel Street, Sapphire and Bartel Street, and at Park Avenue due to the River Fire. Only law enforcement and firefighting personnel are being allowed in the area.

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Updated 2:21 p.m. Saturday, June 5, 2021 - Mandatory evacuations have been ordered by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office for Park Avenue to Mowry Lane in Burney.

Just ten minutes prior to that evacuation order the Shasta County Sheriff's Office shared that mandatory evacuations were in place for Park Avenue from Pit River Casino to Bartel Street and also for the west side of Bartel Street.

Evacuation advisories had been issued for Park Avenue, Sapphire Road, and Galena Circle. Since then part of Park Avenue (to Mowry Lane) has turned into an evacuation order. Sapphire Road and Galena Circle remain as evacuation advisories.

All evacuees are asked to go to Burney High School for shelter. The address of the high school is 37571 Mountain View Road in Burney, California.

According to the Sheriff's Office, their Shasta County Search and Rescue division is assisting with evacuations.

Road closures are being operated by the Shasta County Department of Public Works and the California Highway Patrol (CHP).

---

BURNEY, Calif.  CAL FIREs Shasta-Trinity Unit has reported the River Fire. By 1:40 p.m. it had burned four or five acres in Burney. It was first reported at 12:42 p.m. on Saturday.

A spokesperson for CAL FIRE said there are evacuations taking place at this time behind the Pit River Casino.

Action News Now is reaching out to the Shasta County Sheriffs Office to get official details about the evacuations.

Please check this article periodically for official updates concerning the River Fire.
A federal judge overturned California's longtime ban on assault weapons on Friday in a ruling that likened the AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife.

Assault weapons have been banned in California since 1989, according to the ruling. The law has been updated several times since it was originally passed.

According to the ruling by US District Judge Roger Benitez of San Diego, the assault weapons ban violates the Second Amendment's right to bear arms and deprives Californians from owning assault-style weapons commonly allowed in other states. Benitez issued a permanent injunction Friday so the law cannot be enforced.

'Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment,' Benitez said in the ruling. 'Firearms deemed as 'assault weapons' are fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles.'

In his ruling, the judge also criticized the news media, writing, 'One is to be forgiven if one is persuaded by news media and others that the nation is awash with murderous AR-15 assault rifles. The facts, however, do not support this hyperbole, and facts matter.'

According to 2019 FBI data, the handgun was the most commonly used weapon in murders and accounted for 6,368 victims in 2019. Knives or cutting instruments accounted for 1,476 murders, rifles accounted for 364 murder victims, and 'firearms, type not stated' accounted for 3,281 victims, the data shows.

Still, an AR-15 style rifle has been the weapon of choice for the most violent mass killings in modern history, including in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado; the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh; the Route 91 Harvest musical festival in Las Vegas; a massacre at a church in Texas; the Pulse nightclub in Orlando; a high school in Parkland, Florida; and the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

Judge Benitez has previously ruled against other state firearm restrictions. Last year, he ruled California's ban on high-capacity magazines was unconstitutional. He also struck down the state's restriction on remote purchases of gun ammunition.

California officials pledge to appeal ruling

The comparison of the AR-15 to a versatile pocket knife favored by campers drew sharp criticism from California officials including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called the AR-15 a 'weapon of war.'

The comparison, he said in a statement, 'completely undermines the credibility of this decision and is a slap in the face to the families who've lost loved ones to this weapon.'

Newsom added: 'We're not backing down from this fight, and we'll continue pushing for common sense gun laws that will save lives.'

The ruling and injunction are stayed for 30 days, during which time the attorney general may appeal and seek a stay from the Court of Appeals.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he will be appealing the ruling. 'Today's decision is fundamentally flawed, and we will be appealing it,' Bonta said in a news release.

'There is no sound basis in law, fact, or common sense for equating assault rifles with swiss army knives -- especially on Gun Violence Awareness Day and after the recent shootings in our own California communities,' his statement said.

A White House spokesperson said in a statement, 'Courts have again and again held that an assault weapons ban does not violate the Second Amendment, which is limited. The President continues to press for commonsense laws to reduce gun violence - including a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines.'

Victims' families react

Fred Guttenberg, a gun safety activist whose daughter was killed in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, denounced the judge's comparison.

'My daughter is in a cemetery because a Swiss Army Knife was not used, because it was an AR-15,' he said. 'If a Swiss Army Knife were used, my daughter and most of those other kids and adults would be alive today.'

Guttenberg also called Benitez a 'liar' and an 'activist judge.'

'You are a liar, and your opinion is written utilizing the exact language of the gun lobby. These are not new words. These are not new phrases. They are not new expressions,' he said. 'You took the language from the gun lobby to write this opinion.'

Asked for his reaction on Guttenberg's remarks, Benitez told CNN in an email he is 'prohibited from publicly commenting on pending cases.'

Also on Saturday, Richard Martinez, whose son was killed in a 2014 California mass shooting, spoke to CNN's Fredricka Whitfield and rejected the judge's conclusion that assault weapons like the AR-15 are 'fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles.'

'It's outrageous,' Martinez told CNN. 'It is wrong. Assault weapons were designed by the military to kill people, to kill a lot of people, to kill a lot of people quickly. These type of AR-15-style weapons are modeled after the military versions, and they function pretty much the same way as the weapons used by the military.'

'It is a devastating blow to survivors and all the families,' said Judy Weldon, a teacher who survived a 1989 shooting at an elementary school in Stockton, California. 'His whole ruling is terribly flawed.'

Weldon called the judge's decision 'grossly irresponsible,' adding there was no reason for assault weapons 'to be in the hands of ordinary citizens.'

'Look at how many people in our country are dealing with trauma from gun violence,' she added.

Tina Meins, whose father was killed in the mass shooting in San Bernardino in 2015, said the pain she and other families have suffered because of these weapons shouldn't have to continue.

'He likened in his ruling the popular AR-15 rifle to a Swiss army knife, which is a false equivalence and insult to common sense,' she told CNN. 'I'm certain that every person that's lost a loved one to gun violence or has been threatened or wounded by a gun immediately recoiled at such an obtuse comparison.'

2nd Amendment advocates celebrate

Gun rights advocates quickly celebrated Friday's ruling.

Calling the existing state law 'tyrannical,' the pro-gun Firearms Policy Coalition said it was a first step in 'restoring' gun rights across the country.

'In his order today, Judge Benitez held what millions of Americans already know to be true: Bans on so-called 'assault weapons' are unconstitutional and cannot stand,' said FPC President Brandon Combs. 'This historic victory for individual liberty is just the beginning, and FPC will continue to aggressively challenge these laws throughout the United States. We look forward to continuing this challenge at the Ninth Circuit and, should it be necessary, the Supreme Court.'

The National Rifle Association called the judge's decision 'well-reasoned and principled' and said it 'demonstrates the importance of appointing judges who accurately apply the original meaning of our Constitution.'

'Judge Benitez highlighted what all gun owners know: these types of restrictive gun laws don't make anyone safer and infringe on the rights of law-abiding Americans. We look forward to the positive impact this ruling will have on current and future Second Amendment cases,' NRA spokesman Lars Dalseide said in a statement to CNN.
REDDING, Calif.  A woman who was on probation for driving under the influence (DUI) has been arrested for new offenses.

The Redding Police Department reported that they responded to a traffic collision on Churn Creek Road Saturday morning just after midnight that involved 25-year-old Annemarie Melena.

Melina was driving at the time of the collision, according to Redding police officers, who said she was driving while intoxicated and had her two young children with her in the car.

Police said the collision only involved the car Melena was driving and some trees on the west side of churn Creek Road in an area north of Palacio Drive. Officers said Melena swerved across the opposing lane of traffic before she collided with several trees on the west side of the road.

The children did not appear to be injured, according to officers who said their mother, Melena, suffered minor injuries.

According to the Redding Police Department, Melena was on probation for driving while under the influence. They said her license had been suspended and she did not have an ignition interlock device installed on her car. Officers said the ignition device is required for her probation.

Melena was arrested on DUI charges and for child endangerment. Officers said she was taken to the Shasta County Jail. Her children were released to family members.
A strange session packed with Zoom committee meetings and arguments about masks ended in late May for the Iowa legislature, and farmers are just starting to figure out what it all means for them.

It will go down as one of the most extraordinary sessions because of the circumstances, says Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman.

Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill says he was concerned both with the circumstances surrounding the session and the tenor of the debate at times, but he says that for farmers it ended well.

For Hill, the biggest accomplishment achieved by lawmakers this year came at the end of the session when they changed the funding mechanism for mental health care in the state. Local property taxes had been a major part of that funding, and after much debate lawmakers decided in the closing days that the state should take over that responsibility. That change was the No. 1 priority for the Farm Bureau this session, Hill says.

The change did not reduce the amount of government funding for mental health care, Hill says, but it shifted the funding.

All the tax issues this session were important, but we had been fighting for property tax relief for many years, he says.

Those other tax issues included the elimination of the state inheritance tax and the removal of triggers included in the 2018 income tax reform bill, effectively allowing tax cuts included in that bill to go into effect whether or not the state met the triggers. The inheritance tax provision will be phased out over the next four years.
While the worlds attention focuses primarily on African swine fever, there are plenty of domestic diseases for U.S. pork producers to battle.

That recipe makes for a full plate for the pork industry, says Paul Sundberg, a veterinarian and executive director of the Swine Health Information Center.

At the top of the list of concerns, despite its distance from U.S. soil, is ASF. After beginning in China, the virus has spread into more of Southeast Asia and into Eastern Europe, with the more serious outbreaks reported in Germany, Poland and Russia.

Much of the problem in Eastern Europe is the prevalence of ASF in the feral swine population, Sundberg says. Theres more of a risk to domestic production in Germany, while Poland has established zones following EU guidelines. That makes them eligible to continue trading with us since the EU standards are approved by USDA.

ASF continues to roll through the Chinese swine herd as virulent strains continue to develop, making it more difficult to get a handle on the virus.

Sundberg says the U.S. is taking steps to deal with ASF or other foreign animals diseases. Those include increased biosecurity protocol along with local, state and federal government efforts.

Look at any sort of international contact, such as the source of feed and other things, he says. Does anything come from a country that is dealing with ASF? If so, you might want to look elsewhere.

On the domestic front, PRRS continues to be the most costly diseases for producers. Its a challenge because new strains are frequently developing in the virus, says Lisa Becton, a veterinarian and director of swine health information and research with the National Pork Board.
Eliseo Rangel of Ahwatukee is a well-traveled travel agent who specializes in romantic getaways in the Caribbean, Hawaii, mainland Europe and Iceland for busy couples.
https://www.aish.com/ci/a/Superman-vs-the-Nazis.html

When the Man of Steels Jewish creators got into a real-life feud with the Nazis.

Superman is probably the most famous fictional character in the world. From Australia to Algeria to Alaska, from toddlers to seniors, most people know who Superman is. What most people dont know, however, is that hes a Jewish character.

Created in the 1930s by two Jewish high schoolers in Cleveland, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, The Man of Steel  or Champion of the Oppressed, as he was first known  was a reaction-formation to the rise of Nazism in Europe and antisemitism at home.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, 1942.

As original as the first superhero was, Siegel and Shuster drew inspiration from a variety of sources in their cultural orbit, including Jewish faith and folklore. They gave him the origin story of Moses, a baby saved in a small vessel sent adrift to the unknown, raised by people not his own, becoming in adulthood a mighty, miracle-working savior. They gave him the strength and drive for truth and justice of Samson, the mighty judge. They made him an indestructible defender of the innocent like the golem of Prague. And they sent him to fight Nazis, in comics and in real life.

In his comic books Superman served as a grassroots propaganda figure for Jewish interests, promoting British rearmament, intervention in the war, refugee asylum and the New Deal. But mostly, he cathartically punched Nazis in the face.

While the characters boosterism has been noted often, little has been made of just how effective he was in raising the Nazis ire, and how personal the feud became.

In the February 27, 1940 issue of the popular magazine Look, Superman openly declared war on Hitler and Stalin (who were still allies then)  almost two years before Pearl Harbor and Americas involvement in the war.

In the specially-commissioned two-page story How Superman Would End the War, he breaks through the Siegfried Line, twisting Nazi cannons into knots, tearing open concrete barricades and swatting the Luftwaffe, and in short order reaches Hitlers retreat. Lifting the Fuhrer by the throat, he declares, Id like to land a strictly non-Arian sock on your jaw, but theres no time for that! He then flies to Russia to grab Stalin and drags the dictators by the scruff of their necks to Geneva to stand trial for war crimes.

Supermans choice of words is noteworthy. He proclaims hes strictly non-Arian even though hes the ideal of Arian physiognomy; broad frame, square jaw, cleft chin, sharp small nose and deep blue eyes. And yet it was important to Siegel and Shuster to make clear that their avatar was something else. Not one of them but one of us.

The story was printed in shades of red, white and gray, making Superman appear barelegged. It only added to Hitlers ignominy, being slapped around by a man in briefs.

It was great wish-fulfillment, but ultimately Superman was just a kids comic book character. He didnt matter. Except that he did  to the Nazis.

On April 25, Das Schwarze Korps (The Black Corps), the official newspaper of the SS, published a full-page tirade accusing Superman of being a conspiracy to brainwash American children with false Jewish values like compassion for the weak and defense of the innocent;

Jerry Siegel, an intellectually and physically circumcised chap who has his headquarters in New York.advertised widely Supermans sense of justice, well-suited for imitation by the American youth.who must live in such a poisoned atmosphere and dont even notice the poison they swallow daily.

Several accounts attribute the article directly to Josef Goebbels, and a popular story in the press at the time also claimed Goebbels had a conniption about Superman in the middle of a Reichstag meeting. Either way, the article was widely reported on in the States.

The German American Bund also sent Joe Shuster hate mail and picketed DC Comics offices. Siegel and Shuster didnt publically respond to either. Instead, they did what they did best; strike in fiction.

In Superman #25, super-spoof Geezer, a popular comic book superhero with the same powers as the real Superman, dressed in an orange barelegged costume  a reference to his discoloration in Look  manages to infuriate the Nazis.

The comics artist, Henry Jones, is an exaggerated Shuster lookalike; short, scrawny, sharp-nosed, bespectacled and nebbishy, also fitting the Jewish stereotype in general.

Infuriated that Geezer comics have made Hitler the laughing stock of the world, the Nazis try to kill Jones with different ploys, which Superman keeps thwarting. But when Jones is kidnapped by Nazi agents, its not Superman who comes to the rescue. Instead, he swoops in to save the day dressed like Geezer, getting justice, vindication and a final insult at the same time.

Its a delightful layering of mimesis; Superman embodied his creators wishful selves, taking the place here of his own in-comic pastiche, to protect Shusters stand-in, in a story thats a response to the SS article, which was a reaction to the Look story. Art imitating life, imitating art, and back again.

The two Jewish youths personal war with the vaunted master race didnt end there. Superman continued to fight and humiliate Nazis in his comics, while in the real world his popularity became so great that the U.S. government used him to promote enlistment, blood donations, paper and metal drives, and war stamps and bonds sales, to great success.

And once the U.S. joined the war, with 8 million servicemen reading comics regularly, Superman essentially became regulation equipment. Tanks, jeeps, boats and planes were named after him and decorated with his image. An entire air force bomb squadron made him its official insignia.

With American forces carrying his comics in their pocket and his image on their vehicles, Superman, and through him Siegel and Shuster, were right there on the frontlines, fighting Nazis.
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/5-Strategies-to-Help-Israel-Win-the-Online-Battle.html

An expert on diplomacy and social media suggests ways we all can help Israel.

Israels recent military conflict with Hamas concluded with a ceasefire last month  but the battle over Israels online reputation is still going on right now.

Thats the message of Dr. Ilan Manor, a young Israeli academic whos documented ways nations online reputations and activities increasingly impact real world foreign policy. Dr. Manor is a member of Oxford Universitys Digital Diplomacy Research Group, Digital Diplomacy Scholar at the University of Tel Aviv, and the author of The Digitalization of Public Policy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019); he recently spoke with Aish.com and shared some strategies that Israels Foreign Ministry is using to help wage the battle for public opinion online  and how we too can join the fight.

Israel as a country is fighting over its image, he observes. For some social media users, Israel is associated with positive values such as being a liberal democracy; being a modern, high-tech nation; and being a country where human rights are respected. For too many people, however, Israels image is in danger of becoming a caricature of a monstrous, terrible country.

Its a continuation of a shift that began several years ago, Dr. Manor says, who stresses that he supports a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. When began researching Israels online reputation a few years ago, experts would estimate that about 15% of global social media users were irrevocably anti-Israel, about 15% were firm supporters of the Jewish state, and roughly 70% of social media users were still open to new information and hoped to educate themselves about Israel. Today, Dr. Manor feels those numbers have shifted. Now I think its about 25% (of global social media users) who are against Israel. Perhaps just 10% are firm supporters of Israel. Its a trajectory that weve seen over the past several years.

With Israels online image being tarnished by concerted anti-Israel propaganda campaigns, Dr. Manor observes you have more and more governments that are increasingly critical of Israel. This can hamper Israels chances of developing new trade and diplomatic ties. The fallout might become severe in the very near future, he warns, as more countries turn away from Israel.

One frustrating development in the battle for approval thats being played out on social media is the use of false images. Dr. Manor noted a rise in inaccurately attributed pictures during the recent fighting. Many images posted recently were taken from Syria, not Gaza. Even when social media users find out that theyve posted a picture from a different conflict, theres little incentive to apologize or correct ones feed: Nobody will call you to account.

Like other national governments today, Israels Foreign Ministry maintains online accounts, sending out information about the Jewish state on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. The methods they use to help shape public opinion offer some key pointers for all of us in sharpening our social media advocacy skills.

Dr. Ilan Manor

1. Become a Trusted Source of Accurate Information

Amid simmering tension between Jews and Arabs in Israel, last Jerusalem Day  May 10, 2021  Hamas launched seven rockets from Gaza into Jerusalem, sparking what would eventually be eleven days of brutal fighting. Thousands of rockets rained down on Israel, launched mostly from Iranian-backed Hamas forces in Gaza, as well by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, operating in neighboring Lebanon.

With Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) fighting for Israels physical survival on the ground in Israel and Gaza, Israels Foreign Ministry and other government agencies ramped up their social media campaigns, educating online users around the world about what was occurring in the Jewish state. With so much of the internet awash in anti-Israel propaganda and misinformation, these posts and updates served a crucial function of letting social media users access real information and facts.

For example, when the head of the UN Refugee Works Administration (which provides aid in Gaza and is often strongly hostile to Israel), Matthias Schmale, said that Israels airstrikes were precise and sophisticated, designed to avoid mass casualties  and also added that Gaza was not experiencing any shortages of food, medicine or water  Israels Foreign Ministry disseminated these remarks, helping to set the record straight about what was truly going on.

2. Use Social Media to Strengthen Alliances

Another key point Israels Foreign Ministry stressed on social media during the conflict was the enjoyed broad international support for Israel as it fought Hamas in a war of self-defense. When foreign leaders expressed support for Israel, Israels Foreign Ministry highlighted it. This has a two-fold effect, publicly thanking allies of Israel and also letting social media users know that many officials around the world stand with the Jewish state.

#Czech FM (Foreign Minister) @JakubKulhanek & #Slovakias FM @IvanKorcok visited the site of a direct hit of a Hamas rocket in Petah Tikva, following the visit of #Germanys FM @HeikoMass to the site, Israels Foreign Affairs Ministry tweeted in a typical post on May 20, highlighting the broad international support Israel was receiving.

In your own social media posts, strive to do the same. When local groups or politicians express support for Israel, re-post their statements and publicly thank them. Let the social media world know that many individuals, organizations, states and groups support Israel and share their statements of solidarity.

3. Provide Background to the Conflict

During the recent conflict, Israels Foreign Ministry also sent out social media messages highlighting Irans backing of Hamas. As Israel fought for its life, it was crucial that the international community understand that the conflict was part of a much larger conflict in the Middle East, Dr. Manor points out. Israel also stressed Hamas brutal nature in denying human rights and democratic norms to the people it rules with an iron fist in Gaza.

The Ministry also highlighted Israels attempts to deliver aid to Gaza civilians during the recent conflict  trying to ensure that humanitarian aid reached Gaza even while Hamas fighters were still launching thousands of missiles into Israeli towns and cities from the region. There were even (Israeli) soldiers who were injured while delivering aid to Gaza during the fighting, Dr. Manor notes.

This image of Israel  so at odds with the caricature of Israel as an aggressor that dominated much of social media  was a crucial antidote to the slanted, biased, pro-Hamas posts that flooded the internet. Providing background and context is key, helping social media participants understand the details of Israels situation.

4. Social Media Providing Real-Time News

During the recent fighting, Israeli sources learned that one effective use of social media is as a platform to provide news, real time and from reputable Israeli sources. In the aftermath of the conflict, Israels Foreign Ministry has used social media videos to illustrate the lasting harm that Hamas rocket attacks have had on Israelis across the country.

In one heartbreaking video, a 14-year old Israeli boy named Uri shows his home in the Israeli town of Sderot and talks about what it was like to live under constant bombardment, day and night, by Hamas rockets. You dont feel safe any time he explained; at any moment, he and his family and friends might have to race to bomb shelters once again. You always feel afraid This is something that no child should experience in any nation in the world. Uri describes the reality of Israeli civilians in an accurate, authentic and emotionally piercing way to millions of social media users. Linking to this video and sharing it online  as well as other similar messages  can help spread this real-world testimony about what its like living in Israel today to a wider audience.

5. Tell Your Own Story

When crafting messages on social media, authenticity is very important, Dr. Manor advises. Messages that are personal and from the heart will be more persuasive than simply re-posting or re-tweeting messages that others created. He also suggests that social media users consider the target audience they are hoping to reach, and craft posts that will interest and educate your target users. Consider posting about your own experiences and personal feelings. Keeping it real will ensure that you craft a compelling message  and explain your support for Israel and what your attachment to the Jewish state mean to you.

The digital struggle didnt end with the military operation, Dr. Manor notes; Its going on right now. With Israels reputation continually being questioned and attacked online, we all can be foot soldiers in the battle to educate social media users about the Jewish state. By using social media responsibly, Dr. Manor notes, we can become a source of information and a source of inspiration to others.

Here are some reputable Israeli sources to link to in order to stay abreast of developments in Israel and to help craft your own online message.

Israelis Foreign Ministry can be found on Twitter at @IsraelMFA, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IsraelMFA and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/israelmfa/

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) can be found on Twitter at @IDF, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/idfonline and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/idf/

The State of Israel also maintains an official Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/stateofisrael/ and a TikTok account at vm.tiktok.com/ZSJFMKWy2,
https://www.aish.com/sp/so/A-75-Year-Wait-for-Kaddish.html

Repaying a debt to the man who saved my fathers life.

Are you Jewish? the German officer asked Private Simon Langer. They were in Estonia, during World War I.

Yes, the young soldier admitted in German.

Me too, came the unexpected reply. Then, another surprise: I am Officer Lipkovitz, and from now on youll no longer be in the trenches with the other soldiers. Youll be my orderly, and youll help me fulfill my duties as an officer. Youll follow my orders and live in the officers bunk with me, and do what I tell you needs to be done.

I can only imagine how happy my father must have been when he heard this pronouncement. He no longer had to endure the cold in the trenches; he would live comfortably in the heated officers barrack.

Hans Lipkovitz probably saved my fathers life. And by a remarkable coincidence, my family was able to help elevate Officer Lipkovitzs soul 75 years later.

Rabbi Shimon Langer

It all began when my father, Private Langer, was born in 1897 in Alsace Lorraine, France. Because of politics the official language was at times French, at times German. But the inhabitants had their own dialect, a mixture of both languages. Alsace was part of France until the end of the Franco-German War in 1871, when it was annexed to the German Empire. Still, the population retained its allegiance and loyalty primarily to France.

When World War I broke out between France and Germany in 1914, Germany drafted Private Langer and other young Alsacian young men into its army. The Germans realized these soldiers would not fight their countrymen in France, so sent them east to battle the Russians.

From One Jew to Another

Private Langer and his fellow soldiers were stationed in Tallinn, Estonia. They never saw battle but died by the thousands because of the extreme cold. As a religious Jew, my father would rise early in the morning and wrap himself in tallis and tefillin to pray. Thats how Officer Lipkovitz picked him out as a Jew among the French soldiers.

Not long after, Officer Lipkovitz asked him, Would you like to visit your mother? Go to Alsace and buy me a box of cigars. He gave Private Langer money for cigars and train fare to Alsace.

Did he expect my father to return to Estonia? We dont know. But Private Langer, an honest and reliable young man, did go back after visiting his mother in Alsace and gave Officer Lipkovitz the cigars he had purchased for him.

When World War I ended in 1918, soldiers who were fortunate enough to have survived went home to put their lives back together. My father decided to become a rabbi and enrolled in the Hildesheimer Seminary in Berlin. After his ordination, he married my mother, Caroline Schweizer, in Strasbourg in 1925. They had met during the war when my mothers family provided kosher food to my father and other soldiers stationed in Germany.

Rabbi Shimon Langer

By the 1930s my father had become a prominent rabbi in Paris. Before the outbreak of World War II, he parlayed his fluency in French and German language and culture into important rabbinic missions to benefit the Jews of Western Europe.

An Officer and a Gentleman

Thats how he happened to find Officer Lipkovitz again. Upon arriving in Brussels in 1938, my father walked outside the train station looking for a taxi. Whom did he see but Officer Lipkovitz, playing violin in the square nearby. The former Private Langer ran with outstretched arms and shouted, Lipkovitz, Lipkovitz! The former German officer responded, Langer, Langer!

They hugged and began to catch up on the many years since their last encounter. My father asked, How did you get to Brussels, and how do you earn a living? Lipkovitz responded, Even though I was a German officer during the war, the Germans expelled me and many other Jewish officers. Since I had an elderly aunt here, I decided to come to Brussels. Here I stand and play the violin to earn a few francs.

Recalling how the shabbily dressed person before him had saved his life, my father implored, Officer, what can I do for you? How can I repay you? Lipkovitz had a simple answer: My violin is old and doesnt sound the way it should. I wish I had a new violin so that I could play beautiful music to earn a few francs from passers-by.

Rabbi Shimon Langer and his wife Caroline

My father quickly reached into his pocket and gave Lipkovitz the money for a new violin. Then the former officer and soldier parted company. But their story didnt end there.

Fleeing to Safety in an Army Convoy

In 1939 France and Britain declared war on Germany, which had invaded Poland. My father served as a chaplain in the French army. That turned out to be a blessing when France surrendered and was divided into two zones. My family was able to flee in an army convoy from Nazi-occupied Paris to Marseille in the south.

Denise Heimowitz (right) with her twin sister Alice Weiss

As chief of the Jewish community in Marseille, my father visited a large internment camp west of the city that accommodated Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis. One day as he was distributing food in the barracks he saw Lipkovitz in one of the beds, suffering from gangrene.

He ensured that his former officer received the medicine and food needed to manage deteriorating health. On one of his last visits, my father looked for his friend in the barracks, but Lipkovitz was nowhere to be found.

My father never learned of his officers fate.

In the Nick of Time

In 1941, due to my mothers urgent insistence, my father packed up our family to escape by boat from Marseille to America. Within a week after our departure, the Germans came for my father because he was head of the Marseille Jewish communitybut they were too late.

A father of four, he became a beloved rabbi in New York, with dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren across America and Israel. Years after my father died in 1987 at age 90, my niece discovered information about Lipkovitzs fate. According to her research at Yad Vashem, Lipkovitz died in 1941 near the city of Gurs by the internment camp where my father had last seen him.

Exactly 75 years after the Hebrew date of Lipkovitzs death, my brother took on the merit of going to synagogue to say kaddish (the mourners prayer) for the officer. He asked me to light a yahrzeit memorial candle for someone very special whom we had never met. Thus, we were able to pay tribute to the man who saved my fathers life and ensured the continuity of future generations.
https://www.aish.com/tp/b/insights-on-the-torah/Envy-and-Foolishness.html

When one reads the account of Korach's rebellion (Numbers 16:1-35), one is astounded by the incident. Not only was Moses the one who led the Jews from Egypt, but all the Israelites were eyewitnesses to the many miracles that were wrought through him. They saw him wave his staff over the Reed Sea, causing the waters to divide. There could be no doubt that he was commissioned by God to be the leader. How could anyone question the authenticity of Moses' leadership? It simply defies all logic.

Rashi quotes the Midrash which raises this question: How could Korach, a wise and learned person, act so foolishly? The Midrash answers that Moses had appointed another Levite to be leader of the tribe of Levi, and Korach was envious of this.

Yet, this does not fully answer the question. Can envy so deprive a person of logical thinking that one would deny the evidence of one's own eyes?

Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz (Sichos Mussar 5731:21) helps us understand this. He cites the Talmudic statement, Envy, lust and pursuit of acclaim remove a person from the world (Ethics of the Fathers 4:28). The expression remove a person from the world is rather strange. Rabbi Shmulevitz explains that the usual deviation from proper behavior is a very gradual one. The Talmud says that the tactic of the yetzer hara, the evil inclination, is to seduce a person to commit a very minor infraction, then lead him on to progressively more serious transgressions (Shabbos 108b). That is the nature and order of the world. The yetzer hara will not entice a person into doing something patently absurd.

However, if a person is overtaken by envy, one escapes the natural order of the world. One is no longer bound by logic. The passion of envy can be so great that it can overwhelm all rational thought, and leave one vulnerable to the yetzer hara's seduction to behave in the most irrational manner. Envy indeed removes a person from the natural order of the world.

That is what happened with Korach. Moses understood this, and delayed the trial until the next day (see Rashi to Numbers 16:5).

The Korach episode conveys a most important teaching. We are all vulnerable to envy, and envy is not a difficult emotion to identify. If you feel yourself being envious, do nothing for a while. Envy can suspend all logical thinking and make one do things that one will regret.

If you feel envious, ventilate your feelings to a friend or write them down. Read one of the ethical works about envy. This will help you realize that envy is a futile and destructive feeling. Before doing anything foolish that may be a reaction to your envy, seek the counsel of a friend or mentor. You may avoid making serious mistakes.
A sleepy Freedom teen had a rude awakening when her vehicle rolled five times. Ariana White, 17, was transported by Freedom EMS to Alliance in Woodward and transferred to St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas. She was admitted in stable condition with head, trunk internal, trunk external, arm and leg injuries.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol report, the wreck occurred Wednesday about 11:30 p.m. on SH-50. The location is approximately two miles south of Freedom in Woodward County.

White was driving a 1999 Ford Explorer when she went to sleep and lost control of the vehicle. While she was trying to regain control, the vehicle rolled five times, coming to rest on the drivers side.

Trooper Randy McCullough investigated, assisted by Woodward County Sheriffs Office, Freedom EMS and Freedom Fire Department.
Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 95F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low around 75F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.